Friday, May 15, 2020 | Vol. 39, No. 20
Indo American News
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May 15, 2020
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Published weekly from Houston, TX
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Vande Bharat Return
India House Serves Lunch
P5 Prayer at White House
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CORONAVIRUS
May 15, 2020
Indian American Family of Five Doctors Lose Father and Daughter Physicians to Covid-19
New York: An Indian-American family of five doctors lost the father and one daughter, both physicians in New Jersey, to Covid-19 in a tragedy that also underscores the danger from the virus to frontline healthcare warriors, some 25 per cent of whom are immigrants. Dr Priya Khanna, a nephrologist, and her father Dr Satyender Dev Khanna, a surgeon, died on April 13 and April 21 respectively after contracting the coronavirus, two of scores of physicians who have been felled by the pandemic. Their deaths were publicly announced on Thursday by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, who praised the family’s dedication to health and medicine, and said his administration would “commit in their memory to saving as many lives as we can.” Priya Khanna, who had received her medical degree from Kansas City School of Medicine in 2003, was infected by the virus late March or early April, and her condition had turned serious soon after. “Plasma donor needed urgently for my beautiful young sister who dedicated her life to helping others,” her sister Dr Suganda Khanna tweeted on April 8. They found a donor with a day, but five days later the family announced Priya’s death, saying, “Our beautiful Priya passed away 4/13/20 at 3:27am. She was the light in our family with the heart of gold and had a infectious smile! A piece of our heart is gone and will be forever missed.”
Covid-19 victims Dr. Satyender Khanna, daughter Dr. Priya Khanna.
Dr Satyender Khanna, who was also infected by this time, died a week later. “Our loving and caring father, Dr. Satyender Dev Khanna, passed today to be with my sister Priya. He was a gentle soul and loved deeply by his girls.” The Khannas are widely known in the Indian community as a rare all-physician family. Dr Satyender Dev Khanna’s wife Dr. Kamlesh Khanna is a pediatrician, and of Priya’s two sisters, Dr. Suganda Khanna is an emergency medicine physician, and Dr. Anisha KhannaSharma is a pediatrician. Dr Satyendra Dev Khanna graduated from New Delhi’s Maulana Azad Medical College in 1964 and came to the U.S in 1966 with six dollars in his pocket in what constitutes a Indian immigrant template
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Additional Covid Patient in Houston Houston: Indo-American News has received information about Sikander Hayat, who is in critical condition in an ICU in a Houston hospital. The family is requesting plas-
ma donation from a recovered Covid-19 patient with AB blood group type. The announcement was made on Facebook by members of the Saturday Houston Cricket League.
Sikander Hayat in the ICU of a Houston hospital.
from the sixties. “He didn’t even know if he had enough money for the taxi ride from Newark Airport to Elizabeth General Hospital, where he was to start his internship. But my dad had his degree in medicine – this was priceless,” Priya and Anisha wrote in the Good Health journal of the Clara Maas Medical Center (CMCC) in NJ, where he worked for 35 years. The daughters recalled how they followed their parents into medicine because it was simply a part of their daily lives since they were children. “My mom and dad opened their practice on the side of our home. We used to help out in the office,” they wrote. The father and daughter will be there forever, in a sense; both died at CMMC. -- Times of India
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May 15, 2020
India House Serves Lunch at Local Hospitals
COMMUNITY
India’s Consul General in Houston, Aseem Mahajan (second from right), and Councilwoman Martha CastexTatum (fourth from right), and Sewa International President Gitesh Desai (first from right) were present when protective gear was distributed to San Jacinto Sheriff officials.
India House arranged to serve lunch for Healthcare Professionals & Staff on May 4th at Houston Methodist Hospital’s Dialysis Unit of Medical Center, and on May 6th at HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake Hospital.
Houston: India House was privileged to have served lunch to the Healthcare Professionals & Staff on May 4th at Houston Methodist Hospital’s Dialysis Unit of Medical Center, and on May 6th at HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake Hospital. We thank Ravi Roongta for sponsoring and Aling’s Chinese Bistro for catering the food for this noble cause. This drive was initiated by the President of India House, Dr. Manish Rungta. The initiative was to express our gratefulness to the frontline workers like doctors, nurses, and support staff of various hospitals, who in spite of themselves being at high risk are still working for the safety & wellbeing of others. During this time while COVID-19 affects our lives, India House might be temporarily closed, but have not gone away. We are doing our best to keep the members of our community mentally and physically fit by offering various free online classes on Yoga, Zumba, Line Dance, BollyX Fitness, Hindi, Meditation and Technology. The attendees can participate via Zoom’s link (https:// us02web.zoom.us/j/85357958161
) at the specified time and day. The details and the timings of the classes are available on our website https://www.indiahouseinc. org/programs-services India House also organized a Webinar on COVID-19 on May 5th where panelists Dr. Vikas Jogi and Dr. Sunjay Devarajan, specialist of the field, discussed “The Current Scenario and Trends in the Diagnosis & Treatment of the Virus”. The webinar was moderated by Dr. Manish Rungta and was very well attended, wherein attendees found answers to many of their questions. The video recording of the Webinar can be viewed on YouTube at https://youtu.be/sujPKyjX8Fk India House is also offering TeleHealth Clinic services on Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm. The services are free, and no insurance is required. Patients can take appointment by calling 713-9291900. To stay up-to-date please visit our website (www.indiahouseinc. org), write to us on info@indiahouseinc.org and like us on our Facebook page (www.facebook. com/indiahouse).
