First india ahmedabad edition-07 december 2020

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AHMEDABAD l MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 2 l Issue No. 13
OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, AHMEDABAD & LUCKNOW
227 FALL SICK IN ANDHRA, OFFICIALS
SUSPECT WATER CONTAMINATION P6P5
WEST BENGAL GOVT DISTANCING
ITSELF FROM RULE OF LAW: DHANKHAR
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: Barely
two days after MLA Im-
ran Khedawala wrote
to state Assembly
Speaker Rajendra
Trivedi asking for a
privilege motion
against him, Rajiv Gup-
ta--the Officer on Spe-
cial Duty appointed to
lead the city’s efforts to
curb COVID-19--has
taken some time off
from work. Official re-
cords state that Gupta
has taken leave due to
back pain. However,
sources in Gandhina-
gar say he was repri-
manded by Deputy
Chief Minister and Gu-
jarat’s Health Minister
Nitin Patel for his atti-
tude. “Patel scolded
him for acting too bossy,
even before elected rep-
resentatives,” one per-
son who is familiar
with the issue told First
India. Turn to P6
MLA Imran Khedawala ACS Rajiv Gupta
HastheGupta-
Khedawalaconflict
takenanewtwist?
AMC’s OSD in charge of COVID-19
efforts has gone on leave, but is it
really because of a backache?
Kavita Pant
New Delhi: As the farm-
er agitation intensified
withacallfornationwide
strike (Bharat Bandh) on
December 8, by farmer
unions which have been
protestingonDelhi’sbor-
ders for 11 days, the Op-
position too rallied be-
hindthemannouncingto
joinintheirprotesttoput
pressure on Centre for
repealing the farm laws.
In what may be called
as a move to embarrass
PM Narendra Modi, the
Congress, TRS, DMK,
AAP, RJD, SP, the newly-
minted People’s Alli-
ance for Gupkar Decla-
ration in J&K, and a
collection of Left outfits
come together.
Meanwhile, Actor
Kamal Haasan’s Mak-
kal Needhi Maiam stat-
ed that it will take part
in the ongoing protest.
Turn to P6
FARMERS’ AGITATION GETS POLITICAL COLOUR!
A man fumigates at Singhu Border where farmers stage a protest against farm law, in New Delhi on
Sunday. —PHOTO BY ANI
PAWAR TO MEET PREZ ON DEC 9
VIJENDER TO RETURN KHEL
RATNA OVER FARMERS’ ISSUE
Mumbai: NCP chief Sharad Pawar is scheduled
to meet President Ram Nath Kovind on Decem-
ber 9 over the ongoing farmers’ protest against
agrarian laws, the party said here on Sunday. NCP
spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said the former
Union agriculture minister will apprise Kovind
of the situation in the country in the backdrop
of the protest. The meeting comes on the day
of the next round of talks between the farmers’
representatives and the Centre after the previous
round ended inconclusively on Saturday. NCP had
staged a walk-out in Rajya Sabha when the three
farm bills were introduced in September.
Vijender Singh, who won a bronze medal at the
2008 Beijing Olympics, said on Sunday that he
will return his Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award if
the demands of the protesting farmers at the Delhi
border aren’t fulfilled. Singh, who is from Hary-
ana, is the latest in the line of sportsmen, artistes
and activists from across the country—majorly
from the key protesting states of Punjab and
Haryana—to have thrown their weight behind the
“Delhi Chalo” protest, which entered its 11th day
on Sunday.
GRASSROOTS
GEHLOTtoback
farmers’bandh
Kartikey Dev Singh
Jaipur: Ahead of the
‘Bharat Bandh’ called
out by farmer organiza-
tions on 8th December
against the new agri
laws passed by the cen-
tral government, Ra-
jasthan Chief Minister
Ashok Gehlot, on Sun-
day, assured that the
Congress supports
‘Bharat bandh’ on favor
of the farmers.
Taking to micro blog-
ging site Twitter, Gehlot
said that former
party chief
R a h u l
Gandhi
has been an ardent sup-
porter of farmers and
every Congress worker
stands with him.
“Congress party sup-
ports Bharat bandh in
favour of farmers on
8th December. Turn to P6
BENIWAL’S RLP LENDS SUPPORT TO FARMERS,
THREATENS TO EXIT NDA COALITION
The Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party, on Sunday
extended its support to the farmers’ agitation. RLP MP Hanuman Beniwal in a video
message posted on Twitter said that he will also take a call on its support to NDA
after December 9 if the government does not solve problems faced by the farmers.
Cong, TRS, AAP, DMK join hands to embarrass Modi
Rahul Gandhi has been an ardent
supporter of farmers says the
Rajasthan Chief Minister
Punjab CM Amarinder Singh
17 volunteers given Russia’s
Sputnik V vaccine in Pune
Pune: A total of 17 vol-
unteers have been ad-
ministered Russia’s
Sputnik V coronavirus
vaccine at a Pune hospi-
tal as part of the human
clinical trials, doctors
said on Sunday. Sputnik
V vaccine has been de-
veloped by the Gama-
leya National Research
Center of Epidemiolo-
gy and Microbiology
and Russian Direct In-
vestment Fund (RDIF).
As per reports, India
has purchased 100 mil-
lion doses of the candi-
date from Russia.
“17 healthy volun-
teers were administered
Sputnik V vaccine in
the last three days as
part of human trials,”
Dr SK Raut, Head of
Clinical Research De-
partment of Noble Hos-
pital, said. The inocula-
tion process began on
Thursday, he added.The
selection of volunteers
was done as per laid-
down norms as they
need to be healthy. —PTI
First India Bureau
New Delhi: Prime Min-
ister Narendra Modi
will inaugurate the con-
struction of the Agra
Metro Rail Project
(AMRP) on December 7
at 11.30 am through vid-
eo conference.
Union Minister of
Housing and Urban Af-
fairs Hardeep Singh
Puri, Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister Yogi
Adityanath and other
dignitaries will also at-
tend the event that will
be held at 15 Battalion
PAC parade ground in
Agra. Agra Metro pro-
ject comprises two cor-
ridors with a total
length of 29.4 km and
connects major tourist
attractions like Taj Ma-
hal, Agra Fort, Sikan-
dra with railway sta-
tions and bus stands.
PM had, on March 8
last year, inaugurated
the Agra Metro project
along with the com-
mencement of commer-
cial operations of Luc-
know Metro on the en-
tire 23 km long North-
South corridor from
CCS Airport to Mun-
shipulia. —ANI
Agra Metro: PM to
virtually inaugurate
construction works
Muslim
clerics back
CM Yogi’s
new law
Vishal Srivastav
Lucknow: The good-
ness of the newly
framed law against
forceful conversions in
Uttar Pradesh is now
gradually seeping into
the Muslim community.
On a brighter note on
Sunday, a number of
senior Muslim clerics
called for supporting
Chief Minister Yogi
Adityanath’s move
against the forceful reli-
gious conversions.
The clerics have
come out in full sup-
port of Yogi govern-
ment’s call to put an
end to forceful mar-
riages in the name of
religion and have is-
sued directives to
Qazis to not solemnise
marriages that do not
have consent from ei-
ther of the family
members of the bride
and groom-to-be.
Turn to P6
PFIZER SEEKS
EMERGENCY VAX
USE NOD IN INDIA
QUEEN TO BE
AMONG FIRST TO
GET VAX IN UK
New Delhi: Pfizer India
has become the first
pharmaceutical firm
to approach the Drugs
Controller General of
India seeking an emer-
gency use authorisation
for its Covid-19 vaccine
in the country. It is to
be noted that Pfizer
India’s parent company
Pfizer has already got
emergency-use clear-
ance in the UK and
Bahrain.
Queen Elizabeth, 94,
and Prince Philip,
99, are expected to
be among the first to
receive the Pfizer/Bi-
oNTech vaccine, whose
first consignment has
arrived in the UK and is
set to be administered
first to those above the
age of 80 from Tuesday.
Leading figures such as
the Queen taking vac-
cine is expected to help
overcome anxieties.
AMARINDER SEEKS
PRIORITY VAX FOR
PUNJAB FROM PM
Punjab CM Captain
Amarinder Singh wrote a
letter to Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on Sun-
day, seeking priority al-
location of the COVID-19
vaccine on account of
its higher mortality rate
than other states.
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot
In Yogi’s regime, Hindu-Muslim bury hatchet in Ayodhya
Vishal Srivastav
Lucknow: Sunday was
‘just another day’ in
Ayodhya. The Hindus
and the Muslims went
out for their routine
chores just like they
would, on any given day.
On a chilly morning,
the Pundit Tea stall
near the Ram Janmab-
hoomi had a veteran
Muslim discussing with
a Hindu seer about the
upcoming Ram Temple
and how lavish it was
going to be. The two
have been knowing
each other for quite
some time now and
would have tea together
at the shop.
This isn’t just a one-
off incident in Ayodhya
rather Hindus and the
Muslims, seemed to
have moved away from
the tainted past.
“Kya rakha hai saab
in baaton mein, sab
bhai hi to hain
hamare,”said the Abdul
Raees who too was pre-
sent at the tea stall.
Though there was
quite a huge deploy-
ment of security forces
including the paramili-
tary forces but there
seemed no need for it at
all, especially to the lo-
cals. “What has hap-
pened, has happened,
we move on,”said Ram-
dhari Singh who works
at a nearby grocery
store.
On Sunday, it was the
28th anniversary of the
demolition of Babri
Masjid that fell approxi-
mately four months af-
ter PM Narendra Modi
laid foundation stone
for Ram Temple after
Supreme Court verdict.
Members of both
communities also de-
cided to refrain from
observing any kind of
event to mark the anni-
versary. Previously,
Muslims used to ob-
serve the day as “Yaum-
e-Gham” (day of sor-
row) by displaying
black flags.
Both communities refrain from
any show of strength on Sunday,
on occasion of Babri anniversary
THE VERDICT
On Nov 9, 2019, the Supreme Court had ordered the
Government of India to create a trust to build the Ram
Mandir temple and form a Board of Trustees within
three months. The disputed land is to be owned by the
Government of India and subsequently transferred to the
Trust after its formation. The Court ordered the entire
disputed land of area of 2.77 acres to be allocated for
the construction of a temple while an alternative piece of
land of area of 5 acres be allocated to the Uttar Pradesh
Sunni Central Waqf Board for the construction of a
mosque at a suitable place within Ayodhya. The Court
ruled that the 2010 Allahabad High Court’s decision,
division of the disputed land was incorrect.

NEWSAHMEDABAD | MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020
02www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
CONGRESS STAGES PROTEST
in support of farmers in G’nagar
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: The
state unit of the Con-
gress staged a protest in
Gandhinagar to extend
its support to agitating
farmers in Delhi. The
opposition party said it
firmly believes that the
three Agriculture Acts
brought by the BJP-led
NDA government are
against farmers’ inter-
ests and will break the
spine of farmers.
The protest, held at
Satyagrah Chhavni in
Gandhinagar, was led
by Gujarat Pradesh
Congress Committee
president Amit Chavda
and state in-charge Ra-
jiv Satav, and attended
by senior leaders, party
MLAs and MPs.
Addressing the gath-
ering, Satav said that
the Centre’s decision to
pass all three bills “like
Hitler ran his regime”.
He added, “These
laws are not going to
benefit farmers. They
will, however, benefit
big players and corpo-
rate houses that have
interests in contract
farming and in com-
modities trading.”
Former Union Minis-
ter and former GPCC
president Bharatsinh
Solanki--who has re-
turned to active politics
after spending two
months in the hospital
with COVID-19--also par-
ticipated in the protest.
“The biggest loss
will be to our marginal
farmers, who will be
left with no other op-
tion but to become
farm labourers. To pro-
tect the interest of
such small and mar-
ginal farmers, the Con-
gress has come out to
oppose these laws,”
Solanki said.
