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THE LARGEST CIRCULATED ENGLISH DAILY IN SOUTH INDIA CHENNAI I FRIDAY 20 I MARCH 2020 WEATHER Max: 35OC Min: 26OC Rainfall: Nil WORLD | 11 SPORT | 15 TABLOID Forecast: Hazy Work in the time sunshine; air quality will Game of Thrones star Call on IPL after April be unhealthy for of corona sensitive groups Indira Varma tests positive 15, says Rijiju ASTROGUIDE www.facebook.com/deccannews, www.twitter.com/deccanchronicle, www.deccanchronicle.com Vol. 15 No. 353 Established 1938 | 32 PAGES | ` 3.00 Vikari: Panguni 7 Tithi: Ekadashi/ Dwadashi ALL LEGAL ROUTES CLOSED Star: Thiruvonam Rahukalam: 10.30 am to 12 noon ‘Janata curfew’ on Sunday Yamagandam: Nirbhaya convicts set ● India on Thursday 3 pm to 4.30 pm DC CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI, MARCH 19 India reports fourth death announced it will not PRAYERS allow any international to hang at 5.30 am Fajar: 5.06 am Prime Minister Narendra India There were more than 20 fresh cases commercial passenger Jumma: 12.23 pm Modi on Thursday urged reported its in last 24 hours with Chhattisgarh New Delhi, March 19: All gangraping a 23-year-old fourth aircraft to land from Asar: 3.38 pm all citizens to observe a and Chandigarh reporting their first March 22 to March 29. legal routes to escape the physiotherapy intern in Maghrib: 6.20 pm “Janata Curfew” on coronavirus Covid-19 patients on early Thursday noose closed Thursday for Delhi on the night of Sunday, March 22, between death on ● The central govern- the four men convicted in December 16, 2012 so savage- Isha: 7.30 pm Thursday 7 am to 9 pm, as part of a Four more persons Tirupati Balaji temple ment said the railways the Nirbhaya gangrape case ly that she died of her SUNSET TODAY 6.20 PM while the social distancing step to have tested positive to be shut for and Civil Aviation who were then just hours injuries a fortnight later, SUNRISE TOMORROW 6.13 AM prevent the spread of coro- total away from being hanged, would have been executed for the coronavirus devotees; Malls, Ministry must suspend MOONRISE TODAY 3.34 AM navirus in India. The PM COVID-19 seven years-three months in Tihar Jail at 5.30 am on affliction theatres closed in AP all concessional travel on MOONSET TOMORROW 3.17 PM also urged people to stay cases rose after brutalising a young Friday. Their death war- indoors as far as possible, to trains and flights, except woman in a Delhi bus with a rants have been deferred by work from home and not to Even World War I and II did not affect as many for students, patients barbarity that shook the a court thrice on the grou- COUNTER POINT indulge in the panic buy- 173 countries as coronavirus has done. — PM Modi and disabled people. nation. nds that they had not exha- ing or hoarding of food ● 14 major ● All citizens above 65 Mukesh Singh (32), Pawan usted all their legal reme- items or other items, say- zens to follow certain mea- ● Indian tested Gupta (25), Vinay Sharma dies and that the mercy peti- ing all essential items will sures to ensure the con- temples to be positive (other than for medical (26) and Akshay Kumar tion of one or the other was be made available. tainment of the fast- closed for assistance) except for Singh (31), held guilty for before the president. — PTI Incidentally, soon after it spreading virus and in Iran died, says public representatives or was announced Wedneday emphasised on the impor- darshan, puja ministry of government servants or that the PM would address tance of not taking the to go on external affairs medical professionals the nation on Thursday at pandemic lightly, and the are advised to SC directs floor test 8 pm, people rushed to the need to be aware and markets to buy food and proactive about the pre- PAGE 2 PAGE 7 remain at home other items in panic, vention of Covid-19. assuming that he will He said on the occasion in MP by 5 pm today announce a complete lock- of “Navratra” he was mak- down in the country, forc- ing nine requests to peo- RABINDRA NATH vote. ing the Centre to issue an ple, adding the patience Good and bad news on treating Covid-19 CHOUDHURY | DC Delivering its verdict on official denial on and resolve of all Indians BHOPAL, MARCH 19 the vexed issue, a division Thursday afternoon. A lot was vital to fight against R. MOHAN | DC in seriously ill patients, res- in India as there may have bench comprising Justices of regular supplies van- the pandemic, which had CHENNAI, MARCH 19 earchers from China report- been encouraging results Delivering a jolt to the 15- D.Y. Chandrachud and ished from the markets as wreaked havoc all over the ed in The New England after the Drug Controller of month-old Kamal Nath Hemant Gupta asked the Market report well as online stores. world. “Follow the concept There is good news and bad Journal of Medicine. "No India had given the green government, the Supreme Madhya Pradesh 24 ct (1 gm): `4,060.00 “There would not be any of Janata Curfew on news on treatment of the benefit was observed," the signal. Some doctors have Court on Thursday direct- Assembly to reconvene for GOLD 22 ct (1 gm): `3,879.00 shortage of essential items March 22 from 7 am to 9 novel coronavrius - anti- researchers wrote. preferred using the anti-TB ed it to face a floor test by 5 the trust vote and hold it

Bar (1 Kg): `39,990.00 like food, milk, medicines, pm, wherein no one apart retroviral drugs like Kaletra Indian doctors are, howev- drug Tamiflu (Oseltamivir), pm on Friday and left it to by 5 pm on Friday. The SILVER etc,” Mr Modi said in his from those involved in that had held promise as a er, continuing with the anti- also an antiviral, as their the 16 rebel Congress Assembly had been Sensex 28,288.23 pts address, while urging peo- essential services is sup- potential treatment for the retroviral combo of HIV dr- medicine of choice in this MLAs, lodged in a resort in adjourned on March 16 for INDICES Nifty 8,263.45 pts ple to not resort to panic posed to venture out of coronavirus did not work in ugs Lopinavir and Ritonavir battle against Covid-19. Bengaluru, to take a call on 10 days “due to the coron- EXCHANGE US$: `75.10 Euro: 81.10 buying. He requested citi- home,” said Mr Modi. one of the first major studies as the first line of treatment ■Turn to P2 participating in the trust avirus outbreak”. ■ P6 CITY DECCAN CHRONICLE | FRIDAY | 20 MARCH 2020 | CHENNAI pg 2

SHORT STORIES 27 air passengers Fighting Covid with fewer testing kits in isolation ward ■ ■ R. VALAYAPATHY | DC No coronavirus test kits made in India Shortage caused by import stuck in airlines lockdown TIRUCHY, MARCH 19 T. SUDHEESH I DC At least 27 air passengers CHENNAI, MARCH 19 who arrived here from Dubai, Singapore and Sharjah were Dearth of testing kits to diag- quarantined and removed to nose coronavirus cases has now an isolated make shift ward become a big challenge in deter- set up in the unused market mining Covid-19 cases in a quick complex of the agriculture manner. So far no companies in marketing department at India sell the kit, and import of suburb Kallikkudi near here kits from abroad has been imped- on Wednesday night, as part ed because of the airlines being of the preventive steps in lockdown and the travel bans against the spread of the imposed by the government for new coronavirus. Official several nations. sources said these 27 air Since the health ministry has a passengers were part of 324 stringent testing policy ending passengers who came by up the country in among the low- two flights from Sharjah and est testing rates in the world Singapore and some of them despite the World Health had boarded the flights of Organisation urging all coun- Philippines, Afghanistan and tries to intensify coronavirus Malaysian airways. After testing to try to reduce the sever- landing, the special medical ity of the pandemic. team screened them with According to the data available thermal scanners and found with Tamil Nadu government, 27 had cold and fever symp- the number of samples tested in toms. All of them were quar- the state is just 320 so far. Out of antined and removed to the which 232 were tested negative isolated ward at Kallikudi, and three cases declared positive. where they were put on The number of samples under A bhajji stall on Marina beach has no takers on Thursday. —DC round-the-clock observance, process is 85. the sources added. The med- The coronavirus, meanwhile, ical team collected blood has so far caused three deaths in samples from them and sent the country and infected at least THE SAMPLE COLLECTION THE PROCESS OF SENDING the same for clinical analysis. 126 people. Many experts fear the The throat or nose swab is col- SAMPLES TO LABS Good and bad news Already,12 persons including number of infected people may lected from suspected per- few college students are be much higher, but the govern- sons with the sterile swab If it is sent to nearby lab equipped under observation at the iso- ment has simply failed to detect stick in Viral Transport with testing facilities, it will be on treating Covid-19 lated ward at the Governm- them because of its limited test- Medium (VTM). Then it will kept in triple layer packing. If is ent medical college hospital ing facilities. be secured in a triple layer sent to distant labs, it samples From Page 1 here, the sources added. The state and Central govern- will be transported in thermocole report in the New York Meanwhile, the public health ments have restricted coron- packing marked with the name , There is, however, a silver Times, that the next authorities quarantined 28 avirus tests to only those with gender and Identification number of the box having facility of dry ice pack. lining in the hope that the choice would be hydroxy- gypsies of Pazhanagudi recent travel history to affected person . When it reaches in virology labs, it experimental drug chloroquine, as long as Narikoravar colony, who countries or those known to have will be shifted to the minus 80 deep freezer. Remdesivir, a broad spec- the patient did not have returned from Kerala by train come in contact with confirmed trum antiviral, could cure abnormalities in heart on Wednesday. They were cases as well as with symptoms patients of coronavirus rhythm, which would put under round-the-clock of the disease. HOW TO HOW TO CONFIRM HOW TO DISCHARGE after a 79-year-old Italian make the drug unsafe. observation and asked not The number of the tests, CONFIRM COVID 19 A CORONA PATIENT man who had tested posi- For extremely ill patients to leave their homes for at according to the experts, is too tive has been given the suffering from intense least 15 days. They were also low. Though the country has NO CORONA If the E-Gene is detect- Once the virus con- all-clear following treat- inflammatory reactions, asked if they had any symp- reached the stage of community ed in the sample, one ment. This US drug devel- called a cytokine storm, toms fever, cough and cold, transmission of the virus, the There are two firmed, the sample oped in the fight against some US hospitals are try- more test needs to be will again be col- and advised to immediately improvised testing facilities are types of tests to done to confirm the the Ebola epidemic may ing a drug called move to the hospital, the the only way in preventing confirm the virus. lected from the prove efficacious in treat- tocilizumab, an arthritis virus. This is the test patient after 48 sources added. As many as spread of Covid-19. Currently, First: Realtime for finding out RDRP, ing those seriously ill in drug. 60 air passengers flying to according to the reports, only 50 Reverse hours. The patient the current global virus “Start Tamiflu when Malaysia, who have been to 60 private labs accredited by ORF1B genes. For this, separated RNA will be discharged only pandemic too. symptoms appear and stranded here and staying at the National Accreditation Transcriptase PCR will be put in real time PCR for three Doctors in India have stop if Covid-19 is nega- for testing of E- after the sample tested the airport premises for the Board for Laboratories (NABL) hours. If this test finds RDRP, ORF1B negative twice. been treating Covid-19 tive,” says Dr KK last two days, following the will be allowed to conduct the gene. It is being genes, Covid19 can be confirmed. patients with a combina- Aggarwal, president cancellation of the Tiruchy- tests. done with reagent tion of drugs, including Confederation of Medical Malaysia flights due to the Dr V. S.Natarajan, a noted geri- kit. The RNA antiviral drugs used in Associations of Asia and Covid-19 threat, are being atric physician in the town, sug- (Ribonucleic acid) CHENNAI FIRM’S TESTING KIT AWAITS NOD the treatment of HIV. In Oceania and former head taken care of by the Tiruchy gests that the government first will be separated fact, the governments of of IMA. district Makkal Neethi address the issue of dearth of from the sample Chennai-based firm Trivitron kits through our chain of 65 labo- Tamil Nadu and He goes on to elaborate, Maiyam (MNM) Katchi by testing kits. The people will not that enters the Healthcare Group, has claimed ratories spread across the coun- Rajasthan were con- “It’s not flu - It’s a lung accommodating them in a go to the crowded government that they have manufactured try," Dr Velu said, adding that vinced that the combina- disease, not a stuffy nose house near Tiruchy airport, hospitals even though they have medium . Then it tion of anti-retroviral disease. Clinically all will be kept in real Covid-19 testing kits with the sup- they have the capacity to manu- the sources added. symptoms. So the private hospi- port of Chinese expertise and the facture up to 750,000 tests kits per drugs was working well have fever, 75% have tals and laboratories where the time PCR machine on patients with Covid-19 cough; 50% weakness; testing facility is available for two hours. If kits have been under validation day. According to him, the kits symptoms. In the US, the 50% breathlessness with should be given assent to diag- the E-gene is not process. were developed so that it can most promising treat- low total white count and Cops helpout in nose the virus. Because testing is found in the sam- Dr GSK Velu, chairman and man- detect the virus though poly- ment has been with the deranged liver enzymes; the only way to contain the ple during this aging director of the group, told merase chain reaction (PCR) Ebola drug, now consid- runny nose only shows up preventive steps spread of the virus', he told DC . process, it can be DC that said they would be able to method. Kit is made within the ered the first choice as the in 4% cases; 20% need According to the health offi- ICU care and 15% of them confirmed that it sell the kit for Rs 500 it would be indigenous infrastructure, though remdesivir study is being B. RAVICHANDRAN | DC cials, there are two types of the technological know -how was undertaken with patients are fatal. Treatment is OOTY, MARCH 19 Coronavirus testing; first is had not been Rs 4,000 abroad. "We have getting the drug at ran- symptomatic though anti- infected by Covid- approached the Union health min- adopted from China. That is rea- blood-based and second swab- son why, he says, the price of the dom. viral (remdesivir) and The cops in the hills here based. While the blood-based test 19. Only 40 such istry for the approval. We hope it A doctor in Seattle, the anti-HIV drugs have plunged into action to is expected to cost around Rs 700, test can be done in will take a couple of weeks. Once kit is very low compared to for- first epicentre of the (lopinavir/ritonavir) lend their hands for commu- the swab-based one could cost a lab in a day. we get approval, we can sell the eign kit. virus outbreak in the US, have shown some effica- nity reach in Covid-19 pre- around `6,000. said, according to a c y. ” ventive measures. Encouraged by V.Sasi Mohan, the SP of Nilgiris, the police department here distributed hand sanitisers, face masks and other disinfectant mate- rials to all the police stations in the Nilgiris to maintain police stations limits with good hygiene. This apart, the cops have joined hands with the respective civic body admin- istrations across the hills to create awareness on Covid- 19 and also help the civic administrations in the dis- ease preventive measures. The cops have begun to visit the police quarters to have talks with the family mem- bers of the policemen to sensitize them on Covid-19 and to seek their support for prevention measures. The family members of the policemen are asked to adhere to the Covid-19 pre- vention measures being taken by the government as well as the district adminis- tration and to look after per- sonal, family and public hygiene to fight Covid-19 An expert conducts Covid-19 test in a lab. —DC Principal of Pachaiyappa’s college guiding students on sanitizing their hands in Chennai on Thursday. —DC threat. DHANVANTHRI HOMAM, MAHA MRITYUNJAYA HOMAM PLANNED IN SEVERAL TEMPLES IN STATE 14 major temples to be closed for darshan, puja to go on J. V. SIVA PRASANNA KUMAR a long life and good health. CHENNAI, MARCH 19 Apart from Sri Parthasarathy KAPALI PANGUNI FEST POSTPONED Swamy temple, Andavar temple and As part of a major initiative to pre- Sri Kapaleeshwar temples in the vent the congregation of scores of B. VIJAYALAKSHMI | DC HR&CE official said, “The annual performed and temple staff will city, Sri Meenakshi Amman temple devotees in the temples 14 ancient CHENNAI, MARCH 19 Panguni festival has been post- work as usual, she in Madurai, Sri Subrahmanya temples spread across Tamil Nadu poned. added. Swamy temple in Tiruchendur, including three shrines in the Kapaleeswarar temple, closed for The government is likely to take a Rama, a devotee, said this is prob- Palani Dhandayuthapani temple, metro, will totally restrict darshan darshan from Friday, has post- call on the conduct of the festival ably the first time the temple's Sri Ranganathaswamy temple in for devotees till March 31. A decision poned its Panguni festival. after a couple of weeks.” biggest festival has been Srirangam, Samayapuram to this effect was made by Chief Speaking to DC, the temple Daily rituals and pujas will be postponed. Mariamman temple, Thyagaraja Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami temple in Tiruvarur, Sri who chaired a stakeholders meeting Devasthanams authorities to close universal well-being. “In accordance tham,”says A. J. Sekar, president Sthanumalayan Swamy temple in here on Thursday as part of the con- the Lord Venkateswara Swamy tem- with the TTD’s decision, the Lord's local advisory committee of TTD. Suchindram, Thiruvannamalai tinuing efforts to contain the spread ple to devotees as a precaution to temples in T. Nagar, Vellore, According to sources in Hindu Arunachaleshwar temple, Kanchi of the novel Coronavirus disease. control the spread of the dreaded Rajapalayam and Kanyakumari will Religious and Charitable temple and Tiruttani Murugan tem- Although devotees will be barred virus. On Thursday, Dhanvanthri be closed for one week from March Endowments (HR & CE) depart- ple will close for devotees. for darshan, the temple priests homam was performed at the TTD 20. However, pujas and other rituals ment, all the temples in the state Mr. Palaniswami directed the offi- would perform the daily pujas and Information Centre, T. Nagar, here to Lord Venkateswara and Sri have been asked to perform cials to advise managements of big connected rituals. The move comes (see pic), invoking the blessings of Padmavathi Ammavaru and other Dhanvanthri homam or Maha churches and mosques in the state close on the lines of the decision Lord Venkateswara to overcome the deities in the temples would be per- Mrityunjaya homam on Friday to to temporarily bar entry to pilgrims made by the Tirumala Tirupati threat caused by the virus and for formed by the priests in ekan- get relief from diseases and to attain till March 31. CITY Umasankar DECCAN CHRONICLE | FRIDAY | 20 MARCH 2020 | CHENNAI pg 3

■ First time in century-old history, major sevas cancelled SHORT TAKES SHUTDOWN VIGNETTES Quarantine centre readied at TB Tirumala temple shut sanatorium Chennai: The state health department has established a 50 bedded quarantine cen- for devotees’ darshan tre at the TB sanatorium hospital in Tambaram here. DC CORRESPONDENT ● As a precautionary Mr Singhal said that AP were very few precedents On Thursday the department TIRUMALA, MARCH 19 measure, both foot- Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan in temple history when officials and staff, along with paths at Alipiri and Mohan Reddy held a such a decision was taken. the railway authorities, com- The Andhra Pradesh gov- Srivari Mettu were shut review on measures being “According to ancient menced screening of pas- ernment and the down from Thursday 3 taken by various temple records available with the sengers at Chennai Central, Tirumala Tirupati pm onwards. Only devo- trust boards in the state to TTD, this is the first time Egmore and Tambaram sta- Devasthanams (TTD) have tees with time slot effectively tackle Covid-19 in 128 years that pilgrim tions. on Thursday jointly taken tokens were permitted on Thursday. worship would be sus- Help desks have been a decision to seal the holy to walk up to Tirumala Post the review, CM Mr pended at Tirumala, established by the Ministry shrine and the entire hill Reddy and TTD Chairman which is believed to be of Health and Family Welfare temple town of Tirumala would not be allowed for- Y.V. Subba Reddy and the nearly 2,000 years old. The at the railway stations which from tomorrow as a pre- darshan. state endowments depart- last time the temple was are equipped with thermal cautionary measure to Anil Kumar, executive ment, resolved to suspend completely closed down screening. contain the widely spread- officer, TTD, along with pilgrim worship at the and even rituals were sus- "After my inspection ing Coronavirus (Covid- additional EO A.V. Tirumala temple as well pended, was in 1892 for @aaichnairport, its decided 19) pandemic. Dharma Reddy, CV and SO as at several other promi- unknown reasons, as per that 16,000 passengers from The hill town of Gopinath Jatti, Tirupati nent temples spread records available with the 160 arrivals will undergo Tirumala, which is always urban SP Ramesh Reddy, across the state. TTD.” thermal screening by staff buzzing with hectic pil- disclosed details to media- He said that the TTD As a precautionary working in 3 shifts. grim activity, and has mil- persons on the closure of board chairman would measure, both footpaths at Awareness pamphlets for lions of devotees of Lord the temple at a conference review all decisions Alipiri and Srivari Mettu addl information & guidance Venkateswara visiting held at Annamaiah depending on fresh guide- were shut down from will also be distributed. #air- each year, has been closed Bhavan in Tirumala on lines from the state and Thursday 3 pm onwards. A deserted stretch in Mahabalipuram on Thursday. —DC portscreening for all pilgrims as part of Thursday evening. central Governments after Only devotees with time #vijayabaskar," health minis- a state-wide and nation- He said that TTD has seven days. slot tokens were permitted ter Dr. C. Vijayabaskar tweet- wide drive to contact decided to stop Srivari “Temporarily, other local to walk up to Tirumala, he ed. Covid-19. darshan for a period of TTD temples like said, adding that as on The minister, accompanied This is the first time in seven days from now. The Padmavati Ammavari Thursday, a total of 42, 957 by Health Secretary Dr. its history of nine decades decision was taken after Temple at Tiruchanoor, tokens had been issued to Beela Rajesh and other offi- that the TTD has decided receiving directives from Govinda Raja Swamy pilgrims and they would cials, inspected Chennai to stall Srivari darshan the YSRC government in Temple and others also have darshan by the end of domestic terminal, and later and restrict pilgrims' view of a Covid-19 sus- would be closed. Even the day. said this screening would be entry to the sacred hill pect, who visited Brahmotsavams in the All reception counters, extended to other airports in shrine. The closure would Tirumala on March 18. Kodandarama Swamy Kalyanakatta, Anna the state. come into effect from However, the TTD would temple at Tirupati would Prasadam complex and Chairing a meeting of stake- Friday (12 noon) onwards allow only those pilgrims be conducted on the side laddu complex are set to holders here on Thursday, for pilgrims. However, all who have taken time slot at a low profile. We have close down from 12 noon Chief Minister Edappadi K. daily kainkaryams would tokens, VIP break darshan already cancelled the Friday. Palaniswami had directed be performed for the main tickets and the Friday mass Sita Rama He appealed to devotees the officials to screen all deity by Archakas as Arjitha Sevas for darshan, Kalyanam at Vontimitta to bear with the inconven- passengers coming to Tamil usual but in Ekantham which were already issued on April 7,” he said. ience and urged them to Nadu by road or rail. (private) as per Agama on Thursday till 12 noon of Meanwhile, to a query, cooperate with the deci- Surveillance should be sastras. Only the devotees Friday, he said. Mr Singhal said that there sion. stepped up in domestic air- port terminals and disinfec- tants should be sprayed twice in places where people congregate in large numbers in urban and rural regions Service industry pleads for relief and thrice at airports, rail- way, bus and metro rail sta- DC CORRESPONDENT needs your support now tourism, travel, hospitali- tions, he said. CHENNAI, MARCH 19 more than ever. This is a ty & aviation industry. The CM mandated continua- time of an unprecedented A support fund for 12 tion of medical counselling The Federation of emergency and our months on the lines of by health authorities for Associations in Indian request to you is for an MNREGA to support basic those quarantined at home. Tourism & Hospitality equally befitting response salaries with 'direct trans- He mandated continuation (FAITH) has written to for the tourism industry's fer' to affected tourism of medical counselling by Prime Minister Narendra immediate survival," the employees. Guindy Children’s Park closed till March 31. —DC health authorities for those Modi on the bleak sce- plea reads. The federation also quarantined at home. nario facing the industry What the industry feder- requests that TCS (tax col- as a consequence of the ation is seeking - 12- lected at source) on travel coronavirus pandemic. months moratorium on has been proposed in ‘Only critical "The tourism industry in tourism business activity EMIs of principal and Finance Bill 2020 to be India has reached dire of India, estimated at $28 interest payments on levied from April 1 not be cases should visit straits today and is staring billion+ in forex and loans and working capital introduced as it will dis- at mass unemployment upwards of ?2 lakh crores from Financial place business from India Cheap sanitisers, masks Jipmer’ and bankruptcies. We in domestic tourism activ- Institutions (both banking to overseas, which will urgently seek your kind ity will be at risk through & non-banking), doubling lead to shutting down Chennai: In the wake of the intervention," reads the the year and in excess of ? of working capital limits businesses of most Indian spread of coronavirus, the letter, which makes a plea 5 lakh crores of direct and on interest free and tourism companies. on sale in Kanyakumari Centrally sponsored Jipmer in for concessions that alone tourism industry and collateral free terms. The charter of pleas Puducherry on Thursday can save the industry and almost double that of total The Federation also includes deferment of M. ARULOLI | DC according to the district hand sanitizer. asked only patients with criti- millions of jobs," says the economic activity is at seeks deferment for 12 increase in any insurance KANYAKUMARI, MARCH collector, Prashant M The Tirunelveli dis- cal ailments and requiring letter signed by Nakul risk. months of all statutory premium for a period of 12 19 Wadnere. trict administration too tertiary care should visit the Anand, chairman, FAITH. "With declining rev- dues whether GST, months, a complete GST Moreover, as many of initiated a similar proj- hospital. Making this appeal The federation believes enues almost all tourism Advance Tax payments, Tax Holiday for the Hand sanitisers and face the retailers could not ect of involving women through a circular, Jipmer that around 70% out of a businesses are running PF, ESIC, customs duties tourism, travel & hospital- masks produced by self- keep up with the self help group mem- (Jawaharlal Institute of total estimated workforce out of working capital. at the Central ity Industry, a 200% help groups will be demand for hand sanitiz- bers in the production of Postgraduate Medical of 5.5 crores (direct and However, with the respon- Government level or at weighted exemption for 12 available for public sale ers that resulted in high face masks and hand Education and Research) said indirect) could get unem- sibility of staff and pay- any state government months on expenses to in Kanyakumari district cost due to lack of ade- sanitisers to meet the this was part of the precau- ployed and that the effect ment of their salaries, level the excise fees, Indian corporates to hold from March 29. quate supply, the public demand. tionary steps to save patients on job losses and layoffs EMIs to service, advance levies, taxes, power & exhibitions, conferences Responding to the com- Kanyakumari district A single piece of "use from the spread of the novel has already begun tax, PF, ESIC, GST, excise water charges, bank guar- and incentive trips in plaints about the inade- administration has and throw" face mask Covid-19. the hospital every throughout the country. and other state levies, antees & security deposits India and restoration of quate availability of brought in self help has been now sold for Rs day for treatment. —PTI The federation also bank guarantees, security and deferment of all 10% duty credit of SEIS sanitizers and face groups in the manufac- 30 in the southern dis- pointed out that the total deposits, this industry renewals, across the scrips. masks, the turing of hand sanitiz- tricts and hence the dis- Kanyakumari district ers. Around 10 self help trict administrations of collector has taken groups initially identi- Kanyakumari and action to impart train- fied for the manufactur- Tirunelveli involve the ing for women's self help ing of hand sanitizer self help groups to pro- 5 day-old girl killed in Madurai members, who produce with the assistance of duce face masks and face masks. health department offi- hand sanitizer that A ARUL PALANI I DC ● Kavitha and her moth- were arrested by the The public sale of the cials have been provided would be sold for public CHENNAI, MARCH 19 er-in-law Chellammal police on Thursday. Police face masks produced by with Isopropyl alcohol, at the gave contradictory ver- said Suresh, who works in the women self help glycerol and Hydrogen manufacturing cost, In a shocking female sions to the police dur- Kerala, was not in the vil- groups will begin on peroxide, the major said a health depart- infanticide, a five-day-old ing police inquiry. They lage when the child was Friday (March 20), ingredients to produce ment official. baby girl was killed by her allegedly admitted to killed. It may be noted mother and grandmother killing the child that the late Chief by feeding it with Minister J Jayalalithaa 'Erukkam Paal near They buried body near had introduced the 'cradle Madurai. This is the sec- their house. However, resi- baby scheme' in 1992 to ond female infanticide in dents suspected of female end female infanticide Pondy getting 1 lakh masks ready the region in a month. infanticide and informed and to protect girl chil- They resorted to the inhu- Andipatti tahsildar K dren from the clutches of Puducherry, March 19: by the groups and soon Engineering College and man practice dejected Chandrasekharan. A death. The unwanted The territorial adminis- one lakh masks would be the Department of Excise over the birth of female police complaint was also female babies left in the tration is getting masks available. Nearly five would also get ready hand babies repeatedly. lodged by the local village cradle at government hos- ready through self-help groups had been drafted sanitisers. The college According to sources, administrative officer pitals and primary health groups to meet the cur- for the purpose. He said had held a meeting earlier Suresh (34) and Kavitha (VAO). The body was centres were given for rent demand for the pro- the masks would be first with the officers of the (27) of Ramanathapuram exhumed for conducting legal adoption. tective cover in the con- distributed to the police Hindu Religious village in Mottanuthu an autopsy. In 2010, the National text of measures to con- personnel, health staff, Institutions and Wakf near Andipatti have two Police said Kavitha and Crime Records Bureau tain the spread of dreaded workers of the ASHA unit Board and had directed all girl children aged 10 and her mother-in-law reported approximately novel Covid-19. and staff of the anganwa- the temples, churches and COVID-19 AWARENESS eight years. Meanwhile, Chellammal gave contra- 100 male and female infan- Announcing this to di centres. Arun said the also mosques in the Union Kavitha gave birth to a dictory versions to the ticides, producing an offi- reporters here on DRDA and the National Territory to make avail- TN health secretary Beela Rajesh at coronavirus awareness pro- third girl child on police during inquiry. cial rate of less than one Thursday, the Puducherry Livelihood Mission would able hand washing facili- gramme for journalists in Chennai press club conducted by the February 26. The child They allegedly admitted case of infanticide per Collector T Arun said be coordinating the prepa- ties or sanitisers at their state government and Omandurar medical college. —DC suddenly died on March 2. to killing the child. They million people. around 10,000 masks ration of the masks. The places of worship. —PTI would be got ready daily Puducherry Government End female infanticide, period tect its girl children. deal sex determination and ready to perform female In the first week of sex selective abortions with foeticide. In both the recent B. Vijayalakshmi March, a month-old girl an iron hand. cases, the villagers alerted was allegedly administered In some cases, newborns officials about the girls’ poisonous herbal juice by are abandoned leading to death. her parents and grandfa- their deaths. Village admin- Cradle baby scheme and Viewpoint ther in a village near istrative officers (VAOs) Centre’s Beti Bachao and Usilampatti in Madurai dis- and primary health centres Beti Padao schemes play a trict. Chekkanoorani (PHCs) should report such pivotal role in ending emale infanticide police, who got a tip off unnatural deaths so that femala infanticide. raised its ugly head about the missing baby, cases can be registered by Also, government’s incen- Fagain with the arrest arrested the parents and police. tives may turn out to be a of three people in a village the paternal grandfather late the norms set under technology to hide the facts. The role of village health succour for parents strug- near Usilampatti for killing who had gone missing. The PCPNDT Act. They say sex determina- nurses has also been under- gling to educate their their girl baby last week. three confessed to having Such dubious scan centres tion of foetus happens in mined. District authorities daughters and get them Though TN’s sex ratio has killed the infant as they did- have also been sealed. areas where patriarchal should conduct awareness married off. ON A CLEANING SPREE been improving, the recent n’t want a second daughter. Incidents of illegal abor- mindset continues to domi- campaigns at regular inter- Positive change in the cases, including the latest During the last few years, tions also crop up. Activists nate. And male child is still vals in vulnerable areas mindset of people and inte- reported in Andipatti on cases have been booked say that not much has been preferred in urban and against fake diagnostic cen- grated planning will go a A Chennai corporation worker sprays disinfectant to Thursday, proves that the against scan centres in done to arrest female foeti- rural areas. tres and quacks and long way in putting a full sanitize the surroundings of the secretariat in the city state has to do more to pro- some districts which vio- cide and people even use The government must unscrupulous doctors stop to female infanticide. on Thursday. —DC POLITICS DECCAN CHRONICLE | FRIDAY | 20 MARCH 2020 | CHENNAI pg 4

