MEDICINE RESEARCH INDIA & CHINA LAC WILDLIFE KANHA FThe vaccineRO race 9 NTLINETime for talks 64 Conservation breakthroughs 90

J ULY 17, 2020 I NDIA’S NATIONAL MAGAZINE HTTPS://FRONTLINE.THEHINDU.COM RS.125

A long way to peak With the ICMR’s sero-surveillance being out of pace with the rapid surge in COVID-19 infections in the country and with the government continuing to deny community transmission, India achieves the dubious distinction of being ranked fourth in the world

V OLUME 37 NUMBER 14 JULY 04-17, 2020 ISSN 0970-1710 HTTPS://FRONTLINE.THEHINDU.COM

COVER STORY Madhya Pradesh: Sops and polls 52 Chinks in the armour Uttar Pradesh: As bravado, false pride and an apparent refusal to adopt a scientific Travesty of truth 54 Bihar and Jharkhand: approach mark the Union government’s strategy to fight COVID-19, Capitals a concern 56 58 the pandemic is steadily marching to its peak. 4 Haryana: Sharp increase Punjab against agri- marketing ordinances 60 An NGO coalition that did Bengaluru proud 62 I NDIA AND CHINA

T ime for talks 64 J AMMU & KASHMIR M ilitancy and The Resistance Front 69 New media policy spells more trouble for journalists 72 LEGISLATION E lectricity (Amendment) Bill and power sector “reform” 75 CONTROVERSY C OVER STORY T amil Nadu: W hy the coal blocks auction Domino effect 36 is a bad idea 79 Police terror 38 Karnataka: WILDLIFE Out of the comfort zone 40 Gujarat: Crisis and cover-up 42 P ublic sector in the Rajasthan: T he vaccine race 9 post-COVID strategy 26 Uneasy comfort 44 BJP: Offence as defence 14 Targeting mosques West Bengal: Information void 17 in Delhi 30 What numbers hide 46 K anha and its conservation Interview: STATES Kerala: breakthroughs 90 Prof. R.B. Bhagat 21 D elhi: Broken system 32 Reckless opposition 48 FTA and the race to Maharashtra: Odisha: the bottom 24 On the mend 34 People-driven plan 50 BOOKS 82

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Disclaimer: Readers are requested to verify & make appropriate enquiries Published by N. RAVI, Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860, Anna Salai, Chennai-600 002 and Printed by T. Ravi at Kala to satisfy themselves about the veracity of an advertisement before Jyothi Process Private Limited, Survey No. 185, Kondapur, Ranga Reddy District-500 133, Telangana on behalf responding to any published in this magazine.THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD., the Publisher & Owner of this magazine, does not vouch for the of THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD., Chennai-600 002. authenticity of any advertisement or advertiser or for any of the EDITOR: R. VIJAYA SANKAR (Editor responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act). All rights reserved. advertiser’s products and/or services. In no event can the Owner, Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Publisher, Printer, Editor, Director/s, Employees of this magazine/ company be held responsible/liable in any manner whatsoever for any e-mail: [email protected] claims and/or damages for advertisements in this magazine. Frontline is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. J ULY 17, 2020 . F RONTLINE 3 publication of sero-survey results by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Even the protocol to be followed in the sero- surveillance of the 60-odd districts (classified into four categories) that had been identified was published online only on June 20, just about when the last issue of Frontline was closing, which itself was about six weeks after the survey data had been gathered and the analysis was on. The protocol does have some information about the sero-survey, though not all that was pointed out in the last issue. Some of it is indeed revealing, which will be discussed here. As mentioned in the earlier article, this sero-survey was a serial cross-sectional survey conducted with a sample size of 24,000 distributed equally across four strata of districts categorised on the basis of the incidence of reported cases of COVID-19—zero cases, low incidence, medium incidence and high incidence. We had observed earlier that the post-survey press briefing on June 11 by the ICMR’s Director General, Balram Bhargava, had not defined the four categories, which, fortunately, have been defined in the published protocol. The sero-surveyed districts were to be categorised according to the reported COVID-19 cases per million population (zero, low: 0.1-4.7, medium: 4.8-10 and high: >10). As mentioned before, the classification at the time of the survey (mid May) was based on the number of reported COVER STORY cases as on April 25. Fifteen districts from each stratum were to be selected randomly for a total of 60 districts. In addition—this information had not been given in the briefing—the top 10 cities in the country reporting the highest number of cases were also to be included to be considered as hotspots, which roughly ties up with the 71 CHINKS IN THE A HEALTH WORKER spraying disinfectant in a COVID-19 test ward at the Rajiv Gandhi ARMOUR Government General Hospital in Chennai. B. VELANKANNI RAJ

As bravado, false pride and an apparent refusal to adopt a scientific number of infections still hugging the exponential line, eventually the virus will not have enough people to infect approach mark the Union government’s strategy to fight COVID-19, the and the spread will decline and herd immunity will slowly set in—a natural epidemiological scenario. Even pandemic is steadily marching to its peak. B Y R. RAMACHANDRAN then the Modi-Shah regime is bound to claim that as its victory, when in reality it not only did not do the right thing in terms of non-pharmaceutical interventions FOURTEEN MONTHS AFTER HIS INFAMOUS experts to analyse, the second the duo is sure to win, (NPIs) such as lockdowns but also prevented medical remark about the Prime Minister’s “56-inch chest”, however long it might take. The fight on the COVID-19 and health experts from doing what they know best. Union Home Minister Amit Shah displayed the same front appears—both from news reports and from what is In the last issue of Frontline, evidence for the last clause sense of false pride and bravado when he said on June 28 evident on the ground—to be driven mainly by the Prime above was highlighted. The manner in which the that the country would win both the war—the Minister’s Office (PMO) and the national executive by government shared with the nation sero-surveillance data,

confrontation with China on the Line of Actual Control keeping scientific expertise and advice at bay, and the which provide an indication of the disease prevalence in the VEDHAN . (LAC)—and the fight against COVID-19 under the spread of the disease, five months after the country saw country, revealed less than it hid. As quoted in the last issue, M leadership of Narendra Modi. its first case, will in all likelihood decline and slowly peter the Progressive Forum of Medicos and Scientists (PFMS) A SANITATION WORKER sprays bleaching powder in While the LAC battle is for strategists and defence out. That is because, with the current increase in the had roundly criticised the total lack of urgency in the Avadi, Chennai, during the lockdown, on June 30.

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 4 5 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 NUSHREE FADNAVIS/REUTERS NUSHREE A

HEALTH CARE w orkers at a school that has been turned after the peak transmission is established; repeated into a centre to conduct tests for COVID-19, in New Delhi. cross-sectional investigation in the same geographic area (but not necessarily the same individuals each time) to districts that Bhargava showed in the table projected at establish trends in an evolving pandemic; and the briefing. It had been reported in the media that in longitudinal cohort study with serial sampling of the these 10 hotspot cities, sero-survey had revealed that as same individuals. Establishing cohorts [the last much as 30 per cent of the populations could be infected. possibility] during a pandemic being resource intensive, Of course, the ICMR dismissed this as being speculative, and India being [as of April-end] in the early stages of but the correct data are yet to be published or shared. The the pandemic, the second option is the most appropriate protocol, however, suggests that the survey sampling of choice to guide public health response. hotspot zones was done on the assumption of a maximum “…The initial survey would serve as a baseline to seropositivity of 5 per cent. determine the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection With the total number of cases having crossed a in the community and in high-burden cities as well, while milestone mark of 500,000 on June 27 (which stands at the subsequent rounds would help to monitor the trends 566,840 as of June 30) and with nearly 19,000 confirmed of infection in the community. This information will also cases being added daily, India now has the dubious guide the strategy for making decisions related to distinction of being ranked fourth among the countries of lockdown options at a district level. The objectives of this the world even though it had enforced probably the strictest serosurveillance are to estimate and monitor the trend of lockdown measures (in four phases) in the world. With seroprevalence for SARS-CoV-2 infection in the general cases per million population being in their thousands in all population and high-burden cities, determine the socio- the top-10 COVID-19-hit cities of the country, which demographic risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection and include Jodhpur and Indore, the classification might delineate the geographical spread of the infection in the appear highly incongruous. But on April 25, which was just general population and hotspot cities” (emphases and at the end of the second phase of the lockdown, the total parenthetical remarks added). number of cases stood around 25,000, about one-twentieth Well, well. Since the first round has just been of the current number of confirmed cases. Even then the completed and the results are yet to be published, is that categorisation would seem already somewhat removed meant to imply that the country is still in an evolving from the ground situation. pandemic with the peaking still months away? It would However, the more pertinent aspect of the survey as seem so. Given that, it is not clear when the subsequent stated in the protocol, which shows the ICMR in a really rounds of sero-surveillance (in the same identified in bad light, is the following. The published protocol says: districts) will be undertaken and their results published “The WHO [World Health Organisation] suggests or shared with the districts/States, if they will be taken up three possibilities to conduct the sero-epidemiological at all. According to the protocol, the “subsequent investigation: cross-sectional investigation, most apt rounds… will depend on the results from the first round

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 6 .V.S. GIRI .V.S. K

AT UNDAVALLI VILLAGE n ear Vijayawada, after States) had no apparent link to an identifiable source of coronavirus cases were reported in the vicinity. infection. The government still seems to be in denial as is evident from the June 29 WHO situation report, which is and the ensuing epidemic situation in the country…. based on government submission. According to a recent Instead of waiting for the end of the epidemic, repeated report in The Telegraph (India), the researchers of this serosurveys carried out at regular intervals can be a survey were not even sure if the research paper would be useful tool to monitor the epidemic precisely.” published at all. Ultimately it did appear (which is what And to boot, the survey results are supposed to guide the Frontline story was based on), but they were the “strategy for making decisions related to lockdown prevented from naming the 36 districts which showed options at district level”. While the government has just evidence of community transmission. As pointed out in announced the rules for the second un-lockdown phase an earlier article (Frontline, June 5), despite the at the gross national level, save high burden areas and published evidence of the ICMR’s own sentinel survey, its containment zones, which will run through July 1 to July revised testing strategy of May 18 ignored that evidence 31, individual districts, cities and States—faced with and just slightly revised the earlier strategies as if there soaring numbers of cases—are set to reimpose was no community transmission. lockdowns, obviously with no guiding strategy from the Now, on June 23, however, over two months after Union Health Ministry or the ICMR. From the laggardly the sentinel survey results were published, in its pace at which these surveys are being done, it would seem Testing Strategy v. 6 it has deceptively revised the that by the time the ICMR gets its act together to conduct protocol, which is tantamount to a tacit admission of the second round, the country may well be nearing the community transmission. The last para of the main peak, if not the end, of the epidemic. The surveillance, document on the revised strategy now says “testing according to the protocol, was to be “directly monitored should be made widely available to all symptomatic by the apex scientific working group on epidemiology individuals in every part of the country… ICMR advises and surveillance established for COVID-19 by the all concerned State governments, public and private ICMR”. The working group, as reported in the last issue institutions to take required steps to scale up testing of Frontline, was not even privy to the basic data of the for COVID-19 by deploying combination of various survey. They were shared with the PMO and the top tests as advised above.” bureaucracy of the government first! In the last v.5, testing of symptomatic individuals In an earlier Frontline article (May 8), it was pointed were restricted to “all symptomatic (with symptoms of out, on the basis of the results of a sentinel survey of influenza-like infection, or ILI) individuals 1. with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) patients, how history of international travel in the last 14 days; 2. who community transmission was occurring even as the are contacts of laboratory confirmed cases; 3. who are government was in denial. The ICMR survey had found health care workers/front-line workers; 4. who are SARI 40 of the 104 cases surveyed (from 36 districts in 15 patients; and, 5. who are within hotspots/containment

7 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 Infection spread

FIGURE 1 FIGURE 2

STABHRA SINHA, INSTITUTE OF MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES, CHENNAI

AS OF June 26, from among the States, while Maharashtra, As Sanjay Rai, Professor of Community Medicine at Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat accounted for nearly two- the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New thirds of confirmed cases, Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu Delhi, and president of the Indian Public Health and Telangana accounted for the same fraction of active Association, has been quoted as saying: “In community cases, pointing to a rapidly changing scenario in Telangana transmission, the focus should turn to mitigation…. which at one stage was tending to move off the exponential While testing, contact tracing, and isolation of patients line. should continue, the focus should shift to minimise deaths through early case detection, triage, and ensuring zones; as well as asymptomatic direct and high-risk that adequate hospital facilities are available to manage contacts of a confirmed case to be tested once between the surge in cases…. In Delhi with its surge, a mitigation day 5 and day 10 of coming into contact”. Now it has strategy is already in place.” advised to include all symptomatic individuals, with no As of June 26, among the States, while Maharashtra, attendant qualification as in v.5. But this revised strategy Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat accounted for nearly should have been in place at least two months ago. two-thirds of the confirmed cases, Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Telangana accounted for the same fraction of active cases, pointing to a rapidly changing situation in Telangana, which at one stage was tending to move off the exponential line (Figures 1 & 2).

T EST POSTITIVITY RATE The test positivity rate (TPR) is the percentage of tests that are returned positive. If, given the scale of the epidemic, the surveillance is efficient enough to detect any resurgence, one will have a low positivity rate. On the other hand, a high positivity rate is indicative of the testing strategy being limited to people with high suspicion of infection. This is likely to miss new chains of transmission in the community. A sero-survey is supposed to guide towards an efficient testing strategy, which unfortunately is out of pace with the rapid surge in infections in different regions of the country. Inefficient testing in many States is very evident. According to the WHO, the daily positivity rate ought to be below 5 per cent for at least two weeks before relaxing public health measures. TPR is believed to be better than tests per million (TPM) as an indicator of testing adequacy, as testing coverage should be seen relative to the size of the epidemic rather than the size of the population. Table 1 shows TPRs and TPMs for all the States. The table clearly shows which States have failed to get a handle on the size of the epidemic, either by their well-conceived containment strategies or by the fortunate circumstances arising from their geographical, demographic, economic and commercial status. And it is these failed States that are driving the national scene

ATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EPIDEMIOLOGY, CHENNAI EPIDEMIOLOGY, OF INSTITUTE ATIONAL २ N today.

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 8 C OVER STORY The vaccine race

The unprecedented pace at which a vaccine is being developed to combat COVID-19 offers a ray of hope. How prepared is India in the race to obtain a vaccine? BY THOMAS ABRAHAM EUTERS R BRITAIN’S William, Duke of Cambridge, during a visit to the laboratory where a vaccine against COVID-19 has been produced at the Oxford Vaccine Group’s facility at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford on June 24.

9 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 ON JANUARY 11, THE GENETIC SEQUENCE OF prospects for limited supplies of vaccine for those at the the virus causing the outbreak of the respiratory disease greatest risk from the disease by the last quarter of the in Wuhan, China, was posted by a team at Fudan Univer- year. sity in Shanghai on GenBank, a global online database maintained by the United States’ National Institutes of S TAGES OF DEVELOPMENT Health (NIH). Vaccines pass through several stages of development. No one knew how far the disease would spread or how Once a prototype vaccine is developed in a laboratory, it is serious it would be, but the genomic information was first tested on animals, typically mice, ferrets, guinea pigs seized upon almost immediately by laboratories across or hamsters. These laboratory animals are bred with the world for a variety of purposes. Some used it to create genetic mutations that allow researchers to test the vac- tests that would detect the virus in infected people. Oth- cine better. In the case of a vaccine for COVID-19, labor- ers worked on trying to decipher the genetic origins of the atories have used mice bred to express a receptor known virus and understand how it had passed from animal to as ACE2 in their cells, as these are the receptors that the man. And some seized on the virus’ genetic structure as a SARS-CoV-2 virus uses to enter human cells. If the vac- way to start developing a vaccine. cine has few side effects and creates antibodies in the Among the early vaccine developers was a team at mice, then its development moves to the NHP, or non- Oxford University led by Sarah Gilbert, a professor of human primate, stage, when the vaccine is tested on vaccinology, who had recently developed a prototype monkey species such as macaques. vaccine against another coronavirus, Middle East Res- If the monkeys tolerate the vaccine and are also pro- piratory Syndrome (MERS). She decided to develop a tected against challenge doses of the virus, the vaccine vaccine for this new coronavirus using the same tech- moves from the lab to human, or clinical, trials. This nique used for the MERS vaccine. Without any inkling of happens in three stages: phase 1 focusses on testing how the coronavirus pandemic would explode, she saw vaccine safety, and to a lesser extent on the immune this more as an experiment or, as she described it to The response the vaccine produces. Typically, around 50 to New York Times, an interesting laboratory project to 100 healthy adults are vaccinated at this stage, any aches, demonstrate the versatility of the recombinant viral vec- pains, fevers and other reactions are noted, and blood tor vaccine platform that had been used for the MERS samples are tested for the presence of antibodies and vaccine. other proteins indicating an immune response. The vac- Within three months, a period equivalent to travel- cine then goes into phase 2 trials, in a slightly larger ling at the speed of light for vaccine development (which group representing a wider demography. Different doses is typically measured in years and decades), the Oxford of vaccine are also tried to assess adverse reactions as well SARS-CoV-2 vaccine was in the first stage of human as immune response. If the vaccine is thought safe and clinical trials. effective enough, it goes into phase 3 trials and is tested And it was not the first: two other vaccine developers: on several thousands of people across a variety of age Moderna, a U.S.-based biotechnology company, and groups. CanSino, a Chinese biotech, had begun trials slightly Besides collecting more data on safety, the aim of earlier. And by July all these vaccines are expected to be phase 3 trials is to see how the vaccine works in the real in the third and final stages of clinical trials, opening world: how much protection it provides in a situation when the disease is circulating actively? To do this, some of those in the trial are given a placebo, and the number of those who get the disease among the vaccinated group is compared to those who received a placebo and the effect- iveness of the vaccine is calculated. After phase 3 trials, the manufacturer can apply to regulatory authorities to license the vaccine for public use. The whole process, from laboratory to market, can take five to 10 years. Funding is usually a major con- straint, particularly in moving from the laboratory to clinical trials. But the pandemic has released a floodgate of funding for vaccine development, largely from the U.S. The money, along with an eagerness on the part of the regulatory authorities to get a safe and effective vaccine out as quickly as possible, has speeded up the process in a way that would have been unimaginable in normal cir- ED S. WARREN/AP S. ED T cumstances. DURING t he first-stage safety study clinical trial of a New vaccine technologies, too, have helped speed up potential vaccine for COVID-19 at the Kaiser Permanente development, particularly the use of generic vaccine plat- Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle, U.S. on forms that can be repurposed for different vaccines. The March 16. Oxford vaccine, for example, is based on the platform of

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 10 FP A

AT THE C ells Culture Room laboratory of Sinovac Biotech produce antibodies against. As Tal Zaks, Moderna’s chief in Beijing on April 29, where researchers are working on a medical officer, put it in a recent webinar, this method vaccine for coronavirus. taught “the body to make a vaccine in its own cells”. The spike proteins of coronaviruses, whether it is chimpanzee adenovirus, which has been engineered to SARS, MERS, or SARS-CoV-2, have been the main focus express the spike protein of the coronavirus. of vaccine developers, as this is the part of the virus that The same platform was used for an MERS vaccine, the immune system recognises. So Moderna’s team took and so researchers were able to replace relatively quickly the sequence of the spike protein, translated it into mes- the genetic code for the MERS spike protein with that of senger RNA, the form of RNA that the cells use to create the SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein on the same chimp proteins from DNA and RNA. They enclosed this genetic adenovirus platform. information in a minuscule lipid, or fat, envelope to Neither the spike protein nor the platform alone can create a vaccine. cause disease, so recombinant technology is generally When this RNA vaccine is injected into a muscle or regarded as safer than traditional vaccine techniques any other body tissue, it enters the cells, and makes them which use live weakened viruses. produce the coronavirus spike protein. These spike pro- Moderna, a Boston-based biotechnology company teins are displayed on the surface of the cells, where the that is trying to carve a niche for itself in the new but immune system detects it, and creates antibodies as well rapidly developing field of messenger RNA-based vac- as a cellular immune response. cines, saw an opportunity to put its existing vaccine One of the advantages of RNA and other nucleic- platform to quick use in a COVID-19 vaccine. based vaccines is that they are quick to produce as they do Moderna had been working on vaccines for a variety not require a virus to be cultured in cells. Tal Zaks of diseases, which include Zika and H7N9 influenza, claimed in the webinar that it took only two days from the using a technique that inserted the genetic sequence of time the genome was published to produce a candidate target viruses expressed in messenger RNA form, into vaccine. human cells so that the cells themselves produce the viral The speed was partly possible because Moderna, like proteins that the immune system would recognise and the Oxford team, had been developing a vaccine for

11 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 MERS and was able to switch the MERS spike protein technology that will be used or a timeline. More is known with the SARS-CoV-2 virus protein. about Biotech’s two overseas collaborations. One is with scientists at the University of Wisconsin, who are using C HINESE EFFORTS an influenza virus platform to develop a nasal vaccine to Chinese researchers were, not surprisingly, amongst the protect against COVID-19. If the candidate vaccine is first to get off the mark, with early results coming from successful in the laboratory, Bharat Biotech will produce three vaccine developers. One of them, CanSino, a the vaccine and conduct clinical trials. Tianjin-based company, like the Oxford team, used re- Bharat Biotech has also teamed up with a research combinant viral vector technology to create a vaccine group at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, which had its first human trials in mid March as well and which is developing a coronavirus vaccine based on a is now undergoing phase 2 clinical trials. CanSino has rabies virus vector. The candidate vaccine is still at the applied to hold phase 3 trials in Canada. mice trial stage, but if it proceeds further, Bharat Biotech The two other Chinese companies that were quickly will conduct the human trials as well as manufacture and off the mark used traditional but tried and tested vaccine distribute the vaccine globally in the developing world. making techniques, which involve taking the SARS- If successful, these vaccines could be available in CoV-2 virus and inactivating it so that it can no longer 2021. replicate and create disease but can still be recognised by Ahmedabad-based Zydus Cadilla said in February the immune system to create antibodies. that it was working on two different vaccine platforms: SinoVac, a Beijing-based company, rapidly created one DNA based and the other using a measles virus to an inactivated vaccine which, after mouse and macaque carry the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Nothing has been monkey trials, has completed phase 1 and phase 2 trials heard from the company about the progress made since and will begin final phase 3 trials in Brazil, probably in the announcement. July. Sinopharm, a government entity, also has begun Since the Prime Minister’s meeting in May, little is phase 2 trials with an inactivated vaccine. known about the efforts towards developing an indigen- Other major vaccine developers are trying new DNA ous vaccine, or what kind of funding the cash-strapped and protein-based vaccine platforms, most of which are government has provided to support them. in the pre-clinical stage of laboratory and animal tests. Vaccine development is expensive. The rapid ad- vances made in other countries are due to the financial I NDIAN EFFORTS muscle of the home governments as well as funding from Compared to the work that has been done in the U.S., private organisations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates China, Europe and Australia, India has been a laggard in Foundation. developing a COVID-19 vaccine despite having a globally The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innova- competitive vaccine manufacturing industry. tions (CEPI), a public private partnership that includes In May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a well- the Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust, estimates publicised meeting to take stock of vaccine as well as that for a vaccine that is required urgently, pre-clinical diagnostic development in the country. A government development and phase 1 trials could cost up to $10 release said Indian vaccine companies, academia and million, and accelerated phase 2/3 trials would cost start-ups had “pioneered” work in the field of vaccine around $210 million. This is without taking into account development. More than 30 Indian vaccines “are in dif- the cost of manufacturing and distributing a successful ferent stages of corona vaccine development, with a few vaccine. going on to the trial stages,” it said. Without this kind of investment, vaccines cannot be The government has not made the list of these de- developed at the rapid speed at which this pandemic velopers public, but major vaccine manufacturers, in- requires it to be done, which is one reason Indian de- cluding the Serum Institute of India, Bharat Biotech and velopers have been left trailing in the global race. Zydus Cadilla, and a handful of biotech companies such Powered largely by a $10 billion war chest that the Don- as the Bengaluru-based Mynvax, have started laboratory ald Trump administration is investing in vaccine de- work which might bear fruit in a year or more. velopers and manufacturers in this race, the U.S. aim is to The big manufacturers have tied up with laboratories ensure that it gets the first several hundred million doses abroad for the initial development work. The Serum of vaccine, perhaps towards the end of this year or early Institute has an agreement with Astra Zeneca to manu- next year. facture 300 million doses of the Oxford vaccine under The U.S. government has invested $1.2 billion in the licence by the end of this year, and a billion doses by the vaccine that Oxford University is developing, an amount end of 2021, provided the vaccine succeeds in phase 3 that will pay for the remaining costs of developing the clinical trials. This is likely to be the first vaccine available vaccine, manufacturing enough doses for clinical trials in in India, though it is not clear how many doses will be for the U.S., as well as at least part of the cost of “at risk domestic use, and how many for the rest of the world. manufacturing”, or beginning to manufacture hundreds The Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech is working of thousands of doses of a candidate vaccine before clin- with the Indian Council of Medical research (ICMR) to ical trials are completed, so that if the trials are successful develop a vaccine, though there are no details of the the vaccine will be available immediately to the public.

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 12 The pay-off will be rapid access to the Moderna vac- cine if it is successful. There is a limit to how far this pandemic can be controlled through lockdowns and physical distancing, the only methods that have been available so far to slow down the spread of the virus. The economic costs and social disruptions of exten- ded lockdowns cause more harm than the virus itself, which is why major countries in the world are investing so heavily in vaccine development, which is the only way to build immunity at the population level and slowly allow the world to get back to normal life. The AstraZeneca/Oxford and the Moderna vaccines expect to be going into phase 3 clinical trials in July. A vaccine developed by CanSino could also be testing in phase 3 trials around the same time. If the vaccines are tested in places where the number of cases is rising (Brazil is becoming a favoured location for phase 3 trials for this reason), an indication of how protective a vaccine is could be available in a couple of months. Both the

RIAN SNYDER/REUTERS RIAN Oxford group and Moderna have talked of possible res- B ults by August or September. THE HEADQUARTERS o f Moderna Therapeutics, which But this short space of time is not enough to give a is developing a vaccine against COVID-19, in Cambridge, complete profile of the safety and efficacy of a vaccine. As Massachusetts, U.S. larger numbers of people are vaccinated over a longer period, rarer side effects could emerge. As different age The risk the manufacturer takes is that if the trials are groups, including the very young and the very old, or unsuccessful, the money that has been invested in manu- those with chronic conditions are included in long-term facturing advance doses is lost. In the case of Moderna, trials, new findings of safety and efficacy could emerge. the NIH conducted phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials and At the same time though, once one or more vaccines that have been active in speeding regulatory approval for provide a degree of protection against COVID-19 rapid testing. The U.S. government has been willing to emerge, pressure will also increase on regulators to allow pump in and potentially lose money on vaccines that do limited or emergency use for groups of people at the not eventually make it past clinical trials. As Anthony highest risk such as health care workers. On the basis of a Fauci, a senior figure in the NIH put it in a recent risk-benefit analysis, regulatory authorities in different webinar, “we may be investing in things that we never countries could allow limited vaccine use for a variety of use, that to the tune of half a billion dollars right off the high-risk groups. The U.S. Food and Drug Adminstra- bat”. tion (FDA) is de facto the most influential regulatory It is not only the U.S. that has been throwing money authority in the world, and once the FDA licenses a and resources at the vaccines. The Chinese efforts have vaccine for limited or emergency use other countries tend strong government support. CanSino has partnered with to follow suit. the military medical scientists, while other vaccine man- Of the three or four vaccines that are likely to begin ufacturers are either government owned or have teamed phase 3 trials in July, the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine, up with government research and public health agencies. the Moderna vaccine, the Sinopharm vaccine and the The United Kingdom government got into the act CanSino vaccine, at least one or two if not all are likely to and encouraged a deal for Oxford University to give the show some protective effect against COVID infection. global manufacturing rights for its vaccine to As- It may not protect perfectly and it may not work in all traZeneca, a pharmaceutical major headquartered in the age groups, but as long as it is judged to be as safe as other U.K. vaccines in current use, it is quite possible that those at The government injected £65.5 million into the deal highest risk of being exposed to COVID-19 such as front- to help manufacturing and developing costs, but also to line workers or those at highest risk of death from it, such assure the U.K. of 100 million doses, 30 million of which as elderly people with other health problems, might have would be delivered by September if clinical trials were early access, at least in some countries, to one of the successful and would be reserved for people in the U.K. fastest-ever vaccines the world has developed. २ The $1.2 billion that the U.S. government has inves- ted in the Oxford-AstraZeneca deal assures it of 300 Thomas Abraham is author of Twentieth Century million doses if the vaccine proves successful. Plague: The Story of SARS, and Polio: The Odyssey of The U.S. has invested $480 million in Moderna, in Eradication. He is adjunct professor at the University addition to the support Moderna has received from the of Hong Kong and a former consultant to the World NIH. Health Organisation.

13 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 C OVER STORY Offence as defence

The BJP fulminates against the opposition in a bid to hide the government’s inefficient handling of the face-off with China and the COVID crisis. BY VENKITESH RAMAKRISHNAN

PR IME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI AND of our jawans were martyred, but those who dared Bharat his long-term associate, Home Minister Amit Shah, are Mata, they were taught a lesson”. Over 60 per cent of the past masters at the art of using aggressive political propa- respondents in the survey stated that a “befitting reply ganda in the face of personal and organisational adversit- has not been given to the Chinese”. ies. Right from October 2001, when Modi took over as On the COVID front too, the Prime Minister was the interim Chief Minister of Gujarat from the Bharatiya increasingly seen making comparisons with other coun- Janata Party (BJP) veteran Keshubhai Patel and started tries—much like United States President Donald dominating the politics of the State first, and the party at Trump—to show India as better off than them even as the national level later, this duo has time and again large segments of the population started feeling unsafe. employed this stratagem to overcome challenges. The last week of June 2020 saw them do this once again. In a R HETORIC ALL THE WAY series of synchronised moves, the Modi-Shah team It is in this context that both Modi and Shah made public launched a combative campaign, evidently aimed at re- appearances and engagements and resorted to rhetoric, claiming the loss of face that they and the BJP-led Na- focussing on both Galwan and COVID. In yet another tional Democratic Alliance (NDA) government have episode of his periodic “Mann Ki Baat” radio programme, suffered in the past couple of months in many areas, Modi iterated that “India’s spirit of universal brother- including in the face-off with China in the Galwan valley hood has been noticed by the world, and at the same time in eastern Ladakh and in the fight against the COVID-19 it has also noticed India’s commitment and might when pandemic. it comes to safeguarding her sovereignty and territorial The confrontation at the Galwan valley resulted in integrity”. He said that “those who cast an evil eye on the death of over 20 Indian soldiers, including a com- Indian soil in Ladakh have got a befitting response” and manding officer of the rank of Colonel, and injuries to went on to add that “India honours the spirit of friend- scores of others. On the pandemic front, June saw an ship… (but) she is also capable of giving an appropriate exponential rise in the number of cases in the country, response to any adversary, without shying away”. with the last seven days of the month On combatting COVID too, the registering an all-time high average sense of unity people had shown was of approximately 20,000 new cases one of the greatest strengths of India a day. in the fight against COVID, he said. Public reaction to the casualties In an interview to a television suffered at the hands of Chinese sol- news agency, Amit Shah echoed diers was palpably emotional. Sur- Modi’s proclamations. He stated veys conducted by different that he wanted to assure the people agencies, including the IANS- of the country that “we will win both CVoter Snap Poll, showed that a the battles; the one against COVID large number of people—in most and the other related to efforts by surveys above 60 per cent—did not the Chinese army to intrude into believe the Prime Minister’s asser- Ladakh”. He said: “I want to assure tions at an all-party video confer- the people that under Modi’s leader- ence held on June 19. Modi then ship we will win both the battles.” said that India had not lost any ter- Amit Shah sought to explain the ritory to China in recent months and position on the face-off with China

that “neither have they intruded KISHORE/PTI AMAL as follows: “I want to state it on re- into our border, nor has any post K cord that whenever I have men- been taken over by them” though “20 BJP national president J.P. Nadda. tioned Jammu and Kashmir State, it

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 14 has included Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Aksai in defence and technology, India is taking strides towards Chin. The borders decided by the Constitution of India self-reliance.” and Jammu and Kashmir’s Constitution include The large organisational machinery of the party and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Aksai Chin.” However, its associates in the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh the Union Home Minister skirted specific questions on (RSS)-led Sangh Parivar was quick to take the lead from the horrific incidents at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). the two topmost functionaries of the BJP and its govern- A central theme of the two leaders’ interventions in ment. Accordingly, BJP national president J.P. Nadda June end was the specific and overt targeting of the challenged the Congress, especially Rahul Gandhi, for a opposition parties, especially the Congress, even though debate on the Chinese intrusions since 1962. This was in the points they made were about universal and national response to Rahul Gandhi’s tweet “rechristening” the issues, which are generally kept out of petty politicking. Prime Minister as “Surender” Modi, punning on the Amit Shah sought to highlight the “anti-India propa- perception among defence experts and the lay public that ganda” on social media and accused former Congress India had surrendered territory to China in the current president Rahul Gandhi of “making the kind of state- face-off. Nadda’s contention was that under Congress ments and pushing the kind of political agenda that are regimes from the time of Nehru, India had lost thousands being liked in Pakistan and China”. of square kilometres of land to China. “That’s exactly why He said: “It is sad that at this time of crisis you are we need a historic debate from 1962 to date to fix re- indulging in such propaganda. It should be a matter of sponsibility for let-downs on the border,” Nadda said. concern for the Congress party that your leader’s hashtag Soon, the Sangh Parivar’s rank and file, especially its is being promoted by Pakistan and China.” cyber warriors, took the propaganda forward. The cam- Modi accused almost the entire political leadership of paign, to put it mildly, was vicious, with extremely per- being responsible for the country’s debacle on the de- sonal attacks on the Nehru family and other Congress fence front until the BJP’s ascent to power in 2014. He leaders. said that before Independence “our country was ahead of An Ahmedabad-based former senior leader of the many countries in the world [in defence matters]” as BJP told Frontline that this line of aggressive campaign- there were “multitude of ordnance factories”. Many ing and targeting was something that Modi and Shah had countries that lagged behind India then, he said, “are perfected right from their early partnership in Gujarat ahead of us now”. He added: “After Independence, we politics. “They braved the flak of the 2002 communal should have made efforts in the defence sector, taking riots as well as the criticism that came up even from advantage of our prior experience, but we did not. Now, organisations like the BMS [Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh] SHOK BHAUMIK/PTI SHOK A YOUTH CONGRESS activists during a protest against the killing of 20 Indian Army soldiers in Ladakh's Galwan valley in the face-off with China, in Kolkata on June 18.

15 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 for patronising capitalists like Adani Depsang Plains and the Hot Springs- and Ambani. It was the same all-out Gogra area remains equally tense with attack that helped the duo sideline the build up of troops continuing.” other leaders in the Sangh Parivar such Another point of view highlighted as Sanjay Joshi, once rated on a par in these groups is that China’s design is with or even above Modi in the Sangh to dominate the strategic Darbuk- Parivar hierarchy, and Pravin DBO road leading to the Karakoram Togadiya, the former international Pass. “What is not understood is why president of the Vishwa Hindu Par- now? The DBO road has been under ishad [VHP]. Joshi, who was per- construction for the past 20 years and ceived as a bigger threat in terms of surely the Chinese must have been individual political ambitions, was ap- aware of the progress.” parently honey-trapped, and a shady Many analysts feel that the Chinese CD cropped up just before the begin- strategy is to cut off northern Ladakh ning of a BJP national executive meet- and link the Aksai Chin Highway with ing in Mumbai, thus leading to his the Karakoram Highway in POK with ouster,” the former leader said. the aim of protecting the China- TI He added: “There is a saying in the P Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Gujarat BJP that when the chips are R AHUL GANDHI, former “This makes no sense. Why should the down Modi comes back fighting with Congress president. Chinese fight their way across the 20 hands. I am of the view that Modi Karakoram mountains and the world’s and Shah realise the relevance and significance of the loss largest glaciers, including the Siachin Glacier into of face on China and COVID, especially the manner in Baltistan, against a professional army, to protect their which it has manifested on the ground. Undoubtedly, interests in POK, when they can drive down the they would do anything to claw back and make the public Karakoram Highway from Xinjiang through the Kun- mood decisively in their favour.” jerab Pass into Baltistan without firing a shot. Much However, there are no signs, at least in the early easier to launch their operations from Xinjiang stages of the new campaign, of the public mood turning Province.” in favour of the ruling dispensation. In fact, within the A sort of conclusion articulated in these groups is that larger military fraternity, which includes both serving “the Chinese will continue to move forward, step at a time and retired officers, some of the points in the BJP-Sangh till they acquire positions, ‘salami slicing’, as the analysts Parivar campaign are being taken down objectively. call it, from where they can expand their borders, when “When you are asked questions about the current face-off they do desire. If they can do this with minor clashes and and the casualties, you respond with a counter saying skirmishes they will have achieved their purpose.” that we have lost thousands of square kilometres since Clearly, the perceptions within significant segments 1962 and that the discussions have to start from there. of the Army do not resonate with the campaign points The very argument shows that you are on the defensive in that the BJP and the Sangh Parivar are seeking to ad- relation to the current situation,” a former senior Army vance under the leadership of Modi and Amit Shah. official told Frontline. Commenting on the whole sequence of events, former Lieutenant General H.S. Panag told Frontline that in S OLDIERS’ DISQUIET times like these, the national leadership should focus on This officer cited a number of points being discussed in specificities of national interest and should not function informal and closed social media platforms of the Army. in such a manner as to create ambiguity in the minds of Some of them are as follows: “Talks on the situation in the the public and the international community. “The logical Ladakh Area have made no headway. The Chinese are approach to national security must begin with a strategic not budging from their positions even as they speak of review to establish what the present and future security disengagement. The Chinese have further fortified their challenges, both internal and external, are to evolve a positions in the Galwan valley and the Pangong Tso comprehensive national security strategy. The first step areas, and satellite imagery shows not only an increase in towards it is to delink national security from domestic the number of troops but also concrete structures and politics. The onus for this is on the government. The heavy weapons at these places. In the talks at both the government must take the opposition, Parliament, the military and diplomatic levels the Chinese have asserted media and the public into confidence, and apply the their claim over the whole of the Galwan valley and are security principle of need to know. They must explain the not willing to discuss the issue. In the Pangong Tso area reality on the ground so that the nation can present a they have not only disregarded their own original claim united front.” line but have totally violated the LAC to which they had Obviously, much thought has gone into the former adhered over the years. They are now dug in well forward Lieutenant General’s words, but do people obsessed with of the positions they maintained since 1962 and almost acquiring and maintaining positions of power really the entire North Bank is with them. The situation in the care? २

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 16 C OVER STORY Information void

The COVID-19 situation seems headed for a climax, but the government is reticent about sharing information and statistics regarding the infection and the treatment protocol. BY T.K. RAJALAKSHMI

T HE GOVERNMENT AT THE CENTRE HAS rate had gone up to 58.67 per cent, that the number of consistently sought to give the impression that the recoveries had sharply overtaken the number of active COVID-19 situation is under control and that measures cases, and that testing numbers had crossed 2.3 lakh to contain the contagion have been adequate. Yet, the samples a day. The gap between “recovered” and “active” number of confirmed cases has been rising steadily cases had widened to 106,661, as of June 28. A total of across the country, and the pace of testing is hardly 3,21,722 patients had been cured, and there were slightly commensurate with the magnitude of the spread of the over two lakh active cases under “active medical supervi- virus. The “unlock phase” was expected to bring substan- sion”. There were 1,047 designated COVID-19 diagnostic tial answers and explanations from the government and laboratories, and more than 50 per cent of these were the scientific establishment on where India stood among government labs. Close to 84 lakh samples had been nations on the various parameters of this health emer- tested. It provided details of COVID-related health infra- gency. Yet, the flow of information in the public domain, structure such as the list of dedicated hospitals and the which was quite excessive in the beginning of the lock- number of isolation and intensive care unit (ICU) beds. down, reduced to a trickle in May and June, especially in This information is important and welcome, but there June when cases started to spike seriously. are also many unanswered questions regarding the tra- On June 29, a brief press release from the Ministry of jectory of the virus, on which both the government and Health and Family Welfare made a desperate attempt to scientific establishment have been tight-lipped. present an optimistic picture. It stated that the recovery The number of press briefings from the government IB P

DR VINOD K. PAUL, Member (Health), NITI Aayog (second from left), Dr Balram Bhargava, Director General, ICMR (third from left) and Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (left), at a press conference on COVID-19 preparedness and action taken, in New Delhi on June 11.

