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THE SUNDAY EXPRESS MAGAZINE SHINING KOLKATA,LATECITY DECEMBER20,2020 BRIGHT With the transition to 14PAGES,,`5.00 OTT platforms, the actors (EX-KOLKATA`7,`12INNORTHEASTSTATES&ANDAMAN) who owned the medium DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM PAGES 11, 12, 13

‘GIVE US FIVE YEARS FOR SONAR BANGLA’ SUNDAY STORY Shahsetstone,slamsMamata:you PAGE 7 willbealonebythetimeofelections Adhikari joins Twenty20 BJPwith TMC MP, in Premier nine MLAs League What happens when Kerala’s largest private RAVIKBHATTACHARYA The scoreboardshows the fall of 's wicketsatthe sector employer joins &ATRIMITRA Adelaide Oval in Australia on Saturday. AP panchayatdemocracy? MIDNAPORE,DECEMBER19

WELCOMINGTMC deserters intothe BJP fold to setthe tone 36/9: world didn’t end My ISOLATION forabitter campaign in whereassemblyelec- tions aredue next year,Union but maybe new India Aweeklywindowintolivesof Home MinisterAmit Shah India’snewsmakers,impact SaturdaytargetedTMC leader ofthepandemiconthem and Chief MinisterMamata needs an oldlesson Banerjee,saying “thisisjustthe PAGE 8 beginning” and “you will be True 36-9, the newlow for alone” by the time the polls start. SANDEEPDWIVEDI Indian cricket, hurts,but then ‘Was chef of my At apublic meeting in NEWDELHI,DECEMBER19 sports has ahabit of reminding house,saw Yo uTube Midnapore, the stronghold of everyone that even the best can recipes to cook forson’ former statetransportminister INDIAWILL continue to wear have theworstofdays.Nothing ADIL HUSSAIN who quit the masksand remain optimistic worked forIndia Saturday. There ACTOR TMC and joinedthe BJP along about the vaccine.Christmas will were no lucky breaksoreventhe with Bardhaman Purba MP Sunil still be next week.And Indian rub of the green. Kumar Mondal, nineMLAsand cricketers will turn up at the The day’s firsthour in Test severalothers, Shah sought a5- Amit Shah with Suvendu Adhikari in West Midnaporedistrict on Saturday(left); people at the rallyvenue. Partha Paul MelbourneCricketGround on matches is as muchabout balls WORLD year mandatefor the BJP and Boxing Dayhoping to squarethe beatingthe bat by millimetres promisedtoturn the state into series underastand-in captain. and edgesfallingjustshortof SonarBangla. What Boris Beckerfamouslysaid fielders as it is about the fall of He also claimedthat his party To BJP from TMC, Congress and CPM: in 1987,after the second-round wickets.However, it turnedout would form the next govern- loss at Wimbledon as the two- to be amiraculous dayin ment with 200seats–thereare time defendingchamp, should Adelaide–the ball movedthat 294seatsinthe stateassembly. Meet the ones who have crossed over give perspective to anation in weebit moretokiss the edge Urging the people to oustthe mourning.“Ihaven’t lostawar, and travelledjustthat much TMC, he singledout Banerjee: no one got killed, Ijustlostaten- longer to reachthe fielders. MODERNA VACCINE “Today, under theleadershipof Saturdayatthe public meeting Congress; severalTMC district The inductees: nis match.” On Saturday,everything was CLEARED,MILLIONS Suvendu bhai, all good people RAVIKBHATTACHARYA in Midnapore. leaders and councillors. Suvendu Adhikari (TMC The eight-wicketloss in edgedtothe ’keeper –“caught OF DOSES ADDED TO from the Trinamool,Congress &ATRIMITRA Among them are While the TMC dis- MLA,former stateminister): A Adelaide on Saturdaywas TimPaine” wasonthe clipboard U.S. SUPPLY and CPM have joinedthe BJP to MIDNAPORE,DECEMBER19 formerTMC heavy- missedthemasgood Congress ChhatraParishad India’s 168thinTestmatches of all online scorers. Having slept work under theleadership of weight and MLA riddance, leader at the ageof20, he joined and 30th in Australia.And not with the whiffofarare Test win TRUMP SIGNS CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 JOLTINGTHE ruling party in Suvendu Adhikari; their number,the the co-operative movement in forthe firsttime, India, acountry in Australia, India woke up to STOPGAP FUNDING West BengalwhereAssembly Bardhaman Purba MP rangeoftheir political af- Midnaporein1996. Threeyears with amodestawayTestrecord, watchthe Baggy Green huddle BILL TO AVOID GOVT RELATED REPORTS electionsare due before next SunilKumar Mondal; filiation and their expe- later,hejoinedthe TMC. During is trailing afterthe opening ruffling the hair of itsfast SHUTDOWN PAGE 4 summer,10TMC MLAs, an MP another six MLAs of TMC; one rience, BJP leaders said,were the movement, game on foreign soil. This isn’t a bowlers Josh Hazlewood (5/8) PAGE 10 and aformer MP joinedthe BJP MLAeachofCPI, CPM and straws in the shifting wind. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 time forself-loathing but self- and PatCummins (4/21) on loop. examination. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

LETTER-WRITERS UNDERLINECHALLENGES JKCA ‘money laundering’ probe: ED orders Moradabad ‘lovejihad’: Sonia meeting:Ice attachment of Farooq residence, properties After wife’s testimony, breaks but the chill dering probeintoacase involv- mentionedthe Sunjwan resi- DEEPTIMANTIWARY ing the Jammu and Kashmir dence,jointlyownedbyFarooq man, brotherreleased NEWDELHI,DECEMBER19 CricketAssociation (JKCA), from andson Omar Abdullah, and the within remains the time the NC leader headedit. ED reiterated this. AS THEDistrict Development The attachedproperties in- Refuting the allegations, Council (DDC) polls in Jammu clude Farooq's residence on Omar Abdullah said the proper- and Kashmir drew to aclose on GupkarRoad,residential prop- ties were ancestral. “The proper- Saturday, theEnforcement erties at Tehsil Katiporain ties attachedare largely ances- Directorateissuedorders for Tangmargand Bhatindi in tral dating from the 1970swith provisional attachment of prop- Sunjwan, Jammu, commercial the mostrecent one built before erties worthclose to Rs 12 crore buildings in Srinagar's posh 2003. Therecan be no justifica- belonging to formerchief min- Residency Road area, and land at tion forthe seizuresbecause isterand National Conference four different places in J&K. The Farooq Abdullah theyfailthe very basic test of leader Farooq Abdullah. The cumulative book value of the having been acquired as the pro- properties include the house on properties is Rs 11.86 crore, the ceeds of the 'crime' being inves- Srinagar's Gupkar Road where agency said. Roshni land scam in the Union tigated,” Omar said in atweet. Farooq lives. The Sunjwanproperty is also territory. Alistof“encroached He addedthat the familywas The orders were issuedin under the scanner in the inves- properties” publishedbythe ad- exploring legal options and “will connection withamoneylaun- tigation intotothe alleged ministration as partofthe probe CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Rashid Ali and Saleem Ali with familyafter their release in Congress leaders Ashok Gehlot, AmbikaSoni and AKAntony Moradabaddistrict of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday. Express afterthe meeting in NewDelhionSaturday. PTI MP: SDMS ATTACH PROPERTIESIN2CASES 5cases of non-payment amid drop in mandi trade ingly.The police said theyhad firm on theirdemands that in- ASADREHMAN foundnoevidenceagainst MANOJCG cludedinternalelectionsat alllev- &JIGNASASINHA Rashid Ali or his brother NEWDELHI,DECEMBER19 els and establishment of a“col- magistrates by forming ajoint manytraders have movedout by the 259mandisinMP LUCKNOW,NEWDELHI, Saleem,25. lective leadership mechanism.” IRAMSIDDIQUE committee and summoning of regulated mandi premises to droppedby4.48percent in DECEMBER19 Rashid wasgoing with Pinki, THE FIVE-HOUR-LONGmeeting FormerCongresspresident BHOPAL,DECEMBER19 the concernedparties,while procure grains from farmers in November compared with 22, to have their marriageregis- that Congress president Sonia Rahul Gandhi, it is learnt, in- traders areabsconding in two aprivate setup. Traders com- November last year. A22-YEAR-OLD man held un- teredonDecember 5when they Gandhi had Saturdaywith her dulged in some “plain speaking” WITH THE newfarmactscom- other cases, leaving the farm- ing to APMC mandisdropped To ensureeffectiveimple- der the newUttar Pradesh anti- were accostedbyalleged Bajrang colleagues, includingthe core but gave no indication on ingintoplayallowing deregu- ers in lurch and prompting the by 20.65 per cent in November mentation of the farm conversion lawinMoradabad Dal men, who accusedRashid of team of 23 leaderswho wrote whether he waswilling to return latedtrade outside mandi authorities to proceedwith withsix of the sevendivisions laws,soon afteritwas en- district and his brother were re- “love jihad”, and took them to to her seekingsweeping re- as Congress president. And apart premises in private tradearea, seizureofproperties. recording adropinbusiness. forced,awebinarwas organ- leasedonSaturdayafter two the police. Saleem waswith forms within, mayhavehelped from afew leaders–among them Madhya Pradesh has recorded This comes at atime when Ujjain’sAPMC mandi wasan isedfor the district administra- weeksinjail, following testi- them at the time. While Rashid break the ice but thechillisfar were Rajasthan Chief Minister five instances of non-payment the mandis areregistering a exception recording a24.49 tion staffatthe tehsil monybythe womanhewas al- and Saleem were arrested,Pinki from over. Ashok Gehlot, AKAntony, of dues of whichthree were re- decline both in their business per cent increase in business. level, Principal Secretary leged to have forcibly converted wassent to ashelter home. The letter-writers remained CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 solvedbythe sub-divisional as well as incomesbecause The overallrevenue generated CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 that she hadmarriedhim will- CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Bound for home, Tablighis talk of waiting kids, fight for justice

PAGE 1 ing exonerated. situation to you)... But Iam even failedtoprove the disobe- kept in rooms that turnedinto Theywereatthe Markaz fora ANCHOR “My mother sufferedtwo happy that truthhas prevailed,” dience of anyofthe directions” furnacesduring thesummer, but couple of hours. The couple's brain strokeswhile Iwas stuck Islam, who runs asteel work- issuedbythe authorities. at leastwecould move around,” three-year-old son has been in India. My old father and wife shop in Munshiganj district, says. Islam, afather of three, ar- he recalls. backhome in Brisbane all this had to take careofher,” says On December 15,aDelhi rivedinIndia on January20. He While on May9the Delhi while. SOURAVROYBARMAN Jahedul Islam, 32, from courtacquitted thelastofthe 36 wasatthe Tablighi Markaz in government ordered the release Amechanical engineer who NEWDELHI,DECEMBER19 Bangladesh.When he contacted foreign Tablighi Jamaat nation- Delhi foracongregation till of the Indian Tablighi members leftIndiain2004, Irfan says,“My the Bangladesh Embassy,he als, including Islam, charged March 5, before moving to from quarantinecentres, it di- wifeand Ihad registeredour ON THE surface, the Tablighi says,theytold him their en- with violating Covidguidelines Mewat, the founding place of the rected that the foreigners be names while entering the Jamaat members appear con- quiries regarding his status were when attending agathering in Islamic spiritual movement. He takenintopolice custody.On Markaz building, and Iguess that tent —looking forwardtogoing being stonewalled. “I getasense the Capital in March.Ofthe 952 wasdetainedand kept in two May28, the Delhi High Courtre- is wherethe police got our home andmeetingtheirloved that the Bangladesh government foreigners charged, 44 had cho- different quarantinecentres run leasedthem, allowing them to names and contacts from.We ones. But agentleprodding is miffedwiththe waywehave sentostand trialratherthan take by the Delhi government forover be shiftedtoalternative accom- had come to visit Delhi, and bringsforth theanguish,of been treated.” aplea bargain, and eight had twomonths. modations. Markaz waspartofour itinerary. spending nearly ayear in afor- However, Islam hastilyadds, been acquitted earlier. “Atthe Narela temporaryde- Irfan, 39, an Australian na- But we did notspend even a eign land, while facing public he is notcomplaining. “Etakintu Acquitting the 36, Chief tentionfacility,theylockedus tional, waspickedupalong with night there.” vilification, accusations of abhijog na, apnakekhali situa- Metropolitan MagistrateArun 36 foreigners chargedwith flouting Covid guidelines at a from outside, while providing his wifefromafriend's place in Irfan and his wifewereinde- spreadingapandemic, and a tion ta bolchilam (I am notcom- Kumar Gargpulledupthe police Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi have been acquitted. Express file what we needed, likefood, med- the Batla House area, wherethey tention for62days before getting long courttrial, before finallybe- plaining, Iamjustnarrating the and said “the prosecution has icines. At another place, we were had been staying since March 22. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Kolkata WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM 2 THE SECOND PAGE THE SUNDAY EXPRESS,DECEMBER20,2020

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Tablighis Ihad some infectionnearthe and Rawat. bank accounts, followedbysi- uterus and had lostmychild.” “It wasafree-wheeling dis- phoning of the funds,”the ED bail.“The government school Rashid said he had onlyjust cussion. Everyone participated. statement said. wherewewerekeptwas filthy cometoknowwhathad hap- Shah sets the tone, slams Mamata Whatever anyone had to say, While an FIR wasfiledinthe and we cleaned it ourselves. I pened.“ItoldtheBajrangDalmen wantedto say, hetookfulltimeto case in 2015,the CBI had fileda could notevengrasp what was my wifeispregnant, but they Narendra Modi. Didisays BJP did youdo? YouchangedMa, habilitation postAmphan was of Midnapore," he said. sayit,” saidBansal. “Nobody was chargesheetinJuly2018, charg- happeningwith me,” he says. hurledabusesatus.Theydragged engineers defections (dal- Mati,Manush to Tollbazi (ex- “pocketed” by Trinamool “Everyone is being called critical of Rahul Gandhi. ingFarooq,thenJKCA generalsec- Theytold their son, who studies us to apolice station and called badal). Didi, Ihavecome here tortion), Tushtikaran(appease- Congress “goondas”, as were out as an outsider. Who are Everybodysupportedhim.Soniaji retary Md Saleem Khan, then in Class 3, thattheywerestuck my in-laws.Wewerethenlocked to remind you: whichwas your ment), Bhatijavad(nepotism),” food grains sent during the outsiders? We areIndians first, said we all areone big familyand treasurerAhsan Ahmad Mirza duetothe lockdown.“Howelse up and sent to aquarantine cen- original party? Wasit he said. pandemic, and that the High and then Bengalis. We will save we all should work to strengthen and J&K Bank executive Bashir do youconvince achild?” Irfan tre.Iwasn’tableto meetmywife.” Trinamool Congress? When “The futureof10crore Courthad to order aCAG this pluralism. Iamnot hereto the party.Rahul Gandhi also Ahmad Misgar underRanbir says. Rashid addedthat Pinki and youleftCongress to form Bengalis, the futureofcroresof probe. be aboss. Suvendu will be a talked about strengtheningthe Penal Code provisions related to Abusiness development he metayear agoand she knew Trinamool Congress, wasn’t youths is notonher mind. She Speaking forthe firsttime worker in theparty.Ifthe party party.” criminalconspiracyandcriminal manager with afirm in Brisbane, allalongheisaMuslim.“Ihaven’t that defection?”. onlythinkswhen she can afterseveringties with the asksmetoput up flags, write Rahul said the party should breachoftrust. It alleged that he is worriedaboutretaining his cheated her or forced her.” “Today, whenBhai makeher nephewthe Chief TMC, Suvendu Adhikari graffiti on the walls, Iwill do it. prepareits workers, likesoldiers “Abdullahhadconnivedwiththe job givenhis long absence. Mishrasaidonlydoctorscould Suvendu,opposing injustice Minister,”hesaid. slammedthe leadership of his Ihavejuststarted.You will find inbattle,to clearly understandthe treasurer of JKCA and others for Afuaan, 52, the owner of an comment on Pinki'sclaims of and exploitation of people of Turning to the crowd, he former party. me in everybooth and neigh- Congress ideology and the pur- undue siphoning offand misap- advertising firm basedin having losther baby. Bengal, has leftyou to be with said: “You gave three decades AddressingShah, Adhikari bourhood. From tomorrow, I pose of their fight. Priyanka propriation of funds”. Indonesia'sSumatrathatdesigns Dr Nirmala Pathak,Acting Modiji, youthink it’s defection, to Congress,34years to CPM said, “He is my elder brother. willstart working to oustthe GandhiVadraspokeaboutshort- In February, theEDhad at- outdoor campaigns, says while ChiefMedicalSuperintendent of Didi? But Didi, this is justthe and 10 years to Trinamool He has acceptedmeinthe BJP Trinamool Congress from comingsintheorganization–the tachedassets to thetuneof Rs2.6 the courtverdict has lefthim Moradabad Mahila District beginning. By the time the Congress. Give us achance for Parivar. He has acceptedme power,”hesaid. needforinter-partycommunica- crorebelongingto twoaccusedin “largely happy”,apartofhisheart Hospital,wherePinkiwasadmit- elections come, youwill be five years and we will make intothe world’s largest party. Targeting Banerjee, tion and reaching out to the thecase,includingMirzaandMir would alwaysbesad at leaving tedtwice on complaintsofab- alone. Mamata didi probably Sonar Bangla.” When Ihad Covid recently, the Adhikari said: “You arecalling young. Manzoor Gazanffer. The twohad India,“alandwhereIlearntevery- dominal pain,while she wasat neverimaginedthe kind of He said people of Bengal, party Iserved for21years did me atraitor.In1998, youcould Intheend,Rahul,sourcessaid, been appointed to the JKCA fi- thing about life”. Afuaan fears he theshelter,didnotrespondto sev- tsunami Iamwitnessingin including farmers, were being notcallme. But Amit Shah did. notleave your house without spokeagain saying he had the nance committee by Farooq. maynot be able to returnasthe eral calls made by The Sunday Bengal.” deprivedofbenefitsofcentral My association with Amit Shah the blessings of Bharat Ratna highestrespectfortheseniorsand Centrehas blacklistedhis visa Express. Shah said therewas area- schemes. goes back. In 2014,hewas gen- Vaipayeeji.Who enteredinto that he and his sisterhad seen MP Mandi trade along with thatofthe 959 others. DistrictMagistrateRakesh son whysomanypeople were “Rs 6000 eachfromthe eral secretaryofBJP and wasin an alliance with who at that them working with his father as (Agriculture) Ajit Kesari told The “Mywifeandmy stafferstried Kumar Singh, Chief Medical deserting the TMC to join the NarendraModi government charge of eastern UP.Inasmall time?Who wasanNDA part- achild.Hesaidtheseniorsarethe Indian Express.“To help bring keeping the businessafloat. But Officer (CMO) Dr MCGargand BJP.“Apersonswitches to an- did notreachthe farmers of room at the old party office on ner at that time?Some people assets of the partyand eachone down suchinstances”ofnon- we have sufferedhugelosses...But Deputy CMO Dr Deepak Verma other party onlyafter careful Bengal. Farmers of Bengal have Ashoka Road, he gave me dar- aresaying that Iamleaving my of them brings to the table wis- payment, twoofficials have been yousee,we aretaughtnottocom- could notbereachedeither. thought. People who have been deprived, people of shan.” mother.Mymother’sname is dom and experience. assigned to keep atab of the sale plain or be bitter,” he adds, smil- DistrictProbation Officer joinedtodayhad once setout Bengal have been deprived,” he “Noone withself-respect Gayatri Devi. Iconsider her and One of the letter-writers, in the private tradeareaoutside ing. (Moradabad) Rajesh Chandra with the slogan of Ma, Mati, said. can stay there(in TMC).There the motherland my mother.I without taking the nameof mandi premises so anysuchcase AbdullahRamadhan, 23, is Gupta,who took PinkitoMahila Manush (the TMC slogan). No He claimedthat money is no trust, no respect. Icould cannotcall anyone else my Randeep Surjewala, referred to is subsequentlybrought to the from avillagenear Mount District Hospital aftershe com- party sloganisbad,but what sent by Modifor relief and re- notstaythere. That is the pride mother,” he said. his remarks Fridaythat all issues SDM’s notice, he said. “The farm- KilimanjaroinTanzania,wherehe plainedofpain, refusedtotalk in the party stood resolvedwith ers arefamiliar withmandi offi- teachesIslamicscripturesandas- about her condition. “You should the announcement of the next cialsandtheseissuesof non-pay- sists the familyinfarming. askthedoctorsaboutit.Mywork electionof theCongresspresident ment of dues would easilycome Explaining whyhechose to fight wastoget heradmitted to the Meet the ones whocrossed over to BJP and said that “if therewerenois- to theirnoticeasfarmersfrequent rather than take aplea bargain, hospital,”Gupta said. On sues, what wasthe needfor the the mandismorethan the SDM’s Ramadhan says,“It is simple. We December13, Gupta had said Adhikari became one of MLA): Startedhis political ca- Waselected TMCMLA from Sunil Mondal’sresidence meeting.” office.” firmlybelievedthat thecharges “fakenewsofgirl’s miscarriageis the important lieutenantsof reer as leaderofCongress Manteswar duringthe bye- with Adhikari afterhere- Theearliestcomplaintofnon- againstuswerewrong and un- beingcirculatedonsocialmedia”. . According ChhatraParishad. He later election in November 2016 af- signedasMLA. JKCAprobe payment wasrecorded on fair.” Sub-Divisional Magistrate to asection of the TMC,he joined theCongress. In 2006, terhis father andsitting MLA Banashree Maity (TMC fight all thesebaseless chargesin October 10 in Barwani district, SenioradvocateFuzailAhmad (SDM), Kanth, HimanshuVerma playedamajor role during the he switchedtoTMC. He was Sajal Panja passed away. MLA): Represents Kanthi the one place thatmatters -- a whentheSDMof Panselumtehsil Ayyubi,wholedthelegaldefence said he couldn't talk aboutthe al- 2011 assemblyelections made district youth president Became arebel in the last Uttar constituency of East courtoflaw”. NC sourcessaid wasapproachedbyafarmerfrom of theTablighis,says thecourtver- legedmiscarriage“sincethe dis- when the TMCsecured ama- of TMYC(Trinamool Youth three-four months. Midnapore. She is said to be Farooq has 140days to challenge Maharashtra'sDhuledistrictwho dict “reflectsthe capacity,inde- tricthospitalisnotinmyjurisdic- jority forthe firsttime. He was Congress) in 2009. Elected Dipali Biswas(TMC MLA): close to theAdhikari family. the attachment. had sold 270quintals of maize to pendenceandcompetenceof the tion”. Additional District MP from Tamlukin2009and MLAfromBarrackporein In the 2016 assemblyelection, She wonfromKanthi in 2011 Thepartydescribedtheaction twotradersfromPanseluminJuly Indianlowerjudiciary”,andisnot Magistrate(Administration) 2014.In2016, he resignedas 2011,hewas re-elected in Dipali Biswas contestedfrom and 2016. aspoliticalvendetta,meanttoset- andwaswaitingforrepaymentof worriedaboutthe police appeal- Laxmi Shankar Singh said,“She MP and became MLAfrom 2016. Gazole constituency as aCPM Shyamaprasad tle political scores. “It reveals the duesamountingto nearly Rs3.30 ing againstthe order.“Ihope the has givenher statementincourt. Nandigram. He wasakey Tapasi Mondol (CPM candidate. AfterSuvendu Mukherjee (former TMC desperationoftheBJPwhichisus- lakh.SDM(Barwani)SumerSingh verdictwill have agoodimpact Youshould go to the courtand member of Banerjee’s second MLA): In the2016assembly Adhikari became the party MLA): Usedtorepresent ing itsagencies to settle political Mujaldesaid, “While the trade across the globeasthe case in- findoutwhatherstatementwas... cabinet. elections, CPM district leader observer of Malda, Biswas Bishnupurconstituency in scores," the NC said. hadnothappenedinourjurisdic- volvedcitizens from so many Iamanofficerofthe district ad- Sunil KumarMondal Tapasi Mondal wascandidate joinedthe TMC in July2016. Bankuradistrict. He wasalso In astatement, the ED said, tion,thetraderslivedinourtehsil, countries.” ministration.Doesthedistrictad- (TMC MP): He startedhis po- of the LeftFront from the SukraMunda(TMC aministerinthe firstcabinet “Among these attachedproper- and hence we formedacommit- ministrationprobethepregnancy litical career in ForwardBloc, a Haldia constituency of Purba MLA): MLAfromNagrakatain of MamataBanerjee. Afterhis ties, the residence and land of Dr teeand the traders were sum- ‘Love jihad’ of aperson?” LeftFront partner, andwas Medinipur district. Alipurduar district. In 2011, name came up in the chit Farooq Abdullah at GupkarRoad moned.” The traders cleared the MoradabadAdditional elected MLAfromGalsi in Ashok Dinda (CPI MLA): the TMC hadanalliance with fund case, he wasremoved and commercialbuildings at duesintwo installments,andthe SuperintendentofPolice (Rural) Old lesson 2011.AsaForwardBlocMLA, Aformer CPI leader,Dinda Congress and the Nagrakata from thecabinet. Lostthe ResidencyRoad,atprimeupmar- matter wasresolvedon VidyaSagar Mishrasaid, “In our If foronce social media can be he voted forthe Trinamool waselected MLAfromTamluk seat waswon by Congress 2016 election from ket locations, areState lands ob- November 4whenthe farmer reportsubmittedbefore thecourt ignored andthe views of mod- Congress candidateduring of Purba Midnaporein2016. candidate Joseph Munda.But Bishnupur. tainedonlease. The other at- gave awrittenapplication to the on Thursday,wehad stated that, ern-dayeffigy-burners—meme- the RajyaSabha elections in He wasthe face of the CPI in in 2016,TMC made Sukra its (former tached house at Bhatindi,Village SDM that no payment wasdue. giventhewoman’sstatement,no makersand WhatsApp February2014. Subsequently, PurbaMidnaporedistrict. candidate andhewon. TMC MP): JoinedTMC from Sunjwan,(Jammu),hadbeencon- In Hoshangabad, aDelhi- evidence could be found against super-spreaders —overlooked, he joined theTrinamool Sudip Mukherjee Biswajit Kundu (TMC RSP in 2014 andwas elected structed by Farooq Abdullah on basedfirm identifiedasFortune the accused... We did notseek this wasararebatting collapse Congress. He has been elected (Congress MLA): Waselected MLA): Two-termMLA from MP from Alipurduar.Helost Statelandand forest land, where Companyentered into an agree- theirremand...whichclearedthe wherethe batsmen didn’t throw to twice from MLAfromPurulia in 2016 as a Kalna. Elected from Kalnain to BJP's in 2019. hehasalsograbbedStatelandand mentwithricefarmersinPipariya wayfor therelease of the ac- their wicketsorcan be blamed Bardhaman Purba. He is candidateofthe Congress. 2011,hewon againin2016. A Wasathree-term MLA(2001, forest land." district to buy their produceatRs cused.” forpoor shotselection. knowntobeaclose associate Had along association with close associateofSuvendu 2006 and 2011)from The case is related to alleged 50 higher thanthe rate offeredin Earlier,after Pinkitold the Mostofthe top-order bats- of Mukul Roy. the Congress. Adhikari, he wasamong the Kumargram and MoS PWD siphoning offofgrantsgiven by the mandi. But as the prices courtthatshe wasanadult and mentriedtoget in lineofthe ball ShilbhadraDutta(TMC Saikat Panja (TMC MLA): MLAs whoheld ameeting at during the LeftFront rule. the BCCItothe JKCA between soaredand touchedRs2,950,the hadwillingly marriedRashid,she and gave the bowler the respect 2002and2011,tothetuneof over firm’s agentsswitchedoff their had been allowedtoleave with he deserved.Captain ViratKohli Rs43crore.Farooqhasbeenques- phoneswiththedateofpurchase Rashid's family. didget out throwinghis bat at a Beforethe game, Kohli was old-school Test batsmanand not chintanshivir—onthelinesof the Hesaidgeneralsecretariesandin- tionedmultipletimesinthecase, approaching. SDMPipariyaNitin Speakingto mediapersonsaf- wide ball, buthetoo can’tbe gung-ho about hisClass of 2020. the strikerate-conscious true onesithadheldinPachmarhiand charge of statesshouldnotmicro- includingjustahead of the DDC Tale said ajoint committeewas terRashid'srelease,Pinkithanked faulted -- he wasmerelyshow- “The newIndiatakes up chal- ambassador of this “newIndia”. Shimla in 1998and2003when it manageaffairs. polls. informedafter acomplaint from mediapersons. While both she ingdeservingdisrespect to arank lenges and is filledwith opti- Kohli and the newgeneration wasinthe opposition —for a WhenChidambaramsaidthe The ED claims that itsprobe farmers. “The (firm’s) director... and Rashid blamedthe Bajrang bad ball. mism and positivity.Wemake of fans who no longer watch wideranddeeperbrainstorming. Congress has afightingchancein has found that from 2005-06to came over and ensured thatall Dal forwhathad happened,the The onlybatsman with sus- sureweare ready forany chal- cricket,but stream it, needa Sources said the group of 23, Tamil Nadu, Rahul retorted say- December2011,theJKCA received theproduceof thefarmersispur- couple said theydidn'twantto pect Test matchskilland tem- lengethat comes our way,”he crashcourse about “old India”. represented by Ghulam Nabi ingtheCongressisjustanadjunct Rs 109.78crore from the BCCI. chasedafter asummon wasis- pursue the matter further.“We perament wasopenerPrithvi had said.Earlier too, he had spo- They took up challenges and Azad, Anand Sharma, Manish of the DMK and it is the DMK “Between2006andJanuary2012, suedtohim.” want to live in peace,Idon’t want Shawbut singling out a21-year- kenabout howthe “newIndia” were filledwith optimism and Tewari, PrithvirajChavan, Vivek whichisfighting theelection. He whenDrFarooqAbdullahwasthe In Jabalpur, aroutineinspec- to take legal action againstany- old forthis monumental loss is all about collective strength positivity.They, too, were path- Tankha, Shashi Tharoor and also remindedformerMadhya Presidentof JKCA,hemisusedhis tion on December 5founda one,” Rashid said. would be unfair.Therecan be a and notindividual achievement. breakers. TigerPataudi gave India Bhupinder Singh Hooda, articu- Pradesh Chief MinisterKamal position and clout by illegal ap- traderinpossessionof 17 quintals Additional SP Mishrasaid case of replacing him forthe sec- Foracountrythat has historically the conviction to win withspin, lated their demands clearly even Nath, as alsoRajasthan Chief pointments of office bearers at of paddy amid procurement be- RashidandSaleemwere askedto ond Test -- he wasbowledtwice had record-breaking run-mak- Sunil Gavaskar showedhow to thankingGandhifor the meeting MinisterAshok Gehlot, that the JKCA to whom he gave financial ingcarriedout on MSP,and fur- submit personal bail bondsofRs in theeightballs he facedinthis ers and nottoo greatawin-loss take on the West Indies pacers andcreatingtheplatformforadi- RSS wasverywell-entrenchedin powers forthe purposeoflaun- therenquiryrevealedhehadpur- 50,000 eachfor release. Asked if Test -- buthecan’t be the reason recordabroad, this wasalow without ahelmetand as for alogue. thebureaucracyinboththestates. deringofJKCAfunds. chasedthe rice from three thepolicewillpursuethecase,he forthis humiliatingdefeat. blowtothe “old India”. SachinTendulkar,hetook on the Both sides said themeeting Rahul said he wasreadytodo Investigation also reveals that Dr farmers nearby, without giving said,“Theinvestigationwillgo on. However, morethan his play, it’s Shastri, thebooming voice of worldsingle-handedlyina wasjustthe beginning of along whatever theparty wanted but FarooqAbdullahwasinstrumen- them either the promisedRs22 Thereisaprocess... Thereare thehypearound him that made Indian cricket,was moreun- dressing room infiltrated by process towardsaroadmapand sources in both the camps said talaswell as beneficiaryofthe lakh or anyreceiptfor purchase. manyaspectsinaprobe. We will himatargetofscorn and sar- equivocal. He would call this the match-fixers. plan of action to fight the ruling that remarkwas notinthe con- laundered funds of JKCA,” the ED SDM (Patan) Ashish Pandeysaid, be following the process.” casm. “bestIndianteam in 15-20 If the captain and coachbe- BJP. textof himreturningto thehelm. statement said. “Weensured that the farmers Saleem told reporters the In the past, coachRaviShastri, years”. The fact that thegolden lieve this wasthe never-before- SoniaGandhisaidissueshave Theletter-writersunderlined The agencyclaims that de- were giventheirdues withinthe three of them were returning af- while talking him up, had said, generation of Tendulkar,Dravid, seen India, then on Saturdayin to be discussedand resolvedand the challenges: twosuccessive spitethe JKCA already having a next 24 hours. While these farm- termeeting ajudgewho had told “There’s abit of Sachin there, a Gangulyand Kumble preceded Adelaide someone would have the party has to be “one family.” general election losses and the bank account, sixnew accounts erswho had registered them- them to file an application before bit of Viru in him and when he the Kohli erawas no considera- stitchedtogether some resist- The letter-writers saidtheywere movement of youth away from were openedallegedly to park si- selvesfor MSP,their registration the district magistrateregarding walks—there’s abit of Laraas tion foracoachwho believedin ance. If theyare the best-ever, neither dissenters nor rebels. theparty.Thepartyhasbeenvan- phonedoff funds. One dormant wascancelledastheyhadalready thewedding.“Ourlawyersaidwe well”. At Adelaide, when Shaw leaving outnohyperbole when someoneshould have conjured Someof themlatertoldTheIndian quishedinthe Hindi heartland bank account in the name of soldtheir produce to thetrader.” shouldcomeback at4pmandhe wasdragging hisfeetwiththe talking abouthis team of under- an inspiredfeat. It neededsome- Expressthatthemeetingitself was and“unlessanduntilthereisare- Kashmir Wing of the JKCA was However, farmers in Gwalior would file our application. Near rest of his deflated teammates, achievers. thing beyond mereskills, some- arecognitionoftheconcernsthey vival, thereisnohope,” theysaid. also made operational forthis and Balaghat arestruggling for theRamlilaground, Bajrang Dal he wasanythingbut thecham- With no ICC Worldtitles and thing morethanjustanexpres- hadraised.“Theiceisbroken.This Theymade it clear thatthere purpose, the agency says. paymentofdues with the SDMs people caught us.” pion batsman Shastri made him Test serieslosses in South Africa sion of ambition or misplaced wasthe resumption of the should bean election forthe post “JKCA funds to the tune of approaching the police to trace Saleemsaidtheofficialsatthe out to be.Helooked likeaheart- and England, Kohli’s team has pride. process of internal dialogue of Congress president, to CWC morethanRs45crore have been the absconding traders and seize police station treatedthemwell broken young man failing to potentialbut is still work in Forateam so desperateto whichisabsolutelyessential for and to posts at all levels. siphoned,whichincludeshuge their property. and theywerenot assaulted in clearthe impossiblyhigh bar set progress. Aseries win in makehistoryand yetsodisdain- the renewalofthe Congress,” a Azad pointed out the issues cash withdrawals to thetune of In Balaghat, agroup of paddy anymanner.“We areoutbecause forhim by hiscoach. Australia, India’s first-ever, is the ful of it, 36/9 is an epic climb- senior leader said. needtobediscussed in detail for Rs 25 crore, with no correspon- farmersapproachedthepolicein of the legal set-up,”hesaid. Morethan abatting master- biggestground-breaking result down of cocky. Significantly, PChidambaram aplan of action. Signs of achill ding justification. Investigations Lanchi tehsil and said arice mill Pinki repeated on Saturday class, this Indian team needs are- forthis team butthe architect of echoedsomeofthe demands were evident when none of the disclose that forthe purpose of owner is yettoclear their dues. that she had lostthe three- ality check. Coach Shastriand thathistoricwin wasn’t aprod- Sonia meeting madeby theletter-writers:estab- letter-writers waswilling to join generation of proceedsofcrime, The SDMhad formed apanelto month-old babyshe wascarry- captain Kohli can also do with uct of these times. Harish Rawat, Ambika Soni and lishment of aparliamentary in the briefing. Chavan, who was JKCA fundswerelayered by way resolve theissueonDecember13 ing.ShetoldTheIndianExpressshe some senseofproportion, ahis- Pujara, the Man of the Series Ajay Maken –there wasnot ex- board, electiontoPCCsand DCCs amongthe signatories, stepped of complexinterbanktransfersin but with the traders absconding, had receivedher ultrasound re- tory lessonand, hopefully, some duringthe lastAussietour,does- actlyachorusforhisreturneither. and the empowerment of state outafterSoniaaskedhimto doso allthe bankaccountsofJKCAand the process to seizeproperty is ports.“They(thedoctors)toldme humility. n’t have an IPLcontract, he is an The party is nowthinking of a Congress unitsinappointments. along with PawanKumar Bansal alsoby transferto severalpersonal nowunderway.