■ ‘Workers have been sensitised to prevent spread of virus’ OTHER STORY ‘One Nation, One Card’ Rajinikanth lauds TN govt’s measures Industries not closed due scheme from April 1: Min against spread of D. SEKAR | DC New sophisticated mac- CHENNAI, MARCH 19 hinery- colour sortex mac- coronavirus hines- to remove black rice to coronavirus, says CM The Tamil Nadu particles from the white Chennai: Superstar Government is making all rice-, will be purchased for Rajinikanth on Thursday wel- DC CORRESPONDENT through our people here,” al commercial establish- preparations to implement all the 21 modern rice mills comed the Tamil Nadu gov- CHENNAI, MARCH 19: he emphasised. ments, including malls, the new ‘One Nation, One under the government at a ernment’s preventive meas- “So, there is no need to cinema halls and other Card’ scheme in serving cost of `18.90 crore, Mr. ures against the spread of Chief Minister Edappadi panic. Small industries are establishments have been ration articles under the Kamaraj announced. novel coronavirus in the K. Palaniswami asserted continuously operating,” ordered to close until public distribution system Tirunelveli from February A new modern rice mill state, and requested for that small industries Mr. Palaniswami said. March 31 and this has (PDS), as designed by the 1 to February 29, Mr. with a capacity to process financial assistance to per- across Tamil Nadu have Raising the issue, Stalin caused economic losses. He Union Food Ministry ambi- Kamaraj said the ‘One 100 tonnes of paddy per sons whose livelihood may not been closed due to alleged that the small and claimed daily wage labour- tious scheme to make rat- Nation, One Card’ scheme day and with a capital out- be affected during “this diffi- Covid-19 epidemic, and medium industries faced ers have also been affected ion cards portable to mig- was operational without lay of `25 crore will be cult situation.” The veteran said the labour secretary closure owing to Covid-19 due to the disruption in rant workers, from April 1. any hitch. Of the nine lakh established at Athur in actor also called for public and industries secretary and said this has led to eco- businesses and urged the This was disclosed by the total cards in the two dis- Salem district, the minis- cooperation in preventing have issued necessary pre- nomic losses and unem- state government to con- State Food Minister, R. tricts, as many as 9,000 ter said. At Theni and Met- the spread of virus. “The pre- cautionary measures to ployment. Listing out sider tax holiday and Kamaraj, in the Legislative ration-card holders had tupalayam, two 500-tonne ventive measures being prevent the spread of the measures taken by the extension in paying elec- Assembly on Thursday, changed over from fair capacity each refrigerated taken by the state govern- virus. United Kingdom, Italy, New tricity bills. intervening in the debate price shops in one district storage houses for horti- ment to prevent the spread “All industrial units in Zealand, Germany and Commercial taxes minis- on the demands for grants to the other. “Hence, we culture produce will be set of coronavirus in Tamil Nadu the state are functioning ster said his government is other States in India such ter K..C.. Veeramani said for the Food and Consumer have decided to implement up at a cost of `five crore. are laudable. We the people and the workers have been engaged in rigorously scr- as Odisha, which have business in small indus- Protection department the scheme throughout the On the Food grains pro- shall also join the govern- sensitised to prevent the eening all passengers who announced measures to tries continued to operate, when an AIADMK mem- State from April 1,” the curement front, the minis- ment and cooperate” to pre- spread of Coronavirus,” arrived from the virus-hit benefit businesses suffer- as precautionary measures ber, V Radhakrishnan minister added. Later, ter said, 18,38,262 tonnes of vent its spread, he said in a Palaniswami said. countries and quarantined ing losses, Stalin sought to have been taken by the sought to know about the replying to the debate, Mr. paddy had been procured statement uploaded on his Responding to a special call the suspected cases. know if the AIADMK gov- State government. Fishe- implementation of the new Kamaraj said at 18 places this year throughout the official Twitter handle. The attention motion moved by The government was tak- ernment would come up ries minister D. Jaya- scheme. across Tamil Nadu, the state so far. Of that, the state government has the leader of the opposition ing appropriate steps to similar measures. kumar said GST Council Stating that the scheme Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Cauvery delta districts announced a lock-down till and DMK president M. K. contain the spread of the Earlier, during Zero Hour, would take a call on issues was under pilot implemen- Corporation (TNCSC) will alone accounted for 15 lakh March 31 to prevent spread Stalin in the Assembly on virus at the entry point. DMK deputy floor leader relating to imposition or tation in two districts of build warehouses at a total tonnes of paddy benefit- of the virus, closing down Thursday, the Chief Mini- “The virus is not spreading Duraimurugan said sever- deferring of tax. Thoothukudi and cost of `62.25 crore. ting 31.20 lakh farmers. educational institutions, malls, swimming pools and liquor bars among others, besides implementing vari- ous other measures including CM renames sanitary staff ‘`11K cr crop loans for ryots this year’ in the transport sector. Two persons have so far tested positive for the virus in the D. SEKAR | DC crore to benefit 36.21 lakh state. The actor further as ‘cleanliness workers’ CHENNAI, MARCH 19 DMK WALKS OUT OF ASSEMBLY farmers. requested the government to To protect small traders, provide financial assistance DC CORRESPONDENT sumers to compute their of a 230 KV sub-station at Cooperative institutions in Earlier, members of the to a query raised by a vendors and pavement sell- to people whose basic liveli- CHENNAI, MARCH 19 power consumption would Alagarkoil in Madurai dt Tamil Nadu plan to dis- DMK walked out of the DMK MLA, Mr. ers from usurious interest hood has been affected in be implemented at a cost of into a 400 kv station and burse a substantially high- Assembly, dissatisfied Masilamani, on the need rates, Mr. Raju said `921.85 this “difficult situation,” but Chief Minister Edappadi K `4,300 crore. This initiative enhancing two 110 kv sub- er level of crop loans to with the Minister Sellur for increasing the salary crore had been disbursed did not specify. It will greatly Palaniswami announced a to be implemented in stations into 230 kv facili- farmers to the tune of K Raju’s lengthy response for ration shop salesmen. as ‘micro trade loans’. In benefit them, he added. —PTI slew of schemes in the Ass- Chennai in the first phase, ties, to meet the increasing `11,000 crore in the new fis- the last two years, ‘Pongal embly on Thursday includ- is aimed at providing demand at an estimated cal year 2020-21, State all eligible agriculturists “This is a huge achieve- hampers’ benefitted nearly ing establishing yoga cen- enhanced services to power cost of `1,998 crore. Minister for Cooperatives, who have repaid the loans, ment,” compared to what two crore beneficiaries, tres and gymnasium in cor- users and at the same time To honour the work of the Sellur K Raju said. including small and mar- the previous DMK govern- minister said. The State poration parks to improve cut down on technical and sanitary personnel and in This is much higher than ginal farmers, will be eligi- ment had disbursed, Mr. Cooperatives department the health of people. He commercial losses and scale deference to their long-time the crop loans worth `8,500 ble for fresh loans in the Sellur Raju said. During has won 28 National renamed sanitary person- up revenue. This scheme demand, they would now be crore disbursed during coming year. In the last the last three years of awards for its efficient nel as ‘cleanliness’ workers. would be implemented in called as cleanliness work- 2019-20, the Minister said, eight years of AIADMK AIADMK regime headed functioning in last nine Making an announce- other districts in the State ers, Mr. Palaniswami said. intervening in the debate rule from 2011-12, the min- by Chief Minister, Edap- years, minister said, add- ment under rule 110 in the in a staggered manner. About 64,583 sanitary work- on the demands for grants ister said the cooperative padi K Palaniswami , the ing, the President of India Assembly on Thursday Mr. Mr. Palaniswami announ- ers are employed at 15 cor- for departments under his banks have disbursed a minister said the extent of had given national awards Palaniswami said a scheme ced scheme to develop pow- porations, 121 municipaliti- charge and also while total of `50,285 crore as crop loans by cooperative twice for achieving max- Rajinikanth to install smart meters for er distribution infrastruc- es, 528 town panchayats and replying to the debate later. crop loans to benefit 93.46 institutions disbursed was imum loan assistance to 42 lakh electricity con- ture, including upgradation 12,525 village panchayats. Mr. Sellur Raju said that lakh farmers. of the order of `23,562 differently-abled persons. Electric trains to power up Cauvery delta districts G.SRINIVASAN | DC THANJAVUR, MARCH 19 Voices get louder for more passenger trains From steam hauled engines Boat Mail connection to using coal to electric engines now, the railways have come a long way. That the mainline, from Tiruchy to Chennai via Thanjavur rail history Thanjavur, Kumbakonam, Mayiladuthurai, Chidam- DC CORRESPONDENT 444 miles) via Mayila- Thanjavur. “These tanks baram, Cuddalore and THANJAVUR, MARCH 19 duthurai, Thanjavur and will be paraded to railway Villupuram will have electric Kumbakonam. People station to go to trains from July 2020 once the The British took over the used to go to Sri Lanka Nagapattinam to protect final stretch of electrification reign of Thanjavur from from Tuticorin after the port. These tanks were is completed between Than- Maratta kings in 1858. alighting from the train. taken through 60-ft javur and Mayiladuthurai in Great Southern Railway That train used to reach Mathakottai road then,” June, is good news for the of India laid the railway Thanjavur at 5 am. said Anthonisamy. people of delta districts. line from Nagapattinam In 1914, Pamban bridge Another interesting fea- That travel time will come to Tiruchy, which was over the sea was con- ture was appointment of down with speed increased called “Trichinapoly” structed connecting the ‘Air Raid Wardens’ from after electrification, thrills then in 1861. The track mainland with Rames- among the public to guide people here, who still assert became operational in waram and Dhanushkodi and organise people dur- more needs to be done. “No 1862. “It was a narrow and this changed the ing war times particularly doubt these are good things. gauge line. Land belong- route of the train. ‘Boat when air strike was But number of trains operat- ing to a ‘Dargah’ and a Mail' then began to run up expected. A.Y.S. Parisutha ed on main line should be bungalow with compound to Dhanushkodi which Nadar, former MLA of increased if these facilities wall belonging to reduced the distance to Thanjavur was appointed are to bear fruits,” say cross- Electric sub-station at Thanjavur for railways. —DC Vellaiyan Nadar of 270-km (170 miles) and as Air Raid Warden. A section of people of the delta Porayar was acquired by from Dhanushkodi people siren was erected at districts. like Thiruchendur Express via Thanjavur, it has been the railways. took a boat ride to Armed police grounds The demand for more trains from Chennai, Janasatha- proposed to operate bi-weekly WEEKLY LONG-DISTANCE TRAINS “The bungalow can still Thalaimannar (35-km or and it will make a siren on main line has become bdhi, Mayiladuthurai- train from Velankanni to THAT CROSS THANJAVUR be seen behind BSNL 22-miles) on Northern two times 10 am and 5 pm. louder now as they lost many Mysuru Express, Uzhavan Ernakulam via Tiruvarur, building near the railway coast of Sri Lanka and When sirens are sounded trains which were operated Express to Chennai during Karaikudi and Kollam. station,” reminisces S.P. from there went to during War time, lights earlier. night from Thanjavur. Trains With this, both Thanjavur ■ Rameswaram to Varanasi Express which Anthonisamy, son of Colombo again by train. should be put off during A .Giri, adviser, Thanjavur like Chennai to Sengottah and Kumbakonam will lose comes on Thursdays to Thanjavur, is a week- Parisutham Nadar, for- “Tickets for Colombo night to prevent air District Rail Users and Nagore to Kollam should its connectivity to Sengottah mer MLA of Thanjavur were sold at railway coun- strikes on cities. Association, says that many be re-introduced, he urged. which existed in meter gauge. ly train. and educationist. ters itself in those days,” “These sirens were used trains running via Thanjavur “With respect to Cholan V. Jeevakumar of Train The track was converted said Anthonisamy. till 1967 and the sound can and Kumbakonam on the Express, it has been made Passengers Association, ■ Rameswaram to Bhubaneswar which into a ‘meter gauge’ in Air connectivity to be heard two times 10 am main line when the track was into a sleeper train and peo- Thanjavur, said that after comes on Sundays to Thanjavur, is also a 1875, said Anthonisamy Thanjavur, that added a and 5 pm,” recalled meter gauge have been can- ple are paying higher fare electric track is made opera- while narrating the histo- new dimension, goes back Anthonisamy. celled after conversion into during day time. It was a tional in July, trains like weekly train. ry of the famous “Boat to World War-II period. A Lauding the yeomen broad gauge. chair car earlier and this sta- Pallavan and Vaigai going on mail” or “Indo-Ceylon military aerodrome was services of Parisutha They include Chennai- tus should be restored so that chord lines should be operat- ■ Rameswaram to Faizabad near Ayodhya, Express” running on that constructed to help land- Nadar as ‘Air Raid Tuticorin Janata express, more people can travel paying ed on main line so that people which comes to Thanjavur on Mondays, is line. The train was operat- ing of war planes then in Warden’ during World Tiruchy-Tirupathi daily less,” said Giri. may reach Chennai quickly ed from Chennai to 1940. War-II, Britain had then express, passenger trains He also said that an during day. “Infrastructure also a weekly train. Tuticorin (now Tanks and canons were conferred the Rao Saheb from Thanjavur to Chennai Antyodaya Express between has been improved tremen- Thoothukudi) (715-km or brought by these planes to title on him.. and Sengottah to Chennai, Tambaram and Sengottah via dously. But adequate trains Thanjavur to Villupuram etc. Thanjavur was announced in should be introduced for the These trains should be re- railway time table in benefit of passengers,” introduced. “As electrifica- November 2017. This will be Jeevakumar said. tion is to be completed by the restoration of erstwhile S.S. Palani Manickam, June, there can be more day Sengottah fast passenger Thanjavur MP, representing time trains to Chennai from operated on meter gauge. But the DMK, has raised the issue Tiruchy via Thanjavur and for the reasons unknown, it recently in parliament, Kumbakonam. Inter-city was not introduced, he Arguing strongly against pri- express trains can be operat- lamented. vatisation of railways, which ed,” said Giri. “Survey for Now a new express train united India, provided doubling the track along from Tambaram to Sengottah employment to many and still mainline has been completed via Tiruvarur, Karaikudi remains a ;popular mode of by Southern railway. finds a place in time table travel for people, the MP Doubling should be expedit- proposals. appealed to operate more pas- ed,” he said. Likewise instead of restor- senger trains instead of con- However, he added that ing the Nagore-Kollam centrating only on freight The first bungalow annexed by southern railway at Thanjavur. Now it is there are some additions now express which was operated movement. functioning as a health centre. Electrification completed tracks between Tiruchy and Thanjavur.

The main line (Tiruchy to Chennai via Thanjavur, Kumbakonam, Mayiladuthurai, Chidambaram, Cuddalore) Marathi-speaking Thanjavurians seek Mumbai rail link remains neglected. It was a very popular and important line G.SRINIVASAN | DC While Babaji Rajah by Thanjavur Chamber of train from Thanjavur to to Mumbai,” he said. on which “Boat mail” was operated to help people going to Colombo THANJAVUR, MARCH 19 Bhosale, hereditary Commerce and Industry Mumbai via But Western and trustee of palace and various voluntary Kumbakonam, Southern railways operate in Sri Lanka by travelling in train from Chennai to Dhanushkodi and With a large number of Devasthanam and descen- organisations like Rotary Mayiladuthurai, a train from Mumbai to from their taking a boat to Sri Lanka. The line has important places Marathi-speaking people dent of Maratta rulers of and Lions clubs. Tirupathi in Andhra Velankanni during annual every 40-km like Thanjavur, Kumbakonam and Mayiladuthurai among others; living in Thanjavur which Thanjavur has taken up According to Revanth Pradesh and Mantralaya festival of Lady of Health was under Maratta rule this demand along with Kumar of Rail Users in Karnataka to Mumbai. Basillica at Velankanni in hence more trains should be operated on this stretch. More ‘Demu’ trains can after the Cholas and the Marathi-speaking pop- Association, every major The idea is to connect pil- Nagapattinam district be operated from Tiruchy to Thanjavur. Laying of new lines between Thanjavur Nayaks, there has been a ulation with both Central, town in India has rail con- grim centres also by the during September every and Ariylaur, Mannargudi and Pattukottai should also be expedited,” demand for a direct train and State governments of nectivity with Mumbai, train. year. That is a special from Thanjavur to Maharashtra and Tamil except Thanjavur and But this has not materi- train, he pointed out, — S.S. PALANI MANICKAM, Thanjavur MP Mumbai for the past sever- Nadu, the demand has Kumbakonam. “The alised so far. People go to underscoring the need for al years. been echoed and endorsed demand is to operate a Chennai and catch a train a regular train. STATE DECCAN CHRONICLE | FRIDAY | 20 MARCH 2020 | CHENNAI pg 5

■ Second road accident in five weeks IN BRIEF EVICTION DRIVE `14,500 2 killed in car 5 including 4 youth recovered from mishap near mishap-hit Jeeyapuram beggar Tiruchy: Two persons were killed near Avinashi killed on the spot when a car DC CORRESPONDENT in which they were S. KATHTHASAMI | DC dan . Police said three others CHENNAI, MARCH 19 traveling capsized into a TIRUPUR, MARCH 19 When the car was Santhosh, Jayasurya and road side ditch near approaching Palankarai Karthi were rescued by A total of `14,500 was Jeeyapuram on the At least five persons near Avinashi on Coimba- Avinashi police and adm- recovered from a 75- Tiruchy-Karur national including four college stu- tore-Salem bypass around itted to a private hospital year-old beggar woman highway near here last night. dents were killed when a 6 am, the driver lost con- in Avinashi. Tirupur dis- while she met with a Police said the deceased car in which they were trol over the vehicle and trict collector Mr. K Vijay- road accident at Mannur were ident travelling rammed into a rammed into a cement- akarthikeyan and top pol- junction near to ified as Arumugam (38) of lorry near Avinashi in Ti- laden truck, police said. ice officials rushed to the Sriperumbudur in Ariyamangalam and Abdul rupur district in the early Under the impact of this accident spot, supervised Kanchipuram district Rahaman (26) of hours of Thursday. gory mishap, V Elavaras- the relief operations. on Thursday. Sarkkaarpalayam. According to police, an, 21, from Chinna Sal- He later visited the mor- According to the They were on their eight persons from Salem em, R Rajeshkumar,21, fr- tuary at Avinashi govern- police, the elderly way to Coimbatore, when were on their way to Ooty om Kallakurichi, K Ven- ment hospital, where the Geater Chennai Corporation staff demalishing an encroachment in Ashok Nagar on woman was identified as the mishap occurred. by a car and they left Sale- katachalam, 21, from Kal- bodies were kept. Avinas- Thursday. —DC Muthathi. She was Jeeyapuram police are inves- m around 3am in the akurichi, and Vasanth fr- hi police are probing. In knocked down by an tigating.Vehicular traffic on early hours. Seven of the- om Salem succumbed to February, the same area unidentified vehicle. the Tiruchy-Karur national m were students of a pri- injuries on the spot along saw 19 people killed in a The police men who highway was hit for a while. vate medical college in with car driver Manikan- major KSRTC bus-con- were engaged in vehicle Salem and one Manikan- dan,28, from Bhavani. tainer truck accident. inspection in the area City woman missing for called in a 108 ambu- lance in which she was rushed to the STAYING SAFE 143 under Sriperumbudur govern- four days at Vadapalani ment hospital for treat- ment. scanner in T. SUDHEESH I DC tel, and Waltax road hos- peared. I have decided to The hospital authori- CHENNAI, MARCH 19 tels. Apart from this, I’ve give a petition to ties during treatment checked Central railway Superintendent of Police found two bundles in the Thanjavur district A 28-year-old city woman, station, Chennai with the tomorrow,” he said woman’s possession. working in a private firm help of Railway Meanwhile, when con- When it was opened, at Vadapalani, is missing Protection Force (RPF). tacted, M4 Police said they coins and currency DC CORRESPONDENT since March 16. We have analysed the were actively searching to notes were noticed. The THANJAVUR, MARCH 19 The family, which filed a CCTV footage. I don’t have know the whereabouts of woman revealed that man missing case with M4 my sis IMEI (The the woman. ‘We are con- the money was collected Continuous monitoring of Red Hills Police soon after International Mobile ducting the probe through through begging. 143 persons who have come she was found missing, Equipment Identity) num- telephone tower. The Dr Kamesh Balaji of to Thanjavur district from has so far received no clue ber. So I gave her phone probe found that Ola cab the hospital who count- other countries is done by on her whereabouts. She number to police’, he said. service had received a call ed the money said ` health staff as a preventive is the mother of a 5-year- He said that the police from the woman. We are 14,500 would be handed measure against Covid-19, old child. investigation was too trying to get her travel over to her after the the new coronavirus. Aswath Saru, the broth- slow. “I spoke to history’, said a police offi- treatment. Health department officials er of the woman, said that Mr.Jhawahar Inspector of cial. However, the police ● Elderly woman said that 240 persons came she left home at 12 noon Police at M4 Police. He refused to divulged into identified as from other countries and after a brief altercation patiently listened and the reason for the fight Muthathi. She was out of them monitoring has with her husband. ‘We promised swift action to between woman and her knocked down by an been completed for 93 per- have checked with nearby trace my sister. But it has husband that led to her sons, even as remaining 143 Vadapalani women’s hos- been day 4 since she disap- disappearance. unidentified vehicle. Corporation staff disinfect the interiors of the historic Athar Jamath Masjid as part of meas- are under monitoring. ures to contain coronavirus, in Coimbatore, on Thursday. —DC Though these people, who have gone to other coun- tries for employment and education were tested at the 4-year-old boy SRM student held with ganja airports of the respective countries itself and allowed drowns in farm DC CORRESPONDENT tified as Pranav Kumar, tried to flee. But the police Woman official trapped by to return to India, where CHENNAI, MARCH 19 21, of New Delhi. He is a f- caught him. Ganja was re- again they were tested in ourth year B.Tech stude- covered from his bag- our airports, they are moni- pond The Guduvanchery police nt. He was arrested from .Subsequently, the police tored as the virus manifests on Thursday arrested a near the Thailavaram ju- registered a case against DVAC cops, dies in hospital after 15 days. DC CORRESPONDENT student of SRM Universit- nction in Chengalpattu di- the student and later pr- Sources said Health CHENNAI, MARCH 19 y with 2 kg of ganja. strict based on a tip-off. W- oduced him at Chengalp- department staff go to their According to the police, hen he saw police team led attu court and remanded DC CORRESPONDENT officer complained of brea- houses and check them. A 4-year-old boy the accused has been iden- by inspector Ashokan, he to judicial custody. KARUR, MARCH 19 thlessness and collapsed on Meanwhile, Muslims who drowned in farm pond at the floor. Jayanthirani was were on a continuous sit-in Uttaremur in In a shocking development, a rushed to the GMCH here agitation against the Kanchipuram district AGAINST QUARANTINE SITE 48-year-old woman staff of where she died in the wee ‘Citizenship Amendment on Thursday . the Tamil Nadu rural devel- hours of Thursday. Act (CAA)’ at Thanjavur According to police, opment and local adminis- The official’s husband Ma- and Kumbakonam have the victim has been tration department, who was dhukumar, former President withdrawn their stir tem- identified as Jackson, trapped by the vigilance and of the Karur district BJP an- porarily, in view of caron- son of Charles, R.N anti-corruption wing police, d State Secretary of the un- avirus threat. The district Kandigai. Jackson, who while reportedly accepting a organsied labour wing of the administration cancelled was playing nearby bribe of `30,000 from a real Ms. Jayanthirani BJP, and other relatives told the monthly farmers’ griev- farm field , slipped into estate businessman of Tir- (BDO) at K. Paramathi Pan- newsmen that when the wo- ances day meeting to be the pond. Seeing this, uppur district, at K. Param- chayat union office. The man official was brought to held on Friday. the family is trying to athi Panchanyat union offic- DVAC had set a “trap” and her house for further inter- save. e on Wednesday, died at the allegedly caught her red- rogation, she complained of However, they could Government medical college handed. breathing trouble and asked not. Following this, fire hospital here, allegedly due After completing their pre- the police to be taken to the Truck fire in K’giri and rescue team at to “police negligence”. liminary inquiries, she was hospital. Uththaramur reached Official sources said on produced before the Chief But the police did not heed guts vehicles and the spot. Thursday that the woman Judicial Magistrate, Ms. Ma- her request and “due to poli- The body was fished official, Ms. Jayanthirani, w- larvizhi at her residence ce carelessness, Ms Jayant- out at 1 pm after four as working as additional blo- around 2245 hrs on Wednesd- hirani died,” the deceased shops, 4 injured hour-long search. The ck development officer ay night, where the woman official’s relatives alleged. body was handed over to Residents of Chinna Udaippu stage a road roko on the ring road in Madurai on SANJEEVI ANANDAN | DC the relatives after post- Thursday, demanding that the district administration not to use Co-operative KRISHNAGIRI, MARCH 19 mortem. Training Institute as a quarantine facility. —KASI MANIKANDAN Muslim outfits in At least four people, includ- KVB’s cautious foray ing a woman and two minor boys, are being treated in Pondy CM central TN call off the Hosur government hos- pital for burns injury Nalini moves fresh plea welcomes PM’s into precious metals sustained by them after a anti-CAA stir now mini-truck laden with gas janata curfew DC CORRESPONDENT and jewelery business is an material went-up in flames DC CORRESPONDENT KARUR, MARCH 19 important part of India’s near here. for release sans Gov nod TIRUCHY, MARCH 19 economy. The bank is now in Another eight vehicles Puducherry:Puducherr The private sector, Karur a position to enhance its sup- and shops in the spot were Chennai: Just over a y Chief Minister and The over one month-long Vysya Bank (KVB) has port to this important indus- also completely damaged in week after her plea for senior Congress leader agitations by various Mu- announced the launch of its try, he added. the fire mishap that occu- premature release was V Narayanasamy on Th- slim organisations against precious metals business The bank, serves approxi- rred at around 10.30 am on dismissed, Rajiv Gandhi ursday welcomed Prime the Citizenship Amendment here.In a release here on Thu- mately 6,000 jewelers and jew- Thursday at Alasanatham, assassination case life Minister Narendra Mo- Act,NPR and NRC in- rsday, bank’s managing dir- elry manufacturers. In order two-km from Hosur bus convict Nalini has moved di’s appeal for observing itiatives, in various central ector and CEO, P R Seshadri, to serve them fully, the bank stand in Krishnagiri dis- the Madras High Court `janata curfew` to show districts of Tamil Nadu, we- said the gems and jewelry now offers precious metals trict. with yet another petition their resolve to take on re called off temporarily on business in India contributes (gold &silver) to its corporate According to the witness- seeking a directive to the the challenge posed by Thursday, in the wake of th- about seven per cent of the customers (B2B). “This will es, the mini-truck was tran- Tamil Nadu government novel coronavirus and reat of coronavirus spread. country’s GDP and 15 per enable ourcustomers to com- sporting the flammable to set her free immediate- said all should respond According to the agitators, cent of total merchandise ex- pete more effectively in this material filled in a metal ly without the consent of to the call. they have suspended their ports. highly competitiveindustry,” cylinder having a storage the governor. Speaking to reporters agitation until March 31 and India is the second largest he ksaid. The KVB delivered capacity of around 450 When the petition came during a visit to parts of thereafter plan to continue consumer of gold in the wo- its first shipments to its kilos. The vehicle while at up for hearing, a division Puducherry town and their protest, depending up- rld. Demand for gold in the clients in Coimbatore, and Alasanatham went up in bench of Justice N neighbourhood for revi- on the unfolding developm- country stood at about 700 Chennai recently, the press flames due to the alleged Kirubakaran and Justice ewing preventive mea- ents. tonnes during 2019. The gems release added. leak of the gas material R Hemalatha adjourned sures to tackle coronavi- from a faulty cylinder. the matter to April 7. The rus, he said the Prime Later, the fire spread to court had on March 11 dis- ● Convict had contend- acted in accordance with Minister has made the WORLD HOUSE SPARROW DAY other vehicles including fo- missed another petition ed that she was under advice of the council of appeal out of concern ur two-wheelers and one au- by Nalini seeking prema- illegal detention Ministers and it was for the health of the peo- to, and many shops in the ture release based on a because the governor unconstitutional, Nalini ple of the country. Sparrows find a nest in a tea shop mishap spot were complete- September 9, 2018 recom- had failed to order her argued, adding she “Modi`s appeal to the ly damaged by the blaze. mendation of the state release based on the deserves to be released people to observe volun- B. RAVICHANDRAN | DC big size plastic bottles, PVC As soon as the fire broke cabinet, holding that the cabinet recommenda- under Article 161, tarily `janata curfew` OOTY, MARCH 19 pipes and small bamboo out, two teams of local peo- governor’s consent was Constitution without the on March 22 for 14 hours poles as nesting places for ple swung into action to mandatory to give effect to tion approval of the governor. from 7 a.m. that day to Elderly citizens know well them. “I made small opening control the flames and also it. ● Nalini claimed that In all, seven people, counter threat of the how house sparrow was a near the mouth of the bot- to rescue people trapped in- The convict had then the state governor has including Nalini, were infection is welcome. He part and parcel of a family tles/pipes/bamboo poles and side the shops on fire. Four contended that she was no discretionary power convicted by a special has asked the people out and a playing partner of the covered them with dark people including a woman under illegal detention whatsoever and the TADA court for their role of his concern for their kids in the olden days.But, it paper/cloth and hanged with burns injuries were re- because the governor had ‘failure’ to act on the in the assassination of health. We should all re- is an old story. The changed them in the top of the roof. scued by them. failed to order her release advice of the council of former prime minister spond to the call,” Nara- human lifestyles, disappear- They would make perfect They were identified as based on the cabinet rec- Ministers would amount Rajiv Gandhi on May 21, yanasamy said. He also ance of tiled roofs, pollution nesting site for the sparrows. the migrant worker Sams- ommendation, which was, to contempt of court 1991 by an LTTE suicide listed the various steps and other eco-toxicological become a learning point in There are about 30 such udeen (25) from Assam, hot- however, rejected by the bomber during an elec- Puducherry government factors and radiation from ‘house sparrow conserva- nests on my tea shop cam- el owner E. Manjula (35), court. tion rally at nearby had taken to adhere to mobile phone towers began tion’ as these birds which pus. Over the years hun- Vivek (4) and another minor “The mere advice ten- petition, Nalini claimed Sriperumbudur. the advisories of the ce- to play havoc with the sur- live in the nests set up in the dreds of sparrows used these boy. Both the minor boys dered by the Council of that the state governor They were sentenced to ntral government to cu- vival of the house sparrows, tea stall premises, chirp and facilities. were playing in front of the- Minister will not entitle has no discretionary death, but later it was rb the spread of the cor- especially, in urban areas. cheer the tourists, other pas- My tea shop has now ir house and were injured. the petitioner to get power whatsoever and the commuted to life impris- noavirus. In his address While conservation of sengers and customers to become a best nesting and The Hosur fire control and released prematurely ‘failure’ to act on the onment. Besides Nalini, to the nation on Thu- house sparrows has become house sparrow conservation. breeding place for the spar- rescue services department unless it was accepted or advice of the council of the other life convicts are rsday night, Modi called a challenging task, KMS Tea Mr N. Robin, proprietor of rows as they thrive well here staff came to the spot and signed by the Governor,” a Ministers would amount her husband Murugan, A for “resolve and restrai- Shop, a popular tea stall near KMS tea shop, said that he and teach conservation les- doused the blaze. The local bench of Justices R to contempt of court as G Perarivalan, Santhan, nt” to fight coronavirus Katteri Park on the Ooty- began placing nesting sites sons to tourists and other police have registered a cas- Subbaiah and R per the Supreme Court Jayakumar, and asked the entire co- Coimbatore NH at the to attract sparrows about passengers who drop in e and further investigation Pongiappan had ruled in order in Maru Rams case. Ravichandran and Robert untry to observe ‘Janta entrance of Nilgiris, has eight years ago by making here,” Mr. Robin added. is on into the cause of fire. its order. In her latest The governor had not Pyas. —PTI curfew’ on Sunday. PTI . NATION pg DECCAN CHRONICLE | FRIDAY | 20 MARCH 2020 | CHENNAI 6

