2/2020

What about migrants from in this crisis? s the nation witnesses a largescale reverse migration induced by Athe lockdown, one wonders whether readers in are aware of a large group of migrant workers who are calm and restful. They are what is called Rajbanshis from Cooch Behar, a small district in northern , situated just over Bangladesh. Their journey to Jaipur began when Princess Gayatri Devi married Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur in 1940. With her wedding, Gayatri Devi brought five maidservants in her trousseau as was the custom. That number multiplied manifold. Today the Rajbanshis Our Tribute on Her are about 500,000 in the number living all over , though the majority live Death Anniversary on 29th July. in Jaipur. What began as a spillover effect of conjugal ties soon became a trend, instigated by the lack of economic opportunities and the plight of a land ravaged by the channel-shifting Torsa River. A study by Aajeevika Bureau reveals that West Bengal, especially Cooch Behar, is one of the four states from which the major proportion of migrants working in Jaipur hail from. Women from that district have, over the years, dominated the domestic help market. Their male counterparts have taken up different informal jobs ranging from being hotel and restaurant staff, pulling rickshaws to skilled construction labour. Given the magnitude and historical connotation of their presence, there arises a pertinent question. How is this community tackling the current crisis? To explore that, the first thought that crosses the mind is, where do they belong? A conversation with Hari Narayan Burman and Kamal Burman, who work as office boys at CUTS office in Jaipur, reveals that they migrated to Jaipur close to 20 years ago and now call it their home. There is a clear distinction between their ‘desh’ or native place, and their ‘ghar’, where they have settled down. While they like to visit their native place, once in a year, for special occasions or spending time with extended family, their home is in Jaipur. Many find their matches locally among their community and get married. Some have married outside their community but no objects to it. When asked if they too are disturbed like many other migrant communities in this pandemic, their answer is in the negative. Thus, they don’t feel the need to travel back to Cooch Behar to feel at home. I N S I D E A closer look into the economics of the situation, however, shows a difference of views. When asked about migrants flocking to their homes, through harsh conditions W UP ‘princess’ photo goes off-menu and several uncertainties, Kamal says that their contemporaries, some of who were employed in factories and have been out of work since the lockdown was implemented, W Marriage cancelled over have been forced to go home. On the other hand, his situation is better given the ‘no toilet’ continuity in his income, even though his wife who works as domestic help, has been W Differently Abled Women out of work. Thus, while survival is difficult, for this community, it has not reached on a Mask Mission during a level where they need to panic and leave for Cooch Behar. COVID-19 pandemic

W Inline baggage screening at airport Pradeep S Mehta, Secretary General W Muslim couple performs kanyadaan P. S . Our gratitude to esteemed subscribers. Miscellany