California Grocery Store Charged with Price Gouging
Pleasonton, California: An owner of a popular Indian-American grocery store in California has been charged with price gouging during the coronavirus pandemic, when the entire state is under stayat-home orders. Following consumer complaints, an investigation office revealed that Rajvinder Singh, owner of the popular Apna Bazaar in California’s Pleasanton, had allegedly increased the prices of grocery items following the emergency declaration by the governor on March 4. Based on evidence provided by customer receipts, the investigation confirmed that the pricing of several food items exceeded the 10-per cent increase allowed during a state of emergency, with some prices being as much as 200 per cent more than what was previously charged, according to a joint statement issued by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley. The food items listed in the complaint include yellow onions, ginger, green beans, instant noodles, tea, chili peppers,
pomegranates and red yams. “We take price gouging seriously and are committed to going after those who break the law during the public health emergency,” Becerra said. Singh faces imprisonment in the county jail for not more than a year and/or a fine of not more than $10,000. California law prohibits charging a price that exceeds, by more than 10 per cent, the price of
an item before a state or local declaration of emergency. “The law prevents businesses from profiteering when we are in a state of emergency. All businesses throughout Alameda County must be on notice that we will not sit idly by and allow consumers to fall prey to price gouging. My office will ensure that businesses adhere to the law and do not exploit consumers,” said O’Malley. -- ToI
Judge K.P. George Urges Tesla to Move to Fort Bend Houston: State and local leaders made a pitch to bring Tesla to Texas Monday, after the company’s CEO Elon Musk threatened to move headquarters from California to Texas or Nevada, in protest of the stay-home orders that have kept the carmaker’s factory shuttered. “We believe we are strongly located, ideally located,” said Fort Bend County Judge KP George. Fort Bend was one of at least two counties to pitch to Musk, following a series of frustrated tweets by him over the weekend. “Frankly, this is the final straw,” Musk wrote. “Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to
Texas/Nevada immediately,” the tweet continued. George’s letter to Elon Musk describes a Fort Bend County that is on the move. Fort Bend County Judge KP George sent a letter to Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, to bring operations to Fort Bend County. George said he figured it was best to strike while the iron was hot. “I just want to make sure we are offered the opportunity and I believe it will be a beneficial opportunity for all of us,” George told KPRC 2 Monday. George added that access to multiple railroad lines, expansive highway space, and lots of available land are among Fort Bend County’s assets
Arya Youth volunteers ( L to R - Siddhant Ahuja, Anrav Sood & Aditya Jain) with food bags. Indo-American News • Friday, may 15, 2020 • www.indoamerican-news.com
that Tesla might benefit from. “We will follow up with them and you know again absolutely we don’t know and we’re very confident we can follow up with him,” George said. George acknowledged Musk’s disagreement with parts of a stay-at-home order. George issued one of his own for Fort Bend County businesses and residents in March. George told KPRC 2 some big companies in Fort Bend County were able to operate at a lower capacity under the county’s order, adding compromise is key in luring and maintaining industry. -Click2Houston
SOUTH ASIA
May 15, 2020
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Bengaluru Resident Shares Her Experience of Vande Bharat Mission
London: A Bengaluru-bound passenger Meghana Manjunath, who returned from London on an Air India flight Monday narrated her experience in a series of tweets. The 26-year-old said she was tweeting about her experience to help others plan their journey. “Live tweeting on my journey from London to Bangalore on the first set of Air-India flights. This will just be me sharing my personal experience. If it can help someone else plan their journey then #VandeBharatMission and #nammabengalooru,” Manjunath said in a tweet. An Air India flight carrying 323 arrived from London in Bengaluru on Monday after a nearly twohour delay, and a stopover in the national capital. Manjunath said that all passengers were screened in London at the boarding gate and those who had any symptoms would be put
in a quarantine facility in the UK. “Those with fever will not be boarded. If you show any symptoms, you will be offload-ed and put into quarantine facilities in the UK, at your cost. Pls don’t fly if you have any symptoms,” she tweeted. After she arrived at Bengaluru, she said that passengers were asked to exit an hour after landing. “Though the Boeing-777 aircraft landed at 4.41 a.m., she said passengers were asked to exit an hour after landing, in 2 rows at a time to maintain social distancing.” An architecture student at the University of Sheffield, Manjunath was planning to return to India but had to put her plans on hold after all international flights into the country were suspended from March 23. After entering the arrival terminal, she tweeted about health workers checked her body temperature, blood oxygen saturation