17 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 has not been quite commensurate with the steeply rising graph of confirmed cases and infections. The regular briefings that were held at the beginning of the lockdown petered out in late May. In June, the last one was held on June 11, where the results of the first phase of a serolo- gical survey, which showed that 0.73 per cent of the general population had been infected, were shared with the media. After that, only press notes were issued, a form of communication that precluded questions from the media. In the 17th meeting of the Group of Ministers on June 17, its members were informed that Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Telangana, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal contributed 85.5 per cent of the active caseload and 87 per cent of the total deaths until then. The affected States and Union Territ- ories had been asked to focus on containment measures and surveillance, use maximum testing capacity, monitor the comorbid and elderly population, predict emerging hotspots, and leverage digital tools, the GoM was told. The press note did not say whether the GoM was briefed on the number of deaths and the incidence of the infec- tion in the population. More people are being tested, which is a positive thing, though there are wide variations in the numbers among the States. The testing strategy of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) was revised to TI ramp it up following much media attention on the almost P stagnant rates of testing prevalent earlier. But testing levels, which increased mostly in June, still do not match and unmet medical need for COVID-19 disease, CDSCO T HE COMMONWEALTH GAMES V illage indoor This lack of transparency had perhaps created a situ- up with those in other countries with comparable popu- has approved Restricted Emergency Use of Remdesivir stadium in New Delhi being converted into a COVID-19 ation that made it possible for Yoga guru Ramdev’s Pa- lations and confirmed cases. That States and Union Ter- Injectable Formulations for the treatment of patients care centre, on June 30. tanjali Ayurveda Limited to claim that it had a cure for ritories have been asked to fully utilise their testing with severe COVID-19 infection and Favipiravir tablets COVID-19. On June 23, it launched a “corona cure kit” capacity means that the testing capacity of laboratories is for mild to moderate COVID-19 infection subject to drug also lack clarity on the extent of data provided by the with two medicines, “Coronil” and Swashri Vati. Ramdev still heavily underutilised. various conditions and restrictions.” The import and companies—data on stability, impurity profile, assay (an claimed that a controlled clinical study was done, that marketing of Remdesivir had been approved on June 1 investigative procedure in laboratory medicine) for the 100 people were tested and that within three days 65 per Q UESTIONS ON APPROVAL OF DRUGS itself, but it turned out that the importer was yet to products produced in India. cent of people who were found positive tested negative. There have been serious issues about sharing informa- import the drug after taking an import licence from the The AIDAN said that authorisations and experi- “Coronil” apparently had a 100 per cent recovery rate. tion in the public domain, in particular about treatment CDSCO. On June 20, the CDSCO granted permission to mental data ought to be placed in the public domain for The media were informed that the drug would be avail- protocol. On June 26, the All India Drug Action Network indigenous manufacturers for the manufacture and mar- the sake of public safety. In the case of Favipiravir, it said, able in all Patanjali stores within a week. What he did not (AIDAN), a broad coalition of civil society organisations keting of injectable formulations of the drug to ensure there was no information about studies and data submit- say was that the recovery rate in any case was close to 99 working on drug policy, wrote to the Drug Controller early access of Remdesivir for treatment of severe ted by the manufacturer for marketing approval. No trial per cent or more, considering that recent sero-surveil- General of India (DCGI) regarding the need for transpar- COVID-19 cases under the Restricted Emergency Use. data had been published, and the drug itself was under lance data had revealed the infection fatality rate to be ency in the functioning of a special Subject Expert Com- Both drugs were to be sold with prescriptions. Rem- trial in many countries and its efficacy in treating 0.08 per cent. mittee (SEC) that had been formed to evaluate desivir formulations, in particular, were to be supplied COVID-19 was not proved. News of this “breakthrough cure” spread like wildfire COVID-19 drugs, health products and their approval only to hospitals and institutions to ensure proper use. I The AIDAN emphasised the importance of clinical and was discussed endlessly on electronic and social process. The AIDAN pointed to serious gaps in informa- In both cases, informed consent of the patient or his/her evidence and said health care workers needed informa- media. As sections of the media began asking questions tion, beginning with the composition of the committee representative was mandatory. tion on the possible side effects of drugs, which was all the about the miracle cure, the Ministry of AYUSH (Ay- itself, which, it said, was shrouded in secrecy. The AIDAN letter to the DCGI pointed out that in more reason why trial data should be made public. Au- urveda, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy), the nodal The process behind the regulatory and marketing March 2020 the CDSCO had notified a regulatory path- thorisations could be granted under emergency condi- Ministry responsible for granting permission for clinical approval of COVID-19 drugs like Remdesivir and the way for approvals of COVID-19 drugs and vaccines. tions such as the one created by the COVID crisis and the trials for treatments under the AYUSH stream, issued a anti-viral Favipiravir by the Central Drugs Control While approvals were given for the two drugs concerned, waiver of trials and approvals was a possibility. But that press release stating that the claim and the scientific Standard Organisation (CDSCO) was unclear, the there was no official information regarding the basis for made it all the more imperative, the AIDAN said, that the study on which it was based were not known to the AIDAN said, as the SEC report was not in the public the accelerated approval. There was no clarity in the recommendations of the SEC should be made public. In a Ministry. Patanjali was told to “stop advertising/publi- domain. On June 22 the DCGI granted formal approval manner in which the regulatory pathway was being im- situation where emergency or experimental treatments cising such claims till the issue was duly examined”. for Favipiravir to Glemnark Pharmaceuticals and for plemented. It was unclear whether Gilead, the manufac- are administered to patients, they and their families have The Uttarakhand government’s licensing authority Remdesivir injection to Cipla Ltd and Hetero Drugs. turer of Remdesivir, had submitted trial data or whether a right to know what kind of drugs are being admin- was requested to provide “copies of the licence” and Though the approval for the latter had been given on that data were submitted in peer-reviewed journals and istered. The organisation expressed regret that at a time “product approval details” of the Ayurvedic medicines June 19, it was notified on June 22. whether the SEC had examined independent trials. The when greater transparency was needed, the CDSCO had being claimed as COVID cures. A representative of the The DCGI notice said: “Considering the emergency approvals to two other companies to manufacture the become more opaque. licensing authority told the news agency ANI that it had

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 18 19 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 issued Patanjali a licence for only immunity boosters. In was clear that nobody in the scientific establishment addition, the licence officer of the State Ayurveda De- dared to say anything to the contrary. The AYUSH Min- partment told ANI that a notice would be issued to istry had to speak out as the claim by Patanjali would Patanjali demanding details about the identity of the have definitely caused embarrassment to the government agency that had authorised it to manufacture a COVID in the global scientific community, more so as India itself kit. was working on finding a vaccine. The Ministry denied knowing anything about the “facts and claims pertaining to a certain scientific study V ULNERABILITY OF HEALTH WORKERS by the Haridwar based Patanjali Ayurveda Limited” and There is lack of transparency at other levels, too, espe- asked Patanjali to furnish the details of the name and cially with respect to information on the vulnerability of composition of the medicines being claimed for COVID health workers and health professionals. On June 28, a treatment, the sites or hospitals where the research study consultant anaesthesiologist at the prestigious Lok was conducted, protocols, sample size, institutional eth- Nayak Jai Prakash Narain Hospital in New Delhi, a ics committee clearance, registration with the Clinical COVID hospital now, succumbed to the virus. He was Trials Registry of India (CTRI) and results of the data working in the hospital’s ICU. The concerns of health and studies conducted. workers do not seem to have been addressed adequately, Interestingly, Patanjali had tried to conduct trials in notwithstanding the use of the fanciful title of “corona Indore claiming that the District Magistrate had given it warriors” by the government. There is so far no central- permission. When health activists objected saying the ised data base on the number of infected health workers Collector did not have the authority to give permission, or the number of health workers who died treating the Collector himself issued a statement clarifying that he coronavirus patients. Media queries in this regard were had given no such permission. The company then tied up generally ignored. with the National Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), Private agencies have stepped up to fill the informa- a private medical college in Jaipur. But soon enough, the tion void. Three Bengaluru-based independent research- chairman of NIMS dissociated the institute from all such ers, Savithri Devi, Subha Sri and Shrinidhi Datar, claims of a cure. conducted an online survey of around 392 health work- He told a section of the media that no clinical trials ers in May to investigate the availability of personal were held of the kind claimed and that only some symp- protective equipment (PPE). They interviewed doctors, tomatic patients were given medicines sponsored by Pa- nurses, community health workers, post-graduate resid- tanjali. He also said that permission from the CTRI had ents and interns in public sector facilities spread across been taken for doing tests with Ayruvedic medicines to 26 States and 150 districts. The findings revealed that check their effectiveness as immunity boosters and not “most components of PPE were either inadequately for a cure. The Rajasthan Health Department, caught available or not available at all in most health care unawares, announced that the drug would not be allowed settings”. to be sold in the State. More than 50 per cent of the respondents surveyed The issue at hand was that no government, Centre or were from badly affected States such as Maharashtra, State, seemed to be in the know of what was happening, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh. The researchers even as spurious claims, like the one made by Patanjali, found that more than one third of those in the outpatient were floating around. With the Prime Minister himself departments of public hospitals did not have N-95 constantly acting as a brand ambassador of Ayurveda, it masks; one in five working in operation theatres and less than one-third in labour rooms had face shields; 27 per cent of the respondents who worked in wards and four out of eight in ICU settings had N-95 masks. One in five working in red zone districts said they did not have N-95 masks. Only a quarter of community health workers doing contact tracing and door-to-door surveillance had masks and less than one third had gloves. The survey found that 14 per cent of health care workers, including those in red zone districts, purchased their own PPEs and one-third of all respondents reported that they reused PPEs. But 88 per cent did not have adequate knowledge of the PPE recommended for their work settings. The respondents complained of discom- fort wearing the PPE in hot conditions, of discrimination in the distribution of PPEs, and so on. Frontline ANVENDER VASHIST/PTI ANVENDER spoke to Accredited Social Health Activists M (ASHAs) and other National Health Mission staff in IN THE KAROL BAGH neighbourhood of New Delhi, Haryana, who said that there were acute shortages of identified as a COVID-19 containment zone, on June 29. PPEs and sanitisers. २

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 20 C OVER STORY ‘Migrants should not be seen as an input’ Interview with R.B. Bhagat, professor, International Institute for Population Studies, Mumbai. BY ANUPAMA KATAKAM

R.B. BHAGAT is professor and head of the Depart- ment of Migration and Urban Studies at the Interna- tional Institute for Population Studies in Mumbai. An adviser on migration policy issues, he has written several papers on urban inclusion and on the concept of rights to the city. “A rights-based approach to city development would usher in a new era of freedom and human develop- ment; it must begin in the city and must begin with migrants,” he says. An academic who has his ear to the ground in the melting pot that is Mumbai, Bhagat spoke to Frontline on the migration crisis that emerged from the lockdown. Excerpts from the interview:

The exodus of migrant workers from cities and industrial and agricultural zones when the lockdown was announced continues to be a massive humanitarian crisis. You have been quoted as saying that this crisis has brought the migrant issue to the government’s Y SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT ARRANGEMENT SPECIAL Y doorstep. Why did it reach this tragic point? B The fundamental problem is that in all our policies and programmes, the word migrant is never used. Except The next two months will see a lot of instability. Big cities in MGNREGA [Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Em- have already begun to feel the shortage of labour in every ployment Guarantee Act], but even there it is used to say sphere. We predict that about 20 per cent of the migrant the programme is to reduce rural to urban migration. population, such as roadside vendors and daily wage work- Whether it is labour legislation, social security policy or ers, will not come back. The self-employed and those who unorganised labour programmes, even the Building and have contacts in industry and construction will return soon. Other Construction Workers Act under which we have Out of Mumbai’s 20 million population, 42 per cent are social welfare boards functioning in different States, migrants. We have estimated that about 1.2 million people nowhere does the word migrant appear. have gone back. Mumbai will certainly be affected, but in the Our policies and programmes need to explicitly re- course of time the city will rejuvenate and innovations and cognise that migrant workers exist in this country. In the technological advancements will replace the requirement of name of poverty, we cannot assume to cover the migrant. labour. The question is whether it is good for the country, for Poverty is multidimensional. reducing poverty and for inclusiveness. The economic loss is temporary, but the loss to the people, I think, is permanent. In spite of the uncertainty all around, the economy must restart. Obviously, labour is needed for this. How do You have written extensively on migrants’ rights to the States and cities that rely on migrant labour move city. In several papers you speak about inclusion and forward? After all, there is the very real threat of integration being crucial for a city to develop. Could you lockdowns happening again, and that would leave expand on this? workers stranded once again. Urban inclusion for migrant workers is very import-

21 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 ant for urban sustainability. Without inclusive urbanisa- tion, I don’t think India can progress. Rights to the city means everyone must have rights to urban amenities such as education, health and employment. Rights to the city can also be realised through planned urbanisation of rural areas. The city should go to the people. Not people coming to the city. Geographical development with sustainable and inclusive urbanisation is the broader theoretical un- derpinning. Secondly, who are those who make the city? Why are they excluded? Their wages are minimal, they are de- prived and even condemned sometimes for the problems of the city. Inclusion is a right to the city. Rights to the city means we should not neglect where people live and work. In development policy, the spatial aspect should not be neglected. Social science academies and economists are largely responsible for this happening.

You say the rights-to-the-city approach is a critique of the development process. Could you explain? In policy debates we condemn urbanisation. We say cities are the problem. Villages are good. But the city shows growth, innovation, creativity, and creates wealth. Why can’t this come to the rural areas? AFIQ MAQBOOL/AP AFIQ The rights-to-the-city approach will create balanced R regional development where urbanisation has a critical role. We need to be able to do both: make cities inclusive health. It has to be an aerial approach and not the “adopt MIGRANT w orkers outside a railway station hoping to return to their home States, in Mumbai on May 27. and take the benefits of urbanisation to the rural areas. a village” plan that politicians seem to do. This will be a way of addressing migration. A city’s development agenda should seek to include irrelevant. During the pandemic we saw how they be- We have a rural safety net. What about the concept of an and integrate migrants politically, economically, socially, came non-citizens in their own country. Did they belong ‘ AERIAL APPROACH’ TO RURAL DEVELOPMENT urban safety net? Had there been a mechanism such as culturally and spatially. We need to raise the question: to the State of origin or destination? No one took re- this we may not have seen this kind of humanitarian who owns the city? sponsibility. Even in the Rs.20 lakh crore economic pack- The exodus of migrants will put pressure on the rural crisis. The city, in this case Mumbai, needs to be liberated age, where did migrants feature? economy. MGNREGA is a rural safety net, but will it be In Mumbai there is a concept of labour nakas, where from the State government. The Central and State gov- The Railways could have said it would take the care of adequate? workers come to a particular spot in the mornings to pick ernments feel they own the city, but the city’s people the fares, but there was so much contention on what is There will be a lot of pressure on the rural economy. up daily wage jobs offered by contractors. should own the city. In this pandemic crisis have we seen really such a small amount in the larger scheme of things. Because there was no employment they came here. The An urban MGNREGA format would work well in the Mayor or corporators get involved? This was an example of their insensitivity. whole strategy of rural development has to change. When smaller cities. Of course, big cities require more labour We cannot have inclusive cities without decentral- Migrants should not be understood as an input or just they say vocal on local, how does one implement that if a and they pay much more than the Rs.202 a day isation. Moreover, we need to understand the differ- labour, they should be understood as human beings and cohesive infrastructure is not in place? MGNREGA wage. But workers struggle with housing, ence between planning and projects. Mumbai has citizens of this country. The government says MSMEs [micro, small & me- poor access to health care and cannot bring their children abundant projects, but we need planning. Projects are dium enterprises] will create jobs. Yet most MSMEs are for education to the city because of the cost. Social sup- related to capital accumulation not for the people. We How do we prevent another migration crisis? in urban areas. MSMEs will not go to Bihar and Uttar port is more important in a big city. have marketed the city as a commodity. Unless it is I will reiterate that the responsibility of migrants is on Pradesh, where a large chunk of migrants come from, If we want migrants to be respectable citizens of this about its people it will not progress. Profit and eco- the government. We have a GST [goods and services tax] because the infrastructure is not there. It is unlikely that country, we need to focus on housing. Urban inclusion nomic growth can be initiated from the bottom as Council. Why can’t we have an inter-State migrant coun- anything can happen now as there has been no long-term should mean developing public housing. We have afford- well. cil? Workers/migrants must be specifically recognised in rural development. And it is unlikely that MGNREGA able and low-cost housing but not public housing. This is every policy and decision on labour. In fact, they should can handle the current crisis. It is a bleak situation. the government’s responsibility. The private sector will M IGRANTS AND VOTE BANK be protected under a special programme. The pandemic With regard to the rural economy, the few funda- never cater to these needs. can spread inequalities as we have seen. mental changes should be for infrastructure develop- It does not have to be ownership but certainly the It took a pandemic for the country to understand the I believe local governance, and not the Central or ment to involve the local agro industry; and the concept concept of cheaper and short-term rents. Why should value of millions of invisible, marginalised people. Your State governments, should play a larger role. For in- of PURA (providing urban amenities to rural areas) envi- those who have built a city live on pavements, under comments. stance, corporators would know who the migrants in sioned by Abdul Kalam to be kick-started. flyovers, in slums? Many of these concepts have been around since the their wards are and related issues. Additionally, the government’s approach of being a 1960s and 1970s. Sadly, political dispensations led to Unfortunately, municipals corporations are not em- beneficiary to a village or household has to move to the Urban inclusion is a strong theme in your work. Could this. Migrants are not a vote bank. These issues are not powered enough by the Constitution. They [the corpor- development of village clusters, with one town being the you share your observations specifically on Mumbai, vote-catching. When identity politics come into the pic- ators] could have and still can play a larger role for nucleus for all facilities such as markets, education and which is historically a migrants’ city? ture then strategies such as addressing migrant issues are migrants’ welfare. २

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 22 23 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 C OVER STORY FTAs & the race to the bottom

The NDA government may well use the new environment provided by the pandemic and the accompanying economic crisis to accelerate negotiations with the E.U. and arrive at a free trade deal as some of India’s Asian trade competitors have done. BY C.P. CHANDRASEKHAR

THE COMPETITION AMONG ASIAN COUNT- for foreign investors competing for international mar- ries to win a slice of the export markets China currently kets. Foreign investment in Vietnam was already at a controls is intensifying. In a recent development, Viet- record high of $38 billion in 2019. The FTA with the E.U. nam finally ratified a free trade agreement (FTA) with the is expected to further increase foreign investment geared European Union, under which more than 70 per cent of to linking Vietnam to global production chains. Vietnam’s exports to the E.U. and 65 per cent of the E.U.’s Vietnam has on its part had to accept a range of exports to Vietnam will be rendered duty free as of Au- demands from the E.U. as part of the trade deal. Besides gust when the agreement takes effect. Of the remaining opening up its services sectors, such as banking and goods, tariffs on items that would add up to 99 per cent of shipping, Vietnam has ratified an investment treaty that the two-way trade will be phased out by the E.U. over protects intellectual property rights, geographical indic- seven years and by Vietnam over 10 years. ations (champagne and feta cheese, for example) and Coming at a time when the moves against China’s investor interests and promises equal treatment to E.U. alleged big power ambitions have triggered the imposi- firms in public procurement in Vietnam. Many of these tion of tariffs and non-tariff barriers across the globe on are World Trade Organisation-plus measures that go imports from that country, the E.U.-Vietnam FTA is seen as likely to help Vietnam displace China in some sections of the European market. The only other Asian countries that have similar FTAs with the E.U. are Japan and Singapore. But they do not compete with Vietnam in areas such apparel, footwear and seafood, which are its leading exports. Although not huge, at $42 billion in 2019, Vietnam’s exports to the E.U. amount to around 15 per cent of its total exports and far exceed its imports from the E.U. ($15 billion). That benefit will only grow as a result of the FTA, with official Vietnamese estimates projecting that exports will be higher by more than 40 per cent in 2025 compared with a scenario without an agreement. Moreover, foreign investors in China are looking for an alternative site to locate production capacities, given rising costs in that country and pressure on firms from developed country governments, especially the United AU DINH/AP AU States government, to disengage from China. The prefer- H ential access that Vietnam’s exports would receive in the A WORKER a t a factory in Nam Dinh province, Vietnam, E.U. and the market-friendly environment created after where sports apparel is manufactured, a file photograph. economic reforms privileged growth above social object- Apparel, footwear and seafood are Vietnam’s leading ives make that country an increasingly attractive location exports.

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 24 beyond even the controversial requirements set by the ment, whose inclinations are to sign bilateral trade and Uruguay Round agreements. investment treaties, has faced difficulties in pushing this Given the level of Vietnam’s development and the agenda because of criticism from within its own political government’s economic growth aspirations, officials base, besides from the opposition. Moreover, the evid- clearly see these as a small cost to pay compared with the ence is that India has been adversely impacted by the expected gains. But for developing countries as a group, FTAs it has signed with the Association of Southeast trade is currently a zero-sum game. Coming at a time Asian Nations (ASEAN), Japan and Korea. India’s trade when world trade has contracted, the projected expan- deficit with ASEAN rose from $5 billion in 2010-11 to sion of Vietnamese exports to the E.U. after the FTA, if it $22 billion in 2018-19, that with Japan from $3.5 billion materialises, will adversely affect other countries. This is to $8 billion, and that with Korea from around $7 billion strengthening the hands of sections within other devel- to $12 billion. oping countries, including in Asia, who want their gov- ernments to sign similar FTAs and bilateral investment R CEP FIASCO treaties, which would involve making significant conces- The pressure this put on the National Democratic Alli- sions in areas that would undermine their own efforts to ance (NDA) government became clear when it withdrew industrialise without excessive dependence on and sub- at the last moment from the Regional Comprehensive ordination to foreign capital. Economic Partnership (RCEP) involving 16 Asia-Pacific India is a typical case where such pressures are partners after having more or less committed to joining visible. Exports in four areas are expected to be affected it. Besides small producers and peasants who would have adversely: footwear, garments, marine products and been adversely affected by the regional liberalisation, furniture. In the case of marine products and apparel, business too was opposed to the agreement. Industry India and Vietnam currently export goods of similar leaders in sectors such as iron and steel, dairy, marine value ($1 billion and $7 billion). India is reported to products, electronic products, chemicals and pharma- have exported $900 million worth of seafood to the ceuticals and textiles expressed concerns that the signi- E.U. in 2018-19 and is its third largest foreign supplier ficant tariff reduction the RCEP implied would lead to a after the U.S. and Japan. But while imposts on imports surge in imports into India, with damaging effects on from Vietnam will fall to zero, those on imports from domestic production. India will remain at 9 per cent in the case of apparel All this, however, was clear well before the govern- and in the 4 to 18.5 per cent range in the case of marine ment and official negotiators sent out signals that India products, which would make it extremely difficult for would finally join the agreement, with a few minor modi- India to compete with Vietnam. Ajay Sahai, from the fications. The only reasonable explanation for that stance Federation of Indian Export Organisations, is quoted is that the government was being led by its unthinking in BusinessLine as saying: “In footwear, where Viet- adherence to and fascination with a neoliberal agenda nam exports $7.5 billion worth of items compared to that gives a “liberal” veneer to its deeply conservative India’s $1.6 billion, the advantage will be enhanced social and political positions. This paves the way for once E.U. reduced tariffs for Vietnam to zero from 8 continuous trade and foreign investment liberalisation, per cent. Similarly, in furniture, where India had star- which is easier done as part of a multilateral agreement ted making inroads into the E.U. with imports of over rather than as stand-alone national policy because a $900 million, Vietnam’s share of $1.5 billion is likely to multi-country arrangement appears to be one in which increase several-fold when the import duty of 6 per sacrifices are made in some areas for gains in others. cent is eliminated.” Exporters argue that the only way Perhaps, the NDA government hoped that, despite ap- this issue can be resolved is by speedily concluding the prehensions at home, it could find a place in the RCEP by negotiations on an E.U.-India FTA, which began in persuading its partners to limit the ambition of the agree- 2007, were halted in 2013 and revived only in 2018. ment. Finally, that strategy did not work. Disagreement between the two sides persists on a Some of India’s Asian trade competitors signing host of issues, besides the incorporation of social and FTAs with the E.U. provides the NDA government an- environmental clauses in a trade agreement. Important other opportunity to push its trade liberalisation agenda among these are India’s reluctance to accept strong in- since the intensified competition ramps up business sup- vestor protection provisions, including clauses for in- port for an E.U.-India FTA. This occurs at a time when vestor-state dispute settlement abroad, which India has the government, faced with a pandemic and the accom- sought to drop even from bilateral investment treaties. panying economic crisis, has decided to implement a There are also disagreements, reportedly, on rules that slew of pro-business reforms of labour laws, agricultural would apply to drug patents, tariffs on second-hand cars, trade rules, mining laws and much else. It may well use agriculture, services, and the list of sensitive items that the new environment to accelerate negotiations with the would be provided special protection. The majority view E.U. and arrive at a free trade deal. But that depends on is that the E.U.’s template for these FTAs requires con- how it will manoeuvre past its own constituencies that cessions from India that are detrimental to India’s may oppose the deal, especially since enhancing do- development. mestic production and making India “self-reliant” seems The avowedly “reformist” Narendra Modi govern- to be the rhetoric it has recently adopted. २

25 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 C OVER STORY Time to revitalise the public sector It is surprising that the government does not envisage a major role for ital-intensive manufacturing of electrical and non-elec- trical machinery; the production of metals, chemicals public sector enterprises in its post-COVID-19 strategy for development, and fertilizers, ships and aircraft, rail engines and heavy machinery; and public services covering power, coal, oil, and plans to disinvest in them, although PSEs have clearly outperformed gas, railways, aviation, telecom, defence, electronics and the private sector in micro efficiency. BY DINESH ABROL AND THOMAS FRANCO pharmaceuticals. These enterprises have contributed to import substitution and absorption of foreign technology and promoted export of manufactured goods and engin- TH E INDIAN PEOPLE NEED THE PUBLIC eering and design services. sector. The COVID-19 period has proved this beyond The policy of total privatisation of PSEs, ignoring their doubt. The Narendra Modi government is determined to current and future roles in indigenous technology develop- privatise the public sector1. The latest decision, an- ment, public health, environmental protection and social nounced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on welfare and without any certainty about the proceeds the May 17, makes it clear that the government will privatise Central government will be able to collect in a turbulent all Central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) in non- economic environment, is dangerous. It does not make sense strategic sectors. While in the strategic sector there will to privatise all PSEs: with the neoliberal cadre of bureaucrats be only up to a maximum of four PSEs, the private sector and hired foreign consultants advising the government on also will be allowed entry into it. PSEs in defence will be what is strategic, it will be nothing but hara-kiri. privatised. Participation of private investment has been The mystery is that all this is happening even when allowed in space-related activities, including planetary the financial performance of PSEs in manufacturing and exploratory missions. Thus, what is strategic is not clear. non-financial services is proving superior to private sec- A policy on the public sector would be announced soon, tor firms in terms of taxes and profits, that is, return on said the Finance Minister. The danger of privatisation capital3. When the public sector is outperforming the

hangs over the head of the entire manufacturing sector GANESAN . private sector in terms of “micro efficiency”, and has a and all public services. V larger surplus to invest in technical progress and manu- The paradox is that the announcement of this mega T HE ALL-WOMEN t eam engaged in manufacturing the facturing, it is a paradox that the state is unable to privatisation drive has been made under the Atma side wall of a coach at the Integral Coach Factory in envisage a major role for PSEs in India’s post-COVID Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (ABA) package which is sup- Chennai. strategy for the development of manufacturing and pub- posed to achieve reduction in import dependence and lic services. Figure 1 provides a comparison with the creation of a self-reliant India. The Central government sector being subjected to destructive competition from private sector on the parameter of return on capital, an has a budget target of Rs.2.10 lakh crore from disinvest- foreign investors poses a major threat to the country’s indicator utilised for the assessment of “micro efficiency” ment in the current fiscal, of which Rs.1.20 lakh crore is economic sovereignty, technological autonomy, national of enterprises. See also Table 1 for details of the continu- expected to come from CPSE disinvestment2. security and political stability. ous improvement in the performance of CPSEs in respect The ABA foreign direct investment reforms are fo- of all the key parameters. S TRATEGIC AND NON-STRATEGIC cussed on allowing 100 per cent FDI in telecom, automo- In the 1990s, the focus was mostly on greenfield It is baffling that the resolve to privatise the public sector biles, chemicals, textiles, airlines, plantation, mining, privatisation. The economic reforms initiated in that was announced as part of ABA packages and the Budget petroleum and natural gas, defence manufacturing, period included measures favouring significant private Statement of 2020-21. Strategically, PSEs were to make broadcasting, civil aviation, agriculture and animal hus- sector entry, creation of independent regulatory author- sector enterprises4. In no case was disinvestment more India self-reliant, technologically as well as in product bandry, railway infrastructure, industrial parks, cash and ities, disaggregation of supporting government infra- than 20 per cent of the total equity. markets, and promote import substitution. Strategic sec- carry wholesale, e-commerce, and pharmaceuticals; 74 structure from state-owned enterprises with which the In some areas, privatisation also got withdrawn or tor means arms and ammunition and allied items of per cent FDI in private sector banking; and 49 per cent private sector would be competing (for example, the stopped before completion. In 2005, the government defence equipment, defence aircraft and warships, FDI in insurance. They invite FDI even in retail trade. separation of the government-owned airline from gov- scaled back its privatisation programme, scrapping plans atomic energy (except in areas relating to the operation of This time privatisation will engulf a large number of ernment-owned airports) and liberalisation of pricing to sell strategic stakes in 13 state-owned companies, nuclear power and applications of radiation and radio technology- and talent-intensive sectors such as the In- regimes. Performance contracts—memoranda of under- including the major power equipment manufacturer isotopes in agriculture, medicine and non-strategic in- dian Railways, Air India, oil and gas companies such as standing (MoUs)—sought marketisation and improve- Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, the mining firm Na- dustries) and railway transport. All other CPSEs will be Bharat Petroleum, Steel Authority of India Limited ment of performance through the signing of an tional Aluminum Company, and PSEs dealing with con- considered non-strategic. Some CPSEs being arbitrarily (SAIL), Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), and North agreement between a PSE and its administrative min- struction, shipping and fertilizer manufacturing. In some classified non-strategic and others being classified stra- Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO). Under istry in order to facilitate autonomy in exchange for cases, certain projects were withdrawn because of eco- tegic goes against the logic of the ABA. The entire public the hammer of privatisation are CPSEs engaged in cap- greater accountability in the administration of public nomic issues such as high transaction costs or the lack of

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 26 27 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 interest by private entities. A significant role was played an administrator and a fund-raiser to facilitate industrial in this by coalition governments backed by communist clusters. Creating public infrastructure is a one-sided parties, trade unions, and local communities. strategy meant to reduce the cost burden of the private investor. This strategy cannot lead to innovative clusters. R EDUCTION IN GOVERNMENT COMMITMENT Industry corridors, special economic zones (SEZs), district However, the government reduced the level of support to industry centres (DICs), software parks, biotech parks, PSEs. It did not prioritise the contribution of the public incubation centres and many more such schemes are ex- sector to self-reliance, that is, encouragement to the units amples of government investment for the private sector but to contribute to import substitution and indigenous tech- they are failing to get the private sector to make in India. nology development in a big way5. A conventional pro- The government does not want to strengthen the market reform belief is that PSEs reduce economic existing public sector drug units. It has started the pro- growth because they are inefficient at the micro level or cess of privatising four out of five units. The proposed they absorb scarce resources that can be used more effi- production-linked incentive scheme meant to reduce im- ciently by private enterprises. This understanding is port dependence on China does not even aim to promote flawed because technical progress plays a central role in indigenous technology under development in the Coun- economic growth. cil of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) system of Privatisation has helped large corporates. By handing laboratories for deployment in domestic manufacture of over Indian Petrochemicals to Reliance, Ambani was made import-dependent bulk drugs/drug intermediates/key a monopoly in petrochemicals. The Tatas recovered their starting materials. During the COVID-19 period, another total investment cost in Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited by major scheme announced by the Department of Pharma- selling a few properties in Mumbai alone, and now Tata ceuticals, to set up bulk drug parks in the name of Telecommunication is defunct. Is this efficiency? In Gu- strengthening domestic production of active pharma- jarat, Adani, Ambani and the Tatas are subsidised: in most ceutical ingredients (APIs), is again about only providing of their projects the government provided viability gap fund common facilities and financial assistance. (VGF) free. It is hard to miss the changes taking place in The puzzling part is that a similar approach was tried China’s energy landscape. In 2019, China produced 40 per in Baddi in Himachal Pradesh and Visakhapatnam in cent of all the wind turbines in the world. It made three- Andhra Pradesh but did not lead to technologically and quarters of the world’s solar panels. Nearly half of the structurally competitive API production. It is a matter of electric vehicles on the planet today, and half the hydrogen- serious concern that the NITI Aayog has ignored the fuelled vehicles, are owned by the Chinese. recommendations of the feasibility study report of the The conditions for higher potential profitability to Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council of India transform into sustainable and rapid economic growth (Pharmaexcil) on the development of competitive API include sufficient demand, commitment to technical production. The Baddi Bulk Drug Park in Himachal progress, and environmental protection. COVID-19 has Pradesh, announced by Anurag Thakur, Union Minister taught policy-makers to value public health and labour of State for Finance, is not suitable for API production welfare. There is evidence to show that public sector from the basic stage and was not recommended by the enterprises create economy-wide positive externalities Pharmaexcil report. that promote economic growth and sustainable develop- The short-sighted approach to decisions in respect of ment. Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), in the future role of the public sector is evident from this which the government invested just Rs.105 crore, inves- announcement. Bulk drug parks have a strategic role in ted Rs.21,40,106 crore last year alone in government the revival of technologically self-reliant manufacturing. projects. LIC is the only company in the world that gives The decision to privatise public sector drug units casts a 95 per cent of its profits to policy holders as dividend. serious doubt on the political commitment of the Central Still, the government wants to list and privatise it, which government. The revival of Kerala State Drugs and Phar- amounts to a crime. Public sector enterprises are the maceutical Limited (KSDP) and the contribution it has institutional basis of the Kaldor-Verdoorn effect and its made to the tackling of COVID-19 in Kerala indicate the link with productivity growth. potential of the public sector when the political leader- ship is committed and willing to do the needful in respect P UBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE of policy-making and enterprise building. Cluster development is a priority area for industrial It is the strategy of keeping the government out of policy. The public sector has acted and still can act as a business after 1991 that prevented the country from indi- facilitator of technology diffusion. The breadth and genously developing the capability to invest in produc- depth of the contribution of PSEs to the development and tion, innovation and diffusion of indigenous technology. diffusion of technology and industry in Bengaluru, Chen- The government needs to learn from the failures of the nai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune “Make in India” programme. FDI and domestic private and many other cities are incomparable. In the neoliberal investment have not flowed into manufacturing. The paradigm, the government is typically portrayed as hav- bulk of the collaboration agreements signed by the public ing a rather limited role. The government is often restricted sector have been for technical collaboration. More than to the tasks, competences, and qualifications of a regulator, four-fifths of the agreements related to the manufactur-

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 28 would also be able to monetise its investment in CPSEs. Among the units that will go under the hammer include: Project & Development India Ltd, Hindustan Prefab Limited (HPL), Engineering Project (India) Ltd, Bridge and Roof Co. India Ltd., Pawan Hans Ltd., Hindustan Newsprint Ltd (subsidiary), Scooters India Limited, Bharat Pumps & Compressors Ltd, Hindustan Fluoro- carbon Ltd. (HFL) (sub.),Central Electronics Ltd, Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. (BEML), Ferro Scrap Nigam Ltd. (sub.), Cement Corporation of India Ltd (CCI), Nagamar Steel Plant of NMDC and Alloy Steel Plant, Durgapur of ing sector. A sizeable amount was purchased by the SAIL. In disposing of five entities —HPCL, REC, NPCC, public sector through lump sum payments. The per- HSCC and DCIL —in last two years, the government did petual outflow on account of royalty payments was low. not make profitability a criterion. Complementarity between R&D and technology import, 2. Disinvestment of government stakes in companies higher average propensity to adapt key technologies, and has become a major source of non-tax revenue in recent emergence as a supplier of technology to other firms are years, with collections of Rs 1 lakh crore in FY18, the indicators of technology competence developed Rs.85,000 crore in FY19 and Rs.50,300 crore in FY20. through investment in technology absorption and assim- With market conditions not being conducive, the Centre ilation. There are also many examples of horizontal might nearly halve the disinvestment revenue target of transfer of technology from the PSEs. The CPSEs active Rs 2.1 lakh crore for FY21. Among the strategic deals, the in heavy engineering sectors, petroleum, oil exploration, Centre is banking on the sale of its entire 53.3 per cent telecom, and chemicals and pharmaceuticals have made stake in oil retailer-cum-marketer BPCL to raise significant contributions to the development of the coun- Rs.70,000-80,000 crore. The Department of Invest- try’s industrial base. But they have not been given due ment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) has re- credit for the helping hand they extended6. The public cently extended the deadline for expression of interest in sector can be the deliverer in manufacturing: its sur- the stake from potential buyers until July 31. pluses and capacities alone can help India become self- 3. See Sushil Khanna (2015), The Transformation of reliant. India’s Public Sector, January 31, 2015, Vol. 1, No. 5, Telecom, electricity, railways, oil and gas, space tech- Economic & Political Weekly for how in manufacturing nology, pharmaceuticals, new technologies, insurance, CPSEs are able to provide better return on capital em- banking and so on are most crucial for a self-reliant ployed than either private sector as a whole or any seg- India6. These can be made a success only by the public ment of private sector, like business group-controlled sector. In Atmanirbhar, 80 per cent of the package an- firms, independent private Indian firms or foreign- nounced is for the banking sector, the public sector owned private firms (Sushil Khanna, 2015). In services, banks. But the government wants to reduce their number public sector enterprises were largely profitable, provid- from the present 12 (it was 20 before March 20) to four ing a lower return than private investment in most of the and privatise the rest, which will destroy the economy. It period with performance improving in 2000-2005, but is time for a relook and for concentrating on reconstruct- plunging into losses after 2009. ing the economy to benefit the majority of people through 4. Between 1990-1993, approximately 120 PSEs public enterprises and services instead of playing bene- signed or were identified to sign MoUs. factor to a few corporates. २ 5. For instance, until 1991, PSEs enjoyed a 10 per cent Dinesh Abrol is co-convener, Peoples’ First Campaign, price preference over their private competitors in govern- and former Chief Scientist, CSIR-NISTADS. Thomas ment procurement. This was phased out in the period Franco is convener, Peoples’ First Campaign, and former 1992 to 1995. The share of budgetary support in the plan general secretary, AIBOC. investment of PSEs has also come down from 23.5 per Footnotes cent in 1991-1992 to 18.6 per cent in 1992-1993. Non- 1. The Finance Ministry informed Parliament on July etheless, despite the adoption of parallelisation reforms, 22, 2019 that in 2018-19, the proceeds from disinvest- the government still does not follow a hard budget policy. ment were Rs. 84,972 crore. Strategic disinvestment has Loss-making PSEs are still subsidised and they rely heav- been guided by the basic economic principle that the ily on borrowing from state-owned banks. For instance, government should not be in the business to engage itself despite reforms in the banking sector, the State Bank of in manufacturing/producing goods and services in sec- India was recently forced to bail out a textile mill and a tors where competitive markets have come of age, and manufacturer of railway carriages. economic potential of such entities may be better dis- 6. Indian policy-makers need to treat the examples of covered in the hands of the strategic investors owing to horizontal transfer of technology from BHEL, BEL, various factors, e.g. infusion of capital, technology up- IDPL, HAL, HMT, IPCL, ONGC, DOT and many other gradation, and efficient management practices. such public enterprises as an important parameter for The Finance Ministry added that the government the assessment of the contribution of CPSEs.