SHORT TAKES AP govt to seek CBI MINISTER: NO SC orders floor test today probe into SEC letter CHANGE IN JNU MP Chief Minister to seek legal options to decide future course of action DC CORRESPONDENT Neelam Sawhney will write ‘CHARACTER’ RABINDRA NATH The court held that the Chief Minister Kamal HYDERABAD, MARCH 19 to the Union home ministry DC CORRESPONDENT CHOUDHURY | DC floor test should be decid- Nath to face a floor test in and sources said Chief NEW DELHI, MARCH 19 BHOPAL, MARCH 19 ed by a show of hands by the Assembly to prove his The Andhra Pradesh gov- Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan MLAs in the House and majority after 22 ernment has decided to Reddy has spoken to con- Rejecting suggestions and Delivering a jolt to the 15- ordered that entire exer- Congress MLAs resigned write to the Union home cerned officials in the home apprehensions that the “char- month-old Kamal Nath cise be videographed to recently. ministry requesting a ministry. acter” of Jawaharlal Nehru government, the Supreme maintain transparency. The judgment, which Central Bureau of Within a few minutes of University could be changed Court on Thursday direct- While leaving it to the 16 followed a two-day hear- Investigation (CBI) inquiry the Supreme Court’s deci- or attempts are being made to ed it to face a floor test by rebel Congress MLAs, ing in the case, was billed into the controversial letter sion on local body elections change its character, Union 5 pm on Friday and left it who hold the key to the to end the week-long polit- purportedly written by the being deferred by six weeks human resource development to the 16 rebel Congress survival of the Kamal ical crisis in MP triggered State Election on Wednesday as requested minister Ramesh Pokhriyal MLAs, lodged in a resort Nath government, to by the resignation of vet- Commissioner (SEC) by the SEC, a five-page let- Nishank on Thursday asserted in Bengaluru, to take a decide if they would take eran leader Jyotiraditya Nimmagadda Ramesh ter purportedly written by that ‘stringent action’ will be call on participating in part in the floor test or Scindia from the Kumar to the ministry. SEC Ramesh Kumar went taken against those trying to the trust vote. not, the bench directed Congress to join the BJP, AP Chief Secretary viral on social media. change the character of the Chief Minister Kamal Congress leader Digvijaya Singh addresses a press the directors-general of and subsequent resigna- university. The minister also Nath who convened the conference in Bengaluru on Thursday. — PTI police of Madhya Pradesh tion of 22 Congress legis- outrightly rejected allegations Congress Legislature and Karnataka to ensure lators loyal to him. by a Congress MP that atte- Party meeting here late in of action.Delivering its Assembly to reconvene their security if they Earlier, Assembly TENDERS / NOTICES mpts are being made to ‘infil- the evening to take stock verdict on the vexed for the trust vote and hold wanted to come to the Speaker N.P. Prajapati in trate’ non-academic members of the situation in view of issue, a division bench it by 5 pm on Friday. The Assembly (to vote). a petition filed in the of an organisation in the aca- the court verdict, told comprising Justices D.Y. Assembly had been The verdict was on the Supreme Court sought demic council and the execu- reporters that he would Chandrachud and adjourned on March 16 lines of the recent direc- two weeks’ time to take a tive committee of the universi- seek legal opinion to Hemant Gupta asked the for 10 days “due to the tive by Madhya Pradesh decision on resignation of ty as the Opposition party decide his future course Madhya Pradesh coronavirus outbreak”. Governor Lalji Tandon to the 16 rebel MLAs.. member sought to know why deprivation points were remo- ved from the admission policy. The minister, while replying to supplementaries in the Rajya Sabha during Question Gogoi takes oath as RS Hour, said the university has informed that the benefits of deprivation points in all other courses, except a few, have member amid protests been provided and it was done following UGC regulation New Delhi, March 19: name was called for oath completed his oath. after Delhi HC’s directions. Former Chief Justice of taking, Congress and After taking oath, Gogoi India Ranjan Gogoi on Left members started walked up to the chair to Thursday took oath as a shouting slogans like greet Naidu, who ARMY TO GET nominated member of 'Shame on You' and responded to his greet- Rajya Sabha amidst 'Deal'. Chairman M ings with folded hands. ISRAEL’S unprecedented scenes of Venkaiah Naidu ordered Naidu said members opposition members that the slogan shouting have the liberty to shouting slogans and will not go on record. As express their views out- NEGEV LMGs walking out of the Gogoi took oath, side the House on the DC CORRESPONDENT House. Congress, Left and their issue. "You know the NEW DELHI, MARCH 19 This is the first time allies shouted slogans Constitutional provi- ever that the House has and staged a walkout. sion, you know the Indian Army soldiers will witnessed slogan shout- Naidu said it was not precedent, you know the soon get Israel’s Negev light ing and walkout during fair to shout slogans. "It power of the President machine gun. The acquisition oath taking. Gogoi, 65, is very unbecoming of (to nominate a member wing of the ministry of who retired as the Chief members of to RS)," he said. "You defence has signed a capital Justice of India in Parliament." "No, this is should not do anything acquisition contract with November last year after not the way. Nothing will in House. Whatever Israel weapons industries for a tenure of 13 months, go on record. (It is) very views you have you are the procurement of 16,479 took oath in English in unfair, very unfair," at liberty to express out- LMGs at a cost of `880 crore. the name of God. As his Naidu said as Gogoi side," he said. _PTI There was a long-standing requirement of the Indian Armed Forces for a modern state-of-the-art LMGs. GOVT, BIG PRIVATE FIRMS OWE The contracted Negev 7.62X51mm LMG is a combat- 6 LAKH CR TO MSMES: GADKARI proven weapon, currently ` used by several countries around the globe. This LMG New Delhi, March are now allowed to will greatly enhance the 19: MSME Minister lend money to the lethality and range of a soldier Nitin Gadkari on MSME sector. He said as compared to guns presently Thursday expressed loans sanctioned and being used. Currently, Indian serious concern over disbursed under vari- army soldiers use INSAS LMG non-payment of near- ous schemes will be with a calibre of 5.56x45mm. ly Rs 6 lakh crore dues monitored through a The provisioning of this oper- to micro and small central portal in his ationally urgent and very crit- enterprises by gov- ministry. "The govern- ically needed weapon will ernment and large ment undertakings boost the confidence of the private firms, and procure products but frontline troops. said the Centre is do not pay for 3-4 working to find a solu- months. MSMEs are tion of this serious on the verge of col- MAJOR ATTACK problem. lapse. Passing a legis- Responding to a dis- lation is easy.. ON NAXALS cussion in the Rajya There are 20,000- Sabha on the working 22,000 cases. As per IN THE OFFING of the Ministry of my estimates, big Micro, Small and industrialists, state RAJNISH SHARMA | DC Medium Enterprises and central govern- NEW DELHI, MARCH 19 (MSME), Gadkari ment undertakings said he has also sent a owe Rs 5.5 lakh crore Security forces are planning proposal to the to Rs 6 lakh crore to one of the biggest offensive finance ministry sug- small industries," seen in recent times against gesting measures for Gadkari said. "This is Naxal outfits in Chhattisgarh. providing relief to a serious situation. The operation which is being micro, small and We are in discussion described as the final assault medium enterprises with the finance min- on the Naxal infested regions to mitigate the impact istry and we will find of Chhattisgarh is expected to of the coronavirus out some solution to be launched in the next week outbreak. it... We have to give to ten days. The biggest offen- The minister their payments with- sive would be launched in the announced that the in three months," he Bastar region which has the government will added. On concerns highest presence of Naxal revamp the Khadi and raised by various cadres. Village Industries members about Top security sources here Commission (KVIC) impact of the coron- claimed that Chhattisgarh within three months avirus outbreak on Director General of Police, and make it more the MSME sector, DM Awasthi, chaired a high export-oriented. Gadkari said the sec- level meeting on Tuesday with Gadkari also told the tor is facing a big senior officials of the central House that all banks, challenge and he is para-military forces, intelli- including scheduled, aware of the problem. gence agencies and the State private and coopera- "I have sent recom- Police to finalise the plan and tive, as well as non- mendations to the strategy for the ‘final assault’ banking financial finance minister," he against Naxals in the State. companies (NBFCs) said _ PTI Export of ventilators, masks banned

New Delhi, March 19: The government on from the list of banned export items. Thursday banned export of all ventilators, Stepping up efforts to fight the Covid-19 surgical/disposable masks and textile raw pandemic, India banned landing of all material used for making masks and cov- international commercial passenger eralls with immediate effect in wake of flights from March 22 for a week, while the coronavirus outbreak. " Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged peo- The export of all ventilators, surgical/dis- ple to stay indoors and called for a 'janata posable masks only, and textile raw mate- curfew' on Sunday. rial for masks and coveralls only...has been India has reported 173 coronavirus cases, prohibited, with immediate effect," the including 25 foreign nationals -- 17 from Directorate General of Foreign Trade Italy, 3 from the Philippines, two from the (DGFT) said in a notification.\ UK, one each belonging to Canada, The decision will shore up domestic sup- Indonesia and Singapore. PTI plies of these items amid the coronavirus outbreak, which has killed four people and infected over 170 in India. However, the notification said items including gloves, ophthalmic instruments and appliances, surgical blades, gas masks with chemical absorbent for filtration against poisonous vapour and smoke, and biopsy punch can be freely exported. India had on January 31 banned export of all kinds of personal protection equip- ment, including clothing and masks used to protect people from any air-borne parti- cles. However on February 26, the government removed eight items, including a certain kind of gas mask and surgical blades, NATION DECCAN CHRONICLE | FRIDAY | 20 MARCH 2020 | CHENNAI pg 7

IN BRIEF Uneasy calm India bans all CISCE postpones Class X, XII exams int’l flights New Delhi: In a last minute- decision, the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) post- from March 22 poned class 10 and 12 exami- nations, which were to start DC CORRESPONDENT from Thursday, in view of the NEW DELHI, MARCH 19: coronavirus outbreak. With Several trains the class 12 sociology exam The Centre on Thursday scheduled to be held at 2 embarked on a series of cancelled due to pm, the announcement was measures aimed at quar- made at 10 am. In an official antining the nation low occupancy order on Thursday morning, against the spread of CISCE chief executive Gerry coronavirus from abroad New Delhi, March 19: Arathoon said, “In view of beginning with imposing The railways on Thurs- coronavirus spreading across a ban on the landing of all day cancelled 84 trains, the country and with such international commercial which will not operate uncertainty and speculation passenger flights from between March 20 and in air, the Council, in the March 22 to 29. It also sug- March 31, taking the interest of health wellbeing gested voluntary control number of trains can- of student and staff, has of movement by senior celled in view of low decided to postpone ICSE citizens and children. occupancy and coron- and ISC examinations to be As per the decisions avirus pandemic to 155, conducted between March 19 taken at a meeting of a officials said. and March 31.” “The revised group of ministers, no Railway officials said dates will be notified in due incoming scheduled the trains were identified course of time,” he added. international commercial on Wednesday night and passenger aircraft shall the decision would be be allowed to disembark effective from March 20 to its passengers, foreigner March 31. These include UGC tells varsities or Indian, on Indian soil IRCTC operated two after 3.30 pm on March 22. Tejas Express trains and to postpone exams The group comprised one Humsafar Express New Delhi: The University ministers of home, train. Grants Commission (UGC) health, shipping, civil avi- “All passengers having directed all universities and ation and external affairs tickets in these 155 trains affiliated colleges on who reviewed the status are being informed about Thursday to postpone exam- A view of the deserted Gateway of India in the wake of coronavirus pandemic in Mumbai on Thursday. The number of cases in Maharashtra rose of coronavirus cases and it individually. No cancel- inations till March-end due to 49 on Thursday. The state’s home minister warned that those fleeing quarantine will face action. the steps taken by the gov- lation fee will be taken to the novel coronavirus ernment so far to prevent for these trains. Passen- pandemic. The evaluation the spread of the conta- gers will get 100 per cent work will be suspended dur- gion. The decisions were refund,” an official said. ing the period too. “All uni- LOCKDOWN IN taken based on the recom- Tourist specials like versities and affiliated col- mendations given by a Maharaja, Buddhist, leges should postpone committee of secretaries Bharat Darshan, and exams till March 31 and sus- 826 random samples SRINAGAR, chaired by the cabinet state specials have pend evaluation work. secretary. already been cancelled. Further schedule should be VALLEY AREAS The health ministry decided following a review also advised senior citi- wherein all senior citi- of the situation,” the com- YUSUF JAMEEL | DC zens and children below zens above 65 except for mission said in an order. tested negative: ICMR SRINAGAR, MARCH 19 the age of 10 years to stay public representatives, indoors in view of the govt servants or medical Several areas in spread of coronavirus. professionals should be Tourists barred No community spread of coronavirus in India still, says Centre Srinagar and the towns “In order to protect the advised to remain at of Budgam and Pul- most vulnerable of our home and avoid gather- from tiger reserves DC CORRESPONDENT wama witnessed a lock- population, all states ings except for medical with agency inputs down on Thursday after shall issue instructions reasons,” Aggarwal said. Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh NEW DELHI, MARCH 19 reinforcements from government on Thursday TS adds one more to count Jammu and Kashmir prohibited entry of tourists There is no evidence of police and Central para- in the tiger reserves in the community transmission DC CORRESPONDENT onset of Covid symp- malls, supermarkets and military forces wee state, keeping in view the of coronavirus in India as HYDERABAD, MARCH 19 toms.” other retail shopping fanned out in the wee Coronavirus outbreak. The all samples collected ran- The health department establishments where peo- hours to erect barri- Punjab suspends state government has also domly to check the spread In an announcement laced on Thursday said that one ple can shop for essential cades and lay Conce- ordered the people who vis- of the Covid-19 disease with serious ramifica- positive case of Covid-19 commodities and other rtina razor wires on ited foreign countries in the have tested negative, tions of the spiralling up disease from a neighbour- daily needs to remain roads to restrict the recent past to report to local Indian Council of Medical cases of Coronavirus ing state had visited the open. movement of residents. public transport authorities to ensure their Research (ICMR) officials (Covid-19) in the city, and Galleria Mall on March 11 Meanwhile, the govern- This came after a 67- medical check-up. The said on Thursday. possibly elsewhere in the and added that those who ment announced on year-old woman from Chandigarh, March 19: and autorickshaws will authorities of places of wor- “This indicates that the state, the state health visited the mall on that Thursday that there was Srinagar’s Khanyar area The Punjab government be suspended from the ships have also been direct- virus is still not at com- department on Thursday day can contact the state another Covid-19 positive was tested positive for on Thursday announced midnight of Friday,” local ed to ensure that there munity transmission called on everyone who Covid-19 helpline of 104 case in the state. This case Covid-19, the Valley’s suspension of public bodies minister Brahm would be no crowding of stage. Such random tests visited the Galleria Mall for further guidance and is of a person who had first case. She had transport services from Mohindra here. These devotees inside the premis- will be conducted continu- in Panjagutta on March 11 answers to any questions travelled to Hyderabad returned from a pilgrim- Friday midnight, besides decisions were taken in a es. MP has not reported a ously to see how the virus to immediately quaran- they may have. from Dubai. With this, the age to Mecca earlier this restricting public gather- meeting of the seven- positive Coronavirus case so behaves,” said Mr Lav tine themselves at home Interestingly, the state number of COVID-19 week and was put in iso- ings to less than 20, in the member Group of Min- far. The government had ear- Aggarwal, joint secretary and “access healthcare governmentsaid that it cases in the state has risen lation. While surveil- state, inching closer to a isters (GoM), formed by lier declared all schools in in union ministry of immediately after the will continue to allow to 14. lance had started in the shutdown amid the global the Punjab government to the state closed till March 31. health. Community trans- 300-metre radius of her outbreak of coronavirus. review the situation trig- mission takes place when causing infection, which suffering from severe All of 826 samples col- residence on Wednesday It has also decided to gered by the coronavirus a person tests positive for makes it difficult to break acute respiratory infec- lected since March 15 have night itself, the authori- shut marriage palaces, outbreak on a daily basis. Mamata says no the disease but doctors are the chain of transmission. tions (SARI), including returned negative for ties decided to impose hotels, restaurants, ban- Earlier, it was restricted not able to trace the ICMR has been conduct- severe pneumonia. These Covid-19, ICMR said in a restrictions in various quets and dining places, to 50 people. The minister help from Centre source of the infection. It ing community surveil- samples are taken from statement. Nevertheless, other parts of J&K’s except home delivery further said the public indicates undiagnosed lance by lifting random people with no travel his- ICMR has decided to fur- summer capital includ- services and takeaways in dealing in the govern- Kolkata: West Bengal Chief and often asymptomatic samples from intensive tory or contact with a pos- ther scale up random test- ing Khanyar from the entire state. “Public ment offices will also be Minister Mamata Banerjee on people are unknowingly care unit (ICU) patients itive patient. ing. Thursday morning. transport buses, tempos restricted. — PTI Thursday claimed that her government was not getting necessary assistance from the Centre for combating INDIAN TESTED Covid-19 in the state and Let staff work from Centre mandates WFH for ‘B’ ‘C’ staff was dependent on its own resources to tackle the crisis. POSITIVE IN New Delhi, March 19: to attend office on alter- telephone and electronic precautionary measures. Ms Banerjee, who was home, Centre to cos The Central government nate weeks. While decid- means of communication “Discourage, to the maxi- attending a meeting of hos- IRAN DIED: MEA on Thursday allowed 50 ing the roster for the first at all times. They should mum extent, entry of visi- pital representatives at the New Delhi, March 19: audio visual means till per cent of its employees week, HoDs are advised to attend office, if called for tors in the office complex. State secretariat, said the New Delhi, March 19: The government on June 30. It would also to work from home and include officials who are any exigency of work,” it Routine issue of state was making all efforts The government on Thursday advised compa- come out with a web form the remaining to attend residing in close proximi- said. These instructions visitor/temporary passes to two lakh masks and Thursday said one nies to implement ‘work for companies/ LLPs to office every day besides ty to their office or use shall not apply to the offi- should be suspended with 30,000 gloves. Dispelling Indian who tested posi- from home’ policy for confirm their readiness implementing different their own transport to tra- ces and employees immediate effect. Only reports that shops and mar- tive for coronavirus has their staff as part of enco- to deal with the coron- time slots for working vel to the offices,” it said. engaged in essential those visitors who have kets would down their shut- died in Iran while the uraging "social distanc- avirus threat. This is hours in its effort to fur- The order further said /emergency services and proper permission of the ters as a preventive measure other citizens infected ing" to curb spreading of aimed at collecting ther check the spread of the working hours for all those directly engaged in officer who they want to against the pandemic, the with the disease are coronavirus infections. details of companies and the coronavirus disease. employees who attend taking measures to con- meet, should be allowed TMC boss also said those being provided treat- In an advisory, corpo- LLPs that adopt 'work An order issued by the office on a particular day trol spread of COVID-19, after being properly spreading rumours would be ment and taken care of rate affairs secretary from home' policy. Since personnel ministry direct- should be staggered. It the ministry said. The screened,” it had said. All tracked and taken to task. by the Iranian govern- Injeti Srinivas said the companies/LLPs (limited ed the heads of depart- suggested that three department of financial government departments ment. ministry is examining liability partnerships) ments (HoDs) to ensure groups of employees be services (DFS) and depart- were asked to install ther- Noting that the virus relaxations under the are major employers, that 50 per cent of Group formed and asked to ment of public enterprises mal scanners as feasible tends to be more fatal for companies law that could especially in urban areas, B and C employees are attend office during three (DPE) may issue similar as well as mandatorily those whose immunity be implemented in wake their full participation required to attend office time slots -- 9 AM to 5.30 instructions regarding place hand sanitisers at 24-YR-OLD TESTS levels are low, a senior of the coronavirus out- and cooperation is most every day and the remain- PM, 9.30 AM to 6 PM and financial institutions and the entrances of govern- MEA official said the break. The corporate essential to fully realise ing 50 per cent staff is 10 AM to 6.30 PM, the min- public sector undertak- ment buildings. “Those POSITIVE IN deceased, an elderly per- affairs ministry has the objective of social dis- instructed to work from istry said. “The officials ings, it said. The decision found having flu-like son, belonged to the vul- already allowed compa- tancing as a means to con- home. “All HoDs are who are working from came after the personnel symptoms may be advised nerable age group and nies to conduct board tain the spread, morbidi- advised to draft a weekly home on a particular day ministry on Tuesday to take proper treatment/ CHHATTISGARH had health-related com- meetings through video ty and mortality due to roster of duty for Group B as per the roster drawn up asked all central govern- quarantine etc.,” the min- RABINDRA NATH plications. — PTI conference and other the disease, he said. and C staff and ask them should be available on ment departments to take istry had said. — PTI CHOUDHURY | DC BHOPAL, MARCH 19

A 24-year-old woman in MOTORIST WHO Raipur, Chhattisgarh has test- ed positive for coronavirus, SNEEZED GETS making her the first con- Kerala announces `20k-cr stimulus package firmed covid 19 case in the THRASHED state. DC CORRESPONDENT groups under The woman arrived in Kolhapur (Maha), THIRUVNANTHAPURAM, Kudumbasree, consumer STATE PREPARES FOR STAGE III OF CORONAVIRUS Raipur from London via March 19: A man rid- MARCH 19 loans, rural employment Mumbai on March 15. ing a motorbike was guarantee scheme will be DC CORRESPONDENT ● The Chief Minister ties would not be enough She complained of cold and thrashed in Kolhapur One more person tested implemented. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, said a large number of to meet the requirement. cough and was admitted to the city of Maharashtra on positive for Covid-19 in Two installments of MARCH 19 persons might be put Mr Vijayan said a large Raipur branch of All India Thursday just because Kerala on Thursday, tak- social security pension number of persons might Institute of Medical Sciences he sneezed in public. A ing the total number of will be disbursed this Local bodies in Kerala under surveillance in be put under surveillance two days later, authorities of CCTV video of the fra- cases who are currently month, costing around have been asked to identi- the next stage. in the next stage. AIIMS, Raipur said on cas, which took place in under treatment to 25. `1,320 crore. Those who do fy buildings, hospitals, ● Facilities will be Facilities will be required Thursday. Gujari area of the city, As on Thursday, 31,137 not receive pension will schools, lodges, auditori- required to accommo- for accommodating people “The woman who studies in went viral on social people are under surveil- be given `1,000 each as ums where those with date people who came who have come to state as London landed in Raipur via media, though the local lance across the state financial assistance. Covid-19 symptoms could to state as travellers travellers and those who Mumbai on March 15. She was police said no complaint including 30,927 under All families will be pro- be put under surveillance. do not have permanent admitted in AIIMS in Raipur had been registered. home quarantine. As vided 10 kg rice free, 1,000 The arrangements are video conference, sending homes here. when she complained of cold The video showed that many as 237 persons are hotels will be opened by being made to deal with out a message that the The Chief Minister said and cough. Her samples tested a bike-rider stopping in isolation wards in hos- Pinarayi Vijayan April to provide meals at possible spurt in cases government and the Opp- 99 per cent of people un- positive for infection on and asking another pitals including 64 who `20. A health package of during stage III. osition are on the same der surveillance are in Wednesday evening,” AIIMS, rider on the road why he were admitted on announced a slew of eco- `500 crore will be imple- Even a small lapse could page in dealing with the homes. The local bodies Raipur, superintendent, Karan sneezed without cover- Thursday and 6,103 per- nomic and financial assis- mented. prove disastrous, Chief disease. will have to take the res- Peepre, said. ing his face with a hand- sons were brought under tance measures worth After a high level meet- Minister Pinarayi Vijayan The Chief Minister said ponsibility of protecting The woman, along with her kerchief as it could surveillance. Of the 2,920 `20,000 crore to deal with ing here, the paramilitary told elected office bearers that things were under them on a priority basis. parents, has been admitted to cause the spread of the samples sent for testing, the situation arising out forces and armed forces of local bodies during a control but the state needs Basic needs like food, me- an isolation ward of the coronavirus. It led to a 2,342 have been found neg- of Covid-19. have extended all help to videoconference. to be fully prepared to dicines should be provid- AIIMS hospital in Raipur, he heated exchange, and ative. Of this, `2000 crore was the state government to Opposition leader meet any challenge. In ed to people and the local added. the man who sneezed Meanwhile, Chief set aside for providing meet any challenge in Ramesh Chennithala case there is a spurt in bodies should ensure they was beaten up. — PTI Minister Pinarayi Vijayan loans by women self help connection with Covid-19. joined Mr Vijayan in the cases the existing facili- do not have any problems. EDIT DECCAN CHRONICLE | FRIDAY | 20 MARCH 2020 | CHENNAI pg 8