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and heart rate. “Asymptomatic people were also stamped with quarantine facility,” she said in a tweet. “Passengers were provided sandwiches and water while waiting for quarantine facility booking. All formalities were completed in 2 hours. We were also provided with three boxes of snacks for breakfast till reaching the hotel for quarantining,” she tweeted. She also praised the handling of passengers at the Bengaluru airport after which they were taken in batches of 20 by bus to quarantine facilities. . The passengers were given the option of choosing between three, five-star and budget hotels select-
ed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) or the government quarantine centres, which are hostels. In her case, after they reached the hotel, Manjunath said a swab test was conducted “Day 1 swab test of nose and throat done at the hotel. It is not painful in any way, as I was scared into believing. Pax are being administered a daily health checkuptemperature, heart rate, symptom check at the hotel,” she wrote. In the hotel, Meghana said meals and all other requested items were placed outside the door to avoid contact with staff. According to BBMP officials, nearly 7,000 rooms in 80 hotels
across the city have been identified as quarantine centres. A senior health official said,“ BBMP has identified 10 five-star hotels, 12 three-star and 50 budget hotels to quarantine all persons who will return from abroad.” For five-star hotels, a person will be charged Rs 4,100, while a room in a three-star hotel will cost Rs 1,850 per person. Budget hotels will charge Rs 1,200 inclusive of three meals, tax and room rent. “The passengers who are symptomatic on arrival will be tested and sent to designated hospitals for the treatment. Only those asymptomatic on arrival will be sent to hotels, ” the official said. -- Indian Express
Sunny Leone Flies to the US with Family Los Angeles: Sunny Leone, husband Daniel Weber and their three kids are currently in Los Angeles, USA as the actor believes it is a safe place for children during the coronavirus pandemic. Sunny, who stays in Mumbai, took to Instagram today to open up about her decision. “Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers out there. In life when you have children your own priorities and well being takes the back seat. Both @dirrty99 and I had the opportunity to take our children where we felt they would be safer against this invisible killer ‘corona virus’. Our home away from home
and secret garden in Los Angeles, I know this is what my mother would have wanted me to do. Miss you mom. Happy Mother’s Day!”
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she wrote alongside a picture of herself with her children, Nisha, Noah and Asher. The family, reportedly, arrived in the US two days ago. Daniel Weber posted a picture of himself at Studio City, Los Angeles, which had “Quarantine part 2. Not so bad now,” written on it. He captioned the Instagram photo, “Getting better with the new vibes.” Replying to an Instagram user’s query about how the family travelled to the US, Daniel said, “KLM government flight.” Both Sunny Leone and Daniel Weber, who have US citizenship, stayed in Los Angeles before shifting to India in 2012.
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COMMUNITY
May 15, 2020
BAPS Pujari Recites Vedic Prayer at National Day of Prayer at the White House
Washington DC: On May 7, 2020, the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha was invitedto participate in the National Day of Prayer in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington D.C. The National Day of Prayeris an annual event formally enacted in 1952 celebrating faith and prayer in the nation’s life. The commemoration was all-the-more solemn due to the COVID-19 crisis affecting the nation.The event allowed the country to join together to offer prayers for those affected, our brave frontline workers and healthcare workers and for the recovery of our country. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence offered their prayersfollowed by
prayers from religious leaders representing four of the major faith traditions –Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism and Islam. B A P S Swaminarayan Sanstha (B.A.P.S)was invited by the White House to participate. Harish Brahmbhatt, apujari of B.A.P.Swasrecognized at the prayer meeting and he shared a Hindu prayer of peace from the Vedas. Speaking at the prayer
meeting, hesaid, “In these troubled times of COVID-19, social distancing and the lockdown, it’s not unusual for people to feel anxious or not at peace. The Shanti Path or
the peace prayer, is a prayer that does not seek worldly riches, success, fame, nor is it a prayer for any desire for heaven. It is a beautiful Hindu prayer for peace, shanti. It is a Vedic prayer derived from the Yajur Veda.”This prayer was specially chosen due to the overarching theme that in all circumstances we should always pray for peace above all things. In conjunction with prayers during these trying times, BAPS, and
its non-denominational, humanitarian arm, BAPS Charities,have responded to the coronavirus pandemic with a spirit of selfless service. To date, in addition to other global efforts, BAPS Charities in the US hassupported hospitals and frontline workers by providing over 96,000 PPE and over 35,000 food and care packages. BAPS Charities has also provided financial support for equipment to hospitals around the country.For more details, visithttps://www. bapscharities.org/covid-19/BAPS continues to providespiritual support through counseling, online religious services and ceremonies and, most importantly, regular prayer for those affected.
