BABRIBABRI DEMOLITIONDEMOLITION CASECASE EENDND OOFF MMANDIR-MASJIDANDIR-MASJID PPOLITICSOLITICS POLITICIANSPOLITICIANS & CRIMECRIME MMPsPs & MLAs DODODGEDGE PPUNISHMENTUNISHMENT HHAROLDAROLD EVANEVANSS A LIFE IN PURSUITPURSUIT OOFF TRUTTRUTHH 2020 HOHOMEME CCHEFSHEFS BER 11, O T PPLATEFULLATEFUL OFOF MONEYMONEY OCTOBER 11, 2020 OCTOBER OC EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW THIS VIRUS IS INDEED MAN-MADE VIROLOGIST DR LI-MENG YAN opens up on why she believes the novel coronavirus was created in a lab VOL. 38 NO. 41 THE WEEK OCTOBER 11 2020 FOR THE WEEK OCTOBER 5 - OCTOBER 11 26 46 63 ARVIND JAIN ARVIND PRASAD P. GETTY IMAGES TRIBUTE BABRI VERDICT @LEISURE Sir Harold Evans, the champion editor The judgment in the mosque With people trying to avoid dining who put his heart into investigative demolition case will have far- outside, the home chef business journalism for public good reaching implications is booming like never before 30 COVER STORY 20 CURRENT EVENTS Despite high testing, COLUMNS Uttar Pradesh 11 POWER POINT struggles to contain Sachidananda Murthy Covid-19 because of other challenges 14 MANI-FESTO Mani Shankar Aiyar 24 WEST BENGAL 19 PMO BEAT The arrest of nine R. Prasannan suspected Al Qaeda 51 BITTER CHOCOLATE operatives throws up Swara Bhasker possible links between terror outfits in Bengal 57 IVORY TOWER Sanjaya Baru and Kashmir 74 LAST WORD 52 JUDICIARY Bibek Debroy Though there is growing unease over to dispose of cases the use of archaic involving lawmakers titles in courts, the tradition is hard to 58 BUSINESS PLANNED PANDEMIC? break The Shapoorji Pallonji Group can clear its After she alleged that the novel coronavirus was made in a 54 JUDICIARY debts if it sells its The Supreme Court lab in China, virologist Dr Li-Meng Yan had to flee Hong Kong. stake in Tata Sons. But and Parliament In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK from New York, she the sale is no cakewalk reiterates her theory and challenges her detractors to prove need to act swiftly otherwise. She even accuses the World Health Organization and COVER DESIGN BINESH SREEDHARAN the media of suppressing the truth PLUS Printed at Malayala Manorama Press, Kottayam, Print House India Pvt Ltd, Mumbai, M P Printers, Noida, and Rajhans Enterprises, Bengaluru, X The allegations are questionable and inconclusive, says and published from Manorama Buildings, Panampilly Nagar, Kochi-682 writer-researcher Milan Sime Martinic 036, by Jacob Mathew, on behalf of the Malayala Manorama Co.Ltd., Kottayam-686 001. Editor Philip Mathew X Claims in Dr Yan’s paper, and counterclaims • Focus/Infocus features are paid marketing/PR initiatives K OCTOBER 11, 2020 • THE WEEK 3 LETTERS FOCUS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW KANE WILLIAMSON MODI’S LETTERS TO MOTHER GODDESS KASHMIR drug use as a social evil and multitask in the coming I DON’T ENCOURAGE MANKADING ‘MY EXCHANGES WITH HER CALMED ME’ WOMEN SOLDIERS JOURNALISM WITH A HUMAN TOUCH www.theweek.in TheWeekMag TheWeekLive 50 ON THE BORDER GAY LAWYER never glamourise it. days. So, from now on, it WHY CAN’T I BECOME ALL ABOUT