20 MARCH 2020

Huge Ayodhya meet a Subhani disaster in the making erhii Plokhy’s magnificent book Chernobyl: The History of a Nuclear Catastrophe, about the 1986 nuclear reactor accident, describes in great detail its horrific aftermath. Four days after the Saccident — despite the radiation poisoning deaths and the deep crimson sky, at night, above reactor number 4 — the Soviet Union insist- ed that the May 1 parade must be held in Kiev as usual. (It’s a political decision to ward off Western propaganda against the dying empire.) Much like that bizarre decision is Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s obstinacy on holding a massive jamboree on the occasion of Ram Navami at Ayodhya, from March 25 to April 2 — during the poten- tially most dangerous phase of likely community spread of the coron- avirus (Covid-19). This celebration comes even though Ayodhya’s chief medical officer Ghanshyam Singh requested the administration to postpone the event. (The administration told him to pipe down and denied he had ever said anything.) Some in the administration wanted to have the event telecast LETTERS live by Doordarshan so that pilgrims didn’t have to make the journey to what would likely become a gigantic petri dish of bacteria, but that was CONTAIN SPREAD OF COVID-19 shot down by the saints’ community, who will not even discuss the possi- India must bridge big Tamil Nadu is reported to bility of postponing the event. have recorded its third Instead, officials say that lakhs of likely pilgrims are expected to wear Covid-19 case. The virus is masks, as if that were the one impenetrable shield that will save India from a virus that has already infected 2.2 lakh people worldwide, killing spreading like wildfire. approximately 9,000 of them. That India has so far escaped a massive infec- Nearly 200 cases have tion could be because of under-reporting; but Western health experts pre- gaps to tackle Covid-19 been reported in India. dict the next big explosion of infections and deaths would be in India, Body heat test alone is not Russia and Africa, in that order. If a lakh people, at the very least, show sufficient. Disinfection of up in Ayodhya, not only would they expose themselves to an infection — jumped to human trials after most likely candi- public places like streets, there would be a multiplier effect as they travel home by train and then to beat the virus. dates. There are no easy mingle in their communities. It is a horror movie scenario. However, everyone answers yet. the public transport Yet the Yogi Adityanath government wishes to go ahead because Ram Saikat Datta agrees that a successful A one-page ancient systems, hospitals, private Navami is seen as having significance coming after the recent judicial ver- vaccine is still 18-20 epidemic law: vehicles etc., have to be dict handing the site of the former Babri Masjid over for the construction months away, if at all. Astonishingly, India has taken on a war footing. of the Ram Mandir. Ayodhya-based Mahant Paramhans nonchalantly This means Covid-19 a one-page law with just Many more people from says: “Lord Ram will protect his devotees” from the coronavirus. Indeed, will be around for a four bare sections the affected countries are Ayodhya’s saints are planning a yagna (fire offering) to the gods to ward off while, even though passed in 1897 to deal the coronavirus. It may be noted that several big temples have already social distancing — with such a crisis. As to be airlifted and brought conducted this puja but to no avail — instead the number of cases are grow- where people are asked Abhimanyu Tewari, a to India in the coming ing daily. Yet it seems hard for the lunatic fringe to shake off its supersti- n 2003, as the travel. Even then, nearly to stay at home and practising Supreme days. They should not be tious beliefs. Severe Acute Resp- 20 million are estimated cities are locked down — Court lawyer has noted, allowed to escape tests for The religious lot will not back down, and possibly Prime Minister iratory (SARS) to have died from it in may slow it down. this law was amended already panic is gripping Narendra Modi is caught in a tight situation having to choose between the virus dominated India. Chandra’s paper In India, health is a just once in in 1956 and holy men at the core of his constituency and his responsibilities as head of the headlines, focused on early detec- major structural prob- is completely out of date. the people. The the government. We would hope that on this occasion better sense prevails, SatishI Chandra, a for- tion and isolation, as lem. The Central health “There is a complete government has to do and that the WHO guidelines are followed rather than a swami’s rituals. mer Indian Foreign well as the general state budget in 2020 is at lack of pre-planning in more to contain the spread Service veteran who was of medical prepared- `67,484 crores, that is its purview. The state of the virus in the coming then deputy national ness. “At that time our less than one per cent of and Central govern- days and save people. security adviser, was focus was on Delhi and GDP. It was raised by a ments come into play N.R. Ramachandran, appalled by India’s we took some help from marginal 5.7 per cent only after an epidemic has broken out,” Tewari Chennai Why the snooping? unpreparedness to deal the state government from last year’s budget ■ with a pandemic threat. headed by Shiela by the Narendra Modi explained to me on mail. he government needs to do a much better job of explaining why it As Covid-19 rages Dikshit and experts government. On any “The law makes no The global number of confirmed needed to direct the telecom operators to provide it with the call data through the world and from the National given day, India’s public effort to designate cases of the Covid-19 has reported- records (CDRs) of all mobile users across the country, as it implicit- has thousands infected, Institute of Virology in healthcare system strug- appropriate authorities ly crossed 1,10,000 in over 100 T countries. Although India has ly raises issues like an erosion of privacy and turning the country into a India seems to have Pune. But this was 2003, gles to deal with people or administrative infra- Big Brother surveillance society. The Congress and other Opposition par- escaped the brunt so far. and we didn’t look at the who can’t afford expen- structure prior to an been relatively less affected so far, ties, not surprisingly, tried to raise the issue of what they called a “sinis- It managed to quickly corporate sector or the sive healthcare. The emergency. Since health no way we can relax. In the cur- ter” move in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, seeking a discussion, though lock down its borders impact of such a pan- lack of a decent medical is a state subject, there rent situation the global outbreak this was not allowed. The explanation given by the communications min- and started screening demic on the global insurance scheme for is no provision to coordi- could get worse, and if it does so, istry, that there was no “infringement of privacy” as no individual data passengers at interna- economy.” large swathes of the pop- nate a national effort in soon it could strike a telling blow was collected and there was no tracking of any cellphones, simply does not tional airports fairly Large gaps in counter- ulation leaves them vul- the law.” So if a state in India also. This is why the hold water. If, as the government claims, the entire exercise was to early. With positive ing pandemic: The idea nerable to diseases and urgently needs ventila- Narendra Modi government must “address numerous complaints regarding quality of service”, including detections of the virus at defence against any pan- epidemics. Add the high tors that are available in take a consensus approach to call drops, echo, “dark spots” and cross-connections, surely this could around 150 at last count, demic is a good vaccine levels of malnutrition, another state, there is no effectively manage the risks of have been done without requiring access to users’ individual data? it seems to be in control. research and develop- where, according to a legal provision to share Covid-19 in India. This is the time The Opposition parties, and some others, have warned that the move by But Chandra’s initial ment capability coupled 2017 study, it kills 62.8 or shift resources, he now to think about the capacity the department of telecommunications could be a clear breach of the efforts uncovered a host with a robust pharma- per cent of children pointed out. required to handle the crisis Supreme Court’s ruling granting all citizens the right to privacy. There of issues that are ceutical industry. In below five. Worse, a pan- These are just basic before things could go worse. are clear rules in place about giving the government access to individual yet to be addressed. His India, the key govern- demic or an epidemic requirements to deal R. Sivakumar, Chennai users’ mobile phone and Internet records, mainly in cases involving study also didn’t focus ment institutes for vac- also means that this with an epidemic as national security or the investigation of crime. But blanket access to the on several key issues cine production were inadequate infrastruc- potent and widespread RAJINI’S POLITICAL CONCEPT records of all mobile phone users across the country seems excessive and that have a major bear- shut down in January ture will be the first one as Covid-19. There is no It’s not too late in the day to com- heavy-handed. Also, the timing of some requests by the government, such ing on India’s national 2008 after a World to be hit as first respon- plan in place to also deal ment on your editorial Does Rajini as in Delhi in early February at the peak of the campaign for the Assembly interests. Health Organisation ders to a crisis. Doctors with the economic rami- means business? (March 14). Like elections, and certain other sensitive times, do raise additional concerns. Soon after the SARS report that they didn’t and nurses will be at fications for such an King Canute who commanded the The Cellular Operators Association of India has done well to red-flag this virus became known, meet global statutory high risk, and hospital event in India. While incoming sea waves to halt, issue, which is of vital public interest, and the government needs to give Chandra immediately standards. These were beds will dry up. most corporates are now Superstar Rajinikanth expects a the people a fuller explanation. called a meeting at the revived later and the Intensive care units, sending their workforce political revolution before enter- National Security Coun- Central Research ventilators and other back home, for key sec- ing politics! His insight that gov- cil Secretariat and mar- Institute in Kasauli, critical medical equip- tors like the IT industry, ernment and party must be two shalled the available Himachal Pradesh, even ment to keep people there are major conse- separate domains, that he will resources to put togeth- ramped up some of its alive will be woefully quences since they also choose a competent, honest man as DECCAN CHRONICLE er a paper on this. This facilities in April 2016. inadequate, leading to deal with sensitive data. chief minister and that he will was arguably the first But this is clearly inad- high mortality if the epi- For a vast majority of only act as a bridge between the ADITYA SINHA T. VENKATESWARULU Indian government equate by all accounts. demic spreads. daily wagers, working two, has come as a blow to his fans Editor Printer & Publisher Therefore, the debate from home is simply not R. MOHAN study on how to deal Chandra also flagged the and a blessing to his opponents. Resident Editor with such kind of biolog- point that the pharma- over carrying out more an option. The 1857 law Rajini’s concept of clean politics DECCAN CHRONICLE offices are located at: ical threats. “Basically, I ceutical industry in tests to detect Covid-19 has no provisions for the sounds Utopian in a land where Chennai: SP 3 Developed Plot, Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai 600032. Phones: (044) 22254747, was driven by anxieties India had shifted to cases is a delicate one. private sector, which as 22254748 political corruption has been car- Coimbatore: 77 Vivekananda Road, Ramnagar, Coimbatore 641009. Phone: (0422) 2231255, 2231256 on what could happen if China to save on manu- Should India expend its Tewari pointed out, is an ried to a fine art. Even Rajini's fan Hyderabad: 36, Sarojini Devi Road, Secunderabad 500 003. Phone: (040) 27803930-4. Fax: (040) the bird flu, which was facturing costs. “The limited supply of test essential stakeholder in club leaders are not entirely above 27805256. transmitted between Advanced Pharma- kits to chase every citi- dealing with an epidem- corruption! Rajini who wants the Bengaluru: 5th Floor, BMTC Commercial Complex, 80 Ft. Road, Koramangala, Bangalore-560095. Ph: birds, shifted to humans. ceutical Industry (API) zen, or hold on to go ic of this magnitude. system to change, is still a product 08043460500; Fax: 080-22960551/52/55 The way forward is to Visakhapatnam: Survey No. 1/3A Beach Road, Near Kailasagiri Ropeway, Sector-9 MVP Colony, There were half a dozen is hugely dependent on of the same system in which he Visakhapatnam - 530 017. Phones: (0891) 2552333/2552334, Fax (0891) 2755285 such cases in China, and China. I have been set up a multi-discipli- rose to superstardom. It was also Vijayawada: No. C 3 & 4, Patamata, Industrial Estate, Auto Nagar, Vijayawada (A.P.). Phones: (0866) our rough estimate was pressing for shifting the In India, health is a nary task force with the system that shamelessly nur- 2555284/ 2555287, Fax (0866) 2555234 that we could be looking industry back to India, major structural objectives that can be tured black money and tax eva- Rajahmundry: Vemagiri, Dhawleswaram Rd, Rajahmundry 533125. Phones: (0883) 2417208, 2417618 even if it costs us implemented in a time- Anantapur: Thapovan Colony, Bangalore Bye-Pass Road, Anantapur 515004. Phones: (08554) 276903, at a global mortality rate problem. The Central sion. There are no ready-made Fax: 08554-276904 of 60 per cent when a because this is a strate- bound manner. solutions available to you in film Nellore: Survey No. 527/2, Burranpur Village, Venkatachalam (M), Chemudugunta Panchayat, Nellore. pandemic hit us,” gic necessity,” Chandra health budget in Hopefully, when the business or politics. Napoleonic Phone: (0861) 2348581/ 82, Telefax (0861) 2348580 Chandra told me over said. 2020 is at `67,484 next pandemic arrives, theory is that two thirds of a plan Karimnagar: Survey No. 1341, Vavilalapally Colony, Jagityala Road, Karimnagar 505 001. India can lead in process Phone: (0878 ) 2228908; Telefax (0878) 2220433 the phone. Today, the privately- crores, that is less is your calculation and data and Kochi: No. 3-B, 3rd Floor, DD TRADE TOWER, Kaloor-Kadavanthara Road, Ernakulam, For most Indian owned Pune-based than one per cent of and substance in com- one third is always a leap in the Ph: 0484-4039408 researchers studying Serum Institute of India bating a global threat. dark. If Rajini procrastinates fur- Kozhikode: No 6/1002 E, First Floor City Mall, Opp. YMCA Kannur Road, Kozhikode - 673 001 pandemics, 1918 is a sig- hopes to start human tri- GDP. It was raised ther it could be only taken as a Fax : 0495 4019018 by a marginal 5.7 per The writer is a journal- Thiruvananthapuram: St Joseph Press Thycaud post, Cotton Hills, Thiruvananthapuram-14, Ph: 0471- nificant year. The als of a vaccine in six strategy to avoid politics and use 2735105/6/7, Fax: 0471-4016112 Gram: CHRONICLE Postal registration no: No. H/SD-348/2006-08ss Spanish flu started in months. A firm in the cent from last year’s ist based in New Delhi his gullible fans as pawns on the the West and hit India at United States has budget by the Modi and a founding partner chessboard of his superstardom. a time when there was skipped the entire leg of government. of CSDR Consulting Kangayam R. Narasimhan, no mass commercial air animal testing and Chennai

he year was 1918, before the surprising there was also no way of ratory system, the patient could no can remain on the ventilator for sev- ly, can finally be stopped. First World War when the saving millions of those who were longer breathe and death would fol- eral weeks before they are able to Then there is the question of poli- first case of the Spanish flu infected by the lethal flu. low soon after. breathe on their own. That is, if they tics. The Spanish flu pandemic was Twas reported from Kansas, For the Indian masses, this experi- What paved the way for increasing survive. Many don’t and many oth- closely followed by a world war and United States. By the time it ended ence only confirmed the belief that anti-British sentiment in India also ers will not. The novel coronavirus sweeping transformational change about two years later, the Spanish flu the British were not benevolent mas- caused political cataclysms in other has now spread to most countries of all over the globe. Similarly, the pandemic was believed to have ters. If the British were so interested parts of the world. According to his- the world. The doubling of cases novel coronavirus will also claim its Rafia Zakaria infected at least 500 million people — in making things better for the tory books, people of the time would every few days has meant that the casualties in the collapse of systems a staggering one-third of the popula- Indians, why did they fail to provide associate the Spanish flu with the world at large has been forced to and beliefs that have existed unchal- tion of the whole world. The death a basic healthcare system that could beginning of the First World War in introspect and change its own behav- lenged for centuries. We might wit- toll was said to be around 50m. have saved thousands of lives? The Europe. The casualties of this world iour because of the inefficacy of the ness the fall of governments and the The largest number of lives taken lack of answers from British repre- war would merge in popular memo- existing containment measures. fall of great world leaders. It is a his- by the Spanish flu was in undivided sentatives was among the factors ry with the casualties of the Spanish As epidemiologists are fond of toric time, it is an uncertain time, India. More than 18m people per- that sowed the seeds of political dis- flu, the terrible sadness and feeling of telling us, the life of a virus is the and it is a deadly time. It is also a Like Spanish ished from the disease there — this content in the subcontinent. It could loss of the two fusing into one indis- behaviour of the virus and the behav- time that is desperate for human sol- was the largest number of deaths in a be said that the struggle against the tinguishable whole. iour of the host. Since the virus’s idarity. If humans, particularly those single country. Mahatma Gandhi British colonialists was further Our current historical moment aptitude for surviving on surfaces who are young and healthy, alter flu, will C-virus also contracted the Spanish flu along strengthened by a global pandemic. feels just as momentous as the days and infecting sometimes without their behaviour despite knowing with millions of his compatriots. The fatality rates and patterns of of the Spanish flu. There are similar- causing symptoms cannot currently that the virus is likely to spare them, By the time the Spanish flu struck mortality of the Spanish flu made its ities in the two diseases themselves. be treated, human beings have had to then the old, the weak and the infirm the subcontinent in the 20th century, ravages even more poignant. Most of The COVID-19 is not just a dangerous change their behaviour instead. It is have a chance at survival. It is a tall trigger collapse the British had ruled India for one the people it killed were young adults strain of influenza; it also affects the currently believed that if a large order for a world that pivots on self- and half centuries, without having — those who had their lives before respiratory system. It also provokes enough number of the human popu- interest. But humankind has accom- invested anything in the country’s them. Death often came with what is a cytokine storm that overwhelms lation alters its behaviour through plished great things in the past. It has of world order? health infrastructure. There was no called a “cytokine storm”, a reaction the respiratory system first. Many self-isolation, there will be no new survived and it has endured. Now is network of hospitals and no real sys- in which the body’s immune system patients find it difficult to breathe hosts for the virus. If there are no the time to remind oneself and every- tem that could deliver healthcare to is overwhelmed, triggering a shut- and have to be attached to a ventila- new hosts then the spread of the coro- one else of that truth. the millions of ordinary people living down of the organs one after the tor. Reports from the Netherlands navirus, which has proven to be a under colonial rule. Hence, it is not other. The first to fail was the respi- and South Korea show that patients master at travelling fast and furious- By arrangement with Dawn OPED DECCAN CHRONICLE | FRIDAY | 20 MARCH 2020 | CHENNAI pg 9 We’ll soon find out how robust civilisation is

ease mean successive curfews There are no good out- typhoid, measles, polio, whoop- Innovation in 2017 in partner- will improve. The milder forms and successive body blows to the comes from here. Many ing cough and many more eradi- ship with the Gates Foundation of the virus will probably out- economy cated or nearly so. The failure of along with the Indian and compete the harsher versions. The UK government is now people will die prema- terrifying new animal-derived Norwegian governments, but it A vaccine may yet work -- Matt Ridley effectively admitting that even if turely. Many will lose viruses like Hanta, Marburg, should have been started much though it has come as quite a drastic curfews lead to succes- their jobs. Many busi- SARS, MERS, ebola, swine flu, earlier. shock to find out just how little sive waves of the disease, that nesses will go under. bird flu and zika to cause more Against many risks, excess vaccine development has may be the least worst outcome. than a local or temporary inter- precaution is a mistake, doing improved in recent decades. It is still a daunting prospect. Many people will suffer ruption of the march of progress more harm than good by pre- Genomics allows us to read Successive waves mean succes- bereavement, loneliness left us complacent. (Only HIV venting innovation — but not in viral genomes in a flash and sive curfews and successive and despair, even if they went global.) The advance of sci- the case of threats that can make messenger -- RNA vac- n Sunday, go under. Many people will suf- body blows to the economy. If we dodge the virus. The only ence allowing the rapid reading explode exponentially from cines, in which the body manu- lonely as a fer bereavement, loneliness and clamp down hard now and the of the genome of the new coron- small beginnings. Apart from factures the viral proteins, cloud, I wan- despair, even if they dodge the infection rate drops, then we question is how many. avirus gave us false confidence: Singapore, which built a special doing away with the need to put dered across a virus. The only question is how might be able slowly and cau- we would know how to beat it by hospital after SARS, and South killed or attenuated viruses into windswept many in each case. We are about tiously to restart the economy in that the people have got ahead of the time it got out of China. It Korea, which geared up to test the body. None the less, a scien- moor in Coun- to find out how robust civilisa- the summer but have to clamp the authorities. Lots of people seemed that only the most people and gather data on a tific paper that I failed to read ty Durham tion is. The hardships ahead are down again when the virus have been volunteering to give innocuous of common colds, and huge scale, the world had done last year warned: “The current and passed a like nothing we’ve known. resurges. Each time we do this, it up gatherings, work from home milder forms of flu, seemed capa- far too little to get ready for this state of vaccine development is solitary sandstone rock with a The British government has will be more painful, but at least if they can or travel less before ble of remaining ubiquitous. possibility. Everything now is an expensive, slow and labori- small,O round hollow in the top, been unusual in ramping up its the health service will be that being asked to. The chorus of And coronaviruses are a com- catch-up. And we are trying to ous process, costing billions of an old penny glued to the base of social distancing measures, much better prepared, with complaint last week on the social mon cause of the common cold, catch the fastest runner of them dollars, taking decades, with the hollow. It is called the Butter rather than rushing them all at more intensive-care beds, more media that the government was so (despite SARS) they seemed all: an exponential curve. less than a 10 per cent rate of Stone and it’s where, during the once. This resulted in a good isolation facilities, more ventila- not doing enough is a sign that like pussy cats, not tigers. The number of cases outside success.” plague in 1665, coins were left in deal of bafflement and criticism, tors, more and newer testing people are now telling the gov- It turns out that I and many China has increased tenfold We must not despair or return a pool of vinegar by the inhabi- some of it justified. The driving kits, more data on the efficacy of ernment what to do — which is others were badly wrong. The roughly every 10 days. If it con- permanently to autarky and tants of nearby towns and vil- motive was concern that a resur- repurposed drugs. how it should be in a democracy. human race has been playing tinues at this rate, in two localism. With the right precau- lages, to be exchanged with gence of the virus after its initial Moreover, each time the virus A Prime Minister is being criti- epidemiological Russian months the virus will have tions, an open, free-trading, farmers for food. The idea was suppression would be a disas- re-emerges, there will be more cised for not ordering us to do roulette all along. It has taken infected 100 million people. A free-moving, innovating world that the farmer or his customer trous outcome, because people immune people to help look after things, but “advising” us. Better Mother Nature a long time to vast experiment is happening is possible without pandemics approached the rock only when would not allow themselves to be the sick. Once you’ve had the than the other way around. As put a bullet in the right cham- as different countries try differ- and is essential for raising liv- the other was at a safe distance. curfewed twice, so the timing disease, and assuming the the libertarian thinker Douglas ber, combining high contagion ent strategies, with some in ing standards. All governments Four modern coins were on the had to be right. But the vicious immunity you acquire is long- Carswell put it on Monday: with asymptomatic carriers Asia having notably more suc- must both splash the cash and rock, anonymous offerings to the experience of Italy has changed lasting (not yet certain), then “Treat people as responsible and a significant death rate, but cess than others in Europe. But slash many of the things it does spirits of the moor. Never once everything. So when the darned you are in a special category of adults and they will behave she has done it. to stop the virus gaining a per- that are not urgent to alleviate in my six decades did I expect to models revealed that a single person who can be employed — more responsibly”. We now know that we should manent foothold in the human human suffering, and there are be back in a 17th-century world “managed” peak here leading to or volunteer — for what would Until this year I thought this have been building far more population will require every a lot of them. But in the midst of of social and physical distancing eventual herd immunity might otherwise be risky work, and for kind of infectious pandemic preparedness for such an event. single one of those experiments our misery let us be thankful for as a matter of life and death. kill 260,000 people and over- looking after older people. Each could not happen today. The The World Health Organisation to work. one thing: unlike many plagues, There are no good outcomes whelm the National Health wave of the disease can then be defeat of infectious diseases as a has been asleep at the switch. In the long run, we will get this one spares children.. from here. Many people will die Service, the strategy shifted less awful. cause of death has been so com- The Wellcome Trust did well to through this. Effective drugs prematurely. Many will lose from “delay” to “suppress”. One side-effect of the govern- plete as to seem invincible: establish a Coalition for will be found. Methods for keep- By arrangement with their jobs. Many businesses will Successive waves of the dis- ment’s step-by-step approach is plague, smallpox, cholera, Epidemic Preparedness ing the very sick from dying the Spectator

