First india ahmedabad edition-18 june 2020

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ALERT
AHMEDABAD l THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 203
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COVID-19
UPDATE
GUJARAT
1,561
DEATHS
25,148
CONFIRMED CASES
RAJASTHAN
309 DEATHS 13,338 CASES
MAHARASHTRA
5,537 DEATHS 1,13,445 CASES
TAMIL NADU
UTTAR PRADESH
DELHI
1,837 DEATHS 47,102 CASES
WORLD
4,48,108
DEATHS
83,27,973
CONFIRMED CASES
INDIA
3,63,209
CONFIRMED CASES
12,065
DEATHS
A’bad accounts for 80% of Guj’s
deaths, 70% of positive cases
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: A day
after the state hit an
all-time high of 524
casesina24-hourspan,
Gujarat has again re-
corded more than 500
cases in a single day.
After 88 days,
Ahmedabad is still the
worst-hit in the state,
accounting for 70% (17,
629) of all cases and
80%(1,253)of alldeaths
related to COVID-19.
According to a state-
ment issued by the
Ahmedabad Municipal
Corporation on Wednes-
day morning, as many
as 21 patients died in the
city in the preceding 24
hours, leaving the mor-
tality rate stagnant at
7.2%. There are 3,487 ac-
tive cases in the city--84
more than on Tuesday.
Of the total active cases,
807 (23.1%) are from the
North zone, 703 (20.2%)
from the West zone, 605
(17.4%) from the East
zone, and the rest from
the other zones.
Ahmedabad city
councillor Dilip
Bhagaria is under
treatment at the Sard-
ar Vallabhbhai Patel
after testing positive
for Sars-CoV-2.
Meanwhile, nine ta-
lukas of Ahmedabad
district have reported
two deaths and 25 new
cases. The new cases
were reported in Dhol-
ka (10), Daskroi (5), San-
and (3), Detroj (1),
Dhandhuka (1) and Vi-
ramgam (1).
In Ahmedabad, resi-
dent doctors staged pro-
test at the Sola civil hos-
pital alleging that only
junior doctors are as-
signed duty in the COV-
ID-19 wards, while sen-
iors do not even visit.
They also alleged that
even among resident
doctors, only a few are
assigned duty.
Similarly,intheCivil
Hospital Asarwa cam-
pus, Class III and IV
contract employees
wentonstrike,alleging
that the contractor is
siphoning 30-40% of
their salaries. They
have threatened to pro-
longtheirstrikeif their
demands are not met.
Meanwhile, 62 fresh
cases have been report-
ed in Surat: 62 in the
city and five in rural
areas. Katargam zone is
becoming a problem for
the Surat Municipal
Corporation, with an-
other 19 cases being re-
ported there. Limbayat
had 12 cases, Varachha-
A zone had 10, and the
rest came from other
zones. Turn on P6
Class 3 and 4 workers from Civil Hospital went on strike inside the Medicity campus in Ahmedabad
on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE
24 HOURS: 520 CASES, 27 DEAD, 348 DISCHARGED
TOTAL: 25,148 CASES, 1,561 DEAD, 17,438 DISCHARGED
New Delhi: In a strong mes-
sage to China after the kill-
ing of at least 20 Indian sol-
diers in the violent face-off
with Chinese troops, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on
Wednesday said that India
wants peace but is capable
of giving a befitting reply, if
instigated.
His remarks came at the
sixth interaction with Chief
Ministers, via video confer-
encing, to discuss the situa-
tion emerging post-Unlock
1.0 and plans ahead for tack-
ling the COVID-19 pandem-
ic. “We have prayed for the
welfare of humanity. We
have always worked with
neighbouring countries in a
friendly way and coopera-
tion. We have always tried
that our differences should
not turn into disputes. We
never provoke anyone. But
we can never compromise
on country’s integrity and
sovereignty. We have always
displayed Turn on P6
Beijing: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke to
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the two lead-
ers agreed to “cool down” tensions on the ground “as
soon as possible” and maintain peace and tranquility
in the border area in accordance with the agreement
reached between the two countries, an official state-
ment said here. Jaishankar conveyed to Wang India’s
protest in the strongest terms on the violent face-off.