“One of these laws
talks of giving farmers
a free hand to trade
commodities across the
state and even outside
the state, but that will
only benefit big farm-
ers, as small farmers
don’t have the deep
pockets required to
store and transport
their products to far dis-
tances. So, where is the
question of an inclusive
agriculture policy?”
asked former leader of
the opposition and for-
mer GPCC president
Arjun Modhvadia.
Left to right: Kalol MLA Baldevji Thakor, Rajya Sabha member Ami Yajnik, Senior leader Arjun Modhvadia, Gujarat in-charge Rajiv Satav, senior leader Bharatsinh Solanki, GPCC president Amit Chavda,
Bhiloda MLA Anil Joshiyara, and working president Hardik Patel. —PHOTOS BY HANIF SINDHI
Congress party workers joined the protest in support of farmers.
Left to right: Gandhinagar MLA CJ Chavda, Rajya Sabha member Ami Yajnik, and Senior leader
Arjun Modhvadia addressing the gathering, Gujarat in-charge Rajiv Satav, senior leader Bharatsinh
Solanki, GPCC president Amit Chavda and Bhiloda MLA Anil Joshiyara.
First India Bureau
Himmatnagar: As
farmers in north India
continue to oppose the
three agriculture acts
implemented by the
Central Government,
the sector in Gujarat
has been hit as well.
With state borders
closed at many places,
horticulture exports
are bearing the brunt of
the strike. However,
even this economic hit
has not persuaded
farmers here to draw
back; on the contrary,
more farmers are sup-
porting the strike.
Vadali taluka of Sa-
barkantha district is a
hub of butter bean pro-
duction. While Kesar-
ganj and Bhandval lead
in butter beans, Kanjeli,
Kothan, Bhajpura and
Chulla are close behind
in terms of production.
About 200 farmers in
Kesarganj have been
growing only butter
beans for the past 15-20
years, with each farmer
booking a monthly prof-
it of Rs4 lakh-Rs5 lakh
from sales both within
Gujarat and exports to
other states, especially
Delhi.
However, the strike,
coupled with the closing
of all national highways
connecting to Delhi, has
now affected the export
of butter beans to Delhi
from Gujarat.
As a result, stocks of
the commodity are now
piling up in Gujarat’s
villages, risking wast-
age and rot. Further,
prices have crashed
from Rs800-1,000 per 20
kg to Rs120-180 for the
same quantity, Haresh
Patel, a farmer from Ke-
sarganj told First India.
However, Patel adds
that farmers like him
are willing to bear ma-
jor losses for one sea-
son, if it means long-
term benefits for all
farmers. Daily-earn-
ings in the village has
plummeted from Rs5-8
lakh to Rs1-2 lakh. Yet,
Patel and like-minded
farmers are deter-
mined to join the na-
tional bandh call giv-
en by the 35 farmers
union.
First India Bureau
Palanpur: Chief Min-
ister Vijay Rupani on
Sunday dedicated four
group water-supply
projects at Dhanera
taluka in Banaskan-
tha district. These pro-
jects have been com-
pleted at an invest-
ment of Rs241 crore.
While addressing
the gathering, Rupani
said that these pro-
jects will serve drink-
ing water to 119 vil-
lages and cover a pop-
ulation of 3.91 lakh in
Dhanera, Deesa and
Dantiwada talukas.
The state is also plan-
ning to lay a pipeline
from Dharoi dam to
meet the drinking wa-
ter requirement of vil-
lages in Danta and
Palanpur talukas, for
which the state has al-
located Rs71 crore.
Once the project is
completed, it will cov-
er the water needs of
151 villages. Another
Rs500 crore project is
underway which, once
completed, will carry
water from the Nar-
mada river to 156 vil-
lages in Deesa and
Lakheni talukas.
The state govern-
ment is committed to
provide drinking wa-
ter at the doorstep of
people. For this, it
plans to lay down pipe-
lines for tap water in
each village. “No one
will be left out and
once the project is
completed neither
women nor men will
have to walk to fetch
drinking water,” Ru-
pani said.
Later in the day, the
chief minister also
laid down the founda-
tion stone for the Nav-
ada-Chavand bulk wa-
ter pipeline at an event
in Amreli. When com-
pleted, this project-
-slated to cost Rs644
crore--will meet the
drinking water needs
of 36 towns and 1,298
villages, a government
press release said.
Rupani said that
even during the pan-
demic, the state gov-
ernment has contin-
ued its development
work. Works worth
Rs17,000 crore have
taken place across the
state in the past four to
five months.
CM dedicates `241 cr
drinking water projects
He reiterated
the state’s
commitment
to meeting the
water needs of
every man,
woman & child
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani at Sunday’s event in Dhanera taluka.
Gujarat produced 1,32,29,700 metric tonnes of vegetables in 2019-2020. —FILE PHOTO
Collateraldamagewon’tkeepGujfarmers
fromextendingsupporttobrethreninDelhi
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: Since the
outbreak of COVID-19,
several concerns have
been raised regarding
the handling of the pan-
demic in both the city
and the state. The city’s
Anti-Corruption Bu-
reau filed a case against
a private doctor who
was found to be acting
on behalf of a public
health officer.
Ahmedabad has ac-
quired more than a hun-
dred private hospitals
across the city with 50%
reservation of govern-
ment quota and paying
to the hospitals, where
patients get free treat-
ment.
CIMS hospital on Sat-
urday raised evidence
of misconduct against
Dr Naresh Malhotra, a
medical practitioner at
a private hospital. He
was allegedly found
working on behalf of
deputy health officer
Arvind Patel. Malhotra
allegedly demanded a
10% commission to
clear CIMS hospital
bills worth Rs1.5 crore.
Dinesh Sharma, for-
mer leader of the oppo-
sition, raised many
questions about the req-
uisition of private hos-
pitals. “The Congress
party is pressing for the
use of government in-
frastructure to treat
COVID-19 patients.
However, our demands
have been ignored. All
we are saying is that
government facilities
are better equipped,” as-
serted Sharma.
Congress has been
claiming that there is a
scam in private hospi-
tals requisition, and
that has been proved by
the ACB. The scam is
well managed by BJP
and officers,” alleged
Sharma.
According to an AMC
official, “In this case,
the alleged AMC doctor
was not seeking money
for himself. He and
many other health offic-
ers are under extreme
pressure from deputy
municipal commission-
er CR Kharsan for these
kind of activities.”
Meanwhile, before
the case was reported
by ACB, municipal com-
missioner Mukesh Ku-
mar had asked the vigi-
lance department to
conduct an audit of bills
and expenditure related
to COVID-19. Kumar,
who had a bitter experi-
ence with the road scam
of 2017, will not tolerate
any more such scams
during his tenure.
The Anti-Corruption Board. —FILE PHOTO
What does the ACB
complaint against
Dr Malhotra mean?
The state’s farmers have decided to form an umbrella organization Gujarat
Khedut Sangharsh Samiti (GKSS), to serve as a common platform for farmer’s
issues. The announcement followed a meeting in support of farmer’s rights and
in opposition to the Farmer’s Bills, organized by Jayeshbhai Patel of the Gujarat
Khedut Samaj and Dahyabhai Gajra of the Gujarat Kisan Sabha in Ahmedabad on
Sunday. GKSS has announced its support for the bandh call given for Tuesday.
Members present at Sunday’s meeting felt that this Bill/Ordinance will affect not
just farmers but also small businesses and the working class for the following
reasons. In addition, GKSS announced that the following:
The Bill would end up encourage
hoarding and finally impact
consumers in a serious way.
The bandh called for Tuesday would
be supported in full force by GKSS.
Protests would be held all over
Gujarat by various member
organizations on December 10.
A Kisan Sansad would be held at
Satyagrah Chhavni in Gandhinagar
after seeking relevant and required
permissions on December 11.
GKSS will send farmers to join
the protest in Delhi from
December 12.
A short and succinct Patrika would
be made by GKSS to inform the
farmers about the contents of the
Bill/Ordinance.
Event saw
participation
from state
party leaders
STATE FARMERS ANNOUNCE NEW UMBRELLA
ORGANIZATION AS ‘COMMON PLATFORM’

GUJARATAHMEDABAD | MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020
First India Bureau
Vadodara: A teacher
accused of murdering
a school principal and
injuring his family
members, has commit-
ted suicide by jumping
into well. On Sunday,
Chhota Udepur police
fished out his dead
body and sent it for a
postmortem.
Bharat Pithia, a teach-
er with a school in Nas-
wadi town of Chhota
Udepur district had been
accused of stabbing his
cousin, Meraman Pithia,
and injuring Meraman’s
wife and daughter and
fleeing the scene. Chhota
Udepur police had
launched an investiga-
tion on Saturday.
On Sunday, on receiv-
ing information that a
body was floating in an
abandoned well in
Haripura village, police
personnel went to the
site accompanied by a
rescue team and fished
out the corpse. The body
was later identified as
that of Bharat Pithia,
the accused in the prin-
cipal’s murder.
According to the com-
plaint lodged at the Nas-
wadi police station by
Meramen’s wife Kajal-
ben, Bharat—who lived
across the road from the
principal’s family—had
stormed into the house
on Saturday morning.
He first stabbed Kajal-
ben and her daughter,
after which he had
stabbed Meraman nu-
merous times. All three
were rushed to Primary
HealthCenter,wherethe
doctorhaddeclaredMer-
amanbroughtdeadfrom
hisconsiderablenumber
of stab wounds. .
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: It was a
wretched Sunday
morning for at least
20 shop owners in
Bapunagar, as a gas
cylinder explosion
gutted their shops—
yet another blaze in
a city that has been
grappling to ensure
that fire safet norms
are followed correct-
ly. Although the shop
owners sustained
huge financial loss-
es, no injuries or cas-
ualties were report-
ed in the incident.
According to re-
ports, all the stores on
the ground, first and
second floors at Shy-
amshikhar complex
were gutted in the fire.
The shops that caught
fire included mobile
phone repair shops,
mobile shops, a jewel-
lery store and an elec-
tronic items show-
room.
Babulal Patel, an eye
witness and a security
guard working in the
complex, said that the
fire broke out at
around 7 am. He says
the incident took place
after a kettle caught
fire in a tea stall in the
complex.
Around15firefighters
were called in to douse
the fire. The fire was
doused after two hours.
Many shop owners in
the complex were an-
gry after BJP MLA
Vallabhbbhai Kakadi
said that the fire was
an accident and it was
nothing serious, sourc-
es said. An angry shop
owner, on condition of
anonymity, alleged that
the MLA either owns
the complex either par-
tially or wholly.
Man accused of killing
cousin commits suicide
Naswadi police preparing to fish out the teacher’s body.
Bharat Pithia was a schoolteacher in Naswadi town in Chhota Udepur district
First India Bureau
Junagadh: At a time
when many villages
lack proper infra-
structure, Nagichana
in Junagadh district
has grown in to a
model village, even
winning the Aadarsh
village award for 2019
from Prime Minister
Narendra Modi. All
streets are lit with
LED lights, CCTV
cameras make
streetss safe and eve-
ry house has a home
toilet.
This sea change is the
result of the efforts of
one man: Sarpanch
Masribhai Pithia.
Following in the foot-
steps of former Presi-
dent APJ Abdul Kalam,
who advocated the need
to minimize the rural-
urban divide, Pithia’s
first priority was to con-
struct a primary school
building on par with
anything the best pri-
vate schools had to offer.
Like Kalam, Pithia
believes that bridging
the urban-rural divide
will help villagers stay
in their villages since
they will not have to mi-
grate for the sake of ur-
ban infrastructure and
thus will not be a bur-
den on urban infra-
structure.
Pithia received tre-
mendous support from
school principal Dilil
Nandainiya and the vil-
lagers. DEveloped
across two acres of
land, the four-storey
school building cost
Rs75 lakh. The school,
which has already seen
100% enrolment, has
nine classrooms and a
computer labratory. A
local resident Jagdish
Pithia donated five com-
puters to the school,
and the school’s teach-
ers have also come to-
gether to pay for anoth-
er two.