Meet the world’s smallest cat ‘Order of the Red Star’ for Indian Soldier US President Donald Trump With lockdown in place due to The photograph and citation of an delivered remarks at the 2020 US COVID-19 which has brought tourism Indian soldier, Hawaldar Gajendra Singh, Military Academy at West Point a native of village Badalu in Pithoragarh graduation ceremony. Narang will district, has been included in the complete her Basic Officer Leadership Russian army museum’s gallery of Course (BOLC) at Fort Sill in Lawton, gallant soldiers in Moscow. Oklahoma. Singh was awarded the ‘Order of the Following the successful completion Red Star’, a Soviet military decoration, of BOLC, she will then head to her for his bravery in the Second World first posting in Okinawa, Japan, in War in 1944. The Indian Embassy in January of 2021, according to the non- Moscow informed the family of the dead profit organisation Sikh Coalition. soldier about the felicitation. (ToI, 29.06.20) (ET, 14.06.20) to a standstill, many species of wild When Deepak became Deepika Bring giraffes from Africa animals which were rarely spotted in He danced like a woman, walked While we wait for Gir lions to be the national parks in Rajasthan have like a woman, and even behaved like a shifted to Madhya Pradesh, why not been venturing out fearlessly due to woman. Deepak, who was one a famous get some giraffes from Africa? lack of human presence. dancer in western Director of Madhya Pradesh Lions The rusty-spotted cat species listed Rajasthan, recently project, Mohan Meena, a senior IFS as ‘near threatened’ by the International underwent a sex officer, has recommended to the State Union for Conservation of Nature was change surgery and captured in the camera at Ranthambore became Deepika. National Park. His fascination to Rubiginosus is the world’s smallest become a woman cat and found only in India, Nepal, and started during cultural programmes Sri Lanka. It was last spotted in Sariska where several men used to dress as Tiger Reserve around three years back. women to entertain the crowds. (ToI, 24.04.20) His inspiration is late dancer Harish Suthar of Jaisalmer who became famous by the name of Queen Harish and had Wildlife headquarters to consider UP ‘princess’ photo a huge fan following in India and abroad. translocation of giraffes to Kuno. goes off-menu He, too, used to dress like a woman Kuno, in Sheopur district, would be (ToI, 06.06.20) ideal to let giraffes roam wild in India. restaurant in China has and dance. The proposal to translocate giraffes to removed the photographs of a A India comes at a time when its former Indian princess from its menu Bhindranwale portrait sparks row population in Africa has declined by card after Indian Ambassador to that A huge portrait of the fifth Sikh almost 40 percent over the past three country Vikram Misri took up the guru has appeared next to another decades and it’s listed as a ‘vulnerable’ matter following protests from her large poster of the slain militant chief species. (ToI, 04.06.20) family in UP. Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale on the exterior of the largest gurdwara in the UK, sparking controversy amongst the Keralite loves bees so much! Sikh community. Even the thought of a swarm of The 20-foot by 10-foot image of bees is enough to give most people Bhindranwale went up on the exterior nightmares. One of Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha man in Kerala, Southall in view of the anniversary of however, loves bees Operation Blue Star. so much that he has Yards away is a portrait of the fifth no qualms letting guru to mark Sri Guru Arjun Dev’s them sit on his face martyrdom day. It is a disgrace to for hours on end. Nature MS is a Princess Nawabzadi Mehrunnisa equate Bhindranwale with the fifth guru. (www.indiadailymail.com, 05.06.20) beekeeper who has earned a world Khan is the daughter of the last record for spending the longest nawab of Rampur. Misri pursued the duration of time with his head covered matter saying that the Masala Art Sikh Officer Makes History in US Second Lieutenant Anmol Narang in bees. According to Guinness World restaurant did not take permission Records, the 24-year-old spent four from the erstwhile royal family or will create history by becoming the first observant Sikh to graduate from the hours, 10 minutes and five seconds with from Mehrunnisa to use her photo. his head completely submerged in bees (www.ndtv.com, 15.06.20) prestigious US Military Academy at West Point. to earn the record. (NDTV, 22.06.20)

2 Miscellany

Special species of Babool tree found Human urine, a useful ingredient 20-year-old Golden Retriever After 68 years, a The European Space Agency said A 20-year-old Golden Retriever in species of Babool that human urine could one day Tennessee is being hailed as the longest- tree has been found become a useful ingredient in making living dog of her breed after becoming on a hilltop in concrete to build on the moon. the first on record to surpass the Dhaar village in The agency said researchers in a milestone age. Udaipur district. recent study it sponsored found that Acacia Eburnea tree urea, the main organic compound in was last recorded in urine, would make the mixture for a the north-western ‘lunar concrete’ more malleable before part of Rajasthan in it hardens into its sturdy final form. the Botanical Survey (www.huffpost.com, 08.05.20) of India in 1951. After that, no written record of this Man fined for ‘provocative’ fart species was present in Rajasthan until A man in Vienna has been fined now, when five such trees have been nearly £500 for farting provocatively found. in front of police The specialty of this tree is that its officers. Austrian stem is yellow while other varieties of police were The GoldenHeart Golden Retrievers Babool tree in Rajasthan are either of forced to defend Rescue said Augie, who was adopted white stem or black. (ToI, 06.06.20) the penalty after by Oakland residents Jennifer and Steve the Österreich Hetterscheidt at the age of 14, th Male or female dinosaurs? newspaper revealed the man had been celebrated her 20 birthday, becoming A lot of mistakes have been made punished for ‘offending public decency’. the first golden retriever known to have when it comes to distinguishing between Officers argued that the offender reached the third decade of life. The male and female dinosaurs, new was uncooperative and behaving breed has an average lifespan of 10 to research suggests. provocatively with officers leading up 12 years. (UPI, 24.06.20) The debate over whether to the incident. The man can appeal paleontologists have been accurately the fine. (www.metro.co.uk, 17.06.20) Glove to initiate translation identifying the A team of University of California, sex of dinosaur Lost ring found after 18 years Los Angeles, scientists have developed fossils has A Georgia woman who lost her class a glove that translates American Sign been rumbling ring on a Florida beach in 2002 has the Language into speech in real-time. on for many ring back on her finger after a man with They said the glove contains sensors years. a metal detector found it 18 years later. in the digits that identify each word, The team John Porcella said he often uses his phrase, or letter in American Sign analysed the metal detector to comb the beach near Language (ASL) and transmits them skulls of the pier at Jacksonville Beach, and on wirelessly to a smartphone app that modern-day a recent search in the sand, he translates them at a rate of one word gharials, an uncovered a 2001 class ring from per second. endangered crocodilian species, to see Collins High School in Suwanee, Ga. The device also includes optional how possible it is to distinguish males Porcella contacted the school, which sensors attached to a user's face to and females based only on fossil identified the ring as belonging to a register facial expressions used in ASL. records. (https://news.sky.com/, 12.05.20) graduate named Amy Goetz. (UPI, 24.06.20) (UPI, 30.06.20)

