OCTOBER 11 - 17, 2020

HERE . NOW

A FACEOFF WITH PANDEMIC P 3,4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 SUNDAY POST OCTOBER 11-17, 2020 MIXED BAG

Popular for her feature ‘Leslie Show’ and motivational book ‘Because I Am a Girl’, -born Leslie Tripathy has so far done films in as many as 14 regional languages including Hindi. She is also a popular social media influencer. On non-working Sundays, she loves to visit old age homes and spend time with elderly persons.

Ace host When I am not shooting films, I make sure to host my talk show ‘Leslie Show’ because it has made me popular overnight. Foodie Though I am a foodie and love eating healthy food, I don’t know the ABCs of cooking. I am very Leslie with old-age home inmates lucky to be treated regularly by my friends who prepare amazing dishes. Fitness freak I have been keeping up with a rigorous gym routine. But that does not mean I miss out on my Gardener at yoga sessions. When I heart don’t go for gyming, I practice yoga. I am quite a green thumb. So, I love gardening and growing plants. On Prolific writer non-working Sundays, I take care of them. I enjoy reading and writing books. I am a diehard fan of books authored by my dad Care for elderly Dr Sailendra Narayan Tripathy, a professor in I love my grandparents like English. anything. I visit old age homes frequently to spend time with senior citizens when I miss my grandparents.

RASHMI REKHA DAS, OP

LET’S BE KIND MISSING LOCAL STORIES LETTERS

Sir, The cover story in the last edition of Sir, I am a regular reader of Sunday POST but of Sunday POST Voices for the Voiceless was thought late I have been missing local filmy stories in provoking. Being an animal lover, I loved the Tinsel Town page as such stuff add zing to the write-up. I feel there are many who inflict atrocities page. Recently, shooting of films have been on the animals intentionally and derive pleasure from resumed, so there is no reason why the readers causing harm to them. People too abuse animals to shouldn’t get to know about the development. exhibit their ‘superiority’, though they are no way As Odia films are not streaming on OTT plat- superior to them. Not only animals, they don’t spare forms, fans don’t get opportunities to watch even their family members and relatives. Thus, cruel- them. Being a film buff, I would like to go ty towards animals should be taken seriously by the through some local entertainment stuff in society as well as the law enforcement agencies. In Sunday supplement. One thing I must say I liked recent years many cases of animal cruelty have been reading the cover article To Sir With Love A WORD FOR READERS witnessed in . Animal abuse can only be stopped appeared soon after the demise of legendary Sunday POST is serving a if exemplary punishment is awarded to the offenders. actor Ajit Das. I would like to see more such articles in coming days. platter of delectable fare every week, or so we hope. We want readers to interact with us. Please SHAILABALA SAHOO, KOLKATA send in your opinions, queries, MEENAZ AFSAR ALI, JAGATSINGHPUR comments and contributions to [email protected] B-15, Industrial Estate, Rasulgarh, Bhubaneswar – 751010, Orissa. Phone (0674) 2549982, 2549948 SUNDAY POST OCTOBER 11 - 17, 2020 COVER

Expenditure of Covid treatment at a Hyderabad hospital is not less than `1 lakh a day on critical care which is nowhere near the affordable level of an average Indian