The sarpanch and vil-
lagers have even devel-
oped a model to ensure
that the school, which
has facilities for stu-
dents up to Class XII,
gets an annual income
of Rs60,000.
Nagichana has a pop-
ulation of 3,257.
Face-lift: Nagichana has home toilets, tap water & CCTV cameras
WHOLESOME DEVELOPMENT
Sarpanch builds on President Kalam’s
message to bridge rural-urban divide
The new panchayat office in Nagichana.
IN MEMORIUM
People paid tribute to Dr BR Ambedkar on his 64th Death Anniversary, at Sarangpur crossroad, in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Special squad
set up to keep
an eye on
mask violators
Another blaze in A’bad: No casualties but 20 shops gutted
First India Bureau
Surat: In an effort to
sensitize people to the
threat of COVID-19,
the state transport
department of Valsad
has deployed a special
squad to ensure that
individuals wear
masks in public. The
team on Sunday sur-
veyed and intercepted
those who were not
wearing masks in
public. They did not
however fine them for
their first offence, an
official said.
The team was set up
to make people aware
about the importance
of wearing masks in
public, said an official.
The move is being
made as an added step
to attempt to curb the
spread of COVID-19.
The squad checked all
bus passengers travel-
ling into the city, offi-
cials said, adding that
ticket conductors have
also been instructed to
encourage passengers
to wear masks.
Rajkot hosp fire toll at 6
after another victim dies
Jump in new nCov cases down to 1,455
Haresh Jhala
Rajkot: Nine days af-
ter five people died
due to the fire in Ra-
jkot’s Uday Shivanand
Hospital, one more
victim died early on
Sunday morning.
With this, the death
toll of the hospital has
gone up to six. The
survivors from the
blaze had been shifted
to Gokul hospital.
Thefirethatbrokeout
at the Uday Shivanand
hospital in the wee
hours of November 27th
had left three patients
charred to death. Two
more had died on their
way to Gokul hospital.
Another patient,
Thavarbhai Mahesh-
wari was critically in-
jured and shifted to
Gokul hospital, where
hediedonSundaymorn-
ing.
The deceased is a na-
tiveof Gandhidhamand
had been admitted to
Uday Shivanand hospi-
tal for COVID-19 treat-
ment.
The accident was of
such serious nature that
the state government
first constituted an in-
quiry led by an IAS of-
ficer, then assigned the
inquirytoaretiredHigh
Court judge under the
Inquiry Commission
Act. It had also an-
nounced compensation
of Rs4 lakh to the fami-
lies of each of the vic-
tims. Further, the Su-
preme Court took suo
motu action in the inci-
dent and had asked for a
report from the state
government.
The Rajkot Police
Commissioner had also
constituted a Special In-
vestigation Team head-
ed by the Deputy Com-
missionerof Police.Five
doctors were arrested,
but the VIP treatment
they received at the po-
lice station sparked con-
troversy.
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: After
constantly reporting
more than 1,500 cases
every day for the past
few days, Gujarat re-
ported 1,455 cases of
COVID-19 in the last
24 hours, according
to the daily bulletin
issued by the state
government’s health
department. With
this, Gujarat has seen
2,18,788 cases of
COVID-19 infection
since March.
On Sunday, the state
recorded 17 new deaths,
with Ahmedabad ac-
counting for the maxi-
mum (10). Surat wit-
nessed three deaths,
while Amreli, Botad,
Rajkot, and Vadodara
each had one. The state
has now lost 4,081 peo-
ple to COVID-19.
Ahmedabad also re-
ported the highest num-
ber (306) of daily cases,
while new cases also
emerged in Surat (235),
Vadodara (184), Rajkot
(164), Kheda and
Mehsana (56 each), Gan-
dhinagar(53),Panchma-
hal (36) and Patan (33)
among others. There
are currently 14,695 ac-
tive cases in Gujarat,
with 87 on ventilators.
Meanwhile, the
Ahmedabad Hospitals
and Nursing Homes As-
sociation has extended
its support to CIMS hos-
pital, which filed a com-
plaint in the Anti-Cor-
ruption Bureau against
two doctors.
Rajkot’s Uday Shivanand Hospital. —FILE PHOTO
The blaze is believed to have been caused by a kettle that caught on fire in a tea shop. —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI
BACKGROUND
NEGLIGENCE
—FILE PHOTO
1,455 cases, 17
fatalities take state
tally to 2,18,788
cases, toll to 4,081
—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

G Vol 2 G Issue No. 13 G RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Planet Survey No.148P, Changodar-Bavla Highway, Tal. Sanand, Dist. Ahmedabad.
Published at D/302 3rd Floor Plot No. 35 Titanium Square, Scheme No. 2, Thaltej Taluka, Ghatlodiya, Ahmedabad. Editor-In-Chief: Jagdeesh Chandra. Editor: Anita Hada Sangwan responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act
PERSPECTIVEAHMEDABAD | MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020
he Covid management en-
deavour of Chief Minister
Yogi Adityanath led the Uttar
Pradesh government to re-
ceive huge international rec-
ognition in the form of high
praise by the World Health
Organisation (WHO). The
global health body has show-
ered praise on Uttar Pradesh
Government for its COVID-19
management strategy that
helped in getting control over
the coronavirus pandemic.
TEAM-11: In a novel ini-
tiative, later to be emulated
by other states, the CM set up
a Team-11 comprised of 11
senior officers, to review the
measures taken by the gov-
ernment in the management
of Covid. Each officer was
given a specific task to be car-
ried out by him in coordina-
tion with other officers. CM
used to take meetings of
Team-11 on a daily basis.
The prompt monitoring in
such a manner helped the
state control the spread of
Corona better than any other
state in the country. The offic-
ers/team was keeping in
view the issues public was
likely to face because of Cov-
id restrictions. For example
in the Agriculture sector, it
was for the government to en-
sure hasslefree harvesting
and in the Industrial sector, it
was to be looked into that all-
important industries like
thosedealingwithmedicines,
medical equipment’s were
run without any difficulty.
Similarly, attention was
paid to those units which
were dealing with essential
commodities. As a pro-active
protective measure, the CM
had sealed the inter-state and
international borders of the
state even before the country-
wide Lockdown was im-
posed. In order to mobilise
the required funds to supple-
ment health services, the UP
government created the
‘COVID Care Fund’. Bed ca-
pacity in the COVID hospi-
tals was increased.
These steps were instru-
mental in keeping as low as
1.3 percent lockdown after
Janta Curfew. The Janta Cur-
few was imposed country-
wide on the appeal of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on
March22.ThePMhadtermed
it as the best preventive meas-
ure. Moving ahead in this di-
rection, UP Chief Minister
was the first to announce a
three-day Lockdown but not
before ensuring that the citi-
zens get all necessary items
during this period.
The Centre declared a na-
tionwide lockdown from mid-
nightof March24.Duringthis
also, the state government
catered to all the needs of the
people ensuring they do not
have to move out from their
houses. The government ar-
ranged a doorstep delivery
mechanism for this. Empha-
sis on testing COVID sample
testingistheonlywaytoiden-
tify a Corona-infected person.
Initially, Uttar Pradesh did
not have sufficient testing fa-
cilities. Imagine, the state had
only one testing lab and the
testing capacity of just 60 on
March 22.
It was all about how you
muster and marshal your
available resources. The re-
sult is evident by the fact that
there are over 234 labs in the
state including 131 govern-
ment labs that conduct test-
ing of about 1.75 lakh samples
every day. Uttar Pradesh has
already set a record of having
conducted a total of over 1.30
crore tests. The state govern-
ment was prompt to engage
itself in an expeditious pur-
chase of equipments like PPE
kits, High Flow Nasal Canula
(HFNC), Ventilators, Oxygen
cylinders to provide ICU care.
The training to doctors and
paramedics, which had start-
ed early in March itself, was
also intensified. Contact trac-
ing Uttar Pradesh govern-
ment’s strategy about contact
tracing of the Covid patients,
which also won the WHO rec-
ognition’, came handy in con-
trollingthemenaceandestab-
lished as an effective preven-
tive measure. An aggressive
contact tracing strategy us-
ing Rapid response teams and
ensuring testing for almost
every identified close con-
tacts of Covid positive patient
came across as a defining tool
in the whole Covid manage-
ment process. Thousands of
surveillance teams were
formed to conduct surveys of
the houses, acquaintances,
and contacts of the patients.
In fact, an unprecedented sur-
veillance effort to identify
Influenza-Like Illness(ILI)/
Severe Acute Respiratory In-
fection (SARI) patients using
multiple rounds of the house
to house visit by frontline
workers was afoot to identify
potential threat perception in
terms of Covid.
he problem was the ab-
sence of exclusive Covid hos-
pitals. Again, the challenge
was accepted and now the
state of UP has a total of 674
Covid hospitals inclusive of
571 Level One Covid Hospi-
tals, 77 Level Two Covid hos-
pitals, and 26 Level Three
Hospitals. The total availabil-
ity of beds in these hospitals
has been increased to 1.57
lakh no mean achievement
considering that the popula-
tion size of 24 crores is being
catered to and this number
was zero in March.
UP Medical Supplies Cor-
poration ensured that pro-
curement did not become a
barrier to covid response ef-
forts. Indeed, it was due to
clear command lines and un-
cluttered instructions that
helped build up a strong
health ecosystem that could
deal with such a medical
emergency with consum-
mate ease. As of now, all 75
districts of the state have at
least one or more Level-2
Covid hospitals having provi-
sions of ICU beds.
ICCC Identifying the stur-
dy mechanism of monitoring
is the need of the hour, the
UP CM directed to set up the
Integrated Control and Com-
mand Centre (ICCC) at the
office of the Relief Commis-
sioner at state headquarters.
The similar ICCCs were also
established at every district
headquarter to be manned by
the concerned District Mag-
istrate and Chief Medical Of-
ficer (CMO). ICCC became
the focal point of Covid man-
agement from contact trac-
ing, ensuring home visits by
the health team for patients
who were put in home isola-
tion to ensuring testing for
all eligible persons. Besides,
the continuous dialogue with
Covid patients was main-
tained through the CM hel-
pline, all patients were given
a call to know their wellbeing
and any issue faced at the
hospital level. Apart from
these, the streamlined ambu-
lance services, the introduc-
tion of online OPD services,
telemedicine, and tele-con-
sultation facilities were the
other logistics employed by
the government during Cov-
id management.
Yogi government’s deci-
sion to hire trains to bring
the migrants was yet another
master stroke. As many as
1660 trains were run to bring
in migrants from various
places. The condition of the
migrant who returned from
various places of the country
was also pitiable. The gov-
ernment started by ensuring
basics like food and water to
migrants. The community
kitchens were opened which
catered to migrant labourers
and destitute persons. About
6.75 crore food packets were
distributed to them during
the Lockdown period.
The returnee migrants,
who were sent to home quar-
antine, after a proper medical
check-up, were given ration
kits with a 30-day ration. As a
rare goodwill gesture, every
migrant being sent home was
given sustenance allowance
of Rs one thousand each
along with the ration kit. This
helped them go through the
initial uncertainty of relocat-
ing themselves. In addition to
this, about 53 lakh construc-
tionlabourers,streetvendors,
carriage pullers, and daily
wagers of rural areas were
also given rupees one thou-
sand each through Direct
Benefit Transfer (DBT). The
employers were persuaded to
pay wages of the Lockdown
period. The employers heard
the government’s appeal and
paid the wages to more than 5
million employees totaling
more than Rs 2000 crore.