Mysterious ‘radio bursts’ from space Marriage cancelled over ‘no toilet’ Astronomers have detected a mysterious fast radio burst coming from lmost three years after Akshay Kumar- Bhumi a dwarf galaxy three billion light-years A Pednekar starrer Bollywood film ‘Toilet Ek Prem away. The burst — known as an FRB Katha’ hit the screens, a 22-year-old girl Reena Singh — appears to be transmitting signals Gurjar’s video protesting against her marriage in a that reach Earth in a repeating, 157- house which does not have a toilet has gone viral. day pattern. She did not even hesitate to appeal to Prime FRBs are bursts of radio waves in Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, space that last just a millisecond. Some and Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot to help her have been traced back to their home in getting the marriage cancelled. galaxies, but astronomers have yet to A science graduate, the girl is the daughter of a police sub-inspector posted figure out what causes them. in Dholpur. After the video went viral, Harsaura police reached her house and requested her parents not to get her married off. (ToI, 17.06.20) (www.cbsnews.com/news, 09.06.20)

3 City Briefs

Stepping towards digitisation Jaipur to go tobacco-free Taking a step towards making the On the occasion of World No Differently Abled entire system online, the Jaipur Tobacco Day 2020, efforts would be Development Authority (JDA) added made to make Women on a Mask options of sub-division and the city tobacco- Mission during reconstitution of plots on its website. free by strictly COVID-19 pandemic This would not only maintain adhering to transparency but would also benefit Cigarettes and ue to face masks steadily thousands of plot owners who are Other Tobacco Dvanishing from the market forced to make several trips to JDA Products Act due to COVID-19 pandemic, CUTS for this tedious task. (COTPA) and its effective Centre for Human Development, Applicants can apply for implementation. Chittorgarh started a small subdivision and reconstitution only on The implementation of the Act initiative led by Persons with the plots after the service number is will be closely monitored and Disabilities-Self-help Groups generated by the assistant town offenders will be dealt with strictly. (SHGs). The SHGs are making planner (ATP) of the zone. (ToI, 10.06.20) In Jaipur, tobacco use will be masks that are 100 percent cotton prohibited in and around public material and can be reused after No masks: Lockdown norms mocked places, workplaces, educational and home sterilisation. On a day Karnataka’s COVID-19 public health institutions, etc. Sweta Garu in Dagla ka Kheda, count suffered its third record jump (ToI, 01.06.20) Salma Bano in Bassi Gram in three days, former CM HD Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil got Getting a flood control hub The district administration has ordered the setting up of a flood control centre for eight zones of Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) at Bani Park fire brigade office. Monsoon is here and JMC officials have been given charge of control centres in different zones and a married at the family’s farmhouse in special helpline number has been Bidadi, giving a wide berth to social issued. The public can call on that distancing and lockdown norms. number for waterlogging issues. Photos from the ceremony Each zone will have at least two showed the groom and bride, family community buildings with necessary members, and dozens of guests resources where people can be Panchyat, and eight members from huddling together, no one wearing a rescued in an emergency and to do Chittorgarh, Rajasthan who have mask. mapping of all community buildings. some form of the orthopedic Social media was questioning if (ToI, 26.0620) impairment or the other, are on a lockdown norms were only for mission to complete the order of common citizens and not VIPs. ‘Light Metro’ to roll out 20000 masks for the district (ToI, 18.04.20) The Rajasthan government is now administration, NGOs, and other planning to roll out ‘Light Metro’ on social groups. the BRTS Corridor and take the Kitchen garden gaining popularity The SHG has an order of Vegetables are one of the most Metro from Mansarovar station to 16000 masks to be supplied to essential items to run the kitchen. Ajmer Road-Delhi bypass. various government departments, But, buying vegetables during the Initially, the Light Metro will run NGOs, in Chittorgarh and lockdown period has become difficult. from Mansarovar station to New Bhilwara districts of However, not many are worried Sanganer Road. After this, it can be Rajasthan. They have been about purchasing vegetables during considered to engaged in making cloth masks this period as they have turned into take it further to and getting decent earning. their kitchen gardens. Sanganer, Haldi This SHG was provided with To avoid contact with the outside Valley, Pratap sewing machines and training by world, many residents in the city have Nagar. started growing their vegetables at The estimated CUTS centre in Chittorgarh with home. Few have developed kitchen expenditure on the entire project is the help of NABARD and other gardens on their terraces, while some believed to be around M1,800 crore. such sectors. This is another area are growing it in open areas of the The government will take a final call where the organisation is proud house that remain unutilised so far. only after inspection and the DPR. of its contribution to the massive (ToI, 22.04.20) (www.urbanrailways.com, 26.06.20) drive to save lives.