Trump Nominates Indian-American Attorney as Federal Court Judge Washington DC: US President Donald Trump on Monday nominated an Indian-American attorney to a federal court in New York. Nominated as the judge of the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Saritha Komatireddy, is a prosecutor and teaches law at the Columbia Law School. Trump sent her nomination to the US Senate on Monday, the White House said. Earlier, she has clerked under the former judge of the same district, Brett Kavanaugh. Komatireddy is currently Deputy Chief of General Crimes in the
United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Previously she was Acting Deputy Chief, International Narcotics and Money Laundering (June, 2018 - January, 2019) and Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Coordinator (2016-2019 Komatireddy earned her Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Harvard University, and her Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School where she also served on the Harvard Law Review. Upon graduating from the prestigious Harvard Law School, Komatireddy served as a law clerk to
then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. She also served as counsel to the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. On February 12 this year, Trump had announced his intent to nominate Komatireddy to serve as a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Her nomination is currently pending before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
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COMMUNITY
May 15, 2020
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Daily Wager Spends Rs 30,000 to Reach Tripura Home, Family Denies Him Entry By Debraj Deb Tripura: Gobinda Debnath spent Rs 30,000 out of his pocket to hire a car and two days on the road to reach his residence in Tripura’s Agartla. However, to the 37-yearold daily wager’s dismay, his family did not allow him to enter even after he tested negative for Covid-19 and spent a day at a quarantine centre. “My wife, my child are telling me to go away. What can I say,” a dejected Gobinda told reporters outside the home. He lives with his wife Mampi Debnath, his young daughter, and in-laws in a small flat allotted to his mother-in-law Bhanu Das under a government housing scheme for the poor. Back in March, shortly before the nationwide lockdown was announced, Gobinda went to visit his brother-in-law in Silapathar in Assam. His father-in-law also joined him but did not make the return trip. Tired of waiting for the lockdown to be lifted, he decided to hire a vehicle to reach Tripura. As per the standard operating procedure, he was tested for coronavirus and sent to a quarantine centre near Churaibari, the first checkpost on the Tripura-Assam interstate boundary. After testing negative, he was escorted by the police to his residential complex in Joynagar, where he received a cold welcome. Debnath feels his wife might have been put under pressure by other residents. “They might have disturbed her in some way. Obviously she wouldn’t want me to go away. I feel my wife was just afraid, our child was crying. I don’t know what to say,” he said. Housing complex residents gathered in large numbers violating social distancing norms. His wife, however, dismissed it saying she wants to protect her sick mother and young daughter. “My husband went to Assam. I asked him not to come back now but he came nonetheless. I stay at my mother’s flat in this complex. How can I allow him stay here? I have a young daughter and my
jobs scheme is faltering, resulting in employment generation being only a fraction of previous years’ numbers. Person days of work generated under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), a social safety net scheme that promises 100 days of work in a year to every rural household, is a trickle in the 2020-21 financial year, compared with previous years, according to data from the rural development ministry. In April this year, about 102 million person days of work were generated, less than half of the 247 million last year. One person day means a day of work by an individual for an average wage of Rs. 203. -- Indian Express and Mint. mother is ill. She underwent an operation some time back. I can’t stay put at home for 14 days. I have to do domestic chores. Please take him to a quarantine centre. After staying there for 14 days and getting whatever treatment is required, he can come back,” she said. Some of the neighbours, who had by now gathered on a small lawn-cum-approach road of the complex, tried to defend her. “He went to Assam. We don’t know where he stayed there. We heard he came in a vehicle hired with Rs. 30 thousand. We don’t know anyone travelled with him. The police has come to escort him back home. Even if he was tested negative, what if he somehow shows signs of the disease in next 14 days? We want him to stay at a quarantine center for 2 weeks and come back”, Dulali Saha, one of the residents of the complex said. Debnath’s case sheds light on growing insensitivity and stigmatisation associated with coronavirus in Tripura. Faced with similar cases of prejudice and social boycott, the state administration has been struggling to sensitise people. West Tripura District Health Surveillance Officer Dr. Sangeeta Chakraborty said many who live in the complex didn’t maintain social distancing by gathering in
large numbers to prevent Debnath from entering his flat. “They are violating social distancing regulations themselves. The police has been trying to convince them but they are stubborn. We have no other option but to temporarily shift him (Gobinda) to a quarantine facility here,” she said. She also said some of them were inebriated and misbehaved with healthcare personnel who came to assist him. Stranded outside his own home, Debnath was eventually shifted to a small quarantine center set up at State Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development complex near Agartala late night. The hundreds of thousands of migrant workers leaving cities and returning to rural India may find staying afloat an uphill task. Landless families dependent on wage work are likely to be hit hard as the winter harvesting season is over and the rural
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Consulate Begins Document Processing Houston: Online processing for passports, OCIs and Renunciation commenced from May 8, 2020 for applicants residing in Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Louisian, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, and Nebraska covered by the Indian Counsulate in Houston. The applications will only be accepted through the online portal of the outsourced agency Cox & King Global Services (CKGS).
Additional details can be accessed at the CKGS website: https://www. in.ckgs.us. Please note that only postal applications will be accepted. No walk-in applications will be ac-
cepted either at the Consulate or the CKGS office due to the Coronavirus pandemic until further notice. For any related queries, you can contact the Consulate staff by email: enquiriescgi@swbell. not or call on the helpline numbers: 713 636-2149 or 346 232-5345.