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DUARE SARKAR CAMPAIGN STATECOUNT Eatery owner, 2teenagers killed in fire TOTAL CASES Kolkata:Threepersonswere killed veloping manyshops in were trying to putout the blaze. and five shops gutted in amajor GhatakpukurBazarareaof While the owner diedatthe spot, 534850 fire at amarketinSouth 24 Bhangar,20kmfromKolkata. the teenagers succumbed to Govtreachedouttoover1cr Parganas district early on Goods worthlakhs were burns during treatment at INCREASE DEATHS Saturday. According to afirede- destroyed. NalmuriPrimaryHealth Care 2155 9320 partment official, ashort-circuit Anownerof aneateryandtwo Centre. The fire wasbrought un- 507070 RECOVERED causedthe fire before spreading of his teenageworkers were der control afterfivehours with through kerosene drums and en- trappedinthe fire when they the helpoffour fire tenders. ENS peoplein2weeks:Mamata 6666077 SAMPLES TESTED TILL DEC 19

TALINDIA AWARD-2020. EXPRESSNEWSSERVICE “It givesmeanimmense 2,155 new KOLKATA,DECEMBER19 pleasuretoinform that 'e- Abgari' project of Excise Covid cases, CHIEF MINISTER Mamata Directorate, under the Finance Banerjee on Saturdaysaid her Department, has been declared government has reachedout to as WINNER of the prestigious 43 more die over 1crore people in two DIGITAL INDIA AWARD-2020 weekswithdoorstepdelivery forexemplaryand innovative Kolkata:Atotal of 2,155new of services. initiativesinthe realm of Covid-19cases were reportedin In aseries of tweets, Digital Governance,” Banerjee the past24hours while2,717 Banerjee said the stategovern- tweeted. personsweredischarged after ment will leave no stone un- She added, “With an exten- being cured of theinfection. The turnedinensuring that the sive IT-drivenprocess re-engi- total number of active cases de- people of West Bengal areable neering, e-Abgari has com- clinedto18,460 whilethe recov- to getthe benefitsofservices pletely transformedthe eryrateinthe stateincreasedto right at their doorsteps. The drive waslaunchedearlierthismonth. File activities of Excise Directorate. 94.81per cent. “I am immenselypleasedto Further,thisinitiative hasen- According to statehealth de- announce that in just2weeks, sured efficiency,transparency, partment, the stateregistered43 over 1Crore people across participant who visited and while safeguarding health and deaths in the past24hours. The Bengal have enthusiastically Iassure all that we availedservices at these the government revenue at the total number of deaths stood at visited more than 10,000 will leave no stone camps,” said Banerjee. same time.” 9,320 on Saturday. #DuareSarkar camps envi- unturned in ensuring that The Chief Ministeradded, “I Banerjee further informed, Among the newpositive sionedtoensuredoorstepde- the people of Bengal are assureall that we will leave no "e-Abgari has been adjudged as cases, 539 were from Kolkata livery of Govt services andben- stone unturnedinensuring aNational BestPractice and 7 while 485caseswerereported efits. Iwholeheartedly able to get the benefits of that the people of Bengalare states have already adopted from North24Parganas district. congratulateall the GoWB Govt services that they able to getthe benefitsofGovt this model. Hon’ble President Among the 43 deaths, 11 (Government of West Bengal) are eligible for, right at services that theyare eligible of India will be conferring this were reported from North24 officials and volunteers who their doorstep.” for, right at their doorstep.” awardtothe West BengalTeam Parganas district, 9fromKolkata worked round the clocktoor- Meanwhile, the chief min- on 30th December.Icongratu- andseven from Howrah district. ganize these camps everysin- —MAMATA BANERJEE isterannounced that her gov- latethe entireteam that The total number of tests gleday at suchamassive scale. CHIEF MINISTER ernment's ‘e-Abgari’ project worked on this formaking conducted in the past24hours Iwould also liketothank every has wonthe prestigious DIGI- WB proud." is 42,252. Illegal telephone exchange busted, 1arrested

Mukherjee lane and seizedsev- 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 468 EXPRESSNEWSSERVICE eral SIM boxes, SIM cards (forgeryforpurposeof cheating), KOLKATA,DECEMBER19 and phones. 471(using aforged “The raid wasthe result of in- document/electronic recordas AN ILLEGAL telephone exchange, putsshared by the Military genuine) and 120B (criminal whichallegedlycausedloss of Intelligence Unit, Lucknow, over Conspiracy). revenuetothe Department of aperiod of eight months.The il- During the raid, the STF Telecom, wasbustedinHowrah legal telephoneexchangewas op- team wasaccompaniedbythe early on Saturday. A38-year-old eratingwiththe use of the SIM local police and officials man,identifiedasSunilShaw, boxtechnology," said asenior from the Department of wasarrested. Special Task Force STFofficer.ASIMbox canbypass Telecommunication. (STF) officers suspect that more the cellularprovider and route Three SIM boxeseachwith 32 people were involvedin thecall throughinternet.STFoffi- slots forSIM cards, one SIM box the racket. cialssaid the exchangedwaspos- with16 slots,twoSIMboxeseach Acting on amonths-long in- ing arisk to the national security. with 64 slots, twolaptops, a putsbythe MilitaryIntelligence The FIR waslodged at the smartphone, twofeatures Unit of Lucknow, the STFofthe Kasba police station on phones and 175SIM cards of a KolkataPoliceraidedthe ex- December 4under IPC sections cellular serviceprovider have changeatthe Beni Madhab 419(cheating by personation), been seizedfromthe premises.

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THESUNDAY EXPRESS,DECEMBER20,2020 4 WEST BENGAL WRITETMCSOPENpartyLETTER TO CADREofselfishpeople,takeastep:Suvendu TMC hits back at Shah: No one from Mamata’s family has eye on CM post

AbhishekBanerjee the next Suvendu Adhikari forjoining the "Today, we areaccepting the EXPRESSNEWSSERVICE Chief MinisterofBengal.” BJP."MamataBanerjee has been BJP’s challenge. The BJP will not KOLKATA,DECEMBER19 Claiming thatthe BJP “is the at the forefront of everymajor getmorethan 50 seatsand TMC mostcorrupt party in the world”, movement in West Bengal. will form the government with TMC MP KalyanBanerjee on Banerjee said,"Amit Shahspeaks Suvendu Adhikarihas become morethan 210seats. Amit Shah SaturdaycriticisedUnion Home of dynastic politics of other par- greedy.Weare notsaying we visited Bengal again carrying his MinisterAmit Shah fortargeting ties. But isn’t Suvendu from an have been with Trinamool from baggageoflies. People will give Chief MinisterMamataBanerjee influential political family? Are dayone but he wasnot with the befitting replytohis continued and her nephewAbhishek the Adhikaris notanexample of party since dayone. So who are attempt to defame and insult Banerjee and said no one from dynastic politics? Even Amit youtotalkabout ideals? Youare Bengal. The people of Bengal are her familyhas claimedthat he or Does Suvendu have Shah’s son is the secretaryof acoward,” he said. ready to fight the battle. The peo- she wantstobethe next chief anyideology: TMC BCCI. On whose influence washe Does he have anyideology? ple of Bengal will acceptthe minister of the state. The TMC MP KalyanBanerjee giventhat post? TodayAmit Whyhas he joinedthe BJP? It is challenge." MP also brandedSuvendu Shah said severallies. Theyare becausehewants more. After Banerjee added, "Amit Shah Adhikari as a“betrayer” forjoin- destroying farmers over farm enjoying all benefitsunder doesn't knowBengal's political ing the saffron camp. Banerjee while addressing laws.All over India farmers are MamataBanerjee government history.Heismisleading people. “Today, on behalfofmyparty, mediapersons. fighting and theyare talking forten years nowhecomplains He liedtomakeTrinamool BJP leaders Suvendu Adhikari, Amit Shah and Mukul Royand othersatapublicmeetingin Iwould liketoclarify that no one The commentsfromthe TMC about farmers. Eatingatafarm- thathehas notgiven respect by Congress leaders join BJP. West MidnaporeonSaturday. Photos: Partha Paul in MamataBanerjee’sfamilyis MP came after ers house doesn't makeyou pro the party.Heisnothing but abe- MamataBanerjee wasexpelled eager to become the next Chief Shah targeted Mamata farmer.You areusing trayer," addedBanerjee. from the Congress and she MinisterofBengal.BJP is spread- Banerjeeand claimedthatshe Central Agencies againstthe He further claimedthat the formed theTrinamool Congress. whosebacks the party wascre- neutrality would have been con- ing lies about TMC that Didibe- wasmaking “desperateat- Opposition.” BJP will fail to win over 50 seats She neverjoinedany other ATRIMITRAANDRAVIK atedarenow being sidelined, hu- struedasfavouring“the oppres- lievesin‘dynastic politics’,” said tempts to makeher nephew The TMC MP also targeted in 2021state Assemblypolls. party.” BHATTACHARYA miliated and outcast. In their sor”.“Therefore,mydearestbroth- MIDNAPORE,DECEMBER19 stead, the individuals have now ers and sisters, Ihavedecidedto hired external assistance, people resignfromtheprimarymember- JUSTBEFORE joiningthe BJP,for- withnoknowledge of ground re- shipofmycurrent political Key Nandigram lieutenant Amid farmprotest, mer TMC leader Suvendu alities and no knowledge of the party…” The former statetrans- Adhikari on Saturdaycirculated sacrifice it actuallytakes to work portministerurgedTMCsupport- anopenletteraddressedtograss- forashared goal as ambitiousas ers to take abold step and follow Shah breaksbread rootsworkers of his former party creating the West Bengal of our theirheart. to Mamata’s nemesis no. 1 and explainedwhy he joinedthe dreams.” “I hope that my decisionwill saffroncamp.HetermedtheTMC Adhikari said, “Instead of enable youtomakeyours…” he sational skills, with Mamata at farmer’s house aparty of SakamKarma Bhogis Nishkam Karma Yogis (the ordi- continued. DIPANKARGHOSE Banerjee’spopularityasthe face (those who arenot bothered narypeople who built the party HestressedthattheTMClead- NEWDELHI,DECEMBER19 of Bengal, wasapowerful com- about anyone but themselves). brickbybrickselflesslessly), the ership wasworking againstthe bination,”this leader said. “But stateparty chief . Suvendu, Bardhaman Purba party is nowfilledwithSakam Bengali cultureand party’s sole FORMANY,Nandigram wasthe Mamataisapowerfulsymbol for EXPRESSNEWSSERVICE It wasavegetarian platterof MPSunilKumarMondalandnine KarmaBhogis(those who don’t objective wastolootall while beginning of the end of 34 years Bengal. Youdonot win 211seats MIDNAPORE,DECEMBER19 Bengalidelicacies, servedonaba- otherMLAsjoinedthe BJP in the bother aboutanyone but them- claiming to be defending the of LeftFront rule in West Bengal. without that. Even in nana leafbythe women family presenceof UnionHomeMinister selves); withthe individualswho Constitution. As fierce protests brokeout Nandigram, nowitwillbe UnionHome Ministerand senior members of Singh. Shah and AmitShah at apublic meeting in will take monetarycompensa- To his anguishedTMC sup- againstland acquisition in the Suvendu Adhikari versus BJP leader Amit Shah had lunch other guests, whosat onthefloor Midnapore. tions fortheir services and disap- porters, Adhikari’s messagewas: area, at the forefront was MamataBanerjee. That is acom- at afarmer’shouse at avillagein of the verandah of the two-storey “Thepartywasnot builtinone pearassoon as the elections con- “Tothosemembers of the party MamataBanerjee, who broke pletely different dynamic.'' West MidnaporeonSaturday. housewith atin roof, had saak daywith the contribution of one clude;theindividualswhodonot who arefeeling alittle disap- away from the Congress in 1998. SaugataRoy,multi-term MP This came at atime when bhaja, loudal,shukto (mixed veg person.Itwas acontinuous and have it in them to work selflessly; pointed at my departure, Imust Behind the scenes,but notquite, from theTMC told The Sunday protestsagainstthe threefarm stew whichisslightlybitter), contiguouseffortonamammoth and the individuals whose only saytoyou that Ihavenot leftthe wasthe BhumiUcchedPratirodh Express that Adhikari had left laws areraging in some partsof phulkopi tarkari (cauliflower scale,whichculminated 10 years questioniswhatthey willget and Trinamool. Iamthe same person Committee (BUPC), formedin “absolutelyout of personal am- the country, especially in Punjab, curry), posto (potato cooked in ago,”Theformertransportminis- whentheywillgetit.Theconcept who continues to believeinand September 2007,whichrallied bition” and wanted “sway over a Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. poppyseedpaste)and tokdoi.The terwrote in the letter. of ‘tyag’ (renunciation) espoused fightforthesameidealsthatIhave support in the villages and cre- number of MLAseats” that the Farmers have been camping at Union ministerand other BJP The letter read, “It is therefore by members suchasushas been been fightingfor over the last ated apowerful momentum. Suvendu Adhikhari in party ultimatelydecided against. Delhi borders, demanding repeal leaders were welcomedtothe especiallypainfulthattheindivid- replacedwith the conceptof three decades. It is the Trinamool , former MidnaporeonSaturday. Trinamool RajyaSabhaMP of the farm laws. house amid the sound of conch uals currentlyincharge of the ‘bhog’(hedonism)by theindivid- thathasleftitsidealsbehindinits Congressman who had joined Pa rtha Paul Sukhendu Sekhar Rayargued Rejecting criticism, Shah tried shells. party aretreating it liketheirper- uals who arenow in charged,” relentless pursuitofpowerin- Trinamool Congress with that thereisnoface yettotake to convincefarmers during his During his speechatthe sonalfiefdom.Theverypeopleon Hesaidinthetimeof injustice, stead of service…” Banerjee in 1998 andwent on to on Banerjee in Bengal. speechatCollegeGround in the ground, he said the farmer’s be aUnionministerinthe UPA Since 2007,asAdhikari grew Even as BJP made vast in- district:“OnlyBJP canchangethe house wasbuilt under the government, wasthe convenor from MLAtomulti-term MLA,to roads intoBengal in 2019 Lok situation of West Bengal farm- ‘Pradhanmantri Abas Yojna’ of BUPC. But one of the mostim- statetransportminister, the in- Sabha elections, what it found in ers.” scheme. He beganhis tour by vis- portant cogs in the committee, fluence of his familyinthe region Adhikari is apowerful face, one Shah, who is on atwo-day iting Ramakrishna Mission the man who knewevery mem- has neverwithered.His fatheris that signals itsintent to notjust visit to West Bengal to take stock foundedbySwami Vivekananda. berofthe organisation, stood by asitting MP,ashis his younger fight the 2021Assemblypolls, of the BJP's affairs in the state, ar- Shah also visited Maa Banerjee's side as he galvanised brother Dibyendu, while another but win. rivedhereonSaturday and of- SiddeshwariMandir and Devi supportwas ayoung, single- brother is chief of the municipal Trinamool leaders arebank- feredpuja at alocal temple. Mahamaya Temple before pay- term MLA: SuvenduAdhikari. corporation of Kanthi Municipal ing on the fact that Adhikari’s en- Then, he went to the resi- ing tributes to freedom fighter Four years later,Mamata Corporation. tryintoBJP will createmoredif- dence of Sanatan Singh at ShaheedKhudiram Bose. On Banerjee became the West “It is ironical that he leftos- ficulties forthe saffron party Balijhuri villageand had lunch Saturday, he will visit Bengal Chief Minister. tensiblybecause he feels TMC is internally. One of the reasons there, sittingonthe floor of the Shantiniketan to paytributes to Thirteen years later,Suvendu turning intoafamily organisa- those close to Adhikari citefor house.Shahwasaccompaniedby RabindranathTagoreand address Adhikari is the man the BJP tion, basicallyagrouse with his leaving TMCisthe growing BJP national general secretary agathering at Bangladesh hopes will bring them to power. Abhishek Banerjee (Mamata's influence notonlyofAbhishek Kailash Vijayvargiya, BJP national BhawanAuditorium. Even as TMC leadersput on a nephew). But thereisnoplacein Banerjee butalso poll strategist vice-president Mukul Royand WITHPTIINPUTS Thosewholeftfor braveface, downplaying Bengal that is quitelikeafamily Prashant Kishor.But even in BJP, Adhikari’s exit,privately many fiefdom as Medinipur is,” aTMC thereare leaders who willfeel BJPwerefacing cannotdenythis is ablow. leader said. sidelined with Adhikari's entry “Adhikari has excellent organi- Since Adhikari begangiving –leaders who worked foryears, allegations: CPM sational skills,” asenior TMC signals of apossible exit from only to find an outsidercoming leader said. “In the Nandigram TMC, with supporters putting up in and taking the plaudits, aTMC Kolkata:CPI-M state secretary movement, he wasMamata banners and posters of “Dadar leader pointed out. SuryakantaMishra Saturdaysaid Banerjee’s mostenthusiastic Anugami (brother's followers)”, Asenior TMC leader said: that those who have leftthe lieutenant –hedid all the run- adirect juxtaposition withthe “Westill believe Mamata party to joinBJP in Union Home ning around. When violencewas moniker of “Didi” that Mamata Banerjeeisinthe heart of Bengal, MinisterAmit Shah's rallyin at itspeak, he wasintouchwith Banerjee carries, therehas been and without her,Adhikari will Midnaporehad allegations allvillages. People came to him muchdebatewithin TMC and notbeable to muster the kind of againstthem and would have forhelp, he remembered all their outside of the extent of his sway support.But,yes, it is true that had to leave the party eventually. names, andthatinturn strength- in the state. Numbers likeinflu- with BJP behind him, it is an ad- TwoCPI-M legislators -of enedthe TMC. ence over 35,65orevenovera ditional challenge. The BJP has Tamluk and Gajole, Ashok Dinda “Of course, Mamatawas the hundredAssemblyseatshave found aface it canrallybehind, andDipali Biswas joinedthe saf- leader,the emotional fountain- been bandied about. Asenior one who lends weight to the Union Home MinisterAmit Shah having lunchatthe house fron brigade at the rallyheld dur- head. But Suvendu wasthe man TMC leader, however, said, that party's Assemblypoll campaign of Jhunu Singh and Sanatan Singh, at Belijuri villagein ing the day. on the ground, and he neverlet the test of his popularity will that we have brandedas MidnaporeonSaturday. PTI PTI that influence in the area wane.” come now. “Thusfar,his organi- outsiders.”