4 City Briefs

Street vendors to get ID cards Most principals and educators feel This system will save the time of Around 12,000 street vendors in that the guidelines miss out on passengers. They can directly visit the Jaipur will now be provided with advocating activity-based learning, check-in counter and will get the identity cards. Recently, the Centre advisory for parents, no two-day offs, baggage at the destination. The cost and does not focus on measures to of this system is around M18 crore. reduce the screen time for children. (ToI, 30.06.20) (ToI, 28.06.20) Indira Rasoi Yojana for poor Star of a vanishing tribe Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot The daughter announced the launch of Indira Rasoi of a couple that Yojana (Indira Kitchen Scheme) to collects sal leaves fulfill its promise of ‘no one sleeps has introduced a scheme under for living in hungry’ in the state. which street vendors will be able to Chhattisgarh has Under this scheme, the needy will get a loan of M10,000. become the first be provided nutritious food twice a Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor girl in the day on concessional rates. The Atma Nirbhar Nidhi Scheme was vanishing Birhor tribe to pass Class announced by the Central 12 as a regular student. Government for them who have been Battling poverty, dogma, and stiff hit by the national lockdown. It will opposition from her tribe, Nirmala be valid until March 2022. scored 58%, and now aims to step (ToI, 27.06.20) into a college — perhaps the first girl in her tribe to do so. The Birhors 48 special trains likely from July are believed to number less than government would spend M100 crore Though the railways have decided 10,000 in the country. (ToI, 28.06.20) in a year for the scheme. Local not to operate regular superfast and NGOs will also be lined up to run express category trains till August Inline baggage screening at airport this scheme and effective monitoring 12, the North Western Railway Flyers using Jaipur airport do not be done with the help of IT. (NWR) is likely to run some more have to queue up near the X-ray (ToI, 23.06.20) trains as ‘specials’ from July 01, 2020. machines to scan their baggage These trains will not have general before check-in. Jaipur airport got RSRTC adds more vehicles class bogies and passengers only the inline baggage screening (ILBS) With the continued demand for with confirmed reservation would be system which will decongest the buses, the Rajasthan State Roadways allowed to board. NWR is waiting Corporation (RSRTC) increased the for a nod of the railway board to get frequency of buses and added these trains to operate. additional routes. (ToI, 28.06.20) Besides, now the buses will ply to various cities in Haryana. At least Parents unhappy with online classes 568 buses were operated across the Guidelines issued by the State state which completed 1,349 trips. Commission for Protection of Child Also, buses to Agra, Bharatpur, Dausa, Rights to schools for conducting Karauli, and Gurugram started online classes have been termed operating from Narain Singh Circle. incomplete insufficient by private check-in area and passengers can (ToI, 24.06.20) school principals, experts and straightaway visit the check-in parents. counter. Dravyavati river project failed The Dravyavati river rejuvenation project, which aimed to revive the Muslim couple performs kanyadaan city’s receding groundwater, has gainst the backdrop of the lockdown, a Muslim couple in Ludhiana allegedly failed to serve its purpose A made the wedding of a Hindu couple possible. as cementing has prevented natural The family from Bhatiyan in Ludhiana recharge resulting in fast depletion stepped in to solemnise the marriage of of water-table along the river. 22-year-old Pooja with Sudesh Kumar The 47.5-km river originates from from Sahnewal according to Hindu rituals the Nahargarh hills in Amer and carried out her Kanyadaan (giving Panchayat Samiti and passes through away a daughter’s hand in marriage) as the city areas including Jhotwara her parents could not return from UP Panchayat Samiti, Sanganer Panchayat due to the lockdown. Samiti before merging with Dhod (www.shethepeople.tv, 04.06.20) River in the south. (ToI, 22.06.20)