Indo-American News • Friday, may 15, 2020 • www.indoamerican-news.com
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ENTERTAINMENT
May 15, 2020
“Illegal” Web Series Review: Shattering Courtroom Drama Stereotypes cold, self-assured and condescending man. Neha as Niharika is a revelation. It’s hard to believe she played a part in Crook, Kya Super Cool Hain Hum and Youngistaan. In all, Illegal is a watchable web
By Arushi Jain “Tareekh par Tareekh, tareekh par tareekh”, “Order order”, “Mujhe insaaf chahiye, judge sahab.” This is how the Indian audience is likely to remember courtroom dramas. But Sahir Raza directorial Illegal, a legal drama on Voot Select, is devoid of any such dramatic showdowns between the lawyer and the judge. It is the story of a budding lawyer Niharika (Neha Sharma), hired by a senior lawyer Janardhan Jaitley (Piyush Mishra), to work for him. New to this profession, Niharika is passionate about amending capital punishment laws and getting the guilty punished by the book. On the other hand, Jaitley cares little about the law when the situation gets murky. Now, with a job to keep, Niharika is torn between her duty and conscience. Though this battle between right and wrong in the courtroom has been shown in countless dramas, Illegal is different. It delves into the personal lives
series, just don’t go in with the expectations of a Suits or Boston Legal. Meanwhile, the makers can focus on a crispier and detailed second season. -- Indian Express
Artist Satish K. Gujral Dead at 94 New DelSatish Gujral, one of India’s best-known artists, was always game to try something new. His early paintings reflected the violence and displacement that accompanied the partitioning of India in 1947 into the countries of India and Pakistan. Later he switched to murals and sculpture. He painted some portraits. And, though not formally trained as an architect, he designed notable buildings, most famously the Belgian Embassy in New Delhi. Mr. Gujral, whose art-making spanned nearly 70 years, died on March 26 at his home in Delhi. He was 94. The death was announced on his website. “He was admired for his creativity as well as the determination with which he overcame adversity,” India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, said in a statement. “His intellectual thirst took him far and hi:
of the lawyers and how their profession affects their well-being. Writer Reshu Nath has penned a smart and entertaining web series. Each episode has interesting plot twists. The courtroom sequences, where a rape case is being debated, is devoid of theatrics. There is simply an argument with both the lawyers citing the laws and presenting their evidence. Despite being a legal drama, the writing never gets heavy. With 30-minute episodes, it is an easy binge-watch which doesn’t require you to pay too much attention. While the
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courtroom sequences leave you thrilled, the drama that unfolds out of the court unravels the reality of the political and judicial system. But, in an attempt to give sufficient time to the subplots, the makers shift focus from details too soon. For instance, it would have been interesting to watch the research sessions, with lawyers and clerks sifting through documents until they find just the right evidence to make their argument stronger. Also, we get it that two characters have some secrets between them or some secret they are keeping from each other. But keeping secrets is not really that interesting. It’s the telling of secrets that makes for a better story. However, the strength of Illegal lies in its characters. There are no weak characters. Be it Niharika, Jaitley, his son Akshay or opposition lawyer Puneet Tandon, all of them are far more complex than their words might indicate. Piyush Mishra playing Jaitley excels as a
wide, yet he remained attached with his roots.” Mr. Gujral was born on Dec. 25, 1925, in Jhelum, in what is now Pakistan but at the time was in the province of Punjab in British India. When he was about 9, he was injured in a fall at the Lidder River in Kashmir, and an infection set in that cost him his hearing. His brother is former Indian Prime Minister I.K. Gujral. He was in his early 20s and had a graphics studio in Lahore when the country was partitioned; during that tumultuous, violencefilled time, he and his family emigrated from Lahore, now in the newly created Pakistan, to Delhi. Many of his early paintings, full of anguished figures, reflected the turmoil. Later in his career he made large murals in mosaic and ceramic tile, as well as sculptures of all sorts in a variety of materials, including steel, copper and burnt wood. -- New York Times
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EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY Science with Heritage
May 15, 2020
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The Way Forward: Graded Opening By Mathew Varghese
Ayurveda is not just a medical system, it is a manifestation of our symbiotic relationship with nature. It has helped cure serious diseases and many foreign companies have patented important ingredients used in ayurvedic remedies. But they have introduced these ingredients to the world without acknowledging ayurveda. In the process, many such remedies have gone out of our reach. In his messages to the country, during the course of the nation’s battle against COVID-19, PM Modi has highlighted the beneficial impacts of ayurvedic practices on the immune system. These practices prepare the body to take on this serious disease without causing any side effect. Modi deserves praise for taking yoga into people’s homes — he should also be lauded for bringing ayurveda into the limelight. The Modi government established the All India Ayurveda Institute at a cost of Rs 157 crore in an area of about 10.015 acres in Delhi — this has given the discipline a distinct identity. The efforts of saints and scholars of ayurveda did push the previous governments to establish the department of Indian System of Medicine under the Union ministry of health. Posts up to the level of secretary were also created for the department. But it was never accorded the same importance as modern medicine. PM Modi appointed an ayurvedic doctor in place of an IAS officer as secretary of AYUSH. The result of his visionary and courageous decision has been extraordinary. Rajesh Kotecha established new standards in education, medicine, and research of ayurveda. His efforts have ensured that the project for the scientific development of Rasaushadhi, developed by my late father Chandra Prakash between 1997 and 2000, is being implemented after 20 years. This treatment has been found to be an effective cure for acute promyelocytic leukaemia, a type of blood cancer. PM Modi has also made his intentions clear in the latest episode of Mann Ki Baat. His efforts have created awareness among people about ayurveda. The prime minister has also encouraged the practitioners of ayurveda to combine the fundamental principles of the system with some of the diagnostic methods and standards of modern medical science. This will undoubtedly create many employment opportunities. The teachings of Swami Vivekananda have left an indelible mark on PM Modi. Swamiji wanted India to become a world guru. By supporting ayurveda, and reiterating its importance in the fight against the pandemic and other diseases, PM Modi has taken important steps to fulfill Vivekananda’s vision. We wish him and all of us a prosperous, proud, and empowered India... -- Balendu Prakash in Indian Express. He is an Ayurveda practitioner and was awarded the Padma Shri in 1999.