Want kids to love reading? Managing MLAs, resort politics: Don’t tell them what to read child may start in the foothills with spies or The brazen art of party-hopping zombies but once they’ve acquired the habit of ever on a more scientific basis, as The choice to leave a try to change the “system”, or start a Anthony Horowitz reading they will be on per Democracy Index (which mea- new political party or even rebel their way to higher sures, among other parameters, political party in cases under the same flag — to jump to an ranges… Dickens and Bhopinder political culture), Indian democracy where someone thinks alternative political platform that Austen or McCarthy and Singh is now ranked 51st and categorised the party no longer was supposedly an irreconcilable McEwan… I’m plucking as a “flawed democracy”! While this reflects their values is anathema to the conscience earlier at random some of the dismal ranking is essentially attrib- ought to be embarrassing to one’s few years ago, I boy: Goodnight Mister writers I love. And I uted to the “erosion of civil liber- perhaps a more personal value system. was surprised to Tom, Treasure Island, began with Tintin! ties” in recent times, the thriving honourable option than to Jumping ship by an elected mem- open a newspa- Just William, the The second reason is culture of political poaching, turn- publicly state specific ber and rewarding the jumper by a Aper and read Jennings series, more pernicious. The coats and defections has also seen an issues and try to change political party makes both the indi- that the head teacher of a Moonfleet… world has changed since he oath or affirmation by a unprecedented high. Government the ‘system’, or start a vidual and the receiving party com- London public school had These are wonderful we were children, and member of Parliament or formation and breakup has been ele- plicit in questionable politics. This decided to ban my books books. I was never too the books we read no a state Assembly is only to vated to an art — that of “manage- new political party or even shows the irrelevance of personal from his library. He crazy about Stevenson longer connect with a “bear true faith and alle- ment”. The maxim, no one is rebel under the same flag affiliations, as also ideological com- described the adventures and found the battles at generation which does giance to the Constitution untouchable in politics, is a truism, mitments, where seemingly the of Alex Rider, which the end of Treasure not drink fizzy pop or Tof India” and not towards any spe- without any accompanying “bag- ends always justify the means. The have sold around 20?mil- Island confusing and think of war as being glo- cific partisan group or ideology, gage” of morality, conscience or publicly bandied about as pecuniary citizenry must always remember lion- copies worldwide, in interminable, but I loved rious or scrump apples under which the said member was ethics. This has given rise to cre- lures for elected members are often that loyalty and commitment are terms so derogatory that the others, and to them I from the local farmers. It elected. At best, the language of the ative processes like political “horse- pegged at double-digit crores, very personal attributes, and if an I have no mind to repeat would add the Willard may be hard to identify Third Schedule insists onto the trading” and the hilarious native enough to see someone through for individual can compromise on the them. Suffice it to say Price adventure series, with a young hero who member that “I will faithfully dis- expression, Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram the rest of their life. same (without believable reasons) that the article quite put the Chronicles of Narnia, pipes up ‘This is going to charge the office upon which I am — coined after Gaya Ram, a member Much like the infamous Afghan vis-à-vis their parent party — then me off my cornflakes. The Weirdstone of be perfectly splendid!’, about to enter” — again, without of the Haryana Legislative warlords who would brazenly and the same individual could easily But the strange thing Brisingamen, The Silver even if, a few pages later, mandating any fidelity to a political Assembly who changed political incorrigibly shift sides on account of compromise on their commitment was that — once I had got Sword, the Just So he leads you through the party. flags thrice within a fortnight! receiving mysterious suitcases to their own constituents. Political past the sheer offensive- Stories… I’m sure all of wardrobe and into Arguably, the right to subscribe or Later, Gaya Ram continued his par- filled with dollars, our elected politi- ambition is certainly kosher, how- ness of his language and these titles will be famil- Narnia. switch to any political party or its tyhopping spree with much aplomb cal warlords exhibit a similar fleet- ever naïve attempts to paint a sud- a mindset that believed iar to Spectator readers, Modern children’s writ- ideology ought to be the free choice and the tradition dutifully contin- footedness and openness that, there- den U-turn as necessary to “serve that banning books could particularly those of my ers connect with modern of an individual in a democratic ued with his son! Importantly, the fore, warrants quarantining their the people” is plain chicanery. ever have good connota- age. The truth is that times. Look at Malorie framework, though it can lead to Indian voter remains unconcerned physical presence. All political par- Many party spokespersons in televi- tions — I was actually they made me the writer Blackman whose bril- moral compromise. Therefore and rather forgiving about an elect- ties and their representatives, with- sion “debates” who wax eloquent quite sympathetic to his that I am. liant Noughts & Crosses party-hopping by elected members ed member’s flighty moves from one out exception (except perhaps the about the virtues of their party and wider point of view. The fact that they are series goes to the very was brought under constitutional party to the other. Leftist parties who tend to be more leadership are often history- Everyone agrees that still in print speaks both heart of what racism restraints, as captured in the Tenth Creative loopholes in the anti- ideologically anchored), have taken sheeters as political turncoats; that children benefit from to the quality of their means, both emotionally Schedule, popularly known as anti- defection law notwithstanding, a part in such opportunistic moves. their angst and ire can still reading, but we seldom writing and to their con- and politically: the first defection law. certain sense necessitating a scale The most abused justification for arouse dangerous passions, is a sad discuss what exactly we tinued relevance, and book has just been adapt- While this law was made to dis- or mass shift of loyalties has given a party-hopping is often “in order to testimony to political ignobility would like them to read. when I visit schools or ed by the BBC. Or The suade reckless opportunism, the fact geographical context to the whole honour commitment towards public that prevails. I’ve always believed that talk at festivals I often Hate U Give, the eviscer- that decisions on defection are exercise — resort politics! An service”. Such meaningless grandil- Today the names of Gandhi, a worthwhile children’s mention them and rec- ating story of a police referred to the Speaker or Chairman entourage of “loyal” elected mem- oquence is soon followed by a politi- Nehru, Patel, Ambedkar, Savarkar book should encourage ommend them. I can com- shooting, written by of the House, still makes it suscepti- bers is shepherded into a resort cal reward in the form of spoils from and so forth are invoked in order to young readers to raise pletely understand a par- Angie Thomas when she ble to political biases and individual (usually in a state with a favourable the political war. In this melee of suit any and every political narra- their game; it should ent — or teacher — who was still in her twenties. interpretation. Even though the dispensation), wherein they are extraneous considerations, no tive as ignorant masses are swayed enlighten and illuminate wishes to share their own Her mother once took her Assembly Speaker is ostensibly apo- kept together, away from prying region, race or individual can truly by manufactured emotions — emo- as well as entertain. And childhood favourites into a library to keep her litical and “looked upon as the true eyes and contact, under the hawk claim to be different from the other tions that are actually insincere, that is what I hope I’ve with their children. But safe from a neighbour- guardian of traditions of parliamen- eye of the political managers to “pro- — from supposed ideologues and uncommitted and rootless. While written. even so, I think they’re hood shooting. Not all tary democracy”, the track record of tect” them from political counter- former peasants to even erstwhile- loyalty to country should always Last week newspapers making a mistake if they children’s books need to the Speakers across the national poaching. Not only are the optics a maharajas. While no one should be outweigh loyalty to a party, so reported that J.K. are too prescriptive — for be issue-based but writ- and state legislatures, has been sus- blot on free speech, thought and grudged their personal and political should loyalty to one’s own con- Rowling and her Harry two reasons. ers from Patrick Ness pect. Members of political parties in access to the elected representa- ambitions — as indeed the choice to science and values. Potter series seemed to The first is that choos- (The Knife of Never India switch party affiliations far tives, it is even more sadly a reflec- leave a political party in cases have fallen out of favour ing a book, finding what Letting Go) to Meg Rosoff more frequently than in other tion of the fickle “loyalties” and cor- where someone thinks the party no The writer is a retired lieutenant- with secondary pupils, you like, is one of the (How I Live Now) and democracies in the West. ruptibility of the members, who are longer reflects their values is per- general and a former lieutenant-gov- who were instead turn- greatest pleasures of Neil Gaiman (Coraline — Outwardly, India is touted as the feared for shifting loyalties for mate- haps a more honourable option than ernor of Andaman & Nicobar ing to titles such as David reading. It was the pecu- a modern day Alice in “world’s largest democracy”; how- rial considerations! The amounts to publicly state specific issues and Islands and Puducherry Walliams’s Gangsta liar genius of Roald Dahl Wonderland) have suc- Granny and Mr Stink. to recognise that chil- ceeded by making their Personally, I find dren’s books should fantasies relevant Walliams entertaining belong to children, not to to a new generation of and I think Tony Ross, adults, and he was the readers. whose illustrations often first modern author to Nicolette Jones, a critic take up most of the page, speak their language, to and commentator of How can we be truly happy? is a genius. If children share their sense of Young Adult literature, like these books, it would humour and their world- is leading a petition to money. cannot take anything with us. connection with joy and divine be crazy to put them off view. Before Dahl came make storytime compul- Worldly life is doing the things How then can we be truly happy? love. Then we can pass through the buying them. But that along, and even when my sory in primary schools. required to live in the The only lasting hap- stages of life, fulfil our outer oblig- said, Rowling reinvented own career was begin- She adroitly summarises Sant world. Within that piness comes from ations to earn a living, support a modern children’s litera- ning, it often struck me what’s at stake: framework, people are connecting to the trea- family, have a job, help others, but ture, created a fully that most children’s “Children who read Rajinder searching for happi- sures within us. Our do so in a state in which we are joy- realised world that ignit- authors were either dis- achieve more, do better ness. No one seeks to be spiritual essence is a ous, fulfilled, and peaceful. ed the dreams of mil- tant or dead. I read what in all subjects, and expe- Singh Ji miserable. Many drop of the power that Meditation and spiritual life pro- lions, and proved that a my parents had read or rience better wellbeing, believe that happiness created all, and that vides this joy that bubbles from book with 600 pages could what they gave me to yet only 37 per cent of comes from having power is love, con- within us that helps us in our still be manageable. I read. children aged six to 11 f we look at the words, “world- more money. Other sciousness, bliss, and outer life. We also fulfill our true read this news with a The beauty of reading is read for pleasure daily.” ly life”, what does that entail? think happiness comes joy. When we tap into purpose of life, which is to know heavy heart. that it’s a journey. A It’s those words ‘for Most people are leading their from having name, that power within our self as a soul. We do not just The question is, if you pleasure’ that are the lives to achieve the same goal fame and power. However, studies ourselves, we can swim in the have to live on hearsay but prove take against the “farting key. Reading for plea- I sure, whatever book they — happiness. To reach there, peo- show that even people who are ocean of divine love, peace, and to ourselves through firsthand granny” books (and there It was the peculiar ple engage in similar activities. rich, famous, powerful, or having happiness. That puts us into a state experience the existence of what are plenty of other genius of Roald Dahl choose, is something that They begin their life as children all the material possessions they of ecstasy and joy that lasts. We lies beyond. If one is sincerely authors writing in this every child should expe- needing food, clothing, shelter, can possibly have are still not become connected with the source looking for spiritual awakening vein), if you reject to recognise that rience. Watching a child love, education, health, safety and happy. They still seek something of all wisdom, bliss, ecstasy, fear- and knowledge of our soul, the teenage spies, vampires, children’s books browse in a library or friendship. After graduating from more. Even having everything lessness, connectedness with all Creator and spiritual realms with- ghosts and dragons, what should belong to bookshop always makes school, they look for a job or start a which we think will make us life and spiritual love. Living in in, it is available through medita- are you going to offer children, not to me smile. I write adven- family and want to acquire items happy can lead to unhappiness such a state enriches our life. tion on the inner light and sound. young readers? Again I ture stories, but I am needed to live, such as a place to when we lose what we have. The Then, no matter what our outer sighed when my own adults, and he was aware that, in an increas- reside, transport and money to fact is that nothing made of matter circumstances, whether rich or Sant Rajinder Singh Ji, head of demon headmaster the first modern ingly prohibitive age, survive — whether for their fami- is lasting. It is all temporary and poor, famous or unknown, having Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission, (there is an excellent author to speak their reading should be an lies or to achieve their goals in life. subject to decay or loss. a high position in life or not, we works towards promoting inner series of that name, by language, share their adventure in itself. The rest of their lives are spent in Ultimately, we have to leave this are happy. Our outer circum- and outer peace. He can be contact- the way, by Gillian sense of humour and making sure they have enough world when our time is up and we stances are enriched by our inner ed at www.sos.org. Cross) suggested some of By arrangement with the titles he had read as a their worldview the Spectator WORLD DECCAN CHRONICLE | FRIDAY | 20 MARCH 2020 | CHENNAI pg 10

IN BRIEF Spain sees 767 Virus: Thai deploy ‘ninja robots’ deaths in 24 hrs Bangkok: Thai hospitals are Madrid, March 19: capital rose to 498 — deploying “ninja robots” to Spain on Thursday around two-thirds of the measure fevers and protect announced that deaths national total. the health of overburdened from the novel coron- Regional authorities in medical workers on the avirus had jumped by Madrid on Thursday frontlines of the coronavirus nearly 30 per cent over transformed a hotel into a outbreak. First built to moni- the past 24 hours to 767. hospital for patients with tor recovering stroke The number of people mild cases of coronavirus patients, the machines have who have contracted the to try to keep the health been quickly repurposed to disease has meanwhile system from being over- help fight the disease, which grown by around 25 per- whelmed by the pandem- has so far killed nearly cent to 17,147, according ic. Nationwide there were 9,000 people around the to health ministry fig- 939 people with the virus world. They have helped ures, bringing Spain's in intensive care units. staff at four hospitals in and tally near that of Iran, the As elsewhere in the around Bangkok to reduce world's third most affect- world, elderly people their risk of infection by ed country after China account for the bulk of allowing doctors and nurses and Italy. the infections. Roughly 33 to speak to patients over a The number of con- percent are over the age video link. firmed cases of covid-19 of 65, said Fernando is expected to rise signifi- Simon, the health min- cantly in the coming days istry’s emergencies coor- Hokkaido lifts as testing for the virus dinator. Spain has since becomes more readily Saturday been on a nearly state of emergency available in the country total lockdown to try to Tokyo: Japan’s northern- of around 46 million peo- curb the spread of the dis- most main island of Hokk- ple. Madrid remains the ease, with people allowed aido on Thursday lifted a worst-hit area, account- outside only to go to work, state of emergency declared ing for 6,777 cases, or 40 buy food and medicine, last month over the new percent of the total infec- seek medical care or look coronavirus, saying it sees tions in Spain, while the after an elderly person. signs of the outbreak taper- number of deaths in the — AFP ing off. The governor of Hokkaido prefecture announced the emergency measure on February 28, as Russian medical experts walk to start their shift to check passengers arriving from foreign countries at Sheremetyevo airport outside Moscow in infections in the region Russia on Thursday. — AP grew. The call urged resi- Germany cases dents to avoid unnecessary outings, though it did not come with aggressive en- forcement measures of the soar past 10,000 sort being implemented now UK to close schools, troops have not been in contact in parts of Europe. Nearly 20 Berlin, March 19: Germ- days after the declaration, any has recorded 10,999 with a known case. there were signs the spread cases of the novel coron- With the contagion of the coronavirus is abat- avirus, official data showing no signs of abat- ing, governor Naomichi Su- showed Thursday, with ing authorities have zuki said late Wednesday. on standby as virus toll rises the number of new ordered schools closed, “We were able to avoid the reported infections rising non-essential shops shut situation that we initially by 2,801 in a single day. and made repeated calls worried about, an explosive Twenty people have died for Germans to stay spread of the infection lead- PM Boris said that exceptions will be made for the children of key workers from the viral infection, home. ing to collapse in the med- London, March 19: spreads and the death toll Johnson earlier this faster measures,” he to drive oxygen tankers to data from the disease con- With the pleas appear- ical system and a failure to Britain announced Wedn- reached 104, up from 71 in week advised people to added. support the health service, trol agency Robert Koch ing to fall on the deaf ears save lives,” Suzuki said at a esday it would be closing a day, he said schools work from home and avoid On Wednesday evening if needed. Speculation is Institute (RKI) showed. of some, two small meeting. schools in the coming days would be closed indefinite- unnecessary social con- the Ministry of Defense rife that London in partic- North Rhine-Westphalia Bavarian villages have and placing 20,000 troops ly later this week. tact and travel, warning (MoD) announced that ular could soon be subject remains the worst-hit imposed a lockdown. Lea- on standby in efforts to “After schools shut their the infection rate was 20,000 military personnel to more draconian meas- state, with 3,033 COVID-19 ders in bigger cities and Sydney Film stem the spread of coron- gates from Friday after- starting to spike. were being placed at ures, as the capital records cases, up 661 from a day regions have also warned avirus, as the death toll noon, they will remain On Wednesday he said “higher readiness” to help the most number of cases. ago. that they may be forced to Festival called off topped 100. closed,” he told his daily this was having an effect public services as part of a “We know London is The data is compiled take tougher action. “I Los Angeles: The 2020 edi- Prime Minister Boris news conference. but repeated advice for “COVID Support Force”. ahead of the rest of us so from regional authorities cannot and will not rule tion of Sydney Film Festival Johnson had held off fol- Exceptions will be made people with symptoms to Defense secretary Ben we may see more stringent of cases tested for the out taking further meas- stands cancelled amid the lowing the lead of other for the children of key self-isolate for between Wallace said the armed measures than even those virus. But depending on ures in the coming days,” spread of coronavirus. European countries workers — including one and two weeks, forces “stand ready to pro- that we have announced so an individual state’s poli- Berlin mayor Michael The movie gala, which was because of the impact it healthcare staff, police depending on circum- tect Britain”. far,” Scottish First cies, many other possible Mueller said. The ques- scheduled to be held from would have on the work- and delivery drivers — stances. The MoD said reservists Minister Nicola Sturgeon cases may not have been tion of a lockdown can June 3 to June 14, has been force. and for the most vulnera- “We will not hesitate to would be called up and 150 said in Edinburgh earlier. tested because they show play a role. That can be called off for the first time But as the outbreak ble children. bring forward further and military personnel trained — Agencies only mild symptoms or decided quickly. — AFP ever, reported Deadline. “It is with deep regret that, for the first time in its history, the Sydney Film Festival CHINA REPORTS NO board and management must announce the cancella- Pak reports first two tion of this year’s festival”. NEW DOMESTIC “The decision to cancel this year’s Sydney Film Festival CASES FOR 1ST TIME follows a review of the most up to date advice regarding deaths from Covid-19 Beijing, March 19: ways to minimize the spread China on Thursday re- of the coronavirus, and the SHAFQAT ALI | DC ● PAKISTAN’S coron- ported no new domestic New South Wales Public ISLAMABAD, MARCH 19 avirus cases sharply rose transmissions of coro- Health (Covid-19 Public PAK CLOSES navirus for the first time Events) order banning Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to 448 on Thursday, as the since the deadly virus events of 500 people, which Michel Barnier province reported Pakis- military said that meas- WAGAH BORDER surfaced three months is in place until 14 June,” tan’s first two deaths from ures are being taken to ago, achieving a milest- chairperson Deanne Weir, the novel coronavirus make the armed forces' WITH INDIA one in its battle against CEO Leigh Small, and festi- while 338 patients are medical facilities available A sheet with a rainbow and writing in Roman slang the pandemic that has EU CHIEF BREXIT reads “Come on”, above an empty street in Rome. — AP val director Nashen Moodley infected with the disease for an “extreme emer- DC CORRESPONDENT brought the country to a said in a statement. across the country on ISLAMABAD, MARCH 19 grinding halt and ca- NEGOTIATOR Thursday. Sindh remains gency” situation. used an unprecedented the worst-hit province by ● RUSSIA REGISTERED Pakistan Interior Mini- global health crisis. TESTS POSITIVE the pandemic as 213 the first death of a patient stry on Thursday closed While no domestic cases patients have been tested Wagah Border in order to Italy overtakes were reported, Wuhan, COVID: DIGESTIVE London, March 19: The positive for coronavirus infected with the coron- curb the spread of deadly where the outbreak Chief Brexit Negotiator in it. 45 cases have been avirus on Thursday, an coronavirus in the coun- began, still has 6,636 peo- SYMPTOMS ARE for the European Union confirmed in Balochistan, elderly woman who had try. ple in hospitals includ- (EU), Michel Barnier, on 33 in Punjab, 23 in Khyber been hospitalised in According to the notifica- China in deaths ing 1,809 in severe condi- PROMINENT Thursday confirmed on Pakhtunkhwa, 15 in Moscow, health officials tion issued by the min- tion and 465 in critical social media that he has Gilgit-Baltistan, eight in said. The 79-year-old, istry, the border will Rome, March 19: Italy of most businesses and a condition, local health Beijing, March 19: The tested positive for Islamabad and one in remain shut for two on Thursday overtook ban on public gatherings commission said. COVID-19 pandemic, caused by COVID-19. Pakistan Administrated who had tested positive, weeks. China’s coronavirus dea- in Italy, the European China now faces a the novel coronavirus, may Barnier is the lead on Kashmir. was hospitalised on March The notification further th toll, with 427 new fatal- country worst hit by the greater threat of infec- reveal digestive symptoms, the next phase of negoti- Eight individuals who 13 and had several other stated that the suspension ities taking its total since pandemic, are due to tions of imported cases, including diarrhea, according ations on the EU's future reached Sukkur from conditions including dia- of activities at the border the first case was regis- expire on March 25. Sch- which jumped by 34 on to a new study that may lead to trading relationship Taftan are tested positive betes and heart problems, is in the best interest of tered in February to 3,405. ool closures and other Wednesday with large better diagnosis of the deadly with the UK through the for coronavirus and two both Pakistan and India. China has officially measures, such as a ban number of Chinese and disease in patients who do not ongoing Brexit transi- more patients in Karachi the Moscow health The decision was taken reported 3,245 deaths fan attendance at sport- foreigners arriving back show respiratory symptoms to tion period after it left have been diagnosed with department said in a after Khyber since registering the first ing events, are due to run to join their duties. the viral infection. the economic bloc at the COVID-19. The number of statement. Pakhtunkhwa reported infection at the end of last on until April 3. While zero domestic The research, published in end of January. sufferers in the metropo- ● Pakistan’s first two year. “The measures we have cases is a major mile- The American Journal of He had some of his lis has reached 61. SUB-SAHARAN Africa deaths from the novel Meanwhile, lockdown taken... must be extended stone, which heralds the Gastroenterology, noted that officials in London for Meanwhile, one more recorded its first COVID- coronavirus while 310 measures taken in Italy beyond their original end of domestically gen- nearly half of COVID-19 pati- talks just last week, patient in Sindh has 19 death, a high-ranking patients are infected with over the coronavirus pan- deadline,” Conte told erated Covid-19 cases, ents enrolled in the study pre- which could trigger con- recovered taking the politician in Burkina Faso, the disease across the demic will be extended Thursday's edition of the China, however, contin- sented digestive symptoms, cerns within count to three. as the head of the World country. beyond their original Corriere della Sera news- ues to grapple with such as diarrhea and loss of Westminster of the fur- Twenty-two more cases Health Organisation urged Sindh remains the deadlines, Prime Min- paper. Conte referred to mounting death toll appetite, and cited them as ther spread of coron- have been reported in worst-hit province by the ister Giuseppe Conte said the closures of many which climbed to 3,245 their chief complaints. Acc- avirus within UK gov- Balochistan and all of the continent to “prepare pandemic as 211 patients on Thursday. businesses, “individual on Wednesday with ording to the researchers, who ernment quarters. them have been shifted to for the worst”. have been tested positive Imposed nationally on activities” and the shut- eight more fatalities. were part of the Wuhan Med- “I would like to inform isolation rooms. for coronavirus in it. March 12, the shutdown down of schools. — AFP — PTI ical Treatment Expert Group you that I have tested for COVID-19 in China, pat- positive (for) COVID-19. ients with digestive symptoms I'm fine, morale is good. I had a longer gap between the naturally follow all the VIRTUAL | WORLD Sites refuse to divulge traffic details but their usage is far from slowing onset of symptoms, and hospi- instructions, just like tal admission than patients my team,” Barnier said presenting only respiratory in a Twitter video mes- symptoms. sage. “For all those In the study, they enrolled affected already, and for Dating amidst virus: chat online, meet later patients confirmed to have all those currently in COVID-19 from three hospitals isolation, we will get New York, March 19: refused to divulge their ● “WE DON’T KNOW who be an “opportunity” for because it’s an opportuni- in Hubei province, and investi- through this together,” With governments clamp- traffic since Covid-19 needs to hear this, but now people to bond. “I’m talk- ty to meet someone you gated the prevalence, clinical said the 69-year-old for- ing down on social interac- starting shutting down US ing to a guy right now who like the first time but also characteristics, and outcomes mer French foreign tions to contain the coron- cities this week but it is NOT the time to go out I met on Tinder Live and try to make sure that of COVID-19 patients with and affairs minister. avirus spread, dating sites appears their usage is far with your date to a bar,” we’re both talking about they’re safe,” Moore without digestive symptoms. Both Belgium, where are discouraging dates from slowing. leading match-maker how this coronavirus explained. The scientists assessed the epi- the European Comm- and asking users to get to Even if some academics OkCupid tweeted. COVID-19 stuff is impact- The dating site Coffee demiological history, demo- ission is based, and know each other virtually would like them to sus- “FaceTime, Skype, call, ing our lives so that can be Meets Bagel (CMB) is pro- graphics data, clinical charac- Barnier's native France instead. pend their activities text, call, message on our a good way to know some- posing several different teristics, laboratory data, treat- have implemented strict “We don’t know who entirely. “It’s time to shut body,” she said. ideas for remote interac- ment programs, and outcome social distancing meas- needs to hear this, but now down Tinder and all app.... all very romantic Moore, from New York, tions, including an online measures obtained from the ures. Coronavirus has is NOT the time to go out online dating services,” right now,” it added. says many of the men she video game date. patients’ medical records, and now infected more than with your date to a bar,” tweeted US writer Matt Representative image meets on Tinder want to “This is going to be followed their health outcomes 200,000 people and killed leading match-maker Stoller. “No more internet- personally that’s a cut the conversation short important for us to think till March 5. more than 8,000 globally, OkCupid tweeted on enabled interactions although not necessarily turnoff,” said comedian and jump straight to meet- outside the box in crazy According to the study, 99 with over 83,000 people Monday. “FaceTime, among random people effective at endearing and author Lane Moore. ing in the flesh. She thinks times like this,” said CEO patients (48.5 per cent) were having recovered from Skype, call, text, call, mes- until the #coronavirus cri- matches to each other. “If She helped created the it’s a good thing that now Dawoon Kang. admitted to the hospital with the infection, according sage on our app.... all very sis has passed,” he added. someone seems like show “Tinder Live,” in men are being forced to CMB is also organizing one or more digestive symp- to data from Johns romantic right now,” it Joking about the coron- they’re not taking the cri- which she interacts with chat more first. “That’s an online group discus- toms as their chief complaint. Hopkins University. added. avirus has become popu- sis seriously or they're matches in real time, and something that women sion, which it has never — PTI Dating sites contacted lar on dating sites, making fun of it for me thinks coronavirus could have always wanted done before. — AFP WORLD DECCAN CHRONICLE | FRIDAY | 20 MARCH 2020 | CHENNAI pg 11