29 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 C OVER STORY Targeting mosques Attacks on mosques, which began during the violence in North East Delhi in late February, have continued even during the lockdown. BY ZIYA US SALAM

A LITTLE OVER 18 YEARS AGO, HUNDREDS OF the front portion of the building to prevent further viol- Islamic monuments and Muslim places of worship were ence. Prayer services continued. targeted in Gujarat as part of the organised violence in A repeat attack took place on June 14, with Hindutva February-March 2002. While much of the Indian media vigilante groups allegedly throwing stones at the mosque confined itself to reports of the destruction of the nearly in the wee hours. No one was injured as the only person 300-year-old shrine of Vali Gujrati, The Guardian did present on the premises was the imam, who immediately not hold its punches as it reported: “Two hundred and alerted local residents. A police complaint was filed when thirty unique Islamic monuments, including an exquisite it was discovered that this time the attackers did not use 400-year-old mosque, were destroyed or vandalised dur- the front portion of the mosque where the CCTV was ing the recent anti-Muslim riots in the Indian State of installed, and instead threw stones from across the road Gujarat, according to a local survey. Experts say the running parallel to the mosque, causing minor damage to damage is so extensive that it rivals the better publicised the building. destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan or The media in Delhi underplayed the attack, just as local the wrecking of Tibet’s monasteries by the Red Guards. media had downplayed attacks on mosques in Gujarat in Several monuments have been reduced to rubble in the 2002. A few days later, the Jama Masjid Bijaswan in South course of the riot, in which 2,000 people, mainly West Delhi was targeted. This mosque had been attacked in Muslims, have died. In other disturbances, Hindu gangs 2018, too, and an attempt was made to put curbs on have smashed delicate mosque screens, thrown bricks at Persian inscriptions, and set fire to old Korans.” In 2020, the Gujarat model is sought to be replicated in India’s capital. The attacks on the Muslim places of worship have not stopped during the lockdown. A mosque in Dwarka was repeatedly attacked. Another in Bijaswan met the same fate. A little earlier, a mosque in Alipur had been attacked. These assaults came on the heels of the February violence in North East Delhi in which 19 mosques and dargahs were either burned down or defiled. Twenty-four such attacks have taken place on Delhi’s Muslim houses of worship this year, spreading fear among the minority community. Some of them are too afraid to even register a formal complaint with the police, preferring to settle for negotiations under duress with the vandals. Take, for instance, the Dwarka mosque, located near Shahjahanabad Apartments in Sector 11, which has been repeatedly targeted. When miscreants attacked the mosque in February, the police defused the situation and brought about an amicable solution with local Hindu residents expressing regret. In fact, many members of the

majority community went out of their way to instil con- SAXENA ANDEEP fidence among Muslims by leaving messages of com- S munal amity at the mosque’s gateway. The mosque P EOPLE ARRIVING f or Friday prayers under police vigil authorities installed a CCTV (closed-circuit television) in at a mosque in North East Delhi on February 28.

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 30 prayers. Back then, the Delhi Minorities Commission had during the lockdown (mosques were closed during the intervened. Its Chairman, Dr Zafarul Islam Khan, said: first three phases of the lockdown), others were told to “It is an old issue. Back in 2018 we sent a notice. Then discard them for good. Even local policemen in some under local and police pressure peace was arrived at, but cases apparently took a role in thwarting the use of it was detrimental to the community.” In October 2018, loudspeakers. The minorities panel intervened and in- the commission took suo motu cognisance of the incid- sisted that the azaan was necessary to alert people about ent. The minorities panel wrote to the Deputy Commis- prayer timings during the lockdown. Yet again, police sioner of Police, South West Delhi, urging him to take officers and station house officers had to intervene to corrective measures. “Some miscreants are creating safeguard the minority community’s right to worship. trouble at the time of namaz, specially during the noon Salim Engineer said the way ahead was to build prayers on Friday. They have forcibly removed the loud- bonds with other communities. “These instances have speaker of the mosque and are preventing outsiders from gained frequency in recent times. At one place, there is praying in the mosque,” it wrote. objection to azaan, at another to people spilling out of the A few days later, the police informed the commission masjid. At another still, to some other issue, like the that the issue had been amicably resolved. The imam, media came up with the story of children hiding in a Maulvi Lal Muhammad, had informed the police that no madrasa. The reality is, in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi one was being prevented from offering prayers now. and Haryana such instances are occurring with increas- The truce ended in the last week of June 2020, ing frequency. The police seldom find a lasting solution. when some hooligans objected to azaan (prayer call) The only solution is to speak to reasonable people from on the loudspeaker and to the number of worshippers other communities and build a social bond against such at the mosque. They again insisted on not allowing miscreants to isolate them,” he said. any “outsiders” to pray there. Local Muslims initially Nineteen mosques came under attack during the resisted, pointing out that there were not many violence in North East Delhi in late February. Not only mosques in the region and any trader or student did the rampaging mobs vandalise the mosques, they set passing through the area on a Friday was likely to stop them on fire with cylinder blasts. Entire shelves of the over for prayers. Later, however, they buckled to pres- Quran were reduced to ashes. Prayer mats were smoked, sure yet again. When Jamaat-e-Islami Hind function- and Islamic calligraphy on the walls was wilfully and aries tried to tap avenues for judicial recourse, local brazenly defiled. In four places, saffron flags were hoisted residents failed to come forward. Nobody was willing atop the mosques’ minarets. Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind lead- to put things on record out of fear. “They said, we have ers were able to get the flags removed only about a week to live here only. And they met most of the demands of later, and prayers began to be resumed in mosques. the miscreants,” rued Salim Engineer, vice president During that tense week, as Muslims waited for prayer of the Jamaat. services to resume, there were mobs shouting provocat- Zafarul Islam Khan said: “It is a common problem ive slogans. Even when the prayer services resumed, that local Muslims fall to local and police pressure and do mosques in some areas, notably in Ashok Nagar, Shiv not pursue the cases. Compromise under police pressure Vihar and Mustafabad, were found to have been im- is common.” He was speaking from experience, having pacted too badly to resume even token daily prayers. In witnessed numerous complaints about local strongmen, Farooqia Masjid, where prayers were offered on the often in collusion with local policemen, objecting to rooftop on the first Friday after the attack, Delhi Police azaan on loudspeaker during the lockdown. did not allow the prayers to continue as the site was under On April 3, about 200 people reportedly ransacked investigation. the premises of a mosque in Delhi’s Alipur area. Zafarul Fortunately, prayer services have now been restored. Islam Khan wrote to the Police Commissioner stating Mohammed Rashid, whose house, located adjacent to that the panel had received a report, and a video, of an the mosque’s rear wall, was burnt down, said: “Now attack on the mosque in Mukhmelpur village under the normal prayers have resumed. I also go there. Things are Alipur police station in North West Delhi around 8 p.m. also gradually coming back to normal in other mosques There were two or three people inside the mosque, while that had been impacted by the violence in February.” the assailants numbered around 200. The notice said the However, attacks on mosques have not entirely died mob ransacked the mosque and partially burnt and de- down, just shifted location. There is a perception that the molished parts of it, including the roof. Zafarul Islam attacks have gained in frequency since the Babri Masjid- Khan said it was unbelievable that this could happen in Ramjnambhoomi verdict was pronounced by the Su- the national capital. “The issue cannot be patched up preme Court. Hooligans apparently taunt the com- artificially by arranging a compromise where a religious munity with provocative slogans such as “Babri Masjid place has been ransacked and partially burnt and demol- yaad karo” (Remember Babri Masjid). ished. If no proper legal action is taken, this lawlessness Zafarul Islam Khan said he did not see a link with the will become common.” verdict. But he said: “There is an atmosphere of fear. The Around the same time, many mosques came under compromise arrived at is done under pressure from local pressure to shun the use of loudspeakers for azaan. bigwigs and policemen. It does not last as it does no While some were told that azaan was not necessary justice.” २

31 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 C OVER STORY they work in, what chance do we, ordinary citizens, have in containment zones would undertake active case search if we get the virus?” Sarika’s friend asked Frontline. and vigorous contact tracing of COVID-19 persons in D ELHI A reporter with a digital news outlet nearly cried on order to analyse the reasons for clustering. air while reporting on the state of affairs outside LNJP According to the plan, by June 26, the containment (Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan) Hospital, which is a zones would be redefined in line with the guidelines of dedicated facility for the treatment of COVID-19 under the National Centre for Disease Control. There are 263 the Delhi government. Ambulances with more than a few such zones in Delhi. The plan also said that highly sus- patients were streaming in every 10 minutes and a relat- pected cases that tested negative on rapid antigen test ive he spoke to said he did not have any idea about his could be examined again using the RT-PCR (Reverse Broken system father’s status or whereabouts after he was admitted six transcription polymerase chain reaction) test. days ago. Lack of any effort to trace or isolate contacts of COVID-19 patients sees The spurt in Delhi could be directly attributed to the P OLITICAL TUSSLE complete lack of any effort to trace or isolate contacts of Meanwhile, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party the number of cases in Delhi rise exponentially. B Y DIVYA TRIVEDI COVID-19 patients. Without a proactive strategy to government and Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal got chase the virus, Delhi could not hope to shed its virus into yet another tussle over the nuances of the anti- load. COVID policy. On June 19, Baijal ordered a compulsory “HORRENDOUS, HORRIFIC AND PATHETIC!” five-day institutional quarantine for every COVID-19 is how the Supreme Court described the COVID-19 situ- P IL PETITION patient. Only after that would a person be sent to either ation in Delhi on June 12. Since then the capital has A public interest litigation (PIL) petition was filed in the home isolation, a quarantine centre or a hospital as the surpassed the total number of cases in not only Mumbai Delhi High Court requesting proper testing of both symptoms warranted, said the order issued by the Lieu- but also Wuhan, the epicentre of the global pandemic in symptomatic and asymptomatic persons in private and tenant Governor. China. By June 25, Delhi reported 70,390 infections and government hospitals and laboratories. On June 24, a But Kejriwal and his team were up in arms against 2,365 deaths. But the spread of the virus in Delhi was not division bench of the High Court comprising Justices the order. “Delhi’s home isolation plan has been working accidental as exemplified through various case studies of Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad said the “Delhi very well. I have personally spoken to many patients on patients. government has not conducted more than 50 per cent of phone who underwent home isolation. I wud urge Centre Sarika (name changed) works in the emergency de- the tests and failed to keep to the target”. The Delhi and LG not to tinker wid it and restore it back,” tweeted partment of a premier Central government hospital in government responded by saying that it had a target of Kejriwal. the capital. A month ago, she tested positive for 22,000 rapid antigen tests a day. The order was revoked a day after the controversy coronavirus. She called up all the ambulance numbers Under severe flak for a dramatic rise in numbers, broke. After meeting senior Ministers of the Delhi gov- she had, but none agreed to come. Ultimately, a friend of which was worsened by its reduced testing policy, the ernment, Baijal tweeted, “Regarding institutional isola- hers wore an old raincoat, double hand gloves, a helmet Delhi government announced an ambitious plan of tion, only those COVID positive cases which do not and drove her to the hospital. Despite being a front-line screening every household for COVID-19 within 10 days. require hospitalisation on clinical assessment & do not worker in the same hospital and having a COVID positive From June 26 to July 6, it would complete a door-to-door have adequate facilities for home isolation would be report with her, the hospital did not admit her. After screening campaign. There are 33,40,538 households in required to undergo institutional isolation.” several hours, during which her temperature was taken Delhi, as per Census 2011, with five members in each Ever since the beginning of the pandemic, the Delhi and blood pressure measured with the same unsanitised house on an average. government has claimed that it has sufficient number of equipment that was used on other incoming non-COVID beds and proper treatment facilities for thousands of Del- patients as well, it was midnight when an ambulance E IGHT-POINT RESPONSE PLAN hiites. But when on June 17 Delhi’s Health Minister Saty- finally arrived to take her to another wing of the hospital, This was part of the Delhi government's eight-point Re- endar Jain tested positive for the coronavirus, he was not two kilometers away. There were six more patients in vised Delhi COVID Response Plan released on June 24. kept in one of the acclaimed public hospitals. Instead, he that ambulance, one of whom was constantly vomiting. According to it, all houses within a containment zone was admitted to a private hospital in Saket where, after Once at the isolation facility, Sarika thought her or- would be screened by June 30. Beginning June 27, a undergoing plasma therapy, his condition improved and he deal was over. But within a couple of days, she was asked sero-survey of 20,000 people across districts would be was shifted out of the ICU. Initially, he was admitted to to vacate the bed. As she was not tested before discharge, conducted and its results published on July 10. All symp- Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH), a dedic- she could not return to her housing quarter that she tomatic and asymptomatic high-risk contacts would be ated COVID-19 facility, but was shifted out as it did not shared with others and where she did not have a separate tested between the fifth and tenth day of contact. Teams have permission to conduct plasma therapy. After his re- washroom. The hospital did not seem to care about that. covery, one can only hope that the Delhi government would They simply wanted her out. A friend was kind enough to understand the many weak links in its strategy to fight let her isolate herself in his house. The day after she tested COVID-19 and improve upon them. negative for the virus, the hospital asked her to rejoin Moreover, a day before Jain showed symptoms of work. Mentally traumatised from the disease as well as Under flak for a dramatic rise COVID-19, he had attended the high-profile meeting of the ordeal, the prospect of treating other patients with the who's who of Delhi’s political circle, including Union COVID was unbearable for her and she proceeded to go in numbers, the government Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Health Minister on leave. Harsh Vardhan, Baijal, Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Sarika’s direct contacts during this period were announced an ambitious plan Manish Sisodia, and officers of the State Disaster Man- neither tested for the virus nor asked to go into isolation. agement Authority. According to the guidelines for pre- IJAY VERMA/PTI IJAY They did both on their own accord. “If front-line health V of screening every household cautionary measures, all of them should have gone into workers, for whom the Prime Minister and the country PEOPLE w ait for their turn to give samples for COVID-19 self-isolation, but it is unclear whether the guidelines clapped and cheered, are treated this way by the hospitals test at a school in New Delhi on June 25. for COVID-19 within 10 days. were followed. २

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 32 33 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 C OVER STORY they work in, what chance do we, ordinary citizens, have in containment zones would undertake active case search if we get the virus?” Sarika’s friend asked Frontline. and vigorous contact tracing of COVID-19 persons in D ELHI A reporter with a digital news outlet nearly cried on order to analyse the reasons for clustering. air while reporting on the state of affairs outside LNJP According to the plan, by June 26, the containment (Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan) Hospital, which is a zones would be redefined in line with the guidelines of dedicated facility for the treatment of COVID-19 under the National Centre for Disease Control. There are 263 the Delhi government. Ambulances with more than a few such zones in Delhi. The plan also said that highly sus- patients were streaming in every 10 minutes and a relat- pected cases that tested negative on rapid antigen test ive he spoke to said he did not have any idea about his could be examined again using the RT-PCR (Reverse Broken system father’s status or whereabouts after he was admitted six transcription polymerase chain reaction) test. days ago. Lack of any effort to trace or isolate contacts of COVID-19 patients sees The spurt in Delhi could be directly attributed to the P OLITICAL TUSSLE complete lack of any effort to trace or isolate contacts of Meanwhile, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party the number of cases in Delhi rise exponentially. B Y DIVYA TRIVEDI COVID-19 patients. Without a proactive strategy to government and Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal got chase the virus, Delhi could not hope to shed its virus into yet another tussle over the nuances of the anti- load. COVID policy. On June 19, Baijal ordered a compulsory “HORRENDOUS, HORRIFIC AND PATHETIC!” five-day institutional quarantine for every COVID-19 is how the Supreme Court described the COVID-19 situ- P IL PETITION patient. Only after that would a person be sent to either ation in Delhi on June 12. Since then the capital has A public interest litigation (PIL) petition was filed in the home isolation, a quarantine centre or a hospital as the surpassed the total number of cases in not only Mumbai Delhi High Court requesting proper testing of both symptoms warranted, said the order issued by the Lieu- but also Wuhan, the epicentre of the global pandemic in symptomatic and asymptomatic persons in private and tenant Governor. China. By June 25, Delhi reported 70,390 infections and government hospitals and laboratories. On June 24, a But Kejriwal and his team were up in arms against 2,365 deaths. But the spread of the virus in Delhi was not division bench of the High Court comprising Justices the order. “Delhi’s home isolation plan has been working accidental as exemplified through various case studies of Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad said the “Delhi very well. I have personally spoken to many patients on patients. government has not conducted more than 50 per cent of phone who underwent home isolation. I wud urge Centre Sarika (name changed) works in the emergency de- the tests and failed to keep to the target”. The Delhi and LG not to tinker wid it and restore it back,” tweeted partment of a premier Central government hospital in government responded by saying that it had a target of Kejriwal. the capital. A month ago, she tested positive for 22,000 rapid antigen tests a day. The order was revoked a day after the controversy coronavirus. She called up all the ambulance numbers Under severe flak for a dramatic rise in numbers, broke. After meeting senior Ministers of the Delhi gov- she had, but none agreed to come. Ultimately, a friend of which was worsened by its reduced testing policy, the ernment, Baijal tweeted, “Regarding institutional isola- hers wore an old raincoat, double hand gloves, a helmet Delhi government announced an ambitious plan of tion, only those COVID positive cases which do not and drove her to the hospital. Despite being a front-line screening every household for COVID-19 within 10 days. require hospitalisation on clinical assessment & do not worker in the same hospital and having a COVID positive From June 26 to July 6, it would complete a door-to-door have adequate facilities for home isolation would be report with her, the hospital did not admit her. After screening campaign. There are 33,40,538 households in required to undergo institutional isolation.” several hours, during which her temperature was taken Delhi, as per Census 2011, with five members in each Ever since the beginning of the pandemic, the Delhi and blood pressure measured with the same unsanitised house on an average. government has claimed that it has sufficient number of equipment that was used on other incoming non-COVID beds and proper treatment facilities for thousands of Del- patients as well, it was midnight when an ambulance E IGHT-POINT RESPONSE PLAN hiites. But when on June 17 Delhi’s Health Minister Saty- finally arrived to take her to another wing of the hospital, This was part of the Delhi government's eight-point Re- endar Jain tested positive for the coronavirus, he was not two kilometers away. There were six more patients in vised Delhi COVID Response Plan released on June 24. kept in one of the acclaimed public hospitals. Instead, he that ambulance, one of whom was constantly vomiting. According to it, all houses within a containment zone was admitted to a private hospital in Saket where, after Once at the isolation facility, Sarika thought her or- would be screened by June 30. Beginning June 27, a undergoing plasma therapy, his condition improved and he deal was over. But within a couple of days, she was asked sero-survey of 20,000 people across districts would be was shifted out of the ICU. Initially, he was admitted to to vacate the bed. As she was not tested before discharge, conducted and its results published on July 10. All symp- Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH), a dedic- she could not return to her housing quarter that she tomatic and asymptomatic high-risk contacts would be ated COVID-19 facility, but was shifted out as it did not shared with others and where she did not have a separate tested between the fifth and tenth day of contact. Teams have permission to conduct plasma therapy. After his re- washroom. The hospital did not seem to care about that. covery, one can only hope that the Delhi government would They simply wanted her out. A friend was kind enough to understand the many weak links in its strategy to fight let her isolate herself in his house. The day after she tested COVID-19 and improve upon them. negative for the virus, the hospital asked her to rejoin Moreover, a day before Jain showed symptoms of work. Mentally traumatised from the disease as well as Under flak for a dramatic rise COVID-19, he had attended the high-profile meeting of the ordeal, the prospect of treating other patients with the who's who of Delhi’s political circle, including Union COVID was unbearable for her and she proceeded to go in numbers, the government Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Health Minister on leave. Harsh Vardhan, Baijal, Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Sarika’s direct contacts during this period were announced an ambitious plan Manish Sisodia, and officers of the State Disaster Man- neither tested for the virus nor asked to go into isolation. agement Authority. According to the guidelines for pre- IJAY VERMA/PTI IJAY They did both on their own accord. “If front-line health V of screening every household cautionary measures, all of them should have gone into workers, for whom the Prime Minister and the country PEOPLE w ait for their turn to give samples for COVID-19 self-isolation, but it is unclear whether the guidelines clapped and cheered, are treated this way by the hospitals test at a school in New Delhi on June 25. for COVID-19 within 10 days. were followed. २

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 32 33 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 C OVER STORY t hese localities helped bring down the number of noon. We have named it as *CHASE THE PATIENT cases. POLICY* conceived by Hon’ble CM, for BMC.” Under M AHARASHTRA The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is the new policy all labs had been directed to “share cagey about declaring the status of the virus in the city. reports only & only with BMC at 7 a.m. daily”. The Categories such as peaked and plateaued have been ap- earlier practice had been the normally acceptable one plied and later disproved. So, the administration now of informing the patients directly, but the BMC de- prefers to say that things are stable enough for parts of cided to change this. the city to be partially opened for Maharashtra’s Mission As per the new rule, the BMC would inform the On the mend Begin Again programme. As of June 24, 765 areas and person who tests positive. Chahal wrote: “No direct mes- 6,116 buildings were sealed in the city. sage now goes to patient from lab, unlike earlier & then The coronavirus infection seems to have moved our medical teams visit the patient at his residence, The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation begins aggressive testing northwards of the city towards the suburbs of Andheri, examines him & allots the bed/hospital before leaving Malad, Mulund, Dahisar, Borivali and Kandivali, which patient’s premises…. The patient is properly counselled after achieving some success in containing the spread of the virus in have seen a spike in cases. In order to combat this, the while we break the news of COVID positivity to him.” BMC has initiated a rapid action plan called Mission The reason for formulating the new procedure was to B Y LYLA BAVADAM densely populated localities. Zero. The civic body has organised 50 ambulance clinics reduce the stress for families who mostly had to go from with a team of doctors to carry out door-to-door screen- hospital to hospital to seek allocation of bed for the EVER SINCE THE FIRST COVID-19 CASE IN sible reasons for this are that the population density of ing especially in densely populated areas such as slums. patient. Chahal felt that the centralised system would Mumbai was detected on March 11, more than 100 days Mumbai is higher than Delhi’s; the virus has been en- The health staff will check for fever, co-morbidities and guarantee beds to patients in need of treatment, prevent ago, there are signs that the city may no longer be the trenched in the city for a longer period; and Mumbai has collect swabs. This initiative is expected to help in quicker bed allocation to those whose symptoms could be coronavirus capital of the country. Delhi is fast catching more number of densely populated slums. As on June 24, detection of COVID and subsequent adoption of proto- handled with home quarantine and take the load off the up as the number of positive cases in the National Capital Mumbai recorded 3,964 deaths and Delhi 2,365. cols. The medical teams aim to screen at least 10,000 central control room that works 24x7. The control room Region continue to rise. Following the encouraging results achieved in houses in every municipal ward. Mission Zero also envis- number, 1916, used to be flooded with calls seeking beds With a spike in the number of cases in Delhi, it was Dharavi and Worli village after they were sealed to ages that slum toilets be cleaned and sanitised at least five and, not knowing the severity of the case, the operators inevitable that comparisons would be drawn between the contain the spread of the virus, the Mumbai civic times a day. were bound to direct the patients or their families to two cities. As of June 24, Delhi had over 70,000 positive administration has adopted a more aggressive tactic One criticism of the city’s handling of the COVID various hospitals. cases as opposed to Mumbai’s 69,528. With testing of “chasing the virus” to break the chain of transmis- situation was the distribution of beds for patients. In Under the new system only those who require COVID ramped up in both metropolitan cities, the number of sion. Areas with many positive cases are sealed or the first week of June, the Municipal Commissioner care support would be sent to hospitals. The initial doubts cases has been oscillating back and forth. But while Delhi isolated, after which cases are tested, treated and I.S. Chahal, in a note to his colleagues, said: “We have that the system was violating patient privacy were soon had a test positivity rate of 16.7 per cent, Mumbai’s was quarantined, if needed. Dharavi and Worli were started decentralised COVID bed allotment at all 24 dispelled when it was realised that more beds were being higher at 23.2 per cent. Essentially this means that the among the first areas to be sealed to contain the Ward War Rooms of MCGM from 8th June onwards. freed up and those with relatively mild symptoms were not rate of viral transmission is higher in Mumbai. The pos- spread. The uncompromising protocols adopted in This process starts at 8 a.m. sharp & finishes by 12 subjected to potential hospital-related infections. The new system has freed up more than 6,000 beds in the city. In order to speed up testing, the State government KURAR VILLAGE ordered one lakh rapid antigen test kits from the South at Malad during Korean company, SD Biosensor, which have been ap- the lockdown on proved by the Indian Council of Medical Research. This June 22. antibody kit is used on a suspected patient’s nasal swab to detect the presence of viral proteins that are an indicator of a positive case. The results are obtained within 30 minutes. Although less sensitive than the RT-PCR tests (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, which is the gold standard for testing), these have the advantage of speed and are expected to scale up Mumbai’s testing from 4,500 tests a day to 6,000. Delhi, by comparison, is testing upwards of 15,000 people a day. Mumbai’s doubling rate is now 36 days; the BMC wants to increase this to 50 days. The doubling rate indicates the spread of the virus in terms of days. A higher doubling rate means less spread. At the beginning of June, it was 24.5 days. Dharavi’s is 42 days. The national average is 16 days. On June 24, Mumbai’s recovery rate stood at 53 per cent; about 2,434 patients had recovered and had been discharged. The death rate has by and large been steady or has risen on a low curve. So, while new cases are being detected, the positive indicators bolster Chahal’s optim- ism that “Team BMC is fully geared up to effectively

IJAY BATE IJAY २ V confront Covid-19”.

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 34 35 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 C OVER STORY T AMIL NADU Domino effect

With a large number of people leaving for their home towns from Chennai, which accounts for the largest percentage of COVID in Tamil Nadu, the infection seems to have spread far and wide. B Y R.K. RADHAKRISHNAN

AN EXODUS OF PEOPLE FROM CHENNAI AND That the exodus from Chennai contributed to this its neighbouring districts to their home towns from early increase can be borne out by the following facts: The June seems to have carried COVID-19 infection across COVID positive percentage in Chennai in the first week the State to different parts of Tamil Nadu. Rumours of of May was around 5 per cent (May 1, for instance, saw yet another lockdown, lack of jobs, delay in reopening of 176 positives from 3,309 samples). However, in the days schools and the need to pay rents forced many people to before the Chennai lockdown, every fourth sample leave the city. Those who left were not tested for turned out to be positive (for instance, on June 18, as COVID-19 either in Chennai or in the districts they went many as 5,539 samples were tested, of which 1,373 were to. Besides, the district administrations were unequal to positive, or 24.79 per cent), according to official statistics. the task of handling the large volumes of people coming Hence, it was possible that many who had been afflicted, into the districts. In effect, the reasons that led to the left Chennai. Koyambedu cluster and resulted in the COVID-19 num- This is also supported by the numbers from the dis- bers spreading from the State’s largest vegetable and fruit tricts. For instance, in Madurai district, until May 31, the market in Chennai played out again. This time, the total number of cases was 269. In the next three weeks spread happened across the State. (June 21), the district added 436 cases, taking the total It appears that over a lakh people left the Chennai number to 705. In the next three days (June 24), the metropolitan area soon after the announcement on June 15 figure jumped to 1,073, and by June 27, those who tested of a 12-day lockdown from June 19. As June ended, five positive for the infection numbered 1,703. districts witnessed sudden spikes in COVID cases, while in Although Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami other districts the case numbers were growing exponentially. had announced that there was no plan for a lockdown in . VELANKANNI RAJ VELANKANNI . B AT THE sample testing centre in Kilpauk Medical College Hospital in Chennai on June 23.

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 36 Chennai or any other district in mid June, the State did a U-turn and declared the 12-day lockdown in Chennai. A few days later, a couple of more districts too were put on a seven-day lockdown. As part of this harsh, haphazard and unplanned lockdown, the government severely re- stricted the movement of the people, and even milk shops were shut on Sundays. As on June 26, the total number of infections in Chennai was 49,690, up from the cumulative 46,734 the day before. It crossed the 50,000 mark on June 27 after an additional 1,939 cases were added to the city’s tally that day. June 27 also marked yet another grim milestone for Tamil Nadu: it crossed the 1,000 mark in deaths. Sixty-eight deaths were recorded that day, taking the total number of deaths to 1,025. Chengalpattu, abutting Chennai, had the second highest number of cases (4,911), while Tiruvallur, an- . ASHOK ASHOK . other district next to Chennai, was third in the list R (3,420). A STREET VENDOR w earing protective equipment gear selling face masks and PPE kits in Madurai on June 18. T HE FEAR FACTOR Such was the fear of people coming from Chennai to down 6 for Chennai, P. Kuganantham, told Frontline villages in almost all districts that some village adminis- that the lockdown had helped identify the gap in field- trations hired town criers to inform residents that they level responses, close the gaps and step up the health should report anyone who had come from Chennai to the infrastructure as was needed in the middle of a pan- authorities. Videos of two such “proclamations”—one in demic. He said that “death has decreased in the past two Bargur in Krishnagiri district and another in Kanyaku- weeks” and hoped that the government’s responses mari district—went viral on social media. would yield the desired results. Two other events added to the sense of fear: the death But many critics pointed out that the entire COVID from COVID of K. Anbazhagan, MLA and a district response was led by three groups—ruling party politi- secretary of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), in cians, media and bureaucrats. Strong public health input Chennai and the death of the owner of the famous brand was missing, these critics pointed out, adding that ever of halwa, Iruttukkadai Halwa, by suicide in Tirunelveli since the retirement of Dr. K. Kolandaswamy as Director after he came to know that he had contracted COVID. of Public Health in April, the department appeared to be The suicide also underlined the lack of adequate psychi- happy to stay away from the limelight. atric care for individuals affected by COVID. These were Officials claimed that the next set of responses would two persons who had access to the best of medical care, yield results. Plans are afoot to make sure that one gov- but even that did not help. ernment staffer reaches every home to check if any mem- It also did not help that the Chief Minister, who said ber of the household has a problem. On the basis of the in April that the “coronavirus will go away” over the next understanding that infection control in Chennai is cent- few days, changed his perception about the virus and said ral to controlling the spread to other places in the State, in a meeting that only God could tell when the virus the government, apart from not allowing free movement would go away. In another public statement, he tried to, of people beyond the Chennai Police area, has also cur- incredulously, pin the blame on the spread of the virus on tailed inter-district movement. Many districts were on a the main opposition party, the DMK. The Chief Minister seven-day lockdown until June 30. It is not clear how said it was the DMK that had spread the virus during its such haphazard lockdowns could help control the spread outreach programme, Ondrinaivom Vaa. of the virus. Officials in the State said they were not worried While the State government looks to the Bharatiya about the trajectory of infections as long as the deaths Janata Party government in Delhi and the Indian Coun- could be kept down. As of June 26, the total number of cil of Medical Research for support and guidance, it is cases in the State was 74,622, and the number of deaths also not wasting time in castigating people for not follow- 957. The State government pointed to the low death ing the mandated rules during COVID times. Spokesper- rate (1.28 per cent) and the high recovery rate (55.42 sons for the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra per cent, 41,357 patients as on June 26). Kazhagam (AIADMK) have repeatedly blamed people But what was giving the authorities sleepless nights for violating lockdown norms. was that the number of deaths had increased since People, in turn, have asked questions of the govern- early June; about a third of all deaths was from June 19 ment over its handling of the crisis. Even as this bizarre to 27 (400). blame game continues, one thing is clear: the flattening The public health expert who recommended Lock- of the curve is a long way away. २

37 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 C OVER STORY The family members, however, urged that the two of- IPC, which were registered against the victims, he said, ficers must be charged with murder. were punishable with the less than two years’ imprison- T AMIL NADU In fact, in April 2013 a person called Vaiyapuri near ment. “Therefore there was no reason for the police to Thirukurungudi had approached the High Court against have produced the accused for remand and for the magis- Balakrishnan, who was then working at the Thirukur- trate to remand them. These are contrary to the ungudi police station, and two other policemen for as- guidelines issued by the Supreme Court in Amesh Kumar saulting him brutally in March 2013 for not carrying on vs State of Bihar 2015. The magistrate, our inquiry re- him the documents for his two-wheeler. The victim, then vealed, did not see them while they were kept in the van. Police terror 26, suffered injuries and was admitted to hospital for Without applying his mind, he remanded them to cus- treatment. But the case, according to a source, was tody. He should have seen the accused, which would have withdrawn. given the victims an opportunity to show their injury The death of a father-son duo, following their detention over alleged marks and narrate their ordeal. Even the mandated med- L EGAL PROCEDURES NOT FOLLOWED ical examination of the accused prior to remand was not violation of lockdown restrictions, in Thoothukudi district smacks The deaths have thrown open questions about legal pro- undertaken,” he said. cedures relating to remand and custodial torture. The first information report (FIR) filed against the B Y ILANGOVAN RAJASEKARAN of police high-handedness. Though the law is clear on such issues, law-enforcers father and the son was bizarre. It said the duo “rolled on the often violate them, said a senior lawyer at the Madras ground and got injured” when the police asked them to THE DEATH OF A FATHER AND SON DUO, had assaulted Jayaraj with a baton and Bennix tried to High Court. It is yet to be ascertained whether the Sath- close their mobile phone shop. The complaint preferred by traders in Sathankulam in Thoothukudi district, in judi- intervene on seeing that. Subsequently both were beaten up ankulam Judicial Magistrate, while remanding the vic- head constable S. Murugan stated that he and constable cial custody has left the Tamil Nadu government in a brutally with batons, they said. “They employed third- tims to judicial custody, had asked them personally of Muthuraj, while checking for COVID-19 lockdown en- quandary. degree methods. Jayaraj was kicked in his chest while a their physical condition or whether the mandated re- forcement, saw the shop of the accused open beyond the The Sathankulam police arrested timber trader P. baton was inserted into his anus, which made him bleed mand procedures such as a medical examination under permitted time. On asking them about this, he said, they Jayaraj (60) and his son J. Bennix (31) on the night of from the rectum,” said a family friend of Bennix. the Criminal Procedure Code had been followed. resorted to abuse and “rolled on the ground, in which they June 19 from their mobile phone shop for allegedly viol- Jayaraj’s daughter Percy demanded that the police Another question the legal fraternity asks is whether sustained injuries”. “They threatened to kill us,” he claimed. ating lockdown restrictions and registered cases under personnel responsible for the death of her father and the authorities at Kovilpatti Sub Jail carried out the They were then brought to the police station. Sections 188, 269, 294(b), 353 and 506(ii) of the Indian brother should be punished according to law. “Are they medical examination of the duo while accepting their As the issue took a serious turn, the Madurai Bench of Penal Code (IPC). Relatives of the dead men alleged that licensed to kill?” she asked. After initial reluctance to remand in custody. A reasonable explanation is also yet the Madras High Court on June 25, on appeals from both had been beaten brutally at the police station. The accept the bodies, the family accepted them after post- to be sought on why the police took nearly seven hours Jayaraj’s wife Selvarani and a lawyer A.P. Surya bleeding duo was then taken to the Sathankulam Magis- mortem on June 25 at the Palayamkottai Government from the time of the arrest to produce the accused before Prakasam, suo motu took up the case and issued a string trate, who remanded them to judicial custody. Both were Medical College Hospital. the magistrate. And there is no proper explanation from of instructions to the government and the State Director lodged at the Kovilpatti Sub Jail on June 20. Arun Balagopalan, Thoothukudi Superintendent of the police on why they were taken to the Kovilpatti Sub General of Police (DGP) on how to pursue the case At about 7:30 p.m. on June 22, Bennix reportedly Police, said Bennix, who had heart ailments, developed Jail, some 80 kilometres from Sathankulam, instead of further and asked them to file a status report on the developed chest pain. He died two hours after being admit- breathing problems in the jail and got admitted to the nearby Srivaikundam prison. “Many violations of law incident. The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) ted to Kovilpatti Government Hospital. Jayaraj too felt Kovilpatti Government Hospital, where he died. He said have taken place in the brutal murders of the father and also took up the case and directed the DGP of its investig- uneasy and breathless in the early hours of June 23 and Jayaraj was running high fever when he was arrested and son,” said a senior advocate at the Madras High Court. ation wing to inquire into the incident and file a detailed died subsequently at the Kovilpatti hospital. The death of was admitted to the isolation ward of the hospital where Henry Tiphagne, executive director of the Madurai- report within eight weeks. The Commission has also the father and son shocked the people of Sathankulam. The he died later. based rights organisation People’s Watch, while con- sought CCTV footage from the police station. next day all of Thoothukudi district remained shut and Sub Inspectors Balakrishnan and Pauldurai, who al- demning the custodial torture and death at Sathanku- Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader M.K. Stalin traders across the State downed shutters in protest against legedly arrested and assaulted the victims, have been lam, wondered whether the magistrate had pursued the asked Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who what they called “police brutality”. placed under suspension and other personnel in Sath- remand procedures diligently. holds the Home portfolio, to take responsibility for the Relatives and friends of the duo alleged that the police ankulam police station have been transferred en masse. All the charges, except under Section 506 (ii) of the deaths. In a statement, he said the deaths of the father and son raised a lot of questions and demanded that those who were responsible for the deaths should be punished. Thoothukudi Member of Parliament Kan- imozhi urged District Collector Sandeep Nanduri to take severe action against those who were responsible for the deaths. “Their families should be given adequate com- pensation,” she said. Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.S. Alagiri demanded an inquiry into the MOBILE shop deaths by the Central Bureau of Investigation, while the owners paying Communist Party of India (Marxist) demanded severe tributes to the punishment for the culprits. father and son who The Chief Minister awarded a compensation of Rs.20 died in custody, in lakh to the victims’ family and said that further action Salem on June 24. would be taken based on the instructions given by the (Right) CPI(M) High Court, which is monitoring the case directly, and cadres protesting other agencies. He also advised the Tamil Nadu police to against the treat the public “softly and affectionately” while pursuing . LAKSHMI NARAYANAN LAKSHMI . HE HINDU ARCHIVES HINDU HE २ E custodial deaths. T law and order related work.