People are watching the daily COVID-19 mortality statistics like they watch the Sensex. So, how do we know the truth? We must get our facts clear, only then can we analyse them correctly. The first case in China was reportedly detected on November 17, 2019. The new coronavirus was announced in December 2019. But they hit the panic button about 68 days or 540 cases, and 17 deaths, after the index case. That is a sufficient delay to infect a large number of people. Despite the experience of SARS and H1N1, were they able to open the lockdown in two or three weeks? No. The lockdown kept getting extended, and only after 76 days of lockdown did Wuhan reopen, hesitantly, with a death toll of 2,563. In less than a month, Italy went from having only three cases to the highest number of cases and deaths outside of China. Despite a total lockdown for weeks, on May 5, Italy had 2,11,938 cases and 29,079 deaths. After 47 days of lockdown, India had 46,476 cases and 1,571 deaths (Worldometer, 2020). So, are we going the Wuhan or the Italy way? Neither, probably. It seems the timing of the lockdown is important. Reportedly, in India, the “janata curfew” was ordered at 390 cases and seven deaths but extended repeatedly. China at lockdown had 540 cases. How come our situation did not worsen? Many argue that our innate immunity — from exposure to several pathogens or the BCG vaccination — may have helped. The average ambient temperature, higher than 21 degrees celsius, is supposed to kill the virus too. Then, why do we have so many cases south of the Vindhyas? These are all, possibly, mere conjectures. We had the advantage of hindsight and knew many facts about the virus and its spread. To know community infection, we need 100 per cent testing of the population. No country has done such population-wide testing. Though this was done aboard a cruise ship — Diamond Princess — where they found 18 per
cent of all infected people without symptoms; and, in an aircraft carrier — USS Theodore Roosevelt — where 60 per cent were asymptomatic, but COVID positive. Again, how does one explain the low mortality in Germany which has a population similar to France or the UK? One of the reasons given is that Germany adopted aggressive testing, contact tracing, and containment measures. Germany, with the hindsight of experience from China and Korea — and a robust, free public health system — was able to contain the virus without a lockdown. In Italy and Spain, the average age of the infected was more than 60 years while in Germany it was 40 plus years. South Korea also managed with testing and containment without lockdown. I suspect that here, too, it has to do with the timing of the containment measures. In the UK, France and Spain, the lockdown happened possibly after the virus had reached the vulnerable masses, thus presenting an “explosive” number of cases. Why were healthcare workers in the UK, Italy, and the US affected more than in China? All had deficiencies in the availability of PPEs and skills. Another possible factor was that after the SARS experience, all COVID positive care areas in China are negative pressure zones. In most countries, only intensive care units are negative pressure areas. Negative pressure washes away virus-rich aerosols which otherwise accumulate in the care space, becoming lethal gas chambers of the virus. This leads to higher staff infections and mortality. In the US, from the first case on January 19 in Washington to May
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5, there were 3,27,374 cases and 24,944 deaths in New York alone — this despite 10,07,310 tests in New York and over 74,62,597 tests in the US as a whole. So, testing alone does not work. Did India get the timing of its lockdown and containment measures right? All the early cases were related to international travel and known to immigration authorities. One-and-a-half months after my trip to Europe, 10 days after the lockdown, officials came home to check if I was unwell. It is easy — track everyone, test all and do aggressive contact tracing. But the entire month of February and early March, which were critical months for stock-taking, were wasted hoping that the infection would not spread. A vaccine is, at best, one-and-ahalf years away. Let us not forget that HIV (a virus) was discovered 36 years ago, and we still have no vaccine. Anyway, as yet, there is no drug for any viral illness. Neither the virus nor we are going anywhere. The way forward would be a graded and gradual opening up. No one can sustain this level of lockdown. But, while we open up we have to protect the vulnerable and ensure the known preventive measures. We need to accept that a large number of the young will get infected. That will provide herd immunity. But, most importantly, this should be a lesson for the time to come — to build our public health facilities, our intensive care facilities, and develop our research and development in public and tertiary healthcare. -The author is an orthopedic doctor in St. Stephen’s hospital in New Delhi, Indian Express
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ENTERTAINMENT/TECH
May 15, 2020
Under Covid-19 Shadow, the South Indian Film Industry Goes to Work