5 Opinion How India can transform education in the post-coronavirus world? Jyotsna Joshi

While online learning appears to be a panacea for these times, there are many pitfalls observed with it.

ith governments around the world imposing Initiatives by the government Wschool closures nearly 70 percent of the world’s The national institutions of UGC and MHRD are at the student population is impacted. In India alone, 32 crore forefront of provisioning technology-enabled learning through learners across the segments of pre-primary, primary, audio-video mode or e-books and journals. secondary, and tertiary are hit because of countrywide Second, the Swayamprabha initiative intends to address the school closures. The stay-at-home period for students problem of non-uniform internet penetration in the country, by carries high social and economic costs for all the offering 32 high-quality educational channels through DTH (Direct stakeholders involved in the domain of education. With to Home) across the nation, 24x7. The content for these channels interrupted learning, it is anticipated that more children is provided by esteemed educational institutes of the nation like will be forced to join the labour force, leading to a IIT, UGC, NCERT, etc. severe form of child labour and greater dropout rates Third, there is a provision of a digital repository of journals from schools. and books which can be accessed by the learners at one place Also, there is found a surge in unintended social in the National Digital Library of India (NLDI). outcomes like violence against children, an increase in MHRD has also ensured the provisioning of virtual labs that psychological disorders like stress and anxiety, and simulate an environment to perform experiments. teenage pregnancies. Educators, on the other hand, At the school level, a major challenge is the absence of a struggle to overcome this paradigm shift from the robust monitoring method to gauge the activities of the students traditional chalk-talk methods to the e-learning model, remotely. prepare online lesson plans, and upload them. Additionally, the work from home and online teaching Consensus mechanisms are taking a toll on their mental health by It is a debatable statement whether e-learning will facilitate blurring the professional versus personal boundaries. high-order learning skills such as creativity, problem-solving, According to UDISE data, India has a humongous inquisitive questioning, etc. However, e-learning does contribute network of nearly 15 lakh schools, 25 crore students, to the capacity-building of all the stakeholders involved in the 94 lakh teachers at the school level, and 50,000 higher education gamut. The role of governments at this juncture will education institutions. This presents manifold challenges be critical in ushering benefits from this digital disruption. in transcending from the physical delivery of education to online teaching methods. Abridged from an article that appeared in www.dailyo.in/ on May 18, 2020

Sources: ET: The Economic Times; NDTV: New Delhi Television Limited; ToI: Times of India; UPI: United Press International

The news/articles in this Newsletter are compressed from several newspapers. The sources given are to be used as a reference for further information, and do not indicate the literal transcript of a particular news/story. CUTS International is a not-for-profit organisation and the listing of paid news/articles is for informative and educative purposes only.

CityMatters is a quarterly newsletter published by Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS), D-217, Bhaskar Marg, Bani Park, Jaipur 302016, India, Phone: 91.141.2282821, Fax: 91.141.2282485, Email: [email protected], Web site: www.cuts-international.org, and printed by SGM Printers, Jaipur, India. CUTS offices also at Kolkata, Chittorgarh and New Delhi (India); Lusaka (Zambia); Nairobi (Kenya); Accra (Ghana); Hanoi (Vietnam); Geneva () and Washington DC (USA).