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 38 39 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 C OVER STORY hold survey covering 1.5 crore households across the out of ICU beds for COVID patients. The authorities have State to detect vulnerable populations…”. responded to the rise in cases in two ways. First, the K ARNATAKA Going by the numbers, one can still say that BBMP has sealed five wards in the city along with two Karnataka and Bengaluru are faring relatively better large markets that have perhaps emerged as clusters than many other States and metropolises. It is 12th in the where physical distancing is hard to maintain. This is in country in the number of State-wise cases, and addition to the 298 containment zones; unlike earlier Bengaluru’s tally is better when compared with that of when whole areas were sealed off, now only the house or metros like Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai. However, the the apartment of the identified COVID-19 patient is Out of the sudden rise in the number of cases in Bengaluru where sealed off. the contacts of patients cannot be traced is worrisome. Secondly, the State Health and Family Welfare De- Bengaluru is also seeing a higher death rate; 68 of the 78 partment has invoked relevant sections of the National COVID deaths in the city took place in June. Of the 796 Disaster Management Act to ensure that private hospit- comfort zone fresh cases in Bengaluru, it is unclear how 522 of them als reserve 50 per cent of their beds for COVID-19 pa- contracted the virus. This would imply that Bengaluru tients. According to the Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust, has entered the community transmission stage where the nodal government agency tasked with the job of potentially anyone could be a carrier of the virus. assessing bed capacity, 418 private hospitals, which have The number of COVID cases in Bengaluru has been increasing at a B.H. Anil Kumar, Commissioner of Bruhat a total of 63,900 beds, including 4,467 ICU beds, and rapid pace, giving rise to doubts about community transmission. Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), admitted that 1,264 ventilators, have been empanelled. Treatment the recent spurt in the number of cases had “caused a charges at private hospitals have been capped at B Y VIKHAR AHMED SAYEED little bit of concern” as “it has not been possible to trace Rs.25,000 a day for an isolation ICU with a ventilator. how the ILI [Influenza like Illness] The Health and Family Welfare THE SURGE IN COVID-19 CASES IN Dr K. Sudhakar, Minister for Medical Education, and SARI [Severe Acute Respiratory department intends to start dedic- Karnataka, Bengaluru in particular, is becoming a who had been actively involved in strategising preventive Infection] patients have contracted ated fever clinics that would inform matter of serious concern in the State. Health Minister measures in Bengaluru, has also been quarantined at the disease and this could be the case it about ILI and SARI cases. For this B.S. Sriramulu has stated that Bengaluru could be home after his family members contracted the virus. of community transmission”. purpose, all community health locked down again if the number of cases continue to The spike in the number of cases came at a time when Even members of the COVID-19 centres and 50 per cent of the rise rapidly as over the past fortnight. The total number the State government was basking in the Union Ministry task force in the State, such as Dr C. Primary Health Centres and Urban of COVID cases in Karnataka stood at 7,000 as of June of Health and Family Welfare’s appreciation of it in N. Manjunath, director, Sri Jayadeva Health Centres in the State have 13, of which 690 were in Bengaluru. The number rose tackling the pandemic. In a letter on June 18, the Min- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences been designated as fever clinics. rose to 10,118 cases by the evening of June 24, with istry said two practices that Karnataka followed were and Research, have begun to ac- Karnataka has also started wide- Bengaluru alone recording 1,678 cases. As many as “worth replicating” by other States: first, “the technology knowledge community transmission scale random testing of vulnerable 6,151 patients in the State have been discharged so far backed system involving multi-sectoral government as a fact in Bengaluru. But Dr Man- populations and established COVID and 5,39,247 samples have been tested. There have teams for contact tracing of COVID-19 positive cases”; junath adds that this is “not a Care Centres for treatment of asymp- been 164 deaths. and second, Karnataka’s “physical/phone based house- massive case of community trans- tomatic cases. mission but it is certainly growing”. While ruling party politicians,

According to him, the initial cases MURTHY SREENIVASA . senior bureaucrats and health offi- were international returnees; then V cials have blamed Unlock 1.0 for the there was a sudden surge in cases HEALTH w orkers collecting swab spurt in cases in Bengaluru, it was because of people coming from other from a policeman at KR Market in always clear that the lockdown was States, particularly Maharashtra. Bengaluru on June 23. only a temporary measure to provide “Now, the number of people coming time for the Central and State gov- from other States has come down and despite that, we are ernments to devise a strategy to deal with the surge in seeing a surge in cases.” cases once the lockdown was lifted. Ideally, the govern- One of the reasons for this surge in Bengaluru could ment should have used that time to strengthen the public be the widespread violation of home quarantine norms health infrastructure, but this has not been done in since the lockdown in March. Of the 1.31 lakh violations Karnataka. of home quarantine rules in the State, 58,832 were repor- Dr. Taha Mateen, the managing trustee of HBS Hos- ted from Bengaluru. pital in Bengaluru, said, “The approach of the govern- With the increase in the number of cases, disturbing ment has been terrible. There are ten ventilators in stories have been emerging from government hospitals Bowring (and Lady Curzon Hospital). How come more treating COVID-19 patients. In a video that went viral on ventilators have not been procured? I have ten ventilat- social media, patients at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of ors in my small hospital here and the leading treatment Chest Diseases are seen complaining of the lack of food centre for COVID patients in the city does not have any and drinking water in the wards. “While we may beat more than that.” corona, we will die of hunger here,” a patient can be heard There is a valid fear that if the situation is not con- saying. Even more troubling are reports that the desig- trolled in Bengaluru at this point, it could go the way of . MURALI KUMAR MURALI . K nated hospitals are running out of Intensive Care Unit other cities such as Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and KALASIPALAYAM Main Road after the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike sealed it off following the rapid spread of (ICU) beds. Dedicated public hospitals in Bengaluru Ahmedabad, which are struggling to contain the spread COVID in the city, on June 23. such as Victoria Hospital and Bowring Hospital have run of the virus. २

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 40 41 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 C OVER STORY hold survey covering 1.5 crore households across the out of ICU beds for COVID patients. The authorities have State to detect vulnerable populations…”. responded to the rise in cases in two ways. First, the K ARNATAKA Going by the numbers, one can still say that BBMP has sealed five wards in the city along with two Karnataka and Bengaluru are faring relatively better large markets that have perhaps emerged as clusters than many other States and metropolises. It is 12th in the where physical distancing is hard to maintain. This is in country in the number of State-wise cases, and addition to the 298 containment zones; unlike earlier Bengaluru’s tally is better when compared with that of when whole areas were sealed off, now only the house or metros like Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai. However, the the apartment of the identified COVID-19 patient is Out of the sudden rise in the number of cases in Bengaluru where sealed off. the contacts of patients cannot be traced is worrisome. Secondly, the State Health and Family Welfare De- Bengaluru is also seeing a higher death rate; 68 of the 78 partment has invoked relevant sections of the National COVID deaths in the city took place in June. Of the 796 Disaster Management Act to ensure that private hospit- comfort zone fresh cases in Bengaluru, it is unclear how 522 of them als reserve 50 per cent of their beds for COVID-19 pa- contracted the virus. This would imply that Bengaluru tients. According to the Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust, has entered the community transmission stage where the nodal government agency tasked with the job of potentially anyone could be a carrier of the virus. assessing bed capacity, 418 private hospitals, which have The number of COVID cases in Bengaluru has been increasing at a B.H. Anil Kumar, Commissioner of Bruhat a total of 63,900 beds, including 4,467 ICU beds, and rapid pace, giving rise to doubts about community transmission. Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), admitted that 1,264 ventilators, have been empanelled. Treatment the recent spurt in the number of cases had “caused a charges at private hospitals have been capped at B Y VIKHAR AHMED SAYEED little bit of concern” as “it has not been possible to trace Rs.25,000 a day for an isolation ICU with a ventilator. how the ILI [Influenza like Illness] The Health and Family Welfare THE SURGE IN COVID-19 CASES IN Dr K. Sudhakar, Minister for Medical Education, and SARI [Severe Acute Respiratory department intends to start dedic- Karnataka, Bengaluru in particular, is becoming a who had been actively involved in strategising preventive Infection] patients have contracted ated fever clinics that would inform matter of serious concern in the State. Health Minister measures in Bengaluru, has also been quarantined at the disease and this could be the case it about ILI and SARI cases. For this B.S. Sriramulu has stated that Bengaluru could be home after his family members contracted the virus. of community transmission”. purpose, all community health locked down again if the number of cases continue to The spike in the number of cases came at a time when Even members of the COVID-19 centres and 50 per cent of the rise rapidly as over the past fortnight. The total number the State government was basking in the Union Ministry task force in the State, such as Dr C. Primary Health Centres and Urban of COVID cases in Karnataka stood at 7,000 as of June of Health and Family Welfare’s appreciation of it in N. Manjunath, director, Sri Jayadeva Health Centres in the State have 13, of which 690 were in Bengaluru. The number rose tackling the pandemic. In a letter on June 18, the Min- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences been designated as fever clinics. rose to 10,118 cases by the evening of June 24, with istry said two practices that Karnataka followed were and Research, have begun to ac- Karnataka has also started wide- Bengaluru alone recording 1,678 cases. As many as “worth replicating” by other States: first, “the technology knowledge community transmission scale random testing of vulnerable 6,151 patients in the State have been discharged so far backed system involving multi-sectoral government as a fact in Bengaluru. But Dr Man- populations and established COVID and 5,39,247 samples have been tested. There have teams for contact tracing of COVID-19 positive cases”; junath adds that this is “not a Care Centres for treatment of asymp- been 164 deaths. and second, Karnataka’s “physical/phone based house- massive case of community trans- tomatic cases. mission but it is certainly growing”. While ruling party politicians,

According to him, the initial cases MURTHY SREENIVASA . senior bureaucrats and health offi- were international returnees; then V cials have blamed Unlock 1.0 for the there was a sudden surge in cases HEALTH w orkers collecting swab spurt in cases in Bengaluru, it was because of people coming from other from a policeman at KR Market in always clear that the lockdown was States, particularly Maharashtra. Bengaluru on June 23. only a temporary measure to provide “Now, the number of people coming time for the Central and State gov- from other States has come down and despite that, we are ernments to devise a strategy to deal with the surge in seeing a surge in cases.” cases once the lockdown was lifted. Ideally, the govern- One of the reasons for this surge in Bengaluru could ment should have used that time to strengthen the public be the widespread violation of home quarantine norms health infrastructure, but this has not been done in since the lockdown in March. Of the 1.31 lakh violations Karnataka. of home quarantine rules in the State, 58,832 were repor- Dr. Taha Mateen, the managing trustee of HBS Hos- ted from Bengaluru. pital in Bengaluru, said, “The approach of the govern- With the increase in the number of cases, disturbing ment has been terrible. There are ten ventilators in stories have been emerging from government hospitals Bowring (and Lady Curzon Hospital). How come more treating COVID-19 patients. In a video that went viral on ventilators have not been procured? I have ten ventilat- social media, patients at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of ors in my small hospital here and the leading treatment Chest Diseases are seen complaining of the lack of food centre for COVID patients in the city does not have any and drinking water in the wards. “While we may beat more than that.” corona, we will die of hunger here,” a patient can be heard There is a valid fear that if the situation is not con- saying. Even more troubling are reports that the desig- trolled in Bengaluru at this point, it could go the way of . MURALI KUMAR MURALI . K nated hospitals are running out of Intensive Care Unit other cities such as Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and KALASIPALAYAM Main Road after the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike sealed it off following the rapid spread of (ICU) beds. Dedicated public hospitals in Bengaluru Ahmedabad, which are struggling to contain the spread COVID in the city, on June 23. such as Victoria Hospital and Bowring Hospital have run of the virus. २

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 40 41 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 C OVER STORY G UJARAT Crisis & cover-up

Gujarat’s case fatality rate, the highest in the country, is proof of its inept handling of the COVID-19 crisis. But the BJP government is apparently not releasing accurate data and may be manipulating the death rate. B Y ANUPAMA KATAKAM

GUJARAT SHOWS NO RESPITE IN COVID-19 cases. This is attributed to the State government’s incom- infections, with Ahmedabad, its largest city, remaining petency in handling the pandemic. In spite of help from the epicentre in the State. Worse, following the relaxa- the Centre and a rebuke from the High Court, the admin- tion of the lockdown norms, especially with the opening istration has been unable to streamline its health care of inter-district movement, the infection has been system, which is in a shambles. spreading rapidly to other districts too. For instance, Narmada, Kheda, Panchmahal and Patan districts, C ASE FATALITY RATE which had reported COVID cases in single digits in early On June 25, Gujarat’s COVID death toll reached 1,753 June, are now seeing a steady rise in numbers. and the total number of cases crossed 27,000. According Figures by the State Ministry for Health and Family to the MHoFW, the daily average number of positive Welfare (MoHFW) show that since June 20 Ahmedabad cases has been 483, which is 20 per cent higher than the has seen a dip in its share of the total number of cases in average in May. What is more worrisome is Gujarat’s case the State, from 64 per cent to 48 per cent. fatality rate (CFR), which is the highest in the country, Gujarat is still in the fourth position, after Delhi, even among States that have registered more than Maharasthra and Tamil Nadu, in the number of COVID 10,000 cases. The CFR is the proportion of people who die from a specific disease among all those diagnosed over a certain period of time. On June 25, Gujarat’s CFR T ESTING FOR was 6.25 per cent even as Maharashtra, which fared high COVID-19 in in the list in fatalities and number of cases, reported a Ahmedabad on June CFR of 3.73 per cent. 26. Ahmedabad is the The State’s inept handling of COVID-19 has been an epicentre of the virus embarrassment to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s top lead- in Gujarat. ers whose home turf is Gujarat. Sources in Ahmedabad say that in an attempt to cover up, the State government has not been releasing accurate data. It is believed that the testing numbers have come down and the cause of fatalities is not being documented. “I know of a case where they [a government hospital] deliberately did not put down the cause of death as COVID-19. They are doing this all over so as to manipulate the COVID death rate,” said a resident doctor at a public hospital on condi- tion of anonymity. A government directive to private laboratories to re- duce testing rates from Rs.4,000 to Rs.2,500 is seen as giving some relief to citizens. This move is also expected to provide more accurate data. The State government recently issued a statement saying the situation was looking up as the case doubling rate had gone up to an average of 31 days vis-a-vis the MIT DAVE/REUTERS MIT

A national average of 19 days. Significantly, the death toll,

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 42 DIAMOND WORKERS waiting to enter a manufacturing unit in Surat after the authorities eased restrictions on May 22. But the number of cases too are rising. TI P combined with the high positivity rate (8.01 cases per 100 tial area, if we know anyone who has come from tested, as per State government figures), has thwarted the Ahmedabad, that house is reported to the authorities government’s efforts in improving its image. immediately.” Gujarat is among the three States a high-powered Central government team visited to probe the high posit- S EVERAL SOCIAL REASONS ivity rates. Health officials say poor contact tracing in the Ahmedabad was declared a hotspot from the early days of densly populated localities of Ahmedabad is one of the the lockdown. In spite of efforts to seal off containment main causes for the rapid spread. zones, which were mainly in the walled city, the virus As of June 25, Ahmedabad accounted for 1,390 seems to have spread to Ahmedabad West, where the deaths of the total COVID casualty count in the State and residences of the well-heeled and the elite of the city are 3,399 active positive cases. Surat came second with 142 situated. Recently, about a dozen buildings there were deaths and 1,152 positive cases, followed by Vadodara sealed off because of active cases. with 48 deaths and 620 cases; Gandhinagar with 27 While the scientific reasons behind Ahmedabad be- deaths and 157 cases; and Rajkot with five deaths and 98 ing a hotspot are yet to be known, several social reasons cases. have been given for the city’s high numbers, from the density of the wards affected, the Namaste Trump event S PIKE IN SURAT in February that led to the congregation of a large num- The southern Gujarat city of Surat is proof of virus seep- ber of people, to the high rate of international travel. The ing through Ahmedabad. Following Unlock.1, Surat’s stigma attached to COVID-19, which leads to late testing wholesale markets and diamond units began operations. and treatment, is also being put down as one of the However, this led to the city seeing workers too return, reasons for the high numbers in the city. Adding to the leading to a significant rise in the number of COVID problem is the theory that Gujaratis could suffer from a cases in the last week of June. high percentage of comorbities as 80 per cent of the By June 25, approximately 300 diamond workers deaths have been of patients with comorbid conditions. had tested positive for COVID-19. The Surat Diamond Association said even though intense sanitisation pro- L ABOUR SHORTAGE cesses had been followed, the spread was inevitable. Yet another fallout of the pandemic is that the State’s vast However, the industry had to restart as orders had been industrial and agricultural zones are facing a drastic pending from pre-lockdown days, said the association labour shortage because of the migrant exodus. Rights spokesperson. activists say it is unlikely that people will return until “There is a huge anti-Ahmedabad sentiment cur- quarantine rules are relaxed. Until then, other than big rently,” said Vijay Shah, a car dealer in Rajkot. “Buses, industry, most factories would be operating at just 40 per trucks and cars coming from that city are being stopped cent capacity, which is a hard blow to the highly industri- and not allowed into our district. In fact, in our residen- alised State. २

43 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 C OVER STORY R AJASTHAN Uneasy comfort Rajasthan has managed to keep its COVID fatalities low, but there are continuing concerns about a possible spike in rural areas, where returning migrants face a crisis of income and livelihood. BY T.K. RAJALAKSHMI

WHEN REPORTS APPEARED IN EARLY MARCH the State government has been cautious about “re-open- about COVID-19 infections in some districts in Ra- ing” places where people gather in large numbers. It has jasthan, there was justifiable concern that there could be not, for instance, opened up places of worship, as some an explosion of cases in the State in the following weeks. States have done. Now it is ranked sixth among the States with the largest The government issued strict guidelines for a “cau- number of confirmed cases, after Maharashtra, Delhi, tious resumption of normalcy" by adopting "adequate Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. However, the precautionary and safety measures at workplaces, public number of deaths caused by COVID-19 has been under places and public transport and on the premise of re- 500, with a far better recovery rate than some of the other sponsible self-regulation by the public at large”. It main- States in northern and north-western India. Testing tains that there has been no community spread—which is rates are also good in comparison with those in neigh- not entirely true—but it has ordered that strict protocols bouring States. will continue to be observed in containment zones and on The districts that carry the heaviest burden of cases their perimeters, without any relaxations. Except those are Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bharatpur, Pali and Udaipur, ac- providing essential goods and services, people were not counting for almost 60 per cent of the infection load. allowed to move around in these areas. Movement of Interestingly, the industrial hub of Bhilwara, which had individuals for non-essential activities was prohibited reported an infection cluster as early as March, seemed to from 9 p.m .to 5 a.m all over the State, with exemptions have controlled the initial spurt with strict containment for government officials and doctors on duty, IT and and isolation methods. Unfortunately, the containment ITES workers on night shifts, pharmacy owners, factories experiment was successful in only one district. Within with night shifts, factories with production of a continu- weeks, the infection spread to all the districts in the State. ous nature, and construction activities. Metro services, Jaipur and Jodhpur in particular have been consistently international travel, educational institutions, shopping showing an increase in the number of infections. malls, hotels, restaurants and even religious places were Between June 18 and June 25, the number of infec- to remain closed. Violations of public safety measures, tions grew by an average of 2 per cent every day, as it did such as not wearing a mask, spitting in public, not main- in Gujarat, though this was lower than Delhi’s 6 per cent taining physical distancing, consumption of alcohol or and Uttar Pradesh’s 3 per cent. Rajasthan’s testing fig- tobacco in public, were punishable with a fine. Shopkeep- ures averaged close to 10,000 per million of the popula- ers were not allowed to serve customers not wearing a tion, compared with Gujarat’s 5,006, Uttar Pradesh’s mask. All government offices were to operate with full 2,682, and Madhya Pradesh’s 3,830. Of around 16,000- strength while the “work from home” option was given to plus infections, almost 4.408 infections have been attrib- the private sector. The Common Safety Prescriptions are uted to migrants who returned from other States. to be enforced by the District Magistrate under the Ra- jasthan Epidemic Diseases Ordinance 2020 and the Dis- C AUTIOUS APPROACH aster Management Act 2005. Violators could invite penal As of June 26, a total of 379 people had died in the State action, including fines. from COVID infections. But the mortality rate, at 2.33 On June 10, the State government issued an order per cent, was lower compared with 4.28 per cent in observing that there was an “unprecedented surge in Madhya Pradesh, 3.36 per cent in Delhi, 5.99 in Gujarat, COVID-19 positive cases since the phased opening of the and 3.05 per cent in Uttar Pradesh. While no single factor lock down from June 1”. The order noted that “persons can be pinpointed to explain the low mortality figures, had travelled outside the State under the prevailing sys-

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 44 the spread of the virus. Almost every district had reported infections. With migrants starting to return after the lockdown was announced, there were concerns that the infection would spread to rural areas. The government campaign consistently stressed that people should isolate themselves if they developed mild or moderate symp- toms of infection and get tested at a government facility if the symptoms persisted. Yet such facilities were not al- ways available, as most district hospitals had only rudi- mentary facilities.

L OCUST MENACE The locust menace added to the difficult situation. Ac- cording to Sanjay Madho, joint secretary of the All India

ONEY SHARMA/AFP ONEY Kisan Sabha’s (AIKS) State unit, the State government M was paying scant attention to problems faced by farmers INSIDE a factory in which cardboard beds are made for following the large-scale devastation of crops caused by COVID-19 patients at Bhiwadi in Rajasthan, on June 25. an invasion of locusts. It began in the third week of May, when crops were still being harvested, he said. “The rabi tem of free movement and before their reports could be and the kharif crops have suffered huge damage, increas- received, they tested positive, posing a threat...” No one ing the economic burden on farmers who had anyway would be allowed to travel out of the State or enter it resorted to distress selling during the lockdown. They without a pass duly issued by designated government need to be compensated for this,” he said. The State officials. The exempted categories included those who government was yet to do a survey to assess the damage. need to attend cases of “death” and health emergencies Sanjay Madho said that the return of migrants such as hospitalisation or “accidents in the immediate presented fresh challenges. He blamed the Centre’s family”. Barring these categories, every other individual “complete lack of planning” before declaring the lock- desirous of moving out or moving in needs a “no objec- down. Rajasthan was among the six States that had tion certificate” from a designated government authority. received the maximum number of migrants back. In less than a week, on June 16, the conditions for Around 18 lakh migrants had returned from other States, inter-State travel were rescinded as it became clear they almost three times the number of those who left it. The were impractical. Admitting that people had been hugely majority of the returnees were in need of income support inconvenienced, the government said that an NoC or a and work. pass would no longer be required because infections had The recent hikes in petrol and diesel prices put im- stabilised and recovery rates had improved. However, mense pressure on the farming community. The State screening at the checkposts was a must for everyone. government on its part had issued electricity bills run- On June 18, a fresh order under the Rajasthan Epi- ning into thousands of rupees to city-based consumers. demics Diseases Ordinance 2020 was issued instructing “With no source of income, how are people expected to heads of offices in government and private sectors and pay this? We have demanded that the government malls and shopkeepers to display “safety from Corona” should waive electricity bills for at least six months for messages at the entry and exit points of their institutions. both domestic as well as agricultural consumption,” he Educational institutions and places of worship were to told Frontline. remain closed until further orders. There were reports He added that the Central government should en- suggesting that some relaxations could be expected in hance the amount earmarked for farmers under the Pra- educational institutions and places of worship after July dhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi to Rs.18,000 a year 1. from the present Rs.6,000. The AIKS has demanded that at least for six months families that do not pay Income “ VIRTUAL CAMPAIGN FOR RURAL AREAS” Tax should be given Rs.7,500 a month as financial sup- The State government launched a “virtual” 10-day aware- port. It has also demanded that there should be an unem- ness campaign from June 21 to June 30 and claimed it ployment allowance of Rs.5,000 and that all registered was the only State to have done so. Chief Minister Ashok workers in the labour department should be given Gehlot, while launching the campaign, referred to the Rs.5,000 a month to tide over the income and livelihood “high rates of recovery” and “low death rate” in the State. losses during the lockdown. The virtual campaign aimed to contact 11, 500 gram Another AIKS demand is for the increase of man- panchayats with safety messages about how to prevent days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Em- getting infected with the underlying motto that “self- ployment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to 200 days help” was the best help. and a daily wage of at least Rs.600. The State govern- The general opinion in the State was that this cam- ment, too, has appealed to the Centre to increase the paign should have been undertaken in the early stages of number of man-days under the scheme. २

45 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 C OVER STORY W EST BENGAL What the numbers hide

The number of active cases drop in the State, but doctors warn that there is danger ahead. The ruling Trinamool, meanwhile, faces outrage over cyclone relief distribution. BY SUHRID SANKAR CHATTOPADHYAY

WE ST BENGAL’S TRINAMOOL CONGRESS government has been trying to project a positive picture of the COVID-19 situation in the State by highlighting the recent drop in the number of active cases, the relat- ively high discharge rate, and the increase in the number of tests being conducted. However, several doctors and experts say that the situation may actually turn grimmer owing to a number of factors in the post-lockdown scenario. On June 22, State Home Secretary Alapan Bando- padhyay announced that the total number of active cases had been “showing a downward trend recently”. The number of active cases on that day was 5,111 out of a total of 14,358 cases. As of June 25, the number of active cases was 4,824 out of a total of 15,648. On an average, well over 400 new cases have been coming up every day in the State, with 475 cases on June 25, the highest daily spike AJEEV BHATT AJEEV so far. The total number of deaths was 621 on June 25, R with around 74.26 per cent of the cases having co-mor- A RICKSHAW p uller waiting for passengers in Kolkata bidities. The State government also repeatedly emphas- on June 17. Daily wage earners are the worst hit as the ises that the discharge rate in West Bengal, standing at city struggles to recover from the pandemic. 65.12 per cent on June 25, is well above the national average of over 56 per cent. The State has also stepped up of tests that are being done in the containment areas is testing of samples. In the first week of May, the rate of something that the government is not revealing, and that testing per million of the population was just 364; on is a matter of concern,” he told Frontline. “Ultimately the June 25 it stood at 4,881, and the total number of samples recovery rate should go up to a minimum 92 per cent, so tested was 4,39,258, with well over 9,000 samples on an harping on the fact that we have now a recovery rate of average being tested per day. over 60 per cent does little to boost confidence… We are However, many doctors and experts feel that it would not doing all that needs to be done and, on top of that if not be wise for the State government to congratulate we get complacent, then we are looking at a virtual time itself so soon. The well-known physician Fuad Halim bomb.” pointed out that the government’s own bulletin revealed Many other doctors also felt the country had lost the that there was mass discharge only from a few districts, so advantage that the lockdown should have provided no pattern had so far emerged to throw light on how against the spread of COVID-19. According to Dr Halim, things really stood. He argued that taking solace in the this was because the government was also locked down. increase in the rate of recovery was pointless. “The problem was that the 15 lakh people who had landed According to him, there should be greater focus in from abroad from January onwards were not traced conducting tests in the containment areas. “The number properly; and there was no adequate testing done in the

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 46 initial stage of the lockdown. And when we were un- South 24 Paraganas, Tamonash Ghosh, died of locked, there should have been a massive level of testing COVID-19. The three-time MLA, who was also the party from the start… since we do not know where COVID is, treasurer, was only 60. the virus is having a free run,” he said. P ROTEST OVER AMPHAN RELIEF L ESS FOOD, LESS IMMUNITY The spread of the coronavirus is not the only crisis the According to several reports, the food intake in rural State government is facing. The coastal parts of Bengal India has been declining, which is a cause for concern, are still reeling under the devastation caused by the particularly in the middle of a pandemic. Post-lockdown, supercyclone Amphan, which ravaged the State on May acute shortage of income, especially among lakhs of re- 20. Agitations over irregularities in the distribution of turnee migrants, has resulted in people eating less food. relief are rocking the cyclone-affected regions. While In Bengal, already more than 11 lakh migrants have local Trinamool leaders and panchayat representatives returned. According to some calculations, the State has are facing the brunt of the people’s anger, the district between 30 to 40 lakh migrant workers. Dr Halim said: administration is not being spared. “There has been weight loss, reduction in nutritional The main allegation against the ruling party is that intake, and these two are important indicators when the money given by the government for repairing dam- assessing herd immunity. Ultimately, development of aged houses is being misappropriated by local leaders immunity is related to the food we eat. If the food intake and their family members. At Raidigihi in South 24 in the past three months has gone down, then we can Paraganas, local residents forced a Trinamool panchayat safely assume that the number of people with reduced leader to do squats holding his ears as a punishment for immunity has gone up. In this scenario the mortality rate will increase. If the Government of India is looking at herd immunity, then it should release massive amounts of foodgrain.” The migrants of Bengal received another blow when the Centre left out West Bengal from the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhijan, a scheme designed to provide income opportunit- ies to migrants who have returned home following the lockdown. The Centre identified 116 districts in six States −Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pra- desh and Rajasthan−and selected for the scheme districts with over 25,000 returnee migrants. Subrata Mukherjee, State Panchayat and Rural Development Minister, pointed out that there were several districts in Bengal that met this criterion. With the State elections scheduled to take place in 10 months’ time, in which the main contestants are the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool, the TI Centre’s move is being seen as a politically motivated one. P The BJP has claimed that the State government failed to C HIEF MINISTER M amata Banerjee at an all-party provide the list of prospective beneficiaries under the meeting at the State Secretariat on June 24. scheme to the Centre. With the relaxation of the lockdown and the State his alleged corruption. On June 23, mobs attacked the government’s claims of the situation improving, people office of the Block Development Officer at Deganga in are increasingly lax in adhering to safety norms. There is North 24 Paraganas. a tendency to ignore social distancing rules and to do The Trinamool was forced to take disciplinary action away with masks. An eminent Kolkata-based doctor, against erring members of the party as the protests began Tamal Laha, said that such complacency was dangerous. to spread. The party expelled Manoj Singh, pradhan of “However high may be the recovery rate, it would be the Garalgacha gram panchayat in Hooghly district. In a dangerous to think that the virus is going away, because list of 166 people he had submitted for cyclone relief, his the rate of incidence is getting higher. People should be own phone number was given against more than 100 aware of the fact that corona is still there, it is still rising, names. Manoj Singh claimed that he was being victim- and it can still kill, and also keep in mind that our country ised by his enemies in the party. is still trying to increase its resources in order to deal with Irregularities in relief distribution was a major topic the situation,” he told Frontline. of discussion in the June 24 all-party meeting convened For all its apparent optimism, the State government by the government. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also seems acutely aware of the gravity of the situation. It said: “In some places some people have been deprived of called for an all-party meeting on June 24 to discuss the relief. The administration has been asked to make the list COVID scenario and other pressing issues. On the same of beneficiaries public…There is no scope of party politics day, the influential Trinamool legislator from Falta, in the distribution of relief.” २

47 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 C OVER STORY K ERALA Reckless opposition The Kerala government’s demand for pre-flight tests for Keralites wanting to return from abroad to stop the “super spread” of COVID becomes a convenient handle for the opposition to mount political pressure. BY R. KRISHNAKUMAR

T HE QUICK AND SAFE RETURN OF EXPATRIATES expatriate organisations mounted, and a Malayalam from COVID-affected countries, especially those in the newspaper popular among non-resident Keralites set Gulf region, has been a sensitive subject in Kerala ever apart its front page for pictures of Keralites who had died since the pandemic began to sway the world. abroad of COVID-19, the State Cabinet decided not to With the local body elections likely to take place in insist on COVID-negative certificates from expatriate October and the opposition using the issue to turn the travellers. Instead, the government said, the passengers opinion of expatriates and their families back home should wear N95 mask, face shield and gloves or other against the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, personal protective equipment and carry sanitisers. there are increasing instances of politics trying to tri- The Chief Minister was scathing in his criticism of the umph over prudence in the State, which has been doing newspaper for its display of obituary pictures with the very well in controlling the spread of the virus so far. legend, “How many more should die for the government One such instance is related to the government’s to bring back its expatriates?” He said: “When the gov- persistent demand—despite it being a politically incon- ernment took the stand that screening should be made venient one—that Keralites stranded in other countries mandatory for air travellers, some people had launched and wanting to return by chartered flights should be misleading campaigns. There were attempts to incite made to undergo COVID-19 tests in those countries, and expatriates and to create anger against the government. that those testing positive should be brought back in The government had made it clear from the beginning separate flights. that all Keralites interested in coming back would be This demand was made to the Centre on the basis of welcomed and that all arrangements would be made for the fact that 90 per cent of the cases reported in Kerala them. The government has not backed out from that were from among those who had come from abroad or stand at any stage or blocked any flight or prevented from other States; of these, 69 per cent of the cases were anybody from coming here.” those who had returned from abroad. A large section of But the opposition and leaders of expatriate organ- the people who have been brought back on a priority isations maintained that pre-flight tests were an imprac- basis were pregnant women, children, the aged and tical and inhuman suggestion, and given the situation of people suffering from other serious diseases. Keralites in many countries, where obtaining COVID Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said: “I have talked negative certificates was a difficult and costly task, it repeatedly about Keralites who contracted COVID-19 in would only push them towards wretchedness, if not other countries and died there. None of them died be- death. (According to the newspaper’s report on the same cause their travel to Kerala was delayed. They all got day, there were 296 COVID-related deaths of Keralites in whatever treatment was available in those countries. But the Gulf region until June 22. In contrast, the number of if we do not do the screening before people start their deaths in Kerala was 22.) Given its political compulsion journey, the disease may spread from passengers who are to checkmate the initiatives of the government to contain COVID positive to others during the flight, thus endan- the spread, which was bringing it praise from all over the gering their lives, too. Right now, death rates through world, the opposition tried to ignore the grim situation primary contacts is high. Another danger is a ‘super developing in the State and the need for extreme caution spread’ situation, where the disease spreads from one and restrictions to prevent an increase in COVID cases. person to a lot many others. It is because of all this that Although the number of cases in Kerala were fewer the State decided that pre-flight screening was essential.” compared with many other States, the State recorded its Yet, on June 24, as pressure from the opposition and highest one-day figure of 152 cases on June 24. In fact, for

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 48 M USLIM YOUTH L eague workers staging a protest near the Chief Minister’s residence in Thiruvananthapuram on June 18 against the government’s decision to allow only non- resident Keralites with COVID-free medical certificates to board flights bound for . MAHINSHA . S Kerala.

six consecutive days from June 19, Kerala reported more The Chief Minister said that though the government than 110 cases on each day. Over 1.5 lakh persons were was of the view that pre-flight screening should be con- still under observation as on June 25. Although the case- ducted on all those returning to the State, Indian em- load is increasing, cases are still reported only in small bassies in many countries had informed the Centre of the clusters. The Chief Minister said there was still no evid- practical difficulty in ensuring this. ence of a community spread in Kerala, even though “we The government has, therefore, said that from June cannot say that the threat of such a spread has gone away. 25, all chartered, private and Vande Bharat flights arriv- We need to continue our vigil”. As on June 24, Kerala had ing in Kerala can operate only under a new set of condi- 3,451 confirmed cases and 1,620 (47 per cent of the total) tions. The government said that those coming from active cases and reported 22 deaths (0.64 per cent of the countries that have test facilities should “make sincere total). It had a recovery rate of 52.36 per cent (1,807 efforts to get tested” and travel with the test certificate cases). The increasing number of cases in which the obtained within 72 hours before departure. All passen- source of infection was unknown was becoming a cause gers will be required to register on the COVID-19 for worry. Seventy-three such cases, with six deaths, were Jagratha website before their journey. Returnees from reported in the State until June 23. Health authorities the six Gulf countries will necessarily have to wear pro- are giving priority to identifying the source quickly as it is tective gear and carry sanitisers for frequent disinfection the key to controlling the spread. In many of these cases, during their journey. Those who show signs of the disease the list of primary and secondary contacts numbered upon arrival will be asked to go to hospitals for further between 200 and 300 or more. Some positive cases tests. All returnees, including asymptomatic persons, turned up with implausible travel or contact history, and who do not have proof of having undergone the necessary finding all the links was becoming a herculean task. tests, will be subjected to rapid antibody (lgG, lgM) test Panchayat and corporation wards were regularly de- upon their arrival at any airport in the State. All those clared as containment zones, with rigorous curbs in found positive for lgM antibodies will have to undergo place. There were growing instances of contact tracing, mandatory confirmatory tests such as RT-PCR, Gene sample collection and test results getting delayed, this X-press test or TruNat test. despite district administrations taking a cautious ap- The returnees, irrespective of the test results, will proach to the outbreak. The authorities continue to have to undergo the mandatory quarantine of 14 days, maintain that there is evidence only of “home clusters”. and give an undertaking that they will adhere to all health Clearly uncomfortable with the increasing caseload, and quarantine conditions specified by the government. the government has now started urging people to give The Chief Minister said that those found violating these importance to the use of masks, washing hands with conditions would invite penal action under the Disaster soaps, rubbing sanitisers on hands and observing phys- Management Act, 2005, the Epidemic Diseases (Amend- ical distancing norms inside homes, too. ment) Ordinance, 2020, and other relevant Acts and Only 55,905 of the 4,56,431 expatriates who had Rules. registered with NORKA-ROOTS, the State government There was a heavy rush of passengers into Kerala on agency responsible for their welfare, have come back to June 24. A total of 72 flights landed with 14,058 passen- the State as on June 21. gers in the four airports of the State on that day. २

49 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 C OVER STORY istration successfully organised the annual rath yatra in the TMCs set up in 6,798 gram panchayats was increas- Puri on June 23 within hours of the Supreme Court’s ing fast or leading to closure of the TMCs in many areas, O DISHA order to conduct the festival under various restrictions. the authorities are not taking any chances. The samples of 1,143 servitors and other people were Not ruling out the possibility of an increase in the tested immediately to ensure that no one with COVID-19 number of cases in July, the administration has changed infection took part in the yatra rituals. its approach in dealing with the situation. It has set up As people across the State stayed at home except for COVID Care Homes (CCHs) in all gram panchayats. those involved in essential activities and watched the live Each CCH can accommodate 10 to 12 persons with symp- telecast of the event, residents of Puri, too, did not go to toms of cold, cough and fever. People-driven plan the venue which normally attracts lakhs of devotees every Those who test positive at the CCH are shifted to year on the day of the festival. The rath yatra was not held COVID Care Centres at the block level or to the exclusive anywhere else in the State as per the apex court’s order. COVID hospital at the district level as required. A State- The government continues to maintain a high level of surveillance with People’s cooperation helped the State cope with Cyc- wide drive has been under way since June 16 under which people’s involvement to stop community transmission of COVID-19 lone Amphan in May even as it was dealing with ASHA (accredited social health activists) and ANM (aux- COVID-19. Many quarantine shelters were converted iliary nurse midwife) workers visit every home to find out while making efforts to reboot the rural economy. BY PRAFULLA DAS into cyclone shelters and 1,855 pregnant women, whose if any member of a family had symptoms. This exercise estimated date of delivery was nearing, were shifted to will continue until July 31. nearby hospitals before the storm hit the coastal belt. In order to further decentralise its COVID-19 man- MORE THAN THREE AND A HALF MONTHS Backed by different government departments that Front line workers are still engaged in the battle to agement, the government has set up ward-level commit- into its fight against COVID-19, the Odisha government’s are working as a team, the people have faced the health contain the spread of the virus as the number of people tees in urban and rural areas to monitor the situation and public awareness campaign slogan asks: “Are you going crisis with the kind of resilience they showed during testing positive has been growing by the day. By the last extend help to anyone testing positive. out of home to invite corona?” This sums up the State’s cyclones and floods in the past two decades. week of June, the State had more than 6,500 cases, of As the Health Department and other wings of the continuous efforts to communicate with the public to The Chief Minister has been holding high-level meet- whom about 4,500 had recovered. It also recorded,25 administration are engaged in preventing community avoid community transmission of the virus. ings through videoconferencing to review the situation deaths, seven of them owing to comorbidities. transmission, people are extending their full cooperation This also demonstrates how the people of the State, and sending video messages from time to time urging More than eight lakh migrant Odias had returned to to the authorities in checking the spread of the virus. having experienced many natural disasters in the past, people to obey the restrictions. The communities have the State since the nationwide lockdown was enforced in Apart from sarpanchs and ward members, who have have come together to handle another crisis with ease. responded positively, thereby making Odisha stand out March. About seven lakh of them completed their insti- been actively engaged in ensuring institutional quarant- The people stood behind Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as a model for other States in fighting the pandemic with tutional quarantine at temporary quarantine centres ine of migrants returning to their native places, lakhs of when he appealed to them in March to face the challenge its people-centric approach. (TMCs) by June end. members of women’s self-help groups are making people posed by the pandemic by adhering to various The people’s trust in Naveen Patnaik’s leadership in Although the arrival of migrant workers from other obey physical distancing norms to prevent the spread of restrictions. dealing with the pandemic was evident when the admin- States had dwindled and the number of vacant beds in the disease in the rural interiors. In fact, the situation has changed with the return of lakhs of migrant workers over a period of two months. Most of the returnees are unlikely to return to other FIRE SERVICE States for work in the near future. Many of them have personnel spraying taken up cultivation, some of them have been given work water on devotees to under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employ- keep them cool during ment Guarantee Act, but the majority of them are sitting the rath yatra in Puri idle. Experts feel that the State should do skill mapping of on June 23. returnee migrants and create labour-intensive industries to convert the crisis into an opportunity to revive the State’s economy. As the health care machinery continues to maintain a high level of surveillance despite many doctors and para- medical staff contracting the virus, the district adminis- trations are busy facing the twin challenges—dealing with COVID-19 cases and rebooting the rural economy through job creation under various schemes. The local authorities are enforcing lockdown and managing con- tainment zones in many places by involving the local people. Odisha was the first State in the country to declare COVID-19 a State disaster. The administration’s predict- ive ability acquired through the lessons learned from previous calamitous situations has come in handy to deal with the current crisis. The Chief Minister commended the people for their whole-hearted cooperation in con- taining the spread of the disease by maintaining physical Y SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT SPECIAL Y

B distancing and adhering to COVID-19 protocol. २

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 50 51 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 C OVER STORY graphical span of the State rather swiftly, at one point infecting people in all 52 districts. In the second half of M ADHYA PRADESH May, for instance, positive cases and the growth rate of deaths showed an upward trend. In the three weeks from May 6 to May 27, 12 districts registered more than 5 per cent growth rate of positive cases. There was a fatality rate of more than 5 per cent, as per data compiled on May 27. Even though Chouhan lauded the State’s testing ca- pacity—currently, 6,000 samples are being tested across Sops and polls 24 laboratories every day—a look at the data shows that testing has been erratic. Throughout May, the number of The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has been handing out sops tests conducted showed no uniformity. As many as 2,461 tests were conducted on May 1. They rose to 5,648 on amid the COVID crisis but faces criticism that ruling party leaders are May 16 but declined to 3,595 on May 27. contributing to the spread of the contagion through political activities Congress spokesperson Abbas Hafeez Khan alleges that BJP leaders have a hand in spreading the virus. “The TI aimed at winning impending byelections. BY ANANDO BHAKTO BJP leaders have only one priority at the moment: to win P the byelections. To achieve that end they are making A T THE all-out efforts to show the Congress in a bad light. Every 1 2th standard examination conducted by the A S THE GRAPH OF POSITIVE COVID CASES RISES hya Pradesh’s low COVID growth rate to underscore the second day they are organising large membership drives State Board of Secondary Education in Bhopal on June 10. steeply in Madhya Pradesh, the Congress alleges that the point that their response to the pandemic has been timely and claiming that Congress workers are joining them. In Shivraj Singh Chouhan government is banking heavily and adequate. In a much-publicised review meeting held reality, these are random people from the hinterland, not one of its legislators who had come to the Assembly to on the distribution of economic sops in order to avoid on June 23, Chouhan said that in the week preceding our members. But thanks to BJP leaders aggressively cast his vote for the Rajya Sabha election on June 19, being criticised for a shabby handling of the pandemic. June 22, the COVID-19 growth rate stood at 1.43 per moving people to and from hinterland to the State’s red tested positive. He is the second lawmaker in the State to As of June 25, the total number of cases stood at 12,448; cent, which was the lowest in the country. As per data zones such as Bhopal and Indore, the virus is spreading in be infected with COVID-19. Earlier, a Congress MLA the number of casualties reported was 534. released by the Madhya Pradesh government, the growth the villages at an alarming pace,” he told Frontline over from the Malwa-Nimar region tested positive. He had On June 22, the State government announced that rate is 2.1 per cent in Gujarat, Rajasthan 2.31 per cent in the phone from Bhopal. turned up in the Assembly sporting a personal protective electricity bills ranging between Rs.100 and Rs.400 Rajasthan, 2.96 per cent in Maharashtra, 3.23 per cent in Between May 21 and mid June, the contagion spread equipment (PPE) on the day of the Rajya Sabha election. would be rounded off to Rs.100 and households that ran West Bengal, 3.82 per cent in Uttar Pradesh , and 4.21 from 186 villages to 462 villages. Bhopal, along with The names of the legislators have not been disclosed to up bills above the Rs.400 mark would have to pay only per cent in Tamil Nadu. The national average is 3.63 per Bhind and Morena, have continued to report high num- the media. half of that amount. The Chief Minister said in a video- cent. ber of positive cases. On June 23, Bhind reported 22 The government is set to roll out its ambitious “Kill conference: “This decision will save the consumers of the The government’s claims, however, seem to be based positive cases, taking its tally to 173. Morena reported a corona campaign” from July 1. A team of 14,000 men and State Rs.183 crore. The State government will pay this on cherry-picked data. Experts have pointed out earlier total of 42 cases on June 22 and June 23. women will survey 100 homes daily over the next 15 days. amount to the electricity department.” The move is being that the virus had been spreading across the vast geo- The BJP regime in the State also faced criticism after The objective is to make a door-to-door survey of two seen as a populist measure adopted with an eye on im- crore families. pending byelections in 24 Assembly constituencies. The relief offered in electricity charges indeed seems R ELIEF FOR STUDENTS to be part of a pattern. Earlier, the government credited Meanwhile, in a major relief to 17.77 lakh students of Rs.451 crore into the accounts of more than 1,78,000 graduate and post-graduate courses in the current aca- beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Rural. demic session, the State government on June 22 an- Similarly, more than Rs.82 crore was transferred to the nounced that the first and second year students of accounts of over 8,000 beneficiaries under the Pradhan graduation courses along with students in the second Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban. Chouhan reintroduced the semester of post-graduation courses, would be promoted Sambhal Yojana for unorganised workers, which had without being evaluated through examinations. The de- been scrapped by the previous Kamal Nath government, cision was applicable to students in higher and technical and transferred Rs.41 crore to the beneficiaries. education institutes in the State. Chouhan has come under sharp attack from the Con- A government official told the media: “It was decided gress for focussing on the byelections; newspapers have that students of undergraduate first and second years been regularly splashing pictures of Bharatiya Janata and those in the second semester of post-graduate Party (BJP) leaders flouting social distancing norms in courses will be admitted to the next class or semester on their party membership drives. In the review meeting, the basis of marks of their previous year or semester or Chouhan said categorically that the government would through internal assessment, without any exam.” The come down heavily on hospitals if they were found to be government decided that the results final year of gradu- neglecting COVID-19 patients. “We have to save the lives ation students and of fourth semester post-graduataton of each and every corona patient,” he said. students would be compiled on the basis of highest marks Chouhan and his Cabinet colleagues are citing Mad- obtained by them in previous years or semesters. A stu- dent in the final year or semester, who wishes to improve HEALTH d epartment employees collect swab samples her or his marks, will be given the opportunity to take an

.M. FARUQUI .M. २ in a park in Bhopal on June 24. A offline examination at a later date.