Whether or not one believes in the superstition around Friday the 13th, but we could all agree that March 13 was the unluckiest Friday for Indian cinema as theaters pulled down the shutters due to the coronavirus outbreak. The production of new movies also came to a grinding halt during the third week of March. Even as there is no clarity about when cinema halls across the country would open for business, the government in Tamil Nadu has allowed filmmakers to resume post-production work on movies that went into cold-storage two months ago. “We are hoping that we could start shooting from at least the month of June or July,” said producer Dhananjayan, who was part of the delegates that met the Tamil Nadu government recently to request permission for post-production work. He has already started dubbing process for his forthcoming production venture, Kabadadaari, which stars Sibi Sathyaraj in the lead role. The production houses that wish to resume post-production work have to follow certain guidelines, including the size of the crew that should not exceed more than five persons at a time. The filmmakers should get required approvals from the authorities and follow strict hygiene protocols at the workplace. The crew members on the job must use a face mask, gloves, keep a distance from their colleagues, and the premise should be regularly sanitised. “Thank you @actornasser sir for joining the dubbing of #Kabadadaari …we are gearing up to complete & plan for release in July/August depending on when theatres plan opening. Looking forward Thumbs (sic),” Dhananjayan tweeted, along with a video of actor Nasser, assuring that all the precautions were taken during the dubbing process. The editing of director Shankar’s magnum opus Indian 2 is all set to begin. The production of the movie, starring Kamal Haasan as aged vigilante Senathipathi, came to a halt in February after a freak accident on the sets that killed three crew members.
The post-production on Vijay’s upcoming movie Master, Sivakarthikeyan’s Doctor and Vishal’s Chakra is also set to begin. On Tuesday, Sun Pictures announced that it will be releasing Superstar Rajinikanth’s Annaatthe during Pongal next year. The principal photography of the movie directed by Siva is still pending, but its post-production is expected to begin soon. Earlier, even the Kerala govern-
ment gave permission to begin the post-production work with similar safety guidelines. Director Unnikrishnan on Tuesday announced that he has started the pre-production work on his next project, with Udayakrishnan, Aroma Mohan, Jayan, Jomon T John, Mohandas and Shameer Mohammed, while following the norms of physical distancing. Recently, the Karnataka government also allowed post-production
work. According to reports, there are as many as 50 movies stuck at the post-production stage. The work on Sudeep’s Kotigobba 3 and Darshan’s Roberrt are also expected to begin soon. It is worth noting that the Karnataka government has already granted permission to resume the production of TV serials with a set of do’s and dont’s. The production of TV shows is set to begin from May 25.
The Telugu film industry has not managed to secure a nod from the government for post-production. Last week, cinematography Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav, however, suggested that the Teleganaga government is considering to allow the production of films and television shows in full capacity soon. Without giving a timeline, he said, the Teleganaga government will discuss with the Andhra Pradesh government soon and come up with an action plan. While appreciating the contributions of top stars of the Telugu film industry during the period of crisis, he also promised the government will implement a policy that would benefit the growth of the film industry. The outbreak has stalled the progress of movies with a combined worth of more than a thousand crore. Director SS Rajamouli’s upcoming magnum opus Roudram Ranam Rudhiram, RRR, is alone being made at a budget of more than Rs 300 crore. And then there is Chiranjeevi’s Acharya, Allu Arjun’s Pushpa and Prabhas’ movie with KK Radha Krishna Kumar with investments running into hundreds of crores. -- Indian Express
Pune Lab Develops Covid-19 Kit that Can Test 90 Samples in 2.5 Hours Scientists at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune have developed a COVID-19 antibody kit that can test 90 samples together in 2.5 hours. The technology has already been transferred to a healthcare company called Zydus for mass production and will be publicly called Covid Kavach ELISA. For those unaware, ELISA means Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay. It’s a commonly used procedure to measure antibodies, antigens or other compounds like proteins and glycoproteins in bio samples. To create the antibody test kit, the scientists had to first isolate the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 from patients. After isolating the virus, the scientists have developed the ELISA
test for antibody detection for COVID-19. The test was validated at two sites in Mumbai and is said to have high sensitivity and specificity. While real time RT-PCR is the primary test for diagnosis of COVID-19, antibody tests are critical to understand the propor-
tion of population exposed to the infection. “ELISA based testing is easily possible even at district level as the ELISA kit has inactivated virus. There are also minimal biosafety and biosecurity requirements as compared to the realtime RT-PCR test. The test has an
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advantage of having much higher sensitivity and specificity as compared to the several rapid test kits which have recently flooded the Indian market,” said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in a press release. ICMR has partnered with Zydus Cadila for mass-scale production of ELISA test kits. The test kit is named “Covid Kavach Elisa. The kit has been approved by the government for mass production by Cadila Healthcare Ltd. (Zydus Cadila). The kit is claimed to be highly accurate, sensitive and cost effective. The kit can can test upto 90 samples at a time in a single run of 2.5 hours. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi, is the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research.