SAINIK SCHOOL KAPURTHALA (PUNJAB) Shah roadshow in Bolpur today CBSE AFFILIATION NO 1680001 Phone No-01822-230184 The entirestretch from Daakbungalow SANTANUCHOWDHURY MoretoChowrasta in Bolpur-Santiniketan Recruitment Notice BOLPUR,DECEMBER19 Road have been deckedinBJP party flags. A 1. The Recruitment of the following posts on regular basis will be held as per hugecontingent of policemen along with details given below:- PREPARATIONS ARE in fullswing in Bolpur centralforces have been deployedaspart Particulars 01xLDC 01x Driver 02x General Employees towninBirbhumdistricttowelcomeUnion of security arrangements.BJP national sec- HomeMinisterAmitShahonSunday. Huge retary Anupam Hazravisited thevenueof Reservation Unreserved OBC 01-SC and 01-Unreserved cutoutsofShah, Prime MinisterNarendra the road showand the house of Basudeb Last date forsubmission 14 Jan 2021 Modi, BJP leadersMukul Royand others DasBaulto overseepreparations."Wehave of application form have beenputinBolpur-SantiniketanRoad decidedtoofferatraditionalBengalimealto whereShahwillparticipateinaroadshow. Amit Shah ji.After hislunch, we willper- PayScale Level2ofVII CPC Level2ofVII CPC Level1ofVII CPC starting cell 19900 starting cell 19900 starting cell 18,000 In abid to counter the BJP,posters of chief form Bengali folk songs in his honour. It is ministerMamataBanerjeehighlightingher indeedamoment of great honour to host Essential Qualification (i) Matriculation. (ii) Typing speed of at (i) Matriculation or Matriculation or equivalent least 40 words per minute.(iii) knowl- equivalent (ii) government's achievementshavealso theUnionHomeMinisteratmyhouse,"said edge of shorthand and ability to cor- Heavy Vehicle comeuponthe same road. the Bengali folk singer. respond in English will be considered Driving Licence On Sunday, Shah will firstvisit Visva- Meanwhile,BJPworkerstookoutrallies as an additional qualification. Bharati University in Santiniketan to pay in support of Shah'svisitand chanted slo- Age 18-50 years of age. 18-50 years of age. 18-50 years of age. homagetoNobel LaureateRabindranath gans.Patrioticsongswere alsoplayedatthe Tagore.Afterattendingseveralprogrammes venue of the road show. “Itisgoing to be a Fees along with applica- General/OBC- Rs.500/-, SC/ST- General/OBC- General/OBC- tion form Rs 250/- Rs.500/-, SC/ST- Rs.500/-, intheuniversitycampus,Shahwillvisitthe massive road show. The people of Bolpur Rs 250/- SC/ST-Rs250/- house of Bengali folk singer Basudeb Das will give Amit Shah's ji amassive greeting," Baul in Syambati area to have lunch. saidstateBJPvice-presidentRajuBanerjee. 2. Fordetailed advertisement and application form,please visit School website: "After having lunchthere, he will offer The TMC refusedtogivemuchimpor- www.sskapurthala.com. prayers at aHanuman temple before tak- tanceto Shah'svisit.“Itisevidentfromsuch 3. The School administration reservesthe right to cancel all or anyofthe vacancies ingpartinthe road show. This will be fol- visitsthat everyone is coming heretofight due to non-availability of suitable candidates or administrative/ policy reasons. lowedbyapressconference," said withonewoman(MamataBanerjee),"said Principal Shyamapada Mondal, BJP'sBirbhum dis- TMC Birbhum district president Anubrata trict president. Mondal. Kolkata WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

THESUNDAY EXPRESS,DECEMBER20,2020 5 EXPRESS NETWORK Ahead of BMC polls, NDAallyBeniwalquitsLS Cong does balancing act, Marathi face to panels:‘WillmarchtoDelhi’ head Mumbai unit Petroleum and Natural Gas, and ledRajasthan government on is- DEEPMUKHERJEE the Committee on Petitions. I suessuchaslaw and order and The neworganisational JAIPUR,DECEMBER19 have sent an emailinthis regard unemployment, Beniwal ac- SANDEEPASHAR model is alsobeing seen as the RLP chief to the Lok Sabha Speaker." cused it of collusion withformer MUMBAI,DECEMBER19 party’s attempt to rid factional- HAVINGEARLIERexpressedhis Hanuman In his resignation letter from Rajasthan Chief Minister Voters at apolling booth in Bandiporadistrict. Shuaib Masoodi ism within the party in the run- opposition to thenew farm laws, Beniwal the committees, whichhe VasundharaRaje. Beniwal has AFACTION-RIDDEN Congress on up to the2022 Mumbai civic Rashtriya Loktantrik Party(RLP) shared on Twitter,Beniwal also long been adetractor of Raje, and Saturdaydecidednot to projecta polls. It is also an attempt to get chief and NagaurMPHanuman mentionedissues suchasanFIR had quit the BJP to form the RLP singleface ahead of thecrucial the caste and community bal- Beniwal, whose party is amem- on whether the RLP would con- notbeing lodged over an "attack" ahead of the 2018 Assembly Severalinjured in 2022 civic polls to lead the party ance right ahead of the civic berofthe NDA, on Saturday an- tinue in the NDAwould be taken on him in Barmer,non-spending elections due to this rift, winning in Mumbai. While naming sit- polls. nouncedhis resignation from during the march. of CSR funds, andenvironmen- three seats.However, the RLP clashesinPoonch;51% ting party legislator Ashok (Bhai) In another bid to getthe caste three Lok Sabha committees and Aprominent Jat leader, talclearances obtainedonthe and BJP had alignedfor the2019 Jagtap, aMarathi face, as the equations right, the party on said he will march towardsDelhi Beniwal enjoys considerable basis of ‘wrong facts’. LokSabhapolls, with the RLP president of the Mumbai Saturdayalso created anew po- on December 26 with twolakh support among the youth and While putting offadecision winning onlyone seat, that con- voting in J&KDDC polls Regional Congress Committee sition, appointing former minis- supporters, in protestagainstthe the community in districtssuch about staying in the NDAtill tested by Beniwal. (MRCC) on Saturday, the All India terChandrakant Handoreas three Acts. as Nagaurand Barmer in December26, saying he would Taking on those who claim Those injuredinclashes in Congress Committee appointed MaharashtraCongress’s “Thegovernment in Delhi is Rajasthan. “The government in do so “in the presence of lakhs of he wonbecauseofthe BJP, EXPRESSNEWSSERVICE PoonchincludeaCongresscandi- formerMumbai Youth Congress Mumbai incharge. in amood to crush the farmer Delhi shouldn’t take the farmer people", Beniwal indicated his Beniwal said, “I am ready to re- JAMMU,SRINAGAR,DEC19 date, Parveen SarwarKhan, and president and ex-legislator In the 2017 Mumbaicivic protests and is notheeding their protests lightly. If the protests mind wasmade. "You musthave signbut then those in the BJP hertwo PSOs,who facedstone- Charan Singh Sapraasthe work- polls,the party had slumped to demands. Afterconsultation flareupcountrywide, it will be understood today... when Ihave who wonseatsbecause of me AROUND 10 people were injured peltingatSakhiMaidan.Thisisthe ing president of theMumbai itsworsteverelectoral perform- with all office-bearers of the RLP, difficult forthe BJP to tackle resignedfromthe committees... should also resign or contest in clashes betweensupporters of same place wherethe election unit. ance in the city,managing to win we have decidedthat on them,” Beniwal said Saturday. definitelyHanuman Beniwal’s electionsagain. Ihad cam- rivalcandidates at severalplaces commission forthe Union Further Maharashtra’s for- just31seatsout of 227. In fact the December 26,two lakh jawans The RLP’s demands were road will be separate,” he said. paigned(forthe BJP) in 14-16 in Poonchdistrict's volatile Territoryorderedrepollingowing mer MinoritiesDevelopment party has seen aconsistent and kisanswill march towards withdrawal of the three farm He addedthat the RLP would places." MendhartehsilonSaturdayasthe to reports of irregularitiesduring MinisterNaseemKhan and for- downslide in fortunes over the Delhithrough the Shahjahanpur Acts and implementation of the notenter intoany alliance now The differences between eight-phase J&KDistrict pollinginthe 7th phase. mer Public Health Minister last28years. In 1992, it had won border.This is aquestion of Swaminathan Commission re- and contestthe coming by-elec- Beniwaland the BJP have been Development Council elections At Shajla, meanwhile, two Suresh Shetty were namedas 112seatsinalliance with the Rajasthan’s honour.Wewillnot port, he said. “In supportofthe tionsfor three Assemblyseatsin growing even before the farm concludedthereonaviolentnote, people sufferedinjuries aftera the chairpersons of the election Republican PartyofIndia toleratethe attemptsbeing farmer protests,Iam resigning Rajasthan on itsown, as well as laws,and the RLP is fightingthe sources said. clash betweenrival supporters. campaign committee and man- (Athavale), winning powerinthe made by governmentstoerase from threeLok Sabha commit- stay away from the Congress or ongoing panchayati rajelections In the final phase, the UT ANational Conference ifesto committee, respectively, Brihanmumbai Municipal the existence of the farmer com- tees -- the Standing Committee the BJP in the 2023 Assembly in Rajasthan on itsown. Earlier recordednearly 51 per centvot- StudentUnionleaderwasamong while Mumbai Congress’s cur- Corporation (BMC). Since then munity,” Beniwal told reporters on Industry, the Consultative elections. thismonth, he had held arally ing,with three districtsinthe five people injured in another rent vice president Dr Amarjit the consolidation of the Marathi in Jaipur,adding that adecision Committee of the Ministryof Slamming the Ashok Gehlot- againstthe farm laws. Valley recordingunder10percent clash,thistimebetweensupport- Manhaswas namedasthe head and non-Marathi Hindu votein voting.InalldistrictsoftheJammu ers of PAGD and an independent of thecoordination committee. favour of the erstwhile Shiv division, voting averages re- candidate at apollingstationin Sources confirmedthat all of Sena-BJP alliance and infighting UP manheld mainedabove 60 per cent with Salwah. Therewerealso reports them were interestedinrunning withinits owncamphas seen Poonchnoting the highest--83.5 of violence from Kasbalari and forthe Mumbai Congress presi- Congress’s influenceand vote percent. The highest votingaver- Kalaban areas, sources said. dent’s post, whichJagtap even- bank shrink substantiallyinthe forattempt agerecordedforthe10 districtsof PoonchDeputy tuallywon. financial capital. theValleywas40.6percentwhich Commissioner Rahul Yadav, said to convert droppedto29.9per centinthe fi- that of the 80 pollingstations nal phaseofthe polls. across Mendhar and Mankote, As Soniareaches woman:Cops Jammuaveragedabove60per therehadbeenreportsof stray in- centvotinginallphases,notingits cidents of violence from three out to leaders, highestvotingaverageof72.7per places. Yadavsaid only twopeo- EXPRESSNEWSSERVICE cent on Saturday. ple had sustainedminorinjuries. Rahulconfidante LUCKNOW,DECEMBER19

quits Congress A32-YEAR-OLD man wasar- Assam: BJP wins big in council polls rested on Fridayfor allegedlyco- ercinga42-year-old married Guwahati: TheBJP Saturdayvir- other keyautonomous body,the MANOJCG womanintochanging her reli- tuallyswept the polls to the36- BodolandTerritorial Council. Jairam Ramesh NEWDELHI,DECEMBER19 gion formarriageinmember Tiwa Autonomous Ranjit Dass, stateBJP presi- Shahjahanpur district. This is the Council in Assam, with rival dent, told The Indian Express: ON Aday Congress chief Sonia district’s firstcase registeredun- Congress winning onlyone seat “Yes, it is an important victory. In Defamation Gandhimetitstopleadershipina der the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition and allyAGP sweeping up the re- the lastTAC polls (in 2015), we reconciliation effort,aRahul of Unlawful Conversion of maining two. had got onlythree seats. But this Gandhi confidantewho wasin President RamNath Kovindatanevent nearPanaji on Saturday. PTI ReligionOrdinance, 2020. The BJP’s 33-seat victory time we have sweptit.” case: Ramesh charge of the student wing put in As per the FIR, the accused, comes aheadofthe stateelec- Despitewinning justthree her papers—laying baremore Mohammad Saeed, concealed tions early next year—and days seatsinthe lastTiwacouncil apologises to faultlines in the party. hisidentity and introducedhim- afterthe party,along with two polls, the BJP had still wieldedin- Sources said RuchiGupta— Kovind is firstPresident to self to thewoman, amother of local allies, took control of an- fluence. ENS NSA’s son whowasbroughtto theAICCsec- two, as SunilKumar.Heisalleged retariat as ajoint secretaryin to have threatenedher to convert charge of the NationalStudents visit Goa on Liberation Day and sexually assaultedher. ANANDMOHANJ Unionof Indiaby Rahul—wasup- The FIR has been registered NEWDELHI,DECEMBER19 setwith the AICC general secre- MollemTShirts have beenoppos- had to bowdowntotheir wishes. againstSaeedand his family taryin-charge of organisation,KC EXPRESSNEWSSERVICE ing infrastructureprojectscross- History shows us that the libera- membersunderIPC sections 147 CONGRESS LEADER Jairam Venugopal. Venugopalissaidto PANAJI,DECEMBER19 ing the Western Ghats. tion movement,the opinion poll, (rioting), 323(voluntarilycaus- Ramesh Saturdayapologisedto have beenhinderingherattempts Youngsters,whohadreachedthe the Konkani languageagitation, ing hurt), 384(extortion), 376 the son of National Security to reorganisestate NSUIunitsand PRESIDENTRAMNathKovindbe- church squareatPanaji to “ex- theregionalplan,historyisreplete (rape) and 506(criminalintimi- Advisor AjitDoval in acriminal infusefresh bloodintothe outfit. came the firstPresident to visit press their gratitude to the mar- with suchexamples.” dation), and sections of the anti- defamation case. Gupta could notbecontacted Goa on the state’sLiberation Day tyrs of Goa on Liberation day”, PresidentKovindspokeofthe conversionlaw.Police said they VivekDoval had filedthe case for comment. Shedid, however, asheinauguratedaculturalevent were ferriedtothe outskirts. journey of 60 years as he high- were probing the role of his fam- againstRameshaswell as The putoutamessageonaWhatsApp to markthe beginning of Goa’s Theclearingof thestreetsdid- lightedthesacrificesmadeby dif- ilymembers. Caravanmagazine and journal- group of the NSUI’s national of- 60th year of liberation from 451 n’t go unnoticedbythe President ferent communities, and groups Earlier,the womanand her istKaushal Shrofffollowing the fice-bearers. years of colonialPortuguese rule. too,whosaid,“WhenIenteredthe of people over decades towards mother accompanied by the publication of the article titled “Iamwritingtoannouncethat ThePresident’s schedule saw state,especiallynearthemarkets, liberation. “Noone individual or VishwaHindu Parishadand 'The D-Companies'. The article Ihaveresigned. As youknowim- hisfirststopatAzad Maidan, It all felt empty, todayitlookeda institution can claim ownership other right-wing organisations had alleged thatthe NSA's sons portant organisational changes wherehelaidawreathatthemar- lotempty.Iunderstandthiscould of thisjourney...thejourneyofde- reachedthe policestation con- ranaweb of companies, includ- have remainedpending forvery tyr’s memorial —beforehewas have been asecurityneed, Iam velopment, and whereGoa is to- cernedand got an FIR registered. ing aCayman Islands hedgefund long.Thenationalcommitteetook escortedtothe mainvenueat thoughhappytonote thatthough dayisalsothanksto thecontribu- “Thewoman has allegedthat to round-trip blackmoneydur- one year and three months. State DayanandBandodkargroundsby the crowdinside thisground is tion of manysuccessive the accusedcametoher contact ing the time of demonetisation. presidents’ orders have remained Chief MinisterPramod Sawant very little, youare representative governments. Iwouldadd around four-fiveyears ago. As per Ramesh then conducted a pending formonths. Many other andAyushMinisterShripadNaik. of the people.” The event sawthe DigambarKamat,whojustspoke, the allegations, he introduced press conference on January17, stateunitsarewaitingforre-organ- He said he felt privileged that he Chief Ministerspeakof theprepa- is alsoone such contributor,” he himself as Hindu and later estab- 2019 in whichhecited the article isation to makespace fornew ac- couldpersonallyattendandwish rationof avisiondocumentforthe remindedthe audience. lishedphysical relations withher. to made statementsonthe NSA, tivists.These continuing delays by the citizens in Goa amid several statefor the next 60 years. In the next one year,the Goa He usedtoregularly talk to her his familyand business ventures. theGS(O)aredamagingtheorgan- eventsbeing held online due to Remembering the freedom government is hopingtocele- over phone. It has also been al- On Saturday, he told the court isation but in the present circum- the pandemic. fighters who fought the bratethe liberation with events legedthat herstartedpressuring that he "mayhavegone over- stancesitisnotpossibletoescalate The President’s visit was Portuguese, Leaderofthe plannedacrossthe countrywith her formarriage,” said board" and "realizedthat per- repeatedly to Congress president. marredbypolice vans clearing OppositionDigambarKamatsaid, an appealtothe Centre to release Shahjahanpur SP (City) Sanjay haps some independentverifi- Thesituationhasthusbecomeun- protesters across the state--chil- “Wheneverpeoplehaverisenup, Rs 100crore forthe extrava- Kumar.Her husbandstays in cation mayhavebeen in order". tenable,”she has written. dren and youth dressedinSave the government of the dayhas ganza. Mathura. The courthad takencog- nizance of the criminal defama- tion complaintinJanuary2019. Ramesh wasgranted bail in May 2019. Appendix IV,[Rule 8(1)] POSSESSION NOTICE (For Immovable Property) Presenting his apology be- fore Additional Chief BURDWAN BRANCH,City Tower,23, G. T. Road Metropolitan MagistrateSachin Burdwan -713 101 (WB) /E-mail: [email protected] Gupta,Ramesh submitted:"I want to clarify that these state- Whereas, the undersigned being the Authorised Officer of the Bank of Baroda, Burdwan Branch under the Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and mentsoraccusations were made Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 and in exercise of powers conferred under section 13(12) read with Rule 9ofthe Security Interest (Enforcement) Rules, 2002 drawing conclusions from an ar- issued Demand Notice calling upon the Borrowers to repay the amount mentioned in the notice together with further interest, cost etc. thereon within 60 days from the date ticle that waspublishedthe pre- of the said notice. vious dayinThe Caravan maga- The Borrowers having failed to repay the amount, notice is hereby given to the borrowers/ guarantors and the public in general that the undersigned has taken possession of the property described herein below to exercise of powers conferred on him/ her under section 13(4) of the said Act, read with rule 9ofthe said rules on the date zine. As the caseprogressed, I mentioned below. realised that perhapsthe same The borrowers/ guarantors in particular and the public in general are hereby cautioned not to deal with the property and any dealings with the property will be subject to the independentverification may charge of Bank of Baroda, Burdwan Branch for the amount and interest thereon. have been in order." The borrowers’attention is invited to provisions of sub-section (8) of section 13 of theAct, in respect of time available, to redeem the secured assets. Ramesh stated in his apol- Sl. 1) Date of Demand Notice ogy:"Generalelections were Name of the Borrowers 2) Date of Possession No. closeand thequestions raised 3) Outstanding Amount in the article seemed appropri- 1. Borrower: Mr.Amarnath 1) 02.09.2020 Equitable mortgage of residential land and building in the name of Shri Amar Nath atefor being highlighted in Choudhury (Proprietor of M/s 2) 18.12.2020 Choudhury,situated at Mouza- Bahirsabamangala Para, Ward No. 2, registered vide Deed making certain insinuations Choudhury Syndicate), 3) Rs.27,04,613.02 as on No. I-2975/ 2003 dated 07.04.2003, J.L. No. 42, L.R. Kh. No. 10687, L.R. Plot No. 5544, resident of 32, B. S. Para, 31.07.2020 (inclusive of interest up R.S. Plot No. 1781, 1782, 1783, R.S. Kh. No. 163, 320. Class: Bastu, Area: 7.94 Decimal, againstyou and your family. Subrata Club, Dist. Purba to 31.07.2020) and further interest, P.S. &Dist. Burdwan. Butted and bounded by on the North: Property of Paresh Chowdhury, Thus,Iwould liketooffer my Barddhaman, Pin-713101, West costs and incidental expenses etc. on the South: Passage, on the East: Property of Sekhar Chowdhury and on the West: apologiestoyou and your fam- Bengal Property ofAshok Banerjee. ilyfor anyhurtthe statements 2. Borrower: M/s Rani Brick Field 1) 05.09.2020 Equitable mortgage of residential land and building in the name of Sk MoharAli, situated at mayhavecaused. Iwould also (Proprietor: Mr.S.K.Mohar 2) 19.12.2020 Mouza- Kamalpur,registered vide Deed No. 5706, dated 06.12.2012, J.L. No. 74, R.S. urge the INCtoremove the Ali), resident of Vill. &P.O. 3) Rs.15,58,755.00 as on Khatian No. 1880, 1888, 1889, 1890, L.R. Khatian No. 2821, R.S. &L.R. Plot No. 2707, press conference available on Kamalpur,P.S. Khandaghosh, 31.07.2020 (inclusive of interest up Class: Bastu, Area: 09 Decimal in the name of Sk Mohar Ali, Vill. &P.O. Kamalpur,P.S. their website." Dist. Purba Barddhaman, Pin- to 31.07.2020) and further interest, Khandaghosh, Dist. Purba Barddhaman, Pin-713103. Butted and bounded by on the Vivek'slawyer, DP Singh, told 713103, West Bengal costs and incidental expenses etc. North: Pond of other,onthe South: Passage, on the East: Plot of owner and on the West: The Indian Express that they Road. have "acceptedRamesh's apol- Date: 18.12.2020 &19.12.2020, Authorised Officer, ogy and giventheir statement to Place: Burdwan Bank of Baroda the courtaccepting his apology". Kolkata WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