The ICCCs set up in every
district became the ‘nerve
centre’ of Covid response
management. Manned by
qualified Doctors, Adminis-
trators,CallCentreOperators
24X7 Every needy is being
taken care of The govern-
ment started distributing free
food grains in April, irrespec-
tive of the place from where
the ration card was issued to
the beneficiary. The govern-
ment paid a two-month pen-
sion in advance to as many as
86,71,781 beneficiaries under
the scheme of old age pen-
sion, destitute pension, Divy-
ang pension, and pension for
lepers. Also, in the month of
June, the pension was paid
under PM Poor Welfare
Scheme Package. 35818 Gram
Sewaks were paid a total of
225.39 crores during the Lock-
down. More than 17,64 lakh
MNREGS labourers were
given jobs in 53487 Gram Pan-
chayats, as much as 4508. 25
crore honorarium was paid to
them by creating 22.90 crore
man-days. Incidentally, UP
tops in the country on this
count as well. Jobs to all The
government made MNREGS
job cards for returnee mi-
grants and also of those who
desired to work in the villag-
es. It was ensured that they
get work close to their homes.
The skill mapping of about 40
lakh labourers was done so
that they get jobs according to
their skill set.
A labour employment com-
mission was set up for the so-
cial and economic security of
labourers. Over 8 lakh MSME
units were made functional
where over 51 lakh labourers
areemployed.Rs10744croreof
theloanwasdistributedamong
4.35 lakh industrial units un-
der Atmanirbhar Yojana. In
addition to this, over 5.81 lakh
newunitswerestartedandthe
loan worth over Rs 15541 crore
was distributed under At-
manirbhar Yojana and over 25
lakh jobs were created.
The loans worth Rs 2447
crore were distributed online
to 98743 units on a single day
on May 14, 2020. The govern-
ment came up with a new
StartUp Policy to motivate
youth towards self-employ-
ment. About 50,000 persons
are expected to get direct and
onelakhpersons,indirectem-
ployment from this. During
the on-going Unlockdown
phases, things are being tried
and are being streamlined.
Low death rate and high re-
coveryrateThedeathratedue
to Covid has come down to 1.3
while the recovery rate has
shot up too close to 90 percent.
In fact, the ultimate recogni-
tion to the Yogi government
came from none other than
the Prime Minister himself.
“The vast preparations
made by Uttar Pradesh Chief
Minister saved at least
85,000lives, something un-
thinkable before 2017”- Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on
UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s
deft handling of Corona cri-
sis on June 26,2020.
COVID MANAGEMENT OF UP
GOVERNMENT: A LESSON TO LEARN
T
UP Medical
Supplies
Corporation
ensured that
procurement
did not become
a barrier to
covid response
efforts. Indeed,
it was due to
clear command
lines and
uncluttered
instructions
that helped
build up a
strong health
ecosystem that
could deal with
such a medical
emergency with
consummate
ease. As of now,
all 75 districts
of the state have
at least one or
more Level-2
Covid hospitals
having
provisions of
ICU beds
VISHAL
SRIVASTAV
BUREAU CHIEF
FIRST INDIA, LUCKNOW
n 2019, United
States Presi-
dent Donald
Trump de-
clared “space is
the new war-fighting do-
main”. This followed the
creation of the US Space
Force and a commitment to
“American dominance” in
outer space.
Other space-faring na-
tions, and those who fear
the acceleration of an
arms race in space, were
greatly concerned. At the
latest meeting of the Unit-
ed Nations Committee on
the Peaceful Uses of Outer
Space, states noted with
alarm that “preventing
conflicts in outer space and
preserving outer space for
peaceful purposes” is more
necessary than ever.
The election of Joe
Biden as the next US presi-
dent and Kamala Harris as
vice-president suggests
there is cause for hope. The
future of space may look
more like the recent launch
of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1
mission to the Internation-
al Space Station.
Onboard were US and
Japanese astronauts, who
joined Russian and US
crew already living aboard
the ISS. As the Falcon 9
rocket soared into space,
the collaborative, coopera-
tive, and commercial na-
ture of space was once
again clear for all to see.
COOPERATION, NOT
CONFRONTATION
TheincomingBiden-Harris
administration appears
more interested in interna-
tional cooperation, and
muchmorecognisantof the
challenges of climate
change, pandemics and oth-
er global issues. A carefully
calibrated space policy can
do much to address “terres-
trial” challenges, while still
allowing for many positive
space activities.
Since 1967, human activ-
ity in space has been guid-
ed by the universally ac-
cepted principles embed-
ded in the Outer Space
Treaty. This has ensured
we have had no military
conflict in space, and re-
quired the exploration and
use of space “for the bene-
fit and in the interests of
all countries”.
Any alternative vision
of the future of space is
dreadful to consider. Rhet-
oric about the inevitability
of “war in space” makes
such conflict more likely
and risks a “tragedy of the
commons” in space.
Any space war would
have no clear winner. In a
complex, globally shared
arena such as space, it is
important that states abide
by accepted rules and es-
tablished practices.
The US has great scien-
tific and technological ad-
vantages and a robust and
competitive commercial
spacesector.Insteadof seek-
ing dominance, it can better
serve the world (and itself)
byfocusingitsleadershipon
harnessing space for the
benefit of all humankind.
In a promising sign,
Biden and Harris’s NASA
review team is composed
of an outstanding group of
space scientists as well as
a former astronaut.
The current administra-
tion re-established the Na-
tional Space Council,
which is chaired by the
vice president, and this has
reinvigorated American
investment and leadership
in space exploration. This
includes an ambitious plan
to return to the Moon un-
der the terms of the Arte-
mis Accords.
SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION
Trump’s idea of ‘war in space’ would be a catastrophe
I
How much better to get
wisdom than gold! To get
understanding is to be chosen
rather than silver.
—Proverbs 16:16
Spiritual
SPEAK
Top
TWEET
Dharmendra Pradhan
@dpradhanbjp
Indore Municipal Corporation
also came up with a presentation
on setting up of waste-to-energy
plants. Happy to share that IMC
has consistently eliminated
garbage dumps, ensured 100%
household-waste segregation
and converted waste to usable
products, like compost and fuel.
Adhir Chowdhury @adhirrcinc
Request you not to make it a
prestige issue Sh @narendramodi
Ji. The Govt must bow to the
supreme will & aspirations of the
people and accordingly repeal the
Farmer’s law at the earliest, as the
livelihood of millions of farmers is
at stake #FarmerProtest

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INDIAAHMEDABAD | MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020
New Delhi: As the on-
going farmers’ agita-
tion entered the elev-
enth day, the traffic
movement remained
affected in the national
capital region on Sun-
day morning with mul-
tiple borders between
Delhi and neighbouring
states still closed for
commuters.
Delhi Traffic Police
on Sunday appealed to
citizens to take alterna-
tive routes as along
with Singhu, Auchandi,
Piao Maniyari, Man-
gesh borders, Tikri, and
Jharoda borders are
closed for all kinds of
traffic movement. NH
44 is also closed from
both sides.
The traffic police said
Jhatikara border is
open only for two-
wheeler traffic, while
the Badusarai border is
open only for light mo-
tor vehicles like cars
and two-wheelers.
Commuters coming
from Haryana are ad-
vised to take alternate
routes via Safiabad,
Saboli, NH8/Bhopra/
Apsaraborders/Periph-
eral expressway. —ANI
DRI SEIZES GOLD WORTH RS 2.25CR
FROM BIHAR; ONE ARRESTED
Patna: The Directorate of
Revenue Intelligence has
seized over 4 kg of smug-
gled gold bars, valued
at Rs 2.25 crore, from a
Delhi-bound train at Patna
station and arrested one
person in this connection,
an official said. Acting on
a tip-off, DRI sleuths con-
ducted a search operation
in a coach of Dibrugarh-
Delhi special train on
Friday and recovered 26
gold bars, he said. “The
person, a resident of
Sangli district of Maha-
rashtra, was arrested as
he could not provide any
valid document for gold
biscuits seized from his
possession,” the official
said. During interrogation,
he revealed that gold
bars were smuggled from
Myanmar, he said.
‘POLLS TO URBAN LOCAL
BODIES IN MP LIKELY IN JAN’
Sagar: Elections to the urban local bodies in
Madhya Pradesh are likely to be held next month,
state minister Bhupendra Singh said on Sun-
day. A notification for the urban bodies’ polls is
expected to be issued by the end of December,
he told reporters. “These elections are likely
to take place in January next year. Mayors of
the urban bodies will be elected directly by the
people as the government has already brought an
ordinance in this regard,” the Minister for Urban
Development and Housing said.
PALGHAR MAN KILLS FATHER
DURING FIGHT WITH WIFE
Palghar: A man was
arrested in tribal- domi-
nated Jawhar in Palghar
district for allegedly
killing his 65-year-old
father with a sickle after
a dispute, police said on
Sunday. Accused Sunil
Potinda was arguing with
his wife in their home in
Zap village in the inter-
vening night of Wednes-
day and Thursday and his
father Shivram tried to
mediate, a police official
said while informing
about the incident. “An
enraged Sunil picked up
a sickle and hit his father,
killing him on the spot.
The accused was arrested
on Friday and has been
charged with murder,” the
police officer added while
saying further probe in
the case is underway.
12 NAXALS SURRENDER TO
POLICE IN VISAKHAPATNAM
Visakhapatnam: Twelve active Naxals surren-
dered before Andhra Pradesh Police in Chin-
tapalle area of Visakhapatnam district during
PLGA week. The Naxal members surrendered
before Chintapalle ASP Vidhya Sagar Naidu
and belonged to villages of Pathrudigunta of
the Galikonda area, Panasalabanda, Akuluru,
and Ramagadda. Naidu said, “The militia have
become vexed with the barbaric acts of Maoists
such as branding people as informers and kill-
ing them based on mere speculation.”
FARMERS’ PROTEST DAY 11
DELHI TRAFFIC REMAINS AFFECTED
DUE TO CLOSED BORDERS
Children play cricket on a blocked Highway where farmers are protesting against the newly passed farm bills at New Delhi - Gazipur
border near Delhi on Sunday. —PHOTO BY ANI
‘Bengal govt
distancing itself
from rule of law’
Kolkata: West Bengal
governor Jagdeep
Dhankhar on Sunday
alleged that the TMC
government has dis-
tanced itself from rule
of law and the soul of
BR Ambedkar, the ar-
chitect of the Indian
Constitution, is getting
deeply hurt.
“I am deeply dis-
turbed, concerned, wor-
ried and pained. The
governance in the state
of West Bengal is get-
ting away from the path
of the Constitution. It is
distancing itself from
rule of law. The soul of
B R Ambedkar is deeply
hurt,” Dhankhar said at
a programme held to
pay homage to Ambed-
kar on his death anni-
versary.
“High time @
MamataOfficial to en-
sure governance in ac-
cordance with constitu-
tion and render police &
administration “politi-
cally neutral”. CS &
DGP @WBPolice non
responsive stance ig-
noring lawful account-
ability, letter & spirit of
constitution is fraught
with serious conse-
quences,” Dhankhar
tweeter later in the day.
TMC Lok Sabha
member and spokesper-
son Saugata Roy react-
ed by saying that
Dhankhar is not follow-
ing ethics.
“He cannot make
such statements in pub-
lic every day. If he has
anything to say about
the government he can
write to the chief min-
ister or call her up.
What he is doing is not
right. There is nothing
wrong with law and or-
der in Bengal. The gov-
ernor cannot see the
reality,” said Roy.
THE TRAFFIC POLICE SAID JHATIKARA BORDER IS OPEN ONLY FOR TWO-WHEELER TRAFFIC
‘I STAND WITH
BJP&FARMERS;
GOVT THINKS OF
FARMERS’
BETTERMENT’
SHARAD PAWAR THREATENS
CENTRE TO RESOLVE ISSUE SOON
LUDHIANA VILLAGE PREPARES
SWEETS, SNACKS FOR FARMERS
Chandigarh: Amidst
the ongoing farm-
ers’ protest against
the farm laws, BJP
Lok Sabha MP from
Gurdaspur Sunny Deol
on Sunday said that he
stands with his party
and with farmers.
He also said that the
central government
always thinks of the
betterment of farmers.