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 52 53 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 C OVER STORY home in Kanpur. The revelation happened over four days ment turned vindictive against sections of the media and in the third week of June. The medical perils of the social media for reporting these. An FIR was lodged U TTAR PRADESH discovery were complicated further by the fact that five of against unidentified people for allegedly circulating false these girls were pregnant. Initial reports had it that one of information about the shelter home. The FIR contended these sexually exploited girls was HIV positive and an- that false news about the home was circulated on differ- other was infected with hepatitis C. A female staffer of the ent platforms, including news channels and social media. home was also found to be COVID-19 positive. While all The primary thrust of the FIR was on reports suggesting of them were admitted to hospital, the remaining 114 that one of the pregnant girls was HIV positive and girls and 37 employees were quarantined in a separate another had hepatitis C. It also stated that some media Travesty of truth building. Residents of the shelter home, all between 10 and social media interventions had revealed the identit- and 18 years of age, hailed from different districts, in- ies of the residents concerned. Uttar Pradesh scales new peaks in June in the number of COVID-19 cluding Agra, Etah, Kannauj, Firozabad and Kanpur. Referring to these events, Mahendra Singh pointed The disclosure of these cases with the added angle of out that while legal measures needed to be taken against cases, but leaders, including the Prime Minister, tom-tom the State’s sexual exploitation and pregnancy became a sensation those who revealed the names of the victims, the overall across the State with political and social organisations approach of the government was to punish anyone who BY VENKITESH RAMAKRISHNAN “success story”. taking it up in a big way. Taking suo motu cognisance of had made bold to talk about the revelation. “The hasty media reports, the National Human Rights Commission filing of an FIR and the consequent targeting of media ON JUNE 26, PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA Uttar Pradesh, told Frontline that the reason why the (NHRC) issued notices to the State’s Chief Secretary and organisations and personnel had all the trappings of a Modi credited the Yogi Adityanath-led Bharatiya Janata comparative advantage highlighted by the Prime Minis- Director General of Police (DGP). It called for a detailed cover-up operation. In fact, such instances of obfuscation Party (BJP) government in Uttar Pradesh with saving the ter had not brought solace to the people at large was that report and asked the officials to address the health status in terms of testing and revealing COVID-19 positive lives of approximately 85,000 people through its special the problems the pandemic caused were oppressive but of all the girls, including their medical treatment and cases abound across the State. Similarly, the larger infra- initiatives to contain the spread of COVID-19. Modi those who suffered them on a day-to-day basis did not counselling. The NHRC added that the Uttar Pradesh structural and administrative deficiencies and social based his claim on a comparison of demographies of four find adequate creative interventions from the State gov- government was expected to order an inquiry into the maladies like child sexual exploitation and caste-based European nations—the United Kingdom (U.K.), France, ernment. “On the contrary, the Yogi Adityanath govern- matter by an independent agency. It also called for a discrimination are all sought to be covered up. This Italy and Spain—and Uttar Pradesh. The total popula- ment is seen to be constantly trying to cover up its report regarding registration of a first information report context has also contributed to the lukewarm response to tion of these European nations is about 24 crores, which mistakes and deficiencies in COVID-19 relief activities,” (FIR) in the matter and the status of the investigation. the Prime Minister’s comparative claims on Uttar Pra- is also the population of the State. Citing these numbers, Mahendra Singh added. However, what happened following these interven- desh and the four countries in Europe,” he said. Ma- Modi argued that cumulatively the four European na- In this background, he made a specific reference to tions was mind-boggling. Instead of engaging creatively hendra Singh added that despite such efforts to tions had accounted for nearly 1.30 lakh COVID-19- the accidental discovery of COVID-19 infection in as with the alarming outbreak of COVID-19 and rampant under-report COVID-19 cases and related issues and related deaths while such deaths in the Indian State many as 57 minor girls in a government-run children’s sexual exploitation in the children’s home, the govern- actively dissuade the media and the people from discuss- numbered only about 600. He went on to add that the ing them, June 2020 had recorded the highest number of Uttar Pradesh government had foreseen the situation cases. In the process, he said, June had also turned out to and made quarantine and isolation facilities and that it be the worst month for Uttar Pradesh since the outbreak was this that had resulted in the smaller number of of the pandemic. fatalities. Making a direct political pitch on the basis of Uttar Pradesh has for several weeks ranked fifth this contention, Modi claimed that the situation would among the States in the number of COVID-19 cases, with have been different under previous governments as they the mortality rate rising steadily. Of the15 districts in the would have only dished out excuses. He made comments country with the highest death rates, four are in the State: while inaugurating, through a videoconference, the Jhansi, Meerut, Etah and Agra. “Atma Nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rojgar Yojna” (Uttar Pra- The data for these districts, as pointed out by Con- desh self-reliant employment project), publicised by the gress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, are disconcert- State government as an initiative to promote local entre- ing. One out of every 10 patients has died in Jhansi, while preneurship. in Meerut it is one death per 11 patients. In Etah and Undoubtedly, the Prime Minister’s statistical com- Agra, one out of every 14 patients has died. Besides, the parison and related claims added up to an impressive situation in the State capital, Lucknow, is turning from presentation. It was widely circulated by the publicity bad to worse. apparatus of the Uttar Pradesh government and the The steady rise of cases in the city has led to 100 areas propaganda wings of the BJP and other organisations in being included on the containment zone list. the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS)-led Sangh More worryingly, health and administrative officials Parivar. Yet, the traction that the campaign received, point out that security personnel constitute a large part of even in the assessments of some sections of the Sangh new cases. The number of COVID-19 positive cases Parivar, was limited. “Notwithstanding its strengths in among the police and other security personnel was terms of the comparative figures, the campaign based on around 200 in Lucknow alone in the beginning of the last this could not be termed a runaway hit,” remarked a week of June. At least four policemen have died in the senior RSS activist based in Lucknow. Mahendra Singh, State since the beginning of the pandemic. a social activist belonging to Kanpur, the biggest city in Clearly, the situation on the ground is unnerving even to security personnel, not to speak of common people, PATIENTS w ithi COVID-19 symptoms waiting for tests in even as leaders, including the Prime Minister, keep high-

TI २ the isolation ward of Hallet Hospital in Kanpur on June 19. P lighting the “success story” of Uttar Pradesh.

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 54 55 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 C OVER STORY B IHAR & JHARKHAND Capitals a concern

Bihar is still grappling with an increasing number of coronavirus cases, but the public discourse has veered away from the disease to politics as the Assembly election nears. Jharkhand, however, has made dramatic progress in tackling the pandemic. BY PURNIMA S. TRIPATHI

WHETHER IT WAS UNION HOME MINISTER released, while the doubling rate on June 3 was 9.48 days, Amit Shah addressing a virtual rally in Bihar on June 7 on June 21 it was 24.22 days. The growth rate for the extolling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Atmanirbhar disease has also slowed down: While the weekly growth Bharat programme or the Prime Minister himself con- rate in early June was 7.58 per cent, on June 21 it was gratulating the people of Bihar on June 20 on the valour down to only 2.9 per cent. The number of positive cases of the Bihar Regiment for its valiant fight with Chinese per thousand was 31 in early June and fell to 25 on June troops in the Galwan Valley, Ladakh, the public dis- 23. The percentage of positive cases has also gone down: course in Bihar is no longer about the coronavirus; it is from 3.11 per cent in the period from June 3 to10, it went politics as usual. This, despite the fact that the pandemic down to 2.7 per cent between June 10 and 17 and to 2.5 continues to rage in the State. Irrespective of the fact that per cent between June 17 and 22. the Modi-Shah speeches were touted as the Bharatiya According to officials of the State Health Depart- Janata Party’s (BJP) routine “jansamvaad” programmes, ment, the State recorded a recovery rate of 71 per cent, the message was clear. The election bugle had been soun- against the national average of 53 per cent. As of June 25, ded. The BJP programme was quickly followed by virtual the State had a total of 2,219 cases of infection, of which meetings addressed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and 1,575 had recovered. Significantly enough, 1,841 of the the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the main opposition infected persons were migrant workers who had re- party in the State, too hit the road to connect with people. turned from other parts of India. The number of deaths The Assembly election is scheduled for too has been low in the State, only 13, and these were October-November. patients who had co-morbidities, said State officials. Jharkhand, Bihar’s younger sibling, on the other “This has been possible because anticipating a spike hand, has achieved the distinction of successfully con- in the number of cases with the return of migrants, we taining the spread of the pandemic. According to the had made arrangements for their screening, quarantin- figures the Jharkhand government Health Department ing, testing and treatment. Fortunately, people in villages TI RUN SHARMA/PTI RUN A P HOME MINISTER Amit Shah addressing a rally via videoconferencing from the BJP headquarters on June 7. (Right) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with National Democratic Alliance candidates for the Legislative Council elections after they filed their nomination papers, at the Bihar Vidhan Sabha in Patna on June 25.

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 56 State in mind. Its candidates are Gulam Gaus, Kumud Verma and Bhism Sahni. The Congress party has fielded Samir Kumar Singh as its candidate. The dramatic man- ner in which Samir Singh’s candidature was decided is symptomatic of the confusion in the Congress party, not only in Bihar but everywhere else too. The party had just one seat to contest for the council election and had initially decided on Tariq Anwar, a five-time MP from Katihar. Working president Sonia Gandhi had approved his name. But, he was replaced at the eleventh hour because it was discovered his name was not on the voter’s TI P list in Bihar, the primary criterion to be satisfied to TESTING being done in Ranchi on May 16. Jharkhand contest council elections. has so far tested 1,28,214 samples. The political meter in Bihar started ticking ever since Amit Shah’s June 7 virtual rally. Modi addressed the too have become so aware that they ensured quarantin- people of Bihar on June 20 while launching the Garib ing and isolation of those who returned from outside, Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan, an employment scheme for mi- which helped in containing the spread,” said a senior grants returning to the State from other parts of India. official. The State has so far tested 1,28,214 samples. Before starting his speech, the Prime Minister paid glow- According to senior government officials, there are ing tributes to the soldiers of the Bihar Regiment who four districts in the State that have become completely laid down their lives fighting the Chinese in the Galwan coronavirus free: Deoghar, Godda, Dumka and Valley. Taking the Bihar Regiment to be synonymous Sahibganj. The State capital, Ranchi, continues to have a with Biharis, Modi said that this was a victory for Biharis large number of cases, making it a cause of concern for and every Bihari was proud of it. officials. Bihar, which also saw a spike in the number of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held his own virtual cases with the return of migrants, has a total of 8,381 meeting with his party workers on June 10 and is to cases, and the number of deaths was 60 as of June 25. But continue his virtual meetings in the days to come to the number of those who have recovered is 6,113, making exhort them to spread the message of his government’s it one of those States that have a high recovery rate of 72 good performance. The RJD, however, has decided to per cent. Like Ranchi, Patna, Bihar’s capital, continues to stick to its people-connect programmes. RJD workers, be problematic, with 506 cases, but here too 287 patients led by Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav, have been organ- have recovered. While the Bihar government has been ising protests and marches to draw attention to the fail- patting itself on the back for the low number of cases and ures of the Nitish Kumar government. Social distancing fatalities because of its timely detection and treatment, and other precautions go for a toss during these pro- opposition parties say this is because no testing is being grammes, but nobody seems to be bothered. done. “We have failed completely on testing. If you don’t Meanwhile, typical election-time confabulations count, then obviously, the number of cases will be low,” have started in the opposition camp where reports of said Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Rajya Sabha member of the differences over the leadership issue have started doing Congress. the rounds. While the RJD is firm on projecting Tejashwi In Bihar, however, the coronavirus is not as much of a Yadav as its chief ministerial face, its allies such as like the concern as getting the caste equations right for the As- Rashtriya Lok Samta Party led by Upendra Kushwaha sembly election, and this was visible in the parties’ and the Hindustani Awam Morcha led by Jitan Ram choices of candidates for the State Legislative Council Manjhi are not agreeable to the proposal. Even the Con- election to be held on July 6 for nine seats. The choices gress party said that the issue should not become the caused a lot of buzz in political circles. The RJD’s choice talking point at this stage. “The leadership issue can be of Sunil Singh, Ram Bali Chandravanshi and Farukh discussed later,” said Akhilesh Prasad Singh, adding that Shaikh as it nominees set tongues wagging. According to there was no problem about it though. But there is a political observers, the choice of Sunil Singh, a Rajput, feeling among RJD allies that if Tejaswi Yadav is de- was a definite giveaway that the RJD was trying to woo clared the leader of the alliance, the election would be- forward castes too. If the RJD gets even a fraction of the come a Nitish versus Tejashwi contest and the alliance forward caste votes, it becomes a winning proposition for would lose out. “Our main focus is to defeat the Nitish the party when combined with its substantial Muslim- Kumar government, and we stand united on this. One Yadav vote bank. round of talks has already been held in Delhi where all “It is no secret that people in Bihar are not so happy parties attended,” said Akhilesh Prasad Singh. with Nitish Kumar, and they are looking for alternatives. Amidst all this animated election talk, the If the RJD is seen to be accommodating the upper castes coronavirus has been relegated to the background. “Now too, why not?” said Raj Kumar, a BJP sympathiser. new cases are coming slowly. The growth rate has fallen. The Janata Dal (United) too has chosen its nominees God has been kind to Bihar, otherwise we would have for the Legislative Council with the caste equation of the paid a heavy price,” said Raj Kumar. २

57 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 C OVER STORY scene,” he said. On June 16, Deputy Commissioner Shyam Lal Poonia of Sonipat district, who is also the H ARYANA district head of the Disaster Management Authority, warned individuals not to spread fake news relating to COVID-19 on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. According to him, such news and YouTube videos posted by individuals had the potential to spread panic and cause mental stress. He also stated that the usage of such media was “journalistic Sharp increase activity” and, therefore, needed to be cleared by the gov- ernment’s Information Department. Poonia made a ref- TI P erence to the Supreme Court’s advice to the media about In Haryana, the number of active cases has shown a sharp rise in D R VEENA SINGH, D irector of Health Services, Haryana, accurate reporting. addresses a press conference at PWD Rest House in The court made these observations in April in re- recent weeks, approximating the trend in neighbouring Delhi. Gurugram on June 19. sponse to an appeal from the Central government to restrain the media. The Deputy Commissioner warned BY T.K. RAJALAKSHMI mobile sector, which was already in a state of slowdown that anybody spreading fake news relating to the epi- much before the lockdown, only spare parts were being demic and thereby causing panic among people would manufactured. Given the shortage of labour and in order face charges under the relevant provisions of the Epi- HARYANA WAS ONCE WAY BELOW ON THE who had left the State following the lockdown had not to entice the migrant workforce back, the government demic Diseases Act, 1957; the Disaster Management Act list of States with the highest number of COVID-19 returned. A large number of them from States such as declared that it would bear up to Rs.1,500 of the travel and Rules, 2005; and the Indian Penal Code. People infections but has now moved up the ranks to ninth place. Bihar and Uttar Pradesh had stayed in their home States, expenses of migrant workers if they returned to the State. found guilty could be imprisoned for one year and have to In the one-week period of June 21-26, the average growth while some workers from neighboring Rajasthan had Despite the offer, workers had not turned up and so the pay a fine under the provisions of the Disaster Manage- rate of cases was 4 per cent, higher than that of Rajasthan returned. Construction activity had come to a standstill labour shortages in construction and other labour-in- ment Act. “He’s very strict about all this, but when we or Madhya Pradesh but lower than neighbouring Delhi. as the bulk of the workforce in construction was from tensive forms of production persist. requested him to allow us to distribute rations among Even though Haryana has reported a low mortality rate Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Most of the smaller industrial While on the one hand industry was facing labour workers who had been left to fend for themselves, he did (1.59 per cent; 198 deaths as of June 26) compared with units had not reopened, while the workforce participa- shortages, white-collar workers, including those at the not give us passes to move around,” said Jai Bhagwan. other States, the number of confirmed cases per million tion in the larger units was anywhere between 25 per cent lower managerial levels, were being retrenched. The loss He said that the administration in various districts of the population was higher than the national average. and 50 per cent only. of jobs in the information technology and IT-enabled had allowed quasi-religious organisations and outfits af- In fact, the daily spike in the number of cases in June services sector was huge. Jai Bhagwan, general secretary filiated to the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh to do relief has been sharp, with the trend approximating and imit- L ABOUR SHORTAGE of the State unit of the CITU, said that many of those who work but had not allowed the Left parties and their mass ating the growth of cases in Delhi. The percentage of The shortage of demand was one reason for the units not had been laid off were youngsters who had literally been organisations to do the same. “Despite having worked in active cases (the rate of infections) was almost double reopening. Production too was broadly in the range of 25 left “high and dry”. “Their employers have been forcing the unorganised sector in the State for so many years, we that of Rajasthan and more than that of Delhi, which is to 50 per cent. Workers were being paid only for the days them to resign. They do not know what to do and where were given only 20 passes in all. We were not able to help worrying. The districts of Gurugram and Faridabad, both they worked without any provision for leave. In the auto- to apply. The Labour Department is nowhere on the our members and other workers because of this,” he told industrial hubs and employment centres for blue-collar Frontline. and white-collar workers alike, accounted for 62.69 per On May 14, the Union Finance Minister announced cent of the cases in the State in the fourth week of June. that all migrants who did not possess ration cards would That is, of the total of 12,884 confirmed COVID-19 cases get five kilograms of grain a person and one kilogram of in Haryana, 8,078 were reported from these two districts, gram, or channa, a family for a period of two months. with Gurugram accounting for 38.27 per cent of the total Apparently, in Haryana not a single migrant family had caseload and Faridabad for 24.32 per cent. In third place received this benefit. The District Commissioner in one was Sonipat with 8.49 per cent, and Rohtak, the political particular district told a delegation of women activists of capital of the State, accounted for only 3.9 per cent of the the All India Democratic Women’s Association that he overall caseload. On an average, the State has conducted had not received any “written orders” and, therefore, 8,262 tests in one million of the population, which is could not give the go-ahead for distributing the rations. much lower than Delhi (22,106 tests per million) or He said, however, that he could help with organising Rajasthan (9,799 tests per million). Its recovery rate at cooked food for them. Much of the State has been in an 59.22 per cent is lower than that of Delhi and nearly 20 “unlock” mode since the first week of June as religious percentage points lower than the recovery rate of places and shopping malls outside containment zones Rajasthan. have been opened to the public though with standard A recent survey done by the State unit of the Centre of operating procedures and guidelines in place to prevent Indian Trade Unions (CITU) in the industrial areas in the spread of the virus. In the worst affected districts, Gurugram, Faridabad and Panipat found that workers Gurugram for instance, the lockdown in containment zones was extended until June 30. Concerned about the A LABOURER w orks on the Shankar Chowk elevated rising number of cases in Kaithal, Deputy Commissioner U-turn flyover in Gurugram on June 13. Labour shortages Sujan Singh imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal in construction and other labour-intensive forms of Procedure in the district on June 17 and it was to remain TI production persist in the State. P in force until June 30. २

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 58 59 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 C OVER STORY PTI Ordinances ‘anti-farmer’

Three ordinances passed recently by the Central government in connection with the marketing of agricultural produce have been opposed

by all political parties except the BJP. BY ZIYA US SALAM

W HEN THE LOCKDOWN RESTRICTIONS PLOUGHING IN PROGRESS a t a village near began to be eased in Punjab in early June, the Central Amritsar on June 9. government promulgated three ordinances which could change the way the State stores and markets its agricul- Livestock Contract Farming Act of 2018 for adoption by tural produce in the years to come. The ordinances are the States.” aimed at ushering in agricultural reforms for raising However, all the major political parties of Punjab, farmers’ income and giving them the freedom to sell their except the Bharatiya Janata Party, have either opposed produce beyond the mandis. the ordinances or sought clarifications and safeguards. The President promulgated the Farmers’ Produce The Punjab government even felt the ordinances went Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Or- against the spirit of cooperative federalism and urged the dinance 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protec- Centre to rethink the issue. It rejected outright the slogan tion) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services of “One India, One Agriculture Market”, emphasising Ordinance 2020 and the Essential Commodities that each State, as indeed each crop, had its own unique (Amendment) Ordinance Act 2020 . According to an characteristics and nuances which could not be official release, the Central government had been making homogenised. comprehensive interventions to impart efficiency to agri- cultural marketing, with the aim of raising the incomes of F ARMERS PROTEST the farmers. It stated: “Recognising the bottlenecks pre- Even as the government was considering leading an all- venting the holistic development of marketing of the party delegation to the Prime Minister, farmers took to agriculture produce, the government drafted the Model the streets, alleging that the ordinances were a ruse to Agriculture Produce and Livestock Marketing (APLM) destroy the long-suffering farmer. Act 2017, and also the Model Agriculture Produce & Under the aegis of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 60 Samiti, hundreds of farmers organised “The Agriculture Produce Marketing Sys- protests in various districts of Punjab and tem in Punjab has stood the test of time submitted memorandums to the District and served the State as well as the country Magistrates in Hoshiarpur, Fazilka, Tarn over the past 60 years. It had in fact been Taran, Moga, Jallandhar and Amritsar, an important contributor to the success of seeking revocation of the ordinances. Ex- the Green Revolution and helped in ensur- pressing apprehension about the timing of ing food security on the one hand and se- the ordinances, veteran Bhartiya Kisan curing livelihood of millions of farmers and Union leader Ajmer Singh Lakhowal farm workers on the other.” wondered why the government was in a Arguing that the State had a well-or- hurry to pass the ordinances, bypassing ganised system of mandis and godowns, he KHILESH KUMAR KHILESH Parliament. A alleged that the changes sought to be “If Modi claims it is about One Nation, C HIEF MINISTER ushered in through the ordinances had led One Agriculture then they could have A marinder Singh. to fears that the government was moving waited for the Parliament session, held dis- towards withdrawal of the assured pro- cussions with all political parties before curement of foodgrains produced by the arriving at a decision. As it turned out, they local farmers. did not discuss it with the State govern- The well-established system of min- ment. Forget taking the Chief Minister into imum support price (MSP) will be ad- confidence, they did not consult kisan lead- versely affected, he claimed. ers either, nor did they speak to various Amarinder Singh won support across panchas (panchayat leaders). But who will the political spectrum at an all-party meet- suffer? Not the Central government but ing convened on June 24, with even the the average farmer who sweats it out in the leading opposition party, the Shiromani fields every day to feed the nation.” Akali Dal (SAD), coming on board. “For

Lakhowal added, “The ordinances will SHARMA AMESH SAD, no ministry, alliance or government R annadata kill the farmers. Once the private compan- A JMER SINGH is beyond the welfare of the , the ies are able to dig in their feet, they will L akhowal, Bharatiya farmers,” said SAD president Sukhbir control the market, they will control the Kisan Union leader. Singh Badal. prices. They will even buy the mandi. What Punjab Congress Committee president is preventing them?” Sunil Jakhar was more forthright in seek- However, the ordinance on price assurance specifies ing immediate revocation of the “three anti-farmer or- that mandis will not be touched. dinances” and said it would place the farmers’ fate at the “They are lying. The government will waive off all mercy of the corporates. taxes for them, i.e. the corporate houses. I know it as I “The BJP’s real intent is to eventually do away with have been the president of the Punjab Mandi Board until the MSP regime, which they consider a burden on the a few years ago. The effects will not be seen this year. It Indian economy, and the actual purpose behind these will take two-three years. Our agriculture will slip into ordinances is to prepare smooth ground towards that end the hands of corporate houses. Instead of working for the so that government steps out and the corporates step in,” poor farmer, the Centre seems to be working for Adani- he told the all-party meeting. Ambani. The poor farmer will become a labourer on his The Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab unit president, Bhag- own fields once these corporate houses come into the want Mann, claimed that not only farmers but arhtiyas scene. A man who until now owned a small patch of land [commission agents] and small traders would be im- but managed to sustain himself with that will be reduced pacted adversely by the ordinances. The BJP, though, to the status of a landless labourer,” said Lakhowal. claimed that the new rules were pro-farmer, and the Chief Minister Amarinder Singh wrote to the Prime ordinances were passed only to help ameliorate the lot of Minister urging him to review the ordinances in the spirit the farmers during the lockdown. of “cooperative federalism”. Pointing out that Punjab had Shortly afterwards, Amarinder Singh stated, “The been at the forefront of ensuring food security for the major political parties barring the BJP have resolved to nation even at the time of the pandemic, Amarinder appeal to the Prime Minister to immediately withdraw Singh pointed out that agriculture was a State Subject the recently passed ordinances. An all-party delegation is under the Constitution and it features at Entry 14 in the likely to convey their strong reservations on the subject to State List. “On the other hand, trade and commerce the Centre.” feature at Entry 33 of the Concurrent List which enables The BKU’s Ajmer Singh Lakhowal said: “They are both the Union and State governments to legislate on the doing the right thing. What else can the State govern- subject provided the State legislation is not repugnant to ment do at such a time? The State government was not the Union’s legislation.” taken into confidence but it knows this corporatisation of Praising the State’s track record, including ushering agriculture will ruin the farmers, and ultimately snatch in the Green Revolution, Amarinder Singh reiterated, the food away from the poor.” २

61 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 C OVER STORY Rising to the occasion As many as 20 NGOs and a wide group of volunteers under the umbrella of Mercy Mission have undertaken a significant share of relief work in Bengaluru during the lockdown. BY VIKHAR AHMED SAYEED

THE NATIONWIDE LOCKDOWN THAT BEGAN demanded by civil society activists, Mercy Mission set on March 25 not only decimated the livelihoods of mil- up 33 food kitchens at different locations within the city lions in one fell swoop, but also pointed to the severe gap and prepared an estimated 11.8 lakh meals. The volun- between the state’s intentions and efforts, and the reality teers of the coalition facilitated the distribution of 12.3 on the ground with regard to relief work. A variety of lakh food packets by governmental and non-govern- non-state actors all over the country undertook to fill this mental agencies. On any given day, as many as 500 gap by mobilising manpower and resources to reach out volunteers were out on the streets of Bengaluru. to migrant workers throughout the lockdown. The Mercy Mission also set up a helpline where vo- In Bengaluru, Mohammed Ummer, the CEO of the lunteers handled thousands of phone calls and noted non-profit organisation Project Smile, met Dr Taha down requests and requirements. Medicines worth Mateen, the managing trustee of HBS Hospital, a day Rs.3.94 lakh were distributed free of cost; at a time when before the Janata Curfew of March 22 and discussed there was a severe shortage of blood in blood banks, the possibility of building a coalition of non-govern- volunteers donated blood. mental organisations (NGOs) active in the city as con- When the Shramik Special trains began operations cerns about the COVID-19 pandemic grew. Explaining on May 3, the Mercy Mission took charge of the welfare of the formation of the coalition that quickly brought the migrant workers at railway stations and “mustering together several NGOs under the umbrella of “Mercy centres” (spaces where the workers gathered before they Mission”, Dr Mateen said: “The Delhi riots made us boarded the Shramik Specials). Until May 31, more than realise that we [Muslims] had to have a disaster man- 1,75,000 migrant workers who left on the 107 trains were agement team. We had no idea about the possible provided with food packets as well as kits containing severity of the lockdown at that time.” essentials such as slippers, diapers and sanitary napkins. Speaking to Frontline, Ummer explained that this was a novel initiative as “such a large-scale collaboration T RANSPORTING COVID-19 DECEASED on a neutral platform had not happened before in Among the notable operations of the Mercy Mission is Bengaluru”. their transporting the COVID-19 deceased in Bengaluru. As soon as the lockdown began on March 25, the Volunteers of the coalition, dressed in full personal pro- coalition, which comprised 20 NGOs, organised its activ- tective equipment (PPE), transferred the bodies of the ities under broad departmental heads based on the kind dead from hospitals to crematoriums and cemeteries. of relief required. In retrospect, it is staggering to see the In undertaking all these activities, this NGO coalition amount of work they undertook in the next few weeks received generous funding from private companies such during the strictest phase of the lockdown. as Wipro, and also raised a significant amount of funds Until May 31, the Mercy Mission had distributed through the networks of its member NGOs. over 73,000 dry ration kits worth Rs.7.5 crore across According to Vijay Grover, an independent journalist 300 localities in Bengaluru and elsewhere in Karnataka. who has been involved with relief work through the At a time when state actors such as the Bruhat lockdown: “The scale of work that the Mercy Mission did Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Labour matched the efforts of the Labour Department and other Department were struggling to run food kitchens as government agencies in mitigating widespread hunger.”

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 62 Y SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT SPECIAL Y B MERCY MISSION v olunteers distributing food packets to migrant workers travelling by Shramik Special trains.

A Labour Department official who was supervising the youths, who had been active in the anti-CAA protests. distribution of rations during the lockdown said: “The As concerns about the pandemic began to spread Mission did a tremendous job in distributing food.” even as the anti-CAA protests were continuing in full Among others who appreciated the work of the coalition swing, many of these protest networks quickly reoriented was Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan. themselves towards relief activities. Vinay Sreenivasa, a A senior railway official who was supervising the lawyer working with the Alternative Law Forum, said: Shramik Specials said: “They even did the jobs of porters, “Muslims were determined to work possibly due to the carrying the luggage of elderly travellers. Amidst all the anti-CAA networks that they had built and the propa- bad publicity that Muslims were victims of, they emerged ganda about the community.” as the true corona warriors in Bengaluru.” As M.A. Shariff, trustee of the Lifeline Foundation The “bad publicity” that the railway official referred and one of the key members of Mercy Mission, noted: to was the vilification of the Muslim community in the “The period from December 2019 to March 2020 was aftermath of the Tablighi Jamaat markaz in Nizamuddin extremely harsh on Indian Muslims as they faced ma- which emerged as a COVID-19 hotspot in March, and the jor debacles like the passage of the CAA, the Delhi riots subsequent communalisation of the pandemic. Tanveer and the hateful propaganda that followed the Tablighi Ahmed, a coordinator at Mercy Mission, said: “The com- Jamaat incident. However, the response by them has munalisation of the pandemic was frustrating. We have been extremely heartening as they have chosen to rise beaten this false narrative through the medium of love to the occasion negating these setbacks and lead the and this was a big motivation for me to help. I did not nation’s fight against the pandemic from the come across any of the so-called ‘nationalists’ while we forefront.” were out there on the streets.” Sanya Khan, a volunteer of Mercy Mission, arranged In Mercy Mission’s activities, one can also see that a diesel for the generators at Tripura Vasani, a convention sense of social activism has pervaded the Muslim com- hall that served as a mustering centre. Without the munity, buoyed perhaps by the notion of “constitutional diesel-fuelled generators, migrant workers at these nationalism” that has struck deep roots among the centres could not even recharge their mobile phones. In a Muslim youths in the wake of the widespread anti-Cit- conversation with Frontline, she hoped that the mission’s izenship (Amendment) Acts (CAA) protests that began work would change the perception of Muslims. in December last year. “Often I would hear from these workers who were While the core leadership of Mercy Mission is drawn mainly from north Indian states: ‘Madamji, aap hamare from established NGOs who have been working in char- liye itna kar rahe hain, par aapke bare mein kya kya itable activities for several years, the wider circle of volun- bolte hain’ (Madam, you are doing so much for us, but all teers was drawn from the corps of educated Muslim kinds of things are said about you [Muslims]).” २

63 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 been exchanged so far. Anyway, Prime Minister Modi has chosen not to escalate the con- flict: he has said that the Chinese side has not made any territorial gains after the clashes. “No one has in- truded into our territory,” Modi told the all-party meeting which he con- vened after the June 15 incident. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is- sued a statement saying that Modi at the outset of the meeting had clari- fied that “neither is anyone inside our territory nor is any of our post cap- tured”. Two days earlier, the Indian External Affairs Ministry had ac- cused the Chinese side of crossing the LAC and building illegal struc- tures in the Galwan Valley. Former Prime Minister Manmo- han Singh issued a statement on June 22 cautioning the government that the Prime Minister “must al- ways be mindful of the implications of his words and declarations on our nation’s security as also strategic and INDIA AND CHINA territorial interests”. He said the Prime Minister “cannot allow them to use his words as a vindication of their position and must ensure that all organs of the government must work together to tackle this crisis and TIME FOR TALKS prevent it from escalating further”. The Chinese media were gener- AUSEEF MUSTAFA/AFP AUSEEF

T ally appreciative of Modi’s statement and said it would help defuse the Tensions raised by the bloody June 15 clash between Indian and I NDIAN SOLDIERS a t the foothills of But the last thing the Narendra tense situation. According to the a mountain range near Leh, Ladakh, on Modi government, like the interna- Chinese Defence Ministry spokes- Chinese soldiers in the Galwan Valley remain, but both sides have June 25. tional community, wants is an un- man, Wu Qian, Indian soldiers were winnable war in the times of a responsible for the June 15 incident; apparently decided to choose dialogue rather than Ladakh border until the end of April. pandemic. But whipping up nation- he claimed that it had taken place on aggressive rhetoric as the way forward. BY JOHN CHERIAN India has placed 300,000 troops alistic feelings and jingoism helps di- the Chinese side of the LAC. “The along the LAC on “the highest alert”. vert people’s attention from the incident took place solely due to In- The Indian Navy has been placed on government’s mismanagement of dia breaking the consensus [between THE Line of Actual Control ising the need for the dialogue the Galwan valley near the area alert for possible encounters with the pandemic and the economy. the two sides],” the spokesman said. (LAC), the de facto border between process to continue. where the clash took place. Chinese naval vessels. There is even The Chinese side insists that the The two sides had started military- India and China, has remained calm Satellite imagery taken in the The three major friction points talk by retired diplomats and army Galwan Valley has been part of China level talks on June 6 to try and re- since the bloody clash on June 15 in days following the clash showed that are in Galwan, Hot Springs and the officials about India considering the since the time of the Qing dynasty. solve the differences that had sud- the contested Galwan Valley which both the Indian Army and the Fingers area near the Pangong Tso eventuality of a blockade of the The Indian side has strongly denly cropped up. Both sides claim claimed the lives of 20 Indian sol- Chinese People’s Liberation Army lake. The PLA had occupied territory Straits of Malacca in tandem with differed, stating that its troops regu- that the agreements reached during diers and injured 70. Ten Indian sol- (PLA) were reinforcing their posi- up to Finger 4 in the Pangong Tso the United States, Japan and Aus- larly went on patrol duty to the area. the June 6 corps commanders’ talks diers were taken prisoner and tions across the border. The Indian area in early May and wants the In- tralia, its military partners in the There is a picture of Prime Minister were disregarded and that led to the released within days. The Indian government has let it be known that dian Army to confine its patrolling Quad, if the situation escalates fur- Indira Gandhi addressing troops in clash of June 15. Talks between Army was threatening a decisive re- the military commanders stationed up to Finger 2. The area had wit- ther. Much of China’s imports and the Galwan Valley soon after the senior military officers were re- sponse but cooler heads seem to have along the LAC have been given a nessed clashes between Indian and exports pass through the choke point Bangladesh war. Both sides have sumed on June 22. According to In- prevailed, at least for the time being. “free hand” to respond to any further Chinese soldiers in the third week of of the Straits of Malacca. A former varying perceptions about where ex- dian officials, they remain The Chinese side has been trying to Chinese “aggression”. Satellite pic- May. As of now, the Chinese side is Indian Army chief, General V.P. Ma- actly the LAC runs through in the deadlocked as the Chinese side has downplay the skirmish, the most ser- tures that have been released pur- showing no intention to restore the lik, said that the Indian Army was remote mountainous terrain. No not shown any inclination to vacate ious in the last 45 years, and emphas- port to show some PLA structures in situation that existed on the eastern capable of fighting a “two front” war. maps of the Himalayan border have recently occupied areas.