HIGH COURT JUDGE? LT GOV R.K. MATHUR Also, the Narcotic Drugs will be good if students MORE ROUTES TO CONNECT SEPTEMBER 27, 2020 SEPTEMBER 27, LADAKH WITH REST OF INDIA and Psychotropic Substanc- do different courses at a es Act needs to be amended time, and not just focus KIDNEY STONES again. The punishment for on one (‘Work & the virus’, THE WEEK probes film world’s drug links consumption of drugs is far September 20). I agree that >OH[HYLRPKUL`Z[VULZ& WHPUM\S ;OPZ L_WSHPUZ ^O` ZVTL lesser than the punishment humans and technology are A kidney stone, also known as a renal WH[PLU[ZJHUOH]LL_[YLTLS`SHYNL for possession of drugs. more powerful together. We JHSJ\S\ZPZHZVSPKJY`Z[HSI\PSK\W Z[VULZÄSSPUN\W[OLPYLU[PYLRPKUL` Consuming drugs is also also cannot depend entirely MVYTLK PU [OL RPKUL`Z MYVT KPL[HY` with no or minimal pain. an equal crime. To say that on technology. TPULYHSZ PU [OL \YPUL :[VULZ JHU they were forced into it Tapesh Nagpal, VJJ\Y^P[OPU[OLRPKUL`P[ZLSMHZ^LSS >OH[HYL[OLWVZZPISL will not help and is not an On email. HZPU[OL\YL[LY[OL[\ILKYHPUPUN\YPUL JVTWSPJH[PVUZMYVTRPKUL`Z[VULZ& excuse. MYVT[OLRPKUL`VYPU[OLISHKKLY (S[OV\NO [OL WHPU VM RPKUL` Z[VULZ Dr Vivek Birla K.P. Tyagi, I went through your list JHUILZL]LYLJVTWSPJH[PVUZHYL\U- <YVSVNPZ[HUKHUKYVSVNPZ[ /P;LJO<YVSVN`*LU[YLHUK On email. of jobs that have become /V^KVRPKUL`Z[VULZMVYT& JVTTVU :VTL[PTLZ H SHYNL Z[VUL /LHS[OSPUL/VZWP[HS;OHUL Don’t generalise highly desirable in the 2PKUL`ZÄS[LY[OLISVVKI`YLTV]PUN JHUJVTWSL[LS`ISVJR[OLWHZZHNLVM It feels disgusting to know that many of our leading The investigations into post-pandemic scenario. L_JLZZ^H[LYHUK^HZ[LJOLTPJHSZ urine down one ureter and this may actors, producers and directors are promoting or Bollywood’s drug racket But, I am not sure whether [VWYVK\JL\YPUL<YPULWHZZLZMYVT SLHK[VPUMLJ[PVUVYKHTHNL[V[OLRPK- using drugs (‘Lost in the woods’, September 27). This should lead to the busting that will remain how it is. The LHJORPKUL`KV^UH[\ILJHSSLK[OL UL`;OPZJHU\Z\HSS`ILH]VPKLKHZ /V^T\JOÅ\PKZOV\SKHWLYZVU cannot be tolerated and strict action should be taken of larger drug networks in pandemic is here to stay, and \YL[LYPU[V[OLISHKKLY[OLUV\[VM[OL ISVJRHNLZJHUILKL[LJ[LKI`?YH`Z KYPUR[VWYL]LU[RPKUL`Z[VUL against such people. the country. That important in the coming days newer IVK`VUJL[OLISHKKLYILJVTLZM\SS VYZJHUZHUKSHYNLZ[VULZJHUILYL- MVYTH[PVU& Celebrities, particularly actors, influence young painkillers like Tramadol opportunities will arise. 4HU`^HZ[LJOLTPJHSZHYLKPZZVS]LK moved. People who have had a kidney stone people. So, the onus is now on the Narcotics Control and Premadol are being Virtual trainers will PU[OL\YPULHUK[OLZLJOLTPJHSZ should drink enough water and oth- Bureau to find out every minute detail of the drug abused by many remains a always be in demand, as ZVTL[PTLZMVYTZTHSSJY`Z[HSZPU[OL /V^PZ9LUHS*HSJ\SPKPHNUVZLK& LYÅ\PKZ[VWYVK\JLH[SLHZ[SP[LYZVM cartel and its supply chain. I find it difficult to believe cause for concern. teachers in schools and \YPUL^OPJOJS\TW[VNL[OLY[VMVYTH /PZ[VY` HUK WO`ZPJHS L_HTPUH[PVU \YPULHKH`;OLHTV\U[VMÅ\PKLHJO that 80 per cent of Bollywood actors are on drugs. Nobody should use colleges are finding it tough stone. Imagining Modalities Plain Radiog- person needs to drink depends on That could be an exaggeration. drugs, as it will ruin one’s to adjust to online classes. YHWO`0=7<:.