Taking to Twitter, Deol
posted a picture of his
statement on the on-
going farmers’ protest.
“I request the whole
world that it is matter
between our farmers
and the government.
Do not come between
them, because both
will find a way after
discussions. I know
that many people want
to take benefits from it
and are creating prob-
lems. They are not
thinking of farmers.
They may have their
own agenda,” he said.
Mumbai: NCP chief and former Agriculture Minister
Sharad Pawar accused that the Centre passed the
agricultural laws in haste and warned that if the situ-
ation is not resolved soon more farmers from across
the country will join the protest. “Farmers from Punjab
and Haryana are the main producers of wheat and
paddy, and they are protesting. If the situation is not
resolved soon, we will see farmers from across the
country joining them, “ Pawar said. —ANI
Ludhiana: In a small village of Punjab’s Ludhiana,
Baddowal, local villagers are busy filling up packets
with sweets and snacks prepared from pure desi
ghee to be delivered to agitating farmers sitting on
the borders of Delhi. “We plan to send a total of 300
kilograms of Khoya pinnis (laddoos) and namkeen
matthis prepared in pure desi ghee by families in Bad-
dowal village,” Lakhbir Singh Badwal of the Namdhari
Sangat said. —ANI
Modi govt will take J&K’s
dev to new heights, says min
Jammu: Senior BJP
leader Shahnawaz Hus-
sain on Sunday asked
militants to leave guns
and pick up a pen as the
Narendra Modi govern-
ment is committed to
take Jammu and Kash-
mir to new heights of
development.
However, he warned
those who did not shun
the path of violence to
getpreparedtobewiped
“all-out”.
“J-K is the crown of
India and our govern-
ment is sincere to take
the development in the
region to the top as well.
We will ensure electric-
ity, water and better
roads and no load shed-
ding and darkness
which is the hallmark
of Congress and Gup-
kar gang,” Hussain,
who is the BJP national
spokesperson, told re-
porters here.
The former Union
minister, who has been
camping in Kashmir
valley for the last 15
days in connection with
the ongoing District De-
velopment Council elec-
tions, reached Jammu
on Sunday morning.
“PM Narendra Modi
wants a pen in the
hands of local youth
Leave the gun and pick
up the pen as anyone
indulging in terrorism
will face (operation) all
out,” he said, lauding
security agencies for
busting a plan of terror-
ists. —PTI
“J&K is the crown of India,” Shahnawaz Hussain also added.
GUPKAR GANG NEVER LET YOU VOTE:
SAYS UNION MINISTER SMRITI IRANI
Srinagar/New Delhi: Union minister Smriti Irani
has accused the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Decla-
ration of not extending voting powers to refugees
from Pakistan, who have pride in the Indian flag.
“When the Gupkar gang had power, they never
gave the right to vote to the refugees. But PM Modi
understood that the families who chose Hindustan
over Pakistan should get the right to go and vote,”
said Ms Irani, one of the star speakers of the BJP
for the DDC local body elections. —ANI
IN ALL ITS GLORY...
Villagers ride past a mustard farm on the outskirts of Amritsar on Sunday. —PHOTO BY ANI
Many leaders
took money
from me:
Saradha boss
Kolkata: Saradha
ponzi scam prime ac-
cused Sudipta Sen has
written to Prime Minis-
ter Narendra Modi and
West Bengal CM
Mamata Banerjee, al-
leging that several in-
fluential people, in-
cluding prominent po-
litical leaders, have
taken “financial advan-
tages” from him.
In his letter, a copy of
which is with the PTI,
Sen, who is still under-
going trial in the multi-
crore ponzi scam case,
requested the CBI and
the state police to initi-
ate action against all
those who have taken
money from him.
“Respected sir and
respected madam, I, Sri
Sudipta Sen, owner and
director of Saradha
Group of companies,
want to say that there
are many influential
persons have taken
huge financial advan-
tage from me. No action
has been taken.” —PTI
FIR OVER DEMONSTRATION IN PROHIBITED AREA
Arrest me if you can: Tejashwi to Nitish
Patna: RJD’s Tejashwi
Yadav has hit out at the
Nitish Kumar govern-
ment, daring it to arrest
him for protesting in
support of farmers’ de-
mands to repeal the cen-
tre’s three contentious
laws. A case has been
filed against Yadav and
18 other leaders from
various constituents of
the Grand Alliance-led
Opposition in Bihar for
protesting without per-
mission amid the coro-
navirus pandemic.
Reacting to the charg-
es, Bihar LoP Tejashwi
Yadav called his ally-
turned-foe, CM Nitish
Kumar, a ‘coward.’ “The
government of Bihar,
led by a cowardly CM,
has lodged an FIR
against us for raising
voice of farmers. If you
have any real power,
then arrest us. If you do
not, I will surrender
myself. I am ready to be
hanged for farmers,”
Yadav tweeted. —PTITejashwi Yadav
West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar

INDIAAHMEDABAD | MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020
Has the...
This was even before
Gupta’s spat with
Khedawala became pub-
lic knowledge, this per-
son added.
The person also said
that there have been ru-
mours in the power cor-
ridors of Gandhinagar
that Gupta was likely to
be asked to go on leave,
just like former munici-
pal commissioner Vijay
Nehra did a few days
before he was replaced
by Mukesh Kumar.
“Many of his actions
were unreasonable and
this did not go unno-
ticed. He even an-
nounced curfew with-
out talking with the po-
lice department, thus
forcing the deputy chief
minister and Chief
Minister Vijay Rupani
to issue a clarification,”
the person further ex-
plained.
In addition, despite
his tall claims that the
COVID-19 situation was
under control in
Ahmedabad, more and
more private hospitals
have been requisi-
tioned, including some
outside city limits.
“Gupta was given the
chargeto control things.
Even in April-May,
when the city had more
than 350 cases on aver-
age every day, the ad-
ministration did not
need more hospitals.
Now, the additional pri-
vate hospitals are mak-
ing a hole in the govern-
ment’s pocket with no
improvement in the
health crisis,” the per-
son also said.
Yet, Gupta’s position
seems safe for now--at
least until the term of
the AMC’s elected wing
ends.
“If there is an admin-
istrator for the city in
absence of an elected
wing, a senior officer-
-like the Chief Secre-
tary--will take charge,
and Gupta will have to
leave. However, he is
trying hard to retain his
post until the pandemic
officially improves,” the
person remarked.
Interestingly, after
Gupta went on leave, K
Kailashnathan on Sat-
urday met with Munici-
pal Commissioner
Mukesh Kumar at the
River Front office for
more than an hour.
Farmers’ agitation...
To resolve the stand-off,
an option to convene a
special Parliament ses-
sion is being consid-
ered, senior govern-
ment source said. “It is
not ruled out, but no
decision has been tak-
en,” the source said to a
question if a special ses-
sion was being consid-
ered. Both the sides
havenowagreedtomeet
again on December 9.
The joint forum of trade
unions that has sup-
ported the farmers’ stir
includes Indian Nation-
al Trade Union Con-
gress (INTUC), All India
Trade Union Congress
(AITUC), Hind Mazdoor
Sabha (HMS), Centre of
Indian Trade Unions
(CITU), All India United
Trade Union Centre
(AIUTUC) and Trade
Union Co-ordination
Centre (TUCC).
Grassroots Gehlot...
As we know Rahul ji has
been raising the voice
of farmers through his
signature campaign,
kisan and tractor rally.
He has been an ardent
supporter of the farm-
ers of country and eve-
ry Congress worker
stands with him in tak-
ing this cause of farm-
ers to every corner of
the nation,” he tweeted.
Gehlot then mounted
scathing attack on the
NDA and its policies,
saying, “Due to the way
the NDA government
works, today farmers
from all over the coun-
try have come on the
roads and announced
Bharat Bandh. The
Modi government has
blown all constitutional
customs and democrat-
ic methods. Dialogue is
most important in a de-
mocracy, but the new
government did not talk
to the state govern-
ments and farmer or-
ganizations on the new
agricultural laws.”
He even questioned
the role of Governor
and President in the en-
tire issue. “When the
central government will
not listen to the public
in peaceful demonstra-
tions, will not commu-
nicate with the opposi-
tion and national farm-
er organizations, the
Governor will not send
bills passed by opposi-
tion party governments
to the President and the
President will not give
time to meet CM of op-
position party govern-
ment, then how will the
public express their
feelings to the central
government?”
Muslim clerics...
The senior clergymen
of the Islamic faith have
issued a set of instruc-
tions to be followed by
Qazis when officiating
Muslim marriages. The
Imam of Jama Masjid
Subhaniya Takiya
Kawaldah, Maulana Ja-
hangir Ahmed Azizi,
has said that Qazis
should make inquiries
about the prospective
bride and groom.
FROM PG 1
New Delhi: The minis-
try said that the pre-
sent active caseload
comprises 4.26% of the
total positive cases, and
new recoveries have
led to a net decline of
6,393 in the total active
cases, the ministry said
in a statement.
“India’s total active
caseload has dropped
below 4.10 lakh
(4,09,689) today. This is
the lowest after 136
days. The total active
cases were 4,11,133, on
July 22,” it said. The
ministry said that for
the past eight days, the
daily new recoveries
recorded in the country
have been more than
the daily cases.
India recorded more
recoveries than the
new COVID-19 cases
for the last nine days,
the active coronavirus
caseload dropped to
4.03 lakh (4,03,248) on
Sunday, the lowest in
138 days, according to
the Union Ministry of
Health and Family
Welfare. As many as
482 case fatalities have
been reported in the
past 24 hours. Ten
states/UTs account
for 79.05 per cent of
the new deaths. As
many as 7,924 people
have succumbed to the
infection.
Maharashtra saw a
maximum, 95, casual-
ties. Delhi and West
Bengal follow with 77
and 49 deaths respec-
tively. The health
ministry stressed that
more than 70 per cent
of the deaths occurred
due to comorbidities.
NEW CASES START TO FADETotal COVID-19 active caseload dropped to 4,09,689, according to health ministry
Healthcare workers in protective gear coming out from an
ambulance as they leave after collecting swab samples.
New Delhi: Prime
Minister Narendra
Modi paid tributes to
Dr B R Ambedkar on
his death anniversa-
ry&saidhisthoughts
& ideals continue to
give strength to mil-
lions. “Remembering
the great Dr Babasa-
heb Ambedkar on
Mahaparinirvan Di-
was. His thoughts
and ideals continue
to give strength to
millions. We are com-
mitted to fulfilling
the dreams he had for
ournation,”PMModi
tweeted. Ambedkar,
the chief architect of
the Indian Constitu-
tion and a Dalit icon,
passed away in 1956.
Committed to fulfilling
Ambedkar’s dreams: PM
PM Narendra Modi paid tribute to Dr BR Ambedkar on his death anniversary on Sunday.
Srinagar: A yellow
alert avalanche warn-
ing has been issued for
higher reaches of sev-
eral districts in Jammu
and Kashmir by Nation-
al Disaster Manage-
ment Authority (DMA).
These districts include
Rajouri, Ramban,
Kishtwar, Baramulla,
Kupwara, Bandipora &
Ganderbal. The India
Meteorological Depart-
ment (IMD) has predict-
ed heavy rain and snow
over the region for the
next few days. “Under
the influence of a fresh
Western Disturbance,
scattered to fairly wide-
spread precipitation
very likely over Jammu
and Kashmir, from De-
cember 7 to 9. Isolated
heavy rain/snow also
very likely over Jammu
and Kashmir, Ladakh,
Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaf-
farabad on December
8,” the IMD tweeted. On
November 9, 5 passen-
gers were rescued by
Border Roads Organisa-
tion after a snow ava-
lanche hit Zojila Pass.