PSMRAO had anticipated. Admitting COVID patients to a hospital is not an easy task; the situation have got over the Corona disease, is not like: you call an emergency number but not the shocks it created. Eight and an ambulance appears at your doorsteps of our ten-member joint family were in good time and you get into a hospital where afflicted. And our misfortune: the the medics take your full care and treat you youngestI of our brothers succumbed to the with empathy. It needs a lot of effort to find pandemic and the rest are safe, like me. a good hospital and enormous persuasion to Achyuta Rao was dear, not only to all the get admitted into it; market forces principles family members and acquaintances but to of supply and demand strictly apply to health many children, in the two Telugu speaking business and its profit maximisation approach states, to protect whose rights he vowed to becomes clearly visible when your need becomes fight till his last breath and he kept his promise; compulsive like during COVID times. no exaggeration! I am not detailing here on Somehow, we could get both their admissions what he did as it falls outside the scope of into two facilities of the same corporate this article. hospital. But our ordeal did not end there. Our instant fear, after testing positive, was Things do not move fast enough, at the hos- not about COVID per se but about facing pitals, to provide timely relief to the patients; the dreaded disease in the background of our procedures and financial matters take precedence poor healthcare system. over the patients’ health condition. We were asked to pay money in advance, before ad- THE HOSPITAL ORDEAL mitting and the beginning of every procedure Yes, our fears came true. When two of my and medication at the hospital. brothers – including the one we lost – urgently The hospitalisation charges for seven days' hospital were not generous enough to give The temperature continued unabated, needed hospitalisation, the actual trauma we stay of my deceased brother was Rs. 10 lakhs. that much discount in the end! The three peaked to 104.4º on the fifth day and settled experienced was much worse than what we It would be higher by Rs.1,097.32 if the days’ hospitalisation cost of the other brother at 103º for the next two days and turned was Rs.4.4 lakhs! Given the state of our normal from the eighth day. My sore throat healthcare system, the hospital conditions which started mildly on Day-2, worsened could not be but hostile to the people. and peaked on Day -3 when swallowing any- thing was a hell. But the pain started receding MY FACEOFF WITH CORONA on Day 4 and totally disappeared on Day 5. Before commenting on our healthcare The medicines my doctor prescribed were: system, let me detail my battle with Corona. 1. Azithromycin 500 2. Dolo -650 3. Levocet- I did not go to any hospital because of the M 4. Vitamin C 5. Zincovit 6. Fluvir 7. fear of rejection there, ‘no room for a corona Fabiflu and Vit D3 60K patient’ and the fear of inhospitable treatment When the temperature was at its highest, at the hospitals. Fortunately, my ailment level 104.4, on the fifth day, the doctor gave me a was also not so dreadful as requiring inevitable course of Dexamethasone 6 mg/day. The first hospitalisation although my family doctor dose of this medicine caused some nausea but on and off suggested its impending need. fortunately subsided with eating a clove. This My COVID infection from the get-go. It was followed by a five-day course of all began, during a midnight, with fever, Methylprednisolone – starting with a daily dose chills and shaking, though for a brief spell. of 40mg and tapering it off to 8 mg on the The temperature measured 102º F. The rapid fifth day. So, the medicines given can be classified test conducted the next day showed me as to include, antiviral, antibiotic, antipyretic, COVID ‘positive’. antihistamine, steroids and some vitamins. SUNDAY POST OCTOBER 11 - 17, 2020 COVER