THESUNDAY EXPRESS,DECEMBER20,2020 6 EXPRESS NETWORK

SKSinghal Blueprint TRACKING INDIA’S COVID CURVE appointed new ‘Wantpeace,butwon’ttolerate of mosque DGP of Bihar 292 CASES: ACTIVECASES:308,751 DAYSSINCE 10,004,599 DEATHS:145,136 PANDEMIC in Ayodhya harmtoIndia’sself-respect’ BEGAN TESTS: 160,090,514 | RECOVERIES: 9,550,712 PRESSTRUSTOFINDIA PATNA,DECEMBER19 CASES DEATHS RECOVERIES TESTS unveiled tude reflected that country’s in- DEC18 25,152347 29,885 1,171,868 THEBIHARgovernment Saturday PRESSTRUSTOFINDIA tentions” during the Covid-19 appointed IPS officer SKSinghal HYDERABAD,DECEMBER19 crisis.“But we have shown that EXPRESSNEWSSERVICE as DGP,according to anotification India is notweak.This is new LUCKNOW,DECEMBER19 issuedhere. DEFENCE MINISTER Rajnath India that will give abefitting re- Singhal has been holding the Singh on Saturdaysaid India’s plytoany kind of transgression, THE INDO-ISLAMIC Cultural additional charge of DGPafter handling of the border standoff aggression or anyunilateral ac- Foundation TrustonSaturday Gupteshwar Pandeytook volun- with China showedthat the tion,” he said. unveiledthe blueprint of the tary retirement from service in country wasnot weak and could Singh,whovisitedtheDefence mosque along with other ameni- September.“SanjeevKumar give abefitting replytoany kind Research andDevelopment STATESWITHRISINGACTIVECASES ties thatwillbeconstructed on Singhal, a1988batchBihar cadre of transgression, aggression or Organisation's Dr APJAbdul ACTIVECASES RISEINLASTWEEK the five-acreland, allottedbythe IPSofficer,currentlyholding the unilateral acts. KalamMissileComplex heredur- Uttarakhand 7,100217 stategovernment in Ayodhya’s postofDG-cum-Commandant With the twocountries hav- Rajnath Singh at the Air ForceAcademy in Hyderabad. PTI ing his two-day visit to the city, Assam 3,542 46 Dhannipur village. GeneralofBihar Home Guards ingheld severalrounds of talks also inaugurated theadvanced Andaman 96 18 If the proposed mapsget the and Fire Services, is appointed as to resolve the issue, Singh said Hypersonic Wind Tunnel (HWT) required approvalfromthe au- the DGP,Bihar till further orders," “wedon’t want conflict, but respect.” the Air ForceAcademy at test facilityhere,makingIndiathe STATESWHEREACTIVECASESAREDECLINING thorities concerned in time, then the home department notifica- peace. But we willnot tolerate In his address at the Dundigal on the outskirts of the thirdcountry afterthe US and ACTIVECASES DECLINEINLASTWEEK work on the sitemight startfrom tion said. anyharmtothe country’s self- CombinedGraduation Parade at city,Singh also said China’s“atti- Russiatohavesuchafacility. Maharashtra60,35212,963 theRepublicDay, theTrustsaid.In Delhi11,4197,257 case the permissions arenot Rajasthan 13,058 4,663 grantedintime,thenthenextpro- poseddateofcommencingwork Ideologue who saw entire trajectory of RSS STATESREPORTINGMAXIMUMCASES will be theIndependenceday. ONDEC18 TOTAL Earlier,the Trusthad con- Kerala 5,456 693,865 firmedthat besides the mosque, itsvilification afterthe assassina- ship, and did notappreciatethe praisingModi’s leadership and Maharashtra3,9941,888,767 other facilities suchasresearch VIVEKDESHPANDE& tion of Mahatma Gandhi, forma- liberal approachofthe Atal Bihari work as Prime Minister. centreonIndo-Islamic culture West Bengal 2,239 532,695 LIZMATHEW tion of itsfirstpolitical wing, the Vajpayee-ledgovernment, ac- Vaidyahad stoked several and study,charitable hospital, NAGPUR/NEWDELHI,DEC19 JanaSangh,its active politicalpar- cording to leaders. controversies with his writings. STATESREPORTINGMAXIMUMDEATHS communitykitchen, museum ticipation during the Emergency, “He wasbit strident with his On November 1, 2016,hehad ONDEC18 TOTAL andpubliclibrarywill also be SENIOR RashtriyaSwayamsevak theRam temple movement, and views and wasastickler to the written: “Those who areopposed Maharashtra8049,693 built on the site. Sangh (RSS) ideologue MG the BJP coming to powerwith its ideology,” aBJP leader said. to aUCC[uniform civil code] may West Bengal 42 9,277 Earlier on Saturday,the plan VaidyadiedhereonSaturday. He ownmajority. Being aprolific writer in be givenanoption to notfollow and design of the whole area was Delhi 37 10,219 was97. RamMadhav, senior BJP Marathi and Hindi, some of it.Butin that casetheywill have to showcasedduringaninteraction “Vaidyadiedofold agecom- leader whohad succeeded Vaidya’s articles had createdcon- forego their right to voteinthe DataasonDecember18,releasedbyUnionMinistryofHealthandFamilyWelfare,IndianCouncilofMedical with the Founder Dean Faculty MGVAIDYA Researchandstategovernments.Often,thenumbersreleasedeverydaycontaindatafrompreviousdays plications,” Dr Harshwardhan VaidyaasRSSspokesperson,said troversyfortheir hardline stance, elections to thestate assemblies aswell.Assuch,trendsbasedondailynumbersareonlyindicativeandnotdefinitive of Architecture&Ekistics at Mardikar,who treatedhim over he had learnt the artofmedia re- 1923-2020 whichcould notbeinline with and Parliament.” Delhi’s Jamia Milia Islamia thelastfivedays in hospital, said. lationship from him. “He had even the RSS’s official position. He had earnedangryjibes University,Professor SMAkhtar. Aformer editor of pro-RSS seen the RSS fornine decades – “He wasforthrightand fearless from the ShivSenaafew years He is also the consultant archi- Marathi daily‘Tarun Bharat’, right fromGurujiGolwalkar's(M quentlybecame thenewspaper’s with his views andthis had cre- agowith his suggestion that Kerala govt warns of Covid tect forthe mosque complex Vaidyahad also servedasRSS SGolwalkar,second chief of the editor,beforetakingoverasits atedsome disquiet in theParivar,” Maharashtrashould be divided project.Retired JNU Professor spokesperson and bouddhik pra- RSS) time,” Madhavtold The managing directorin1985, and aleader said. intofour Marathi-speaking states, case spurt after local polls PushpeshPant, who is the cura- mukh (intellectual wing chief). SundayExpress.“He wasclosely later as director of Narkesari However, no onetriedto including the stateofVidarbha. torofthe museum, along with One of Vaidya's son, associatedwith Guruji and wasa Prakashan, whichpublishesthe counterorconfronthimoutof re- Muchbeforethe NDAgovern- Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Kerala Mumbai-basedphilanthropist Manmohan Vaidya, is currently treasuretrove of information and newspaper. spect forVaidyahis contribution ment bifurcated the stateof Health MinisterKKShailaja Health Mohammad Shoib who has sahsarkaryawah(joint general historyaboutthe RSS.He wasthe Between 1978 and 1984, to the organisation. Jammu and Kashmir,Vaidyahad Saturdaywarnedofapossible MinisterKK shown interesttoraisefunds for secretary) of RSS. firstspokespersonof the RSS,and Vaidyawas also amember of His column –titled“Bhashya” strongly advocated forit. spurtinCovid-19cases triggered Shailaja the hospital, also took partinthe Aswayamsevaksince child- Ialways sawhim as an incisive Maharashtra’s Legislative Council –in‘Tarun Bharat’ ranfor 25 years During his lifetime, Vaidya by the recent local body elec- event virtually. hood, Vaidya, born in 1923, was analystofpolitics andthe society.” as the Governor’s nominee. at astretch,and is consideredone had endeared himself to people tions. “Professor Akhtar has show- among the lastsurviving RSS ide- Known forhis erudition, Vaidya, who wrote20books, of the longest-serving newspaper across ideological divide. He had “Afterlocal body elections, partment has also takenspecial casedthe plan of the entire ologues to have witnessedthe Vaidyahad initially served as a mostlyexplaining the Hindutva column.Itwaswidelyspeculated performed “kanyadan” of the therehad been large gatherings attention and has been told to mosque complexalong with the riseof the Sanghsincethe organ- school, and later as college, ideology,was known forhis that the column had come to an Muslim wifeofthen Congress in manyplaces. Newcases have getready to face ahigher case four-storey200-bed super spe- isation’s inception in 1925. teacher.Hequit his job as profes- staunchrationalisationofthe abrupt endafter Vaidyawrote a leader Sunil Deshmukh,now a startedtricklinginfromvarious load,’’ she said. ciality hospital, whichwill in- BJP leaders remember Vaidya sor of Sanskrit in Christian mis- contentious aspectsofthe ideol- piece with an unflatteringrefer- BJP MLAfromAmravati. places,’’ she said. On Saturday, Kerala’s cases clude all modern facilities. The as an ideologue who witnessed sionary-run Hislop Collegeof ogy with historical and religious ence to Prime MinisterNarendra Shrikant Jichkar,asenior The Health Ministersaid the total number of reportedcases mosque will have twofloors and the entiretrajectoryofthe RSS Nagpur in 1966 to join the news- references from scriptures. He Modi. Congress leader and former next weekswill nowbecritical. crossed7lakh. The test positiv- will be spherical in shape. The evolution —fromits nascentstage paper ‘Tarun Bharat’ as itsedito- wasknown as ahardliner when Butoverthe lastsix years, he Maharashtraminister, respected “It will reveal whether the ity rate in the stateisnow 10.49 whole conceptistoconveya as acultural national movement, rial team member.Hesubse- it came to the RSS-BJP relation- had made severalcomments Vaidyaashis guru. gatherings during elections have as againstthe national figureof messageonclimatechange, contributed to the spikeincases. 6.25 per cent.The metric has whichisamatter of concern and Thereshouldbeaself-imposed been hovering at this rangefor needs our attention. It will not lockdown. The statehealth de- the lastseveral weeks. ENS justbesymbolic, but we will makeitazero-energy building. All powerdemands in the Karnataka to Need to swiftly mosque will be metwith the help of solar panels and there restart schools vaccinate 30 cr will be no electricity connec- tion,” said Athar Husain, secre- for classes Xand population, says tary andspokesperson of the foundation Trust. XII from Jan 1 HarshVardhan “Inaddition to that,wewill develop agreen patchand pro- Bengaluru: Karnataka has de- NewDelhi: With the countryset curesaplings from all overthe cidedtoreopen schools for to roll out itslargest immuniza- world, including Amazon rain- Classes Xand XII from January1 tion drive next year,Union Health forest,placeswhere the bushfire in order to allowstudentstaking Minister Harsh Vardhan took place in Australia and other Boardexams in 2021toprepare Saturday, emphasisedthat the 30 geographical locations in India. forthe examinations. crorepriority population needs The community kitchen and The decision wastaken to be vaccinatedexpeditiously. museum have been curated by Saturdayinameeting chaired by He wasspeaking during the Professor Pant, showing our Chief MinisterBSYediyurappa twenty-second meeting of the compositelegacy,” Husain said. basedthe recommendations of a GroupofMinisters (GoM)on He added, “In Islam, thereis TechnicalAdvisoryCommitteefor Covid-19, he said. no tradition of agrand celebra- Covid-19. During the meeting, NITI tion forthe foundation stone lay- ForstudentsofClasses VI to Aayogmember Dr Vinod KPaul ing ceremonyofamosque. Once BRUHATBENGALURU MAHANAGARA PALIKE IX, schools can run classes under made adetailedpresentation on the project is completed,wecan the Vidyagamascheme—under the vaccine rollout, whichisex- arrangeabig event. The dateof Office of the Executive Engineer,Rajarajeshwarinagara whichclasses areheld in open pected to begin early next year. January26has been chosen as Division, BBMP Office, Near Chowdeshwari Bus Stop, spaces—from January1,School Paul apprisedthe GoM on on this dayour Constitution Mathikere, Bengaluru-560054 KARNATAKA NEERAVARI NIGAM LIMITED (A Government of KarnatakaEnterprise) Education MinisterSuresh the details of the six vaccine can- came intoeffect ,” he added. No.: RRND/EE/Tend/08/2020-21 Date: 18.12.2020 CIN: U85110KA1998SGC024503 Kumar said. Adecision on restart- didates undergoing trial in India The officials of the Trustsaid invitation for tenderS (ift) Regd.Office:No. 1, Coffee BoardBuilding, 4th Floor, ing these classes in regular mode -interms of composition, man- as of nowtheydonot have ade- TwO COvER TENDER -Short term Tender Notification Dr.B.R. Ambedkar Veedhi,Bengaluru- 560 001. would betakenafter monitoring ufacturers and technical part- tailedplan to collectcontribu- (Only through E-Procurement Portal) Phone: 22283074-78, Fax: 22386015 the situation in January, the gov- ners,and conditions forstorage. tion forthe project. Arough esti- e-Mail: [email protected] The Executive Engineer,Rajarajeshwari Nagara Division, ernment has decided. ENS ENS matesuggestedthat onlythe No: KNN/Empanelment/Survey Consultancy/2021-25Date:20.12.2020 BBMP,Bengaluru invites tenders from eligible contractors hospital will costaround Rs 100 registered in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike or INVITATION FOR EMPANELMENT OF crore. Twoseparatebank ac- equivalent registration with CPWD /KPWD /Railways /MES / SURVEY CONSULTANTS countshavebeen created to col- lect moneyfor theconstruction National Highway or any Sate Government Organizations for 1. KNNL is empanelling private consultantsfor carrying out the construction of work detailed in the table below. –the firstfor the mosque and the survey, investigations, designs, etc., for preparation of (Standard Tender Document -Kw4) second, forother structures. DPRofvariousprojects under itsjurisdiction. Est. Cost Members of the Trustadded Sl. EMD Empanelment of suchconsulting firms is being done after Name of work (Rs. in thatthough afinal name forthe No. (in Rs.) Lakhs) verifying the credentials of the firms duly obtaining the mosque is yettobeagreedupon, Improvements and Development of approvalofthe Estimate Review Committee (ERC). Only it has been decidedthat it will 1 School Building at Jalahalli in ward 200.00 3,00,000/- such empanelled firms are eligible to participateinthe notbenamedafter Babar or any No. 16. tendersfor consultancy works. other king, emperor or ruler. Providing asphalting to remaining 2. The empanelling survey consultants should submit their Roads in Lavakusha Nagara, detailed company profile. 2 180.00 2,70,000/- Rajivgandhi Nagara and Byraveshara 3. The major portion of the survey consultancy works are Court orders Nagara in ward No. 69. proposedtobetendered under the following category: probe in Akhtar Providing and fixing SS Street Name Category-I: Survey consultancy works costing more 3 Boards in Laggere Ward surrounding 100.00 1,50,000/- than Rs. 100.00 lakhs. in ward No. 69, Laggere. complaint Category-II: Survey consultancy workscosting more than Calendar of Events :(1) Tender documents may be Rs. 50.00 lakhs and up to Rs. 100.00 lakhs. ''IMPORTANT'' Mumbai: The Andheri downloaded from the e-procurement portal of Government Category-III: Survey consultancy works up to Rs. 50.00 Whilst care is taken prior to Metropolitan MagistrateCourt of Karnataka from 24.12.2020. (2) Last date for submission lakhs. acceptance of advertising on Saturdaydirected the Juhu of Queries: 05.01.2021 up to 4:00 p.m. (3) Pre-bid meeting copy,itisnot possible to verify police station to probeacrimi- at Chief Engineer Office, RRNZ: 06.01.2021 at 11:00 a.m. Only such of the Consultantswho are qualifiedand its contents. The Indian empanelled in the select listofConsultants will be eligible Express (P) Limited cannotbe nal complaint filedbylyricist (4) Tenders must be submitted online through e-procurement JavedAkhtar againstactor portal on or before 4:00 p.m. on 11.01.2021 and the opening to applyfor works under above category.However,KNNL held responsible for such contents,nor for any loss or Kangana Ranaut forallegedly de- reserves the right to separately pre-qualify the consultants of tenders will be as per the e-Procurement portal guidelines. damageincurred as aresult of faminghim in anews television for works of specialised nature. (5) Date of opening of Technical bids is on: 13.01.2021 at 4:00 transactions with companies, interview. Akhtar had lastmonth p.m. (6) Date of opening of Financial bid is on: 16.01.2021 4. Details of instruments/equipmentsrequired /Human associationsorindividuals advertising in its newspapers filedacriminal complaint at 4:00 p.m. Further details may be obtained from the above Resources /AnnualTurnover /Application Fees /etc., againstRanaut forallegedly office, during office hours or website https://eproc.karnataka. or Publications.Wetherefore can be downloaded from ourwebsite www.knnlindia.com recommend that readers making defamatorystatements gov.in Sd/-ManagingDirector, make necessary inquiries againsthim on aprivate news Sd/- Executive Engineer,Rajarajeshwarinagara Division, BBMP before sending any monies or KNNL, Bengaluru channel. The complaint claims entering into any agreements that Ranaut has unnecessarily with advertisers or otherwise actingonanadvertisement in dragged Akhtar's name in con- any mannerwhatsoever. nection with the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. ENS Kolkata WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

THESUNDAY EXPRESS,DECEMBER20,2020 7 SUNDAY STORY

POLL RESULTS ■Number of wardsinpanchayat ■ WonbyTwenty20 KIZHAKKAMBALAM 19 18 AIKKARANAD 14 14 KUNNATHUNAD 18 11 MAZHUVANNOOR 19 16 VENGOLA 23 10*

*Single largestparty;Twenty20 had contestedin10wards THE BIG PICTURE RESULTSOFTOTAL941GRAMPANCHAYATS Twenty20 also wontwo divisions in district panchayat, and nine divisions in block 371 211 2 8 panchayatpolls SOARING KITEX LDF UDF NDA OTHERS 1968: Anna-Kitex Group of Companies foundedbyMCJacob as Anna 349 Aluminium CompanyatErnakulam’s NO CLEAR MAJORITY Kizhakkambalam village 1970s: Jacob ventures intotextiles after the stategovernment requests him to install about 400ofthe 3,900power looms the Centrehas allotted to Kerala as part of an employment scheme. Jacob starts10unitswith 400looms in each 1995: The companystartsanexport- oriented garment unit, later diversifying intospices, school bags and umbrellas. NowitisKerala’s largest private-sector employerwith 15,500onrolls 1997: CITU launches an agitation against the companydemanding atrade union. Calls it offafter 450 days without success. No tradeunion exists in anyKitex companyatpresent 2015: Twenty20, Kitex’s CSR wing, wins Kizhakkambalam panchayat (Fromtop) Astreamrestoredaspartof rejuvenationofwater bodies;wider roads; a‘food security market’giving members subsidies on provisions; and KIZHAKKAMBALAM PANCHAYAT ‘villas’ in place of one-room settlements Schemes, subsidies TWENTY20 keep voters happy: ERALA’S LARGESTprivate sec- ‘Can’t live on ideology’ toremployer, KITEX registered Twenty20 underthe Charitable Societies Actin2013asfallout IN PREMIERLEAGUE WENTY-FIVE km from Kochi, at RBindu, ahousewifewho wonfrom K of alongstanding legal battle Kizhakkambalam, ahugemodel Ward No.8on aTwenty20 ticket, says it is with the Congress-ruledKizhakkambalam of ayellow mangofruit,withtwo natural forwomen to vote forTwenty20 as panchayat. In June 2012,the panchayathad What happenswhenKerala’s largestprivate sectoremployerbrings a Tthinleaves,standingonapodium, theyare the biggestbeneficiaries of the refusedtorenewKITEX’s licence on the greetsvisitors.Forlocalpoliticiansofallhues, schemes, including thecreation of self-help ground that it wascontaminatingwaterbod- management styletopanchayatdemocracy? Morefunds, villa housing, a the mango, the poll symbol of Twenty20, groups. “The food storehelps them run ies from itsdyeing and bleaching units, de- symbolisestheapoliticalmovementthatfor their kitchens without bleeding theirfam- spiteaHigh Courtclean chit. Later,when the subsidisedmarket, stunningelectoralsuccess,and chargesofveiled the second time running has wrestedcon- ilybudgets.Home appliances can be pur- Kizhakkambalam panchayatalso obstructed autocracy.SHAJU PHILIP on aunique initiativethat is disrupting Kerala’s trol of Kizhakkambalam panchayat. chasedoninstalment,” she says. KITEX’s charitable activities and afairheld by In fact,Twenty20 has done one better. To cut down on irregularities,thereisa it, Managing Director and Twenty20Chief deeplyentrenchedpolitics—for good, and bad Though the Congress and CPM, sworn rivals punching system in place. Members must Coordinator Sabu Jacobdecidedthat KITEX, a inKerala,fieldedjointcandidatesto keepout useitwhen meeting at the ward levelorfor Rs 1,200crore company, primarilyintoman- theorganisation,whosesuccessthreatenen- purchases at the food security market. ufactureofgarments,would itself contestthe However, attributingTwenty20’s success thedisillusionmentwithconventionalpolitics. trenchedpolitics suchastheirs, Twenty20 SabuJacob says thatinthefiveyears that panchayatpolls as partofits CSR (corporate to justwhat it didduring the lockdown or the “This is awarningtoparties... That notjustthe didn’t justretain control of the panchayatin Twenty20 has been at the helm, the pan- social responsibility) activities. sops it offers would be an oversimplification. KERALA government can deliverwelfare, others can.” itshometown Kizhakkambalam, but also chayat has transformedfromowing liabili- Five yearsafterittastedsuccess,sweeping The Kizhakkambalampanchayatstands Twenty20’s win is especiallystriking in wonone morethan itstally of 17 wardsout ties of Rs 39 lakh to holding abalance of the Kizhakkambalam panchayat, Twenty20 out as asuccess storyinthe area —withits su- Mazhuvanoor Keralawithitshistoryof revolutionaryandso- of 19 in 2015 (the only ward notwon by Rs13.57crore.“We have increasedefficiency has proved itself morethan afluke. In the re- permarket where consumer durables are cialmovements,Gopakumarnotes.However, Twenty20 this time went to the UDF). ingovernanceapartfromincreasingthebou- cent elections, it wonthree morepanchayats available on instalmentsand subsidy;its free Aikkaranad he isn’t sureabout either the phenomenon’s Thereasonsforthisastonishingperform- quet of welfareschemes forpeople. in itshome district of Ernakulam —Aikkara- ambulanceservice;its new, widenedroads; desirability or viability.“With the operations anceareallaroundinthepanchayat,withKI- Corruption waseliminated,” he says. nad, Mazhuvannoor and Kunnathunad — itsrejuvenation programme forwater bodies, Kizhakkambalam of apanchayatcontrolledbyafirm,itismore TEX notjustbanking on governmentfunds Jacob oversees functioning of Twenty20 apartfromretaining Kizhakkambalam. This and itsfreeprovision of agro-machinery for Kunnathunad corporatism thandemocracy... It mayworkat forschemes but also itsown contribution, closely, with KITEX’s salariedexecutives, in- victoryissweeter,anacknowledgment of the farmers, among other measures. amicro-level, but notatmacro. No one has and CSR funds of other firms —filling acru- cluding management and social work grad- work done by Twenty20. With 15,500people on itsrolls, KITEX ERNAKULAM shown the worldhow democracy can be run cial financialgap in welfareschemes. While uates,callingonpeople and conveying their “The panchayat had closed down our fair touches the livesofmanypeople in the area. without apolitical party,” the professor says. panchayatmembersusuallyreceive Rs7,000 requirementstothe Managing Director. because it had that powervestedinit. We de- Peopleheretellyouhow despiteits large staff Leftpoliticalobserver Prof RPAzad sees monthly, KITEX pays the panchayatpresi- KVJacob, aformer CPI local secretary cidedtousurp that power,”says Sabu. The strength,the company, withglobal clientslike THIRUVANANTHAPURAM the emergence of Twenty20 as evidence of fi- dentRs25,000,vice-presidentRs20,000and whowasanearly converttoTwenty20inthe name Twenty20was meant to reflect the am- Walmart, Amazon, Target,has managed to nancial forces gaining further control in poli- other members Rs 15,000. Kizhakkambalam panchayat, says thereare bition of “holistic development” by 2020; keep Kerala’sinfluential labourunions out. In tics, even as the Statefails to address people’s KITEX MD and Twenty20 Chief both good sides and bad to this“autocratic” while mangowas chosen as the poll symbol 1997,a450-daystir by the CPM’s trade union problems.“Politicalintervention hasbeenre- Coordinator Sabu Jacob says his group has andcorporateapproachtodemocracy by forbeing the national fruit. wing,CITU, had to be calledoff afteritdrew ducedtogive-and-take,” Azadsays.“When spentaboutRs170crore inKizhakkambalam Jacob. “While all schemes in the panchayat CPM leaderand outgoingpresident of no supportfromthe staff. CITU sources,how- the government distributesfood kits, acorpo- inthelastfiveyears.“Only10%of thatwould arefundedbythe exchequer,Sabu has en- Aikkaranad panchayat KKRajuadmitsthey ever,say the main reason wasKITEX owner rate firm has steppedintothe same space.The be CSR. The rest is from our ventures and sured thatthe entiremoneyisusedfor the underestimated Twenty20: “Wecouldnot Jacob’s close ties withleaders across all par- corporateworld sees apanchayatasamarket. other institutions.” project. When politicianshandle panchay- think of Twenty20sweeping apanchayat ties, manyofwhom aresaid to avail of his serv- This is adangerous trend that will shatter the One of themostsuccessful schemes in- ats, only60% of the funds areploughedin, ruledbythe CPM.” ices as an Ayurvedapractitioner. very basis of politics.” volves construction of 72 ‘villas’ —with two the rest goes intotheir pockets,” Jacob says. During the coronavirus lockdown, the or- In fact, the signs of Twenty20’s growing Jacobdismisses chargesofautocratic or bedrooms, atoilet,and akitchen —for fam- However, he adds, Sabu’s intervention ganisationcoordinateddistributionof sanitis- attraction have been around. Itscontestants companyrule in the panchayat. “If Ihad taken ilies who livedinsingle-room settlements. meanselectedpanchayatmemberslikehim ers,masksandfoodkits,followingthisupwith aremostlyleaders who have crossedover such an approach, people would have thrown Jaya Muraleedharan and her husband, have less and lesssay.“Panchayatmembers membershipdrivesinAikkaranad,Kunnathu- from other parties, includingthe CPM, BJP TheSignofFour us out.Political leaders who usedtopocket bothdailywagersandformerCPMsupport- arereducedtomerepuppets.Twenty20ex- nadu, Mazhuvannoorand Vengola panchay- and Congress. The names don’t matter,with fundshavelosttheir livelihood after ers,areamongTwenty20’snewvotersinthe ecutives areintouchwiththe localpeople. ats.ThishelpedTwenty20enrol26,500people the tagofKITEX enough. THE SUCCESS of KITEX’scorporate Twenty20 assumedoffice. Hence, theyare Kunnathukudi ward of the panchayat. “Our Nobody should question Jacob. Icould not in twomonths, apartfromits existing base of Twenty20underlinedthisconnectionwith social responsibility wing in recent raisingthis allegation,” he says. lifehaschanged.Foryears,we livedinaslum. acceptitand hencequit as panchayatpresi- 8,500members in Kizhakkambalam. KITEX in itscampaign, whichwas delegated Kerala polls, winning four panchayats Amplifying his claims, other apolitical We had four centsofland, but no moneyto dent in Januarythis year,” Jacob says. In the panchayatelections, Twenty20 to “coordinators”andexecutives.Ineverypan- nowcompared to one lasttime, is movementsare seekingafootholdnow in the construct ahouse. Twenty20 gave us anew Twoothers who had wononTwenty20 sweptAikkaranad, winning all its14wards, chayatward,Twenty20hada‘ward executive’, unique in Indian politics —especially space created by Twenty20,with V4Kochi house,” says Jaya. ticket in 2015 also quit over disagreements. gainedaclear majority in Kunnathunad and asalariedKITEXemployeedeployedfulltime; in astate with along history of social contesting KochiCorporation polls, Twenty- Amajorityofthe Twenty20 supporters Others point out that manycontractors Mazhuvannoor,and emergedasthe single a25-memberexecutivecommittee;andafive- and movements. While Twenty20’s Twenty Chellanam standing forelections in arewomenlikeher,wonovernotjustbythe toohavebacktrackedfromtaking up proj- largest partyinVengola,whereitwonallthe10 memberhigh-powercommittee.Eachmem- influence is likelytoremain micro, can the coastalpanchayat, and V4 Pattambi in the housing scheme but Twenty20 measures ectsinKizhakkambalam, consequentlyen- wards(out of 23) that it contested. The berinthe high-powercommittee had charge political parties afford to ignorewhat Pattambi municipality.Twenty-Twenty suchasa‘food security market’, wherepro- suring that amajority of the worksinthe Mazhuvannoor and Kunnathunad panchay- of five houses.Any issueofthat house that the result portends? Chellanam, floated by residentsangryatpar- visions areavailable at subsidies between panchayatare done by KITEX’s ownmen. atswereearlierheldby theCongress-ledUDF. neededthe intervention of the panchayat ties forneglecting sea erosion, bagged eight 50% and 70%tothose who have joinedas LocalCPMleaderKVAliassays thistrans- Former Mazhuvannoor panchayat presi- would be takenupbythe member.Chief of 21 seatsinChellanam, with the LDF win- members, dependingoneconomic status, formsdemocracy in ways that can’tbeig- dent and local Congress leader Anu Varghese CoordinatorSabuJacobhimselfattendedfam- panchayat, says thedevelopment work in ning nine and the UDF four.V4Pattambi con- withamonthlyceiling.(InKizhakkambalam nored.“We arenot againstroad develop- reasons, “The main attraction forTwenty20 ilygatherings, seeking votes. Kizhakkambalamhasarousedmuchcuriosity. tested with LDFsupport, and having wonsix panchayat, it has 8,500members.) ment, but therehavebeen incidentsofthe seems to be materialoffers,including sub- KKSurendran, along-time CPI sympa- “Weseebetterroads,lit-upstreets,freeambu- seats, is settoshare powerinthe municipal- Says autorickshaw driverJoseSebastian: panchayatforciblywidening roads without sidisedprovisions. The middle class does not thiser nowwith Twenty20 in Kunnathunad lanceservice,restoredpaddyfields...initiatives ity.V4Kochi, however, failedtowin anyseat. “Wecannotfill stomachs withpolitical ide- the consentoflandowners. Besides, provi- getany benefits, unlikepeople from lower panchayat, says,“Isaw the prompt services whichpoliticalleaders have failedtobring.” Jacob and Twenty20’s sights, meanwhile, ology.Twenty20providesallessentialitems sionsatsubsidisedrates aregiven only to economic strata.Hence, givenanattractive people got from the panchayatoffice. This is Politicalscientistandformervice-chancel- areset higher.Soonafterthepanchayatresults, at subsidisedrates. Ican purchase alitreof Twenty20members. Benefitsmainlygoto offerfromacorporateworld, the middle class possible onlybecause of Twenty20.” lor of Central UniversityofKerala Prof he announcedtheywould next contestthe coconutoilatRs60amonthfromtheirstore, them,” he alleges, adding that the CPM has has shiftedloyalty.” LevinJ,amemberof Twenty20inthesame GGopakumarsays Twenty20’ssuccessshows Assemblyelections, justafewmonths away. when it is Rs 200inthe open market.” held severalprotestsagainstthis. Kolkata WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM 8 OPINION THESUNDAYEXPRESS,DECEMBER20,2020

Across Fifth THEAISLE COLUMN TAVLEENSINGH Mayourchildrenforgiveus Twitter@tavleen_singh