SHORT TAKES SPACEX PLANS Trump calls himself 'wartime president’ FIRST MANNED US President Trump also deployed two navy hospital ships to fast track the coronavirus treatment FLIGHT TO SPACE Washington, March 19: authority under the 70- ● THE US has approved ● US PRESIDENT Donald The Labor Department commerce and essential Department will suspend Washington, March 19: Elon Describing himself as a year-old Defense the anti-malarial drug Trump has signed into law reported Thursday that travel, while the adminis- foreclosures and evictions Musk’s SpaceX will send astro- “wartime president” fight- Production Act to give the chloroquine for use as a a sweeping multi-billion the number of Americans tration pushed its plan to through April to help the nauts to the International ing an invisible enemy, government more power filing new claims for send relief checks to mil- growing number of Space Station for the first time President Donald Trump to steer production by pri- treatment against the new emergency aid package to unemployment benefits lions of Americans. Americans who face losing in May, NASA said, announc- invoked rarely used emer- vate companies and try to coronavirus, President help Americans mitigate surged last week by 70,000. Trump said he will jobs and missing rent and ing the first crewed launch gency powers to marshal overcome shortages in Donald Trump said on the adverse economic Trump’s mixed messag- expand the nation’s diag- mortgage payments. from the United States to the critical medical supplies masks, ventilators and Thursday. They’ve gone impact of the fast-spread- ing came as he took a nostic testing capacity and But as Trump laid out platform since 2011. against the coronavirus other supplies. through the approval ing coronavirus that has series of other extraordi- deploy a Navy hospital efforts to help the econo- The tech entrepreneur’s com- pandemic. Trump also Yet he seemed to mini- process — it’s been killed over 8,800 people, nary steps to steady the ship to New York City, my, markets plummeted. pany will launch a Falcon 9 signed an aid package — mize the urgency of the approved. including nearly 150 in nation, its day-to-day life which is rapidly becoming Gone were nearly all the rocket to transport NASA which the Senate approved decision, later tweeting America. suddenly and fundamen- an epicenter of the pan- gains that the Dow Jones astronauts Bob Behnken and earlier Wednesday — that that he only tapped the in the future.” tally altered. demic, and another such Industrial Average had Doug Hurley in a first for the will guarantee sick leave Defense Production Act “Hopefully there will be er!” The pandemic was The Canada-U.S. border, ship to the West Coast. made since Trump took space agency as it looks to cut to workers who fall ill. “should we need to invoke no need,” he added, “but starting to show its effects the world’s longest, was And the Housing and office. costs. Trump tapped his it in a worst case scenario we are all in this togeth- in the job market. effectively closed, save for Urban Development — AP “NASA and SpaceX are cur- rently targeting no earlier than mid-to-late May for launch,” the US space agency said in a statement Wednesday. One arm distance In March, Musk’s Crew First 2 Congress Dragon capsule made a round trip to the ISS, which is in orbit more than 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth, with men test positive a mannequin on board, before returning to the Atlantic after Washington, March 19: administration officials six days in space. Two US lawmakers to ensure that swift action Since the last US space shut- including a Florida repre- to address the crisis con- tle mission in 2011, after 30 sentative on Wednesday tinues, Scalise said in a years of service, only the became the first members statement. Russians have been going back of Congress to announce In the western state of and forth to the ISS. SpaceX they have tested positive Utah, Democrat Ben has made the trip 15 times for the novel coronavirus. McAdams became the since 2012, but only to refuel Congressman Mario second congressman to the station. It is not the only Diaz-Balart’s office said announce he tested posi- private company servicing in a statement that “just a tive. After developing a NASA: Boeing has also won a short while ago, he was mild cold Saturday even- contract and is developing its notified that he has tested ing when he returned own Starliner capsule. positive for COVID-19”. from Washington, “my The Republican who symptoms got worse and I represents part of Miami developed a fever, a dry BIBI ACCUSED OF follows that city’s Mayor cough, labored breathing Francis Suarez, who and I remained self-quar- EXPLOITING announced that he had antined,” McAdams said. tested positive for coron- He was tested Tuesday, avirus last week. received a positive diag- VIRUS CRISIS They are following CDC- nosis Wednesday, and Jerusalem, March 19: With specified self-isolation remains in isolation at the Israeli government enact- guidelines at their homes. home, he said. ing a series of emergency Diaz-Balart’s diagnosis The attending physician measures to stem the spread of prompted a member of of the US Congress said the new coronavirus, Prime congressional leadership, in a statement released by Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the number two House Speaker Nancy is facing growing accusations Republican Steve Scalise, Pelosi that Diaz-Balart that he is exploiting the crisis to immediately self-quar- and McAdams “are ill, to entrench himself in power antine as he had an but in good condition.” and undermining the coun- extended meeting with They are following self- try’s democratic foundations. his colleague last week. isolation guidelines set Amid a wave of sweeping “Fortunately, I am not forth by US health offi- restrictions that have put experiencing any symp- cials, he added. Israel in near shutdown mode, toms, and will continue Diaz-Balart said that he Netanyahu has managed to working remotely on had entered into quaran- postpone his own pending Congress’s Coronavirus tine and was working Customers stand in line and keep distance in front of a fruit and vegetable stand at a weekly market in Berlin, Germany, on Thursday. In order to criminal trial, authorize response” and remain in from his Washington slow down the spread of the novel coronavirus, the German government has considerably restricted public life. — AP unprecedented electronic sur- close contact with Trump apartment. — AP veillance of Israeli citizens and block parliament from pressing ahead with legisla- tion aimed at pushing him from office. Virus cases in NY could reach The moves, on the heels of S’pore confirms the country’s third inconclu- sive election in less than a year and under the shadow of Netanyahu’s corruption indi- 32 new cases 10,000 soon: Mayor Bill de Blasio ctment, sparked leading oppo- sition figure Yair Lapid to tell Singapore, March 19: returning from travel dur- New York, March 19: ● NEW YORK is by far New Yorkers under Israeli citizens that they “no Singapore on Thursday ing the March holidays Mayor of New York Bill de mandatory or precaution- longer live in a democracy.” confirmed 32 new coron- will be put on a leave of Blasio has cautioned that the worst-hit state, ary quarantine due to “There is no judicial branch avirus cases, including 24 absence for 14 days upon the number of COVID-19 with more than 2,900 COVID-19. in Israel. There is no legisla- imported ones, taking the their return. cases in the city could cases and 21 deaths. Emphasising the need tive branch in Israel. There is total number of infections This will apply to those increase substantially to The city added nearly for social distancing to Indira varma only an unelected government in the country to 345. All who returned from over- about 10,000 very soon and 1,000 cases of individu- slow the spread of the that is headed by a person who the imported coronavirus seas on or after March 14, called for “urgent inter- virus, companies have lost the election. cases were returning resi- according to a Channel vention” by the federal als infected by the asked employees to work ‘GOT’ STAR You can call that by a lot of dents and long-term pass News Asia report on government to help slow virus in a span of just from home, schools and names, it isn't a democracy,” holders who had travelled Thursday. down the trajectory of the one day colleges across the nation he said in a recorded video. to Europe, currently the Singaporeans, perma- coronavirus pandemic. are closed. INDIRA VARMA The new coronavirus has epicentre of the virus, as nent residents, long-term The United States has at ● THE MAYOR said he de Blasio signed an spread to more than 100 coun- well as to North America pass holders and short- least 8,736 cases of coron- Bill de Blasio was considering issuing Executive Order limiting TESTS POSITIVE tries, infected more than and ASEAN countries. term visitors entering the avirus and 149 deaths, a “shelter in place restaurants, bars and 217,000 people worldwide and According to the health country from 11:59 pm on according to state and needs urgent intervention cafes to food take-out and London, March 19: killed more than 8,700. ministry, 15 of the 221 Friday will be issued a 14- local health authorities by the federal government order”, a drastic and delivery. “Game of Thrones” star patients in hospitals are day stay-home notice, the and the Centers for and I think we’re all going unprecedented meas- Nightclubs, movie the- Indira Varma has reve- in critical condition. A Ministry said. Those serv- Disease Control and to have to go deeper in ure that would impose atres, small theatre hous- aled that she has tested total of 124 people have ing a stay-home notice Prevention. changing our approach, a blanket quarantine on es, and concert venues positive for coronavirus. KHAMENEI TO fully recovered and have will have to stay at their New York is by far the which is why I think an will all close with effect Her diagnosis comes been discharged from hos- place of residence at all worst-hit state, with more honest conversation about 8.6 million New Yorkers from March 17, a signifi- two days after fellow PARDON MORE pitals. Singapore authori- times for 14 days after than 2,900 cases and 21 shelter in place has to hap- in order to control the cant measure that will “Game of Thrones” actor ties on Thursday said all entering Singapore. deaths. The city added pen,” he said, making a rapidly growing num- ensure social distancing. Kristofer Hivju also said students and school staff — PTI nearly 1,000 cases of indi- reference to a blanket ber of coronavirus New York City Subway that he tested positive for PRISONERS viduals infected by the quarantine being imposed tweeted that it had seen a the COVID-19 infection. Tehran, March 19: Iran’s top virus in a span of just one on the city to control the cases in the city. decline of 3.7 million peo- Varma, who played the leader will pardon 10,000 more Virus alert d a y. spread of the virus. ple in its ridership on role of Ellaria Sand in prisoners in an apparent effort “So, a hundred plus new The Mayor said he was that have been issued are March 17 as compared to the epic HBO series, took to combat the coronavirus,  Monaco’s Prince Albert II has tested posi- cases yesterdaythat is considering issuing a of statewide impact, and the same day a year ago. to Instagram on state TV reported Thursday. tive for the novel coronavirus, the principality what I’m seeing as a kind “shelter in place order”, a the Governor is making “We miss you, but for Wednesday to share the As part of steps to curb the said in a statement on Thursday, adding there of a gallop now. This drastic and unprecedent- every effort to coordinate now, we’ll say: thank you news. “I’m in bed with it spread of the new virus that were “no concerns for his health”. morning, the latest news, ed measure that would these policies with our for not riding with us. and it's not nice. Stay safe has killed more than 1,100 peo- 923 cases, but we’re going impose a blanket quaran- surrounding states. Any You're keeping NYC and healthy and be kind ple in Iran, the country has  Millions of people  A woman who to top a thousand today tine on 8.6 million New blanket quarantine or safer,” it said. to your fellow people,” already released 85,000 prison- could die from the new tested positive for undoubtedly. We’re going Yorkers in order to control shelter in place policy The coronavirus out- she wrote. The 46-year- ers on temporary leave. virus, particularly in poor coronavirus gave to be at 10,000 not so long the rapidly growing num- would require State action break, that first originated old actor was starring in Separately, the United Arab countries, if it is allowed birth to a healthy from now,” de Blasio said. ber of coronavirus cases and as the Governor has in Wuhan in China, has the modern take of Emirates added to its list of to spread unchecked, UN He said the exponential in the city. However, New said, there is no considera- killed 8,809 people and Anton Chekhov’s play people barred from entering baby at an Athens increase in the number of York State Governor tion of that for any locali- infected 218,631 across 157 “The Seagull” in Lon- all residents who are currently Secretary-General hospital, Greek cases will put a strain on Andrew Cuomo said such ty at this time,” Cuomo countries and territories, don’s West End, along- abroad. Antonio Guterres warned media reported on the city’s hospitals, partic- a measure was unlikely to has said. according to a tracker side “Game of Thrones” The decision impacts people on Thursday. Thursday. ularly the ICUs. be implemented. Cuomo signed a bill to maintained by Johns alum Emilia Clarke. whose homes, children, bank “This is something that “The emergency policies guarantee paid leave for Hopkins University. — AP — PTI accounts and livelihoods are in the country, but who were traveling or outside the coun- try. HAND | WASH Outbreak has infected some 200,000 people and killed 9,000 across the globe IRAN SAYS 149 The ban goes into effect at mid-day Thursday for at least two weeks. Only Emirati citi- NEW VIRUS zens are allowed to return. The UAE, which is home to No soap, no water: Many lack basic safety DEATHS Dubai and Abu Dhabi, has 113 confirmed cases of the virus. Paris, March 19: As sequestering millions of chief of water and sanita- rich man's disease for Tehran, March 19: It announced it was suspend- nations around the world people in their homes, con- tion in east and southern Africa, which, of course, Iranian authorities on ing all new labor permits, fight the coronavirus pan- cerns are rising for devel- Africa, said communities will end up with the poor Thursday announced 149 including those for drivers and demic with mass lock- oping nations with fragile lack easily accessible run- man suffering the most”. new deaths from the domestic workers, until “fur- downs and travel bans, UN healthcare systems. ning water, are unable to Those living in tightly- virus, raising the toll to ther notice.” experts warn that some Countries across Africa buy soap or do not realise packed slums, as well as 1,284 in a country that is The UAE is unique in that three billion people lack and Asia have heavily its vital role in preventing the large refugee popula- one of the worst hit by only about 10% of its popula- even the most basic restricted travel, imposed illness. tions in camps and urban the pandemic. tion, or about 1 million people, weapons to protect them- quarantines and closed “Even for the frontline areas in the Horn of While Thursday’s death are Emirati citizens. The other selves: soap and running schools, with fears for workers, the health work- Africa, are particularly at toll surpassed that of the 90% are foreign residents who water. The outbreak has impoverished communi- ers, there remains a chal- risk because they may be previous day’s —147 were fuel its economy and keep the infected some 200,000 peo- ties as infections begin to lenge also in terms of malnourished or have reported on Wednesday country running. ple and killed 9,000, g r o w. understanding of the underlying health prob- — the number of new ca- They hold the vast majority scorching through popula- But one of the most fun- importance of hand wash- lems. And they often lack ses has fallen, according of jobs in construction, trans- tions across the globe after damental practices indi- ing,” said. sanitation. to figures provided by De- portation, hospitality, sales, emerging in China late viduals can adopt to shield Representational only With the first infections In sub-Saharan Africa, 63 uty Health MinAlireza medicine, education and other last year. themselves from COVID-19 in the region often coming percent of people in urban Raisi. A total of 18,407 key sectors. The Middle East While Europe has — thorough hand washing data, the United Nations lion people, do not have from those who have trav- areas — 258 million people people have contracted has some 20,000 cases of the become the centre of the — remains inaccessible Children’s Fund estimates the means to wash their elled internationally, — lack access to hand the disease in Iran, with virus, with most in Iran or battle against the virus, for many millions. 40 percent of the world's hands at home. Godfrey described the out- washing, according to the 1,046 new cases confir- originating from Iran. closing borders and Using household survey population, or three bil- Sam Godfrey, UNICEF break as “almost like a UNICEF figures. — AFP med in the last 24 hours. NEWSMAKERS DECCAN CHRONICLE | FRIDAY | 20 MARCH 2020 | CHENNAI pg 12

IN BRIEF Weinstein sent to Bacon encourages Playboy shuts its print edition maximum-security fans to stay home Covid-19 effect: Magazine to continue online, with occasional special edition in print Los Angeles: Kevin Bacon, Hollywood’s most intercon- New York: Playboy is Playboy brand is more work from many prison in New York nected star, wants his fans to ending its US print edi- The magazine successful than ever acclaimed writers, stay at home to help prevent tion after 66 years with known for glossy before. We drive over $3 including Joyce Carol New York: Harvey the spread of coronavirus. the coronavirus forcing nudes and promoting billion in annual con- Oates, James Baldwin, Weinstein was trans- Bacon, who has a parlour the men’s lifestyle pub- the 1960s sexual rev- sumer spend worldwide,” Margaret Atwood and ferred to a state prison in game on himself based on the lisher to accelerate its olution said the he said. Saul Bellow, but made New York on Wednesday concept of ‘six degrees of sep- move to digital. spring edition arriving “We reach hundreds of headlines early on for its as he begins to serve a 23- aration’ where fans challenge The magazine known on newsstands this millions of eyeballs every nude centrefolds and year sentence for rape each others to find the short- for glossy nudes and pro- year, across all genders. taboo-shifting role in the and sexual assault in his est path between an arbitrary moting the 1960s sexual week would be the This past year, our focus sexual revolution landmark #MeToo case. actor and Bacon, said staying revolution said the spring last in print, although has been on meeting audi- (although its claims to The disgraced film at home is the only option to edition arriving on news- some special editions ences where they are.” sexual empowerment did- mogul, who will turn 68 protect loved ones. “Hi, folks. stands this week would be may be printed After its peak success in n’t always sit comfort- on Thursday, is locked up You know me, right? I’m tech- the last in print, although the 1970s, Playboy has ably). at the maximum security nically only six degrees away some special editions struggled in the face of In 2016, the magazine Wende Correctional from you,” he said in a video may be printed. our industry-leading con- bring back fresh and competition and a new experimented with no Facility near Buffalo, winning producer of posted across the different “As the disruption of tent production capabili- innovative printed offer- digital landscape. It longer publishing full according to state prison Shakespeare in Love, was social platforms. “Right now, the coronavirus pandem- ties to engage in a cultur- ings in a variety of new briefly ended nude pic- frontal nude pictures of officials. He is known convicted of raping an like people around the world, ic to content production al conversation each and forms — through special tures in 2016 and women; internet pornog- behind bars as inmate No. aspiring actress in 2013 I’m staying home, because it and the supply chain every day, rather than editions, partnerships switched back a year raphy had made them 20B0584. and forcibly performing saves lives and it is the only became clearer and clear- just every three months,” with the most provocative later. “passe”, and a PG-13 mag- The prison, six hours by oral sex on a TV and film way we’re going to slow down er, we were forced to said a Medium post creators, timely collec- Playboy magazine was azine would be easier to car from Manhattan, is production assistant in the spread of this coronavirus. accelerate a conversation Wednesday by Playboy tions and much more. founded by Hugh Hefner sell to advertisers and dis- likely just a temporary 2006. Because the contact that you we’ve been having inter- Enterprises chief execu- Print is how we began in 1953, and has since play on news stands. But stop for Weinstein. While His lawyers have said make with someone, who nally: the question of how tive Ben Kohn. and print will always be a become a global brand, by February 2017, he’s there, he’ll be evalu- they’ll appeal. makes contact with someone to transform our US print “In 2021, alongside our part of who we are.” encompassing TV shows, Playboy had reversed the ated to determine which Within hours of else, that may be what makes product to better suit digital content offerings Kohn said the company merchandise, resorts, decision. Hugh Hefner state prison facility meets Weinstein’s sentencing, somebody’s mom or grandpa what consumers want and new consumer prod- is growing as a digital clubs, a record label and died in September that his security, medical, prosecutors in Los or wife sick.” — PTI today, and how to utilize uct launches, we will company and that the events. It has published year. — AFP mental health and other Angeles announced they needs. were beginning the extra- Weinstein’s spokesman dition process to send Jamie Foxx to direct called the move “harsh.” him there for an arraign- Weinstein, convicted Feb. ment on charges he raped drama When We Pray 24 and sentenced last a woman and sexually Los Angeles: Oscar winner week, had been splitting assaulted another in 2013. Jamie Foxx is set to direct time between New York That’s now on hold faith-based drama When We City’s notorious Rikers because of the coron- Pray. The film, a joint produc- Island jail complex and a avirus crisis that has tion by Cinema Libre Studio Manhattan hospital. shuttered courthouses and Hong Kong-based Fight Weinstein left court in and limited travel. to Fame Films, will be Foxx’s an ambulance after the For Weinstein, being second directorial venture guilty verdict and sent to the Buffalo-area after yet-to-be-released All detoured to Bellevue prison is an inauspicious Star Weekend.The actor is co- Hospital, complaining of homecoming. He attended writing the script with Donald chest pains and high college nearby and got his Ray Caldwell, reported blood pressure. He later start in the entertain- Deadline. When We Pray fol- Olga Kurylenko had a stent inserted to ment business in the area lows two brothers who unblock an artery. After as a concert promoter become pastors at different ‘feeling better’ his sentencing, he bringing the likes of churches in the same commu- returned with more chest Frank Sinatra and the nity. While one brother devel- after positive pains. Rolling Stones to town. ops his church into a modern, Weinstein, the Oscar- — AP high-tech congregation, the other one follows a humbler Covid-19 test Buildings and La Sagrada Familia basilica are illuminated at night in Barcelona: Tourists look at a painting in path but soon finds his church London: Ukrainian - Spain on Wednesday. — AP London on Thursday. — AP in financial decline. — PTI born actor-model Olga Kurylenko, who recently tested positive for the novel coronavirus, says with fever “gone” she is feeling better. The “Quantum of Solace” star, who revealed her COVID-19 diagnosis early this week, gave an update on her health a day after revealing she was denied a hospital bed in London due to over- Hugh Jackman closes crowding in the city’s hospitals. A visitor takes a picture of the “Fearless Girl” statue his New York cafe “Hello everyone! I’m feeling better today. My Visitors on a trajinera in the Xochimilco district of Mexico with a surgical mask placed on it in New York on An empty State Capitol Rotunda in Sacramento, New York: Hollywood star fever is gone! I hear peo- City on Wednesday. — AP Thursday. — AP California, on Wednesday. — AP Hugh Jackman has temporar- ple can’t figure out ily closed his cafe Laughing where I currently am. Man to avoid the risk of I’m in London! spreading the coronavirus. “How do I know it’s The 51-year-old actor felt it coronavirus and not just SpaceX plans first manned Thai ‘ninja robots’ to aid virus battle was the “right thing” to do in a flu? I did a test for coro- order to ensure the safety of navirus which came Bangkok: Thai hospitals certificate. Officials have the staff and guests. “We back positive,” flight to space station in May are deploying “ninja so far stopped short of have made the decision to Kurylenko, 40, wrote on Washington: Elon robots” to measure fevers imposing the full lock- temporarily close the Instagram on Musk’s SpaceX will send and protect the health of downs seen in other coun- @laughingmancafe. We feel Wednesday. astronauts to the overburdened medical tries in a bid to contain this is the best course of “What are the medi- International Space workers on the frontlines damage to Thailand’s cru- action to ensure the safety of cines that doctors pre- Station for the first time of the coronavirus out- cial tourism sector. But our staff and community,” he scribed as treatment? in May, Nasa said, break. First built to moni- the government’s reassur- wrote on Instagram.“We also NONE! I was told to take announcing the first tor recovering stroke ances that the pandemic is feel it is the right thing for paracetamol in case my crewed launch from the patients, the machines under control have not the larger community of NYC. fever was too high and if United States to the plat- have been quickly repur- stopped bouts of panic We want to be a place of I was in too much pain,” form since 2011. Elon Musk posed to help fight the dis- buying in grocery stores. healthy interaction and not a as she listed a number of The tech entrepre- ease, which has so far Doctors are also urging potential danger to you.” vitamins and supple- neur’s company will with a mannequin on killed nearly 9,000 people Thais to stay home to curb Jackman also urged his fans ments she takes in an launch a Falcon 9 rocket board, before returning around the world. the spread of the virus. to to take care of each other effort to boost her to transport Nasa astro- to the Atlantic after six They have helped staff at Meanwhile Bangkok’s as the world grapples with immune system. nauts Bob Behnken and days in space. four hospitals in and governor Asawin the virus. “This is a time Kurylenko also posted Doug Hurley in a first Since the last US space around Bangkok to reduce An engineering student configures a medical robot Kwanmuang is warning when we find new depths to her selfie wearing a sur- for the space agency as it shuttle mission in 2011, their risk of infection by modified to screen and observe coronavirus patients at business owners that they our motto ALL BE HAPPY gical mask. looks to cut costs. after 30 years of service, allowing doctors and nurs- in Bangkok on Wednesday. — AFP face heavy fines, even jail and hope, more then ever, for She first revealed her “NASA and SpaceX are only the Russians have es to speak to patients over if they disobey orders to it to help guide humanity. positive COVID-19 test currently targeting no been going back and a video link. used to disinfect hospital least one death. More than close. And in an apparent — PTI on Sunday. earlier than mid-to-late forth to the ISS. “They can stand outside wards, Viboon told AFP. 40 have recovered and warning to police, he said Actors Tom Hanks and May for launch,” the US SpaceX has made the the room and communi- His engineering team is been discharged from hos- “the same applies” to Rita Wilson, who were space agency said in a trip 15 times since 2012, cate with patients inside racing to build more “nin- pital. those responsible for the first Hollywood statement Wednesday. but only to refuel the sta- through the robot,” said jas” — known as such Authorities recently ensuring the ban is NEVER THOUGHT names to be tested with In March, Musk’s Crew tion. It is not the only Viboon Sangveraphunsiri because of their matte ordered the closure of enforced. Thailand, the the deadly virus, are Dragon capsule made a private company servic- of Chulalongkorn black exterior — for bars, massage parlours first country outside currently recuperating round trip to the ISS, ing Nasa: Boeing has University. another 10 hospitals and entertainment venues China to confirm a new WILL MAKE TOP in self-quarantine after which is in orbit more also won a contract and Later models will be around the country. to help prevent new cases. coronavirus case, report- discharge from a hospi- than 250 miles (400 kilo- is developing its own designed to bring food and Thailand has more than New rules also require ed many new cases on GUN SEQUEL: TOM tal in Australia on meters) above Earth, Starliner capsule.— AFP medicine to patients, and 200 confirmed Covid-19 visitors entering the coun- Tuesday, bringing its total Tuesday. — PTI could also eventually be infections, including at try to produce a health to 200. — AFP London: Hollywood action star Tom Cruise says he didn’t want to do a Top Gun sequel for the longest time as they were unable to crack the idea Wonderchicken: Scientists discover oldest fossil of modern bird for the story. The actor, who shot to international stardom London: Researchers the first modern bird from towards the end of the age into a quail, and we after the release of Tony have identified the oldest the age of dinosaurs found According to the of dinosaurs, we have very believe Asteriornis was Scott’s action fossil of a modern bird yet in the northern hemi- researchers, the fossil little fossil evidence of close to the common drama Top Gun, found, dating from the age sphere. dates from less than them until after the aster- ancestor that today said he had even of dinosaurs, a finding The scientists believe the one million years oid hit,” said Albert Chen, includes quails, as well as told producer Jerry that may shed more light new fossil may help clarify another co-author of the chickens and ducks,” Bruckheimer to for- on avian evolution, and why birds survived this before the asteroid study from Cambridge. Ksepka said. get about making a help understand how birds mass extinction event at impact which elimi- “This fossil provides our The researchers added part two to the survived the extinction the end of the Cretaceous nated all large earliest direct glimpse of that late Cretaceous fossil 1986 original. event which killed most period about 66 million dinosaurs. Based on what modern birds were record of birds from “Everywhere I Tom Cruise large ancient reptiles. years ago, while the giant the finding, the scien- like during the initial Europe is extremely went, people would The fossil, described in dinosaurs did not. tists suggested that stages of their evolution- sparse, making the cur- be like, ‘Do Top the journal Nature, is Based on the finding, the the ‘Wonderchicken’ ary history,” Chen said. rent finding more signifi- Gun’, and I’m like, ‘Guys, I nicknamed the scientists suggested that is close to the last While the scientists col- cant. don’t know how to do it’. “I ‘Wonderchicken’, and the ‘Wonderchicken’ is loquially refer to the fossil “The discovery of don’t know what the story is. includes a nearly complete close to the last common common ancestor of as the Wonderchicken, Asteriornis provides some I don’t make movies just to skull, hidden inside pieces ancestor of modern chick- modern chickens and they have given it the of the first evidence that make movies. I was like, of rock. ens and ducks. ducks. name of Asteriornis, in Europe was a key area in ‘Jerry, it’s never going to hap- According to the The study noted that the reference to Asteria — the the early evolutionary his- pen’. I honestly never thought researchers, including fossil did not look like that Greek Titan goddess of tory of modern birds,” I would make it,” Cruise told those from the University of a bird on first glance, beneath the rock, they said Field described the skull They said it combines falling stars. said John Jagt, another co- Empire magazine. And over of Cambridge in the UK, with only a few small leg they found a nearly com- as a kind of ‘mash-up’ of a many features common to “We thought it was an author of the study from three decades later, the 57- the fossil dates from less bone fragments poking out plete 66.7-million-year-old chicken and a duck. the group in the animal appropriate name for a the Natuurhistorische year-old star is set to reprise than one million years from a piece of rock the bird skull. “This is one of the best- kingdom, called creature that lived just Museum Maastricht in the his role as Pete ‘Maverick’ before the asteroid impact size of a deck of cards. “The moment I first saw preserved fossil bird Galloanserae, that before the end-Cretaceous Netherlands. Mitchell in Top Gun: Maverick. which eliminated all large Using high-resolution X- what was beneath the rock skulls of any age, from includes modern day asteroid impact,” said According to Field, the The film will be set in a world dinosaurs. ray CT scans, the was the most exciting anywhere in the world,” chickens and ducks. study co-author Daniel fossil reveals that that of drone technology and will They said the researchers then peered moment of my scientific Field said. “The origins of living Ksepka from the Bruce early on, at least some explore the end of the era of ‘Wonderchicken’ fossil through the rock to see career,” said study co- According to the scien- bird diversity are shroud- Museum in Greenwich, modern birds were fairly dogfighting, with Cruise por- was found in a limestone what was lying beneath author Daniel Field from tists, the skull, despite its ed in mystery — other US. small-bodied, ground- traying a flight instructor. quarry near the Belgian- the surface. the University of age, is clearly recognisable than knowing that modern “In Greek mythology, dwelling birds that lived — PTI Dutch border, making it Just one millimetre Cambridge. as a modern bird. birds arose at some point Asteria transforms herself near the seashore. — PTI FRIDAY | 20 MARCH 2020 | CHENNAI pg 13 ■ quick Forward contracts quote at 76.20; banks prop up Re Q4 earnings can be Rupee breaches reported till June 30 BITES ASHWIN J PUNNEN 75-mark vs dollar MUMBAI, MARCH 19 INDICATORS % Markets regulator Sebi on Thursday allowed Sensex 28,288.23 -2.01 FALAKNAAZ SYED against the greenback, listed companies to Nifty 50 8,263.45 -2.42 MUMBAI, MARCH 19 down 84 paise over its pre- defer the disclosure of S&P 500* 2,392.49 -0.23 vious close. The rupee had fourth quarter (Q4) and The falling rupee on settled at 74.26 against the annual earnings by 45 Dollar (`) 75.10 -1.07 Thursday breached the 75- greenback on Wednesday. days and 30 days, respec- Pound Sterling (`) 86.589 2.07 mark against the dollar for "Last week, when the tively, to June 30. The the first time, as foreign rupee's spot rate in India regulatory move comes Euro (`) 80.633 1.06 investors continued to was at 74-plus levels the in the wake of the Gold (10gm)* (`) 40,718▲31 0.07 dump domestic stocks and Dubai Exchange (DGCX) spreading coronavirus Brent crude ($/bbl)* 26.67 7.19 bonds to hoard dollars. was quoting the forward cases, which has led to However, after hitting a rate at 75 and today the the shutdown of busi- IN 10-Yr bond yield 6.410 1.778 record low of 75.30 per dol- rupee has touched 75. ness establishments US 10-Yr T-bill yield* 1.101 -12.480 lar, the rupee trimmed Today the NDF (non-deliv- across the globe. losses as nationalised erable forward) market is According to prevail- * As of 10:00 pm IST banks sold USD-INR quoting the April month ing norms, companies futures contracts on forward contract rate at have to report their behalf of the Reserve into a recession. the beginning of this 76.20. So the spread quarterly earnings with- Bank of India (RBI). Forex The safe havens are also month, the Indonesian between the onshore and in 45 days of the quarter Vivad Se experts anticipate more not immune and have rupiah was the worst hit offshore is 50 basis points. end and annual earn- governance report by relief to corporate India. pain ahead for the rupee been weakening against and has lost 11 per cent So we can easily correlate ings within 60 days. In one month and the quar- Many companies have amid fear of a global King Dollar. The pound against the dollar, fol- between the two and antic- case of any delay, the terly shareholding pat- proactively announced Vishwas scheme recession triggered by the fell to its lowest level since lowed by South Korean ipate that the rupee to companies should tern by three weeks. work from home in the Covid 19 pandemic. 1985 as global financial won (-6.6 per cent), depreciate further if the report to stock Governance report for recent weeks and this notified Despite ample liquidity markets were hit by grow- Turkish lira (-4.8 per cent) RBI does not intervene," exchanges the reasons, this quarter is due by extension will be helpful Taxpayers willing to avail the measures taken by US cen- ing fears of a recession. and Thai baht (-3.55 per said Darshit Purohit from such as auditor resigna- April 15 but companies for them to focus on the direct tax dispute resolution tral bank, the continuous Further, emerging market cent), while the Indian IFA Global, a forex adviso- tion or court cases. can now submit them by current business exigen- scheme 'Vivad Se Vishwas' can scout for dollar around nations have been slash- rupee has fallen by 3.4 per ry firm. “It has been declared a May 15, while for share- cies. It will give time to now submit their declarations the world has weighed on ing rates, which is likely cent in March. The benchmark bond ‘pandemic’ by the World holding pattern the due financial market regula- on the income tax e-filing por- almost all the counter cur- to lower the carry advan- Market participants are yields ended 11 bps higher Health Organization date is April 21 but firms tors and business lead- tal. The online procedure for rencies against the dollar. tage. of the view that the RBI at 6.41 per cent. Madan (WHO). Developments have been given time till ers to assess potential making declarations under the This has led to fears of an Since the start of this will intervene at times of Sabnavis, chief economist arising due to the spread May 15. accounting guidance or 'Vivad Se Vishwas' scheme acute shortage of dollars, month, foreign investors steep depreciation and at Care Ratings, said, "The of the virus have war- These steps follow the additional disclosure (VSVS) was notified by the the world's most liquid have pulled out more $10 has so far avoided aggres- RBI has gotten into the ranted the need for tem- Ministry of Corporate requirements due to Directorate of Income Tax currency and sent the dol- billion from Indian stock sive selling in rupee swap agreements with porary relaxations in Affairs' steps on Covid-9, they said. (Systems) on Thursday. lar index to as high as and bond markets, the against the dollar. At the banks to sell dollars, compliance require- Wednesday, relaxing Globally, regulators Taxpayers can submit the VSVS 102.30 during the day. biggest withdrawal since inter-bank foreign which should curb volatil- ments for listed enti- norms for holding physi- are also encouraging form from the Income Tax e-fil- Policymakers across the the US taper tantrum of exchange market, the ity to an extent. But we ties,” said Sebi in a press cal board meeting fol- companies to disclose ing portal. globe have resorted to the 2013. Emerging market local currency opened at should be prepared for statement. lowing the Covid-19 out- the likely impact Covid- emergency action as the currencies have been 74.96. During the day, it anything -even further The Sebi has also break. 19 will have on their rapid rise in cases of the under tremendous pres- saw a high of 74.70 and a depreciation as the mar- relaxed compliance Analysts said the Sebi businesses, earnings virus infection threatens sure on account of out- low of 75.30. The rupee kets have become quite norms for submitting decisions are a great and revenues. to lead the global economy flows. For instance, since finally settled at 75.10 unpredictable these days. Govt bans export of surgical masks, ventilators Nifty drops below RBI asks `60K-cr RBI credit line for Yes Bank New Delhi, March 19: staff to work The Reserve Bank has 8000 pts as FPIs opened an emergency line from home of credit of around Rs Anil Ambani questioned for 9 hours 60,000 crore to Yes Bank to Mumbai, March 19: As meet any liquidity crisis in Mumbai, March 19: The a fresh summon to appear Prevention of Money keep up selling the coronavirus infec- paying back its depositors ED on Thursday ques- Laundering Act (PMLA). tion spreads, the Reserve as the bank has resumed tioned Reliance Group He arrived at the RAVI RANJAN PRASAD Bank has allowed a normal operations from chairman Anil Ambani Enforcement Directorate MUMBAI, MARCH 19 majority of its staff Thursday. for about nine hours in office at Ballard Estate across its centres to The additional liquidity connection with a money here around 9:30 am and After sinking close to 8 work from home while arsenal is in line with laundering probe against left around 7 pm. The government banned export per cent intra-day, bench- ensuring unhindered Section 17 (4) of the RBI Yes Bank promoter Rana Ambani's nine group of all ventilators, surgical/dis- mark Nifty-50 Index business continuity. Act and also is a reaffirma- Kapoor and others, offi- companies, which were posable masks and textile raw dropped below the 8000- The total strength of tion of the governor's state- cials said. reportedly under "stress", material used for making masks mark on Thursday, as the central bank is close ment on Monday that the The Enforcement Direct- are stated to have taken with immediate effect. "The coronavirus cases kept on 14,000, of which around central bank was ready to orate has asked the busi- loans adding up to about export of all ventilators, surgi- rising in the country, forc- 4,000 are based in provide all the necessary nessman to appear before Rs 12,800 crore from the cal/disposable masks only, and ing more lockdowns and Mumbai. liquidity support to Yes it again on March 30. crisis-ridden bank. textile raw material for masks travel restrictions. The headquarters Bank. Essel Group chairman Ambani was first called and coveralls only...has been The rupee fell to a new alone has around 2,000 The move comes after 16 and Rajya Sabha MP for questioning on prohibited, with immediate all time low of 75.30 per people working from the years when a similar credit Subhash Chandra, who Monday but he sought effect," the Directorate General US dollar, leading to high- two Mint Road offices, line was opened for Global skipped his first appear- before the investigative exemption from appear- of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in volume selling by foreign while others are spread Trust Bank in 2004. ance on March 18 owing to agency on March 21. ance on personal grounds. a notification. However, items investors; as per provi- across the CBD Belapur The line of credit of his engagement in the Officials said the state- The ED then issued him like gloves can be exported. sional data foreign portfo- Tech Centre, BKC and about Rs 60,000 crore, how- ongoing Parlia-ment ses- ment of Ambani, 60, was fresh summons to appear lio investors sold equities would be sold into, ana- Mumbai Central offices ever, comes with a caveat-- sion, has also been issued recorded under the on March 19. —PTI worth Rs 4,622 crore on lysts said. etc. The RBI has advised the first such, the sources Thursday. Siddhartha Khemka, central office depart- said. A senior central bank The Nifty-50 dropped head-retail research, ments and regional officer, who wished not to anced against the bank's moratorium and curbs. operations from 6 pm on sharply in the early morn- Motilal Oswal Financial offices to identify areas be named, said, "We've current account balance Though the bank has Wednesday.PTI visited Don’t lay off ing trade by 8.12 per cent, Services, said, where people can man- opened an emergency line which is of same amount begun normal operations, four branches of the pri- or 636.25 points, to 7832 on "Technically, there is no age work by being at of credit ready for Yes as of now," the official told many of its branches bore vate lender - two in the cen- employees: CII negative global cues with sign of reversal and we home and those where Bank worth Rs 59,000 crore PTI on Thursday—a day a deserted look, partly tral suburb and two in a spike in coronavirus may see Nifty continue to the staff has to be pres- to meet any eventuality on when the lender completes amid fear of coronavirus Navi Mumbai, where hard- cases and casualties fall towards 7,900 and then ent in office. —PTI the liquidity front." a full-day of normal servic- infection. ly one to two customers tells members across the globe. The 7,500 levels." "The credit line is bal- es after the 13 days of The bank resumed full were seen. Industry body CII, which has index closed at 8263.45, On a day of high volatili- over 9,300 members, has asked down by 205.35 points, or ty NSE's Nifty Auto index its member companies not to 2.42 per cent. The Sensex suffered worst one-day fall lay off their employees, its too fell below the 27000- by 6.09 per cent due to the president Vikram Kirloskar said. mark to an intra-day low sharp fall in Ashok IndiGo to cut staff pay, AI may follow suit "We are requesting our mem- of 26,714, dropping 7.46 Leyland (-25.49 per cent), New Delhi, March 19: "We have to pay careful cut, AVPs, Bands D along Govt to curb panic bers to hold on to their staff per cent, but recovered Maruti (-9.22 per cent), IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta attention to our cash flow with cabin crew will take and not do layoffs as far as sharply to close above 28K Bharat Forge (-12.13 per announced on Thursday so that we do not run out of 10 per cent and Band Cs 5 possible and take care of small at 28288.23, shedding cent), Mahindra & that the airline was insti- cash." per cent," Dutta noted. service providers as far as pos- 581.28 points, or 2.01 per Mahindra (-8.70 per cent) tuting pay cuts for senior "With a great deal of Sources said, "Air India sible," he said. Kirloskar said cent. and Eicher Motors (-5.00 employees and he would reluctance and a deep is considering a 5 per cent buying, hoarding the industry has sought a mora- Investors lost another Rs per cent). himself take the highest sense of regret, we are pay cut to its employees, as torium on all loan repayments 3.76 lakh crore as the Private banks also con- cut of 25 per cent amid the therefore instituting pay it faces huge financial cri- MADHUSUDAN SAHOO and cut in interest rates. BSE's market capitalisa- tinued to bleed with Nifty coronavirus pandemic that cuts for all employees, sis due to the ongoing coro- NEW DELHI, MARCH 19 tion fell to Rs 1,09,76,781.00 Bank index down by 2.41 has hit the aviation indus- excluding Bands A and B, navirus outbreak, which crore against Rs per cent, led by heavy fall try hard. starting April 1, 2020," he has brought almost its With consumers resort- 1,13,53,329.30 crore on in Bandhan Bank (-11.32 Air India may also cut said. entire international opera- ing to panic buying of Wednesday. per cent), Axis Bank (-9.60 salary of employees by 5 Band A and B are the low- tions save the US, Canada food and hygiene prod- The volatility index per cent), ICICI Bank (- per cent amid its growing est salry brackets, where and a few other markets, to ucts, the government is Droom launches India VIX shot up to a new 5.53 per cent), IndusInd financial woes, compound- most of the employees are. the ground." all set to take strict high of 73.34 and closed Bank (-4.95 per cent). State ed by the pandemic. "I am personally taking a The national carrier has action against hoarding virus shield 12.89 per cent up at 72.19. Bank of India also fell 5.46 In an email to employees, 25 per cent pay cut, SVPs also decided to take off of essential items With rising cases of per cent, closing at Rs Dutta said with the precip- (senior vice presidents) from flying its over 100 re- against shopping plat- coronavirus, volatility is 203.45; it touched intra- itous drop in revenues, the and above are taking 20 per employed pilots on con- forms. The Centre has for vehicles likely to continue in com- day low of Rs 198.15 on the very survival of the airline cent, VPs and cockpit crew tract as part of cost cutting also cautioned super- ing days and any bounce NSE. industry is now at stake. are taking a 15 per cent pay measures. —Agencies markets and large stores against bulk sale Droom, an online automobile of goods. marketplace, has launched the "The suppliers, manu- Corona Shield service to com- facturers as well as shop cerns over the spread of bat the coronavirus contagion AI-enabled apps join Covid-19 tracking bid owners, mostly in the Covid-19, it has been and make vehicles virus-proof. supermarkets and gro- observed that con- The firm will offer its Antimicro- cery stores across the sumers in major cities bial Surface Protections shield have come in contact with. of GOQii. country, have been have begun to stock up for cars and two-wheelers, Apps can trace phones, photos This also includes those The app also can track strictly warned against on essential, daily-use which were proven to be effec- related to online services body temperature, weight, such hoarding and items, such as food- tive against SARS and other of those who came in contact like Uber, Lyft, Ola, heart rate, blood sugar black-marketeering grains, pulses, edible droplet-based viruses for up to Amazon, Flipkart, Swiggy and other vitals as well as activities, following oils and sanitary items four months. This treatment SANGEETHA G its app to help users track and Zomato. One can detect symptoms like which severe penalties like soaps and sanitiz- starts at Rs 499 for 2-wheelers CHENNAI, MARCH 19 every movement, activity record the person's name, cough, cold, difficulty in will be imposed against ers. To prevent short- and Rs 999 for passenger cars. and also track those who contact number as well as breathing and the like. them," said an official of ages of essential items, As contagion fears aggra- have been in close contact photographs. Bajaj Allianz General the Ministry of supermarkets like vate, several healthcare with them. Healthcare authorities Insurance too has updated Consumer Affairs, Food Reliance Fresh and Big Printed & Published by related companies are In case of a positive and professionals can also its 'Caringly Yours' app and Public Distribution. Bazaar have capped the T Venkateswarlu on behalf of Deccan introducing 'contact track- detection, users can leverage the artificial with 'Social Trackback' "Public spending on bulk sale of items. Chronicle Holdings Limited. Printed & Published at Deccan Chronicle Presses ing' features in apps to immediately backtrack intelligence-based app to feature. This is designed grocery items in several "We have restricted situated at SP-3 Developed Plot, help social distancing. every movement and indi- accelerate Covid-19 sur- to help individuals main- supermarkets and gro- bulk sale of daily-use Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai. Some of the apps also viduals that one has come veillance and interven- tain a real-time database cery stores is too high. items. For instance, we Editor: T.Venkatram Reddy, RNI Reg. have features that help in contact with, in the last tions. of the people they have The bulk sale needs to have capped the sale of No. TNENG/2008/25473 Air surcharge Re detect and manage the ill- few days. This will ensure "The GOQii Covid-19 interacted in-person. This be restricted to the con- rice to 5 kg and dal to 1 1. © All rights reserved. Reproduction in ness. prevention, quick detec- related app features will will help authorities and sumers; otherwise they kg per day," said a count- whole or in part without written per- GOQii, the smart-tech- tion of virus carriers and updated the app to help help with contact tracing individuals quickly track may face an action," er person at a Reliance mission of The Editor, Financial enabled preventive health- thus curtail the spread of users self-track, to the and remote quarantine the details in case the user said the official. Fresh outlet in Chronicle ® is prohibited. care company has the virus. level of keeping a tab on management," said Vishal has been tested positive With growing con- Faridabad, NCR. launched this feature in GOQii has specially every person one must Gondal, founder and CEO for coronavirus. BOOKS+ DECCAN CHRONICLE | FRIDAY | 20 MARCH 2020 | CHENNAI pg 14