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May 15, 2020
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes
During the days of Navratri and just preceding Dusserah, the truly devout emulate the types of foods that Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshman ate while they were in exile. They had vowed to eat only foods grown in the forest, fruits, honey. Sabudana (large grain or pearl tapioca) is one such food and this recipe is repeated with a few additional tips, just in time for the Hindu holiday season.
Sabudana di Kheer (TAPIOCA PUDDING) Whereas chawal di kheer (rice pudding), along with ras malai (cheese in sweetened cream) and gulab jamun (syrup rose dumplings) have become some of the main desserts in many Indian restaurants, the sabudana kheer (tapioca pudding) has not. It is equally as easy, simple serving. and inexpensive to make as kheer. I think the main reason is most . restaurants don’t make it in the tasty way that it can be appreciated by the public. And just like chawal di kheer, the sabudana kheer shouldn’t have a thin milky syrup, but must be made properly: thick and sprinkled with iliachi for taste. Sabudana is a starchy substance extracted from the stems of sago powder) palm trees, and then processed into small, circular pellets, which are Ingredients: sometimes called pearls. Tapioca pearls, on the other hand, are made • 4 cup doodh (milk) – whole is 4. Now, add the sugar and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle with the with the starch from cassava, a root best, but low-fat will do too crop. It is not a low-calorie food but is • 1 cup sabudana (sago or tapi- crushed cardamom powder. 5. Thicker sabudana kheer tastes used to an energy-boosting ingredient oca) best. It can be served hot, but most in soups, puddings, side dishes and • ¼ cup chinni (sugar) main entrees. Sabudana is high in • ¼ tsp iliachi powder (cardamom people prefer to eat it cold, so reShakuntla Malhotra a skilled frigerate for an hour oristwo before carbohydrates, with 86 grams of carbs cook of Punjabi dishes made in the Directions: in each 100 gm serving. old-fashioned style that she learnt Sago balls are larger than tapioca 1. Pour the sabudana in a bowl full as a young woman in her ancespearls, and both are sold in different of water, cover and let it soak for tral home in Lyallpur, India (since sizes, colors, and flavors. In most parts two hours so that it swells up. renamed Faisof Southeast Asia, tapioca pearls can 2. Pour the milk in a saucepan or alabad) before it be bought already cooked and ready small pot and bring to a boil over became part of for use but elsewhere, these are sold in medium heat. Stir occasionally to Pakistan after the Partition in 1947. dried form and require boiling before make sure the milk does not stick People have often use. When dried, tapioca pearls are to the pot, and let it thicken up a admired her cookwhite and opaque, but after cooking, little. ing for its simplicthey swell to almost twice its original 3. Pour the sabudana through a ity and taste that strainer to drain the water, then size and become translucent. comes with each mouthful. Even Sabudana kheer is easily made with pour it into the milk and stir conin her early-nineties, she continues sugar and cardamom in thickened tinuously for 10 minutes but not to cook daily and agreed to share milk. It is prepared for festivals more so that the kheer does not get her delectable Punjabi recipes for and many special Hindu occasions too thick. future generations. though it is especially popular during the navratri time (nine days prior to Dusserah or Ramanavami) because it SOAK SABUDANA T is made with sago and not grains like NOT WHEN MAK O MAKE KHEER, BUT rice or wheat, which are avoided by ING COLD SWEE Although sabuda TS devout people during those days. especially those in na is mostly used for making khee r, ot so he m Sabudana kheer has become r e people, So ut h East variety pearls to their frozen ice cr Asian countries, add tapioca popular as a chic dessert at weddings along with some sw eam, sherbets an where the thickened variety is be soaked as the pe eet toppings. For this, the sabuda d iced coffee presented in small earthen dishes of boiling water – arls will lose their shape. Just add na should not fo them to plenty and even with a small piece of sona they are translucent ur cups of water for one cup of sabu and they will com da Bu e t to make kheer, be out nice and roun na – till ka varak (gold film). d. su re to soak the tapioca The secret to a tasty dish, prepared water first as the starch wi sabudana in cold ll be gi n at el to y dissolve the pear and they will lose much faster, is to soak the sabudana ls immeditheir shape. much longer in the water, and to make milk, the pearls will start to congeaLater when you boil them in the same when using l in to a milky puddin powdered tapioca sure the milk is thicker when you room g. It’s the starch: -te mix it in. If you use the large pellet add a temperature water, the starch will m if you add a teaspoon to ix in aspoon into hot wa ter, it will form in to the water, but if you sabudana, then you should soak the to a lump. pellets in longer.
MAMA’S TIP O F THE
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