THERE IS an Indiabeyond Delhi, Singhu determinedexchangeratebut, today, a children and adolescentsare at higher opment.” India’sHDI rank droppedby on the Haryana-Delhi border,the stock market-determinedexchangerateis risk forimpaired growth (Black,2013). one in 2019. markets,the RBI and the TV channels. takenassonormal that describing it as a Love jihadis That is the real India, populatedwith real path-breaking reform (whichitwas)will people who do physical work everyday in hardlycause anyeyebrowstoberaised. WHY MALNUTRITION? FOOD, BUTNOT TO EAT factories andfields, in homes and on the Persistent povertyand unemploy- Stunting and wasting aresigns of It is clear that the design and execu- nonsense PCHIDAMBARAM streets, to keep body and soul together. ment have terrible consequences. One of chronic/acuteundernutrition thatre- tion of programmes suchasICDS, Mid- Website:pchidambaram.in Like everyother human being, theyeat, them is malnutrition among children. flectsfailure to receive adequate nutri- dayMeal Scheme and POSHAN Abhiyan THEREISonlyone waytosay this. Bluntly. Twitter@Pchidambaram_IN sleep, love,marry,procreate, laugh, cry Everygovernmentrollsout programmes tion over alongperiod. Wasting mayre- areflawed. Theyhavefaileddespitethe The real victims of the attempt by BJP chief and die. Averylarge number among —Integrated Child Development sult also from inadequatefood intake. fact that we have bumper harvests year ministers to give legal weight to the in- them also struggle, all through their lives, Scheme, Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN The first1,000 days is considered the afteryear.The stockofwheat and rice in sane idea of ‘love jihad’are Indian women. with povertyand unemployment. Abhiyan and so on. Hugesums of money mostimportant period to intervene to September 2020 were 478LMT and 222 AllIndianwomen of everycaste and creed Thosetwo words—povertyand un- areallocated in the Budget,and it is prevent the lifelong damage causedby LMT respectively,plus109 LMT of un- technicallyhavethe fundamental right to employment—separatethe poor,mid- claimedtheyare spent. Thereisawatch- malnutrition. The highestprevalence of milledpaddy.The ironyisthat farmers choose who theymarry.But fordecades dle-income and advancedcountries. The dogagency —the National Commission stunting wasfoundinBihar, Madhya produce mountains of foodgrain, the FCI afterIndia becameamodern republic, this onlygoalofadeveloping countrylike forProtection of Child Rights. Health and Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and other agencies procureextensively, basic right wasdeniedtoyoung girls by India should be to wipe out povertyand nutrition levels aremeasured through (37-42per cent) andthe lowest in Goa the taxpayers cheerfullybear the costof parentsofprimitive mindset. In recent unemployment. By lastcount, the pro- periodicsurveys. The lastone wasthe and Jammu &Kashmir;higher in rural procurement and storage, yetour chil- times, things have changed,especiallyin It is clear that the design and portion of people of India classifiedas Comprehensive National Nutrition areas; morelikelyamong children in the dren do notget enough food to eat! small towns and big cities. Girls have execution of programmes poor or BPL (belowthe povertyline) was Survey (CNNS, 2016-2018)done jointly poorestwealth quintile; and morelikely None of the above is surprising. They takentochoosing their ownhusbands in- 28 per cent (UNDP). By lastcount, the un- by theMinistryofHealthand Family among ScheduledCastes/Tribes. accord with what is common knowl- stead of being forced intoarrangedmar- suchasICDS, Mid-dayMeal employment rate was9.9 per cent (CMIE, Welfareand the UNICEF. The CNNS mustbereadalongwith edge.What is surprising is that fewinany riages. This is good. It indicates that Scheme and POSHAN forweek ending December 13,2020). The findings areworrying: the National FamilyHealthSurvey government —and none in the present women arenow awareenough nottobe Abhiyan are flawed. They Age 0-59 5-9 10-19 (NFHS). NFHS-4 wasconducted in 2015- Central government —talk aboutthese treated as chattel. months years years 16 and NFHS-5 in 2019-20.AFact Sheet persistent problems. So, when women choose to marry have failed despite the fact Stunted3522 ONLYRELEVA NT wasreleased by the government afew Demonetisation, the slowdown of outside their caste or religion, it is not‘love that we have bumper harvests Wasted 17 n.a. METRICS Underweight3310 days ago. Between NFHS-4 and NFHS-5, the economyover8quarters (2018-19 jihad’ but achoice. Whythen areBJP gov- year after year... Theironyis Acutelymalnourished 11 n.a. the proportion of severely acutemal- and 2019-20), the pandemic, the loss of ernmentsgoing outoftheir waytopass that farmersproduce Do the governments, Central and Thin(BMI<-2SD) n.a. 23 24 nourishedchildren has worsened.Ms jobs, homes and livelihoods, the migra- laws that seek to push women back into Anaemic 41 21 28 mountains of foodgrain, the state, care? In my view, thelasting contri- Dipa Sinha of the School of Liberal tion of millions and the recession (Q1 medieval times? As always in matters of bution of the UPAgovernments(2004- *(all figuresin%) Studies, Ambedkar University,writing in and Q2 of 2020-21)havegreatlyim- fanatical Hindutva,itisYogi Adityanath FCI and other agencies 2014)was lifting 270millionpeople out The clinical effectsofmalnutrition are the (TheHindu, December 15,2020)ob- pacted thenutritional status of our chil- who leads the way. This powerful monk procure extensively,the tax of poverty. All other measures and pro- manifold: impairedpancreatic,liver,thy- served that “weare likelytosee an in- dren. Theanthropometric indicators, in- is so worriedabout Hindu women being payerscheerfully bear the cost grammes were impactful when they roid and immune functions; loss of liver crease in prevalence of childhood stunt- cluding malnutrition, have gotworse. whisked offby‘predatory’ Muslim men of procurement and storage, were takenorrolledout, but become part function; respiratoryand intestinal infec- ing in the countryduringthe period Wheredoes theresponsibility lie? that he passedanordinance recentlythat of the normal aftersome time. Forin- tions; and decreased cardiac output, de- 2015-16to2019-20.”She quotedthe The sign on the desk of President Harry disallows inter-faith marriages unless of- yet our children do not get stance, the two-stepdevaluation done in creasedappetite, lethargy and long-term WHO whichhas said that stunting is “a Truman read, ‘The buckstops here’. ficialdom is giventwo monthsadvance enough food to eat! July 1991 cut thepath toward amarket- developmental effects. Malnourished markerofinequalities in human devel- notice. This means that the government of UttarPradesh can interfereinthat most personal decision that awoman makes: choosing the man she wishes to marry. Arecent victimofthis newlaw is Pinki, failed. In July, when thethen Ministerfor 22, of Moradabad. She marriedaMuslim inside Food ProcessingHarsimrat Badal objected before Yogi’s ordinance came intoeffect to the ordinance forbarrier-free farm trad- and when it did, the couple decidedto TRACK ing,shewasassuredthatnecessarychanges registertheir marriagetoavoid future COOMIKAPOOR would be made when the Bills makeitto complications. The registration attracted Parliament.TheAkaliDalwalkedoutof the the attention of Yogi’s Hindutvahoodlums NDAwhenitrealised that the Centrewas who police‘love jihad.’ Theyensured that notplanningto alteritsproposals.Theunity Pinki’shusband and his brother were ar- of thefarmersandtheirwillingnessto digin rested,and that she waslockedupina theirheelsforthelonghaultooktheCentre Nari Niketan forten days.She claims that SHAKY POSITION by surprise.The well-organisedSikh farm- while there, she wastortured andput un- HARYANA CMManoharLalKhattarandhis erscanafford to sittightinDelhisincetheir Renuka Puri der suchstressthat she had amiscarriage. deputy Dushyant Chautala couldwell end wheatfieldsdonotneedtobetendedtotill Doctors who examinedher when she was up as casualtiesofthe farmers’ agitation. A lateFebruary. Surprisingly,itisthenormally takentohospitaladmit thatanultrasound Jat farm leader,Dushyant has been fielded combative AmitShah who has displayed history examination failedtodetect aheartbeat. to defend the government’s farm Billsand the mostflexibility,while his Cabinetcol- When local policemenwereasked why hehasperforcetoagree.Dushyantisaware leagues and the PM have hardenedposi- HEADLINE Of addas in Central Hall, shehad been treated in away thatcaused that sevenofhis 10 JJP MLAs supportthe tions.With hisear to the ground, Shah re- NEERJACHOWDHURY her trauma, the response wasthat she farmers’ protestand can bring down the alises it is politicallycounter-productiveto [email protected] andadour Chandrashekhar should have told them she waspregnant. government. Former Congress CM attackfarmersandSikhs.Thefarmershave Howmanyyoung women will have to en- BhupinderHoodaiswaitingexpectantlyin smartly distancedthemselvesfrompoliti- durewhat Pinki did before we realise that the wings. Dushyant, however, does not calparties and notallowedany individual this awful lawdepriveswomen of their want to surrender the perks of office. After to act as spokesperson. When intellectual ON DAYS THATParliamentwould be sit- that “Parliament is aforum to debateand had stoppedinformal chat sessions with privacy and their right to marry who they all, hisfamilyspent 16 yearsinthe wilder- andaspiringpoliticianYogendraYadavtried ting late,Iwould come out of the media even criticise the government”. the media.An“understood”convention of want? ness.Evengrandfather OmPrakashandfa- to assume this role, he wasasked dismis- room and watchthe beautifullylit circular It’sherethatMPssitandchat,cornerthe CentralHallisthatwhateverisspokenthere This should be the feministissue of the ther Ajayhavebenefited from hisstint in sively by one doughty peasant howmany building, asightthat always filledme with ministerandgetthework doneof theircon- is “offthe record”, unless stated otherwise. moment but forsome reason, therehas power, securing long paroles. Dushyant’s volunteers he had actuallybrought to the wonder —that this iconic structureshould stituents. As someone once said, “It is the The 1999 cliffhanger of atrustvote been hardlyasqueak out of those who unilateral styleand tough talk have alien- protests. represent the will of abillion-plus people. biggesteateryand gossipryintown.” It’s that Atal Bihari Vajpayeelost—byone generallymakearacket aboutwomen’s atedhis MLAs and he calculatestheycould It would be my goosebumpmoment. alsowheremedia persons liketohang out. vote—in1999 will be remembered as rights. Personally, Ihavenever been leave regardlessof whethertheyjoinHooda Thereare so manythings that come to The Central Hall of Parliament, above muchfor theintense debatethat followed drawntowomen’s causes. This is because ornot.DushyantisbankingontheGovernor STILL ELUSIVE mind when Ilook backatall those years all, is about holding conversations. MPs in Central Hallonwhichone vote could Iwas at an impressionable agewhen notcalling an early Assemblysessionfor a AfterAhmedPatel’sdeath, it wasclaimed when Iwrote about Parliament and,asa across parties affiliations wouldmount have made the difference. women were burning their bras in no-confidencevote. thathenceforth the Gandhis would speak media person, witnessedthe political and blistering attacksagainsteachother while All of these come to mind as the Prime America and wasput offwhen asmall directlytopartymemberswithoutinterme- legislative process at playinside it. in the House, before coming to Central Hall Ministerlaysthe foundation of anew group of sillyIndian women faithfullyfol- diaries. But the Congress firstfamilyre- As iconic as the building, designedby and sittingtogether over coffeeand toast. Parliament building whichisexpected to lowedsuit. Twoyearsago,privileged PAWAR PLAY mainedelusive.TheonlycontactwithRahul Edwin Lutyens and HerbertBaker and This is oftenwhereproblems got comeupby 2022.Itwillbebigger,andmore Indian women did something similarly SinceCongresshighcommandremainsun- is anearly morningTwitter messagewhich completedin1927, is the Central Hall, sortedout between the government side modern. It will have 888 seatsinthe Lok imitative when theycopiedthe MeToo responsivetoits demands,the G-23 rebels is sent between 8amand 9.30 am, either with life-size portraitsofIndia’s leaders, and the Opposition,and impasse gave Sabha,withanoptionto increaseitto 1,224. movement and startednaming and ledbyGhulam Nabi Azad realised theonly paying tributes, offering birthdaygreetings freedom fighters and former prime min- waytodialogue, though this has been get- Structural considerations and space shaming movie stars, ministers and waytochallengethe Gandhis’ suzerainty or taking potshots at the BJP. The tweets are isters looking down. ting less frequent over the years. constraintsare important factors foranew celebritywriters. Igot intotrouble with wastoinsidiouslyrope in the UPAallies, normallycomposedbyVineet Punia of the It washere, on the midnight of August Iremember the latePramod Mahajan, building. But in this dayofinnovation and them because Isaid that their effortswere noneof whomwantRahulto headanelec- Congress media cell, notRahul.Sonia con- 14-15, that Gujarat educationistHansa then parliamentaryaffairs ministerinthe modern technology,could theyhavenot tooimitative to makeadifference to toralcoalition. The trial balloon to make tinuedtoexcuseherself fromgivingappoint- Mehtapresented theIndian flag to Vajpayeeregime, accosting Opposition been addressed? Couldn’tanexpansion women who aretrulyvoiceless. SharadPawarUPA chairpersonwasfloated mentstosenior leaders on the plea of ill RajendraPrasad, chairman of the leaders who had fordays stalledthe Houses have been undertakentomeetthe needfor Whereare these feminists todaywhen by theCongress ginger group and has infu- health.ThesoleexceptionwasKamalNath, Constituent Assembly. “It is in the fitness with awarm “achha, ab batao, asal mein kya more offices, without givinguponthepres- thereisachance to take up auniquely riatedGandhiloyalists.Meanwhile,theim- who mether morethanonce. Some specu- of things,” she told him, “that the firstflag chahiye,uspar baat karein, shor to kaafiho ent building and converting it intoamu- Indian and very dangerousassault on the passeoverappointinganew presidentper- latedthat Nath could getabiggerroleinthe flying over this augusthouse should be a gaya (ok,let’s talk about theproblem, there seum? Afterall, the Annexe building and rightsofIndian women? Yogi sists because Sonia Gandhi would step party,othersthatthediscussionsconcerned giftfromthe women of India.” has been enough noise).” the Librarybuilding were addedasexten- Adityanath’s effortstodeprive women of down onlytomakeway forRahul, but her the AgustaWestland deal. But on Saturday, It washerethat Jawaharlal Nehru During the UPArule, Prithviraj Chavan, sions forpreciselythe same reason. the righttochoose theirown husbands son, afterresigning following the defeat in Sonia finally metthe dissidentletterwrit- spokehis famous wordsthat midnight, MoS in the Prime Minister’s Office, wasable Yousee MPs squishedtogether in the arebeing copiedbyotherBJP chief minis- the2019 generalelections,wouldliketode- ers. Significantly,Nath wasalso present. “Long years agowemade atryst with des- to have aquiet word herewith Arun Jaitley British parliament;theycould certainly ters. So howlong will it be before women fertakingformal charge.Hewould prefer tinyand nowthe time comes when we and Sushma Swaraj,leaders of Opposition do with morespace. Thereisaplan to re- aredragged back intoatime when to wait till 2022, when thepresent presi- shall redeem our pledge...,” in the twoHouses, and getaconsensus on storethe decaying Palace of Westminster, women hadnoright over their bodiesor dential term ends. Anominee of Rahul as FRESH HOLD-UP It washerethat Sonia Gandhi, Nehru’s the tricky nuclear liability Bill. but nottoreplace it. their choices? Howlongbeforewomen president, the mostlikelychoice being Plans foranexpansion of Modi’s Council of grand daughter-in-lawand Congress pres- In 1989, manywill remember the sight For, Parliament is abuilding steepedin aretold that theyhavenoright to do any- Mukul Wasnik,isunacceptabletomany. Ministers have been in the offing forlong, ident, decidedtoheedher “inner voice” and of ared-facedChandrashekhar sitting in a history,memories, and ademocratic legacy thing morethan breedchildren, cook and butfrequentlyputoff,most recently dueto nottakeupthe country’s prime minister- corner of Central Hall, afterbeing “duped” whichcan neverbereplaced. While icons clean? The RSS chief made his ownviews Biharpollsandfarmers’agitation.Itisanas- ship whichwas within her grasp in 2004. aboutwhowouldbecome PrimeMinister. keep anation’s spirit alive,itisiconicstruc- clear when he declaredthat the secret of FORMIDABLE FOE trologically inauspiciousperiod from mid- It washerethat the NDAgovernment He thought Devi Lal would bethe man but tures suchasParliament that help give the ahappymarriagewas formen to go out The Modigovernment,coasting on itssuc- December,sothosewaitingforgoodnews, rolledout the GST, what it calledthe it wasVPSingh, who waselected at the nation itsidentityandconnect the present and work and forwomen to stay at home cess in handling the fall-out of abrogating including JyotiradityaScindia and Sushil “biggesttax reform in the country”, at a parliamentaryparty meeting held there, to the past, giving it adirection to move and look afterthe family. Article370andtheintroductionof CAA,did Modi,willhave to bepatient.Meanwhile,a midnight ceremonyonJune 30, 2017. who went on to replace RajivGandhi as PM. moreconfidentlytowards thefuture. The problem with the men who lead notbargain thatitwouldnot be so easy to fewministers have farmorethantheir fair And it washerethat NarendraModi, ArunJaitley’saddasinCentralHallwere theHindutvamovementinModi’s ‘new rideoutthestormbrewinginoppositionto shareofportfolios. Forthat matter,even while attending the best parliamentarian very popular,moresoafter Modi came to Thewriter,aseniorjournalist,was India’ is that their minds seem pickledin the farm Bills. Itsattempt at subterfuge governorsare jugglingmorethanonestate. awards function in 2018,remindedMPs powerbecausemanyoftheotherministers former Political Editor, The Indian Express. amythical pastwhichtheybelievewas glorious and unpolluted by marauding Muslim men. Ironically, their idea of My ISOLATION Hinduism is moreIslamic than Hindu. In the seventies, when Pakistanis firststarted AWEEKLY WINDOW INTO THE LIVES OF INDIA’S NEWSMAKERS AND THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC ON THEM coming to India to playcricketand talk of peace, Irememberthat it wasthe women who were trulydazzledbythe freedom ‘Was chef of my house,saw Yo uTube recipes to cook forson’ Indian women enjoyed. Theywerefasci- nated that Indian women could work in jobs that in their countryonlymen did What precautions areyou taking? phone. Igot to spend alot of time with my enoughtogotoAssam afew timestosee and delightedthat theycould dress the Since Iamtravelling and shooting — National Award-winning actor wifeandson,whois10.Withthehelpgone, my mother,who is 92. waytheywanted and live lifeontheir own everything. This includes all the protocols Ibecame thechef of the house,cooking for terms. Pakistani men thought this wasa setbyrespective countries Ihavevisited, ADIL HUSSAIN,57, wasrecently my sonall day. All the while, Iwas reading Howmuchtime do youspend in front bad thing and blameditonevilwestern constant monitoring of body temperature seen in the American television scripts,doinginterviews,catching up with of ascreen? influence. Iremember being shockedto and oxygen levels on the sets,hand-wash- series Star Trek:Discovery.Hehas my familybackinAssam. During the lockdown, Ihad to spend a hear this from men who were themselves ing, sanitising, and masks, of course. also featured in international lotoftime in front of the screen, reading educated in western universities. Moreover, Ihaveadeep trustinho- What kind of masksdoyou use? scripts, watching films, or even referring What worries me todayisthat we moeopathy, andmywhole familyistak- projects suchasThe Reluctant Istartedby usingN95 masks, but then I to YouTubefor recipes formyson. Now, seem in India to be regressing intoaHindu ing it as aprecaution. Fundamentalist and Life of Pi sawpeoplegot creative...Istartedreceiving since Iamworking, this has reducedsignif- version of Pakistan. What worries me Known to straddle the worlds of masksmade of ‘gamosas’fromAssam. icantly. moreisthat laws arebeing passedthat Have yougot yourself tested? mainstream and art house cinema, specificallytargetwomen’s rightsand that Ihavelostcount!Istarted travelling Howdoyou ensuresafetyatwork? Howdoyou keep your mind offthe our usuallyvocal feminists aremysteri- (for film shoots)inAugustitself—from the actor has been busytravelling When youare acting, youare so ab- pandemic? ouslysilent. Notonlyshould Indian Glasgow to London to DelhitoAssam and andshooting during the pandemic, sorbed that youforgetthe fear.The advan- Ipractiseacertainkindof meditationto women have theright to choosetheirown now, IaminBirmingham. So, wheneverI getting himself tested for tage in filmmaking is that youcan cheat a keep myself centered. husbands theyshould have the right to travel, Iget tested. little. We could take some shotsapartand decide if theywant to changetheir faith. Covid-19 several times then makeitseem as though the actors What is the firstthing youwant to do in The idea that thereisawidespread What has your routine been like? were next to eachother. aCovid-free world? Muslim conspiracytoprey on innocent Iwasdoingthingslikerebuildingabird’s INTERVIEWBY Iwould like to hug alot of people,and Hindu girls and convert them to Islam is broken nestonmyterrace to catching up TORA AGARWALA Did youhavetostayawayfromfamily? maybeevenhug astranger.Iamavery ludicrous. So is ‘love jihad.’ withlong-lostchildhood friends on the Illustration: Suvajit Dey Onlyfor amonth. Iwas fortunate physicalperson, and Ihavemissedthat.

Kolkata WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

THESUNDAY EXPRESS,DECEMBER20,2020 Crude Wa tch OIL MARKS 7TH WEEKLY GAIN NewYork: Oilsettled up at anine-month high on Friday, rounding out sevenstraight weeksofgains as investorsfocused on the rollout of 9 ECONOMY vaccines and adecline this week in the US dollar.Brent crude settled up 76 cents, or 1.5per cent,to$52.26 abarrel. REUTERS

‘GLOBAL PERCEPTION HAS CHANGED FROM WHY INDIA TO WHY NOT INDIA’ NARASAPURA PLANT VIOLENCE PMurgesprivatesectortostepup Wistronsacks VP, Apple puts firm on probation

been have been working around investmentinR&Dacrosssectors EXPRESSNEWSSERVICE theclocktoinvestigatethe issues NEWDELHI,DECEMBER19 whichoccurredatWistron’s pastwhen investors wouldques- proveease of doing business, the Narasapurafacility, the statement ENSECONOMICBUREAU tion‘whyIndia’(forinvestinginthe government has, among others, DAYS AFTER workers went on a said. “While these investigations NEWDELHI,DECEMBER19 country).Withreforms(ofpastsix been decriminalising severalpro- rampageatthe WistronCorp areongoing, our preliminary years) and their effects, itspropo- visions of the Companies Act, plant in Narasapuraoveralleged findingsindicateviolationsofour MOSTOFthe investment in re- sition has changed to ‘whynot whichearlier had very stringent delays in wages, the Taiwan- Supplier Code of Conduct by fail- search anddevelopment across India’,”Modi said. measures forsmall violations. basedmanufacturer hasre- ing to implementproperwork- sectorshasdoneby thepublicsec- CitingthatIndiahadinthelast The move has been partof movedits vice-president who inghourmanagement processes. torunitssofarandtheprivatebusi- six years scrappedabout “1,500 largergovernmenteffortstoboost oversees the business in India. This ledtopayment delays for nessestoomustincreaseitsinvest- old and obsolete laws”and was ease of doing businesssince 2018. Apple, one of the companies the Wistronunit in Narasapura. some workers in October and ment in the area, PrimeMinister framing newones whichwould The recentlydecriminalisedof- plantinKolar usedtomanufac- November,” it added. Narendra Modisaid on Saturday be in tune with therequirements fences include administrative of- turefor,has said Wistronwill not Wistronsaid its“toppriority” while addressing the virtual of the times, Modi said that eas- fences suchasdelays in filing CSR receive anynew businessfrom manage labour agencies and wastoensureall workers are keynote addressofAssociated ingcomplianceburdeninthenew reports,orfailuretorectifythereg- Applebeforetheycomplete cor- paymentsneedtobestrength- “fullycompensatedimmediately Chambers of Commerceand labour laws have made investors isterofmembers in compliance rective action. enedand upgraded.Weare tak- and we areworking hard to IndustryofIndia’s(ASSOCHAM’s) turn their investmentstowards withordersfromtheNCLT.Experts “Sincethe unfortunateevents ing immediateaction to correct achieve that”.Applesaiditsfocus ongoing foundation week. Prime MinisterNarendraModi addresses the virtual keynote the country. point out that the decriminalisa- at our Narasapurafacilitywe this, including disciplinaryac- wasonmaking sure everyone in “Theinvestmentbeingdonein address of ASSOCHAM’s foundation week. via @ASSOCHAM4India “Fromanon-existent culture tion effortsare reallyaneffortto have been investigating and have tion,” thestatementsaid. It oursupply chain is protected and research and development (R&D) forinnovationto anew ecosystem pull backonregulations intro- found that some workers were added: “Weare also enhancing treatedwithdignity and respect. is also an important aspect.There promotingandnurturingstartups ducedin2014aimedatboosting notpaid correctly, or on time. We our processes and restructuring The Apple statement said it is aneedtoincrease the invest- transport sector,” Modi said in his fence,space,energy,andconstruc- has giventhe worldconfidence to corporatecompliance. deeplyregretthis and apologize ourteams to ensurethese issues has “placedWistron on proba- ment in R&D. In countries like the address, adding that it wasthe tion, the Prime Ministersaid. say‘whynot India’.Todaythefaith Further, thegovernment last to allofour workers,” said astate- cannothappen again.” tion and theywill notreceiveany US,theprivatesectorinvestsabout needofthe hour that private sec- During the event, Modi also reposedby thegovernmentinthe yeartrimmedtheheadlinecorpo- ment from WistrononSaturday. Meanwhile, an Apple state- newbusiness from Apple before 70 percentof thetotalinvestment torinIndiamuststepupitsinvest- said that in the pastsix years, the privatesectorandencouragement ratetaxrateto22percentfrom30 In the statement Wistronac- ment said its“preliminaryfind- theycompletecorrectiveac- done on R&D, in India, the same is ment in R&D. global perception had changed of foreigninvestorshave madethe per cent, and to 15 per cent from knowledgedthatithad made ings indicate violations of our tions”. The statement addedthat done by thepublic sector.Inthis Thefundsby theprivate sector from being a“whyIndia” to “why same peoplesay ‘whynot India’,” 25 per cent fornew manufactur- mistakesasitexpandedinthen SupplierCodeof Conduct”. Apple Apple employees,along with in- too, abig partisdone in IT (infor- shouldalsobekept asidefornewer notIndia” country. the prime ministersaid. ing companies as measures to newfacility. “Someofthe employees and independent au- dependent auditors, will moni- mation technology), pharma and sectors suchasagriculture, de- “Therewas asituation in the As apartofits effortstoim- boostease of doing business. processes we put in place to ditorshiredby thecompanyhave tortheir progress.

CORPORATE WATCH COVID-19 IMPACT How Apple’s reaction to VIGIL MECHANISM ‘Household consumption growth hit in 2021too’ labour challenges in India Stronger safeguards The Covid pandemic is likely to impact shopping behaviour and overall consumption growth is likely to getdelayedbyuptotwo years, said areportbyBostonConsulting Group the need of the hour, 2030, nearly 40 per cent is differentfrom China Outlook higher than it is now but 7-8 The household consumption is per cent lower than pre-Covid trackedApple and itsvendors’ extend whistleblower going to be negatively estimate AASHISHARYAN The Narasapura unit labour laws and the allegedvio- impacted over 2020 and NEWDELHI,DECEMBER19 employs about 2,000 lations has repeatedly raised 2021, it said Highest growth in services questionsabout the working provision: Experts like health, education and GLOBAL SOFTWARE and hard- regularemployees and conditionsinside thefactoriesof leisure, indicating the ware conglomerateApple on some 7,000 contractual these companies. `290-300trillion changing lifestyle and Saturdaytookastringentaction employees, while the As early as 2013,the agency KARUNJITSINGH CURRENTRULES Projected total household growth in India over the last preferences of consumers,and againstone of itsvendors, had flagged the working condi- NEWDELHI,DECEMBER19 consumptionspending by decade to reach Rs 120 trillion the rise of many new to the Wistron, by acknowledging that old Peenya unit tions in Pegatron,one of thema- ■ Current provisions 2030, similar to initial pre- in 2019 world categories the latter had violated supplier employs about jorsuppliers of Apple. It had in its INDIA NEEDS to strengthen of theCompanies Act COVID estimates for 2028 codeofconduct by “failing to im- reportsaid that the hours of work safeguards forcorporate onlyrequire listed Average Key Growth Pillars plementproper working hour 3,500people on a at Pegatron were “working long whistleblowersandextendthe companies, firmsthat Household `7.3lakhexpected Affluence, attitude, management processes”. permanent basis overtime hours to turn outa requirement of avigil mecha- acceptpublicdeposits 13%consumption annual household income by awareness, access scaled-back,less expensive ver- nismtolarge private compa- and firmsthat have What happenedatWistron’s sion of theiPhone”. nies, as per experts.Current loans from banksor Narasapurafacility? been done, both Wistronand “Six days aweek,the workers public financial Ruralconsumption has been relatively resilient through the Source: Boston provisions of the Companies Consulting On December 12,temporary Apple have acknowledgedthe makingthesephones have to Actonlyrequirelistedcompa- institutionsofoverRs pandemic, but the trend is unlikelytosustainover the long-term Group/PTI workers employedatWistron’s “lapses” in paymentand work work almost11-hourshifts,20 nies, companies that accept 50 croretohaveavigil Narasapura facility in Bengaluru schedules. Even the state gov- minutes of whichisunpaid, and publicdepositsandcompanies mechanism. raisedslogans and vandalisedve- ernment agreedthatcontrac- the remainder of whichispaid at that have loans from banksor hicles parkedinside the factory tual workers at the plant had arateof$1.50 an hour ($268per public financial institutions of Online test premises. These workers were notbeenpaid regular and over- month) before overtime.This is over Rs 50 croretohaveavigil companies notensuring that CBI books Transstroy protesting againstnon-payment time dues over the pastthree- less than half the averagelocal mechanism to address whistleblowercomplaintsare requirements of regular and overtime dues by four months. monthly income of $764 and far whistleblowercomplaints. addressedinatimelymanner. the company. The workers belowthe basic livingwagenec- TheDelhiHighCourtiscur- Tishampati Sen, alawyer India fordiverting for independent startedthrowing stones, and Is Apple’s reaction to labour essarytoliveinShanghai, oneof rentlyhearing awrit petition, representing the petitioner, damaged some vehicles inside issues different in India costliestcities in China,” the whichhas challengedthe said the lawshould requirea the factory. Some compared to agency had said in itsreport. Constitutional validity of the permanentinternal commit- `7,926crfrom 14 banks directors eased iPhones, whichhad China? Six years later,China Labour existing provisions of the teeand specify directions on been manufactured Outside theUS, Watchcame up with another re- CompaniesAct.Expertsnoted thefunctioningof thecommit- amount, the amount of lending ENSECONOMICBUREAU at the factoryand China has until now portwhichalleged that while that large privatesector com- tee. Current provisions do not ENSECONOMICBUREAU made by all the 14 consortium NEWDELHI,DECEMBER19 were kept forexport, remained one of the Foxconn violated labour laws in panies, including subsidiaries provide anyguidelinesonthe MUMBAI,DECEMBER19 members is Rs 4,765.70crore. were also lootedby largest workplaces itsfactories,Apple did nothing of largemulti-national corpo- functioningofthevigilmecha- “The remainingamount waslent THE CORPORATE Affairs the workers, accord- forApple. Three of its to stop it. rations,shouldalsoberequired nism forcompanies, but state IN WHATcould be the biggest under Multiple Banking Ministryhas relaxed timelines ing to reports. biggestvendors, “Apple has doneverylittle to to have vigil mechanism. thatthe mechanism should bankfraudcasereportedsofar,the Arrangement. Out of this, expo- and broadenedexemptions for Whilethe state Pegatron, Foxconn improvethe rights of workersin “... forthe benefit of em- provide for“adequatesafe- CentralBureauofInvestigationhas sureofCanara Bank is Rs 678.28 an online proficiency test that government authorities arrested and Wistronhavehugefactories their supplier factories. Apple ployees and stakeholders, the guardsagainstvictimisationof booked TransstroyIndia Ltd (TIL), croreonly,”the bank said. independentdirectors arere- some of the workers involved in dedicated exclusively to the claimedtheycareabout every regulatorsmay consider ex- persons who use suchmecha- Chairman and MD Sridhar Accordingto bankingsources, quired to take in accordance the protests,Wistron in itsinitial manufacturingand assemblyof worker on the production line, panding the coverage of enti- nism and makeprovision for Cherukurianddirectorsforalleged the additionalfunding wasdone with government regulations. statement said it had followedall iPhones, iPads, iWatches and a but in fact,workers arepaid ties forvigil mechanism com- directaccesstothechairperson misappropriationanddiversionof by five bankswithout informing Independent directors will now laws andwas supporting theau- rangeofother Appleproducts. All wagesthatare close to or equiv- pliance to asection of private of theaudit committee in ap- Rs 7,926.01crore from 14 banks. theconsortium.Banksalsofound have twoyears afterregistering thoritiesintheir investigation, these vendors employthousands alent to thelocal minimum wage. companiesbasedonsomecri- propriateorexceptionalcases.” Former Telugu DesamParty that the companydonated gold withthe Ministry’s databank to Apple said it had “immediately of people on assemblyand pro- It is difficult forworkers to sus- teria suchasnumber of em- Madhu Sudan Kankani of MPRayapatiSambasiva Rao,who jewelleryworthoverRs5crore to complete the online self assess- launchedadetailedinvestigation duction lines forApple products. tain their livelihood on the min- ployees or turnover, etc,” said DeloitteIndiasaid regulating is also the company’s current ad- templespurchasedwiththebank ment test up from one year un- at Wistron’s Narasapurafacility As early as 2010,therehave imum wage,” China Labour Madhu Sudan Kankani, part- the functioningofvigil mech- ditional director and apromoter, loan. “The companyisunder the der previous regulations. in India”. been allegationsofserious labour Watchsaidinits latest report. ner at DeloitteIndia, adding anismsposedarisk of over- has alsobeen booked by the CBI. process of liquidation. The com- The amended regulations The Narasapuraunit employs lawviolations againstApple’s Though Apple deniedall the therewasagrowingviewthat regulation and micro-man- Sambasiva Raowas athree-time panyhasalreadybeendeclaredas also exempt anydirectors with about 2,000 regular employees suppliers and vendors, including allegations, it acceptedthatthe large private sectorcompanies agement. He added the LokSabhamemberandone-time willfuldefaulteronDecember26, over three years of experience and some 7000 contractual em- Foxconn, Pegatron and Wistron. company“did exceedthe num- neededtoberegulated differ- government should consider RajyaSabha member. 2018,”CanaraBanksaid.Thebank as adirector or KeyManagerial ployees, while the old Peenya In 2011,anexplosionatFoxconn’s berofcontractworkers allowed entlyfromsmallprivate sector “issuing guiding principles on The topbankfraud cases so has already made 100per cent Personnel (KMP) in alistedcom- unit employs about 3,500people Chengdu unit had left4workers by Chinese law”. Earlier this year companies. the framework of thevigil farwereGitanjali Gems (pro- provision on the account as per panyoranunlistedpublic com- on apermanentbasis.The flag- dead and injured about18oth- in November,Applealsosus- Ankit Singh, lawyer at mechanism suchasinternal motedbyMehul Choksi) Rs the RBI rules,itsaid. panywith apaid-up capitalof ship iPhonesproducedatthe ers. In the sameyear,another ex- pended“business operations” CorporateProfessionals, also reportingto andreviewbyau- 5,044crore, ReiAgroLtd Rs 4,197 Accordingto the CBI,itwasal- over Rs 10 crorefromthe re- Narasapura and Peenya unit are plosionatone of theunits of with Pegatron afterfinding out said the government should dit committee, timelines for crore, Winsome Diamonds (pro- leged that the accusedwas in- quirement. alsoexported to othercountries Pegatron, another Apple supplier, that thecompanyviolated considerrequiringprivatesec- addressing grievancesand motedbyJatin Mehta) Rs 3,386 volved in falsification and fabri- Previously, the exemption across the world. left59workers injured,the Apple’s supplier codeofconduct torcompanies above acertain considerationbythe boardon croreand RuchiSoyaIndustries cation of booksofaccounts, waslimited to individuals Chinese media reported. by violating student workers’ threshold of turnoverorem- natureand number of open Rs 3,225 crore. fudgingofstock statements,tam- with over 10 years of experi- What is the status now? China Labour Watch, an inde- programme. ployees to setupavigil mech- matters and outcomes of re- According to CanaraBank,of pering of balance sheets and ence as adirector or KMP at Aweek later,after the initial pendent not-for-profit organisa- Full report on anism, noting: “It is important solvedmatters etc.” the Rs 7,926.01crore fraud round tripping of funds. suchcompanies. investigationsinthe issue have tion, whichhas since 2010 www.indianexpress.com thatthelawempowercitizens Expertsnotedthatcompa- to come forwardiftheyhave nieswereabletoretaliate evidenceof unethicalconduct againstemployees raising BRIEFLY within theorganisation.” whistleblowercomplaintsand Bids for AI in, but history suggests still some way to go The CorporateAffairs eventerminatedtheiremploy- Ministry, in aresponse to the ment as anycivil suit forsuch in the Bofors scandal, and conse- strategic sale table with signifi- Ferrerotobuy petition seekingextension of actionscouldbetooexpensive PRANAVMUKUL quentlybowedoutof theAirIndia cant changes in the terms. EatNatural the requirement of avigil and time-consuming forthe NEWDELHI,DECEMBER19 sale.Withthis,theTata-Singapore Significantly,the government mechanismto private compa- whistleblowertopursue. Airlinesconsortiumremainedthe saidit wouldoffload100percent NewDelhi:Italy-basedglobal nies, stated in an affidavit be- Parties filing civil suitsare re- AFTER Aseries of changes to the soleplayerintherace.Theconsor- of itsstake. confectionerymajorFerrero fore the DelhiHigh Courtthat quired to firstpay courtfees, bidding conditions and anumber tium wasinthe advancedstages Further,overthe past two Group has announcedthat corporategovernancevolun- typicallyamountingto around of deadlineextensions,thegovern- of thedeal andhad even com- years, the government allocated it will acquire Eat Natural, tary guidelinesissuedin2009 1percentof damagesclaimed. ment has finallyclosed thefirst pleteddue diligence but decided some partofAir India’s debt to a the maker of high-quality providedthat companies “Thereare enoughavenues phaseof AirIndia’sdisinvestment to pull out at the lastmoment. special-purposevehicleandinthis cereal bars, toastedmuesli should ensurethe institution forwhistleblowers to seek re- havingreceived“multipleexpres- In January, the government brought Air India backtothe Cut to 2018.Inthe preceding round of the disinvestment andgranola.Thevalueof the of amechanismforemployees dressal including through the sions of interest”. While in light of strategic sale table with significantchanges in the terms. File 17 years, Air India went through a process, the buyer wastotakeon deal has notbeendisclosed. to reportconcernaboutuneth- Indian Penal Code, civil suits recent eventsconcerning Air number of changes —the most Rs23,286croreofdebtoutof ato- ical behaviour,actual or sus- andanti-corruptionbranches,” India’sdisinvestment,thisisanim- major one being the 2007 merger talRs60,074 crore. pectedfraud,orviolationof the saidaCIIspokesperson,adding portant step forwardinthe sale Bihari Vajpayee’s NDAgovern- Group. But when the government with itsdomestic sisterconcern In October,the government ‘Hondastops companiescode of conductor while the industrywas in process, history of the airline’s ment, when 40 per cent of the air- clarifiedthatanyforeignairlinewill Indian Airlines. Also, during this onceagain tweaked thebidding outputatplant’ ethicspolicy.Theseguidelines favour of protecting genuine strategic sale exercisewould sug- line’s equity wasput on the block. have to partner with an Indian time,the airline group accumu- parameters and akey changewas arenot,however, binding on whistleblowers, therewas a gest thereisstillsome waytogo. Initiallyanumberof foreignairlines companytobid, mostairlines latedhumongousamountofdebt that the Centre took acall to allow NewDelhi:HondaCarsIndia companies. needfor adeterrent against including Lufthansa, Swissair,Air pulledthemselvesout of the race. —exceedingRs50,000crore,inad- prospective bidders theflexibility Ltd (HCIL) has decidedto Experts also note that the frivolous complaints. History of AirIndia France-Delta, British Airways, The onlyone remaining was dition to other liabilities. to decide the levelofdebt they pullthe plug on production absence of anyspecific guide- The CorporateAffairs disinvestment Emirates and SingaporeAirlines Singapore Airlines,whichpart- wish to take on along with the at itsGreater Noida plant in lines on the functioning of a Ministrydid notreplyto The first-everattempt to con- expressedinterestinbuyingthe nered Tata Group. The Hinduja 2020 disinvestment attempt loss-laden airline. Uttar Pradesh, sources said vigil mechanism has ledto emailedrequestsforcomment. duct astrategic saleofthe airline airline, in addition to corporate Groupalsoremained in the fray, In January, thegovernment Full report on on Saturday. PTI wasmade in 2001 during Atal houseslikeHindujaGroupandTata which,later that year,was named brought Air India backtothe www.indianexpress.com Kolkata WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