Yellow alert avalanche warning
in higher reaches of J&K: DMA
Barasat: Senior BJP
leader Kailash Vijay-
vargiya on Saturday
said that the Citizen-
ship (Amendment)
Act is likely to be im-
plemented from Jan-
uary next year as the
Centre and the saf-
fron party are keen
to grant citizenship
to the large refugee
population in West
Bengal. The BJP na-
tional general secre-
tary accused the
TMC government of
not being sympathet-
ic to the cause of the
refugees. “We are
hopeful that the pro-
cess of granting citi-
zenship to refugees
under the CAA will
begin from January
next year,” he told re-
porters on the side-
lines of the party’s
‘’Aar Noy Anyay’’
(no more injustice)
campaign in North
24 Parganas district.
“The Centre has
passed the CAA with
the honest intention
of granting citizen-
ship to persecuted
refugees coming to
our country from
neighbouring na-
tions,” he added. Re-
acting to Mr Vijay-
vargiya’s comment,
senior TMC leader
and state minister
Firhad Hakim said
that the BJP is trying
to fool the people of
West Bengal.
Srinagar: One Police
personnel and a civil-
ian were injured on
Sunday after terrorists
attacked a joint party
of Police and CRPF at
Sazgaripora, Hawal
here in Srinagar.
The area has been
cordoned off to nab the
terrorists and both the
injured were shifted to
hospital. “Terrorists
fired indiscriminate-
ly upon a police party
at Sazgaripora #Ha-
wal in which 01 police
personnel Farooq Ah-
mad Chopan and 01
civilian Muneer Ah-
mad got injured.
Both the injured
were shifted to hospi-
tal. The area has been
cordoned off,” Kashmir
Zone Police tweeted.
Terrorists attack joint party of
Police, CRPF in Srinagar
New Delhi: Union
Home Minister Amit
Shah & BJP President
JP Nadda paid tributes
to Dr BR Ambedkar.
"Tributes to Baba Sa-
heb. He gave a future-
oriented and inclusive
Constitution to the
country & paved the
way for progress, pros-
perity & equality in the
country," Home Minis-
ter said. While Nadda
said, "The nation will
remain indebted to Ba-
basaheb who played
important role in
showing the way of so-
cial harmony and so-
cial reform in the coun-
try," Nadda said.
AMIT SHAH, JP NADDA PAY
TRIBUTES TO BR AMBEDKAR
New Delhi: A suspect-
ed incident of water
contamination is be-
lieved to be the reason
behind falling ill of at
least 227 persons in the
West Godavari district
of Andhra Pradesh.
However, officials are
not ruling out viral en-
cephalitis. The incident
happened in Eluru
town; to be specific in
four societies of Ashok
Nagar and Arundhati-
pet. Water contamina-
tion was reported from
these two areas just 10
days back. Those taken
ill include even children
as young as just four
years old, reports said.
“The number of people
falling sick in Eluru is
increasing. Around 140
persons were admitted
and discharged since
last night till this morn-
ing. Their symptoms
include nausea and
fainting. The reason for
this sudden increase is
not yet known,” Eluru
Government Hospital
superintendent Dr Mo-
han told ANI. About 100
additional beds have
been made available at
the government facility
in a precautionary
measure. Blood samples
of those fallen ill have
been collected to find
the reason behind the
illness, said District
Collector R Muthyala
Raju, according to
sources. A door-to-door
survey is being done to
check for water contam-
ination in affected are-
as, he said. Teams of
doctors from Vijayawa-
da are on their way to
Eluru to help the medi-
cal teams there and to
probe the case of ill-
ness, according to
Health Minister Kali
Krishna Srinivas.
A medical officer said
the patients had sud-
denly started vomiting
and complained of
burning sensation in
eyes while some even
fainted. Some of them
were brought to the Elu-
ru hospital in critical
condition but are all
now safe, he said, ac-
cording to the report.
Over 227 fall sick in AP, water contamination suspected
The number of people falling sick with this illness is increasing in Eluru and around 140 persons
were admitted and discharged since last night.
Patna: Amid buzz that
former Union minister
Upendra Kushwaha
and Chief Minister Nit-
ish Kumar may join
hands again, following
their recent meeting
here four days ago, the
RLSP chief on Sunday
downplayed the specu-
lations as "premature
guesswork".
Kushwaha said he
had a cordial meeting
with Kumar earlier in
the week but denied
hammering out a deal
for the homecoming.
He, however, did not
rule out the possibility
of a reunion in future.
Political circles had
indicated that Kushwa-
ha may merge his Rash-
triya Lok Samata Party
(RLSP) with the ruling
Janata Dal (United),
and he would subse-
quently be inducted
into the state cabinet as
a member of the legisla-
tive council.
Hyderabad: Veteran
actress Vijayashanthi
has quit the Congress &
will join BJP on Mon-
day. She is expected to
meet Home Minister
Amit Shah after joining
the BJP in New Delhi.
Telangana BJP chief
Bandi Sanjay Kumar
has reportedly left for
Delhi from Hyderabad.
Vijayashanthi had first
joined the BJP in 1998
and was made the secre-
tary of BJP's Women's
Wing. During the Telan-
gana separate state-
hood movement, she
worked closely with
TRS chief KCR.
Veteran actress
Vijayashanthi
quits Cong, to
join BJP today
‘CAALIKELYTO
BEIMPLEMENTED
FROMJANUARY’
Kushwaha-Nitish meeting
triggers reunion buzz
AIRCRAFT FOR VACCINE DELIVERY
MYSTERY ILLNESS

GREENLAND
G
reenland is the
largest island
in the world
and on it rests the larg-
est ice mass in the
Northern Hemisphere.
If all that ice melted,
the sea would rise by
more than seven me-
tres.
But that’s not going
to happen is it? Well not
any time soon, but un-
derstanding how much
of the ice sheet might
melt over the coming
century is a critical and
urgent question that
scientists are trying to
tackle using sophisti-
cated numerical models
of how the ice sheet in-
teracts with the rest of
the climate system. The
problem is that the
models aren’t that good
at reproducing recent
observations and are
limited by our poor
knowledge of the de-
tailed topography of
the subglacial terrain
and fjords, which the
ice flows over and in to.
One way around this
problem is to see how
the ice sheet responded
to changes in climate in
the past and compare
that with model projec-
tions for the future for
similar changes in tem-
perature. That is exact-
ly what colleagues and I
did in a new study now
published in the jour-
nal Nature Communi-
cations.
We looked at the
three largest glaciers
in Greenland and used
historical aerial photo-
graphs combined with
measurements scien-
tists had taken directly
over the years, to re-
construct how the vol-
ume of these glaciers
had changed over the
period 1880 to 2012. The
approach is founded on
the idea that the past
can help inform the fu-
ture, not just in science
but in all aspects of life.
But just like other
“classes” of history, the
climate and the Earth
system in future won’t
be a carbon copy of the
past. Nonetheless, if
we figure out exactly
how sensitive the ice
sheet has been to tem-
perature changes over
the past century, that
can provide a useful
guide to how it will re-
spond over the next
century.
We found that the
three largest glaciers
were responsible for
8.1mm of sea level rise,
about 15% of the whole
ice sheet’s contribu-
tion. Over the period of
our study the sea glob-
ally has risen by
around 20cm, about the
height of an A5 book-
let, and of that, about a
finger’s width is entire-
ly thanks to ice melting
from those three Green-
land glaciers.
We need to worry about what’s happening on the largest island in the world
JONATHAN BAMBER
PROFESSOR OF PHYSICAL
GEOGRAPHY, UNIVERSITY
OF BRISTOL
Greenland’s
melting ice sheet
has passed the
point of no return
S
o what does that
tell us about the
future behaviour
of the ice sheet? In
2013, a modelling study
by Faezeh Nick and
colleagues also looked
at the same “big three”
glaciers (Jakobshavn
Isbrae in the west of the
island and Helheim and
Kangerlussuaq in the
east) and projected how
they would respond in
different future climate
scenarios. The most ex-
treme of these scenari-
os is called RCP8.5 and
assumes that economic
growth will continue
unabated through the
21st century, resulting
in a global mean warm-
ing of about 3.7˚C above
today’s temperatures
(about 4.8˚C above
pre-industrial or since
1850).
This scenario has
sometimes been
referred to as Busi-
ness As Usual (BAU)
and there is an active
debate among climate
researchers regarding
how plausible RCP8.5
is. It’s interesting to
note, however, that,
according to a recent
study from a group of
US scientists it may
be the most appropri-
ate scenario up to at
least 2050. Because of
something called polar
ampliﬁcation the Arctic
will likely heat up by
more than double the
global average, with
the climate models
indicating around 8.3˚C
warming over Greenland
in the most extreme
scenario, RCP8.5.
Despite this dramatic
and terrifying hike in
temperature Faezeh’s
modelling study
projected that the “big
three” would contrib-
ute between 9 and 15
mm to sea level rise
by 2100, only slightly
more than what we
obtained from a 1.5˚C
warming over the 20th
century. How can that
be? Our conclusion
is that the models are
at fault, even includ-
ing the latest and most
sophisticated available
which are being used to
assess how the whole
ice sheet will respond
to the next century of
climate change. These
models appear to have
a relatively weak link
between climate change
and ice melt, when our
results suggest it is
much stronger. Projec-
tions based on these
models are therefore
likely to under-predict
how much the ice sheet
will be affected. Other
lines of evidence sup-
port this conclusion.
What does all of that
mean? If we do con-
tinue along that very
scary RCP8.5 trajectory
of increasing green-
house gas emissions,
the Greenland ice sheet
is very likely to start
melting at rates that we
haven’t seen for at least
130,000 years, with
dire consequences for
sea level and the many
millions of people who
live in low lying coastal
zones.
Melting As Usual
SOURCE: THECONVERSATION.COM
If we continue along the current trajectory of increasing greenhouse gas emissions, the
Greenland ice sheet is very likely to start melting at rates that we haven’t seen for at least
130,000 years.
An island at the mouth of Upernavik Glacier on the northwest coast of Greenland, photographed
during the September 2016 ﬁeld campaign of Oceans Melting Greenland. Until 1950, this glacier
had one outlet, or terminus, to the ocean. Now, it has melted and retreated up its fjord so far
that it has several different termini. In this image, one terminus is at the upper left and another
hidden by the rock wall at upper centre. —NASA/JPL-Caltech
Greenland’s glaciers contain around 8% of the world’s freshwater.
—Jonathan Bamber, Author provided
Greenland is home to the largest ice mass in the Northern Hemisphere. If all that ice melted, the
sea would rise by more than 7 metres.
TALKING POINTAHMEDABAD | MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020
GREENLANDGREENLAND
ismelting

Remember, plans are good
but you will only be
remembered for what you
did not what you planned.
—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India
AHMEDABAD | MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
08
2NDFRONT
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: Amazon
has emerged the top re-
cruiter in the second
cluster of the Summer
Placement process for
the PGP class of 2022 at
IIM Ahmedabad that
saw participation of
firms across 7 cohorts.
They included adver-
tising & media, consum-
erelectronics,consumer
goods & durables, con-
sumer services, con-
glomerates, retail B2B &
B2C and pharma-health
care.
Of over 40 firms that
participated, Amazon
emerged the top recruit-
er overall with 14 offers.
Consumer goods &
durables firms included
regular recruiters like
AB InBev, Asian Paints,
Coca-Cola, Colgate,
Dabur, HUL, ITC, Kim-
berly Clark, Mondelez,
Nestle, P&G, Puma,
Reckitt Benckiser, and
Wipro Consumer Care
amongst others. HUL
was the top recruiter
here with 13 offers.
The consumer servic-
es cohort saw participa-
tion of regular recruit-
ers like Tata Sky and
Airtel.Airtelwasthetop
recruiterintheConsum-
erServicescohortwith5
offers.In the consumer
electronicscohort,firms
like Samsung Electron-
ics and Lenovo partici-
pated. Samsung Elec-
tronicsmadethehighest
number of offers in the
consumerelectronicsco-
hort.