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 64 65 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 Chinese Foreign Ministry the reports about the number of spokesperson Zhao Lijiang asserted deaths on the Chinese side were “fake that the confrontation in the Galwan news”. He said some Chinese soldiers Valley had taken place on the received only “light injuries” in the Chinese side of the LAC. The Chinese June 15 confrontation. Chinese offi- side had initially refused to go into cials have maintained that they had the details of the June 15 clash but is initially preferred not to comment on now increasingly becoming vocal. the issue as they did not want to in- “The reckless actions by the Indian flame domestic sentiments. military seriously violated agree- After the June 23 military com- ments signed between the two coun- manders’ meeting on the Chinese tries and seriously violated the basic side of the LAC at the Moldo border principles of international relations. crossing point, the two sides agreed They were evil in nature and the con- to continue with “a mutual con- sequences were severe,” the Foreign sensus to disengage” and had de- Ministry spokesman asserted. Zhao tailed discussions on “all the friction said the Chinese side had to be more areas” like the Galwan Valley, Hot forthcoming to counteract what he Springs and Pangong Tso areas. described as the “large amount of Local commanders from both sides fake news” being circulated by the will now meet regularly to “cool Indian media and diplomats. down the situation”. The idea is to Beijing finally reacted to the as- create a de facto buffer zone between sertion by Indian officials that there the two armies along the friction were more casualties on its side in areas. the Galwan clash. Former Indian The Chinese Defence Ministry Army chief Gen. V.K. Singh, who is spokesman expressed the hope that now a Minister of State in the Central the Indian side can now at least meet government, claimed that at least 40 the Chinese side “half way” to work PLA soldiers had been killed. China’s together in easing the tensions and to Defence Ministry spokesman said “maintain peace and tranquility in

NYT

the border region”. India’s External I N AN IMAGE p rovided by Maxar Technologies, a Chinese army base in the legitimate interests of partners. It Affairs Ministry spokesman cau- Galwan Valley near the unofficial border with India in May 2020. was meant to be a none-too-subtle tiously responded by saying “that message to China. Chinese Foreign both sides remain deployed in large out, but it did not. We have learned BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, Minister Wang Yi preferred to focus numbers in the region, while military since then and discussions are the South Africa) grouping and the on the importance of the three coun- and diplomatic contacts are best way forward,” he said. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation tries unitedly facing up to the chal- continuing”. The border tensions were barely (SCO). Russia is also the biggest lenges thrown up by the COVID-19 Wang Dehua, a specialist in mentioned at the virtual trilateral arms supplier to both China and In- pandemic than comment on the South Asian studies in Shanghai Russia, India, China (RIC) group dia. Moscow has a stake in cooling Ladakh clash. This was the first time University, told South China Morn- meeting hosted by Moscow on June down the tensions between the two the Indian and the Chinese Foreign ing Post that the military-level talks 23. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Asian neighbours. Russia believes Ministers were meeting after the to de-escalate the situation along the Lavrov, chairing the meeting, said that good relations between New June 15 incident. According to the LAC were an encouraging sign. He India and China did not require any Delhi and Beijing are essential for Indian Ambassador to China, said that many more rounds of talks outside help to resolve their out- the rise of a multipolar world. Vikram Misri, Jaishankar told his had taken place compared with the standing issues. Russia does not External Affairs Minister S. Chinese counterpart that the recent TI P talks held after the Doklam stand-off want the two RIC partner countries Jaishankar, in his speech, emphas- events “cannot but have an impact on EXTERNAL AFFAIRS Minister S. Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister started in 2017. “At that time, I was to drift apart. India and China, along ised India’s commitment to interna- the bilateral relationship”. Wang Yi during a meeting in New York on September 25, 2019. concerned that a fight would break with Russia, are members of the tional law, multilateralism and the There are indications that New

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 66 67 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 resent around 3,000 budget hotels, announced that the hotels would not provide hospitality to Chinese na- tionals. The association had come out in support of the Confederation of All India Traders, which had called for the boycott of all Chinese goods. Leading economists and in- dustry heads have warned the Indian government against making moves TI

P against China that would further en- P RIME MINISTER N arendra Modi and leaders of other political parties danger the beleaguered Indian eco- during a videoconference on the border situation, in New Delhi on June 19. nomy. Annual trade between the two countries is worth $90 billion, with a Delhi is unwilling at this juncture to will not occur again”. deficit of around $50 billion in Chi- come “half way” as suggested by the The Indian External Affairs Min- na’s favour. Chinese side. “The heart of the mat- istry spokesperson alleged that The only country that has rushed ter is that since early May, the China had been trying to “unilater- to support India in the military stan- Chinese side has been amassing a ally change the status quo” on the doff is the United States. After the large contingent of troops and arma- LAC for some years and that this year Donald Trump administration failed ments along the LAC,” External Af- it “disregarded all mutually agreed miserably to control the coronavirus fairs Ministry spokesman Anurag norms”. According to Srivastava, the surge and prevent mass unemploy- Srivastava stated in a media briefing June 15 incident is an illustration of ment, Washington has been blaming on June 25. He also said that the the “recent shift in the Chinese posi- China for all the ills the world is fa- PLA’s attempts to “obstruct” tion”. He emphasised that security cing. One of the Trump administra- patrolling by Indian troops were “in along the border was the “basis” of tion’s biggest China baiter, Secretary complete disregard of all mutually the relationship between the two of State Mike Pompeo, denounced agreed norms”. Srivastava also ac- countries. “A continuation of the cur- China as a “rogue actor” which had cused the Chinese government of not rent situation would only vitiate the “escalated border tensions with In- adhering to the various bilateral atmosphere for the development of dia, the world’s most populous agreements to maintain peace and the relationship”, the spokesman democracy”. Speaking at an event in tranquility along the LAC. warned, signalling a hardening of the Denmark, billed as “the Copenhagen The 1993 “Agreement on the Indian negotiating position. The Democracy Summit”, he said China Maintenance of Peace and Tranquil- spokesman’s comments came after was militarising the South China Sea ity” along the LAC specifically men- the meeting of the Working Mechan- and illegally claiming more territory tioned that “each side will keep its ism for Consultation and Coordina- there threatening vital sea lanes. military forces in the areas along the tion on India-China Border Affairs Speaking in Germany at another Line of Actual Control to a minimum met on June 24. event, Pompeo claimed that the U.S. level compatible with friendly and was pulling out some of its troops in good neighbourly relations between H YPERNATIONALISM Germany to be redeployed in the the two countries”. Ambassador In response to calls from the Indo-Pacific region in order to meet Misri, in an interview with Press Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh the threat China posed to countries Trust of India (PTI), said that the (RSS) and other groups to boycott such as India. Pompeo claimed that Chinese side should realise that Chinese goods, imports from China the PLA posed an increasing threat “there is no gain in changing the are being held up in Indian ports. to countries like Vietnam, Malaysia status quo on the ground, especially The Indian authorities are asking for and the Philippines too. For the first by resorting to force”. additional documents for their clear- time since 2017, the U.S. Navy has Chinese Ambassador to India ance. The imports from China that deployed three of its aircraft carriers Sun Weidong, in an earlier interview are being inordinately delayed con- in the disputed South China Sea with PTI, also made similar allega- sist of containers from U.S. compan- along with eight nuclear submarines tions against India. He said that In- ies such as Apple, Cisco, Dell and in the surrounding seas. The Trump dia had violated the 1993 and 1996 Ford. The Modi government is mak- administration has been using the agreements on the border. He said ing little efforts to tamp down the pretext of “freedom of navigation” to that the Indian government should hyper nationalism and jingoism that flout the territorial sovereignty conduct a “thorough investigation, have gripped the country after June claimed by China in the South China hold the violators accountable, 15. Sea. Beijing has warned Washington strictly discipline the frontline In the last week of June, the to stop moving its “chess pieces troops and immediately stop all pro- Delhi Hotels and Restaurant Own- around” and stop “flexing its military vocative acts to ensure such incidents ers Association, which claims to rep- muscles around China”. २

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 68 J AMMU & KASHMIR The new resistance

Amid views of The Resistance Front’s potential ability to script a turnaround in militancy, intelligence and security personnel believe that actors from across the border are arming and pushing battle-hardened Jaish-e-Mohammad cadre into the Valley. BY ANANDO BHAKTO

IN Kashmir’s scarred landscape, midable player” in militancy. sense of fatigue in South Kashmir’s as hardened militant commanders The TRF has made a string of local people on the question of sup- and their newly inducted recruits claims on social media, owning re- porting armed combatants, some perish in relentless encounters, at sponsibility for headliner militant view the TRF as a potential force that times more swiftly than they emerge, activities such as the Handwara gun- could script a phenomenal turn- it has become tempting for security fight on May 2 in which a command- around in militancy. analysts to predict the fate of Kash- ing officer, Colonel Ashutosh This assessment is based on un- mir’s three-decade-long armed in- Sharma, was killed. Even as opinion flagging optimism. As Narendra surgency. The conversation quickly is divided on home-grown militants’ Modi’s regime appears determined gravitates towards The Resistance capacity to rattle the security appar- to swamp Kashmir’s culture and Front (TRF), hitherto unheard of but atus, given the massive and persist- demographics by an influx of outside now increasingly viewed in Srin- ent damage inflicted on Hizbul settlers and simultaneously spurns agar’s press circles as the “new, for- Mujahideen’s rank and file, and a civilians who want to chart out a TI P B ORDER SECURITY FORCE p ersonnel with a Pakistani drone, loaded with a sophisticated rifle and some grenades, which they shot down along the border in Kathua on June 20.

69 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 democratic campaign to offer resist- militants had held some civilians tion management vis-a-vis its role in ance, the indispensability of armed hostage. Five personnel were killed Kashmir is a critical component of its insurgents as a countering force is in an eight-hour long exchange of warfare against India. “The Indigen- acknowledged in private conversa- fire. One of the two militants killed ous Kashmiri resistance against In- tions. People’s despair and their was identified as LeT chief Haider, dian Occupation is a direct helplessness in meeting the chal- who hailed from Pakistan-occupied consequence of India’s oppression & lenges posed by New Delhi’s militar- Kashmir. However, the source brutalisation of Kashmiris,” tweeted istic handling of Kashmir is driving quoted above told this reporter that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran them to buy unrealistic assertions “both militants could be local”. If this Khan in May. about the TRF. The questions being is true, then the official version The early signs of the TRF asked are: Will the TRF find support comes under the scanner. Vijay Ku- emerged when the Jammu and from local Kashmiri people or will it mar, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Police busted an over- rely on combatants infiltrating from Kashmir, while referring to the ground workers’ hideout in Sopore across the border? Can Hizbul Mu- Handwara encounter during a press on March 22 and recovered a cache jahideen survive the unusually ag- meet in Srinagar on May 7, claimed of arms and ammunition that milit- gressive anti-militancy operations? that “the killing of Laskhar com- ants had dumped near the Line of What is Pakistan’s game plan at the mander Haider in the encounter is a Control in Keran. The arrested moment? big jolt to the group”. OGWs said they belonged to the Some observers view that the LeT TRF. The TRF also claimed respons- T RF NOT ON GROUND may have floated the TRF to project ibility for the April 5 hand-to-hand Frontline’s investigation, based on it as a home-grown outfit and tasked combat in Keran which left five infilt- interviews and interactions with it with giving a Kashmiri signature to rators and as many commandos of multiple sources from diverse back- terror strikes launched from the Army’s Special Forces dead. grounds, found that the TRF may not Pakistan’s soil. Pakistan is said to be A Hindustan Times report re- be anything more than a bogey raised under increasing pressure from the cently stated: “TRF is being con- by elements within the home-grown Financial Action Task Force to con- trolled from Pakistan by top three militants, either aimed at providing tain terrorist modules operating Lashkar handlers: Sajad Jatt for cover to outfits such as the Lashkar- from inside its territory. The sources South Kashmir, Khalid for Central e-Taiba (LeT) or give a psychological in the security and intelligence wings Kashmir and Hanzala Adnan for boost to their cadre, at a time when in Kashmir find this theory plausible, North Kashmir.” On June 1, the TRF, the government forces appear defin- but in off-the-record conversations in a statement posted online, itive in their proclamations of vic- they admit that there are little inputs broadened its message to encompass tory. Frontline’s investigations, available to make any verifiable a warning against influx of “Indian however, also suggest that militancy claim. settlers”. “Any Indian who comes in Kashmir is not petering out, as “Most militant activities in the with the intention to settle in Kash- actors from across the border are Kashmir Valley are being perpet- mir will be treated as an agent of RSS likely focussing on stockpiling and rated by local recruits in the Jaish-e- [Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh] weaponisng battle-hardened Jaish- Mohammad, the Islamic State, and and not as a civilian and will be dealt e-Mohammad (JeM) cadre in the the LeT, besides the Hizbul. It is un- with appropriately,” it said. The Valley. usual that the TRF is trying to appro- warning was sounded after the As per sources in Jammu and priate claim,” said a source in Jammu Jammu and Kashmir administration Kashmir’s security apparatus, who and Kashmir’s security apparatus. relaxed the criteria to qualify as a shared insight on recent militant Vijay Kumar had earlier told the me- domicile. activities to this reporter, there is “no dia that the TRF drew its cadres from Insiders in the security establish- specific input that the TRF exists on the LeT and the Hizbul Mujahideen. ment, however, attribute both the the ground”. “We do not consider the “The TRF is not a new thing. Due to Sopore and Keran incidents to “pos- TRF as an independent, distinct ter- international pressure after the Au- sibly the LeT”. Kashmir’s militancy ror outfit. We do not maintain any gust 5 abrogation of Article 370, had had similar experiences in the separate column for the TRF, to Pakistan made a conspiracy, past when amorphous outfits mark terror modules or OGWs changed the name and floated the spawned out of nowhere and de- [over-ground workers] under it,” a TRF to give a local face to militancy ployed a stern language of resistance source said. According to this source, and indicate that it has no hand in it,” to capture prominence. The Allah Ti- the Handwara gunfight involved LeT he claimed. gers is a case in point. In August militants, although the TRF claimed Over the past one year, Pakistan 1989, as Kashmir stared at an im- responsibility for it. has consistently attempted to frame minent armed struggle, Allah Tigers’ On May 2, the Army and the the Kashmiri resistance as entirely chief, one Air Marshall Noor Khan, Jammu and Kashmir Police an indigenous one. This is essentially announced a ban of cinemas. How- launched a joint operation at Chan- triggered by the current Pakistani re- ever, as Yasin Malik’s Jammu Kash- gimulla in Handwara town where gime’s realisation that global percep- mir Liberation Front, and later the

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 70 Hizbul Mujahideen, dominated the Hizb’s cadre is locally recruited,” said “JeM is sufficiently under the fractious theatre of militancy, the eu- a source in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pakistan Army’s control. In the past phoria surrounding the Allah Tigers security grid. three years whatever infiltrations waned, and so did the outfit. After the killing of Riyaz Naikoo were attempted were done mostly by A conversation with senior offi- on May 6 at Beighpora in an en- the JeM. It is sending cadre that is cials monitoring intelligence in counter, the Hizbul Mujahideen is well-trained and very close to its Jammu and Kashmir underscored facing a leadership crisis. Though leadership,” an official pointed out. the point that the LeT had definite Saifullah Mir, a trained pharmacolo- The JeM cadre, unlike the Hizb mil- presence in the Valley, but its cadre gist, succeeded Naikoo, security ana- itants, possess sophisticated might be operating on its own. lysts aver it would be unrealistic to weapons such as M4 sniper rifles and “There are not many Pakistani ele- think the outfit can regroup any time are known to execute high-end, co- ments in the LeT cadre in Kashmir. soon. In November, Dilbagh Singh, ordinated terror strikes. Despite an My understanding is that the LeT Director General of Police, Jammu apparent fatigue with militancy, as is may not be receiving institutional and Kashmir, stated that “terrorism admitted by Srinagar’s intellectual support or directions from handlers is on its last legs”. The numbers do and media elites privately, renewed across the border. These are mostly not rebut that claim. While in 2018 local support to insurgents is not groups of local boys who carry out as many as 219 local militants were ruled out in a place where political small-scale attacks and disappear recruited, in 2019, it was down to and economic grievances fester. because the organisational pattern 119. Compared with 318 terror incid- Jaish’s hand was suspected in the and allegiance to their parent body ents in 2018, the number was 173 in foiled attempt of a vehicle-borne based in Pakistan are rapidly getting 2019. IED (improvised explosive device) diluted,” an official told Frontline. The crackdown on militants con- blast in Rajpora, Pulwama, on May There could be several explana- tinued in 2020, with at least 115 of 28. The security grid believes that the tions for this reported fluctuation in them eliminated in various encoun- May 4 gunfight at Wanigam village Pakistan’s interest in the LeT, ters since January. In exclusive in- in Handwara, in which three person- though one cannot be categorical formation available to Frontline, the nel of the Central Reserve Police about it. One view is that the LeT is number of local militants active in Force died, carried the JeM imprint, more or less independent of the the Valley is currently around 120. though the TRF claimed responsibil- Pakistani establishment and pos- The different wings of the security ity for it. sibly it has “gone out of control” or its apparatus diverge on the number of At present, the JeM is reportedly “utility is finished for the time being”. foreign militants in Kashmir, but a the only outfit in Kashmir that has Others contend that the Pakistan rough estimate pegs the number foreign militants in its ranks. Despite Army and its intelligence agencies between 50 and 100. a generally downward curve in cross- are alarmed by the wide outreach of The dwindling numbers are border infiltration, the JeM is be- Falah-e-Insaniyat, a charitable or- hardly an indicator that battle lines lieved to be steadily pouring into In- ganisation run by the LeT, and are have been redrawn in India’s favour. dia. In 2019, India estimated that unwilling to accord primacy to the The assessment of the security grid 202 insurgents had crossed the Line LeT, although its “Pakistan-based in Jammu and Kashmir is that of Control. It was a steep decline functionaries continue to drive Pakistan, which imposed restraints from 323 in 2018, and 406 in 2017. money from the ISI [Inter-Services on the Jaish-e-Mohammad in April A view prevails that there is a Intelligence]”. 2019 buckling under international qualitative shift in the nature of in- pressure following the Pulwama ter- filtration. A senior defence expert H IZB ON THE WANE ror strike in February 2019, drastic- told Frontline that “Pakistan may be A group of seasoned observers be- ally reduced them after August 5 as focussing on stockpiling and infilt- lieves that Pakistan is loath to facilit- friction over New Delhi’s “unilateral rating higher capacity combatants, ate the Hizbul Mujahideen either. action” in Kashmir deviated focus as it recalibrates its approach from “The Hizbul Mujahideen is definitely from Islamabad. ‘counter-infiltration’ to ‘defensive on the wane... they are being killed The JeM, in the weeks following territory infiltration’, which is to say, like chicken. This is not just because the revocation of Jammu and Kash- in the event of a conflict with India, the Hizb boys are new recruits, inad- mir’s special status, iterated its com- its assets would be ready to act on its equately armed and rudimentarily mitment to violent reprisal against behest.” trained, but also because their inter- India. “There are people who are si- Attempts to arm JeM foot sol- face with Pakistan is at an all-time lent, but doing a great deal,” it said in diers in Kashmir are on. As recently low. They are on their own,” a senior a social media message, attributing as on June 20, in Hirangar sector of Kashmiri scribe writing for interna- the statement to its chief Masood Kathua district, the Border Security tional media told this reporter. Azhar Alvi. Force shot down an eight-foot-wide People within the security establish- The rhetoric could not be empty, Pakistani drone, which was on a mis- ment mirrored this view. warn officials in Jammu and Kash- sion to smuggle weapons inside “Right now, almost all of the mir’s intelligence and security grid. Kashmir Valley. २

71 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 J AMMU & KASHMIR Region of unfreedom The new media policy in Jammu and Kashmir seeks to kill journalism in the troubled region where the local press continues to be in a state of numbness. BY ASHUTOSH SHARMA

SOON after three Associated ally. While most of the organisations September 1, 2019, and asked to re- Press (AP) photojournalists from struggle to pay salaries, the newspa- veal the source of a story that he had Jammu and Kashmir were declared per columns, observers say, are reported on political detentions winners of the Pulitzer Prize in fea- mostly filled with government press since August 5, 2019. The police had ture photography in May, the news notes, reports of national news agen- charged Gowhar Geelani, also a agency stated in its report that “the cies or with apolitical articles. journalist, under the UAPA for al- story of India’s crackdown on Kash- Major rights groups have made legedly posting “anti-national” posts mir last August was difficult to show scathing observations on the Modi on social media, in April. In Septem- to the world”. More than 10 months government’s assault on the Kash- ber 2019, Geelani was stopped at the after the Central government unilat- miri press. Reacting sharply to the Indira Gandhi International airport erally revoked the semi-autonomous Jammu and Kashmir Police’s from travelling to Germany. He said status of Jammu and Kashmir and charges under the Unlawful Activit- no written order was given to him on divided it into two Union Territories ies (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against why he was stopped. administered amid unprecedented photojournalist Masrat Zahra and security lockdown and communica- the “open FIR” (first information re- P RESS CLUB PROTESTS tions restrictions, the challenges for port) against The Hindu’s Srinagar- The Kashmir Press Club has organ- media practitioners in Kashmir have based special correspondent, Peerz- ised several silent protests in recent grown manifold. In June, the admin- ada Ashiq, the executive director of months against harassment of journ- istration announced a new media Amnesty International India, alists, the Internet gag and media policy, which is viewed as an attempt Avinash Kumar, said in a statement curbs. Its general secretary, Ishfaq to kill journalism in the troubled re- dated April 22: “Harassment and in- Tantry, said: “Though all govern- gion where the local press continues timidation of journalists through ments aim to control the media and to be in a state of numbness. draconian laws such as UAPA the narrative, but I still feel the UPA Under the new policy, the Union threatens the efforts to address the [United Progressive Alliance gov- Territory administration through COVID-19 pandemic and creates an ernment] years were comparatively the Directorate of Information and atmosphere of fear and reprisal. In better as far as media functioning is Public Relations could initiate legal Kashmir, this has been compounded concerned. This government in an action against journalists and regu- through the general lockdown, pro- effort to stifle the free press in J&K late advertisements. Since August 5, longed restrictions on internet speed has resorted to direct attack on the 2019, the most pressing concern in and arbitrary detentions often media by summoning journalists for Srinagar’s meida circles has been the without any kind of documentation, their stories to police stations or by informal, and invariably illegal, in- access to lawyers and recourse to filing cases against them.” terrogation of journalists. In the justice. This severely undermines the In a charge sheet against a local wake of the Narendra Modi govern- human rights guarantees of the photojournalist, Kamran Yousuf, ment’s coercive handling of the me- people of Kashmir and denies the who was booked under the UAPA in dia in Kashmir, observers say, local people in India and around the January 2018, the National Investig- newspapers changed their style world’s right to know.” ation Agency (NIA) observed: “He guides and editorial policies, and ad- Peerzada Ashiq was summoned had never covered any develop- vised their regular columnists and to police stations in two different dis- mental activity of any government cartoonists against touching on is- tricts within a span of six hours for department/agency, any inaugura- sues that could invite the govern- writing a story on an encounter at tion of hospital, school building, ment’s ire. The organisations Shopian. He had been summoned to road, bridge, statement of political reduced their staff strength drastic- the Kothi Bagh Police Station on party in power or any other social/

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 72 pages from 16 to eight, it has also dropped its editorial page. Noor Ahmad Baba, former dean, Faculty of Social Sciences at the Uni- versity of Kashmir, said: “The local newspapers used to be vibrant. One would get to read incisive political commentaries and debates—such articles have gone missing. Earlier, I would preserve newspapers to read the fine articles on later occasions. But now I hardly give even a custom- ary look to them, and that too for the ISSAR AHMAD ISSAR

N general information. Now people AT A NEWS STAND d uring restrictions in Srinagar in September 2019. read newspapers for official notices, obituaries, exam date sheets, advert- developmental activity by State gov- including those working for national isements and tenders—and not for ernment or government of India.” In media from Srinagar, have faced co- the news stories or analysis.” March 2018, the court granted ercive government action for per- Gulzar, a freelance journalist, Yousuf bail as the NIA failed to forming their duties. On December said: “We get to know about the in- provide evidence against him. Ac- 17 last year, Azaan Javaid (The Print) cidents of human rights violation cording to local reporters who did and Anees Zargar (Newsclick) were from national and international me- not wish to be named fearing repris- beaten up by the police in public in dia. Reporters are not allowed to als, since then the authorities have Srinagar. On October 30, 2018, Aijaz document stories describing circum- nearly forced several journalists to Ahmad Dar, a videographer with Zee stances that push youth into milit- disclose their sources, confiscated News, was shot with pellets when he ancy. The counter-insurgency their laptops and mobile phones, was covering a clash between pro- operations are not reported on the made them fill forms giving details testers and security personnel in basis of information gathered by about their family members, relat- Shopian district. Asif Sultan, an as- journalists with their feet in the mud ives and properties, and so on. sistant editor with the monthly anymore.” Naseer Ganai of Outlook was newsmagazine Kashmir Narrator, is Pervez Majeed, a former journal- summoned by the police for report- in jail since August 27, 2018. He has ist who currently teaches at Govern- ing a statement of the banned separ- been charged under the UAPA. ment Degree College, Baramulla, atist organisation, the Jammu and Earlier, Qazi Shibli, a south Kash- said: “As a journalism teacher and Kashmir Liberation Front, in Febru- mir-based journalist, was released media trainer, I now find it difficult ary. In May, Fahad Shah, editor of from the Bareilly district jail, Uttar to convince my students that journ- Kashmir Walla, was summoned by Pradesh, after charges against him alism is a profession where you can the Srinagar Cyber Police Station al- under the Public Safety Act were re- exercise the right to freedom of ex- legedly in connection with a report voked on April 13. He was arrested in pression.” on the gunfight between militants July last year. and security forces. On November 30 Months before its big decision on C HANGED MEDIASCAPE last year, Hakeem Irfan (The Eco- Kashmir last year, the Modi govern- Well before the COVID-19 lock- nomic Times) and Bashaarat ment had started tightening the down, Majeed said: “When Kashmir Masood (Indian Express) were noose around leading media houses was put under security lockdown last summoned to “Cargo”, a former in- in the Kasmir Valley. The NIA sub- year, many newspapers stopped pro- terrogation centre, where they were jected the editor-in-chief of Greater duction for some time. But none of reportedly grilled by the police for six Kashmir, Fayaz Kaloo, to question- them commented on the abrogation to eight hours. On August 14, 2019, ing for over a week in July 2019 for of the State’s special status or repor- Irfan Amin Malik, a local journalist, articles carried by his paper during ted mass arrests that followed. Dur- was picked up from his residence in the 2016 agitation, which was ing the curfew, people couldn’t avail Tral and released the next day. triggered by the encounter killing of themselves of health care and emer- Many journalists who were the Hizbul Mujahideen militant gency services. Educational institu- summoned by the police and Burhan Wani. Greater Kashmir was tions were shut for a prolonged counter-insurgency forces in recent rocked by a wave of layoffs nearly a period. Such critical issues failed to months refused to even talk over the month before his interrogation. Sim- make headlines. Those events were phone, saying the authorities had put ilarly, the editor of Kashmir Reader, reported only on the basis of inform- their cell numbers under surveil- Haji Muhammad Hayat Bhat, was ation extracted from press notes. We lance. Their fears do not appear un- investigated by the NIA. The paper have not seen a single article in the founded as about a dozen scribes, has not only reduced the number of local press criticising the new domi-

73 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 cile laws and introduction of new ad- 80 per cent, we had to lay off half of in Kashmir has been working under ministrative policies.” our staff last year.” tremendous pressure since 1990. We Commenting on the changed me- Maintaining that the Urdu press have lost 18-19 journalists to the con- diascape, Prof Hameeda Nayeem, a was bearing the brunt of the financial flict. The warring groups would try to political commentator and professor crisis, he said: “Before August 5 last browbeat us when militancy was at at the University of Kashmir, said: year, we used to publish 60,000 cop- its peak. Earlier also governments “We are under siege. Everything has ies daily. Then we reduced the num- had adopted coercive measures but been militarised and every voice has ber to 15,000. Today, we are mostly only a couple of newspapers faced been silenced. Thoughts and ideas active on social media and circulate a problems and cases against journal- have been criminalised. There are tacit few hard copies, nearly 2,000, in a ists were registered in isolated cases. instructions to the media that they few pockets of Srinagar.” But now everything is open. There is cannot touch the untouchable realit- Anuradha Bhasin, executive ed- a climate of fear and self-censorship. ies. There are columnists who have itor of Kashmir Times, who had It’s an altogether different world. been told to either stop writing or challenged the “communications re- And this situation is not just restric- write on soft issues. Dissenting voices strictions” and “media gag” in the Su- ted to Jammu and Kashmir. The were subjected to forced disappear- preme Court last August, said: “The story of the media and the judiciary is ance from newspapers months before government did not implement the now almost the same when com- August 5 as they (authorities) were judgment in its true spirit. It was pared with the rest of the country.” preparing the ground for larger polit- selectively followed as far as restora- Reacting to the new media ical changes.” tion of Internet services was con- policy, Ishfaq Tantry, said: “If this Bashir Manzar, editor of Kash- cerned. Moreover, it did not have any policy remains unchallenged, a gov- mir Images, said: “What happened impact on the overall status of the ernment clerk may decide who last year has completely changed the local press. Due to heavy-handed should be a journalist in J&K. It is politics of Kashmir. Those who say policies of the government, the unheard of that for becoming a that newspapers are not raising the voices of the local population are journalist or to get accreditation, one banner of protest must understand completely missing from the local needs to get the security clearance that newspapers are just messengers. press. There is no scope for any cri- first. The need of the hour is for all After August 5, nothing happened on tique of the government actions at journalists, editors and newspaper the ground. Some protests were re- present.” The Kashmir Times group owners to come forward and devise a ported. Leaders of big political of publications had to close down its joint response. The Press Council of parties like the National Conference, Dogri and Hindi editions in 2018 India has taken cognisance of the the Peoples Democratic Party and following complete stoppage of gov- issue after we brought it to its notice.” the Peoples Conference were de- ernment advertisements. Describing Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami, tained. We reported. How many the new media policy as “constitu- leader of the Communist Party of In- protests political parties have held in tionally untenable”, she said, “it is dia (Marxist), said: “The new policy Kashmir against the August 5 gov- aimed at intimidating journalists makes it amply clear that the govern- ernment move? Not many. It’s and killing journalism.” ment does not want journalists [to wrong to expect newspapers to do Yusuf Jameel, a Srinagar-based be] answerable to their readers and what political parties and society is senior journalist, said: “Now the po- editors. It authorises bureaucrats supposed to do. I have 40-plus em- lice are deciding here whether a cer- and security officials to decide ployees. Why should I do something tain news item is fake or not. And whether a news item is “fake, uneth- that gives the government a reason to then they proceed against you under ical and plagiarised” or “anti-na- stop my publication? All of them will whatever law. That’s our major con- tional” before taking legal action lose their jobs.” cern. It’s infringement on the right to against journalists and media organ- Nazim Nazir, associate editor of freedom of expression and, there- isations. It is part of the pattern Tameel-i-Irshad, a Srinagar-based fore, unacceptable to us. In the past wherein the authorities have been Urdu daily, said: “Ever since the re- also we have raised our voice against using harassment, intimidation, sur- vocation of J&K’s special status, just media repression but nobody veillance and online information like other local newspapers, we pass listened to us barring some excep- control to silence critical voices and off general appeals as editorials. The tions. Ironically, even the Press force journalists to self-censorship.” editorial standards die on almost a Council of India supported the gov- Demanding that the new media daily basis…. The press notes that are ernment on communications restric- policy be rolled back immediately, he critical of the government are cen- tions in Jammu and Kashmir in the said: “A free media can help the gov- sored. After the State government’s Supreme Court last year.” ernment take the right action more Department of Information and Commenting on how the Modi effectively than sunshine stories. Public Relations and the Central government’s coercive handling of Newspapers in Kashmir unfortu- government’s Directorate of Advert- the media in Kashmir is different nately look like government gazettes ising and Visual Publicity cut advert- from that of the UPA era curbs, now, reminding us of the Emergency isements to our newspaper by nearly Yusuf Jameel said: “The local press era.” २

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 74 POWER Power play The proposals in the Electricity (Amendment) Bill to “reform” the power sector, issued in the midst of a pandemic, threaten to result in higher energy costs, violate long-cherished principles of federalism, and leave India’s most vulnerable to the caprices of the market.

BY TEJAL KANITKAR

THE power sector was one of the debilitating lockdown. sector reforms, which remains un- first sectors to fall under the on- There are three major policies achieved despite repeated attempts slaught of the economic liberalisa- that the EAB seeks to push: i) Privat- over the last 30 years, is the privatisa- tion programme initiated in 1991. ising the electricity distribution com- tion of the distribution segment of Beginning rather inauspiciously panies (DISCOMs) through the the power system. The erstwhile with the Enron scandal in the early introduction of distribution sub-li- electricity boards were unbundled 1990s, the sector has seen many cencees and franchisees; ii) Elimin- into generation, transmission, and changes since then. After a pro- ating cross-subsidies and distribution companies to facilitate longed lull, higher private invest- introducing Direct Benefit Transfer privatisation. In many States, the ments in power generation have (DBT) to support consumers that distribution companies (DIS- been made and, more recently, a State governments may want to dir- COMS), which deal with the low sharp increase in renewable energy ectly subsidise iii) Increasing the voltage (that is, less than 11 kilovolt) generation. However, in many other control of the Central government in infrastructure and metering and respects, the “reforms” that were in- the sector by a series of amendments billing of end users, were further di- troduced towards the end of the 20th aimed at administrative and regulat- vided into multiple companies in century, and consolidated in the ory restructuring of State-level insti- charge of smaller areas within a Electricity Act 2003, have not only tutions. State. However, other than in failed to provide succour to the sector A major objective of the power Odisha, Delhi and Mumbai, no other that has been mired in a perpetual distribution utility could be privat- state of crisis, but have considerably ised. Fierce opposition by peasants, worsened that crisis. power sector workers and even or- The Draft Electricity (Amend- dinary domestic consumers forced ment) Bill, (EAB), 2020, ostensibly many State governments to hastily seeks to address the failure of the scuttle any plans they might have reform attempts of the past by re- had to privatise this politically im- emphasising the original plan laid portant segment of the power sector. out in the Electricity Act, 2003, by Amongst the ones that did the first National Democratic Alli- privatise distribution utilities, only ance (NDA) government. It seeks to Odisha had a large section of rural redress what are seen as “populist consumers, and, after multiple failed dilutions” of the spirit of the reforms attempts at private management, by the first United Progressive Alli- electricity distribution has now re- ance (UPA) government as well as verted to the State government. many State governments. Mumbai and Delhi also have a long The timing of the release of the THE HINDU ARCHIVES history of problems with tariff-set- EAB is itself striking. Curiously, it A WORKER i nstalling the aerial ting and power-procurement prac- was notified by the Ministry of Power fibre optic project, interlinked to the tices despite being urban on April 17, seeking comments, when network of the two discoms in agglomerations without the poten- the country was in the midst of a Andhra Pradesh, a file photograph. tially sensitive agrarian reaction to

75 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 contend with. Moreover, the finan- privatising DISCOMs despite wide- end users and therefore buy less cial health of DISCOMs that re- spread protests from power sector power from generation companies. mained state-owned entities has unions, peasant organisations and This leads to low variable costs, that suffered because of the spatial break- consumer societies has been justified is, cost of generating the required down that was forced on them. by citing the sorry state of DISCOM units of power. However, the DIS- Private companies in general are finances and the ever-increasing cost COMs must still pay a fixed charge so not interested in supplying electri- of power supply. However, what is that the generator can pay back the city to the entire area serviced by a forgotten in the harangue of the “in- banks which financed the project. DISCOM, which generally includes efficient” and “corrupt” DISCOMs is For example, NTPC recovered rural consumers as well. So state-run that power procurement costs, that Rs.4,800 crore in capacity charges in utilities are encouraged to also sub- is, costs to be paid to electricity gen- 2018-19 from DISCOMs in southern contract out a section of the network erators, constitute more than 80 per India for its new thermal power to private companies or other agen- cent of the total cost of electricity plant in Kudgi even though the plant cies, ostensibly to improve efficiency supply. Transmission and distribu- operated at only 22 per cent of its and reduce losses. These agencies, tion charges account for less than 20 capacity during the year. Such prac- called distribution franchisees, have per cent of the all costs. tices impose costs on DISCOMs that been tried out in various regions of arise from circumstances entirely THE HINDU ARCHIVES the country after the Electricity Act D ISCOMS’ WOES outside their control. How can they 2003. One may argue that since DISCOMs then be dubbed inefficient? T HE NTPC b alancing reservoir where the proposed largest floating solar power but who also cannot afford to pay the Predictably, in the first set of ex- decide how much power to procure On the other hand, newly con- plant is to come up in Ramagundam in Telangana. full cost of electricity. This makes periments with distribution fran- and from where, they should be held structed power plants that do not subsidies necessary. There are two chisees, private companies were responsible for buying expensive have agreements with DISCOMs are thermal power even when it is avail- held responsible for inefficient ways of subsidising the cost of supply interested in urban agglomerations power. But this assumption is faulty fast turning into non-performing as- able in order to purchase all of the metering and billing, high technical to consumers: i) cross subsidisation, only. Despite such cherry-picking, because it ignores the fact that DIS- sets (NPAs) for the banks that fin- expensive solar power from older losses, and their inability to recover which means that one category of the model did not work. While COMs have no choice in the matter. anced them. The economic plants. the cost of electricity that is supplied. consumers pays a higher than aver- billing and collection efficiency im- There are structural reasons for downturn, which is highlighted by It must be noted that DISCOMS High AT&C (Aggregate and Tech- age tariff to compensate for another proved in some regions, most fran- high procurement costs, beginning poor offtake of power from these have not been given relief from this nical and Commercial) losses have category paying lower tariff, and ii) chisees could barely break even and with the power sector reforms them- plants, has thus hit banks as well, policy even during the nationwide been a perennial problem in India. direct subsidies by the State govern- many opted to not extend the con- selves, and going on to the poor mostly publicly owned ones. lockdown, just as they received no Despite multiple interventions, in- ment to compensate the DISCOM tract beyond the first period of fran- policy choices made in the corridors Additionally, the increasing con- support to cover their revenue losses. cluding the much-welcomed UDAY for power supply to those consumers chise. Although these entities could of power in Delhi in the past. In the tribution of renewable energy, The Centre has offered loans scheme (Ujjwal DISCOM Assurance it deems worthy of support. hope for marginal gains from im- last several years, there has been a fostered by fiscal and other incent- (Rs.90,000 crore liquidity infusion Yojana), they remain unaddressed. The new amendment seeks to proved billing efficiencies, reducing consistent mismatch between the ives, has contributed to the woes of for the power sector), backed by state eliminate subsidies in both forms. It line losses required capital expendit- projected and actual demand for DISCOMs. Solar and wind energy guarantees, for the express purpose S UBSIDIES AND DBT has proposed that the State Electri- ure, which made the whole idea un- power. The Central Electricity Au- sources are exempt from merit order of paying dues to generators. These There are multiple issues here. The city Regulatory Commissions should attractive for most private thority (CEA), an agency under the dispatch; energy offtake from these loans, which are to be given by the cost of supplying electricity to low- decide category-wise tariffs, strictly companies. control of the Central government, plants is not dictated by their price. Power Finance Corporation (PFC) density rural areas is high. The mul- based on cost to supply power to that The push for distribution fran- has made grossly inaccurate projec- All the electricity generated by re- and the Rural Electrification Corpor- tiple step-down transformers and category, without considering any chisees once again in the EAB, des- tions. Shockingly, its forecast of de- newable energy plants must be ab- ation (REC), have been made condi- long low-tension lines required to subsidies. While the EAB refers dif- pite this experience, is therefore not mand for 2019-20 was 40 per cent sorbed by DISCOMs, irrespective of tional on so many pre-requisites, in supply electricity for agricultural, ferentially to direct and cross subsidy based on evidence but on an ideolo- higher (almost 70 GW) than the ac- cost. Although the recent reduction addition to requiring state guaran- domestic and other uses in rural rather ambiguously, the overall idea gical position that prefers privatisa- tual demand. These exaggerated in the price of solar energy has come tees, that the PFC, not surprisingly, areas necessarily result in higher appears to be to eliminate cross sub- tion over public service provision. forecasts have had serious con- as a relief, one must remember that has said that this Rs.90,000 crore costs. Technical losses in these distri- sidies and replace them with direct The EAB also introduces a “distribu- sequences. Many currently opera- the DISCOMs must compulsorily “relief” is likely to be under-utilised bution lines are also high (as resistive subsidies to specifically targeted con- tion sub-licencee”, somewhat am- tional long-term power purchase buy not just the new, relatively by DISCOMS. losses are inversely proportional to sumers. biguously differentiated from a agreements (PPAs) between gener- cheaper, solar energy, but also en- To sum up, power procurement line voltage). On the contrary, sup- Additionally, direct subsidies distribution franchisee as mentioned ating companies (NTPC being the ergy generated by older, more ex- costs are high not because of the DIS- plying electricity to high voltage con- must now be transferred by State in the Bill. Neither entity would re- primary beneficiary) and DISCOMs pensive plants. COMs’ inefficiency but because of sumers is cheaper, and densely governments directly to consumers quire a separate licence to distribute are based on these dubious forecasts. In Tamil Nadu for example, 1061 consequences that arise from a series populated cities with more diversi- using the Direct Benefit Transfer electricity and the outcome of both The woes of DISCOMs do not Mega Watt (MW) of solar energy was of policies forced on them. The DIS- fied power consumption patterns (DBT) scheme. are likely to be similar. There will be end here. Generating companies that installed before March 2016. Electri- COMS can be held accountable for can be supplied power at a lower Poor consumers—residential, cherry-picking; the more attractive have a PPA with a DISCOM are al- city from these plants is bought by basing their power procurement cost. agricultural, and providers of basic urban regions will be privatised, lowed to recover “capacity charges”, distribution utilities at Rs.7 per kilo- plans on over-optimistic demand Moreover, a large section of rural amenities such as public health leaving the loss-making rural seg- that is, the capital expenditure in- watthour (kWh). In sharp contrast, forecasts made by the CEA. But consumers as well as poor house- centres and government schools— ments to the state-owned DISCOMs. curred to build the power plant, from the solar plants installed after March should not those making such fore- holds in urban areas are unable to form a significant proportion of elec- This may even lead to a further de- the DISCOM, irrespective of the ac- 2019, with a capacity of about 800 casts be held accountable when their pay the full cost of electricity. So the tricity users in most States and can- terioration of the conditions of tual amount of electricity being MW, cost just Rs.3.05 per kWh. The forecasts go awry? conundrum for DISCOMS is this: not afford to pay high costs for power supply to rural areas. drawn. In a period of low power de- policy-induced inefficiency means These high costs are passed on to they have to supply electricity to con- electricity. The single-minded focus on mand, DISCOMs sell less power to that the state has to forego cheaper end users, and here DISCOMs are sumers who are expensive to serve Most of them currently consume