BRINGING A
BULLY TO HEEL!
 INDIA WANTS PEACE BUT CAPABLE OF
GIVING BEFITTING REPLY IF INSTIGATED: PM
 CHINESE FM CALLS JAISHANKAR; BOTH
AGREE TO ‘COOL DOWN’ TENSIONS
PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday called for
an all-party meeting to be held on June 19 to
discuss situation at border areas with China.
“In order to discuss the situation in India-
China border areas, PM Modi has called for
an all-party meeting at 5 PM on June 19.
Presidents of various political parties
would take part,” PMO tweeted.
New Delhi: United Na-
tions: The UN General
Assembly has begun
elections for President
of the 75th session of
the Assembly, five non-
permanent members of
the Security Council
and members of the
Economic and Social
Council on Wednesday
under special voting ar-
rangements put in place
here due to COVID-19
related restrictions.
India is expected to
register a comfortable
victory in the Security
Council elections that
will bring the country to
the UN high-table as a
non-permanentmember
for the 2021-22 term. In-
dia’s victory is certain
since it is the sole candi-
date vying for the lone
seatfromthe55-member
Asia-Pacific grouping.
New Delhi’s candida-
ture was unanimously
endorsed by the Asia-
Pacific grouping,
Turn on P6
New Delhi: Front-line bases
of the Indian Army and Air
Force along the nearly 3,500
km de-facto border with China
were on Wednesday put on
high alert in view of border
clash between Indian and
Chinese troops in Galwan
Valley, official sources said.
The Indian Navy has also been
asked to raise its alert level
in the Indian Ocean Region
where Chinese Navy has been
making regular forays. The
decision to raise the alert
level of the three forces were
taken at a high-level meeting
Defence Minister Rajnath
Singh held with Chief
of Defence Turn on P6
Indian Army, Navy, Air Force raise alert level
MAJOR GENERAL-LEVEL TALKS INCONCLUSIVE
New Delhi: The talks between Major Generals of India and
China in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh are over, sources said
on Wednesday. According to the sources, the talks have
remained inconclusive. “Talks between Major Generals of
India and China in the Galwan Valley are over. The talks have
remained inconclusive as no immediate disengagement or
change in the ground has taken place. More talks to take
place in the coming days,” sources told ANI.
President of India @rashtrapatibhvn
As Supreme Commander of
the Armed Forces, I bow to the
exemplary courage and supreme
sacrifice of our soldiers to protect the
sovereignty and integrity of the country.
PM CALLS ALL-PARTY MEET ON FRIDAY INDIA-CHINA TO COOL DOWN TENSIONS
Red-flagged! 52 Apps, telecom
supplies from Chinese firms
New Delhi: Indian in-
telligence agencies
have asked the govern-
ment to block or advise
people to stop use of 52
mobile applications
linked to China over
concerns that these
weren’t safe and ended
up extracting a large
amount of data outside
India, say sources.
The list includes apps
like Zoom, TikTok, UC
browser, Xender, SHA-
REit and Clean-master.
Meanwhile, Depart-
ment of Telecommu-
nications has put a
blanket ban on pro-
curing telecom sup-
plies from Chinese
companies in state-
run telecom BSNL
and MTNL, a DoT
source said.
“The discussions on
the recommendations
are continuing,” said an
official, explaining that
the parameters and the
risks attached to each
mobile app will have to
be examined one by
one. In April this year,
the home ministry had
issued an advisory on
use of Zoom on the rec-
ommendation Turn on P6
An army convoy moves along the Srinagar-
Leh National highway, in Ganderbal district
of Central Kashmir on Wednesday. —PTI
UN General
Assembly
polls: India
set for a win
Maya tries to ‘hinder’ Gehlot’s
‘unhindered’ RS poll win!