The conglomerates
cohort saw great partici-
pation from recruiters
like Adani, Aditya Birla
Group, Bajaj Group,
JSW, Mahindra Group,
RPG Group and TAS.
ToprecruiterintheCon-
glomerates cohort was
TAS with 7 offers.
In the Retail B2B &
B2C space, the institute
had firms like Amazon,
Cloudtail, eShakti, Flip-
kart, Grofers, and Pri-
one. New recruiters in
this cohort included
Walmart Global Tech
and Purplle.com. In the
Pharma health care co-
hort, firms like Indi-
gene, Stryker and Dr.
Reddy’s participated.
New recruiters in this
cohort included Cipla,
Philips and Bayer.
The third cluster will
be conducted on Mon-
day.
Amazon rules the roost in IIM-A’s 2nd cluster placements
With firms like Amazon, Cloudtail,
eShakti, Flipkart, Grofers and Prione,
there were new recruiters like Walmart
Global Tech and Purplle.com
NEW HORIZONS
Kailash Satyarthi’s NGO rescued 1,600 children from traffickers during 8 Covid months
Shishir Awasthi
New Delhi: The Covid-
induced lockdown not
only destroyed liveli-
hoods of lakhs of poor
people but also gave
way to increased traf-
ficking of children.
Expressing concern,
Nobel laureate Kailash
Satyarthi’s NGO Bach-
pan Bachao Andolan
said it had rescued over
1,600childrenfrom“situ-
ations of exploitation”
duringthepast8months.
“One of the biggest
worries during the lock-
down was the fact that
the financial crisis of
families will lead them
totakeloansunethically.
This eventually in-
creased the vulnerabili-
ty of children and their
families of being lured
by traffickers with the
promiseof abetterliveli-
hood opportunity,”
Dhananjay Tingal, an
executive director at
BBA, said.
Thirteen-year-old
Rajesh was one of the
1,675 children rescued
by them. He was traf-
ficked from his village
in Bihar to work in a
garment factory in
Gandhinagar in Guja-
rat, where he toiled for
12 hours a day, and
stayed in a tiny room
that he shared with six
others like him.
Though they were
promised payment, they
were never given the
promised amount. Be-
sides this, they just got
half a day to rest every
week and were under
tremendous pressure to
meetproductiontargets.
Rajesh landed up in
Gujarat and became a
victim of trafficking af-
ter his parents, farm la-
bourers, lost their jobs.
Moreover, his parents
had taken a loan of Rs
20,000 before the lock-
down to fix the roof of
their house, but being
unemployed they were
unable to repay.
It was getting difficult
for Rajesh’s parents to
feed a family of 11 and
traffickers exploited the
situation and for Rs
20,000, he was taken to
Gujarat to work. He was
rescued in July.
The story of Saad
Khan,14, is no different.
There were 3 earning
members in his family,
but the pandemic in-
duced poverty forced
Khan to search for work.
He and his family were
luredbyatrafficker,who
gave them an advance of
Rs 5,000 and promised
work for Khan.
An advance by any
trafficker often leads
to bonded labour.
Khan was rescued in
September while be-
ing transported to
work at a bangle mak-
ing factory in Jaipur.
‘COVID-19 CRISIS PAVES WAY
FOR RISE IN CHILD TRAFFICKING’
Young girl commits suicide
after engagement breaks up
A’bad teenager rescued
from Pak abductors
HC, lower courts to
be closed today in
homage to judge
First India Bureau
Surat: A girl studying
in the final year of
Bachelors of Com-
merce committed sui-
cide by hanging her-
self at her residence
on Sunday afternoon
in Adajan area. From
her suicide note, it
seems that she was
suffering from de-
pression for some
days.
Vishwa Patel’s sui-
cide note states, “I don’t
know why, but I am
committing suicide, no
one is responsible for
my extreme step.” She
was studying at the
DRB College in the Vesu
area.
Police officers said
from the primary infor-
mation it appeared that
the girl’s engagement
was recently broken
from the boy’s side, af-
ter which she was in
depression. Even fami-
ly members were not
aware of any other rea-
son that might be trou-
bling the young girl.
Forensic experts and
policeareinvestigating
thecase.Butprimarily,
thecasehasbeenregis-
tered as an accidental
death. If some suspi-
cious elements are
foundduringtheinves-
tigation, the police will
lodge an FIR under the
Indian Penal Code and
start a fresh investiga-
tion in the case.
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: In an-
other instance of law-
lessness in Pakistan,
a case has been regis-
tered against 6 per-
sons for allegedly ab-
ducting a 12-year-old
girl from Ahmedabad
in Pakistan’s Punjab
province, and later
forcing her to get
married to a 45-year-
old man.
Though the girl
was recovered by po-
lice officials, the ac-
cused fled, police
said. A local court
had also chided the
investigation officer
for mentioning the
wrong age of the vic-
tim as 17.
Meanwhile, the fa-
ther of the victim has
appealed to higher
authorities seeking
action against the ac-
cused, and also com-
plained of non-coop-
eration from the po-
lice department.
Earlier in Novem-
ber, a case of child
marriage had sur-
faced in the Thul
town of Sindh’s Suk-
kur despite a law out-
lawing such marriag-
es put in place.
Prior to that, a
13-year-old Christian
girl named Arzoo
Raja was forcibly ab-
ducted allegedly by
Ali Azhar, a 44-year-
old man in Karachi,
was converted to Is-
lam and later mar-
ried to her abductor.
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: The
Gujarat High Court
and subordinate
courts in the state
will remain closed on
Monday on account
of the death of Jus-
tice G R Udhwani, a
High Court notifica-
tion said on Sunday.
Justice Udhwani
(59), the sitting High
Court judge, tested
positive for Covid-19
on November 19 and
died at a private hos-
pital here on Satur-
day.
The high court in a
notification said a
holiday is declared
on Monday in the Gu-
jarat HC and subor-
dinate courts as well
as their offices in the
state on account of
the sad demise of
JusticeGRUdhwani.
A full court refer-
ence via video con-
ference will also be
held at the HC on
Monday to offer him
tributes.
Justice Udhwani,
who hailed from
Ahmedabad, was el-
evated as additional
judge of the high
court on November
12, 2012 and was
confirmed as a per-
manent judge on
July 10, 2014.
NEW DESTINATION!
Vadla Village, located some 20 km from Ahmedabad’s famous Nal Sarovar bird sanctuary, is
a new home for winged guests, as thousands of Demoiselle Cranes, Brahminy ducks and
other exotic bird species have arrived with the start of winter. —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI
Retired RMO,
a Covid duty
volunteer,dies
in harness
First India Bureau
Surat: A retired resi-
dent medical officer
(RMO) of the Old Civil
Hospital died when he
was on a self-inspired
duty to attend to Cov-
id-19 patients. He had
retired 15 years ago.
Dr Mohan Gamit, 76,
was deployed at the
SMIMER hospital. He
had volunteered to
work for a Corona pa-
tient, stating that it
gave him satisfaction to
work for the needy. “If I
die working for them, it
will be worth it,” he
would say.
He felt this urge after
his cousin was hospital-
ized with Covid-19 and
died. Gamit had been
feeling guilty that he
could not save his cous-
in despite being a doc-
tor. On Friday he sud-
denly started vomiting.
He was taken to the New
Civil Hospital where he
was declared dead.
Indian Institute of Management,Ahmedabad, placements saw new
entrants this time. —FILE PHOTO
Gujarat High Court —FILE PHOTO
COVID-19
UPDATE
GUJARAT
4,081
DEATHS
2,18,788
CONFIRMED CASES
RAJASTHAN
2,429 DEATHS 2,80,585 CASES
DELHI
WORLD
1,538,550
DEATHS
6,71,37,639
CONFIRMED CASES
INDIA
96,76,801
CONFIRMED CASES
1,40,590
DEATHS
MAHARASHTRA
47,734 DEATHS 18,52,266 CASES
UTTAR PRADESH
KARNATAKA
11,856 DEATHS 8,93,006 CASES
One of the big-
gest worries
during the
lockdown was the fact
that the financial crisis
of families will lead
them to take loans un-
ethically. This eventual-
ly increased the vulner-
ability of children and
their families of being
lured by traffickers with
the promise of a better
livelihood opportunity.
—Dhananjay Tingal,
Executive Director, Bachpan Bachao
Andolan
—FILE PHOTO
—FILE PHOTO

AHMEDABAD, MONDAY
DECEMBER 7, 2020
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia
facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia 09
ehenga is not just a
dashing ethnic outfit
but also a versatile
one and how one car-
ries it is a whole dif-
ferent thing! Wearing
the same type of le-
henga can be pretty monoto-
nous and boring. It’s quite easy
to make your lehenga look
uniqueandtrendyinanyevent
if you have an idea on all the
possible ways you can carry it.
For bridal reception and
parties, pairing lehenga with a
crop top will stand out. If you
like a comfy look, then team-
ing up a long jacket with a le-
henga skirt can make you feel
relaxed. If you simply down to
earth and don’t want the osten-
tations that come with lehen-
ga, then pair a simple plain
skirt with a brocade blouse.
As you can see, the options
are endless, City First brings
you some amazing ways you
can carry your lehenga so
that the attire adds more
grace to your beauty!
Crop Top and Lehenga
Skirt: Pairing a crop top or a
long-sleeved jacket with the le-
henga skirt is a beautiful type
of fusion wear. You can ditch
the blouse and the choli, and
simply pair the lehenga skirt
with a long slit top. This way
you can give a new look to the
typical lehenga and also wear
the attire to a simple party.
Lehenga With a Belt: Us-
ing a belt along with lehenga
is a perfect fusion style. This
way you will not only look
unique from the rest of the
crowd but also your waist will
look slimmer. This style is
even coveted by many Bolly-
wood celebs. Always choose
shimmery belts as they com-
plement the gorgeous attire.
Lehenga and Saree Hy-
brid: Lehengas and sarees are
two traditional outfits and
mixing them will produce gor-
geousattire.Youcanwearyour
lehenga and then drape the du-
patta like the ‘pallu’ of the sa-
ree. This saree-lehenga crosso-
ver would make you look
unique and gorgeous.
LEHENGA WITH TADKA
MITALI DUSAD
mitalidusad01@gmail.com
L
When it comes to Indian
attire, you really cannot go
wrong with a well-fitted
lehenga; however, there are
many ways to accentuate
the beauty of your desi two-
piece. I, for one, am dying
to see ladies take their
lehengas to the next level by
carrying it in some smart
and sassy way!

10
ETCAHMEDABAD | MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
FACEOFTHEDAY
PRAJAKTA KOLI, YouTuber
LEO
JULY 24 - AUGUST 23
Financial worries become a
thing of the past as a
monetary issue is decided
in your favour.
Unnecessarily worrying about health
will serve no purpose. Nothing much
may happen at work today, but you
will need to be around. A fun time
with family is foreseen.
LIBRA
SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22
Some of you may be
gearing up to enter a new
field on the professional
front. Timely and correct
decision will help you in saving a lot
of money. Health drinks may not
provide what they promise. Family
appears responsive and eager to
cater to your needs.
ARIES
MAR 21 - APR 20
Good health will keep you
energetic the whole day
today. You are likely to
continue your exercise
routine to stay in good health.
Moneywise, you will have enough to
pay off a loan. Your sixth sense will
prevent you from making a mistake
at work.
SAGITTARIUS
NOV 23 - DEC 22
Monetary condition will start
showing signs of
improvement. A business
proposal presented by
someone may seem exciting, but needs
to be examined thoroughly. Health
remains good, as you manage to
regulate your diet well. You are likely to
plan something with the family today.
GEMINI
MAY 21 - JUNE 21
A conscious effort on your
part will help boost
earning. Good connections
will help you further your
interests on the professional front,
but don’t bank too much on them.
Spouse may line up something
special for you today. You can
volunteer to accompany someone.
AQUARIUS
JAN 21 - FEB 19
Career planning may be on
the top of your mind. You
may enroll in fitness training
just to get back in shape.