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 76 77 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 contend with. Moreover, the finan- privatising DISCOMs despite wide- end users and therefore buy less cial health of DISCOMs that re- spread protests from power sector power from generation companies. mained state-owned entities has unions, peasant organisations and This leads to low variable costs, that suffered because of the spatial break- consumer societies has been justified is, cost of generating the required down that was forced on them. by citing the sorry state of DISCOM units of power. However, the DIS- Private companies in general are finances and the ever-increasing cost COMs must still pay a fixed charge so not interested in supplying electri- of power supply. However, what is that the generator can pay back the city to the entire area serviced by a forgotten in the harangue of the “in- banks which financed the project. DISCOM, which generally includes efficient” and “corrupt” DISCOMs is For example, NTPC recovered rural consumers as well. So state-run that power procurement costs, that Rs.4,800 crore in capacity charges in utilities are encouraged to also sub- is, costs to be paid to electricity gen- 2018-19 from DISCOMs in southern contract out a section of the network erators, constitute more than 80 per India for its new thermal power to private companies or other agen- cent of the total cost of electricity plant in Kudgi even though the plant cies, ostensibly to improve efficiency supply. Transmission and distribu- operated at only 22 per cent of its and reduce losses. These agencies, tion charges account for less than 20 capacity during the year. Such prac- called distribution franchisees, have per cent of the all costs. tices impose costs on DISCOMs that been tried out in various regions of arise from circumstances entirely THE HINDU ARCHIVES the country after the Electricity Act D ISCOMS’ WOES outside their control. How can they 2003. One may argue that since DISCOMs then be dubbed inefficient? T HE NTPC b alancing reservoir where the proposed largest floating solar power but who also cannot afford to pay the Predictably, in the first set of ex- decide how much power to procure On the other hand, newly con- plant is to come up in Ramagundam in Telangana. full cost of electricity. This makes periments with distribution fran- and from where, they should be held structed power plants that do not subsidies necessary. There are two chisees, private companies were responsible for buying expensive have agreements with DISCOMs are thermal power even when it is avail- held responsible for inefficient ways of subsidising the cost of supply interested in urban agglomerations power. But this assumption is faulty fast turning into non-performing as- able in order to purchase all of the metering and billing, high technical to consumers: i) cross subsidisation, only. Despite such cherry-picking, because it ignores the fact that DIS- sets (NPAs) for the banks that fin- expensive solar power from older losses, and their inability to recover which means that one category of the model did not work. While COMs have no choice in the matter. anced them. The economic plants. the cost of electricity that is supplied. consumers pays a higher than aver- billing and collection efficiency im- There are structural reasons for downturn, which is highlighted by It must be noted that DISCOMS High AT&C (Aggregate and Tech- age tariff to compensate for another proved in some regions, most fran- high procurement costs, beginning poor offtake of power from these have not been given relief from this nical and Commercial) losses have category paying lower tariff, and ii) chisees could barely break even and with the power sector reforms them- plants, has thus hit banks as well, policy even during the nationwide been a perennial problem in India. direct subsidies by the State govern- many opted to not extend the con- selves, and going on to the poor mostly publicly owned ones. lockdown, just as they received no Despite multiple interventions, in- ment to compensate the DISCOM tract beyond the first period of fran- policy choices made in the corridors Additionally, the increasing con- support to cover their revenue losses. cluding the much-welcomed UDAY for power supply to those consumers chise. Although these entities could of power in Delhi in the past. In the tribution of renewable energy, The Centre has offered loans scheme (Ujjwal DISCOM Assurance it deems worthy of support. hope for marginal gains from im- last several years, there has been a fostered by fiscal and other incent- (Rs.90,000 crore liquidity infusion Yojana), they remain unaddressed. The new amendment seeks to proved billing efficiencies, reducing consistent mismatch between the ives, has contributed to the woes of for the power sector), backed by state eliminate subsidies in both forms. It line losses required capital expendit- projected and actual demand for DISCOMs. Solar and wind energy guarantees, for the express purpose S UBSIDIES AND DBT has proposed that the State Electri- ure, which made the whole idea un- power. The Central Electricity Au- sources are exempt from merit order of paying dues to generators. These There are multiple issues here. The city Regulatory Commissions should attractive for most private thority (CEA), an agency under the dispatch; energy offtake from these loans, which are to be given by the cost of supplying electricity to low- decide category-wise tariffs, strictly companies. control of the Central government, plants is not dictated by their price. Power Finance Corporation (PFC) density rural areas is high. The mul- based on cost to supply power to that The push for distribution fran- has made grossly inaccurate projec- All the electricity generated by re- and the Rural Electrification Corpor- tiple step-down transformers and category, without considering any chisees once again in the EAB, des- tions. Shockingly, its forecast of de- newable energy plants must be ab- ation (REC), have been made condi- long low-tension lines required to subsidies. While the EAB refers dif- pite this experience, is therefore not mand for 2019-20 was 40 per cent sorbed by DISCOMs, irrespective of tional on so many pre-requisites, in supply electricity for agricultural, ferentially to direct and cross subsidy based on evidence but on an ideolo- higher (almost 70 GW) than the ac- cost. Although the recent reduction addition to requiring state guaran- domestic and other uses in rural rather ambiguously, the overall idea gical position that prefers privatisa- tual demand. These exaggerated in the price of solar energy has come tees, that the PFC, not surprisingly, areas necessarily result in higher appears to be to eliminate cross sub- tion over public service provision. forecasts have had serious con- as a relief, one must remember that has said that this Rs.90,000 crore costs. Technical losses in these distri- sidies and replace them with direct The EAB also introduces a “distribu- sequences. Many currently opera- the DISCOMs must compulsorily “relief” is likely to be under-utilised bution lines are also high (as resistive subsidies to specifically targeted con- tion sub-licencee”, somewhat am- tional long-term power purchase buy not just the new, relatively by DISCOMS. losses are inversely proportional to sumers. biguously differentiated from a agreements (PPAs) between gener- cheaper, solar energy, but also en- To sum up, power procurement line voltage). On the contrary, sup- Additionally, direct subsidies distribution franchisee as mentioned ating companies (NTPC being the ergy generated by older, more ex- costs are high not because of the DIS- plying electricity to high voltage con- must now be transferred by State in the Bill. Neither entity would re- primary beneficiary) and DISCOMs pensive plants. COMs’ inefficiency but because of sumers is cheaper, and densely governments directly to consumers quire a separate licence to distribute are based on these dubious forecasts. In Tamil Nadu for example, 1061 consequences that arise from a series populated cities with more diversi- using the Direct Benefit Transfer electricity and the outcome of both The woes of DISCOMs do not Mega Watt (MW) of solar energy was of policies forced on them. The DIS- fied power consumption patterns (DBT) scheme. are likely to be similar. There will be end here. Generating companies that installed before March 2016. Electri- COMS can be held accountable for can be supplied power at a lower Poor consumers—residential, cherry-picking; the more attractive have a PPA with a DISCOM are al- city from these plants is bought by basing their power procurement cost. agricultural, and providers of basic urban regions will be privatised, lowed to recover “capacity charges”, distribution utilities at Rs.7 per kilo- plans on over-optimistic demand Moreover, a large section of rural amenities such as public health leaving the loss-making rural seg- that is, the capital expenditure in- watthour (kWh). In sharp contrast, forecasts made by the CEA. But consumers as well as poor house- centres and government schools— ments to the state-owned DISCOMs. curred to build the power plant, from the solar plants installed after March should not those making such fore- holds in urban areas are unable to form a significant proportion of elec- This may even lead to a further de- the DISCOM, irrespective of the ac- 2019, with a capacity of about 800 casts be held accountable when their pay the full cost of electricity. So the tricity users in most States and can- terioration of the conditions of tual amount of electricity being MW, cost just Rs.3.05 per kWh. The forecasts go awry? conundrum for DISCOMS is this: not afford to pay high costs for power supply to rural areas. drawn. In a period of low power de- policy-induced inefficiency means These high costs are passed on to they have to supply electricity to con- electricity. The single-minded focus on mand, DISCOMs sell less power to that the state has to forego cheaper end users, and here DISCOMs are sumers who are expensive to serve Most of them currently consume

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 76 77 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 electricity at rates that are cross-sub- ters worse. It is reasonable to assume that was heretofore assigned to the sidised. A report on the performance that under the new administrative SERC. This is likely to benefit private of state power utilities published by regime, transfer of benefits will generating companies, renewable or the PFC has estimated that if all this either not happen in time or not hap- otherwise, while further reducing cross subsidy were to be replaced by pen at all. In effect, those who need any impartial recourse to regulatory direct subsidies, the subsidy burden support most are likely to be left in authorities that the DISCOMS may on the States would increase by the lurch. have had. about 130 per cent. The Narendra Modi government Given the parlous state of States’ C ENTRALISATION OF POWER has been trying to push these amend- finances, expecting them to bear this The power sector remains one of the ments in the power sector since additional burden is to expect the few sectors that still contribute to 2014. However, it has faced opposi- impossible. States, already reeling State finances. Responsible for an tion from State governments and la- under the impact of the dramatic col- important input for industrial devel- bour unions. It is particularly lapse of their revenues, especially un- opment, the sector has a significant disingenuous to try to bulldoze these der the Goods and Services Tax role in shaping state policy. Never- changes during a national health (GST) regime, are clearly in no posi- theless, the geographic distribution emergency that has been compoun- tion to provide the additional sup- of primary energy sources, both con- ded by a severe recession. It is ironic port to DISCOMs. ventional and renewable, makes it that the set of proposals, instead of The resort to the DBT, touted as incumbent on the Centre to play the offering relief in these dark times, is the panacea for all subsidy-related critical role of coordinator in order to likely to only offer more misery. ills, is likely to exacerbate problems. ensure equitable access to national The abiding lesson of the last 30 The poorest consumers of electricity resources. This is the reason why the years of reforms in the power sector are likely to be affected the most. sector is appropriately in the concur- is that the fetish of allowing the free Administering DBT is difficult, espe- rent list of the Constitution. How- and unhindered play of markets as a cially with poor information and ever, there is little doubt that the solution to problems can only have huge data gaps that inevitably lead to proposed amendments will dispro- disastrous social and economic con- late and ineffective disbursal of be- portionately increase the Centre’s sequences. Electricity is unlike other nefits, if at all. control over the sector in violation of commodities. It is a key economic The All India Kisan Sabha has constitutional safeguards. input across the economy; but even drawn attention to the fact that DBT A common central committee is more importantly, its consumption will be meaningless for a majority of to be set up for the appointment of is critical for human well-being. “real cultivators”—the landless, the the chairman and members of State Ironically, the reforms, undertaken tenants and sharecroppers—because Electricity Regulatory Commissions in the name of shedding inefficien- only landowners and pump-set own- (SERC), the Central Electricity Reg- cies—measured by the logic of the ers would be eligible for the sub- ulatory Commission, the Appellate market in terms of prices—will have sidies. This would also apply to Tribunal for Electricity, and the new one certain consequence: a steep in- working-class households that live proposed Contract Enforcement Au- crease in electricity prices. How can a on rented premises. thority. The composition of the com- set of reforms, undertaken in the DBT also adds an unnecessary mittee will be such that the Centre name of improving efficiencies, but administrative burden. For instance, will have a stronger voice simply by which results in much higher prices, DBT will require the government to dint of bureaucratic seniority. This be termed efficient? build a database of details of benefi- flies in the face of all established The centrality of electricity as a ciaries. Currently, subsidy benefits norms of impartial selection pro- critical input is the reason why State for many consumer categories vary cesses, especially for membership in governments feel obligated to ex- on the basis of actual consumption. institutions that are expected to per- pand access to power, by means of The government will thus have to form quasi-judicial functions. subsidies if necessary, in order to update its database regularly (every A slew of other amendments make it available to all for productive month, in fact), aligning it with in- have been proposed that will give activity as well as for consumption. formation from the DISCOMS. If at Central and regional institutions, The derisive dismissal of the political all benefits to certain consumers such as Regional Load Dispatch exigency of providing cheap electri- must be re-examined, say because of Centres, far more powers over DIS- city as “populism” ignores the expect- improved economic status, it is much COMS. The most aggressive step in ation of the polity that the state easier to do so within the existing the ongoing attempt to wrest control safeguard and promote production framework, that is, by transferring from States is the proposed creation and consumption of electricity subsidies directly to the utilities. of a new Electricity Contract En- across a badly divided economy and Timely disbursal of dues by State forcement Authority (ECEA). This society. २ governments has been a major prob- centrally appointed authority will be Tejal Kanitkar teaches at the lem in the past. The distressing fiscal in charge of ensuring the “sanctity” of National Institute of Advanced situation is likely to only make mat- contracts, even if iniquitous, a task Studies, Bengaluru.

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 78 CONTROVERSY Against all reason The Central government appears determined to auction off the country’s coal resources despite the widespread opposition to it and the fact that the human and environmental costs of opening up the coal mining sector to commercial exploitation far outweigh the benefits.

BY T.K. RAJALAKSHMI

IN one the biggest protest ac- SSCL held a one-day protest against in the States of Chhattisgarh, tions during the lockdown, five and a a coal block auction scheduled for Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maha- half lakh coal workers of Coal India June 11. The government called off rashtra and Odisha. Not only coal Limited (CIL), a public sector under- the auction process, but in less than a workers but also the governments of taking, and Singareni Collieries week it went back to its original plan. Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Maha- Company Limited (SCCL), which is The government also decided rashtra have objected to the auction jointly owned by the Union govern- that the Central Mine Planning and on various grounds. ment and the government of Telan- Design Institute, a fully owned subsi- The trigger for the three-day gana, will go on strike for three days diary of CIL, should be made inde- protest was Prime Minister Naren- from July 2 to protest against the pendent of CIL in order to make its dra Modi’s launching of the process decision of the National Democratic consultancy services available to to auction coal blocks for commer- Alliance government to auction 41 private miners, a decision unions op- cial mining through a videoconfer- coal blocks and open the coal sector pose. The 41 coal blocks up for auc- ence on June 18. The move, he said, for commercial mining. tion include both fully explored and would free “the coal sector from dec- The unions spearheading the partially explored mines and four ades of lockdown”. The actual e-auc- strike are the Centre of Indian Trade coking coal mines, all of them located tion will take place in August, said Unions, the Indian National Trade Union Congress, the All India Trade Union Congress, the Hind Mazdoor Sabha and the All India Coordina- tion Committee of Trade Unions. The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, which is the trade union affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, has lent its support to the strike. The protest will also involve the five re- cognised coal worker federations. On June 26, former Member of Parlia- ment and Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader K. Kavitha led a protest of the Telangana Boggu Gani Karmika Sangham, the union of SCCL workers. This will be the second protest by coal sector workers in less than a month. On June 10, 1.5 lakh coal IB/PTI workers in all the 535 collieries P spread over eight coal-bearing States P RIME MINISTER N arendra Modi launching the auction process of coal and offices of subsidiaries of CIL and blocks through videoconference in New Delhi on June 18.

79 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 businessman will take that risk. Be- sides a shift to renewable forms of energy has begun the world over,” he said. The government also decided to spend Rs.50,000 crore to create in- frastructure for coal extraction and transportation, which, according to the Prime Minister, would also cre- ate employment opportunities. Pral- had Joshi, Union Minister for Coal and for Mines, praised CIL for play- AT THE GEVRA coal mines in ing a key role in the energy sector and Chhattisgarh, a 2009 picture. said that the production from all coal

UPAK DE CHOWDHURI/REUTERS DE UPAK mines had registered a quantum R jump in the last six years. The auc- D.D. Ramanandan, president of the FICCI president called it a “land- tion methodology and laws for com- All India Coal Workers’ Federation. mark reform” that would “unlock the mercial mining had been framed, “This is to give time to the bidders, country’s natural resources, stimu- Pralhad Joshi claimed, with “thor- most of whom are reluctant to invest late the economy and catalyse India’s ough stakeholder involvement”. The due to problems relating to land is- path to a $5 trillion economy”. blocks had been identified after pub- sues and opposition from workers,” In his address on the occasion, lic consultation, he said and added he told Frontline over telephone Modi said State governments would that this was the “best time for from Ranchi. It was, he said, a free- get more revenue and that the coal private companies to enter the min- for-all. Anyone could bid for the auc- sector reforms would make eastern ing sector”. tion, whether they had mining exper- and central India, the tribal belts in Opposition to the auctioning of ience or not. particular, “pillars of development”. blocks and commercial mining has Both CIL and SCCL together ac- Both regions had a number of aspira- been widespread. In the second week counted for 92 per cent of India’s tional districts and had not been able of June, the sarpanchs of nine gram coal output. In 2019, the government to reach the “desired levels of pro- panchayats representing 25 villages took two major decisions: allowing gress and prosperity”, he said. The in the Hasdeo Forest gram sabha 100 per cent foreign direct invest- NITI Aayog had categorised some area in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, wrote ment in coal and allowing commer- 117 districts in the country as “aspira- to the Prime Minister saying that the cial mining. The auction process tional districts” on the basis of their land and forests represented at- could not be held that year because of socio-economic indicators. There manirbharta for them and that by resistance from workers. The lock- were 16 such aspirational districts, auctioning mining blocks to corpor- down has given the government an Modi said, that had huge coal re- ate entities, the government was opportunity to push the auction serves but the people there had not helping private companies become through. been able to get the benefit of the coal self-reliant. They wrote that they The Prime Minister’s announce- stocks. were opposed to the auction process ment was part of a series of an- The coal blocks auction would started on June 18 and reminded the nouncements under the contribute substantively to projected Prime Minister that all the areas in government’s self-reliance move- coal production in 2025-26 and gen- the Hasdeo Forest were protected ment, or Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiy- erate employment for 2.8 lakh under the Fifth Schedule of the Con- aan. This, he explained, would people. Ramanandan told Frontline stitution, the Panchayat (Extension reduce India’s dependence on im- that private players would cut costs, to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, and ports for its energy requirements and steal coal from CIL mines and pay the Forest Rights Act, 2006. generate lakhs of jobs for the youth. workers less. “Anyone who has a They also reminded Modi that Apart from officials from the Coal gutka business can start a coal mine when the government attempted a Ministry, representatives of the Fed- under the new rules,” he said. The similar auction of coal blocks in eration of Indian Chambers of Com- figures of projected employment 2015, 20 gram sabhas had passed a merce and Industry (FICCI), were exaggerated he said. Even if resolution opposing it and had in- including its president, and of indus- employment was generated, it would formed his office about it. They wrote trial groups such as Vedanta and be exploitative and workers would be that they had remained consistent in Tata Sons were present at the June made to work for 12 hours or more. their opposition but, with the lock- 18 videoconference. While the rep- “They postponed the auction on June down in effect, could not convene a resentative of Tata Sons remarked 11 because there were no bidders. We gram sabha. However, on the basis of that the decision was “one of the big protested, too, but they called it off discussions with tribal people and stepping stones towards our journey because there were few takers. It forest dwellers, it could be said that towards a $5 trillion economy”, the takes five years to develop a block. No they were still opposed to the auction

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 80 unlikely to fetch reasonable returns proportionate to the value of the scarce natural resource through the impugned auctions for commercial coal mining. Five, the constitutional and statutory rights of the petitioner, that is, the State as a lessor flowing out of the Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950, which has been placed at Serial Number 1 of Schedule IX of the Con- stitution, needed to be considered. Addressing the media, Hemant Soren said that the decision to auc-

TI tion the coal blocks appeared to be an P individual one and one-sided. The EMPLOYEES o f Bharat Coking Coal at Jharia in Jharkhand during a token State government should have been strike by coal workers on September 24, 2019. consulted, he said, as mining was a sensitive topic in the State. He said and were determined not to give per- ter’s Office in a tweet saying: “the that it appeared that there was an mission for mining, which was a legal decision to go ahead with commer- attempt to go back to the “old sys- requirement. A copy of the repres- cial mining and coal block auctions tem”. “There should have been a sur- entation (in Hindi) is with Frontline. without acknowledging our con- vey of the benefits of mining in the Expressing astonishment, they cerns around the potential socio- State,” he said, adding that the Cent- wrote that despite the ongoing economic and environment costs ral government appeared to be in a COVID-19 pandemic, six mining and the impact on our forests and hurry. Responding to a question, he blocks from their area were listed for tribal population is a blatant disreg- said that the hurry could be because a auctioning. They reminded the ard of co-operative federalism.” The few corporate houses had the gov- Prime Minister about the eco-sensit- same day, the Jharkhand govern- ernment in their stranglehold. He ive nature of the zone, which they ment moved the Supreme Court expressed surprise that the govern- said had been described in official challenging the virtual auction pro- ment expected investors to come documents as the “lungs of Chhattis- cess on several grounds. First, the when the whole world was going garh” as it had diverse flora and auctions were being held even through lockdowns and people were fauna, including a substantial ele- though the Mineral Laws (Amend- unable to travel, demand was at an phant population. In 2010, the Has- ment) Act, 2020, had lapsed on May all-time low and there was a marked deo Forest area was declared a 14. (The Act amended the Mines and slowdown in business. “no-go” zone as far as mining was Minerals (Development and Regula- Others echoed Hemant Soren’s concerned. They wrote that 18 out of tion) Act ,1957, and the Coal Mines sentiments. On June 22, Aaditya 20 blocks came under the “inviolate” (Special Provisions) Act, 2015, al- Thackeray, Minister of Tourism and policy of the present government and lowing companies with no prior min- Environment in the Maharashtra that the maximum of “inviolate ing experience to participate in the government, tweeted that he had blocks” were in the Hasdeo Forest auction of coal and lignite blocks. It written to Union Minister for Envir- area. The “inviolate policy” being re- liberalised the mining sector, allow- onment and Forest Prakash ferred to was introduced in 2015, in ing for the allocation of coal blocks in Javadekar opposing the proposed Modi’s first tenure as Prime Minis- a wide geographical area. It also lib- auction of a mine site near the ter, and it involved developing para- eralised the criteria for participation Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. “We meters to designate as “inviolate” in an auction process and licensing cannot have the destruction of our forest areas that were critical habit- processes.) Second, what could be wildlife corridors,” he tweeted. ats. On June 20, Mohammad Akbar, done in “Schedule Areas” falling un- The human and environmental the Chhattisgarh Forest and Envir- der the State vis-a-vis the limitations costs of opening up the coal mining onment Minister, wrote to the Union specified in the Constitution needed sector to commercial exploitation far Ministry of Environment, Forest and to be factored in. Third, there was a outweigh the benefits and that is one Climate Change about the increasing need for a fair assessment of the so- of the main reasons for the opposi- instances of man-animal conflict in cial and environmental impact on tion to it from the real stakeholders the Hasdeo Forest areas and how the huge “tribal population” and vast of the sector and the environment. mining would worsen the situation tracts of “forest lands” of the State The morality of pushing through the for both man and animal alike. On and on the residents who were likely auction process when huge parts of the same day, Chief Minister Hem- to be adversely affected. Four, the the country are still battling ant Soren of Jharkhand tagged the negative global investment climate COVID-19 is the other dimension to Coal Ministry and the Prime Minis- prevailing because of COVID-19 was the government’s decision. २

81 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 BOOKS in review Story of ghazal A comprehensive tribute to Urdu ghazals and the cross-cultural roots of the enthralling poetic form. BY A.J. THOMAS

HE ghazal is a mar- guage that was called “Tvel of the magnetic Hindavi, Hindustani, dynamism of husn o i’shq Urdu, Urdu-e Mualla and (beauty and love) in highly The Urdu Ghazal Hindi. charged metaphoric idiom. A Gift of India’s Amir Khusrau was the It is a celebration of love Composite Culture first poet who pioneered and freedom in an ambi- folk genres such as By Gopi Chand doha, ence of pure ecstasy and Narang paheli, geet, qaul, unremitting joy as well as (translated from quallaba, and invented the profound capacity for en- the Urdu by passionate, soulful song during pain and suffering. Surinder Deol) form qawwali, in which he The ghazal is the soul of Oxford India, New sang his ghazals in the Per- Delhi, 2020. Library Urdu poetry and the play of Edition sian-Rekhta mix form. creativity at its peak.” This The ghazal form be- is how the author Gopi Pages: 499+x came quickly accepted in Chand Narang opens the Price: Rs.1,395 the languages allied to preface to his monumental Urdu such as Punjabi, work, The Urdu Ghazal: A The Art and Science of composite culture captiv- Sindhi, Saraiki and Balu- Gift of India’s Composite Urdu Ghazal, by Elizabeth ated millions of people chi and a neighbouring Culture. Kurian ‘Mona”, the scope down the centuries. Amir language like Kashmiri, a The book is not a mere of Professor Narang’s Khusrau (1253-1325), dis- form in which many mod- monograph on the Urdu volume far exceeds them. ciple of the Chisti Sufi saint ern-day poets such as ghazal, but a detailed in- His deep erudition and of Delhi, Hazrat Nizamud- Sunita Raina Pandit are quiry into the beginnings life-long passion for the din Aulia, was a poet and speciliasing; it has greatly of the form in Persian, the Urdu language and its lit- musician who wrote in Per- influenced several Indian dawn of Sufism and its erature shine through the sian and then in the hybrid languages such as Bengali, spread to India, the com- work. proto-model of Hindus- Gujarati, Odia, Telugu and posite culture which de- The Urdu Ghazal is a tani, his mother tongue, Kannada. H.S. Shiv- veloped in India through timely contribution to our which he called Hindavi. aprakash and a few other the marriage of Sufi mysti- era when language and lit- (His father was a Turkish Kannada poets are known cism and the Bhakti move- erature are marked and courtier and his mother for their ghazals in that ment towards the end of tracked by religious and was a Rajput). When he language. the first millennium C.E. communal identities, los- mixed Persian to the Poets writing ghazals that nourished it, and its ing sight of the underlying ghazals that he wrote in in the English language— journey through the humanity of Urdu ghazals. Hindavi and sang them in ranging from stalwarts second millennium C.E. Sufi gatherings, this lan- such as Aga Shahid Ali, to and its position now in the A MIR KHUSRAU guage became known as young ones such as Maaz third. The book primarily con- Rekhta. Bin Bilal and Asiya Za- Although there are centrates on the “cross-cul- The Muslim rulers who hoor—have enriched the many books dwelling tech- tural roots of the Urdu extended their reign to Gu- genre. Nepali and Sin- nically on the ghazal form, ghazal”. jarat and the Deccan took halese languages also boast from the scholarly Haz- From the 11th century this hybrid language along, of the ghazal form in their aron Khawaishen Aisi: C.E., Islamic culture and which was called Gujari in poetry. The Wonderful World of Hindu culture com- Gujarat and Dakhani in The ghazal has Urdu Ghazals by Anisur mingled in the Indian ter- Deccan. conquered the popular Rahman to the handbook, ritories, and the resulting This is the same lan- imagination through films

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 82 for almost a century now. until then primarily Dakh- and hakim (physician). Narang points out that ani. The ghazal further de- Mirza Ghalib (1797-1868), “besides the wonder-world veloped in the hands of the last of the great classi- of metaphorical meaning poets of the northern cists who actually repres- and beauty, reality and plains—Dehlavi and Lakh- ents all Urdu-speaking non-reality, it has its ma- navi. It took at least three regions, though born in gical innate musicality.” centuries after Khusrau to Agra had lived in Delhi This quality makes the see the rise of a great poet from the age of 13, and was genre exclusively suitable like Sauda in Delhi (1713- associated with the for singing. Begum 1781). But Delhi being the Mughal court. Akhtar, Kamla Jhariya, main theatre of wars of in- Sheikh Muhammad K.L. Saigal, Mehdi Has- vasion, like the repeated Ibrahim Zauq (1790- san, Ustad Amanat Ali depredations of Ahmad 1854),a contemporary of Khan, Ustad Nusrat Fateh Shah Abdali and Nadir Ghalib, was appointed Ali Khan, Farida Khanum, Shah, most of the Urdu po- poet laureate at the age of Jagjit Singh and others A MIR KHUSRAU. ets of Delhi moved to the 19. He was the Ustad of have made astute use of next relatively peaceful Bahadur Shah “Zafar” the ghazal form to hold who loved their land. An- royal haven, the court of (1775-1862), the last millions in successive gen- other factor was the per- the Nawab of Awadh, in Mughal Emperor and also erations in thrall, observes vasive Mughal presence in Lucknow. Thus, most of an Urdu poet and ghazal Narang. south India during the the great Dehlavis are also writer. Daagh Dehlavi heyday of that empire. Lakhnavis by default. The (1831-1905) and Altaf S TRANDS OF HINDAVI Ideas from the south trav- best example of this phe- Hussain Hali (born in 1837 Three main strands of the elled north, and vice versa. nomenon is Mir Taqi Mir in Panipat and died there Urdu language, past its Wali adopted all these into (1723-1810) of Delhi and in 1914) were the last of the stage as Hindavi, determ- his poetry; his was a pres- Lucknow. He was born in great poets of Delhi who ined by geographical and ence much awaited in Agra, grew up and flour- lived through the First demographical factors at Delhi poetry circles, when ished in Delhi and shifted War of Independence of its earliest stage of devel- he made his periodical vis- to Lucknow when Ahmed 1857, and contributed sig- opment, can be observed: its. Wali’s contribution is Shah Abdali attacked nificantly to the genre of Dakhani (of the Deccan), considered decisive in the Delhi. Kwaja Mir Dard the Urdu ghazal into the Dehlavi (of Delhi) and development of the Urdu (1720-1785) was a Naqsh- early 20th century. Lakhnavi (of Lucknow), language as well. It was bandi-Mujaddadi Sufi The 20th century saw not necessarily in a linear Wali’s diwans (poetry col- saint and lived in Delhi. It eminent Urdu poets who development, but with in- lections), circulated widely was Ghulam Hamdani used the ghazal form for evitable overlaps in time. in Delhi circles, which per- ‘Mas’hafi’ (1751-1844) of socio-political and cultural The earliest Urdu po- suaded many contempor- Lucknow who coined the themes of the times such as ets who developed the ary poets to switch over name “Urdu” by shorten- nationalism, independ- ghazal were Dakhani poets from the courtly Persian to ing Zaban-i-Ordu, which ence struggle, progressiv- such as Sultan people’s Urdu. was the common name for ism, resistance and Muhammad Quli Qutub Although several Delhi the language known as protest. Special mention Shah, the illustrious ruler Urdu poets continued in Hindustani/Hindvi/ should be made here of of the Qutub Shahi dyn- the line of Amir Khusrau, Hindi/Dakhani or Rekhta how the Urdu ghazal dur- asty of Hyderabad, Deccan most of them confined and colloquially called ing this period contributed (1565-1612), Mulla Wajhi their creative writing to Lashkarizaban or simply to the revolutionary Pro- (early 17th century), Mulla Sabke Hindi (Indianised Lashkari. Momin Khan gressive Writers’ Move- Nusrati, Daem Gawwasi Persian). Wali drew them Momin (1800-1851) of ment by incorporating (both 17th century), Wali towards Urdu, which was Delhi was a poet, writer epistemological and ideo- Mohammad Wali (Wali Dakhani-1667-1707) and Siraj Aurangabadi (1715- 1763). The Urdu ghazal contributed to the Dakhani poetry is characterised by its ab- Progressive Writers’ Movement by sorption of local words, similes and metaphors. incorporating epistemological and ideological This was because the royal shifts on a global level, later progressing into patrons of this language were really sons of the soil modernism and postmodernism.

83 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 logical shifts on a global evolution of Sufism in the Shikoh, was a champion of burning agony of separa- level, later progressing Arab lands and how it the composite culture, tion from the beloved. into modernism and post- came in later along with having commissioned the Ghazals of Mir Taqi Mir modernism. the intensely spiritual fol- translation of 50 Upan- and Ghalib belong to this The book pays tribute lowers of Islam. He con- ishads into Persian, titled kind of exalted poetry. The to the Urdu ghazal in a siders at length the social Sirr-e Akbar (The Conflu- last category is bereft of comprehensive fashion. It dimension and the creative ence of Oceans - 1654-55) any Sufi influence and is is divided into three parts: and aesthetic dimension of when he was the governor downright flesh-bound Part I is devoted to the cul- Sufism and how the latter of Benares. and lustful, as the kind that tural landscape, to the ex- and the Bhakti movement Under his patronage, flourished in the Lakhanvi ploration of India’s together traced a new pas- Chander Bhan Brahman circles. composite culture; Part II sionate spiritual trajectory had flourished. Other Narang then discusses M IRZA GHALIB a nd Mir explores the classical exemplified by Hazrat Hindu poets writing in ARCHIVES HINDU HE ARCHIVES HINDU HE ARCHIVES HINDU HE true Sufi love, which is T T T foundation of the Urdu Taqi Mir (below), the two Nizammudin Aulia, Amir Urdu during this period, as transcendental, and cites ghazal in which concepts giants of the Urdu ghazal. Khusrau, Kabir, Guru Narang notes, were Anand A LI SARDAR JAFRI, F aiz Ahmed Faiz and Firaq Gorakhpuri, some of the prominent the cases of Dard and Siraj of love, beauty and the self Nanak and others. Ram Mukhlis, Lachhmi Urdu poets of the Progressive Writers’ Movement. Aurangabadi, Barelvi, and rhetorical aspects such Narain Shafiq, Kishan Aasi, and others. In this as metaphors, similes, H INDU GHAZAL Chand Ikhlas, Banvari Das (1210-1291), the author of courtesans became the monolithic cultures of Is- context he discusses symbols and imagery are W RITERS Vali, Syalkoti Mal Varasta, Bostan (The Orchard) and custodians of music and lamic kingdoms. Dabistaan-e Delhi (Delhi dealt with in a profound Incidentally, Narang Jaswant Rai Munshi, Shiv Gulistan (The Rose art, and even literature in School), including poets analysis; and Part III de- places on record the con- Ram Haiya, Tan Sukh Rai Garden); Hafiz Shirazi some cases. L OVE IN CLASSICAL such as Shah Hatim, tails the 20th century pan- tribution of Hindus in the Shauq, Tek Chand Bahar (1325-1389); and others, However, the orthodox G HAZALS Sauda, Qayem Chander- orama of the development development of the com- and Anand Ghan. including Jalaluddin religious structure of Islam In analysing love in the puri, Abdul Hai Taban, In- and dispersal of this grace- mon language of the com- Narang further notes Rumi (1207-1273), and in was vehement in denoun- classical ghazal, Narang amulla Khan Yaqeen, Mir ful literary form, exploring posite culture, known by that as a symbol of perfect the final stages of its evolu- cing all this. Practical li- delineates four categories. Asar, Jafar Ali Hasrat and neoclassicists, progress- different names such as communal harmony in tion, ended up as an indi- centiousness on the one In the first, it is pure and Ahsanulla Khan Bayan ives, modernists and Hindavi, Rekhta, Braj and ghazal writing, Hindu genously Indian form, side, and rigid orthodoxy simple love for the Abso- and their works through postmodernists.. of the ghazal is imaginative Khari. ghazal writers began with with no connection to the on the other, produced a lute. Only the great Sufi excerpts quoted. In the Narang begins Part I and metaphorical. Brevity Kayasth Hindus, who the Islamic invocation Arabic beginnings. hypocritical social set-up. masters are capable of it. Daabistan-e Lucknow, he with a picturesque quote is the soul of the structure served in royal courts, were “Bismillahi-r-Rahmani-r- Narang begins Part II The purdah system set He names Kwaja Mir lists Jurrat Lakhnavi, In- from Sir Syed Ahmad of the ghazal…. The lan- excellent in writing in Per- Rahim” and Muslim poets with the concept of love, married women apart Dard, Siraj Aurangabadi, sha Allah Khan Insha, Khan who said, as quoted guage is compressed to its sian. He quotes Syed Abid began their works with an which he analyses in the from male gaze, while the Shah Niaz Barelvi, Abdul Imam Baksh Nashik, Agha in The Muslim Dilemma limits: phrase upon Husain from his Hindus- invocation to Sri Ganesh or context of the Urdu ghazal. men were free to go any- Alim Aasi, and perhaps Hasan Lakhnavi, Tek in India by MRA Baig phrase; izafat (the con- tani Qaumiyat Aur Ma Saraswati. The Sufi way of life, or where and do whatever Asghar Gondavi and Jigar Chand Bahar, Aftab-Ud- (1974:52), “Hindus and nector ‘é’) upon izafat; el- Qaumi Tahzeeb (1946) Finally, he presents the tasavvuf, which is at the they liked. Morabadi in this exalted daulaLakhnavi, Rind Muslims are two eyes of lipsis of connectors, that, “Leaving aside Abul origin and development of centre of the devotional act However, covering the league. In the second, the Lakhnavi, Mir Wazir Ali the beautiful bride that is possessives, pronouns and Fazl and Alamgir, there the genre of the Urdu of offering unconditional female body with purdah poets were influenced by Lakhnavi and Atish and Hindustan”. (It is quite auxiliaries—highly com- were few Muslim prose ghazal in great detail, de- love for the Absolute, was hiding its beauty was not certain aspects of Sufism. their works. Revisiting strange, though, the Two plex, almost to the point of masters who could stand scribing how it began as a the cradle of the Urdu in the tradition of Indian Though they have appar- Dabistaan-e Delhi, he dis- Nation Theory is traced the limits of language—or comparison with Munshi part of the Arabic poetic ghazal. graphic and plastic arts. ent mystical aspirations, in cusses the concept of love back to this great man.) silence, which otherwise is Har Karan, Chander Bhan form qasida, moved over This love was defined Also, love for the “beloved” effect they are earthly and in the works of Momin, Za- Even here, a more detailed the fountainhead of all sig- Brahman (1574-16620), to the Persian poetic tradi- as entirely different from in the Persian tradition mundane in their prac- far, Hali, and ends this sec- description of the Urdu nification. Everything is Munshi Madhav Ram, tion and underwent a thor- the love between two hu- was love for the mazhar or tices. Some contemporar- tion, with extensive ghazal is attempted. mystical, everything is the Munshi Lal Chand and ough transformation in man beings. Tasavvuf was saqi (literally a beautiful ies of Mir Taqi Mir and analyses and quotes from “When we think of the stuff of dreams….” I think I Munshi Uday Raj.” The the hands of Iranian poets, fundamentally revolution- boy who served wine in a Sauda qualify to be in this the two giants of the Urdu Urdu ghazal, the following have borrowed the au- first Urdu ghazal was writ- beginning with Firdauzi ary in that it went beyond tavern), so as to avoid ref- category. They, however, ghazal, Mir Taqi Mir and words come to mind: Eleg- thor’s words enough to ten by Chander Bhan (b.935); and Omar all limits set by religious erence to a female. This contained their expres- Mirza Ghalib. ance, mindfulness, a sur- paint a three-dimensional Brahman. Khayyam (1048-1131), tradition. In an age when was abhorrent to the In- sions of human love within reptitious mystical feeling, portrait of the Urdu ghazal Having developed who did not write ghazals marriages were settled dian sensibilities. The en- metaphors and similes, C REATIVE density of thought, a solid by now. from the proto-Rekhta proper, but wrote in the taking into consideration lightened souls who and reached high poetic I MAGINATION system of denotations and After tracing the ad- model of Amir Khusrau, a masnavi, or narrative several factors regarding became Sufis sought to levels, but fell short in the The concept of beauty and connotations, passionate vent of Islam in India and hybrid Urdu with the mode, and rubba’ait, or the two families involved, break such earthly bound- spiritual department. The elegance (husn o jamaal) imagery, innate musical- the composite culture that Khari Boli dialect of Hindi quadrains, in which the and not the love between aries through tasavvuf third category is truly great in the Urdu ghazal is also a ity, and rich beautification was formed following this as its base, it had de- ghazal form was sub- the man and woman con- taking advantage of India’s poetry inspired genuinely product of India’s creative of meaning. Each couplet event, Narang traces the veloped enough for sumed; progressed cerned, it became almost a pluralistic ethos, with each by Sufism, but cannot be imagination, which is has an imaginative story to Bhakti movement that ghazals to be written in it through Khaqani (1121- societal norm for married Sufi order developing its mechanically compart- based on the freedom of tell, a compressed narrat- took root among the In- by the time of emperor 1190), the first major men to visit nautch girls own rules and practices, mentalised as worldly or the mind. There is a mis- ive of love, both existential dian masses. He then Shahjahan. writer of the perfect ghazal and courtesans and to keep including singing and dan- other worldly, and ex- conception that the “be- and universal. The world dwells on the origin and His son, Prince Dara in Persian; Sa’di Shirazi mistresses. Gradually, cing, as against those in the presses a sublime and loved” in the Urdu ghazal