THESUNDAY EXPRESS,DECEMBER20,2020 MEANWHILE MAUSOLEUM OF ROME’S 1ST EMPEROR RESTORED After decades of neglect, one of ancient Rome’smost important monuments, the mausoleum of thefirst emperor Augustus,has been restoredand will reopenearly nextyear,cityofficials an- 10 THE WORLD nounced. Themausoleum wasconstructed in 28 BC nearthe banksofthe river Tibertohouse the remainsofAugustusand his heirs, including emperorsTiberius, Caligulaand Claudius.

TOPOFTHE WORLD FDAauthorisesModerna vaccine,addingmillions moredosestoUSsupply

Aristoteles Sandoval Debateoverwho should getshots in next vaccination wave with supporters in 2012. Reuters DENISEGRADY, ABBYGOODNOUGH &NOAHWEILAND MEXICO DECEMBER19 Ex-governorof THE FOOD and Drug cartel-ravaged Administration on Fridayautho- risedthe coronavirus vaccine stateshotdead made by Moderna foremer- inbeachresort gency use, allowing the ship- ment of millions moredoses THE FORMER governor of across the nation and intensify- theMexicanstateofJalisco ing the debateoverwho willbe wasshotdead early on next in line to getinoculated. Fridayinarestaurantbath- ARMENIANS MOURN WAR VICTIMS,CALL ON PM TO QUIT The move willmake Policeofficers andsoldiersescortadeliveryvan as partofa room in the beachtownof Moderna’svaccinethe second drill forthe delivery of thePfizer-BioNTechvaccine, in Puerto Vallarta,one of the Thousands of people visitYerablur Military Pantheon cemetery on theday of the Armenian nationwide mourning forthose to reachthe Americanpublic, af- Mexico CityonFriday. Reuters mosthigh profilepolitical killedinthe conflict over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, in Yerevan, Armenia, on Saturday. The conflict and the fatalities on terthe one by Pfizer and killings since Mexico em- the Armenian side have increased pressureonPrimeMinister Nikol Pashinyan, whom the opposition accusesofmishandling BioNTech,whichwas autho- barkedonits “War on theconflict by accepting aRussian-brokered ceasefirelastmonth, to resign. FootagepublishedonArmenian television showed risedjustone week ago. Switzerlandapproves Pfizer shots Drugs”in2006.Jaliscostate Pashinyan’s criticsshouting “Nikolisatraitor!” as hisconvoy passed by,escortedbyheavy security. Reuters The FDA’s decision sets the officials said Aristoteles stagefor aweekend spectacle of Zurich: Swiss drugsregulator ple aged 16 and older aftera Sandovalwas shotinthe trucksrolling out as expertcom- Swissmedic has authorisedthe rolling reviewofdocuments backbyanunidentifiedas- mittees begin anew round of Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer being submitted. sailant while his security FIRST U.S. OFFICIAL TO PUBLICLY LINKTHE HACKING TO MOSCOW Zoom executive discussionsweighing whether and partner BioNTech, the Switzerland has acontract detail were outside. A the next waveofvaccinations agencysaidonSaturday,calling withPfizerandBioNTech to de- shootout eruptedashis accused of should go to essential workers, ittheworld’sfirstsuchapproval liver3million doses of the vac- bodyguardsbeganmoving Secy of State says Russia was or to people 65 and older. underastandard procedure. cine. Covid-19cases in Sandovaltohospital. disrupting calls Jockeying forthe next shots in Twomonths afterreceiv- Switzerland and neighbouring Mexicoisstrugglingto stop Januaryand Februaryhas already ing the application, Liechtenstein have surpassed violence across the coun- behind major cyberattack on US at China’s behest begun,eventhough thereisstill Swissmedic granted authori- 400,000 and the death toll has try, with Jaliscoone of the notenoughof thetwovaccinesfor sation forthe vaccine forpeo- topped6,000.REUTERS epicentersof cartelwarfare all the health careworkers and that lastyear drovemur- STEVEKENNY ED NICOLEHONG nursing home staffmembers and ders to an all-time high DECEMBER19 Worries DECEMBER19 residents givenfirst priority.Uber thoseinthemoretraditionalcate- Covid-19cases per day, as the with 34,670 homicides PLAIN E drivers, restaurant employees, goriesof thenation’s80milliones- virus continues to spread fast recorded. REUTERS ● overmotive US SECRETARYofState Mike EX IN Anovel case, US federal pros- morticiansandbarbersareamong sential workers,liketeachers. across the US. And the daily Pompeo said Fridayitwas clear ecutors Fridaybrought criminal thoselobbying states to include In the past week,there has death toll in recent days has sur- that Russia wasbehind the THE SOPHISTICATED, chargesagainstanexecutive at theminthenextroundalongwith been an averageof213,165 new passed 3,200. NYT widespread hacking of govern- months-long hacking attack Zoom, the videoconferencing FRANCE ment systems that officials this on the US government’s sys- company, accusing himofen- Epstein-linked week called“agrave risk”. tems has leftAmerican offi- gaging in aconspiracy to disrupt Pompeoisthefirstmemberof Mike Pompeo cials struggling to compre- and censor video meetings com- UK imposes harsher lockdown on modellingagent theTrumpadministrationto pub- hend what the motive of the memorating oneofthe mostpo- liclylinktheKremlinto thecyber- hackers is. Whilereports cite liticallysensitive eventsinChina. chargedwith attack,whichusedavariety of so- But intelligence agencies have some officials as saying that Prosecutors said the execu- London, citing new version of virus rapeofminors phisticated tools to infiltrate told Congress that theybelieve it the hacking waspartofthe tive,Xinjiang Jin, who is basedin dozensof governmentandprivate wascarriedout by theSVR,an kind of traditional espionage China, fabricated reasonstosus- Saturday afternoonnews confer- AMODELLINGagentasso- systems,includingnuclearlabora- eliteRussian intelligence agency. that the US also routinely pend accountsofpeople in New MARKLANDLER& ence. “Wehavetoact on infor- ciated with disgracedUS tories and the Pentagon, Treasury As evidenceofthe attack’s conductsonforeign powers, York who were hosting memo- STEPHENCASTLE mation as we have it, because financierJeffrey Epsteinhas and Commerce departments. scope piledupthis week,the others worrythat the so- rialsonthe anniversaryofthe LONDON,DECEMBER19 this is nowspreading very fast.” been chargedinFrance “I thinkit’s the casethat now Cybersecurity and Infrastructure phistication and depth of Tiananmen Squaremassacre Viralmutations arenot un- with sexual harassment we cansayprettyclearly thatitwas SecurityAgencysentoutanurgent the alleged Russian opera- and coordinated with Chinese ALARMED BY what he calleda usual, and this variant —known andtherapeof minorsover the Russians that engaged in this warning Thursdaythat the hack- tion would give the hackers officials to identify potentially faster-spreading variant of the as VUI 202012/01—has been de- 15 years old. Jean-Luc activity,” Pompeo said in an inter- ers had “demonstrated an ability the capability to shut down, problematic meetings. coronavirus, Prime Minister tected in ahandful of other Brunel wasarrestedon viewonthe MarkLevin Show. to exploit softwaresupplychains corruptortakecontrol of He is accusedofworking Boris Johnson abruptlyre- countries, but some medicalex- Wednesday. Heisbeingin- “This wasaverysignificant ef- andshownsignificantknowledge computer systems in the with others to log into the video versedcourse on Saturdayand pertsexpressedalarm about its vestigated as partofa fort,” he said, adding that “we’re of Windows networks.” United States. meetings under aliases using imposedawholesale lockdown Boris Johnson said the new apparent infectiousness.Some Frenchprobe into alleged stillunpackingpreciselywhatitis.” The agency addedthat it was profile pictures that related to on London and mostof variantofthe coronavirus arguedthatitreinforcedthe ur- sexual exploitation of President Donald Trumphas likelythat some of the attackers’ terrorism or child pornography. England’s southeast. was70% moretransmissible gency forthe government to women and girls by yettoaddress the attack, which tactics, techniques and proce- 40companies,governmentagen- Afterward, Jin would reportthe The decision, whichJohnson than previous ones. Reuters tighten social restrictions to try Epstein and his circle. has been underwaysince spring dures had “notyet been discov- ciesandthinktanksthatthehack- meetings for violatingterms of announcedafter an emergency to eliminate thevirus altogether. Multiple women have and wasdetected by the private ered.” Investigators sayitcould ers had infiltrated.Nearly half are service, prosecutors said. meeting of hiscabinet, came af- The newlockdown zone in- identifiedthemselvesas sector onlyafew weeksago. take months to unravel the extent privatetechnologyfirms, At least four meetings com- terthe government got newev- of England. Theyare the mostse- cludes allofGreater Londonand victims and spoken to po- Until Friday, Pompeo had played to whichAmericannetworksand Microsoftsaid, manyofthem cy- memorating the massacrethis idence of avariant firstdetected vere measures thegovernment much of the surrounding south- licesincethe probewas down the episode as one of the thetechnology supplychain have bersecurityfirms,likeFireEye,that year were terminated as aresult severalweeksago in Kent,south- has takensince it imposeda eastofthe country. The restric- openedlastyear. AP manydailyattackson the federal been compromised. arechargedwith securing the of Jin’s actions, prosecutors said. eastofLondon, whichthe Prime lockdown on the countrybackin tionswillremain in placefor at government. Microsoftsaidithadidentified public and private sector. NYT Jin, who is also known as Minister assertedwas 70 per March,and theyreflectafear leasttwo weeks. GERMANY Julien Jin, acted as the liaison be- cent moretransmissible than that the newvariantcould su- Thegovernment told people CourtletsTesla tweenZoom andChinesegov- previous versions. percharge thetransmission of in this region to stay at home ex- ernment authorities, prosecu- The newmeasures, which the virus as winter takeshold. ceptfor urgent travel, medical partiallyclear Senate investigators fault US tors said. Jin has notbeen take effect at the end of Saturday “Whenthe virus changesits appointmentsand outdoor ex- arrested and is at large in China, night, aredesigned, in effect, to method of attack, we must ercise. Nonessential shops will forestforfactory whichdoes nothaveanextradi- cut offthe capital and itssur- changeour method of defence,” close, as will gyms, cinemas, AGERMANcourtonFriday FAA over Boeing 737 Max safety tion treaty with the US. NYT roundingcounties from the rest asomber Johnson said at a hairdressers and nail salons. NYT ruledTesla could partially proceedwithclearingafor- Transportation Department, has Airlines Flight 302 have been ad- esttobuild amanufactur- DAVIDKOENIG alsohinderedinvestigatorsby fail- dressedthrough the design ing sitenear Berlin. DECEMBER19 ingtoturnoverdocuments,itsaid. changes requiredandindepend- Suicide bomberinSomalia hits PM’s rally Environmentalistshad The reportfollows asimilarly entlyapprovedby the FAAand its goneto courtintheeastern BOEINGIMPROPERLYinflu- scathing reviewofthe FAAbya partners,” the agency said. forthe blast, whichhappened in government spokesman. cityofFrankfurt an der encedatestdesignedtosee how House panel earlier this year. Boeing didn’t commenton DECLANWALSH Galkayo,incentralSomalia,where Those killedincludedGen. Oder in an attempt to stop quicklypilots could respond to Both grew outofconcern about specific allegations. “Wetakese- NAIROBI,DECEMBER19 PMMohamedHusseinRoblewas Abdiaziz Abdullahi Qoje, com- Teslafromclearingthefor- malfunctionsonthe Boeing 737 the agency’s approval of the riouslythe Committee’s findings scheduledtoattendapoliticalrally mander of the21stdivisionofthe est, arguing that cutting Max, and US FederalAviation Boeing Max. and will continue to reviewthe THREE SENIOR Somali military at afootballstadium. Somali army, andMaj.Mukhtar downmoretreescoulden- Administration officials may In astatement, the FAAsaid reportinfull,” the companysaid. officers,including acommander Roble, who onlycame to of- Abdi Aden, the regional com- danger hibernating rep- have obstructed areviewoftwo the report“contains anumber of AllMaxplaneswere grounded with an eliteAmerican-backed fice afew months ago, wasonhis manderofDanab, an eliteUS- tiles. The court said it deadlycrashes involving the unsubstantiatedallegations” and aftercrashes in Indonesia and commando force, and several waytothe stadium when asui- trainedforce. would ban clearing by plane, Senate investigators say. defendedits review of the Max, Ethiopia killed346 people. Aftera other people diedinasuicide at- cide bomber explodedhis vest The attackoffered astark Teslainpartsof thesite,but InareportreleasedFriday, the calling it thorough and deliber- lengthy review of Boeingchanges, tack on Fridaythat wasaimedat before aline of waiting digni- demonstration of al-Shabab’s would notstopthe com- SenateCommerce Committee ate. “Weare confident that the the FAAlastmonth approved the the country’s Prime Minister, the PM Mohamed Hussein Roble taries, killing at least10people, ability to strikeashundredsof panyfromclearingtherest also said the FAAcontinues to re- safetyissues that playedarolein planeto flyagainif airlinesupdate Somali police said. wasonhis waytothe venue including the militaryofficers US troops arepreparing to leave of the area. REUTERS taliateagainstwhistleblowers. the tragic accidentsinvolving akey flight-controlsystemand The Islamistextremist group whenthe bomb went off and severallocal leaders, said Somalia under orders from The FAA’s parent agency,the Lion Air Flight 610and Ethiopian makeother changes. AP al-Shabab claimedresponsibility IsmaelMukhtaar Omar,aSomali President DonaldTrump. NYT

DOCUMENTS REVEAL THAT CHINESE OFFICIALS STAGE-MANAGED WHAT APPEARED ONLINE IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE OUTBREAK No ‘negative’ news: How Chinacensoredinformation about Covid-19

and abroad, Li’s death showed legions of fake online com- unsanctionedvoices. thingthatcastChina’sresponsein also include internal files and RAYMONDZHONG, the terrible costofthe Chinese menters to floodsocial siteswith Though China makes no se- too“negative” alight. computer code from aChinese PAULMOZUR,JEFFKAO government’s instinct to sup- distracting chatter,stressing the cret of itsbelief in rigid internet Itmayneverbeclearwhether company,Urun Big DataServices, &AARONKROLIK pressinconvenient information. needfor discretion:“As com- controls,the documentsconvey afreer flowofinformation from that makes softwareusedbylo- DECEMBER19 YetChina’s censorsdecidedto menters fight to guide public justhow mucheffortisinvolved Chinawouldhaveprevented the cal governmentstomonitor in- doubledown.Warningof the“un- opinion, theymustconceal their in maintaining atight grip. It outbreak from morphing intoa ternetdiscussionand manage IN THE early hours of Feb7, precedented challenge” Li’s pass- identity,avoid crude patriotism takesanenormous bureaucracy, ragingglobalhealthcalamity.But armiesofonline commenters. China’spowerfulinternetcensors inghad posed and the“butterfly and sarcastic praise, and be sleek armies of people,specialised the documentsindicatethat “Chinahas apolitically experiencedanunfamiliar and effect” it mayhaveset off, officials and silent in achieving results.” technology made by private con- Chinese officialstriedtosteer the weaponisedsystemofcensorship; deeplyunsettling sensation. They got to work suppressingtheincon- The orders were among Amemorial to Dr Li Wenliang carved into thesnowofaBeijing tractors, andthe constant moni- narrative notonlytopreventpanic it is refined, organized, coordi- felt theywerelosing control. venientnews andreclaiming the thousands of secret government riverbank in February. Li, whose warnings aboutthe severityof toringofdigital news outlets and anddebunkdamagingfalsehoods natedandsupportedby thestate’s The news wasspreading narrative,according to confiden- directivesand other documents the coronavirusweresilenced, diedfromCovid-19. AP social media platforms. domestically. Theyalsowantedto resources,” said Xiao Qiang, are- quicklythat Li Wenliang,adoc- tial directivessent to local propa- that were reviewedbyThe New China’s curbs on information makethe virus look lesssevere— searchscientistattheUniversityof torwho had warnedabout a ganda workers and news outlets. York Times and ProPublica.They abouttheoutbreakstartedinearly andtheauthoritiesmorecapable. California,Berkeley. “It’snotjustfor strangenew viral outbreak only Theyordered news websites laybareinextraordinarydetail Western democracies, China is the authoritiesissuedstrictcom- January, before the novelcoron- The documentsinclude more deleting something. Theyalso to be threatenedbythe police nottoissue push notifications the systems that helpedthe manipulating online discourse mands on the content and tone avirus had even been identified than 3,200directivesand 1,800 have apowerfulapparatusto con- and accusedofpeddling ru- alertingreadersto hisdeath.They Chineseauthorities shape online to enforcethe Communist of news coverage,directed paid definitively,thedocumentsshow. memosand otherfiles from the struct anarrative and aimitatany mours, had diedofCovid-19. told social platforms to gradually opinion during the pandemic. Party’sconsensus. To stage-man- trolls to inundatesocial media Wheninfections started spread- offices of the country’s internet target with hugescale.” Grief and furycoursedthrough remove hisnamefromtrending At atime when digital media agewhat appeared on the with party-line blather and de- ing rapidlyafew weekslater,the regulator, the Cyberspace “This is ahugething,” he said. social media. To people at home topics pages. And theyactivated is deepening social divides in Chinese internetearly this year, ployedsecurity forces to muzzle authoritiesclampeddownonany- Administration of China. They “Noother countryhas that.” NYT Kolkata DECEMBER 20, 2020 | WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM | PAGE 11 THE SUNDAY EXPRESSMAGAZINE