My diet included plenty of fruit, vegetables, AILING HEALTHCARE curds and an egg a day and the other usual Reverting to our healthcare system, the stuff. Consumed a lot of lemons, drank luke- government-run hospitals are not equipped warm water and regularly used steam inhalation to effectively deal with the pandemic; they during the first few days. Also, I kept ready do not evoke confidence among people. with me a pulse oximeter and a thermometer Not the ordinary people, but the senior to keep tracking my temperature and oxygen government functionaries including the min- saturation levels. My oxygen saturation levels isters, when afflicted, rush to what they con- had been around 95 most of the time and sider the best private hospitals, not to the never went below 90-92 making it compulsory government hospitals where they have better to get admitted into a hospital. access than the ordinary. These are only my experiences and I The private hospitals, needless don’t recommend to anyone to say, are commercial in nature; to exactly follow what I did their motive is profit. because the symptoms COVID has turned a and treatment choices good business need not be the opportunity for same for every them. As our COVID affected. own experience The best thing at Hyderabad is to follow shows, the ex- your doctor’s penditure for advice. The es- COVID sential things treatment for everyone should hospital care do are: keep phys- is astronom- ommended by the expert committees like Economics & Policy. ical (I hate to call ical – not less that of Dr Srinadha Reddy’s and the Planning The nexus between corporate hospitals, it social) distanc- than Rs 1 lakh a Commission's long back. pharma companies and doctors have increased ing, wear masks, day on critical care. Because of the governments’ low spending, the risks and costs of healthcare to such an wash hands, use This is nowhere near 72% of rural and 79% of urban spells of extent that millions of middle-class Indians sanitisers and avoid the affordable level of an ailment are treated in the private sector as descend into poverty when they fall sick; catching the pandemic. And average Indian. Clearly, the per the 71st round National Sample Survey. every year, more than 3.5 crore people fall if you somehow get infected, healthcare system is not geared Despite the government's boasting of its below the poverty line due to illness. do not panic – that is very important. to people’s needs. measures, a high 86% of the rural population Then, the study of the Institute of Health More important: don’t stigmatize COVID The public spending on the health sector and 82% of the urban population are not Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), has found disease but empathize with the infected and in India is abysmally low; it has been just a covered under any government-supported India to be ranked low, at 158 among 195 extend a helping hand. It is possible to help little over 1% of the GDP; much below the health scheme. countries, in human capital; one notch below them without being infected in the process world’s average of 6%. The allocation in the Overall, the health infrastructure is inad- Sudan’s 157. India’s poor quality of education with necessary precautions like maintaining 2020-21 budget of Rs.69,000 crore, though equate. For instance, there is only one allopathic and high prevalence of certain diseases were a safe physical distance from them. For a 10% hike over the previous year’s, was just government doctor for every 10,926 people the culprits, in halting its progress. instance, my daughter who lives close by equal to 0.30% of the anticipated GDP of in India against the WHO's recommended used to leave the food at our doorsteps four Rs.2,24,89,420. All the state governments doctor-population ratio of 1:1000. There is NEW POLICIES NO SOLACE! times a day for almost two months for all put together spend another about 0.75% a shortage of 6,00,000 doctors and 20,00,000 Unfortunately, the so-called health sector the ten family members and our pharmacist equivalent of the GDP. Thus, the total spending nurses in the country as per the report of reforms do not address the root cause for the used to drop the medicines there. is much below 2.5 to 3% of the GDP, rec- the US-based Center for Disease Dynamics, malady – commercialisation of the sector. The recently launched Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana-Ayushman Bharat (PMJAY-Ayushman Bharat), too, cannot be a substitute for universal healthcare. The peripheral changes to the system are not going to bring any succor to the country with over 1.3 billion population and with 70% of them without the capacity to meet the expenditure essential to life. Similarly, the recently launched National Digital Health Mission and the National Health ID, which is going to be a repository of health-related information of the people, is unlikely to bring any positive changes in the healthcare system. If at all, the information will help the medical insurance companies to design their tariff policies and to reduce their risk, which means increasing the premium costs for users. Hope the COVID wrought destruction and the resultant indignation of the people would now make the governments rethink and act to de-commercialise the health sector. Brining in a universal healthcare system free from commercial insurance interest is not the government’s magnanimity but it is its duty since health protection is people’s fun- damental right under Article 21 as held by the Supreme Court. So, to act quickly is the government’s duty and not to act amounts to its continued dereliction. The author is a Development Economist and commentator on Economic and Social affairs. He can be reached at [email protected] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 SUNDAY POST OCTOBER 11 - 17, 2020 LEISURE Nostalgia chugs along