Learn to value money, as splurging
seems to be your second nature. Some
of you may take the initiative to make
the home front aesthetically pleasing. A
property issue is likely to be resolved.
TAURUS
APR 21 - MAY 20
Good financial
management will help save
money for spending on
other major requirements.
You are likely to enjoy someone’s
company today. A family member is
likely to prove a great help around
the house. Taking someone close
seriously is important.
CAPRICORN
DEC 23 - JAN 20
Go in for any important
financial transactions
today. You will manage to
overcome temptations to
retain good health. You will be able
to tackle distractions and interrup-
tions at work. A job on the home
front will be possible, as you have
the money now.
VIRGO
AUG 24 - SEP 23
An exciting time during a
get together is envisaged.
You are likely to overspend
on things which you don’t
exactly need. Avoid junk food for the
sake of health, as those not heeding
may suffer the consequences.
Spouse may desire a change on the
home front, so help him or her out.
CANCER
JUNE 22 - JULY 23
Your good performance
and hard work will make it
easy for you to enter the
promotion zone. A financial
crunch being experienced by some
will soon be over. Those not feeling
too healthy may have to embark on
the road to fitness. You will arrange a
get together for close ones.
PISCES
FEB20 - MARCH 20
New opportunity to make
money is likely to be seized
by some. Health remains
good, as you remain
regular in workouts. This is a good
day that will find you doing well
professionally. Family may have high
expectations from you, so don’t
disappoint.
SCORPIO
OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22
Good monetary decisions
are likely to keep you finan-
cially secure. Those
choosing a career must
consult those already in the field.
Your calculations can go awry on the
work front and put you in a spot. You
may start an exercise regimen to
counter workplace stress.
YOUR
DAYHoroscope by
Saurabbh Sachdeva
BAND,BAAJA,BAARAT!AND...HAATHI
t is wedding season; the
pandemic hasn’t damp-
ened the wedding spirit.
Neither should the ab-
sence of an animal.
Many bloggers create
content about outfits,
decor, and food. They often ig-
nore some valuable advice, in-
cluding that of engagement of
animals in the baaraat. Well, not
this blogger!
I love Indian weddings, and I
look forward to attending them
whenever I get a chance. The
band baaja and baaraat, all
sound so much fun! I have been
part of many such baaraats, but
each time I am also left saddened
and disappointed. Given the sub-
jects I have been writing about,
you may have guessed correctly
by now; that it is the part where
the groom rides an animal (ei-
ther a horse or an elephant) in
the baaraat that bothers me.
Since tradition is often cited
as the reason we do what we do,
I am sure there must be some ref-
erence to the link between riding
an animal and lifelong happy
marriage. Me being me, I decid-
ed to dig in deeper and find refer-
ences to such rules in religion
that is often what guides us. I
hate to be the one breaking this
to prospective grooms: Nowhere
does it say that the groom must
ride an animal in his baaraat!
Nowhere does it say the elephant
brings good fortune to a mar-
riage; nowhere does it say that a
horse should endure loud music
and gunshots; nowhere does rid-
ing an animal in a baaraat imply
stature.
Yet our beloved grooms do it.
And they have every right to ful-
fill their childhood dream just as
every woman does! And this is
where the problem is. It isn’t
education or financial stature. It
isn’t caste or creed that deter-
mines our tradition. Grooms
educated in the finest of educa-
tional institutions ride animals
in their baaraat; grooms from
the middle class and less edu-
cated families also ride animals.
Royalty and commoners ride
animals in their baaraat. It has
nothing to do with formal educa-
tion. And yet it has everything to
do with an education rooted in
ethos and compassion. It has eve-
rything to do with attitude.
The problem is the men are
put in charge of planning the
wedding and they walk in front
of the groom and the animal. If
the men walked alongside the
animal they would witness the
tears and the pain the animal
has to endure. It is not a pretty
sight. It will break even the
strongest men with a heart.
If you must have an animal at
the wedding, I suggest you do
something different. Different
makes the wedding memorable
and talked about! Here are a few
things to consider.
The comfort of the ani-
mal: For one any animal work-
ing in a different environment
should be entirely comfortable
with the situation they are in.
Making sure they have an area
that is their own, are kept away
from unfamiliar or potentially
threatening items such as bright
lights or loud noises, and ensur-
ing that your guests understand
appropriate behavior around the
animals is important.
Handle the handlers: Know
where your animal is coming
from and give their handlers spe-
cial instructions. Most working
animals are not treated well and
the earnings from them do not
benefit them. You must try to
avoid supporting such owners.
Instead, spend some time with
the animal owner and handler
and ensure they understand that
it is important for you that the
animal be treated well.
Support an animal chari-
ty: You can have a designated
area for your guests to interact
with animals. Invite a local char-
ity to bring in their animals. En-
sure they have a comfortable spot
and food. This encourages adop-
tions and compassion. And it also
satisfactorily fulfills your dream.
Friends, talk your friend
out of it: The bride and the
groom’s friends could try to talk
him out of it. Of course this can
only happen if they themselves
understand the sentience factor
of animals. I am hoping someone
near and dear to the groom can
be persuasive enough to talk him
out of it.
If friends fail, you could al-
ways reach out me: Yes that is
right, I can be quite convincing.
I may even get you to donate to
an animal charity! Heck, I might
even talk you into adopting an
animal.
And better yet, here’s a sug-
gestion to grooms this wedding
season and many more to come.
Ditch the haathi and the ghoda.
Opt for a classy ride instead.
How about a Mercedes or an an-
tique ride instead? I would also
endorse a convertible!
After all, why must something
auspicious as a new relationship
begin with pain for another liv-
ing being? If my groom insists
on riding an animal at our wed-
ding, I will divorce him even be-
fore we are married!
MARIAM ABUHAIDERI
thepersianladki@gmail.com
I

ETCwww.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia AHMEDABAD | MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020
11
GIRL GANG
CHRISTOPHER
NOLAN’S TENET
RESPONDING
TO TREATMENT
W
ith COVID-19 induced
lockdown restrictions being
eased, actor Alia Bhatt is
chilling with her girlfriends - and their
mothers too! The 27-year-old actor
on Sunday took to Instagram and
posted a picture with her ‘special’
girl gang. The capture features Alia
Bhatt with her sister Shaheen Bhatt
and close friends Anushka Ranjan,
Akanksha Ranjan, fashion designer
Masaba Gupta and their mothers Soni
Razdan (Alia’s mother), Anu Ranjan
(Akanksha and Anushka’s mother),
and actor Neena Gupta (Masaba’s
mother). —Agency
T
enet movie review: Chris-
topher Nolan’s latest sci-
ence-fiction epic is the sort
of head-scratcher that feels like it’s
talking down to its audience, not
worth the many months of wait. You
should be instantly suspicious of
anyone who claims to have under-
stood Tenet after having watched it
just once. Heck, you should doubt
their every word even if they say
they’ve seen it thrice. Enigmatic to a
fault and exhaustingly dense, Chris-
topher Nolan’s latest sci-fi spectacle
leaves you with the unshakable
feeling that you walked into the
screening 15 minutes late. Like the
director’s previous smash hits —
Inception, and to a lesser degree,
Interstellar, Tenet demands repeat
viewings, but crucially, doesn’t
encourage them. — Agency
B
ollywood actor Rahul Roy, who
suffered a brain stroke last week,
is recovering. The 52-year-old
actor, who is currently hospitalised,
has reportedly started walking and is
also doing physio exercises. “Rahul
has started eating. He is on a light diet
to begin with. There is a small clot that
is still there. It will be dissolved with
thinners. Of course, the entire process
will take time but so far so good,”
the actor’s friend, producer Ashwani
Kumar, told sources. — Agency
WONDER
WOMAN1984riyanka Chopra Jonas is back to film-
ing for multiple projects across the
globe and has currently made Lon-
don her home. Taking to social me-
dia, Priyanka gave a shoutout to Gal
Gadot’s Wonder Woman 1984 ahead
of release. For the unversed, Warner
Bros. Confirmed global release dates for Patty
Jenkins’ directorial
and announced that
the ninth instalment
in the DC Extended
Universe will release
in theatres and HBO
Max simultaneously,
according to Variety.
Sharing a fierce
poster of Gal Gadot’s
WonderWomanavatar,
Priyankawasallpraise
as she wrote, “She is a
phenomenon! Just like the woman playing her!
Get it @gal_gadot! This looks amazing! #won-
derwoman1984.”GalGadotwasthrilledbyPC’s
wishes as she reposted the same on her Insta-
gram Story with heart emojis. —Agency
P
Girls Like Me
T
he Black Eyed
Peas and Shakira
recently released
a new music vid-
eo for their collabora-
tive single, Girl Like
Me, that pays tribute to
Latin women. “I want a
girl like Shakira/Esa
Latina está rica/I want
a familia chica Que
sepa vivir y que viva la
vida,” In their respec-
tive verses, Taboo
shouts out the high-
lights of Shakira’s ca-
reer, “Your hips don’t
lie, they rock me” —
and Apl.de.pl referenc-
es both Tejano icon Se-
lena and Brazilian pop
star Anitta. In the mu-
sic video, the Peas rap
around various larger-
than-life set pieces,
while Shakira dances
and shows off her skate-
boarding skills.
Girl Like Me was fea-
tured on the Black Eyed
Peas’ latest album
Translation, released
this past June. In Au-
gust, the group per-
formed at this year’s
socially distanced MTV
Video Music Awards.
—Agency
No birthday
celebration
S
hekhar Suman on Satur-
day revealed he will not
celebrate his birthday
on December 7, today, in
honour of late actor Sushant
Singh Rajput.
“I’m not celebrating my bday
on the 7th dec. That’s the least I
can do for Sushant. There is no
mood for any revelry or excite-
ment. Instead I will pray that
his culprits are caught soon
and this case is given a closure.
#StayUnited4SSR,” Shekhar
tweeted. Earlier this week, the
actor had tweeted saying he is
expecting a miracle to happen
in the ongoing investigation of
Sushant’s death case. —Agency
WHAT NOT TO WEAR
A
ctress Diana Penty is pretty sure about what she will not
wear on her wedding day. She also gave a hint of where
she would like her destination wedding to be held.
“Wedding outfits are absolutely stunning and gor-
geous, but they are also so heavy. I have made a mental note to
never wear something too heavy. It is definitely going to be
something light, easy and comfortable. Comfort for me is eve-
rything because only then can I have a good time. I don’t want
to be tugging at my outfit and, by the end of it, feel my body
hurt because of how heavy it is! I really don’t want to be in that
position!” Diana said. —Agency
Russo’s plans for Extraction
Q
uickly after its release
inApril,Extractionbe-
came Netflix’s most-
watched original mov-
ie ever, and a sequel was
promptly greenlit. Now, co-
writer and producer Joe Rus-
so, best known for directing
the third and fourth Avengers
movies with his brother An-
thony, has given an update
about Extraction 2.
In a virtual appearance at
the CCXP, the Brazilian Com-
ic-Con, he said that they in-
tendonkickingoff production
on the film around the fall of
2021. “Chris is a busy guy so
wehavetofigureouthissched-
ule, but that’s the intent at the
moment,” he said. —Agency
S
ara Ali Khan has been channel-
ing her inner poet on Insta-
gram for a while now, and her
penchant for the same continues even
in her latest post. But this time, she
also established fitness goals as she
shared a workout video with fans that
would give them the encouragement
to hit the gym. Sharing her workout
video, this is what the actor had to
say- “When in doubt, You must work-
out. Push-ups and crunches, don’t
lose count.” — Agency
SARA TURNS POET
Gal Gadot
Priyanka’s post
Black Eyes Peas
Shakira
Stills from ‘Extraction’
Shekhar Suman
Late Sushant Singh Rajput
Sara Ali Khan
Diana Penty
Rahul Roy
Poster of ‘Tenet’
Alia Bhatt’s post

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