POINT OF VIEW BOOKS Neurodiversityand Between the Pages Social Justice Poets,writersdoctors, politiciansand filmmakersrecall adifficult year through the There’sworktobedone foramore inclusive world eye booksthey read SHINING TheGameisOn Actor Pratik Gandhi on growing up with theatre and the series that BRIGHT changed his life FIRSTROLE: AGujarati playinschool, when he wasinClass III In the year that the pandemic STANDOUT ACT: Playing Harshad MehtainScam 92 on SonyLIV “WHEN WE were making Scam 92,weknewthat it wassome- thing unique. It is one of thefirstfinancial thriller series basedon forced us to transition from the big real events, forinstance, but we neverimaginedittohaveanim- pact of this magnitude,” says actor Pratik Gandhi,onthe massive screen to OTT platforms, ahost of success of hisOTT debut, Scam92: TheHarshad MehtaStory,di- rected by Hansal Mehta, whichreleasedtogreat reviews in actors owned the medium with October on Sony LIV. When Gandhi had arrivedfor an audition at casting director Mukesh Chhabra’s office, he had no idea of what layahead. He had powerful performances in unusual been givenaveryvague idea about the show. So he wasthrilled when he landedthe lead role of the stockbroker Harshad Mehta. roles. Alook at the actors who “When Hansal askedme if Iwas up forplaying Harshad, Iwas like, ‘yes’! Ilater got to knowthat Hansal hadn’t even looked at my au- made their presence felt dition tape. Forthe last15years, Ihaverun pillar to post, some- NEW AVENUES times doing multiple auditions aday,for abreak,soIwasquite Tripti Dimri in astill from Bulbbul takenaback. But Hansal said that he had seen my work in the ALAKASAHANI&EKTAA MALIK Gujarati film Wrong SideRaju (2016), and he didn’t needany other validation of my work,” says the 40-year-old. It wasin2004thatGandhi landedin Mumbai, afterhaving dab- FeetontheGround bledsubstantiallyinGujarati theatrebackhome in Surat. “Surat is TakingChances an interesting place. The municipal corporation has been organis- ingacity-leveltheatrecompetitionfor the last50years.The cityhas Tr ipti Dimri on trying to move on from about15-18establishedtheatregroups.Iwas groundedinthe per- Declining big projects may have forming arts from averyyoung age,”saysGandhi,who also has a the role that brought her acclaim degree in industrial engineering from Kavayitri Bahinabai been too riskyamove for a Chaudhari NorthMaharashtraUniversity in Jalgaon, Maharashtra. FIRSTROLE:Playing Sita’s friend as achildduring Ramlila in Vasant His parentswerebothteachers who encouragedhim to followhis Vihar,Delhi, whereher brother wascastasSita newcomer,but Divyenndu’s passion.“WhenIwas trying to balance my corporate career and STANDOUT ACT: Playing the lead in AnvitaDutt’s Bulbbul, thatre- unusual choices have paid off theatre, my dad askedme to quit my job andconcentrateonmyact- leased on Netflix in June this year ingcareer.But Iwas hesitant because Iwas equallypassionateabout both. Iamglad Ihad that journey, too. As Iwas notdependent on HAVE YOUcome out of the character of Bulbbul yet? Tripti Dimri, FIRSTROLE: An MLA’s son in Aaja Nachle (2007) theatrefor my breadand butter,Icould experiment alot.For the 26, has fieldedthis question severaltimes since AnvitaDutt’s com- STANDOUT ACT: Playing Munna Bhaiyaon pasteight-nineyearsIhaveonlybeen doingmonologuesandmin- pelling directorial debut Bulbbul premiered on Netflix on June 24. Mirzapur (2018-present) on Prime Video imalisttheatre,” says Gandhi. Wrappedinresplendent Banarasis and an air of enigma, Dimri Films —always the endgame forGandhi —happenedorgani- ownedthe titular lead with ease. It’s noteasy to outgrow sucha AS Achild, Divyenndu loveditwhen his parents cally. He wasapproachedbydirector Abhishek Jain on Facebook powerful character,but Dimri has triedher best. would ask him to recite apoem or singfor guests. forthe Gujarati film BeyYaar,whichreleasedin2015. “Thatfilm Bulbbul is afablesque drama, setinearly 20th-centuryBengal. “I would embellish it with some theatrics or got me Wrong Side Raju,whichwent onto win the National Award Portraying twostagesofBulbbul’s life—when she is afidgety20- other,” says theactor whose role as Munna forGujarati film (in 2017). It wasthe beginning of good times for year-old, and her transformation intothe self-assured head of the Bhaiyainthe web-series Mirzapur on Prime Gujarati cinema. People were keen to invest money in it,”says household at 25 —was achallengeasDimri had to inhabit twodif- Video has been ahit. “When people ask when I Gandhi,whohassinceworkedin many Gujarati films like Tamburo ferentcharacters.“The20-year-old Bulbbul is alot like me:clumsy wasbitten by theacting bug, Isay that Iwas born (2017)and LuvNiLove Storys (2020). Scam 92, he says,offered him and indecisive.But the other Bulbbul is something else altogether; with it,” he says. the opportunity to playsomeone who wascomplexand layered she doesn’t even blink much,” says Dimri. This bug kept him involved in extracurricu- and quitedifferent from characters he had playedsofar.“There Her two-month preparation involvedattending extensivework- lar activities in school and,later,atKiroriMal were so manyshades to Harshad Mehta, Iwantedtomakethe au- shops. The mostuseful tip to play the older Bulbbulcame from act- College, Delhi, where he pursuedadegree in dience sit up and take notice,asany great piece of literatureand ing coachAtulMongia, who suggested“focussing on breathing”. political science. “Those three years made me artismeant to do,” he says,evenashewaitsfor asuitable project. To ease the pressureonher,beforerolling thecamera, Dutt would realise the depth of theatre. Idecidedtogiveit allowDimrito take her positionand keep her eyes shuttill shewas my all and joinedthe Film and Television ready.Then, foracrucial scene, as she sat on the spacious staircase InstituteofIndia (FTII) in Pune,” he says. of Rajbari Bawali on the outskirts of Kolkata, fanning herself with Divyenndu’s next stop wasMumbai. Aftersome apeacock-father fan, aclassical vocalistperforming nearby, Dimri struggle, he wascastinAaja Nachle (2007). “It was realisedshe had finallymanaged to getintoBulbbul’s skin. “That’s aYash RajFilms production and even though it was when IthoughtI’vegot it,” she recalls. That scene establishes an insignificant role, theymade me feel special,” he Bulbbul’sauthority in thezamindarhouseholdeven ascertain forces recalls. Afew moreyears of struggle later,hewas cast continue to undermine herposition. inPyaarkaPunchnama (2011)toplayNishant“Liquid” Dimri,whosefamilyisoriginallyfromUttarakhand,grew up in Agarwal, acharacter that became an audience favourite. Delhi. She had been an introvertasachild, butincollege, she re- DavidDhawan’s Chashme Baddoor (2013)followed,lead- alisedthat she would have to overcome her shyness. That’s when ing manytosee him as arising star.Instead, therewas a shestarted modelling, eventuallypushing herself to audition for lull.“Ithinkmyreal strugglestarted afterthese films. In what wastobecome her film debut, Poster Boys (2017). this industry, when one arrives, onetriestoconsolidate Acting built herconfidenceand Dimri hopedtomakeheads one’s position. Isaid ‘no’ to big peopleand big projects. It turn with her next film, Sajid Ali’s LailaMajnu (2018), amodern- dawnedonmethat Ihavenoproblem in rejecting the pre- dayinterpretation of the classic tale of doomedlovers. However, dictable path,” says theDelhi-bred actor,who droppedhis the film sank at the boxoffice. Has Bulbbul givenher the instant re- second name, Sharma, awhile back. call she hadcraved? The mask is adampener but“recently, Iwas do- Divyenndu,37, is awareofthe pitfalls of his unconven- ing ashootinarestaurant wherepeople knewme,” she says. tional approach. “If Mirzapur hadn’t happenedtome,Iwould Januarymarksanew beginningforDimri,whois in theprocess have endedupas an example of howtowreck your career.I’m of finalising her next project. The actor,who usedtoliveinshared gladmyinstincts paid off,” he says.Hewill next appearin accommodation, will shifttoarentedapartment next month. “My MereDesh ki Dharti,Faraz Haider’s forthcoming film about familynow has no excuse but to visitmeevery month,” she says, theplight of farmers. with alaugh.

Haryana. While the team of Paatal Lok couldn’t meet to celebrate the show’s success because of the pandemic, Ahlawatsaysheis Middle-ClassHero awareofthe role that the lockdown playedinincreasing viewer- ship of OTT platforms and in generating word-of-mouth acclaim With the success of Paatal Lok,actor forthe show. Ahlawatwas offeredthis role without an audition or test.He JaideepAhlawat looks at afresh start has neverasked the directors whytheyzeroedinonhim, but he as- sumes that his previous work and his Haryana connection helped. He wasfirst noticedwhen he playedShahid Khan in Anurag FIRSTROLE: When Jaideep Ahlawatwas aClass XI student of All Kashyap’s two-partfilm GangsofWasseypur (2012). The next year, India JatHeroes’MemorialCollege, Rohtak,hewas castasafive-year- he brought backmemories of old-style Bollywood baddies as AK old in a30-second role in aplay 74 in Dilip Ghosh’s Commando: AOne Man Army (2013). With the STANDOUT ACT: Playing policeman Hathiram Chaudharyinthe release of Meghna Gulzar’s Raazi and the anthology film Lust webseries Paatal Lok,whichreleased on Prime Video in May Stories,2018was anespeciallygoodyear.Inthe former,heplays a RAWagent, while in the latter,inthe storydirected by Dibakar “IT’SAshuruaat (beginning). Afterevery project, Iwonder,what Banerjee, he deliveredanunderstatedperformance as aman in a next?,” says Jaideep Ahlawat. With his nuancedperformance as relationship with his best friend's wife. policeman Hathiram ChaudharyinPaatal Lok,hehas emergedas Despitebeing around forawhile, theactor,agraduateofthe one of themost-talked-about actors of 2020. With work resum- Film and Television InstituteofIndia,saysheisstill learning to nav- ing, his December calendar is packedwith meetings fornew proj- igatehis wayaround the industry. Butheisclear about what he is ectsand script-readings. Yet, the 40-year-old is convincedthat seeking.“Working on your craftand performance is the onlything “starting with aclean slate” worksfor him. an actor can do. Fame is alwaysaby-product,” he says.When asked The role of awearyand introvertedpoliceman in thenine- about his dream role, he quips: “Right now, Ihavealong list. The episode showhas been the best and mostchallenginginAhlawat’s question should be asked to me after20years. Onlythen can Ian- decade-long career.“Youcan find aHathiram around you: amid- swer if anydream role is lefttobedone”. In the meantime, he is in dle-class man who is struggling on everyfront —job, personal life theprocess of finalising arole in aShashank Khaitan-directed short —yet he is trying to live his lifeand achieve something. People could film that’s partofananthology. relatetohis emotions,” says theactor from Kharkharavillagein » CONTINUED ON NEXTPAGE

Kolkata EYE,THE SUNDAY EXPRESS MAGAZINE

12 POINT OF VIEW DECEMBER 20, 2020 DOWN IN JUNGLELAND

RanjitLal

Ranjit Lal is an author, environmentalistand birdwatcher Scar Wars Ahuman and amosquitotake matters to court

NAfilmi courtroomdrama setting, presenting the case: My Goodself vs ShrimatiDengue;the issue of contention being yetanother sleepless night, cour- Itesy the undesired company of Shrimati Dengue. Prosecuting Counsel: Milord, my journalist-writer client’s profession depends on his having aclear head GETTYIMAGES everymorning to enable himtowritecoherentlyand not befuddle his readers. With adisturbed night, this is not possible.Myclient has had manysuchdisturbed nights thankstothe accusedwho’s been dancing noisilylikea dentist’s drill around his ear.She is robbing my client of a Neurodiversityand Social Justice good night’s sleep and the ability to makealivelihood. Defence Counsel: Milord, my client comes from ano- ble lineageofinsects, whichhas remainedvirtuallyun- changed foratleast79million years. Her soprano wing- Working towards ajust world, one that honours all kinds of minds, requires us to be and do better beatsproduce puremusic, “the food of love”, as she lands delicatelyasaballerina. Prosecution: And then she inserts her diabolical hy- worldwhereall the neurodivergent children Neurodiversity: Theterm wasintroduced own, building castles with boxes; another podermic intomyclient’s tender,plumpearlobe, and areseen as not“normal” and have to be“fixed” by activistJudy Singer,who’d said, “I wasinter- might liketofiddle with his fingers as he sucks up his precious lifeblood —almostthree times her and treated to fitin, be compliantand obedi- estedinthe liberatory, activistaspectsofit— jumps merrilyand recites complexmath for- body weight in one sitting. ent. Their parents, typicallymothers,feel to do forneurologicallydifferent people what mulae; and yetanother mayawe youwith her Defence: Milord, my client weighs noteven0.5 gm so blamedand shamedfor notdoing enough or feminism and gayrights had done fortheir in-depth knowledge of marinelifebut be the amount of blood suckedupistotallyinsignificant. being at fault forhaving children who have constituencies.” Neurodiversity culturehas a completely confusedbysocietalcomplexities. Prosecution: Milord, what the learnedcounsel has flawedneural circuitry. Tahirasaid, “The pan- huge global followingnow, andtheir basic be- People arepeople through other forgottentomention is that hisclient, at the time of demic has been ablessing, as Idon’t have to lief is thatbeing neurodivergent is notadis- people: Desmond Tutu’s wordsremind me, bloodsucking, mayalso inject deadlypathogens, which take my child out and face society’s harsh orderoranillness but away of being. theway we talk to ourchildren becomes their cause dengue, malaria, yellowfever,chikungunya,West IMAGINE judgementsfor having adamaged child.” inner voice, andthewaywetalk aboutthembe- Nile disease and so on. In the course of human history,her by Shelja Sen Neurodumping: Ihavecome up withthis Human rights on come theirlifestories.Children buildtheirsense type has killed52billion people, mostlychildren and the word inexasperationattheone-size-fits-allap- the spectrum of self or identity on what stories arebeing cir- elderly,and in India, malaria is among the leading causes proach. Atypical example is “special children” culatedaboutthem at home, in schools. Asob- of death among children. She is exceedingly dangerous. AHIRA,Asingle mother of achild whichmanyschools usefor neurodivergent The biggestproblem with the notions of bing child once told me, “I’m ahuman being, Defence: Milord, Ithink youcan dismiss this case. My with autism, sharedwithmethat children.Manytimes, when I’veasked teach- neuronormativityandneurodumpingisthatit notadisorder”. We needtobuild communi- client is notShrimati Dengue: dengue mosquitoes only the society’s obsession with nor- ers, howmanychildren do theyhaveintheir propagatesone“normal”kindof mind,thereby tiesofconcernforourchildrenwhere theyare biteduring the day. mality had convincedher that her class,they’dreplywithsomethinglike,“25+3!” stigmatising anything whichisatypical. Like valuedand welcomed forwho they areand Prosecution: Milord, what’s in aname? Adeadlydis- Tfour-year-old child was“dam- Three being the “special children”, of course! I the LGBTQ+ movement, we needtoquestion notstigmatisedfor who theyare not. ease-spreader is adisease-spreader.Wecan call her aged”and she, as amother,wasa“failure”. Her wonder if anybody has asked thesechildren this—whodoesitserve,benefitandprivilege? Personal commitment: Ialways have a Shrimati Machchar if youlike. wordsmade me reflect on our compulsive howtheyfeelabout being Whogetsinvisibilised,ob- sense of wonder at the parents’ commitment ●●● Defence: Milord, the learnedcounsel has notmen- needtocompare, categorise and label chil- called“special”?A10-year- scured andrejected? to do whatever it takestodothe best fortheir tionedthat the origins of these pathogens, lies notwith dren. The further the child is from that bench- oldgirloncetoldmevehe- The person is notthe children. But is this justtheir responsibility? my clientand the great khandaans of Aedes, Culexand markof“normality”, the moretheyare ranked mently, “I hate being spe- We need to buildcommunities of problem; the problem is Don’twe allneedtoplayaroleinensuringthat Anopheles. Members of these clans firstpickedupthese as deficient and measures takentofix them. cial. I’m teasedinmy the problem and the ourchildrenarenot beingdeprivedof their ba- pathogens from human beings or animals and then Here, Ipresent some ideas in an attempt school andcarpool forbe- concernwherechildrenare valuedand problemismostlysocial: sichuman rights? We needtostopapologis- passedthem on inadvertentlytothose whose blood they to unpack the dominant discoursesonnor- ing special. HowdoIbe- This narrative practice ingforourneurodivergentchildrenandinstead sucked. The mosquitoes that originallyinhabited the US mality and the countermovement: come non-special?” welcomed and not stigmatised mantra locatesthe prob- practiceadvocacy—forandwiththem.Temple were malaria-free, until European colonists arrived. Neurodivergence: Eachchild is wiredand Neuroconceal: It is a ●●● lem whereitbelongs — Grandin, herself on the spectrum and an ad- inspireddifferently. Some mightstrugglewith conceptintroducedby notinthe child but in the vocate forpeoplewith autism, had remarked, the acquisition of skills likereading, writing, narrative practitionerDavid Denborough to socioculturalcontextwhere these normalis- ‘Iamdifferent,notless’.So,thenexttime,arel- sustaining effort,awareness and responding to throw lightonhow,bylocating the “deficits” ing judgementsdecide achild’s worthiness of ativerollshis/hereyesatyour“badly-behaved their social environment. These might pose in thechild, we invisibiliseand obscureissues beingvalued,respected,included,orto bedis- child” or ateacher tells youyour child isn’tca- difficulties forsome children as theydon’t of social justice.Ofhow it robs them of sim- carded.Inourorganisation,we work withchil- pableof learning,takeadeepbreath,smileand meetsociety’s expectations,leading to typi- ple experiences of lifethat we take forgranted drenwhereit’snottheneurodivergencewhich tell them, “He experiences lifedifferently.Let cal diagnoses psychiatristsorpsychologists —getting admission in schools, being invited posesaproblembuttheconsequentstruggles me knowifyou want to learn more about it.” might assign to them: dyslexia, attention- to birthday parties,gettingacknowledgedfor withdepression, anxiety,addictions, trauma, Children live in aworld that fails them in so deficit hyperactivitydisorder (ADHD),autism, their skills andachievements(and notinthe abuse resulting from asocietythatrobs them manyways.Weneedtobebetter, do better etc. It’s important to highlightthat in spiteof “special”section category), being respected of theirdignity,safetyandbasichumanrights. and ensurewe’reworking towardsamorejust the struggles, neurodivergence is notaprob- by their teachers andotheradultsand not People aremultistoried: We have to worldwhichhonours all kinds of minds. lem, as long as there is no accompanying sniggeredat, bullied, ridiculedforminorlapses move away from neurodumping and single- stigmaandunderlinedconclusionofthe child and ostracisedasbeing “weird”. What strikes storyaccounts, whether in terms of labels or DrSheljaSenisanarrativetherapist,co-founder, being “disordered”, “deficient”, with restricted meconstantlyisthe day-to-dayinjustice that in the waywedescribechildren in rigid bina- ChildrenFirst,writer,and,inthiscolumn,she WIKIMEDIACOMMONS possibilities or hopes forthe future. neurodivergent children andtheir families ries of good or bad, smartordumb, obedient curatestheknow-howofthechildrenandyoung MOSQUITEERS Neuronormativity: It perpetuates the have to face, whichbecomes alargerproblem or rebellious withnot muchroom foranything peoplesheworkswith.Writetoher Mamma mozzies suck blood for the iron their babies need problematic notion of aneurohomogenous than their atypical wiring. in between. Achildmightprefertoplayonher [email protected]

Already malaria-ridden, theyhad infected the mosquitoes CONTINUED FROM LAST PAGE on boardthe ships. Both passedonthe pathogen to the in- nocent local American mosquitoes that bit them, and then passeditontothe native American humanpopula- tion, 95 per cent of whom died. The human species is to SHINING BRIGHT blame. Even so, mosquitoes have been ruthlesslyperse- cuted,with fogging by toxic chemicals, to whichthey’ve been desperatelytrying to develop immunity.Besides, Sacred Games (2018-19) and Gurgaon (2016),” mosquitoes arevital to the health of planetEarth: they BreakingBad FindingHerFunnyBone says theactor who’d been unsure about afilm provide food formillions of birds, insects, fishes and ani- career.Her firstrole, as Dhaniya(Peepli [Live], mals. And theyhavesaved therainforests from total anni- 2010),wastohavebeenherlast.Butthencame hilation by humanity! If it weren’t formosquitoes infest- Actor Abhishek Banerjee Aonce-reluctant actor,Shalini Vatsa’s asmallbutsignificantroleasdomesticworker ing everyswamp,marsh, jungle and rainforest, humans Gauri in Shanghai (2012). And afterplaying would have built malls there, making global warming go drew from his past comic potential found acclaim this year Prosecutor TambeinHansal Mehta’s Shahid through the roof! The mighty Amazonian rainforests, experiences to play a (2012), her desiretocontinueacting grew. those in Africa and the Western Ghats, arestanding be- FIRSTROLE: In ClassIX, Shalini Vatsaacted Her parentstaughtatPatna University and cause they’reguardedbythe great mosquitoclans! cold-bloodedkiller in Yahan Bande SasteMilteHain,stagedat wouldtake her to watchplays andrehearsals. Prosecution: This still does notjustify Shrimati Patna’s Kalidas Rangalaya Vatsaturnedtotheatreafter moving to Delhi Dengue to suck my client’s blood everynight and wail in FIRSTROLE: As the constable in Hawalaat, STANDOUT ACT: Playing nurseLataKutty to study political science at DU’s Indraprastha his ear! Isn’t it puremalice? Can’t she be vegan? Sarveshwar DayalSaxena’s one-act play, in Ludo on Netflix College, and later,atJNU.In1997, she joined Shrimati Dengue: (In asob-choked Hindi-film-actress whichwas staged in 2003 at Delhi’s Kirori Barry John’s TheatreAction Group, and, later, voice) Milord, Isuckblood solelyfor the sakeofmyinno- Mal College SHALINI VATSA’s journeychartedits own with Habib Tanvir’s NayaTheatre, acted in cent babies! Our menfolk arevegan wimps who get STANDOUT ACT: Playing Hathoda Tyagi in course. Her LataKutty,who turns from ano- plays like ZahreeliHawa, Charandas Chor,Agra drunk on kaddu (pumpkin) juice! We mothersare leftto Paatal Lok on PrimeVideo nonsense nurseintogangsterSattu’s (Pankaj Bazar, KamdevKaApna BasantRituKaSapna. obtain the iron our babies needtodevelop healthily. Tripathi) doting loverinAnurag Basu’s Ludo In 2004,she movedtoMumbai with actor- Defence: And, now, the human species is trying to SOON AFTER Abhishek Banerjee finished (releasedinNovember), has “a fun and quirky husband Himanshu Tyagi. “I love acting. emasculatethose wimps even more, by genetic manipu- shooting for Paatal Lok in June 2019,heleft side”. This character “was somethingIhadn’t ‘Liberating’ and ‘therapeutic’ can’t explain my lation to makethem infertile. We’retalking hereofthe foramonth-long trip to Europe with his wife, exploredonscreen” and was“very different feelings fully. However, arole should challenge eradication of entirespecies. Tina Noronha. The actorhad found himself from my previous strong-women roles in and help me grow as an artiste,” says Vatsa. Prosecution: My client’s fundamental right to asound uncharacteristicallyangry, anxious and even night’s sleepisbeing violated!All night he has spent slap- possessive of hiswifewhen he wasshooting student of English literatureatDelhi ping his ear! Youcan see howred it is! forthe web-series as theserial killer,Hathoda University’s Kirori Mal College. He came to 2012-13. As his videos went viral, Kumar be- Shrimati Dengue: Milord, Iwas unable to take asingle Tyagi. Travelling washis wayofleaving be- be known as “thulla”(alow-ranked police- NearandFar came afamiliar face. The year 2020 looked sip the entirenight! Iwas dancingwith death! Everytime hind the intensity the character demanded. man) afteracting in the play Hawalaat.“Not promisingwith twobig releases—asthe ro- Ilandedonthat warm, rubicund, luscious earlobe, formy Mumbai wasunder lockdown when manyknewmyname but theyremembered manticleadoppositeAyushmannKhurranain fundamental right to adrink of blood formybabies, Paatal Lok’s release wasannouncedthis April. my character.When people appreciateyour Jitendra Kumar took abig leap from viral ShubhMangalZyadaSaavdhan(filmreleasedin whap! ahand would come crashing down! I’m still trau- “The announcement brought backmemo- play without realising youacted in it, that joy videos to the boy-next-door on screen February),andtheweb-seriesPanchayat.Both matisedand starving. This is attemptedmurder! ries of Hathoda Tyagi,” recalls Banerjee, is incomparable,” he remembers. got rave reviews.AsKumar wasprepping for Prosecution: Milord, Irestmycase! The accusedhas whose portrayal of the negative character Banerjee, who movedtoMumbai in 2008, morework, the pandemic struck. “The lock- confessedthat she washovering about my client’s earlobe brought him wide recognition. got severalblink-and-missroles inmovieslike FIRST ROLE: Comedy sketches withThe down broughtall my thoughtsintoperspec- withthe intent to suckhis blood, thus disturbinghis sleep! Earlier,Banerjee has enjoyedapprecia- Rang De Basanti (2006), .D (2009), Go Goa ViralFever in 2012 tive.Caring forpeople, their health, forone’s Judge: Youbothhavewastedthis court’s and my valu- tion forhis performance in Ajji (2017)as Gone (2013)and BombayTalkies (2013). As he STANDOUTACT: Shubh Mangal Zyada ownhealth,I’m nottakinganything for able time. Ifind the defendant…wait, whereisshe? Vilasrao Dhavle, JannainStree (2018)and waited foracting opportunities, he turnedto Saavdhan and Panchayat (PrimeVideo) granted,”says the30-year-old,whohailsfrom (A sudden stir —Shrimati Dengue vanishes —isfollowed Compounder in Mirzapur (2018). With pop- casting to earn aliving. “I’m an actor and Ihad Kairthal,asmalltownnearAlwarinRajasthan. by apistol-shot-like sound: The judge is ruefully rubbing his ularity,however, came pressure. “One can no an eyefor actors. Iknewhow to take briefs JITENDRA KUMARhad neverharbouredany He’s also gottenoverhis initialworry of play- cheek,disdainfully flicking away something small, redand longer hide behind the newcomer tagand from directors,” says the co-founder of the dreams of being an actor.Theatre and acting ingthesame“hairan-pareshan”boy-next-door smudgyoff his palm.) hope that abad performance won’t be no- agency Casting Bay, that has handledcasting happened by chance when he waspursuing roles, and says,“even with the same premise I Judge: Case dismissed! ticed,” says the 32-year-old. Banerjee’stal- for Paatal Lok, Mirzapur and Bulbbul,among civilengineeringatIITKharagpur.Afellowstu- canplayeachrole differently. Ienjoy it now.” ent forgetting intothe skin of acharacter be- others. He will next appear in twoupcoming dentBiswapatiSarkarpushedKumar,facilitat- came obvious during his firstyear as a comedy films, Helmet and AankhMicholi. inghisentryintotheworldofonlinecontentin Formore,visitwww.indianexpress.com

Kolkata EYE,THE SUNDAY EXPRESS MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 20, 2020 BOOKS 13