HAVING DUTIFULLY pacted the railways- the eco- forward. One moment of sheer fright, as the nomic lifeline of the country. dacoits stomped outside, a scream -"Arre, TRANSPORTED THOUSANDS Prior to the Utkal Express’ debut, pas- asli Mumtaz kaun hai ?" information gleaned OF PASSENGERS DAILY FOR Mahanandia’s four- sengers from Odisha had to travel to Howrah from the passenger lists pasted outside on OVER FIVE DECADES, THE month long, adventure-filled bicycle ride and board a -bound train to reach the the coaches, hysterical laughter and a few from New Delhi to Gothenburg in 1977 to national capital. The exercise cost them more, thumps on our door, as their footsteps faded. ICONIC TRAIN HAS BEEN LEFT meet the love of his life, Von Schedvin, is and also, almost an extra day. The first class carriages were robbed. We STRANDED FOR 200 DAYS, considered a modern day epic of romance. So, when Utkal Express started rolling, were lucky". Recently, he was appointed as an Advisor for “There was tremendous excitement among Luck aided her, once more, on the same SINCE THE NATIONAL Art and Culture to the Swedish government. the people, everyone was happy,” remembers stretch. LOCKDOWN WAS “That gesture of Mrs. Mahanandia touched eminent writer and former general manager “Two years later,” she narrated to Orissa all of us in the coach. We were on board the (South Eastern Railway) Satakadi Hota. POST, through email, “My two younger ANNOUNCED MARCH 24. Utkal Express, the only train on that route, Today, even, in the presence of faster, ‘classy’ sisters were to join my college- Indraprastha then,” reminisces, Mohanty. cousins- the Rajdhani and Duronto- the Utkal College for Women, Delhi University. My DEBI MOHANTY Introduced in 1969, the 18477/78, Kalinga Express hasn’t lost its charm. It continues to parents and five sisters drove to Jharsuguda Utkal Express (commonly referred to as offer its loyal passengers a varied experience: to catch the Utkal Express. early 37 years ago while travelling Utkal Express), incidentally, was the first incredible landscapes, history, valour, architecture As fate decreed, the train screeched to a from Bhubaneswar to Bilaspur, former train to connect Odisha with Delhi. It ran and mythology. And thrill. halt in the Chambal Valley....my heart palpitated, NIndian Railways officer, G K Mohanty, between and New Delhi/Hazrat Recounting her experience, nomadic we all sat still. The coach doors were locked was surprised to notice a young lady, Charlotte Nizamuddin, before being extended to teacher, writer and an arranger of words, quickly by railway personnel. Von Schedvin - one of his co-passengers in , in 2005. During its 2367 kilometer Jayshree Tripathi had once written: Luckily for us, the dacoits got into the the first class compartment- collecting, used and forty-eight hour long haul, the train, "This brings back memories of the 1970s. first class carriages and after a lot of commotion, Kulhads (earthen tea cups), lying on the merrily, whistles past 76 stations, large and Of train journeys on the Utkal Express, to rode away on their horses!” coach and corridor. ‘How can one throw small, across ten states. Delhi from Sambalpur in Odisha…. The Columnist and businessman, Shyam such beautiful handmade objects?’ she asked However, after having dutifully transported train weaved through the Chambal Valley Agrawalla still cherishes his memories. “We herself, silently. thousands of passengers daily, for over five and often took 30 hours on its serpentine called it the “Bharat Darshan’ Express. I She was accompanying her husband, Odisha- decades, the iconic train has been left stranded route… In 1974, our train was held up by travelled on it to Tatanagar several times; born Swedish artist, Pradyumna Kumar ‘PK’ for 200 days, since the national lockdown dacoits on one such journey. We were two post dinner, we used to board at Bhubaneswar. Mahanandia, on their visit to the latter’s was announced March 24. This month October students in a Ladies Coupe, Third Class / Though the distance was short, much to our brother, a senior railway officer, posted at 1, quietly, she turned 51. Three Tier and sat frozen for what seemed convenience, it reached us the next morning. Bilaspur. The Covid 19 pandemic has severely im- endless hours, before the train chugged Utkal allowed us to sleep well,” laughs Agrawalla. However, hundreds of its passengers had a terrible time three years ago. In a tragic incident in 2017, fourteen coaches of the Haridwar bound train jumped the tracks in Khatauli- nearly 40 km from Muzaffarnagar (UP)- killing 23 people and injuring more than 150. It was the saddest day in her ca- reer. Contrary to the general perception that it’s easy to avail a reserved berth in it, railway authorities claim that like other express trains, Utkal’s seat occupancy has always been high and ‘sometimes more than 100 percent.’ “It’s been a well patronised train,” puts ex chief commercial manager (South East Central Railway, Bilaspur), Krupa Sagar Sahoo. According to him, apart from others, scores of poor people, including men and colorfully attired women belonging to the nomadic Banjara community in MP and travel by this train. Majority of them depend on it for a living. “They sell herbs, fried chameleons, tabiz, medicines for snake bites and enhancement of sexual prowess. But, they never beg,” asserts Sahoo, a recipient of the Odisha Sahitya Akademi award. Covid has derailed the lives of, even, the A stationary Kalinga Utkal Express waiting for a signal poor Banjaras. Indirectly, though. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 SUNDAY POST OCTOBER 11 - 17, 2020 TINSELTOWN Disha wows Katrina returns Tiger with on set after a long break butterfly kick atrina Kaif has joined the band- Kwagon of celebs, who have resumed work after a long break due to the pan- ctress and fitness enthusiast Disha demic. The diva even took to social APatani shared a video performing the media to share her excitement on butterfly kick that has left her rumoured resuming work with a happy post. beau Tiger Shroff gushing. Taking to Instagram, Katrina shared In her new Instagram video, Disha pulls a picture wherein she can be seen posing off the butterfly kick without any aid and for the lens while her team donned the flawlessly. PPE kit. While fans are excited to see “Butterfly kick (butterfly and flower their favourite star return on the sets, emoji),” she captioned the image. Katrina shared this picture using “Clean,” commented Tiger, with a fire emoticons to express her feelings. and clap emoji. With more than 40 million followers Tiger’s mother Ayesha Shroff comment: on Instagram itself, Katrina has been “Wowwwwww deeeeshu.” keeping her fans on their toes with her Disha is currently busy shooting for the unmissable posts. From sharing a glimpse upcoming film Radhe, which features su- of herself doing household work to perstar Salman Khan in the starring role, motivating all with her workout posts, along with Randeep Hooda. The film is Katrina has been winning over the directed by Prabhudeva. Internet with her social media posts. Salman recently shared On the professional front, Katrina his happiness on re- Yash resumes will soon be seen in Rohit Shetty’s cop suming shoot for drama Sooryavanshi along with Akshay the film after al- shoot for KGF 2 Kumar. AGENCIES most seven Kannada superstar Yash has months. started shooting for the sequel of Disha too has KGF. Shooting for the much- the starring role in hyped film had been halted due KTina, produced by Ekta to the pandemic but with lockdown Kapoor. The film also features Akshay eased, the unit is back at work. Oberoi and Sunny Yash, who will return as Rocky Singh. IANS Bhai in the film, shared a photo on Instagram inform- ing his fans about resuming shoot. Actor Kartik Yash shared a Aaryan recently shared photo of himself a video in which he can be and captioned it: seen playing Table Tennis at his “Waves can’t be home. And guess what? He faced stopped but you can defeat at the hands of his sister, Kritika learn to sail..After a Tiwari. long break.. Rocky sets sail “Kittu ki khushi mere liye anmol hai... Isliye from today.” maine usse ‘Jeetne Diya’ #Sacrifice,” Kartik KGF 2 also features actor captioned the video, which he posted on Sanjay Dutt as Adheera, the his Instagram account. Kartik and antagonist of the story. his sister are imparting sibling goals IANS with their recent video. Reacting to the clip, actor Tiger Shroff commented: “Insane.” On the film front, Kartik will next be seen in Dostana 2 and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. During the lockdown, he entertained his fans and followers through his social media posts and his chat show Koki Poochega, wherein he interacted with Covid-19 war- riors. IANS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 SUNDAY POST OCTOBER 11 - 17, 2020 FOCUS