Aditi Nagar
New Delhi: Just 48
hours before the Rajya
Sabha polling is
scheduled to begin,
the Bahujan Samaj
Party (BSP) has
brought a new twist to
the political tale un-
folding in Rajasthan
for a week now. While
the Congress claimed
BJP tried to ‘poach’ a
few of its MLAs to
bring the Gehlot gov-
ernment in minority,
it is now time for the
BSP - whose six MLAs
had jumped over to
the Congress party
under Gehlot watch -
to play its cards!
A two page letter
shot to the Chief Elec-
tion Commissioner,
BSP’s national gener-
al secretary Satish
Chandra Mishra has
urged the Election
Commission to not let
the 6 BSP MLAs from
Rajasthan vote as
Congress MLAs. “6
MLAs were elected on
the party symbol allot-
ted by national presi-
dent Mayawati and
after winning their
names were duly noti-
fied in the official ga-
zette notification of
Election Commission
of India. Turn on P6

First India Bureau
Ahmedabad/Surat/
Rajkot: The state unit
of the Congress party
has not taken kindly
to the state govern-
ment’s decision to in-
crease the value-add-
ed tax (VAT) on petrol
and diesel, thus mak-
ing the auto fuels
more expensive by
Rs2 each.
Wednesday, the sec-
ond consecutive day of
protests across the
state, saw as many as 60
members of the Gujarat
Pradesh Congress Com-
mittee being detained
by the police.
“We are protesting
because the price of
fuel directly affects
each individual, and
the ruling Bharatiya Ja-
nata Party is looting the
people who are already
facing the adverse ef-
fects of the COVID-19
outbreak,” Congress
leader Babu Raika said,
adding, “These almost
daily price hikes are un-
acceptable and unbear-
able. The government
must roll back the hike.
International crude
prices are very low. In-
stead of passing that
benefit to the people,
the BJP-run govern-
ment is making money
off it.” He and Surat
corporation’s leader of
the opposition Praful
Togadia were among
the 60 people detained
in Surat.
Similarly, around 16
Congress workers--in-
cluding Rajkot city unit
president Ashok Dang-
ar, women’s cell presi-
dent Gayatriba Jadeja,
forrmer city president
Mahesh Rajput, Dinesh
Chovatiya and Jaswant
Bhatti--were detained
in Rajkot.
Some leaders had
planned a cycle rally
across the city to mark
their protest against
the hike in fuel prices,
while others sat on
dharna in various
wards of the city. How-
ever, they were detained
from Trikon Baug
Chowk by A division
police station before
they could even begin
the bicycle protest.
The city unit has ac-
cused the police of being
hand in glove with the
ruling party. A press re-
lease issued by the Ra-
jkot Congress read: “In
the current pandemic
situation continuous
pricehikebytheBJP-led
government is only add-
ing to the woes of people
who are already passing
throughadifficultphase.
When Congress tried to
stageaprotestacrossRa-
jkot against inflation
and price hike using bi-
cycles, our voice was
suppressed. These are
clearindicationsthatpo-
lice is working on the
behestof BJPandtrying
to snatch away demo-
cratic rights of people.”
Rajput added: “The
party had maintained
proper social distanc-
ing. Despite following
all the rules, around
16 of us were de-
tained. This is noth-
ing but snatching our
democratic rights.”
75 Cong members held
amid protests in 1 day
Congress supporters shout slogans against the BJP during a
nationwide protest against the fuel price hike outside the Collector's
office in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE
OppositionhadcalledastatewideagitationagainsttherecenthikeinthepriceofpetrolanddieselbytheRupanigovt
BOOK LAUNCH
NEWSAHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020
02www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
Ahmed Patel,
other Cong leaders
arrive in A’bad
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: After los-
ing eight MLAs from its
roster, the Congress
party seems to be in no
mood to take any chanc-
es to keep its house in
order for the upcoming
RajyaSabhaelection.To
that end, veteran party
leader Ahmed Patel,
along with BK Haripras-
ad and Rajni Patil are
expected to arrive in
Ahmedabad today.