GULZAR suchasAMoveable POET,FILMMAKERANDLYRICIST Feast (1964, Jonathan Cape) by Ernest This year,Iread Hemingway.Soon af- Homo Deus: ABrief terIread this memoir Historyof Tomorrow of his Paris years, I (2017,Vintage)by sawthe movie Israeli authorYuval BETWEEN Hemingway and Noah Harari. While Gellhorn (2012). reading his book AsIwentthrough Sapiens: ABrief my oldwildlifephotographs,reading the History of Humankind classicadventure SerengetiShall NotDie (2011), Istarted un- (1960, Hamish Hamilton) by Bernhardand derlining what Iliked so Icould remember Michael Grzimekontheir exploration of them. Iunderlinedtoo muchand endedup Serengetiinthe 1950s wasriveting. During spoiling the book.When Iwent to buy an- THE the lockdown Ialsoattendedafewonline other copy, Ifound Homo Deus. seminars forteachers and discovered The Ihavealways been fond of reading his- CouragetoTeach: Exploring theInner tory.Mydaughter Meghna,too, oftenmakes Landscape of aTeacher’s Life (1997, John movies related to history.During my visitto Wiley&Sons)byParkerPalmer,aneduca- abook shop, wheneverIcome acrossabook tion classic full of poetic wisdom and inspi- concerning her subject, Ipickitupfor her. ration. My lastrecommendation would be That’s howIcame across The Forgotten PAGES 1599 :AYear in theLifeofWilliam Army: India’s Armed Struggle for Shakespeare (2005,Harper Perennial)by Independence 1942-1945(1993, University James Shapiro. This deeplyresearchedbook of Michigan Press) by PeterWardFay on brings the Elizabethan times alive. Subhash Chandra Bose’s effortstoliberate Poets and politicians, sportsmen India by forming the Indian National Army. FEISAL ALKAZI and theatre personalities look THEATREPERSON SHASHI THAROOR Ihaveagreat fascina- CONGRESSLEADER back at 2020 through the books tion forcities and Twobooksthat their histories.One stood out formeare they read book that Iread dur- The Deoliwallahs: ing the lockdown was The True Story of the The Epic City:The 1962 Chinese-Indian World on theStreets Internment (2020, of Calcutta (2017, PanMacmillan) by Bloomsbury) by JoyMaand Dilip Kushanava Choud- D’Souza and Mid- hury, aboutaman who growsupinKolkata night’s Machines: and then migrates to the US to study.He APoliticalHistory of Technologyin misses India so muchthat he comes back India (2019,PenguinViking)byArun and takesajob with The Statesman in Mohan Sukumar. Kolkata. As people do, when theyreturn to It remains ablotonour democracy that cities, theyhavecompletelychanged in the aftertheSino-IndianWarof1962,Indiatrans- interim. He goes backlooking forthe places ported3,000residentsofChineseheritageto he hung out as achild. He is so evocative in adisusedWorld WarIIPOW campinDeoli, writing aboutthe citythatanybody whohas Rajasthan,and interned themforciblyinap- been to Kolkatawould relatetothe book and palling conditions fornearly five years. We thosewhohave notwillwanttoget onto the disruptedand destroyed thelives of people next flight. The other one that Iread is Half whoknewnootherhomelandbutIndia,only theNightisGone by Amitabha Bagchi. Setin because of their ethnicity.This markedthe Old Delhi, Bagchi has written in suchaway firsttimesince the adoption of the that as youread,you can imagine everysen- Constitution thatneither birth nor belong- tence in Hindi. ingwere deemedsufficientto accordnation- ality —justastoday, to some unsavouryna- DAVID ABRAHAM tionalists,MuslimIndians’religionisdeemed to raise questionsabout their entitlement to FASHIONDESIGNER be regarded as citizens on apar with others. I’m always on the Ihavenodoubt that Midnight’s Machines lookoutfor authentic will beheraldedfor years to come as the de- queer fiction. This finitive account of India’s attemptstonego- year has been good, tiate itstechnologicaldestiny.Sukumarmas- with newworks terfullyblends history, scienceand politics achieving recogni- to deliveranarrative that both enthrals and tion on mainstream informs. He proves himself to be that rare reading lists.InReal historian withajournalist’s eyefor detail and Life (Daunt Books), anovelist’s ear forprose. shortlistedfor The Booker Prize, Brandon Taylor givesusa BHUPENDER YADAV storyofayoung Blackgay man. He captures NATIONALGENERALSECRETARY,BJP,ANDRAJYA S the loneliness and the turmoil that comes AGE from being an outsider in avoice that is SABHAMEMBER IM both quietand powerful. Shuggie Bain TY If therewas an upside (Picador) by Douglas Stuart,this year’s GET to theunfortunate Booker Prize winner, is another powerful pandemic and the re- novelbyanother newwriter that deals with sultant lockdown, it ARUNI KASHYAP the author livedfor manyyears. In GN DEVY interestand would like to re-read was the enduring bonds of filial love and strug- wasthe endless WRITER English fiction, the immigrant experi- WRITERANDCULTURALACTIVIST by the historian VinayLal. COVID-19 has gles of growing up gayinaworld where hourswegot to do ence of Africans is oftendominated by already generated ahugeamount of heterosexualnorms determine the way thingswehad been ITHINK everyone in India should read the depiction of life in the US or the UK, FORME, 2020 has been ayear spent writing. However, The Fury of COVID- livesare expected to be lived. complaining of not Samit Basu’s Chosen Spirits (2020, but these stories introducedmetoa moreindealing withnational issues 19 (2020,Macmillan) has aclass that is having the time for. I Simon and Schuster) —itisanurgent newimmigrant experience. The themes suchasthe Citizenship (Amendment) going to keep this work alivefor PR SREEJESH devoted the time to and topical book setinanIndia of the of belonging, home and nostalgia are Act, 2019,National Education Policy, decades. Lal has woventhe narrative of practise yoga and to read. The twobooksthat future, aworkofspeculative fiction. I present, and yet, handleddifferentlyso 2020 and agriculture-related laws than the global responsetothe catastrophe FORMERINDIAHOCKEYCAPTAIN aremytop picks forthe year are Sapiens by don’t read alot in this genre, but Ithink that the reader is always surprised. in reading and writing. However, the by bringing in profoundlydisturbing At thestart of 2020, YuvalNoah Harari and Amit Shah aur speculative fiction has the ability to Icame across TheIn-Betweens:The fewbooksthat caught my imagination questionsofpolitics,ethics and social my target wastoread Bhajapa ki Yatra (2019,Bloomsbury) by caution us. Spiritualists, Mediums,and Legends of have been of substantial interesttome. histories. It is primarilyabout contem- four booksamonth. Anirban Gangulyand Shiwanand Dwivedi. Ihavelong admired Moroccan- CampEtna (2019,HighbridgeCo) by The mostremarkable amongthese is poraryhuman society and itsresponse But Iendedupread- Harari provides arareunderstanding of American writer Laila Lalami’s fiction MiraPtacinwhen the firstchapterwas The Diary of Manu Gandhi (2019, to thedecaywithin. Politicians, corpo- ingsix amonth. One ourpresentlivesthroughthe historythatwe but Conditional Citizens: On Belonging excerptedinamagazine. SinceIhave OxfordUniversity Press), translatedand rate heads, religious leadershavemuch of the best booksI have lived. The book tells us howhumans in America (2020, Pantheon) some experience of visiting edited by Tridip Suhrud. to learn from it. read recentlyis came to dominatethe worldbybeing the is my firstintroduction to her fortune-tellers and psychics With an impressive corpus of WhoWeAre andHow Relentless: From onlyspecies that cancooperateinlarge num- nonfiction writing. Through in Assam, and owing to my translation from Gujarati to we GotHere (2018,Oxford Good to Great to bers, atrait others lackand thus perish. This aset of essays,Lalami talks familyconnection to Mayong Englishand withabodyof University Press) by David Unstoppable (2013, is acrucial read forapost-pandemic world. about what it means to be a —often wrongfullydubbed Gandhi-related literatureto Reichbelongstoaclass of its Scribner)by TimGrover. If youare anathlete Amit Shah aur Bhajapa ki Yatra is acapti- Muslim-American citizen,a as the landofblack magicin his credit, he has already set own. It is based on monu- recovering from injury, areout of form, just vating read about Shah and his organisa- naturalisedAmerican citi- Indiabecauseofthe large high norms foreditorial mental research in the field playing or arepreparing foratournament, tional skills. The book takesthe readers on a zen; and howacceptance by numbers of peoplewho scholarship. The book of- of geneticsand aidedbya this is the best book youcan read to moti- ridethroughBJP’shistoryandparallelytracks the establishment comes practise sorceryinthat region feredalotmore. It covers the deep understanding of social vate yourself. Another book Iwould recom- Shah’sjourneyfromabooth-levelworkerin with some conditions. —Iwas instantlydrawn to periodof1943-44, the cru- anthropology and archaeol- mend is Atomic Habits (2018,Penguin BJP to getting to the helm of theparty as its Reading this book will letyou this book.This is wonderfully cialyearsinthe Mahatma’s ogy.ReichisaHarvardscien- Random House) by James Clear.Itgives you president. His journeybegan at the ageof13 knowthat the divides that the US seems told nonfiction, whichyou will go backto lifeduring whichhelostKasturbaas tist; but his work has so much forIndia ideas to getoveryour old habitsand develop with the political campaign forSardar to be reeling under since 2016 have al- againand again justfor thecraft. well as MahadevDesai to deathinthe that anyone interestedinIndian history, newones.Last, the one bookIhavestartedto VallabhbhaiPatel’s daughter Maniben Patel. ways been there, but it wasexperienced Iloveagood gothic horrornovel and AgaKhan Palace prison, becoming for- societyand culturemustread it.Ittells read everyday is the Bhagavad Gita. The book trackshis rise from that campaign onlybypeople of colour. Mexican Gothic (2020, Jo Fletcher lorn.The completely guilelessdiaryen- the storyofIndian population,its origins, in 1977 and delineates howShah came in Chika Unigwehas the envious abil- Books) by Silvia Moreno-Garcia didn’t tries by the hesitant young Manu, dis- migrationsand reason forits immense VARUN GROVER touchwithPrimeMinister NarendraModi ity to writeriveting short stories. The disappoint. When Iwas young, we lived covering the Mahatmaasaperson, hold diversity.Iliked the work so muchthat I and howtheyformed one of thestrongest stories in Better NeverThan Late (2019, in ahaunted housefor severalyears, aluminousmirrortothe mind of awit- decidedtohaveanonlineconversation POETANDLYRICIST political alliances. This book is as important Cassava Republic Press) areabout and reading this book took me backto ness to theMahatma. with him, transcribeitand publishitin Naiyer Masudis to understand Shah as it is to understand Nigerian immigrantsinBelgium, where those years. The other book that Iread with great English, Kannada and Marathi. probably the best BJP’s organisational prowess. Indian short-story writer youhaven’t KENNETH I. JUSTER heardabout, prima- rilybecause less than USAMBASSADORTOINDIA half of his workshave Iread manygreat manyfactswith whichIwas familiar. profiling the confluence of forces that who —asIdo—sharehis dreams of justice, Kamathipura. In the been translated into booksin2020.Two Holbrookewas alarger-than-lifefigure, bril- arethreatening asustainable future— moral standards, hope and change, to make book,hetalks about Hindi from Urdu. that Iespecially en- liantand fullycommittedtosolving some of from environmental degradation and this worldabetterplace. Equally indispen- his old neighbour- Ganjifa (translated joyedwereWilliam the toughestproblems in US foreign policy, zoonotic diseases to corruptgovernanceand sable to understandingthe fabricofIndian hood and the people by Mahesh Verma, Neel Ranjan Verma, Dalrymple’s The relentlessinhis style, and yetundercut by misusedtechnologies. family andday-to-daylifeisVikram Seth’s who livedthere— NazarAbbas, and Maulana Mashkoor Hasan Anarchy:TheRelent- hisownambitionsand relatedflaws.Packer Bregman’supliftingbookprovidesanop- 1993 novel ASuitable Boy (Harper Collins). from ahoarding Qadri; 2018,Rajkamal Prakashan) has seven less Rise of theEast wonderfullycaptures all of this in his highly timistic viewofhuman nature, arguing how Setinatwo years-period of post-independ- painter to pimps — storiesofsuchbeautiful language, complex India Company readable book. itsbasic decency can be fostered to createa enceand post-Partition India, the complex who became his characters, and thrilling twists in the tales (2019,Bloomsbury), better world. four-familystoryhas invaluable political, so- friends and thecama- that Idecidedtolearn Urdu during the lock- and George Packer’s KSRINATH REDDY cialand spiritual insightstounderstand the raderie between down to beable to read his complete works Our Man: RichardHolbrooke and theEnd WALTER JLINDNER DNAoftoday’s India. Ipreferthe book to the Hindu and Muslim families. What Ifound in original. Masud translatedmanyofFranz of theAmerican Century (2019,Jonathan PRESIDENT,PUBLICHEALTHFOUNDATIONOF recent BBC and Netflix version. It’s aserious fascinating washow he writes without the Kafka’sworks to Urdu and onecan see the Cape). TheAnarchy,written by one of the INDIA;MEMBEROFTHEINDIA’SCOVID-19 GERMANAMBASSADORTOINDIA read,yes,but it’sutterly rewarding. The list burden of making astatement. He weaves a same existential dread running through his greathistorians of India’spast, provides a TASKFORCE None of the two wouldn’tbetruthful without mentioning tale that stays in the mind long afterwards. works—but that’sjustone layer. Imagine a vivid and gripping storyofthe personalities The twobooksIpick booksIrecommend twoalways-present tempting competitors mix of Kafka and Roald Dahl, setinthe old and behaviour of those involvedwith the are Survival: One areeasy night-table to novels and books: Lonely Planet’s travel SANJNA KAPOOR city of Lucknow, andnarratedlikeaqissa by EastIndia Companyand the lateMughal Health, One Planet, accessories, neither books (India,but also others) and musical an old friend. India. It is notapleasant tale, but is apage- One Future (2018, in content nor in scores by Bach, HändelorMozart. THEATREPERSON The mammoth KaiChaand The Sar-e- turner,told with wonderful detail and deep Routledge) by George weight (750 and Ithought this year would bemy year of read- Aasman,Shamsur RahmanFaruqi’snovel passion.OurMan,also written by an award- Lueddekeand Hum- 1,500pages,respec- ROHINI HATTANGADI ing and Iwould dive intomyneglected in Hindi (translated by Naresh ‘Nadeem’, winning author,tells the storyofAmerican ankind:AHopeful tively). Part Iof shelvesofbooks,onlytofind that this was 2012,Penguin), is an awe-inspiring work diplomat RichardHolbrookethrough an en- History (2019,Bloo- BarackObama’s ACTOR notaseasyasIthought. My concentration by the legendaryUrducritic and poet. Kai gaging stylethatmixes the author’s voice msbury)byRutger memoirs, APromi- Irecentlyread abook called Close seemedtobemercurial, fiction could not Chand... traces thesocial, literaryand colo- with that of the subject, from his diaries and Bregman. In the year sed Land (2020, Viking), is afascinating, Encounters (2019,Rajhans Prakashan) by hold my attention,and so the dozen or so nial history of the Indo-Islamic culturein tapes. Iworkedwith Dickinthe mid-1970s of COVID-19and fake news,the firstmakes deeplypersonal account of history in the PurushottamBerde, awell-known director books that Idid managetoreadthis year the 18th-19th centurythrough fascinating, (as he wascalledthen) and stayed in touch awell-arguedcase forprotecting our inter- making by one of the mostinspiring per- of films and theatre, whose childhood was were either biographies,education-basedor oftensurreal tales of manygenerations of a with him thereafter, so this book dealt with connected and interdependentworld by sonalities of our times. Amust-read forall spent around ared-light area of Mumbai’s historic, includingcontemporaryclassics single family.

Kolkata WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM

THESUNDAY EXPRESS,DECEMBER20,2020 Any team that is all-out for its lowest Test score since the time it started playing Test cricket, that's never good to see...If any other team had been facing that kind of bowling, they would have also got out, maybe be not all- 14 out for 36, maybe 72 or 80-90. SPORT SUNIL GAVASKAR, FORMER INDIA CAPTAIN ON CHANNEL 7CRICKET

[]ANATOMYOF36FOR 9

THE GREAT INDIAN BATTING COLLAPSE: 21.2OVERS,16SCORINGSHOTS, 4FOURS, 9WICKETS (3.1ovs:Shaw:nipbacker 7.6Bumrah:Pushes, 12.1Agarwal:caughtbehind 13.4Kohli:Drives 18.4Saha:Chips 20.1Vihari:Caughtbehind, throughgap) caughtbybowler) afterbeingsquaredup wideballtogully ittomidwicket drawnforward,outsideedge

1321W242WWWW4W2122WW41W14RETIREDHURT*

11.2Pujara:caughtbehind 12.5Rahane:Caughtbehind, 18.5Ashwin:Caughtbehind, 21.2ShamiHitbyshort despiteplayingclosetobody nofrontfootmovement playedforwarddefence ballonforearm Is ‘Summerof36’ Day &Nightmare Test Indian cricket’s Indiarecord lowest scoreof36asHazlewood &Cummins’ odetofastbowling liftsAustralia to eight-wicket win in Adelaide lowest point

SRIRAMVEERA SCORECARD SHAMIKCHAKRABARTY DECEMBER19 KOLKATA,DECEMBER19 AUSTRALIA VS INDIA IN HINDSIGHT,everything nowseems likea ADELAIDE OVAL FINALLY, AFTER46years,India‘buriedtheghost’ set-up. Ascene from aQuentin Tarantino Toss: India, chose to bat of 42, slumpingtoanewlow at theAdelaide movie.Thelongshotsof idyllicsmall-townlife. OvalonSaturday. Thevisitorswere shotoutfor Thesights,thesounds,thewhitechapelbefore INDIA 1STINNS 244(O/N 233/6) 36 in the second innings againstAustralia. an auditorycry of destruction rings out. Boom AUSTRALIA 1STINNS 191 …ashootout or aknife-festbreaksout and INDIA 2ND INNS 36 Is this India’s lowest Test score? blood flows. PShaw bCummins 4(4b) Theoretically, yes.TheBCCIscorecardshows Onawarmgorgeousdayinanidylliccityof MAgarwal c†PainebHazlewood 9(40b,1x4) 36/9, withMohammed Shamiretired hurt. churches,theplayersstreamedintoanexquis- JBumrah c&bCummins 2(17b) Technicalities aside, the innings endedon36. itelyprettystadium with agentle brookgur- CPujara c†PainebCummins 0(8b) India’s previous lowest score was42inthe glingnotfaraway.ItwasDayThree,themildest VKohli (c)cGreenbCummins 4(8b,1x4) secondinningsagainstEnglandatLord’sinJune pitch-daytraditionally. It wasn’t the much- ARahane c†PainebHazlewood 0(4b) 1974.That inningshadonedouble-digitscore; fussed-overnightsessioneither.Instead,may- HVihari c†PainebHazlewood 8(22b,1x4) EknathSolkar’s 18 notout. On Saturdayin hemensuedonamorningwhen Indian bats- WSaha †cLabuschagnebHazlewood 4(15b) Adelaide, India’s second innings didn’t have a mencanmakeapassionatepleaforshort-term RAshwin c†PainebHazlewood 0(1b) single double-digitscore. memoryloss. Unless theyare masochists. UYadav notout 4(5b,1x4) Unlesstheyhavethepenchantfordissociation, MdShami retiredhurt 1(4b) What arethe other lows? as traumas can sometimestrigger,and can see ■ Total: 36(21.2Overs) AsstatisticianMohandasMenonputouton thesequence of playfor what it was: dreamy ■ FoW: 1-7 (P Shaw,3.1 ov),2-15 (J Bumrah, Twitter,India slumping to 19/6 wasanew low. crafty goose-bumpy fast bowling. 7.6 ov), 3-15 (C Pujara, 11.2 ov), 4-15 (M TheyneverhadsuchacollapseintheirTesthis- It neededsome heroic fight that's incon- Agarwal, 12.1 ov), 5-15 (A Rahane, 12.5ov),6- tory,asIndia’s previous lowwas 25/6 against ceivable and unimaginable to us but the best 19 (V Kohli, 13.4 ov), 7-26 (W Saha,18.4 ov), SouthAfricainthesecondinningsinDurbanin have away of surprisingwith featsthat seem 8-26(RAshwin,18.5 ov), 9-31(HVihari, 20.1 1996. India were dismissedfor 66 then. scarcelybelievable in themoment of itscre- ov), 9-36*(Md Shami, retired notout) ation. Indianscouldn’t stir anymagic, though, ■Bowling:MStarc6-3-7-0;PCummins10.2- Is this thelowestTesttotal ever? and were leftwith broken egos and wrist. 4-21-4,JHazlewood5-3-8-5 No.NewZealandwere alloutfor26against Could theyhavedone anything different? EnglandatAucklandin1955.Thatremainsthe Barring ViratKohli, no one chasedaball away AUSTRALIA 2ND INNS 93/2 lowest.India’s36alloutonSaturdayisthelow- fromtheirbody.Not one.Theirhandsdidn’tbe- MWade runout(†Saha) 33(53b,5x4) estinnings total in Tests since 1955. tray them.Neither did their minds; notone JBurns notout 51(63b,7x4,1x6) What wasthe fallout of the threw away his wicket. MLabuschagne cAgarwalbAshwin 6(10b) Howdid this happen? Nearly everygood SSmith notout 1(1b) ‘Summer of 42’? ballproducedanedge.Everynickcarried.Even ■ Extras:(lb1,nb1) 2 India’s tour of Englandin1974had de- when the Hotspotmissed, the snickometer ■ Total: 93/2(21Overs) scended intochaos. Then India captain Ajit snitchedabout the edge.Every catchwas held ■ FoW: 1-70 (M Wade,17.2 ov), 2-82 ( Wadekar had de- –and forthe biggestone of them, of Kohli’s, Labuschagne, 19.5 ov) scribedthedressing- CameronGreen wasseemingly ready to spill ■Bowling:UYadav8-1-49-0,JBumrah7-1- room atmosphere his gutsout but wouldn’t letthe ball roll out. 27-0,RAshwin6-1-16-1 “funeral-like”. The Butof course,theremustbesomeexplana- ■Australiawonby8wickets team wasasked to tion other than supernormal performances leave from the High from PatCummins and Josh Hazlewood.The SINGLEFILE Commissioner’s batsmen playedfromthe crease and didn’t try place, wherethey outanythingdifferentliketakinganoff-stump had gone fordinner. guardorstand outside. Perhaps,itjusthap- India’s second innings is the Sunil Gavaskar has narratedthe incidentinhis penedtoo quicklyfor them to react. Curiously, firsttime that all 11 batsmen, book SunnyDays.Opener Sudhir Naik wasac- 1 andextras, registeredsingle- cusedofshoplifting.Therehadbeen reports of their strengths were made to feel likeaweak- ness.Noneofthem pushedout at the ball but figurescores in Tests. discord. India were clean-sweptinthe three- instead,mostplayedwellinsidetheline.Atech- Test series and upon their return, Wadekar niquethatCheteshwarPujaraworksonalot in Cummins became the joint found himself axed from the West Zone team, particular,sothatif theballseamsaway atouch second-fastest Australian and neverplayedfor India again. 31to take 150wickets(31 In Indore, fans defacedthe VictoryBat, orstraightens,itwillrushpasttheedge.Butthe ballsdidn’tevenstraightenattimes,theysortof Tests), tiedwith Dennis Lillee, Shane whichwas erected afterIndia’s first-everTest tiltedinabitandthenjustaboutheldtheirline Warne and StuartMacGill. Clarrie series wins in the West Indiesand England in to take the edge.Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, India willbewithout ViratKohli forthe next threeTests,asthe captain is returning homeonpaternity leave. AP Grimett wasthe quickest (28). 1971.Tiger Pataudi returnedtolead the Indian MayankAgarwalandHanumaVihari-allwere team in the following home series againstthe doneinlikethat. Atruly unreal phaseofplay. West Indies, in whichIndia went down 2-3. Perhaps,evenHazlewoodandCummingscan’t ting his action, rhythm, and intentions right. kickuptothethroat.WithHazlewood,thetrou- Anything common between 42 replicatethe wizardryofthis morning again. Hazlewood’s is asuperior artofmind blecreepsuponyou,eerily, silently, almostwith LOWESTINNINGSTOTALSINTESTCRICKET TheeyesturnedtoKohli.Couldhepulloffa games. With Starc, if no one is surewhat to ex- asense of Hitchcockian atmosphereabout it. and 36? heistonhis last cricketing dayinAustralia? On pect, everyone knows what’s coming from Cummins’ artscreams at the batsmen with a India’s weakness againstpace in seaming 26 New ZealandvEngland -Auckland, March25, 1955 air,GlennMcGrath,whowasbarelyableto con- Hazlewood. “Try to hit the offwith the occa- senseof choralconductorabouthim.Hedoes- conditions.AtLord’sin1974,twoEnglandpac- tain his laughter at the incredulityofitall, sionalbumper”ishismantra.Invariably, hetrig- n’t have thecalm soul of Hazlewood; he is al- 30 South Africa vEngland -PortElizabeth, February13, 1896 ers, Chris Oldand GeoffArnold, shared nine pointed out, “he hasn’t hit ahundred allyear”. gersclaustrophobiainbatsmen.Thehandsbe- ways doingsomething,always upto sometrick. 30 South Africa vEngland -Birmingham, June 14,1924 wicketsbetweenthem.OnSaturday, Aussiefast Nevermind, the pandemic. gin to itch, theyalmostthreaten to jerkout of Littledeviationsdon’tsatiatehissoul.Dramatic 35 South Africa vEngland -Cape Town, April 1, 1899 bowlersPatCumminsandJoshHazlewoodtoo The ball waswide-ish. Kohli had been out control. Self-destructive urgeskickin. They cymbals needtocrash. Highnoteshavetobe accounted fornine Indian wickets. 36 South Africa vAustralia -Melbourne, February12, 1932 twiceto suchCummingsdeliveriesinthepast, somehowmanagetostopthe hands from be- hit.Eventhefinaleffortatreleaseismorestrik- whenheshiftshislinelikeawindscreenwiper traying,butthenHazlewoodcutsonebackinto ing thanthe smooth jazziness of Hazlewood. 36 Australia vEngland -Birmingham, May29, 1902 Will BCCI take note? draggedacross.Perhaps,Kohlifeelshecancon- test theloyalty of their feet.When theythink Individually,theycouldn’t be morediffer- 36 India vAustralia -Adelaide,Dec 17,2020 Of course. This is thefirstTestofafour- trol his downward batswing to meetthe ball theystillpossessfreewilloverthemovements ent. As apack, they couldn’t be moreinsync. 38 Ireland vEngland -Lord's, July24, 2019 matchseriesandtheBCCIusuallymakesanas- andends up chasing, bat away from the body, of the feet andhands, he will suddenlygofor Theycome at you, pit themselvesagainstyou 42 New ZealandvAustralia -Wellington, March 29, 1946 sessmentonlyaftertheseriesisover.So,aknee- the mind away from the present. With Starc, their throat with abouncer.Aninescapable with everything they have got.That’s why jerkreaction is unlikely.However, it is learnt 42 Australia vEngland -Sydney, February10, 1888 it’s all about howheovercomes himself. He sense of suffocation keeps escalating. Indians’triumphin2018-19washistoric.That’s that BCCI president Sourav Gangulymay have doesn’t even needabatsman at times, or so it Of thethree,Cumminshasthemostskillful whytheircollapsenow feelssoblameless,and 42 India vEngland -Lord's, June 20,1974 aconversationwiththeteammanagementaf- feels,ashisnaturalleft-armersartisaboutget- fingers.Theycut the ball in, rip it out, makeit beyond their control. terthe Test. Kohli lost for emotion after hammerblow Shami suffers wrist fracture, We have to acceptour mistakesand under- second innings. “Theywerebowling similar set to miss remainder of tour SANDIPG stand whatweneedtoworkon. But this is We have playedenough cricket to lengths in the firstinnings as well.Wewere DECEMBER 19 notclub-levelcricket,” he said. understand what needs to be done just better at playing thoseand having aplan No cause forundue worries, he asserts, at different stages of aTest... I around it and howwewantedtogoabout VIRAT KOHLI wasnot so muchlostfor despitethe fact that India has notcrossed don’t think any mental fatigue was things,”he said,andthen lamentedthelackof PRESSTRUSTOFINDIA wordsashewas foremotions, when he ad- 300intheirlastsix outings. “I don’t think it’s involved. It was just alack of positivity.“Ithink the waywebatted allowed ADELAIDE/NEWDELHI,DECEMBER19 dressedthe pressafter ashambolicdefeat anything alarming.Wecan very well sit here execution. If your mindset is not them to look morepotent than theywerein that includedIndia’s slumptoits lowest to- and makeamountain of amolehill. It is ba- themorning.Theybowledsimilarly inthefirst INDIAN PACER MohammedShami is setto talinTesthistory.The wordsstreamedout sically lookingthings in the right perspective right, like ours wasn’t today when inningsandwe battedway, waybetter. Abitof miss the remainingthree Testsagainst of his tongue liketheyalways do, in aflurry. and knowing what we needtodoasateam we lacked in intent, the opposition lead can alwaysbetrickybecause as abatting Australia aftersufferingafractureonhis The gaze wasfirm andfixed,asitusuallyis. movingforward to Melbourne,” he said. can sense it and put you under unityou cangointoaheadspace whereyou bowling wristduringthe series opener. ButonSaturday, Kohli,whowearshisemo- The mountain-out-of-molehill imagery extreme pressure” feel likeweare just 50 or 60 ahead and you The fast bowler washit on the elbowby tions on the sleeve and the eyes, could sum- could nothavebeen moreill-timedorinap- don’twant to lose early wicketsand allowop- aPat Cummins shortball during India's sec- monneither couragenor conviction, dissec- propriate. In the wake of this defeat, Kohli’s VIRAT KOHLI, INDIA CAPTAIN position backintothe game,” he said. ond innings on Saturdaywhichendedata Shami has been one of India's mostlethal tionordefence,sarcasmorsorrow. Amanwho wordsrunghollow. Almostsilly. Wasitamind- The onlytime he showedastrainofemo- recordlowest36for nine. He wastaken to a weapons and his absence will notonly feedsonemotionsseemedemotionless. setissue, having notplayedTestinnearly 10 is exactlywhat happened,” he said. tion waswhen someone asked aboutcom- hospitalfor scans, whichrevealedafracture. weaken the bowling attackbut India will also “Strange,” he said when asked to assess months?“No,”hestressedbefore elaborating: Therethough wasrepentance.Inthe fort zone. “Ininternational cricket,thereis "MohammedShami has afractureand miss asound cricketbrain on the field. howthe firstsession rolledout.Then he “Wehaveplayedenoughcricket to understand catchestheydropped,andinlettingTimPaine nothing likeacomfortzone,” he said, his eyes the chances of him takingpart in the remain- That Shami will be unavailable wasin- paused, the pause hanging awkwardlybe- what needs to be done at different stages of a eatintotheleadwithhisbreezybatting.“That burningwith rage.He, of course, emphasised ing three Test matches is next to nil," aBCCI dicativewhen skipper Kohli, at the post- fore he added: “Everything happened so Test match.Idon’t think anymental fatigue definitelywouldhave beenaboostforusif we his colleagues’ capacity to recover, even with- source told PTI on condition of anonymity. matchpresentation ceremony, said thatthe quicklythat no one could makeany sense of wasinvolved. It wasjustalackofexecution.” hadaleadof afew runsmore.If we alreadyhad out him.“I’mconfident the team will bounce HeaddedthatMohammedSiraj,forhisim- fast bowler found it difficult to even lifthis it. That wasvery, very surprising and disap- He singledout the lackofintent as the 100runs as lead and with adecent start, the backstrongly. I’m confident thatwewill learn pressive showinthetwowarm-upgames,will arm. pointing foreveryone.” defining reason forthe defeat. “If your mind- opposition starts panicking. In Test cricket,if from this. Idon’t think we have ever had a be in line foraBoxing DayTestdebut in "He wasinalot of pain, couldn't even lift Collapses? Theyare routine in Test setisnot right, likeours wasn’t todaywhen youdonot take yourchanceswhentheycome bad batting collapse than this and it can only Melbourne. With no ViratKohli available for his arm. We'll probablyknowinthe evening cricket.“Playing at the highest level, there we lackedinintent, the opposition can sense your way, they canbeverycostly,”hesaid. go up from here,” he stressed. But even the the nextthree games, theIndian team is grap- what happens," Kohli revealedafter the vis- will definitelybecollapses againand again. it and put youunder extreme pressure. That Moreimportantly, inthelackoffightinthe defence lackedthe usual vigour. pling withalot of issues on multiple fronts. itors succumbed to an eight-wicketloss.

R.N.I. No.WBENG/2005/20788 VOL. XVI No.36 Printed by V.Srinivasan and PublishedbyV.Srinivasan on behalf of The Indian Express (P) Limited and PrintedatSaraswati Print FactoryPvt.Ltd, 789, Chowbhaga(West), Kolkata-700105and PublishedatThe Indian Express (P) Ltd JL No.29 & 30, N.H.-6, Mouza -Prasastha &Ankurhati, P.O. -Salap, P.S.-Domjur,Howrah-711409. Ph: (033)66043800Fax: (033) 66043825 &66043847.Chairman of the Board:ViveckGoenka, Chief Editor :Raj Kamal Jha, Editor :Unni Rajen Shanker,Editor (Kolkata): Rakesh Sinha* (*Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act)Copyright :The Indian Express (P) Limited.All rightsreserved.Reproduction in anymanner,electronic or otherwise,in whole or in part,without prior written permission is prohibited.The Indian Express(R)

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