*;:JHUZ <YPUL [OL^LH[OLYHUK[OLWLYZVU»ZHJ[P]- It is not right to generalise everything. A few bad life. Drugs are not the way Gaurav Saxena, /V^JVTTVUHYLRPKUL`Z[VULZ& J\S[\YL ity level, people who work or exer- apples are not going to spoil an entire basket. India is to deal with stress and On email. 3PML[PTLWYL]HSLUJLMVYRPKUL`Z[VULZ JPZLPUOV[^LH[OLYULLKTVYLÅ\PK the land of so many great actors, who have done great problems in life. HWWYVHJOLZ WLY JLU[ I\[ P[ JHU /V^JHURPKUL`Z[VULZIL [VYLWSHJL[OLÅ\PK[OL`SVZL[OYV\NO social service, which will never be forgotten. Tigin Thomas, Take a stand ]HY `HJJVYKPUN[V [YLH[LK& sweat. Vyom Prakash, On email. It is time we took a firm NLVNYHWO`;OL`JHUVJJ\YH[HU`HNL There are various treatment options On email. stand, acknowledging the I\[TVZ[JVTTVUS`VJJ\YPUWLVWSL MVY THUHNPUN RPKUL` Z[VULZ :VTL >OH[JHUILKVUL[VOLSWWYL]LU[ Let’s multitask forcible occupation of Tibet HNLK IL[^LLU HUK 9V\NOS` Z[VULZTH`IL[YLH[LK^P[OTLKPJH- HYLJ\YYLUJLVMHRPKUL`Z[VUL& It was good to know by China (‘Himalayan war OHSMVMHSSWLVWSL^OVKL]LSVWHRPK- tion. Other stone types may require 0MVULZ[VULPZKL[LJ[LK[OLYLPZSLZZ Too much focus and be sorted out. about jobs that remained horse’, September 20). We UL`Z[VUL^PSSOH]LHYLJ\YYLUJLHNHPU Z\YNPJHSPU[LY]LU[PVU:\YNPJHSTHU- JOHUJLZ [V OH]L H YLJ\YYLUJL I` media attention is going Most film industries virus-proof during the should also acknowledge PU[OLM\[\YL HNLTLU[ TH` PUJS\KL UVUPU]HZP]L KYPURPUNWSLU[`VM^H[LY[OYV\NOV\[ into Bollywood’s dalliance in the world face such pandemic. Hiring patterns the immense contributions Z\YNLY`B,_[YHJVYWVYLHSZOVJR^H]L the day. By keeping urine diluted with drugs. There are problems, and this is have changed these days, of the Special Frontier >OH[HYL[OLZ`TW[VTZVMRPKUL` SP[OV[YPWZ`,:>3DTPUPTHSS`PU]HZP]L [OLYLPZYLK\JLKJOHUJLVMJOLTPJHS many other issues that the nothing new. Bollywood and, I feel, all of us, at our Force, consisting of Tibetan Z[VULZ& Z\YNLY`B7LYJ\[HULV\ZULWOYVSP[OV[- I\PSK\W country faces, and have to films should always portray workplace, will have to commandos, who, I feel, -SHUR 7HPU KPZJVTMVY[ PU `V\Y \W- VT`7*53VY\YL[LYVZJVW`DVYPUMYL- X 0UJYLHZL Å\PK PU[HRL [V THPU[HPU WLY HIKVTLU /HLTH[\YPH ISVVK quently, open surgery. \YPULV\[W\[VMSKH` PU<YPUL+`Z\YPHWHPUM\S\YPUH[PVU X +LJYLHZLPU[HRLVMHUPTHSWYV[LPU UH\ZLH]VTP[PUNML]LYHUKJOPSSZPM +VHSSZ[VULZYLX\PYLZ\YNLY`& N KH` SUBSCRIPTIONS/CUSTOMER CARE CIRCULATION Hyderabad: BUREAU ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE EDITORIAL HZZVJPH[LKPUMLJ[PVU 5V:VTLZ[VULZJHUWHZZZWVU[H- X 9 L Z [ Y P J [ Z H S [ P U [ H RL T T V S K H ` For all subscription related inquiries Bengaluru: 040-23314168/23324692 Bengaluru: Manorama Buildings, P.B. No. 26, Manorama Buildings, please write, email or fax to 080-22247735/22247736 Kolkata: 033- 24198233 080-22867345, 22867050 Kottayam 686001, Kerala, India. P.B.