Patel, who had won
a neck-to-neck fight
during the Rajya Sab-
ha election in 2017,
will be providing guid-
ance to party candi-
date for this election
Shaktisinh Gohil. The
party cannot afford to
lose both the seats in the
Upper House, despite
theresignationsof eight
MLAs it may fall short
of a few votes.
With Patel coming
into town a day ahead of
the polls, it is indicative
of thefactthatthesenior
leaderintendstokeepan
eye on the ground situa-
tion. “He is monitoring
the meetings and sitting
down with a few senior
leaders of the party. His
arrival in Gujarat just a
day before RS polls sug-
gests a lot. It means that
he is actively trying to
keep the flock together
and convince other par-
ty MLAs in the state to
vote for Congress,” said
a source.
Senior party leaders
have already issued a
statement regarding a
strategy to win both
seats in the Rajya Sab-
ha.“Themeetingswith
region-wise groups
conducted on Wednes-
day ran long. The lead-
ers seem confident
about winning two
seats.But,theoutcome
will speak for itself,
since, one can never
underestimate BJP
when it comes to elec-
tions,” said a leader.
Asperreports,theBJP
may be trying to keep a
few Congress MLAs
away from voting. Earli-
er, there were rumours
aboutthoseinfectedwith
COVID-19 would not be
allowed to vote. Imran
Khedawala, who was in-
fected and successfully
recovered from novel
coronavirustoldFirstIn-
dia that, ‘he will take all
the medical certificates
andreportstothepolling
booth, if necessary.’
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: The
state BJP unit called a
legislative party meet-
ing in Gandhinagar on
Wednesday, where par-
ty MLAs will be under-
going a mock voting
process in the presence
of state leaders and ob-
servers. All MLAs have
been ‘trained’ to vote
for the forthcoming Ra-
jya Sabha election, be-
cause the fate of the
party’s three candi-
dates nominated for the
polls is at stake.
BJP National Presi-
dent JP Nadda has
deputed two leaders
Bhupendra Yadav
and Ashish Shelar as
observers for the
mock voting. BJP
State Unit President
Jitubhai Vaghani and
Chief Minister Vijay
Rupani are among the
senior ministers and
office bearers who
will remain present
at the meeting.
On Tuesday, all 103
MLAs were instructed
about the meet by party
chief whip Pankaj De-
sai. They will have to
stay back in Gandhina-
gar until the Rajya Sab-
ha polls are done.
Further, the three
candidates nominated
by the BJP for the
polls- Abhay Bhard-
waj, Ramilaben Bara
and Narhari Amin-
were once again intro-
duced at the meet,
who appealed to MLAs
to vote for them.
With each vote im-
portant to register a
win, the party’s main
objective is to ensure
that not a single vote is
wasted. In order to
achieve that, each MLA
has been assigned to a
party whip, who will
ask them to vote for the
candidates nominated
as per preference.
Minister of State
for Home Pradipsinh
Jadeja seemed confi-
dent on the party’s
chances to get all
three candidates
elected to the Upper
House. “I appeal to
the MLAs to vote fear-
lessly. The party has
enough votes and it
does not need any
votes from Congress,”
Jadeja said.
With 103 MLAs in its
kitty, the BJP is hopeful
to get all three of its
candidates elected to
the Rajya Sabha. Since
it needs a minimum of
105 votes, the party is
hopeful that NCP’s only
MLA Kandhal Jadeja
will vote for the BJP
candidate. This leaves
just one more vote
which may come from
the Bharatiya Tribal
Party (BTP), which has
two votes. If even one
vote goes to the BJP, the
party will be looking at
a resounding win. At
the same time, it has to
keep its house in order
and ensure that not a
single vote gets rejected
or disqualified.
BJP MLAs convene for mock voting
session ahead of Rajya Sabha polls
Leaders asked to stay in G’nagar until the election, Jadeja assures party has enough votes
BJP MLAs gathered for the mock voting meet in Gandhinagar.