INDIAN TOP 10 BESTSELLERS ‘Irish writers don’t NON-FICTION The aftermath of V.P. MENON - THE 1 UNSUNG ARCHITECT talk to each other OF MODERN INDIA Narayani Basu, Simon & Schuster, `799 4DEATH - AN INSIDE the war in 1971 unless abusing’ 2 STORY Sadhguru replied. hen times were meant to Islamic conference recently. ‘Or did you take these from the be bad, they could get Russia helped us so much during Penguin Ananda, `299 Taslima Hindu houses?’ Mother had Wreally bad. The day after the war and here Mujib is bent on Robert Jackman asked in disgust. the raid security personnel of making Bangladesh a part of the BACKSTAGE: THE Nasrin Father had not replied to that the Rakkhi Bahini apprehended Islamic world. The government 3 STORY BEHIND INDIA’S either. Dada from the road. These forces is even saying things against interview HIGH GROWTH YEARS The drums had surprised me as had been formed by Sheikh India. Would we have become Montek Singh Ahluwalia, well. It had been difficult for me Mujib after Independence to put free if India had not sent its Rupa, `595 extract to imagine that Father had a check on terrorist activities. forces?’ ebastian Barry, Irish literary nicked those things from some- They were stationed at various Laureate, is in London to pro- ANIMOSITY AT BAY one else’s house. This was the places and could apprehend any- hen suddenly one day, quite Smote his first play in a decade. 4 Pallavi Raghavan person who had given refuge to a one they were suspicious of and abruptly, something hap- He didn’t plan on leaving it so long, Harper Collins, `699 he Hindus of the neigh- Hindu boy called Pradip during beat them up. Even someone like Tpened that plunged the city he insists; it’s just that finishing bourhood were slowly the war. The boy, rechristened my Dada who had no involve- into uneasiness again. People the play — On Blueberry Hill — GANDHI’S HINDUISM: returning to their Alam, had stayed on in our house ment in anything whatsoever. gathered on the roads to talk as if took longer than he’d planned. abandoned houses. after the war and Father had Father went to get the world was about to come How long? Most of the decade, he THE STRUGGLE 5 They were coming employed him as a cashier in the him out but returned empty- crashing down on them any confesses. AGAINST JINNAH’S backT to their country from pharmacy. handed. After torturing him for moment. Some had radios stuck In his defence, Barry has been ISLAM refugee camps in Calcutta, to the And this very same person had fifteen days when the Rakkhi to their ear, faces dry, eyes threat- rather busy, publishing no fewer M.J. Akbar, homes they had abandoned become greedy over things the Bahini found no evidence that he ening to pop out. than three novels (including the Bloomsbury, `699 before the war. All their things Hindus had left behind! Back in was involved in any terrorist What was the matter again? Costa prize-winning Days Without had been robbed in the mean- ’71 Dada, Riyazuddin and Imaan activities, they let Dada go. After The days of sticking close to the End) in the time it took to finish Sebastian Barry REMNANTS OF A while. The empty courtyards Ali had been living with us as returning from their barracks radio for news had come to an one play. Why did On Blueberry 6SEPARATION that the pariahs and mongrels well. Perhaps they were the ones Dada became a vocal critic of end back in ’71, so what had hap- Hill take so long then? Is it that he albeit indirectly. On paper, it’s an Aanchal Malhotra, used to sleep in were suddenly who had done it. Sheikh Mujib, even going as far pened again! Whenever things in finds novels easier to write, or does all-male play, with everything tak- HarperCollins, `599 full of the chatter of people. With Since I did not dare ask Father as telling people that things had the country were tense in any he just enjoy them more? Neither, ing place in a single prison cell my chin resting on the railings of any questions, I had ended up been better under Pakistani rule; way everyone tended to switch he says, insisting that, he’s actual- shared by two men, Christy and PJ, THE ANARCHY our roof, I could see them return- asking Dada. at least the roads had been safe. on BBC radio for news. No one ly come to prefer writing plays to who pass the time by swapping sto- 7 William Dalrymple, ing. As if a tide had arrived on ‘Were you the ones who robbed Even those who had been sup- had too much faith on our own novels. “I’m a prose writer who ries from their past. Many of these Bloomsbury, `699 the Brahmaputra, as if flowers the things from the Hindu house- porters of Sheikh Mujib were broadcasters. grew up in the theatre,” he says. memories are actually Barry’s were suddenly blooming all over holds?’ soon beginning to chatter: What Father too did as expected. I His mother, Joan O’Hara, was a own, in particular Christy’s stories a desolate garden. None of the Dada was seated on an iron sort of government was this that was asked to turn the knob of stage actress who went on to star about his mother. “It gives you a INDIA’S FOUNDING returned seemed to perturbed by chair watching the ducks and was using the Rakkhi Bahini to the radio to try and catch BBC, a in one of Ireland’s longest-running wonderful sense of freedom,” he 8 MOMENT their missing things. They were chickens in the yard. As if those assault and oppress innocent big responsibility I felt very soap operas. “As a young child I says, to interrogate your own past Madhav Khosla, happy simply to have got their birds were the most fascinating citizens! proud of having been given. just assumed everyone’s mother through fictional characters. Harvard, `599 homes back. Some houses had things in the world and no The murmurs continued for a Father never ordered me to do was an actor,” he says. How did it feel to receive the Irish already managed to organize kir- human being or their queries few years. Unrest among the peo- anything except studying, I was He speaks of his admiration for Laureate? He’s a great admirer, he THE EMPEROR WHO tans, etc., and women were ulu- could catch up to their appeal. ple continued to rise as well. never usually asked to partici- the actors he’s worked with on pre- says, of Michael D. Higgins (‘If 9 NEVER WAS - DARA lating and lighting evening When I had broken the spell and Sheikh Mujib formed a political pate in anything else. Earlier it vious plays — Claire Bloom, Donal only we were so blessed with our SHUKOH IN MUGHAL lamps. A graveyard had seeming- repeated my question he had party called Baksal and prohibit- was either Dada or Chotda who McCann and Sinead Cusack. Did Taoiseach as we’ve been with our INDIA ly come back to life. replied — ‘The Biharis were ed all other parties. were asked to turn the knob he never want to act himself, I ask. presidents’). Did it help Barry to bringing everything out on the ‘What sort of government is make peace with his own Irishness Supriya Gandhi Around a week after their while I had to stand apart and His live readings, some of which return, a group of muktijoddhas streets and burning them. We this that lets its people die in a watch. But that day Dada was can be found on YouTube, are bril- — a subject with which he’s wres- Bellknap Harvard, `699 marched into the house through had gathered some things from famine because they have no away on a work trip to Sherpur liantly flamboyant, with Barry — a tled for much of his writing the black gate, guns on their the road and brought home.’ food?’ Father said one day. for a couple of days. Chotda was six-foot-something mountain of a career? “Of course in a moment A CHEQUERED shoulders, followed by fifteen- ‘Who had? Had Father done it Bearded men wearing fez caps not even living with us any more. man — unable to resist the tempta- like that you’re going to be seduced 10 BRILLIANCE sixteen people from the neigh- too? Tell me!’ I was not about to materialized out of nowhere and Hence, the responsibility fell on tion to put on bombastic accents or into feeling pure citizenry,” he Jairam Ramesh, bours, most of whom we recog- let Dada go without an answer. began to clamour that such an me. I had almost found the BBC segue into Irish folk ditties. Are says. Yet he still bristles at being Penguin Viking, `999 nised. I greeted them with a ‘It was us,’ Dada had replied Independence was of no value. channel when Father asked me they the trappings of a frustrated labelled an “Irish novelist”, insist- smile but none of them were in a while throwing wheat at the The country needed to be put to stop. Words could be heard thespian, or just a man trying to ing he doesn’t really speak the lan- mood to reciprocate, as if they ducks and chickens. back under Pakistani rule. over the ether, broken fragments make book tours a bit more fun? guage of Irishness. were our mortal enemies. They The answer had done little to Boromama sighed and said he of half-truncated news. The theatricality is deliberate, he Is there even an “Irish canon” walked from room to room, reassure me. did not know which direction the Sheikh Mujib was dead. admits. anyway, he asks. “Our writers are yelling loudly about stolen On returning home, when he country was headed. Not just him, nearly his entire It wouldn’t be the first time Barry like the old Irish kingdoms: they goods, telling the people who had received the news of the raid on ‘The government is doing family had been shot dead by has taken inspiration from his don’t really talk to each other come with them to pick up what- our house, Father went out and things that did not happen even assailants at his house on 32 family members. The vast majori- unless they’re shouting abuse. ever they thought were their stood in the veranda, hands fold- when Pakistan was ruling us. Dhanmondi. How could it have ty of his novels are lifted from fam- People talk about traditions in stuff. ed and elbows resting on the They are celebrating Shab-e- happened? How was it possible? ily folklore. He tells me about his writing, but when you look at what The familiar faces from the railings. Seeing him like that I Baraat in Banga Bhaban with so Father sat down heavily, press- two grandfathers: one a staunch they call Irish writing, it’s basical- neighbourhood took turns in wanted to believe he was repen- much pomp. It never used to hap- ing the veins on his temple. nationalist who hated all things ly a bunch of mavericks doing taking away a number of our tant. I wanted to see his pen back when this was East Chotda, had he been home, English; the other a Sligo Irishman everything they can to get away things: bronze utensils, a brass remorseful face. I had only ever Pakistan. Mujib attended an would surely have sought refuge who ended up serving in the Royal from each other. Look at Samuel pitcher, chairs and tables. heard the yelling, only ever seen in the veranda with his lips Engineers during the second world Beckett. Look at Synge. Look at Mother had been putting oil in the proud man. So much pride curled. Dada would have said, war. “Both were completely Irish,” Joyce running off to Zurich.” the sewing machine. The con- was bound to make someone ‘His two sons Sheikh Kamal and he says, yet they trod different, and He remains drawn instead to out- tainer remained in her hand as inhuman. Sheikh Jamal had caused so seemingly irreconcilable, paths. siders like himself, he says. One of someone came and casually After Dada returned home I much trouble for so many people One of the fondest memories of his his best friends is the historian picked up the machine and informed him about the raid, in Dhaka University. They used childhood was seeing them shake Roy Foster, who has spent much of walked away. Both Mother and I ‘They have taken away all the to carry pistols! They had gone hands, having bonded over their the past 30 years skewering the fol- were left standing in shock. things that were looted.’ too far, how much could people affection for him. lies of Irish nationalism. Foster, he FICTION After they were gone Mother I informed Chotda as well. A tolerate!’ The stories keep coming. There’s says, has been as influential on his THE MIRROR & THE sighed, ‘Wages of sin! What can I pall of gloom seemed to descend Mother was pacing the room the great-uncle who fell foul of the thinking — certainly on the ques- say.’ over the house. Father remained uneasily and speaking from time IRA and ended up being murdered tion of Irishness — as Yeats. LIGHT 1 It was meant for Father, I knew. stationed on the veranda. to time. in Chicago (“followed there by Barry’s eyes light up when he talks Hilary Mantel After returning from the village Mother’s voice finally shat- ‘What sort of inhuman thing is Michael Collins’s associates”). The of him. He beams, too, when he 4th Estate, `799 Mother had noticed some new tered the silence, her words this? They killed his sons, daugh- great-grandfather — an Irish talks about being back in the West things in the house and asked uttered from a careful distance ter-in-law, even his young grand- Catholic — who headed up the End. “When I heard the play was WHERE THE him about them. ‘Did you buy so Father could hear. son Russel. What had they done? Dublin Metropolitan Police during transferring I felt a happiness out- 2CRAWDADS SING these? If you did, why did you ‘What was the need of stealing Such brutality!’ the troubled Easter Rising period. side of any professional intent,” he Delia Owens, buy old stuff ? What use will this a drum of rotten molasses? Allah MY GIRLHOOD ‘Will the country become “The family was so ashamed of says. Two decades ago he was writ- Corsair, `499 broken old drum of molasses always punishes those who sin. Pakistan again?’ him that nobody marked his ing plays to pay the bills. be?’ In the middle of this I lost a By TASLIMA NASRIN grave,” he says. Is there anything THE FAR FIELD Father, in the middle of tuck- bunch of my things. My sewing PenguinRandomHouse Excerpted from My Girlhood autobiographical in On Blueberry By arrangement with machine! I had saved money and ` the Spectator Madhuri Vijay, ing the socks he had just taken pp.421; 599 with permission from the pub- Hill? Yes, he says. His mother — 3 off inside his shoes, had not bought it myself.’ lisher, PenguinRandomHouse 4th Estate, `599

AMNESTY 4Aravind Adiga, Picador India, `699

THE CARPET WEAVER 5 Nemat Sadat, The hands that change history’s course are bloody Penguin Viking, `599 trip to Kappad beach where the has recorded, it was to find the and painter, has to leave Cairo by bly from the Portuguese king. It is had indeed for Zheng He had made YOU ARE NOT ALONE Portuguese navigator and explor- lucrative spices, pepper and cinna- way of Alexandria for he had com- during da Gama’s second and his voyages between the years er Vasco da Gama had landed in mon initially. Pepper was consid- mitted the blasphemy of glass third voyages to India that the 1405-33 and had travelled to South Greer Hendricks & Sarah 6 Sridhar 1498. We saw the area, a very pris- ered to be “black gold”. It was also painting in a coptic church at the might of Poruguese naval power is Asia, India, Ceylon, Java, Pekkanen, Balan tine beach and a plaque, now to find Christian settlements and request of the abbott. Murad unleashed against the Zamorin Sumatra, Malacca, Indonesia and Pan Macmillan, `650 weatherbeaten, which marked the spread the word of god. Gama’s accompanied Ehtesham in his and the people of Calicut. In the Africa. Some believe, Zheng’s fleet approximate site of Gama’s land- ships carried priests to hear the escape out of Cairo but the central interim, da Gama’s arch-rival, circumnavigated the globe. He had THE TESTAMENTS meanwhile ing. confessions of the soldiers and to figure in Daruwalla’s narrative is Pedro Cabral had undertaken a the means to do so. 7 (BOOKER PRIZE 2019 Vasco da Gama was to make proselytize the unbelievers. The Taufiq who had trained as a sea- voyage to Calicut and clashes had Oufitted under orders of the WINNER) three voyages to India between the voyages were also meant to man under his father’s guidance. broken out between the Portu- Yongle Emperor, Zheng’s fleet con- Margaret Atwood, years 1498-1524, the year in which acquire land, for Gama knew that While he had initially travelled to guese and the Arab merchants. sisted of 317 ships of about 28,000 Chatto & Windus, `799 n a visit to Mexico City, he died. He died in Kochi and ini- the might of the Portuguese king Calicut as a young boy on one of About 70 Portuguese were killed men, with 60 treasure ships over some years ago, we went tially was buried there too before would only be acknowledged if his father’s ships, it’s his recruit- in the city and Cabral blamed the 400 feet long. Zheng’s ships could Zamorin and attacked the city. carry 2,500 tons of cargo and had LOW to see the famous Diego his remains were excavated and Portugal retained a visble pres- ment as a pilot and navigator Rivera mural, Dream of a interred in Portugal. But as Keki ence of its power. under the great Ibn Majid that Word of this reached Lisbon and staterooms and balconies. They 8 Jeet Thayil, O were accompanied by hundreds of Sunday Afternoon in Almeda Daruwalla has wonderfully Daruwalla’s book is equally an trains him for a life at sea. His voy- da Gama set out for India to assert Faber & Faber, `599 Central Park. The painting, done recorded in his book For Pepper important record of the Arab con- age with Ibn Majid is not to India Portuguese power with Taufiq supply ships. The purpose of in the surreal style though Rivera and Christ, a work of fiction on the tribution to da Gama’s voyages but to Africa and it is at Mombasa who had been kept in Portugal as Zheng’s voyages was to spread the GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER did not identify himself with the voyages of Vasco, da Gama’s and of life in Cairo under the that Ibn Majid and Taufiq meet up his pilot. On his way, da Gama loot- Ming influence over the world and 9 (BOOKER PRIZE 2019 Surrealists, portrays a number of hands were no less bloody. Sultan’s rule and the dreaded with da Gama. At da Gama’s or the ed and burned a ship on pilgrim- to accept tribute for the Middle WINNER) people intimately connected with Daruwalla’s book is a record of Muhtasib. The Muhtasib was the Captain-Major’s request for a age from Mecca to Calicut with 400 Kingdom. Bernardine Evaristo, Mexican history and its evolution. Portugal’s attempt to find a sea Sultan’s representative and the pilot, Taufiq is left behind on da people including 50 women on My friend’s interest was to locate Hamish Hamilton, `799 It depicts the conquistador route to India, sailing around the controller of weights and meas- Gama’s ship to guide the board. On reaching Calicut, he Zheng’s grave in Calicut. Though Hernan Cortes who was responsi- African coast and braving the ures in the souks of Cairo, but he Portuguese to India. They arrive cuts off the Zamorin envoy’s nose some thought that Zheng had died A LONG PETAL OF ble for the Spanish conquest of treacherous monsoon winds and maintained an absolute power at Kappad near Calicut on 20 May and ears and sends him back with in Calicut in 1433 during his last THE SEA Mexico along with the Mexican storms. The route to India was over his people. To ensure his rule, 1498 but find that the Zamorin or a pair of donkey’s ears sews on. Da voyage, it is believed he died at sea 10 the Samudri Raja is away at his Gama bombards the city and and his body confined to the deep. Isabel Allende, dictator Porfirio Diaz and also known to the Arabs and to the the Muhtasib had a network of shows Rivera himself along with Venetians too who had been trad- informers and spies to report any second capital of Ponnani. The opens fire on ships parked in the His tomb at Nanjing in China is Bloomsbury, `550 Frida Kahlo. While we spent some ing with India for years. The route wrongs and “alleged” misde- Zamorin and da Gama finally Calicut harbour. Those who jump believed to be empty. I told my dis- time gazing at the remarkable to India was also known to anoth- meanours. Caught up in the meet and the Zamorin is already into the sea are individually hunt- appointed friend at dinner that painting, a family asked, why er great power, the Chinese and we tumultous events of the time, are prejudiced against the Portuguese ed down by the Portuguese in one reason not many people Rivera chose to portray Cortes shall come to the role of China a three friends, Ehtesham, Murad by the Arabs who describe da boats armed with spears. remember Zheng was because with blood on his hands. Why little later. and Taufiq who try their best to Gama as a pirate. Mortified and deeply anguished China went into isolation after the indeed? Rivera had portrayed What was the purpose of da keep out of the clutches of the He is also singularly unim- by all this, Taufiq escapes and Middle Kingdom. The entire Cortes thus because his conquest Gama’s voyages? As Daruwalla Muhtasib. Ehtesham, an engraver pressed by da Gama’s gifts ostensi- reaches the town. Though he has Chinese fleet was destroyed. of Mexico was a bloody affair. He his love waiting to marry him in Moreover, to be remembered, gave false promises to Aztec king, spite of all the conflict, Taufiq conquerors and explorers need to Montezuma or Moctezuma, and decides on atonement. He has his leave some visible reminders of sacked Tenochititian and massa- left hand cut off by a local butcher their presence. The Chinese fish- cred its inhabitants. Later, Mexico for his complicity in bringing the ing nets in Kochi are perhaps the had to wage its own war of libera- Portuguese to India. only example of Zheng He’s pres- tion against the Spanish. Our story does not end here. At ence. While Cortes claimed the territo- the Kerala Lit Fest, a Chinese poet Vasco da Gama, on the other ry of Mexico in the name of the (and this was before the COVID-19 hand, managed to establish a Spanish king, most navigators scare) came up to me possibly colony in Goa, which the who led expeditions to far off knowing of my interest in local Portuguese ruled till 1961. lands and sail unchartered waters history. He asked me if I knew were motivated by religion, and about the great Chinese explorer, The writer is a senior publishing commerce along with territorial Admiral Zheng He who had come industry professional who has gain. While at Kozhikode for the to Calicut and Cochin well before worked with OUP and is now a Kerala Lit Fest, my colleague Vasco da Gama. He added his local senior consultant with Ratna Bahrisons, New Delhi Dinesh and I resolved to make a Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Almeda Central Park and more popular name Sanbao. I Sagar Books CRICKET DECCAN CHRONICLE | CHENNAI | FRIDAY | 20 MARCH 2020 pg 15