Combating International Day of Girl Child child porn menace With obscene images and videos are just clicks away, children should be encouraged to inform their parents if they come across such content, says Ghasiram Panda, national manager of Ending Child Marriage programme, Action Aid.

RASHMI REKHA DAS, OP such videos without victim’s knowledge. should inform But this is an organised crime as a racket is their parents ccording to the latest report of often involved in such activities. The accused if they come National Crime Records Bureau make money by selling such content online. across such (NCRB), Odisha has registered On the other hand, victims do not realise content. In the highest number of child pornog- how they get exploited. This is high time Odisha, raphyA cases in the country in 2019 for the the government framed strategies to curb parents second consecutive year. While Odisha has the menace and booked the culprits under find it witnessed 542 child pornography POCSO Act to award strin- diffi- cases, Bihar stood a distant sec- gent punishments.” cult to ond with 164 cases. Growing Ghasiram Panda, na- talk to misuse of Internet for circulating tional manager of Ending their child pornography and other Child Marriage pro- children obscene material is a matter of gramme, Action Aid, India, about sex. concern. Without exaggeration, says, “We should see the Children it can be said that children who positive side of the report would stop taking have been sexually abused often which claims Odisha has interest in such face severe and long-term psy- NAMRATA CHADHA registered highest number videos once the par- chological consequences. On of child pornography cases. ents start talking International Day of Girl Child, I believe it is because about the subject which Sunday POST speaks to a Odisha has not suppressed is so far being treated as few child rights activists to as- any cyber crime complaints taboo.” certain the reason behind the and registered almost all He further adds: “Lack of surge in such cases. the cases unlike other states. stringent policies on rights to privacy, Namrata Chadha, a former I feel more restrictions content regulation and pornography videos to member of the State should be imposed on easy is a major obstacle in this regard. earn easy Commission for Women and access to pornographic Raising awareness on child sexual money. Juvenile Justice Board, says, GHASIRAM PANDA sites by the Internet users. abuse and to stop it is a collective Thirdly, “Using a child for sexual activity There should be some reg- responsibility.” girls and recording the act is a heinous ulations. For example, the under crime. It is surprising to learn viewers of porn sites should Benudhara Senapati, di- the age that Odisha is recording highest submit their personal details rector of Childline, says, 18 are number of child pornography before watching the con- “Bhubaneswar, home to a being cases in the country. Though tent. In adolescence, young- large number of engineering trafficked Bihar stood second, the number sters do not know what colleges, is set to become an IT hub in near from rural areas of to Odisha of cases is much less than that to watch and what not to. future. Thousands of students get admissions every year. They are brought to be used in of Odisha. Now-a-days, every- Parents should treat their into these institutions every year. When they the making of obscene videos. Most impor-

one has access to the Internet BENUDHARA SENAPATI young children as friends, stay away from their parents, they experiment tantly, talking about sex is still considered a but most people do not know not guardians so that they with new things to battle homesickness. taboo in our state. While sex education in the consequences of committing cyber crime. can discuss their issues comfortably. They They get indulged in several types of cyber schools is yet to become a reality, parents The videos engaging children in sexual should teach their wards about the adverse crime for recreational purposes. During lock- feel uncomfortable to discuss the topic with activities are increasing due to their demand. effect of watching online pornography. down cyber crime cases have been multiplied. their children. These are few reasons for In the name of friendship or promising the Obscene images and video clips are just a Many youngsters became unemployed during which child pornography cases are rising in victim to marry, an accused manages to make click away from smartphone users. Children the lockdown. They started making such Odisha.” 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 SUNDAY POST OCTOBER 11 - 17, 2020 GLAM SLAM

Printed and published by Tathagata Satpathy on behalf of Navajat Printers and Media Pvt. Ltd. and printed at Navajat Printers, B-15 Industrial Estate, Rasulgarh, Bhubaneswar -751010, Odisha;Phone:(0674) 2549982, 2549948. Editor: Tathagata Satpathy, RNI No. ORIENG/2011/37159