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 84 85 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 logical shifts on a global evolution of Sufism in the Shikoh, was a champion of burning agony of separa- level, later progressing Arab lands and how it the composite culture, tion from the beloved. into modernism and post- came in later along with having commissioned the Ghazals of Mir Taqi Mir modernism. the intensely spiritual fol- translation of 50 Upan- and Ghalib belong to this The book pays tribute lowers of Islam. He con- ishads into Persian, titled kind of exalted poetry. The to the Urdu ghazal in a siders at length the social Sirr-e Akbar (The Conflu- last category is bereft of comprehensive fashion. It dimension and the creative ence of Oceans - 1654-55) any Sufi influence and is is divided into three parts: and aesthetic dimension of when he was the governor downright flesh-bound Part I is devoted to the cul- Sufism and how the latter of Benares. and lustful, as the kind that tural landscape, to the ex- and the Bhakti movement Under his patronage, flourished in the Lakhanvi ploration of India’s together traced a new pas- Chander Bhan Brahman circles. composite culture; Part II sionate spiritual trajectory had flourished. Other Narang then discusses M IRZA GHALIB a nd Mir explores the classical exemplified by Hazrat Hindu poets writing in ARCHIVES HINDU HE ARCHIVES HINDU HE ARCHIVES HINDU HE true Sufi love, which is T T T foundation of the Urdu Taqi Mir (below), the two Nizammudin Aulia, Amir Urdu during this period, as transcendental, and cites ghazal in which concepts giants of the Urdu ghazal. Khusrau, Kabir, Guru Narang notes, were Anand A LI SARDAR JAFRI, F aiz Ahmed Faiz and Firaq Gorakhpuri, some of the prominent the cases of Dard and Siraj of love, beauty and the self Nanak and others. Ram Mukhlis, Lachhmi Urdu poets of the Progressive Writers’ Movement. Aurangabadi, Barelvi, and rhetorical aspects such Narain Shafiq, Kishan Aasi, and others. In this as metaphors, similes, H INDU GHAZAL Chand Ikhlas, Banvari Das (1210-1291), the author of courtesans became the monolithic cultures of Is- context he discusses symbols and imagery are W RITERS Vali, Syalkoti Mal Varasta, Bostan (The Orchard) and custodians of music and lamic kingdoms. Dabistaan-e Delhi (Delhi dealt with in a profound Incidentally, Narang Jaswant Rai Munshi, Shiv Gulistan (The Rose art, and even literature in School), including poets analysis; and Part III de- places on record the con- Ram Haiya, Tan Sukh Rai Garden); Hafiz Shirazi some cases. L OVE IN CLASSICAL such as Shah Hatim, tails the 20th century pan- tribution of Hindus in the Shauq, Tek Chand Bahar (1325-1389); and others, However, the orthodox G HAZALS Sauda, Qayem Chander- orama of the development development of the com- and Anand Ghan. including Jalaluddin religious structure of Islam In analysing love in the puri, Abdul Hai Taban, In- and dispersal of this grace- mon language of the com- Narang further notes Rumi (1207-1273), and in was vehement in denoun- classical ghazal, Narang amulla Khan Yaqeen, Mir ful literary form, exploring posite culture, known by that as a symbol of perfect the final stages of its evolu- cing all this. Practical li- delineates four categories. Asar, Jafar Ali Hasrat and neoclassicists, progress- different names such as communal harmony in tion, ended up as an indi- centiousness on the one In the first, it is pure and Ahsanulla Khan Bayan ives, modernists and Hindavi, Rekhta, Braj and ghazal writing, Hindu genously Indian form, side, and rigid orthodoxy simple love for the Abso- and their works through postmodernists.. of the ghazal is imaginative Khari. ghazal writers began with with no connection to the on the other, produced a lute. Only the great Sufi excerpts quoted. In the Narang begins Part I and metaphorical. Brevity Kayasth Hindus, who the Islamic invocation Arabic beginnings. hypocritical social set-up. masters are capable of it. Daabistan-e Lucknow, he with a picturesque quote is the soul of the structure served in royal courts, were “Bismillahi-r-Rahmani-r- Narang begins Part II The purdah system set He names Kwaja Mir lists Jurrat Lakhnavi, In- from Sir Syed Ahmad of the ghazal…. The lan- excellent in writing in Per- Rahim” and Muslim poets with the concept of love, married women apart Dard, Siraj Aurangabadi, sha Allah Khan Insha, Khan who said, as quoted guage is compressed to its sian. He quotes Syed Abid began their works with an which he analyses in the from male gaze, while the Shah Niaz Barelvi, Abdul Imam Baksh Nashik, Agha in The Muslim Dilemma limits: phrase upon Husain from his Hindus- invocation to Sri Ganesh or context of the Urdu ghazal. men were free to go any- Alim Aasi, and perhaps Hasan Lakhnavi, Tek in India by MRA Baig phrase; izafat (the con- tani Qaumiyat Aur Ma Saraswati. The Sufi way of life, or where and do whatever Asghar Gondavi and Jigar Chand Bahar, Aftab-Ud- (1974:52), “Hindus and nector ‘é’) upon izafat; el- Qaumi Tahzeeb (1946) Finally, he presents the tasavvuf, which is at the they liked. Morabadi in this exalted daulaLakhnavi, Rind Muslims are two eyes of lipsis of connectors, that, “Leaving aside Abul origin and development of centre of the devotional act However, covering the league. In the second, the Lakhnavi, Mir Wazir Ali the beautiful bride that is possessives, pronouns and Fazl and Alamgir, there the genre of the Urdu of offering unconditional female body with purdah poets were influenced by Lakhnavi and Atish and Hindustan”. (It is quite auxiliaries—highly com- were few Muslim prose ghazal in great detail, de- love for the Absolute, was hiding its beauty was not certain aspects of Sufism. their works. Revisiting strange, though, the Two plex, almost to the point of masters who could stand scribing how it began as a the cradle of the Urdu in the tradition of Indian Though they have appar- Dabistaan-e Delhi, he dis- Nation Theory is traced the limits of language—or comparison with Munshi part of the Arabic poetic ghazal. graphic and plastic arts. ent mystical aspirations, in cusses the concept of love back to this great man.) silence, which otherwise is Har Karan, Chander Bhan form qasida, moved over This love was defined Also, love for the “beloved” effect they are earthly and in the works of Momin, Za- Even here, a more detailed the fountainhead of all sig- Brahman (1574-16620), to the Persian poetic tradi- as entirely different from in the Persian tradition mundane in their prac- far, Hali, and ends this sec- description of the Urdu nification. Everything is Munshi Madhav Ram, tion and underwent a thor- the love between two hu- was love for the mazhar or tices. Some contemporar- tion, with extensive ghazal is attempted. mystical, everything is the Munshi Lal Chand and ough transformation in man beings. Tasavvuf was saqi (literally a beautiful ies of Mir Taqi Mir and analyses and quotes from “When we think of the stuff of dreams….” I think I Munshi Uday Raj.” The the hands of Iranian poets, fundamentally revolution- boy who served wine in a Sauda qualify to be in this the two giants of the Urdu Urdu ghazal, the following have borrowed the au- first Urdu ghazal was writ- beginning with Firdauzi ary in that it went beyond tavern), so as to avoid ref- category. They, however, ghazal, Mir Taqi Mir and words come to mind: Eleg- thor’s words enough to ten by Chander Bhan (b.935); and Omar all limits set by religious erence to a female. This contained their expres- Mirza Ghalib. ance, mindfulness, a sur- paint a three-dimensional Brahman. Khayyam (1048-1131), tradition. In an age when was abhorrent to the In- sions of human love within reptitious mystical feeling, portrait of the Urdu ghazal Having developed who did not write ghazals marriages were settled dian sensibilities. The en- metaphors and similes, C REATIVE density of thought, a solid by now. from the proto-Rekhta proper, but wrote in the taking into consideration lightened souls who and reached high poetic I MAGINATION system of denotations and After tracing the ad- model of Amir Khusrau, a masnavi, or narrative several factors regarding became Sufis sought to levels, but fell short in the The concept of beauty and connotations, passionate vent of Islam in India and hybrid Urdu with the mode, and rubba’ait, or the two families involved, break such earthly bound- spiritual department. The elegance (husn o jamaal) imagery, innate musical- the composite culture that Khari Boli dialect of Hindi quadrains, in which the and not the love between aries through tasavvuf third category is truly great in the Urdu ghazal is also a ity, and rich beautification was formed following this as its base, it had de- ghazal form was sub- the man and woman con- taking advantage of India’s poetry inspired genuinely product of India’s creative of meaning. Each couplet event, Narang traces the veloped enough for sumed; progressed cerned, it became almost a pluralistic ethos, with each by Sufism, but cannot be imagination, which is has an imaginative story to Bhakti movement that ghazals to be written in it through Khaqani (1121- societal norm for married Sufi order developing its mechanically compart- based on the freedom of tell, a compressed narrat- took root among the In- by the time of emperor 1190), the first major men to visit nautch girls own rules and practices, mentalised as worldly or the mind. There is a mis- ive of love, both existential dian masses. He then Shahjahan. writer of the perfect ghazal and courtesans and to keep including singing and dan- other worldly, and ex- conception that the “be- and universal. The world dwells on the origin and His son, Prince Dara in Persian; Sa’di Shirazi mistresses. Gradually, cing, as against those in the presses a sublime and loved” in the Urdu ghazal

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 84 85 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 was borrowed from the Ali Sardar Jafri, Jan Nisar Persian tradition, that of Akhtar, Kaifi Azmi, mazhar or saqi so as to Majrooh Sultanpuri, avoid inclusion of women Ahmed Faraz, Khatir which was against Islam’s Ghaznavi, Ale Ahmed tenets. Suroor, Ahmed Nadeem In the Dakhani ghazal, Qasmi, Habib Jalib and it was the traditional In- Zehra Nigah—along with dian model that found in- excerpts from their works clusion and not a beautiful as illustrations. boy. Narang discusses the Though the northern modernists and postmod- ghazal initially followed ernists in Urdu ghazal the Iranian model for writing. HE HINDU ARCHIVES HINDU HE some time, Wali Dakhani’s T He lists them as Miraji, influence changed it com- G ULZAR AND JAVED AKHTAR a re listed among the Majeed Amjad, Nasir pletely. The Dakhani modernists and postmodernists in Urdu ghazal writing. Kazmi, Rajinder Man- ghazal had contained chanda Bani, Jameeluddin purely Indian imagery and achievements, charting mankind, the self as the es- Aali, Krishan Bihari Noor, female verbal markers, as the careers of Zauq, Zafar, sence of absolute con- Munir Niazi, Jaun Elia, against the Persian model Ghalib, Nawab Mustafa sciousness, are all Shakeb Jalali, Shuja in which gender could not Khan Shefta, Daagh and discussed and examples Khavar, Parveen Shakir, be indicated grammatic- Hali. Finally, he discusses quoted from the lines of all Shahryar, Nida Fazli, Mo- ally. The Dakhani ghazal the Urdu ghazal as a thing major Urdu ghazal writers, hammed Alvi, Zafar Iqbal, writers “used the same of beauty in itself. listing them one by one. Ahmad Mushtaq, Gulzar, themes of beauty and grace Apart from love and Next, Narang discusses Bashir Badr, Kishwar Na- that were used in regional beauty, the most import- the rhetorical aspects of heed, Iftikar Arif, Javed languages such as Telugu, ant element of an Urdu the Urdu ghazal, such as Akhtar, Munawwar Rana, Marathi and Gujarati. In ghazal is the concept of metaphors, similes, sym- Farhat Ehsaas, Jayant Par- later Urdu ghazals, these self. Helped early on by the bols and imagery, through mar and Shakeel Azmi, became the new standard.” idea of tasavvuf, the ideal detailed illustrations by with samples of their Narang lists here first ghazal would always be way of excerpts from major ghazals. the names of the import- concerned with the soul in Urdu poets. The book ends with an ant Dakhani ghazal total love-communion Lastly, the 20th cen- Epilogue which is, in ef- writers beginning with with the Absolute, the Cre- tury panorama is dis- fect, a summing up of the Sultan Muhammad Quli ator. cussed, beginning with contents discussed. Qutb Shah and then those Along with this, deep neoclassicists, singling out The translator, of the north, and provides contemplation about the the leading lights among Surinder Deol, has done illustrations through ex- place of humankind in the them who were also ardent wonderfully well in trans- cerpts from their repres- world, the purpose and nationalists—Hasrat Mo- mitting a complex and in- entative ghazals. He also meaning of life, the cross- hani, Akbar Allahabadi, tricate discourse through explains the amazing cultural milieu in which Allama Iqbal, Mohammad an alien language. The beauty of the Dakhani the Urdu ghazal evolved— Ali Jauhar, Shad Azi- thesis of the creative cul- ghazal; Dakhani’s influ- all these elements contrib- mabadi, Ram Prasad Bis- tural transformation of a ence on the early Delhi uted to the concept of self. mil, Brij Narain Chakbast, popular genre is well es- ghazal; the influence of The Hindu concept of the Yagana Changezi, Asghar tablished, and the book tasavvuf; the concept of creator as “Brahma”, be- Gondvi, Jigar stands out as a unique beauty in Mir Taqi Mir; longing to a trinity along Moradabadi, Fani study of an ever-growing the pinnacle of beauty in with Vishnu and Mahesvar Badauni, Hafiz Jaland- form: Urdu poetry; the poets and (Siva) forming a Supreme hari, and Arzoo Lakhnavi. Raah-e mazmuun-e poetry of Dabistaan-e Luc- Deity, then the One Su- The author then discusses taazaa band nahien know in the context of preme Godhead which the the prominent Urdu poets Taaqyaamat khula beauty and elegance; with Vedantins propounded, of the Progressive Writers’ hai baab-e sukhan (Wali) the names and quotes from and Allah being the One Movement—Josh Mali- (The road to new the works of the prominent God in the Islamic theo- habadi, Firaq Gorakhpuri, themes and subjects is Lakhnavi poets; revisits logy, were in fact akin to Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Makh- never ending Dabistaan-e Delhi; and each other. doom Mohiuddin, Sahir the door of creativity is describes the nucleus of Therefore, the unity of Ludhianvi, Majaz Lakh- ever open till the Day of Urdu ghazal’s new existence, the unity of navi, Anand Narain Mulla, Judgment (eternity). २

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 86 BOOKS in review

capital to stock commodit- ies and they do not have the privileges to afford a Surpassing lockdown. In other words, they are the people who have gone beyond an iden- tification of a space and modernity time. They are the ones who only have the sky Flights contests to be a good read to surpass the above their heads and the earth below their feet. syndrome of modernity and its constant test of They are the “Others”. The time. B Y SANKAR VARMA K.C others do not have their roots firm; nobody can master their moves; they here is something di- has gone beyond the ques- do not have a limit in any- Tgressively constant in tion of mobility. There is thing they experience; they this dynamic world. They no longer a plurality in the do not believe in the pan- are the dynamic others. mobility of the “self” or opticon; their bodies and This dynamic other can even for the “other”. Blow- minds keep moving. blow you in the form of a ing of the breeze as men- This takes us to the ul- breeze without any pre- tioned before has lost its timate realisation that the scription in this viral capacity to pluck one’s root others are nothing but world. It is in this blowing because there is a virus “Flights”. of the breeze that an exist- that has started ruling over The current state the ence of the “Other” starts the breeze. Perhaps the world is in, as per the flow getting ingrained in the breeze in itself is a virus of changes that COVID-19 self. Flights by Olga Tokar- that is calling for a mo- has brought about, calls for czuk is a book that is not Flights ment of stationarity. With a stationary time and gross in conveying human- this very arrival, most of us space. In the book the au- By Olga Tokarczuk ity but has contents that have been driven towards thor writes: “Place as an Replika Press 2017 are evidently gross. This something that is called a aspect of space pauses evidently gross phe- lockdown. Lockdown is a time. It is the momentary nomenon perhaps is a re- of the past, present and fu- situation when people are detainment of our percep- flection of the modernity ture. A book, in other instructed to stay within tion on a configuration of syndrome. A transaction of words, that has already the walls of their house. In objects. It is in contradis- forcing the “other” to come withstood the test of time other words, it is an effect- tinction to time, a static to terms with modernity to and space both in the ive orchestration of limit- notion. Understood thus, such an extent that the physiological and in the ing one’s “self” to a limited human time is divided into anatomy of the self gets economic sense much be- boundary in order to pre- stages as movement contained into a museum fore it took the form of a vent and contain the virus through space is broken up piece of orchestrated book. This is the brilliance from spreading to others. by place-pauses. Such bones scattered along with of the narrative imagina- However, there still ex- pauses anchor us within the scattered other. This is tion of Olga Tokarczuk. ist a bunch of people who the flow of time.” Perhaps what makes the book one Something that drives do not have the ability to now is the time for a pause. of the most humane texts readers into a space that is lock themselves down. A pause to regain nor- for the centuries to come boundary-less, which is These are the people who malcy into a lot of things and, more importantly, the trying to lay foot some- do not have the privilege of time has digressed from. centuries past. That is, where but is immediately a forced limited boundary, This understanding of di- though the book speaks on routed off to an “other though the time com- gressions through a nar- the anatomy, history and a somewhere”. mands them to be so. They rative imagination of very divergent under- But today with the out- are devoid of all the lock- making one’s self under- standing of the self break of COVID-19, the down privileges, unlike stand the binary opposi- through the other, the routing of the root has be- others. They do not have a tions of life through the point is the book in its en- come a terrible problem. house to limit themselves ‘other’ makes the book tirety is a documentation The “Other somewhere” to, they do not have the Flights a good read and all

87 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 the more relevant in these is effectively misutilised times of a lockdown. (here the other being the In 1994 when Pina earth). Hence in actuality, Bausch (the famous dan- the eternal wrestling cer and choreographer) matches are played by hu- last visited India, she at- mans on humans against tended a conference con- humans and this has ducted by Georg Lechner, happened from time im- the then head of Max memorial. It is also evident Mueller Bhavan. Lechner because human beings tried very hard to make her have become a larger frac- admit that, at heart, she tion of the whole. How- was a German artiste. Pina ever, once the larger refused to respond to his fraction of the whole real- questions, blowing rings of ise that all that we are re- cigarette smoke instead. duced to is ashes that When he asked the same remain in the grave at the question a third time, she end of the day, it is prob- put her cigarette aside, ably in that point of a real- looked him in the eyes and isation that the seeds for a said, “Gorg, had I been a new world of and for the bird, would you have called other germinates. Epis- ASCHA SCHUERMANN/AFP ASCHA

me a German bird?" S odes of despotic events It is in this historical shall also cease to exist O LGA TOKARCZUK a fter she was awarded the 2018 background that Olga then. Sadly, the whole is Nobel Literature Prize, in western Germany on October Tokarczuk also ends up in greater than the part is 10, 2019. identifying the geograph- what we all are taught, but ical root, as per genes, as days after boundaries have a knowing of spontaneous it must be realised by now not the right routing of the been designated in the illogicity, gang-marked by that it need not necessarily root, rather it is the breeze name of citizenship. These a systematic pedagogy remain the same as always. that takes one through his/ events are not small; in fact through oppressing the This is because when we her being and becoming they are huge and large but “Other”. In her book Olga look into the fractions of that routes the right root. are made small because of writes, “The showcase the whole it is the humans. This being and becoming a bourgeois ailment at the holds several dozen people Humans govern the earth. of a root is attained end of the day. The bour- with no relation to one an- In other words, humans through a constant conflict geois ailment starts when a other, separated from each govern the whole. that the self enters into comfortable “self” can other by space and time- This also in a way after looking back into the maintain a social and emo- now in such a beautiful proves that the whole is no chronicles of a travel ex- tional distancing with the resting place, spacious and longer greater than its perienced through the “other”. This distancing dry, well-lit, and con- part. It is at this point an- breeze. It is from these can conveniently result in demned to eternity in a other question arises, “who chronicles of a travel that a situation when blood be- museum. They must be the is the earth?” And there the the author roots the syn- comes just a matter of the envy of those bones that earth ceases to be earth dromes of the world and its colour red and not any- got stuck in eternal wrest- and is forced to become the spontaneous illogicity. thing emotionally trivial- ling matches with the “other” thereby worming Spontaneous illogicity re- ising. In fact, blood here earth.” in humans as the domin- flects or is manifested in becomes a pilgrimage that Eternal wrestling ant bearers of the earth. the form of macro events is the prelude to another matches with the earth are This results in the earth in that are problematic so- pilgrimage. That is, seeing probably played by the en- itself becoming a space cially but are reduced to a blood in this context auto- vironment on the environ- only for the humans. This micro being personally. matically becomes an ment against the kind of a perfective domin- She identifies this as a syn- activity of knowing citizen- environment is the under- ation over the “other” drome which is small, ship and not knowing pinning feeling that is well mastered through human portable and not weighed blood as a spurting out of a abetted and effectively anatomical functionalities down by any theory but is reaction carried out of an manufactured by humans. and conflicts is what is bril- episodic. inhumane activity. Hence This is the terrible germin- liantly mind-bombed Let us look into the the way of seeing is alto- ation of a despotic con- through the book Flights series of events that has gether turned upside down science wherein the by Olga Tokarczuk. The happened within these few wherein we all end up into exceptionality of the other author perfectly orches-

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 88 trates the functioning of blood is a warning, its red- ends with the “self”. In this be created. “Your head in the self by proving the ness an alarm that the cas- transaction, conscience the Other world and the point that for the self the ing of the body has been has always been bereft of Other head in your world” self always seems real and breached. That the con- the concern for the other perhaps matters the most the other is nothing but a tinuity of the tissue has and hence ultimately ends in these testing times of vague spectre, a Flying been broken. up in a state of being forced COVID-19 which we all Dutchman just darting “In reality, on the in- to be crippled. Today we are living through. An ap- over a distant horizon. side we have no colour. are forced to be crippled proach of come what may Sadly, the distant truth is When the heart pumps out and it is in this state the is inherent in human be- that the “real” is the “‘vague blood as it’s supposed to, book tries to explain the ings and with this firm be- spectre of the Flying blood looks just like snot.” episodes of various events. lief we strive forward, Dutchman” and the “‘un- The in-between of In the book Tokarczuk thinking “this too shall real” is the “‘real” which is one’s life is brilliantly por- presents an eminent pro- pass”. This in its absolute the “self”. An absolutely or- trayed here with a stun- fessor of Greek history who actuality seems to be the chestrated earlier said ning inference that blood suffers a stroke. Once he is ultimate realisation the “‘spontaneous illogicity” is something that can be affected by the stroke, he is book Flights tries to em- that again is an after- afforded. A good that has a taken into the extraordin- bark upon the reader. product of a bourgeois ail- monetary value assigned ary image of all the places A fitting craft of the ment. This illogicity ar- to it so much so that it he spent his life steadily book can be seen through rives in a confirmation that achieves a state that can drowning in a never-end- an overt influence of the human beings become the make the commodity ing flood of red fluid, link- author in the poet William “Heart of an economy” that alarmingly colourful from ing the blood filling his Blake. An encompassing pumps capital for develop- the outside but physiolo- brain with Homer’s fam- factor of the book also rests ment. However it is inter- gically colourless from the ous “wine-dark sea”. This its subject in a poem of esting to look into the inside. is a scene used by the au- Blake The Fly. perception of Heart This in a way also is a thor to recapture the “If thought is life through the author’s lens: symbolic reinterpretation spaces that the professor And strength and “The heart. All its mys- of the fetishised interests has seen through his lens. breath, tery has been conclusively of the mind constantly in However, to arrive at a And the want revealed — for it’s that un- play over the body in ac- stage of this level one has Of thought is death, shapely lump the size of a quiring commodities of to get affected with a Then am I fist, its colour a dirty light varied interests. This fetish stroke, and this is the lar- A happy fly, brown. Please note that inside out behaviour is de- ger backdrop of the story. If I live, that is, in fact, the colour of constructed with utmost Each stroke is a moment in Or if I die.” our bodies: greyish brown, reason by confirming that the documentation of a This stanza is probably ugly. We would not want to the colour of inside is ugly, history and each history is the beginning and it never have walls in our houses or dark, and that showing it a memory to be grasped ceases to end because the a car that colour. It’s the off is pointless. Perhaps it hold of in the moment of a duty of one is to keep on colour of insides, of dark- is at this juncture that the danger. flying. Today while most of ness, of places light can’t beginning to the end of the Flights, for that mat- us are home-quarantined reach, where matter hides body-mind relationship of ter, continue to document or socially and physically in moisture from others the self for the others ends history ceaselessly forever, distanced because of a gazes, and there isn’t any up in becoming “snot”. because the writer and the virus that is flying, let us point in it showing off. The Snot because it is a trans- book have identified the also not forget to fly only extravagance able to actional movement that self through the thoughts around. Flights by Olga be afforded went to blood: begins with the “self” and that are documented in Tokarczuk contests to be a terms with the other. And good read to surpass the it is in this backdrop, syndrome of modernity The book is not gross in memory as a conflicting and its constant test of arena moulded out of fet- time. २ conveying humanity but has ish binaries becomes all Sankar Varma K.C, is a contents that are evidently the more important. Trav- Research Fellow (Christ elling of the mind along Deemed to be University) gross. This evidently gross with the body and travel- ling of the body always References: phenomenon perhaps is a with the mind henceforth Thesis on the Philosophy of reflection of the modernity has to continue, and that is History by Walter Benjamin how memories are created syndrome. and memories continue to “The Fly” by William Blake

89 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BREAKTHROUGHS

The Kanha Tiger Reserve’s proactive wildlife management practices have taken translocation operations to a new level. A N ADULT GAUR BULL that wildlife managers, seated on BY RAKESH SHUKLA elephants, singled out from the herd is darted successfully. UDHIR MISHRA MISHRA UDHIR S

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 90 91 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 ON a chilly winter morning in Janu- The bull was now ready for immobil- hindquarters) to avoid aspiratory ing the protected area with the aim of ary at the Kanha Tiger Reserve in isation. Once the animal was in clear pneumonia, gas formation and re- achieving the larger goal of biod- Madhya Pradesh, four elephants sight, a dart from a projectile gun gurgitation of rumen contents. The iversity conservation in all its facets. ambled through long grass and found its mark and the animal veterinarians recorded the animal’s Initially, these proactive practices bushes amid the light mist covered gradually lost consciousness, vital health parameters and admin- were measured and purely local. forest of stately sal trees. The ele- staggered and slowly sank down on istered some injections. This was the Gradually, however, experience in phants were on a mission that was its haunches. All this while the ele- first of the 50 animals that were rein- adaptive management and the part of the larger conservation efforts phants made sure that the rest of the troduced into the Bandhavgarh Ti- knowledge gained from the evolving involving the wildlife managers and animals stayed well clear of the bull. ger Reserve some 250 km away, in science of conservation inspired the veterinarians riding on their backs. Once complete immobilisation Umaria district, in 2011-12. This Kanha management to take up sev- Soon the elephants came close to a was achieved, the teams got off the population is now thriving with eral ambitious undertakings. grazing herd of gaur, which they elephants, quickly blindfolded the around 140 animals. moved gently to a relatively flat and animal to protect its eyes from light, Since the late 1960s Kanha, re- B EYOND THE ROUTINE suitable terrain. While doing so they injury and dust, shifted it onto a garded as one of the best-protected Speaking generally, except for wild- made sure that an adult bull that the stretcher and maintained it in a areas in Asia, has been undertaking life protection and rescue opera- managers had singled out had been sternal recumbency position (with proactive wildlife management prac- tions, most management practices at sufficiently separated from the herd. raised head and folded fore- and tices such as expanding and improv- Kanha are conventional and have al- UDHIR MISHRA MISHRA UDHIR S

CONSTRUCTED i n 1972, the barasingha enclosure has proved to be a game changer that has assured increased numbers of this endangered and endemic deer.

most a fixed time frame for their specific and tourism management completion. The management just programmes, and so on. Regional has to take up these practices at se- measures, such as species supple- lect sites and in the proper seasons as mentations, reintroductions and an- envisaged in the tiger conservation imal translocations, involve at least plan as a response or “reaction” to one more protected area in order to managerial prescriptions. While complete the donor-receiver scen- these tasks are important, their un- ario. While all these proactive prac- changing regularity and dependence tices are important, handling wild on nature makes them monotonous, animals for translocation/introduc- and eventually, wildlife managers tion is the most exciting and news- lose their enthusiasm to innovate worthy task in conservation, and achieve higher conservation attracting attention from all goals. “Proactive management” in quarters. the context of wildlife conservation is The conceptualisation and im- the opposite of the “routine” and “re- plementation of a proactive inter- active” management. This approach vention entail serious deliberations looks beyond the routine and anti- and planning to achieve goals that cipates future challenges for timely may appear to many rather atypical preparedness. It requires a deep un- and unconventional. To ensure suc- derstanding of wildlife ecosystems, cess, practitioners of proactive man- animal ecology and behaviour, and agement have to step out of their threats that may arise in the future. comfort zones to take the risks in- Proactive measures could range volved in such unorthodox interven- from purely local innovations relev- tions. Understandably, the approach ant only to Kanha to rather ambi- may also raise questions about the tious projects involving a expertise of the practitioners if the multidisciplinary team of experts desired goal is not achieved or if the and other protected areas of the re- achievement does not fare well in a gion. Local proactive measures may typical cost-benefit analysis. The include special species- and habitat- more ambitious the goal, the higher the risk involved. THE BULL was restrained and The team responsible for a pro- blindfolded for veterinary intervention active operation involving wild an- and then loaded onto the recovery imals is always under pressure, from UDHIR MISHRA MISHRA UDHIR

S vehicle. the media and higher-ups. And, if the

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 92 93 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 SUBHRANJAN SEN

THE CONSERVATION of the hard ground barasingha at Kanha is an inspiring success story.

NATURAL, biological and ecological constraints had resulted in the low population growth of the barasingha at Kanha, so it was decided to relocate some animals to a geographically HARAD VATS VATS HARAD

separate habitat. S

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 94 target species happens to be iconic or equally important. There have been tion. These conservation transloca- endangered, it compounds the prob- instances when the animals safely tions have to follow a detailed lem manifold. Besides, if some rein- translocated and released into the protocol prepared following troduced/translocated animals die wild died within days of release. De- guidelines and advisories prescribed after settling down or simply do not pending upon the resilience and ver- by either the State or Central govern- fare as well as expected in the popu- satility of the species involved, its ment to avoid criticism and disap- lation viability analysis, uncomfort- physical condition, the climatic con- proval. In a project involving the able questions are bound to be ditions and habitat variability at the capture and translocation of wild an- raised. The success of proactive man- relocation site, wildlife managers imals, mortality during an operation agement, however, has its rewards, may choose between a “hard release” beyond the acceptable limits is a seri- and these innovations provide en- (animals released directly into the ous issue that may lead to severe cri- couragement, build a foundation for wild) and a “soft release” (animals ticism and eventual abandonment of future ventures and bring immense first kept under observation in an the project. professional satisfaction to everyone enclosure, then released into the The restoration of the en- involved. wild) to ensure a successful reloca- dangered and endemic hard ground

M ULTIDISCIPLINARY A PPROACH The science and art of reintroduc- tion/translocation of wild animals have grown steadily over the years along with advancements in sophist- icated drugs and equipment. The ex- pertise of professional wildlife managers, veterinarians and biolo- gists is required to capture, restrain, transport and release immobilised animals safely. Although in the re- cent past, the Kanha management has had some satisfying achieve- ments in this area, such managerial intervention is still in its infancy in India. In several African countries, restraining, capturing and translo- cating hundreds of large mammals UDHIR MISHRA UDHIR

between different private wildlife re- S serves is a common practice. VITAL h ealth parameters of a radio-collared tiger being checked. Successful translocations/rein- troductions need painstaking plan- ning, well-coordinated effort and mutual trust between professionals of different disciplines. The choice of immobilising drug, its antidote, emergency and supportive drugs, darting guns and other instruments, use of customised vehicles and the crew’s responsibilities, the schedule of field activities, and actual trans- portation route and release mode need to be discussed thoroughly and checked and rehearsed before the ac- tual operation. The same amount of planning is required even in the case of non-invasive physical capture and translocation operations in which only calming drugs may be used be- UDHIR MISHRA MISHRA UDHIR fore the translocation begins, S Post-release monitoring by re- AN IMMOBILISED tiger being carried away for weighment and veterinary searchers and veterinarians is interventions before translocation.

95 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii branderi) was one of Kanha’s pro- jects. It involved assiduous manage- ment of native grasslands and water distribution for this exclusively graminivorous species. Large chunks of habitat were reclaimed in the late 1960s through village relocation. The sensitive and difficult task of re- settling the residents to areas outside the park required gentle persuasion and confidence-building measures. This is regarded as the first reloca- tion programme for wildlife conser- vation in independent India. Now, with the relocation of 35 villages, an impressive number of different wild- life populations enjoy perfect tran- quillity in the core zone. Through committed proactive measures, the barasingha is now also back from the verge of local extinction from a mere 66 animals in 1970 to around 1,000 now. The Kanha management recog- nised the importance of conservation science in wildlife management a

IKHILESH TRIVEDI TRIVEDI IKHILESH long time ago. Quality in-house re- N search, monitoring and inventorying ONCE locally extinct, the blackbuck can now be seen at Kanha. of wildlife resources became the basis for effective decisions about re- source use and manipulation. A re- search wing started in the late 1960s with a field laboratory was strengthened gradually to the extent that today Kanha is a centre for wild- life studies that also welcomes re- searchers from national and international institutes/universities. With the deep conviction that Kanha has tremendous knowledge to offer on nature and wildlife con- servation, reserve developed an ex- cellent park interpretation programme, the first of its kind in India, in the early 1990s in collabora- tion with the United States National Park Service. This popular pro- gramme proved ahead of its time and was upgraded in 2005 and again in 2019 to integrate conservation his- tory, new research findings, scientific management practices and new trends in wildlife management, and national and international tiger con- servation perspectives. In the recent past, the Kanha ITENDER GOVINDANI GOVINDANI ITENDER J management has taken up projects KANHA a lso supports a good population of sambar. that it did not attempt earlier be-

F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 96 R SANJAY K. SHUKLA SHUKLA K. SANJAY R D AN AERIAL VIEW o f the capture boma used for ungulate species. The boma method of South Africa involves using a large makeshift funnel-shaped enclosure of iron sheets and opaque cloth for capture operations. cause of hesitancy and lack of tech- nical expertise. Good veterinary support also became available for conservation when the State wildlife wing established good veterinary support by inducting veterinarians into tiger reserves and training them in wildlife health management and rescue and translocation operations. The first such important under- taking was the reintroduction of the gaur (Bos gaurus gaurus) into the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve from where the species went extinct in the mid 1990s. After many intens- UDHIR MISHRA MISHRA UDHIR ive consultations with some South S African experts, preparation of cus- A HERD o f chital trapped in the capture boma from where they can be gently tomised vehicles, procurement of driven into the transportation truck. veterinary drugs and equipment and training of a multidisciplinary ingha. Besides, this small population makeshift funnel-shaped enclosure team, the reintroduction opera- faces a grave risk from an unanticip- of iron sheets and opaque cloth, was tions were accomplished under a ated epidemic at Kanha. In view of employed for capture operations. meticulous protocol. A total of 50 this, it was decided to relocate some Connected to the tapered end of the animals were darted, restrained, animals to a geographically separate funnel was a customised transport captured and transported to Band- habitat. The Satpura Tiger Reserve truck. The target animals were lured havgarh in several trips in 2011 and (STR), some 400 km away in into this large boma over some days 2012, where they were kept in a Hoshangabad district, met this re- and were gently driven into the specially designed in-situ enclosure quirement, and as a former distribu- truck. for some time before being released tion range of this cervid, it was In this way, a total of 46 baras- into the wild. considered safe for the reintroduc- ingha were translocated to the Bori Natural biological and ecological tion and multiplication of the baras- Wildlife Sanctuary, which is a part of constraints have resulted in the low ingha. The boma method of South the STR, between 2015 and 2020. population growth of the baras- Africa, which involves using a large They were first kept in a specially

97 F RONTLINE . J ULY 17, 2020 SUDHIR MISHRA SUDHIR MISHRA

T HE CUSTOMISED t ruck to transport ungulates. A MALE b arasingha being released in a new reserve. designed in-situ enclosure and later vived. Around three years ago, 27 and trained for rewilding in a low released gradually into the wild. At animals were released into the tiger density area. This idea paved present, there are around 90 baras- wild, and now there are around 60 the way for keeping orphaned cubs ingha at Bori. animals in the enclosure. in a quarantine house for some time The Kanha of the late 1970s Kanha is visualised as compris- and later shifting them into a spe- had a different landscape, with ing two ecological entities: the Ban- cially designed in-situ enclosure several villages and agricultural jar valley and the Halon valley, that is completely fenced with grass fields dotting the landscape. It also named after the respective rivers. so that neither the animals inside had a population of around 100 While the Banjar area supports a can look out nor can people outside blackbucks (Antilope cervicapra) good population density of chital look in. This ensures minimal dis- that gradually declined and be- (Axis axis), the Halon area has a turbance to the animals. Besides all came locally extinct, which was low population. The low density of provisions of security and tranquil- considered a blow to the concept of chital also results in a low number lity, the 35-hectare enclosure also biodiversity conservation. of carnivores, especially tigers. has a mechanism that allows prey A plan was made to capture Therefore, to rectify the skewed animals to be driven into it for some animals from a nearby dis- density distribution and expedite predation. trict and release them into an in- population build-up, some relo- Young tiger cubs are given a diet situ enclosure for safe multiplica- cated village sites were developed of goat milk, eggs, poultry and tion and future release into the as good grasslands, and chital were mashed meat. Gradually, they are wild. Around 50 animals were cap- captured and translocated from the given ample opportunity for preda- tured from agricultural fields over Banjar area for release into the tion by way of the ungulates driven several nights. Several men with Halon area to supplement the exist- into the enclosure. Once they are the lights fitted on their heads and ing population. So far, around right age and after meticulous mon- buzzers fitted at their waists and 1,300 chital have been released in itoring of natural predation, these carrying long nets would move to- these operations. cubs are translocated and released gether towards a blackbuck herd. The core zone of the Kanha Tiger into a low tiger density area outside The animals would get dazed and Reserve is a well-monitored high ti- Kanha. So far, nine such orphaned confused by this combination of ger density area. The dynamics of tigers have been rewilded, including light and sound and would stand as this population affect some individu- two famous tigresses credited with if frozen, making it easy for them to als. For instance, sometimes, a resid- producing several litters that re- be captured and shut in specially ent male kills a mother tigress in stocked the Panna Tiger Reserve in designed crates for transport to fierce infighting, orphaning all her northern Madhya Pradesh, once Kanha. While some animals died cubs. The Kanha management totally bereft of tigers. २ of capture myopathy after release thought that instead of sending these Rakesh Shukla is a Research Officer into the enclosure, the rest sur- cubs to a zoo they should be reared at the Kanha Tiger Reserve.

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