SHORT TAKES Call on IPL after April 15, says Rijiju New Delhi, March 19: The Sports Ministry has made it clear that the fate of the 13th edition of the Indian Premier Strike back League can be decided Test specialist Pujara finds the constant fuss over his strike rate a tad unfair only after the government Matthew Wade comes out with a fresh New Delhi, March 19: comes to strike rate people advisory after April 15, Injured Wade Cheteshwar Pujara finds start pointing towards keeping in mind the situ- the constant fuss over his team management’s take Smiling assassin India are the ation with regards to the strike rate a tad unfair on it but there is no pres- coronavirus outbreak. out of County and wants to clarify once sure on me at all. The Sports Minister Kiren Sydney: Big-hitting Australian and for all that he has got team management under- most talented Rijiju reiterated that batsman Matthew Wade on full backing of the team stands my style of play while it is the Board of Thursday abandoned plans to management which and its importance.” Control for Cricket in Kiren Rijiju play with English county side understands the “impor- For someone who aver- team: Stoinis India (BCCI) which even though the tourna- Somerset after being advised to tance” of his style of play. ages 48.66 in 77 Tests, per- New Delhi, March 19: decides on cricketing ment was set to start from rest an injured knee. In the age of slam-bang ception counts for little. Australian cricketer matters, the pandemic is March 29 after the gov- The 32-year-old had been cricket, Pujara brings “The question that was Marcus Stoinis said that something which has a ernment issued a travel scheduled to pad-up for the delight to the purists of asked on social media Indian players not play- direct effect on the loves advisory which made it first half of the English summer, the game by batting on (during Ranji final) was ing in the team are way of the citizens of the clear that foreign players but said Cricket Australia had and on without worrying ‘why am I taking so long to more talented than him. country. wouldn’t be issued visas told to him to recuperate. “It’s a too much about the strike- score X number of runs’? “India is the most tal- “After April 15 the gov- to come into the country. big blow,” said Wade, who is a rate. But to appreciate Whether I pay attention to ented team in the world. ernment will come up This was done in a meet- regular in the Australian Test someone who epitomises that, no, I don’t. My job is With all cricket action now grinding to a standstill Hands down. The play- with new advisory and ing on March 11. team. “I was looking forward to patience in Test cricket is to make sure that the team due to coronavirus pandemic, the BCCI shared a ers not playing are way guidelines according to The Sports Ministry on the challenge of playing county may be asking for too wins at all times. throwback picture of MS Dhoni captioning it as: more talented than me,” the situation. BCCI is a March 12 made it clear “People have this tenden- cricket... but after discussions much from the “millenni- “Smile is the way to be”. — Twitter Stoinis said in the body that looks after that all sporting events with the Cricket Australia med- als”. cy to pinpoint one person recently released docu- cricket which is not an should be cancelled in the ical team, regrettably, it Last week, the soft-spo- but it is just not about me. mentary on the Olympic sport. But here it wake of the coronavirus became clear that I wouldn’t be ken 32-year-old from If you look at any Test Australian team titled is not the question of the outbreak. And if it is in a position to join Somerset.” Rajkot found himself at series where I have scored “The Test” on Amazon sporting event alone but a unavoidable, the events The county season is due to the receiving end again on runs and taken little bit of India cannot look Prime. After their suc- question of the safety of should be held behind start on April 12, but the coron- social media as he time, the opposition bats- cessful tour of Australia the citizens. In an event closed doors so as to avoid avirus epidemic may force it to laboured his way to 66 off men, most of them, have in 2018, winning Test there will be thousands of mass gatherings. be postponed. The BBC said 237 balls in the Ranji consumed same number beyond MSD: Jaffer series 2-1, ODIs to 2-1, spectators. So it is not just The Delhi government the England and Wales Cricket Trophy final against of balls. and drawing shortest for the sports bodies or went a step further and Board were due to meet on Bengal. To his credit, he “I know I can’t be a New Delhi, March 19: format 1-1, the Indian sportspersons it is for said that there would be Thursday to discuss the situa- overcame fever and throat David Warner or Virender Former India opener team were confident of every citizen of the coun- no IPL matches in the tion. — AFP infection to share a game- Sehwag but if a normal and domestic legend hosting the Kangaroos try,” he said. national capital till changing stand with Arpit batsman takes time there Wasim Jaffer has said in the home leg compris- The BCCI earlier put the March 31. Vasavada, helping is nothing wrong in that.” that going into the T20 ing of five-match ODI IPL on hold till April 15 — Agencies Warne’s distillery Saurashtra to their maid- The entire batting unit World Cup, Team India series. en title on the basis of had a tough time in New cannot look beyond vet- India after taking the produces sanitiser first innings lead. Zealand with the 0-2 loss eran wicket-keeper early 2-0 lead in the Melbourne: Cricket legend Whether it is playing for in Tests marking the end batsman M.S. Dhoni, if series faced three con- CORONA EFFECT Shane Warne’s distillery has Saurashtra or India, of the international sea- he is fit and in form. secutive defeats and started manufacturing hand Pujara is used to constant son. Pujara collected five Jaffer, who announced ended with the series sanitiser instead of gin to make chatter around his strike- half centuries this season, his retirement from all loss 2-3. Kiwis are kept in self-isolation up for the shortage of the alco- rate. “I don’t think there is including one in New forms of the game earli- “I love playing in India. Zealand, but could not add er this month, claimed after returning from Australia hol-based solution and “save too much talk (on the Wasim Jaffer I love the culture - its lives” from the clutches of the inside). In media, it is to his 18 hundreds. Dhoni’s inclusion could unmatched energy. It Auckland, March 19: travellers to self-isolate COVID-19 pandemic. described differently but “People expect big ease the pressure on the pressure of keeping heightens all your sens- Amid coronavirus for two weeks amid the The pandemic has so far the team management has knocks from me. I always K.L. Rahul or Rishabh off Rahul and India can es. If you can harness all scare, the New Zealand COVID-19 outbreak, claimed over 9000 lives and been backing me on this challenge myself to score Pant; who are currently play Pant as a batsman that excitement, that team have been put even if they arrived in infected more than 2,00,000 completely. There is no a 100 but to average close sharing the gloves for too if they want a lefty,” energy there is no way under 14-day self-isola- the country before people across the world. pressure from the captain, to 50 in Tests means you Team India in limited- Jaffer said in a tweet. you can rock up there tion after returning Sunday night’s cut-off. Instead of making alcohol, coach or anyone else,” are scoring a half-century overs cricket. Dhoni, 38, last played and not be motivated to from Australia. “They [Black Caps Warne’s company, Pujara, who is currently almost every second “If Dhoni is fit and in for India at the 2019 play,” he added. New Zealand Cricket players and touring ‘SevenZeroEight Gin’, has start- getting much-needed innings. form I think we can’t World Cup in England The 30-year-old last (NZC) confirmed on staff] have all gone into ed producing “medical grade family time “My standards are look beyond him as he’ll where the Men in Blue played a match for Thursday that all the 15 self-isolation. We’ve 70 % alcohol” hand sanitiser on due to the always high and I be an asset behind the were knocked out in the Western Australia in players and support passed on all the details March 17 for two Western COVID-19 am not satisfied stumps and also lower semi-finals. Marsh Sheffield Shield. staff who returned about what self-isola- Australian hospitals. “This is a out- with the season down the order. It’ll take — Agencies Before that, he played from Sydney last week- tion means and as far as challenging time for Australians break, that I had but I for Melbourne Stars in end had gone into lock- we know they’re all fol- and we all need to do what we said. would not call exhausting for majority of inclined towards this for- the ninth season of Big down at home after lowing it strictly,” can to help our healthcare sys- “I just it a bad one at the fans, batting time and mat. It is a fact that there Bash League (BBL). He Prime Minister Jacinda stuff.co.nz quoted NZC tem combat this disease and want to all.” wearing out the opposi- are more games in white- was the highest run-get- Ardern’s directive on public affairs manager, save lives,” said Warne in a clarify It may be bor- tion excites Pujara the ball cricket. A youngster ter in the 2020 edition March 18. Richard Boock, as say- statement. “I am happy that ing and most. would want to play short- with 705 runs. The Prime Minister ing. SevenZeroEight has the ability when it Asked why they don’t er formats because it is — Agencies advised all returning — Agencies to make this shift and encour- make it like him anymore, financially better. age others to do the same.” The Pujara gave a practical “There is nothing wrong coronavirus, which first origined response. “I don’t think with that but they should in Wuhan in China’s Hubei it is on the decline understand that real ALL TESTS IN ECB DISCUSSES province, has crippled health (art of batting cricket is Test cricket and PSL RESULTED WAYS TO SAVE care systems and affected time). There is you will be judged only on economies across the world, value for it. the performances in the NEGATIVE: PCB COUNTY SEASON besides bringing sports activi- May be the five-day game.” Karachi: The London: The England ties to a halt. Australia has so young- With uncertainty over Pakistan Cricket and Wales cricket far reported 565 confirmed sters are the upcoming county sea- Board (PCB) on Board has discussed cases besides six deaths. not son in the UK due to the Thursday claimed that “contingency plans” to — PTI COVID-19 outbreak, all the 128 COVID-19 save the upcoming Pujara has no game time tests it conducted on county season amid lined up in the near the players, support the rapidly-growing future. — PTI Marcus Stoinis staff, match officials, COVID-19 pandemic broadcasters and team and suspended all owners involved in the recreational cricket, PSL have come nega- including pre-season tive. friendlies and train- “It was absolutely crit- ing. ical for the integrity According to a report and credibility of the in ‘ESPNCricinfo’, the HBL PSL and the PCB ECB had a video call that all players, sup- with county chief port personnel, broad- executives to discuss casters and match offi- ways to ensure that cials, tested negative the event’s April 12 for COVID-19,” PCB start can be stuck to. Chief Executive The meeting will Wasim Khan resume on Thursday. said. — PTI — PTI

I don’t think there is too much talk (on the inside). In media, it is described differently but the team management has been backing me on this completely. There is no pressure from the captain, coach or anyone else. — CHETESHWAR PUJARA

Aussie cricketers risk massive financial jolt If you take sport away, then I don’t know Melbourne, March 19: The event which was to At least 17 cricketers have like this. That (travel advice) what we have: Steyn on cancelled events Australia’s ODI skipper start on March 29, has now lucrative IPL contracts and a has changed over the last Aaron Finch has said that been set for April 15. “That’s number of off-field positions couple of hours. That could Johannesburg, March Steyn told ‘ESPNCricinfo’. his country’s cricketers risk the risk you take when you are also at stake. Australia change in two weeks or three 19: Chilling at home after “But now at the moment, getting a massive financial have the revenue-share are also scheduled to host weeks, it’s hard to plan any- coming back from a coron- you don’t have that. In jolt if the IPL and their home model, when the organisa- India for a Test series and thing,” he said. avirus-forced “hotel South Africa, we kind of season are halted by the tion takes a hit then so do we. the men’s T20 World Cup “But it’s just about making arrest” in Pakistan, South like looking for things COVID-19 pandemic but they We understand we’re all in later this year. sure everyone around you African pacer Dale Steyn that unite people in big, have to accept the situation this together,” Finch told Finch, who was scheduled personally is safe and you’re feels it’s a pity that sport- big groups. When you as “we’re all in this togeth- radio station SEN. to join India skipper Virat doing everything you can to ing events are being can- don’t have sport, it’s like, er”. “I’m sure in the long run, Kohli at the Royal stop the spread.” celled en masse due to the oh, what do we fall back Cricket Australia has everything will be back to Challengers Bangalore, Pat Cummins had become crisis as “if you take sport onto? already said that it may normal at some stage. It’s acknowledged the travel the highest- away, then I don’t know “And I think Nelson review the NOCs given to the just hard to say when.” advisory and expressed help- paid cricketer really what we have.” Dale Steyn Mandela was the first per- players for IPL and now the Prime Minister Scott lessness in this extraor- during the IPL Steyn, who returned blocked off, because in a son to really say government has imposed Morrison has announced a dinary situation. auction. from Pakistan due to the country like South Africa, that: sport unites people unprecedented travel restric- blanket “do not travel over- “We’ve never seen — PTI virus outbreak, said it’s where we have all of our in a way that nothing else tions, which are likely to seas” advisory that will anything indescribable how the sit- problems from the past — does. And if you jeopardise the Australian remain in place indefinitely, uation changed in a mat- culture, religion, ethnic take sport away, then I players’ participation in the to help contain the coron- ter of hours. backgrounds — the one don’t know really what we postponed T20 league. avirus pandemic. Aaron Finch “It is actually such a pity thing that brings every- have. We’re gonna have to that everything is being body together is sport,” work it all out.” — PTI GAMES pg 16 DECCAN CHRONICLE | CHENNAI | FRIDAY | 20 MARCH 2020

SHORT TAKES Cosmopolitan ‘B’ WTA, ATP suspend season till June 7 register easy win Washington: All men’s and women’s professional tennis DC CORRESPONDENT G 2-6, 6-2 6-4). tournaments through June 7 CHENNAI, MARCH 19 Zone D: Madras Cricket are being called off because of Club ‘M’ bt Madras United the new coronavirus pandemic. Cosmopolitan Club ‘B’ com- Club 2-1 (V Rangarajan/K The ATP and WTA announced prising Lohith Aksha Sundarrajan lost to F on Wednesday that the entire Bathirath and Deepak Abdullah/Gautam Ganesh clay-court circuit “will not be Senthil Kumar defeated 1-6, 6-2, 3-6; Rahul held as scheduled” — a day Gandhinagar ‘A’ (Adith Dodla/Prithvi Reddy bt Ali after the start of the French Prasad and Dhananjay Asgher Shakir Abbas Open, also played on that sur- Athreya) 6-2, 6-1 in the Zone /Parkash Dorai 6-2, 6-2; face, was postponed from May A tie of TNTA Chennai Mukund to September. City Club Tennis League Subramanian/Bharathguru The tours had said last week Championship. N bt Mustafa they would suspend play until Results: Zone A: Zainuddin/Siddiqul Akbar late April or early May. Cosmopolitan Club ‘B’ bt Seyed 6-1, 6-1). Zone F: The tournaments affected by Gandhinagar ‘A’ 2-1 (Lohith Anna Nagar K Block ‘C’ bt the tours’ suspensions include Aksha Bathrinath/ Deepak IIT Madras ‘B’ 3-0 (V.T. combined men’s and women’s Senthil Kumar bt. Aadith Kumaran/K. events in Madrid and Rome. Prasad/ Dhananjay Aravindakshan bt Rajesh Also being scrapped are Athreya 6-2, 6-1; Prithvi Ravindran/Anuradha upcoming WTA tournaments in Sekhar/Rishi Paventhan Banerjee 1-6,6-1,6-2; M.S. Strasbourg, France, and Rabat, lost to Jeevan Venkatachalam/V.Samyuk Morocco, along with ATP events Nedunchezhiyan/Moham tha bt Mahesh in Munich; Estoril, Portugal; med Riaz Ansari 4-6, 2-6; Panchagnula/V.S Geneva; and Lyon, France. VimalrajSubramanya 6-1,6-3; Both tours also said that their Jayachandran/Gokul Aslam Mohamed/ Ramesh rankings will be frozen “until Greek actress Xanthi Georgiou (right) dressed as an ancient Greek high priestess stands by the Olympic flame during the olympic flame han- Suresh bt. Arjun Venkataraman bt M. further notice.” The Ramanathan/ Srikanth dover ceremony for the Tokyo Summer Olympics in Athens on Thursday. — AFP Mahadeva/Arjun Rathnam International Tennis Federation 4-6,7-5,6-3).Ransa Sports Vedantam 6-4, 4-6,7-6(4); also put a halt to its lower-tier Club ‘A’ bt Anna Nagar ‘K’ Mylapore Club ‘B’ bt events until June 7. — AP Block ‘B’ 2-1 (Nishanth YMCA Nandanam Club ‘B’ Panneer/Mohit R.S bt. 2-1 (Gopal Raja/Rudr Vijayakumar Rajasingh/ Gutgutia Uttaam bt K.N. Jovic flouts rules, Nishanth Madhivanan 6- Pannirselvam/K.L 4,6-2). Zone B: Hemanth Kumar 6-1, 6-3; Cosmopolitan Club ‘A’ A. Yuvashri/V Sairamesh police picks him up Beat Madras Gymkhana lost to Jaishankar Belgrade: Real Madrid striker Put off Tokyo: Gopi Club ‘A’ 3-0 (C Rameez S/Govindarajan Srinivasan Luka Jovic is being investigated Samad/ bt M P 6-2,4-6,4-6; Sriganesh by Serbian authorities for Shankar/Vignesh Bhasker Raman/ RN Raghunathan allegedly flouting a mandatory 6-0,6-2; Salman Yasser bt Rajasekaran self-isolation measure after Better to delay Games, says badminton coach Firdouse/G P Balaji bt. B/Loganathan Kesavan 6- returning home from a coron- Ganesh Amarnath/Murali 7(3), 6-2, 6-4) avirus-infected state, local New Delhi, March 19: Padmanabhan 7-6(4), 6-4; Cosmopolitan Club ‘C’ bt media reported Thursday. India’s chief badminton KarthikIndiranagar Sports Club ‘C’ The 22-year-old Jovic returned coach Pullela Gopichand Kailash/Shivakumar Palani 3-0 (Tomy John/ R. from Spain last week and was believes the Tokyo bt. Sundeep Bathija Lokesh Balakrishnan bt R seen on the streets of Belgrade Olympics should be post- /Niranjan Kumar 6-3,7-5); Kripa and pictured at his girlfriends’s poned given the unprece- Presidency Club ‘A’ Beat Ramanan/Krishnamurthy birthday party. dented crisis that the Nungambakkam Tennis Keshavamurthy 6-1,6-0; Serbian state of emergency law world is facing due to the Club ‘C’ 2-1 (Sriram Raju MGM Kaarthik/D. introduced as an effort to stop Covid-19 pandemic. /Prashanth Ganesh lost to Manivannan bt Madhavan the spread of the coronavirus The call to defer the Saran Anish/Siddharth Mukund/Anand Mohan 6- calls for all those returning Olympics, scheduled to be Reddy 1-6,1-6; Manu 3, 6-1; S Palaniswamy Raja from states battling the virus to held in Tokyo from July 24 Vergis/Abhinav Sanjeev / R Murugan bt Kumaran self-isolate for up to 28 days. to August 9, is growing Shanmugam bt Madhan Ramalingam/ Udaykumar Without mentioning Jovic, after most of the major Kumar/Arnold Inigo 6-1, 6- 6-0, 6-0);Guhan Rajan Serbian officials have blasted sporting events were 4; Manav Jain/ /Subash Paramasivam bt “millionaire” football players for either cancelled or post- Arunadithya S S bt Ramprakash flouting the measure. poned due to the deadly Sathishkumar Ravishankar/Rajesh “The fact that they are known outbreak. Venkataraman/Madhavan Doraisamy 6-1,6-0). sportsmen, and that they are The International rich, will not stop them from Olympic Committee being punished,” Serbian (IOC), however, said on Interior Minister Nebojsa Wednesday it expects the Stefanovic said Thursday. — AP Games to begin on time. No trials, events, “I have my doubts about the Olympics. It is not like it is far away. The prepara- Italian boss hopes tion has to start now. So, for May resumption the IOC has to take a call advises ministry now for everyone to ● Milan: Italian football federa- relax,” Gopichand said. New Delhi, March 19: All sport organis- tion (FIGC) president Gabriele “I think, in the present The sports ministry on ations and their Gravina expressed his hope scenario, with the health Thursday advised all affiliated units were Italian League would resume on scares and all the travel National Federations to advised against May 2 with a possible finish in restrictions and all, it is a refrain from conducting July at the latest. tough time and at the tournaments and selection holding any sports All Italian sport has been sus- moment the whole world trials till April 15 besides events, including pended until April 3 as a result is thinking about health asking them to ensure that competitions or of the coronavirus pandemic and safety for its citizens, India’s only badminton player, who has confirmed her Tokyo spot, P. V. Sindhu, in this file photo. Olympic-bound athletes selection trials till which has killed 2,978 people in so I think given the situa- are isolated from anyone April 15, the sports the country and forced the tion it is better if the who is not a part of their postponement of Euro 2020. Olympics are postponed,” training camp. ministry advised the “I don’t even want to think that he added. The directive has been Indian Olympic we won’t start again, it would necessitated by the Covid- Association and be a hiatus, it would worry me OLYMPICS COULD BE 19 pandemic which has DELAYED, ADMITS COE World bodies support IOC NSFs via a letter. for our country,” Gravina said. wreaked havoc on sporting “We’re working on the hypoth- World athletics chief Geneva, March 19: Many athletes are Comments from looming Olympics events across the globe. demands of athletes, spec- esis of starting again on May 2 Sebastian Coe admitted Regional Olympic offi- concerned about Thomas Bach are “tone The fresh advisory puts a and completing the champi- that the Tokyo Olympics cials are rallying around tators organisers. Keep question-mark on the staying in the training onships possibly going into could be moved to later in the IOC and have backed qualifying events deaf”.The instinct to them safe. Call it off,” upcoming Indian Grand campus be allowed to inter- July if we don’t achieve it by the year by the coron- its stance on opening the being cancelled, but keep safe (not to men- Pinsent wrote. Prix of athletics that is to act or mingle with trainee June 30,” he added. The FIGC avirus outbreak, but said Tokyo Games as sched- there were still four tion obey govt instruc- be held on Friday. athletes without following president welcomed the post- it was too early to decide. uled, as direct criticism months to go until tions to lock down) is INDIAN OLYMPIC “All sport organisations quarantine protocols.” ponement of the European Olympic bosses from gold medalist ath- the games are set not compatible with ASSOCIATION BACKS IOC and their affiliate units are to be opened. We athlete training, travel IOA STAFF TO WORK Championship until 2021, stat- acknowledged there was letes built amid the coron- Skepticism is sweeping advised against holding FROM HOME ing as far as they were con- no “ideal” solution as a avirus outbreak. will keep acting in and focus that a through the world but the any sports events, includ- cerned “national championships growing number of ath- Leaders of continental a responsible way in looming Olympics Indian Olympic Assoc- ing competitions or selec- The staffers at the Indian have priority”. — AFP letes expressed concern. Olympic groups praised the interests of the demands of athletes, iation on Thursday tion trials till 15th April, Olympic Association (IOA) “That is possible, any- the IOC after a conference athletes. spectators organisers. backed the IOC’s asser- 2020,” the ministry said in will be asked to ‘work from thing is possible at the call on Wednesday to — THOMAS BACH, Keep them safe. Call it tion that the upcoming a letter to the Indian home’ from the next week moment,” said Coe when update them on coron- President of off. Tokyo Olympics will Olympic Association and with the sports body set to asked whether the Games avirus four months before NSFs. International Olympic — MATTHEW PINSENT, weather the Covid-19 pan- suspend majority of its could be postponed to the opening ceremony demic and be held on time It also asked federations operations from its head- MONACO F1 September or October. “We are living through Committee British Rowing great without a glitch. to not allow any non- quarters in the wake of “But I think the position an unpredictable crisis “The coronavirus is cre- camper athlete, coach or coronovirus outbreak. GP GETS that sport has certainly and as such, it is impor- Olympic champion to athletes,” Bach said. ating havoc throughout support staff in Olympic “The IOA will start work taken, and it was certain- tant that we have one poli- urge postponing the British rowing great the world but we are hope- trainin1g camps without from home facility for its ly the temperature of the cy, expressed by the IOC, games. Matthew Pinsent wrote on ful it will be contained in following proper quaran- staff from Monday. We are POSTPONED room in the conversation I and we follow that policy Bach acknowledged that Twitter that the com- one or two months. IOC is tine protocols for the currently ensuring that all Paris: The Monaco Grand Prix had the other day with the in unison,” the Italy-based many athletes were con- ments from Bach, his for- our parent body, we will COVID-19 pandemic. back-up systems are in was among three more Formula IOC and our other federa- European Olympic cerned about qualifying mer IOC colleague, were have to abide by what the The ministry’s two-point place for a smooth func- One races to be postponed on tions, is that nobody is Committees said. events being cancelled, “tone deaf.” IOC decides. If the IOC directive states: “No expo- tioning from home. The Thursday because of the coron- saying we will be going to However, when the but noted that there were “The instinct to keep says the Olympics will go sure to athlete be allowed coronavirus is becoming avirus outbreak. the Games come what International Olympic still four months to go safe (not to mention obey on we will have to partici- from outside in the campus serious day by day and we The Dutch and Spanish GPs, may. But it isn’t a decision Committee published an until the games are set to govt instructions to lock pate irrespective of any where training is under- can’t risk our employees. scheduled for earlier in May, that has to be made at this interview with its presi- be opened. “We will keep down) is not compatible threat,” a senior offical way. No coach, Like any other profession- were also called off by govern- moment,” Coe added. dent, Thomas Bach it acting in a responsible with athlete training, said. technical/support staff al organisation, we will go ing body FIA. — Agencies prompted a four-time way in the interests of the travel and focus that a — Agencies athlete etc presently not in by the government’s advi- The first seven races of the training camp and not sory on this matter. — PTI season have now been post- poned, with organisers saying they will only begin the 2020 championship “as soon as it’s ACCEPT PAY CUT, FEDERATION CUP PUSHED, safe to do so.” European football in a huddle Regarding the latest post- SCOTTISH CLUB INDIAN GP CANCELLED ponements, Formula One and Geneva, March 19: Top You have no idea if it is going to be possible to Tuesday to postpone Euro the FIA said they were taking football leagues across play football at the end of May or the middle of 2020. Clearing several New Delhi, March 19: The Athletics Federation of these decisions “in order to Europe are searching for June or even afterwards. Liquidity is the major weeks for club competi- INFORMS TEAM India on Thursday cancelled the Indian Grand Prix ensure the health and safety of the earliest possible dates problem now. tions to continue in late hours before it was to begin, paying heed to the gov- the traveling staff, champi- to resume games if the May and June and maybe Glasgow, March 19: ernment’s directive to avoid conducting competitions onship participants and fans, coronavirus pandemic — LARS-CHRISTER OLSSON, an unprecedented move Hearts have asked their till April 15 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. which remains our primary con- allows. Chairman of the 29-nation European into July became players and staff to accept The event was scheduled to be held at NIS Patiala. cern.”— AP They must make a plan, Leagues group Europe’s top priority. their pay being cut by half Next month’s Federation Cup National Senior after governing body To achieve sporting in order to stave off trou- Championships (April 10-13), a qualifying event for the UEFA this week post- integrity, European foot- bles brought on by the Tokyo Olympics, has been postponed to a later date. poned its European resolve the most valuable Lars-Christer Olsson, ball wants to award titles, Covid-19 pandemic, the The development came after hours after the Sports Regd. No. Championship to 2021 to domestic competition in chairman of the 29- decide promotion and rel- Scottish Premiership club Ministry advised all national federations to refrain TNENG/2010/35692 give clubs a chance to fin- football world. nation European Leagues egation places, and con- said. from conducting competitions and selection trials till ish their seasons. Still, any forward plan- group, told The firm entries to next sea- Owner Ann Budge has April 15 and enure that Olympic-bound athletes are Printed & Published by Italy’s Serie A said it ning seems a win for hope Associated Press in an son’s Champions League taken the drastic cost-cut- isolated from anyone who is not a part of their train- T. Venkateswarlu on behalf of hopes to play on May 3. over expectation during interview. and Europa League. ting measure amid finan- ing camps. The directive has been necessitated by the Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited Romania’s top-tier league the near-total shutdown “Liquidity is the major To avoid financial and cial fears that football will Covid-19 pandemic which has wreaked havoc on sport- and Printed at says not before May 16. In that threatens the problem now,” Olsson, a legal peril, games are be out of action for ing events across the globe. Deccan Chronicle Presses situated Sweden, clubs asked to finances of some leagues former UEFA general sec- needed to fulfill broad- months due to the pan- “The Indian GP at Patiala will not be held on Friday. at SP 3, Developed Plot, Industrial Estate, move their opening day and hundreds of clubs. retary, said in a telephone casting contracts that demic. Currently sitting It is unfortunate for the athletes but the health of Guindy, Chennai - 600 032. back to June from April 3. “You have no idea if it is interview from Sweden. have kept the soccer bottom of the Premie- Indian people is more important than sports. So, with RNI Registration No: TN ENG/2005/14987 On Thursday, the going to be possible to As head of the leagues’ industry booming even rship, Hearts are the first regret we took the decision to cancel the first Indian Ph Nos: 22254747, 22254748, 22254750, English Premier League’s play football at the end of group, Olsson is a mem- through the 2008 global British top-flight club to GP on Friday,” Volker Herrmann, High Performance 22254751 Editor: ADITYA SINHA 20 clubs will discuss May or the middle of ber of UEFA’s executive downturn. decide on wage cuts in a Director of the Indian athletics said. — PTI options to restart or June or even afterwards,” committee which decided — AP bid to stay afloat. — AFP