Paresh Dhanani arrives at the private hotel where the party is
meeting ahead of the RS election. —PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: Those
elected by the people
are answerable or ac-
countable to the peo-
ple, but does that ap-
ply to Rajya Sabha
members too? Some
are accountable and
some don’t. Some
aren’t even accessi-
ble, making any ex-
pectation of their tak-
ing up state-related
issues a pipe dream.
However, Members of
the Legislative Assem-
bly are a hopeful lot.
The BJP MLA
from Kankrej, Kir-
itsinh Vaghela told
First India, “We ex-
pect that Rajya Sab-
ha members will
take up issues re-
lated to the Central
government as we
can’t reach the ap-
propriate authori-
ties due to our limi-
tations. Since they
can attend Rajya
Sabha sessions,
they have the
chance to question
to the respective
Ministry and re-
solve the issue.”
He cites a recent ex-
ample. “There was an
issue with minimum
support price and pro-
curement of Chana. I
took up the matter
with the Rajya Sabha
member Jugalji
Lokhandwala and he
immediately took it up
with the Centre’s food
and supply ministry.”
Vaghela’s experi-
ence says that at
least some Rajya
Sabha members
leave behind party
lines when the issue
is related to the state
and people at large.
Wadhwan MLA
Dhanjibhai Patel, who
does not have much
first-hand experience
dealing with Rajya
Sabha members, says
he would expect all
Rajya Sabha members
to take up people-re-
lated issues.
However, there
might be a bias in play,
where a Rajya Sabha
member might focus
more on issues in his
or her home state.
“If the Rajya Sabha
member is from the
state, then there is no
issue. But, if the mem-
ber is from outside,
then it becomes diffi-
cult to contact them
and request them to
raise state issues,”
complained one MLA
requesting anonymity
for fear of blowback
within his party. This
person suggested the
parties should select a
local leader for the Ra-
jya Sabha seat.
MLAs expect Rajya Sabha members
to raise people-related issues
Former Rajkot Congress president Mahesh Rajput being
manhandled on Wednesday.

GUJARATAHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020
Gargi Raval
Gandhinagar: For-
mer Congress MLA
from Morbi Brijesh
Merja, who resigned
from the party ahead
of the Rajya Sabha
election, reportedly
may have been a vic-
tim of arm-twisting
by the opposition
Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP). Al-
though, Merja has
switched over parties
in his political career,
he was issued a ticket
by the Congress dur-
ing the Patidar agita-
tion in 2017 and won
from the Morbi seat.
According to sources
in the Congress party,
the BJP is said to have a
list of MLAs and their
weak points. “Their
first strategy is to lure
the MLAs with money
and target those who
will easily switch sides.
And then, they go for
established leaders who
can be beneficial to
their agenda long term.
In case of Merja, he left
Congress due to his
family,” said the source.
“Merja’s brother has
been serving as a resi-
dent additional collec-
tor in Kheda district.
He is a senior Gujarat
Administrative Ser-
vice officer expecting a
promotion to the Indi-
an Administrative Ser-
vice (IAS). But, since
there was an ongoing
inquiry against him,
his nomination papers
were not sent to Union
Public Service Com-
mission (UPSC) for
promotion,” added the
source.
Did BJP arm-twist Merja into resigning from the Congress party?
BACK STORY
State undecided on Rath
Yatra permission: MoS Home
Pro-farmer govt buys
wheat, tuvar at MSP
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: With
less than a week to go
for the 143rd edition
of the annual Jagan-
nath Rath Yatra, the
state government is
yet to take a formal
decision on whether
or not to allow the re-
ligious procession to
continue as planned.
Making the an-
nouncement after a
cabinet meeting on
Wednesday, Minister of
State of Home Prad-
ipsinh Jadeja told the
media, “There is no de-
cision on the Jagannath
Rath Yatra. The yatra
passes through 24 con-
tainment zones, where
COVID-19 has been
brought under control
with great efforts. The
state government will
take a decision after
considering all as-
pects.”
The clarification fol-
lows reports that the
home department had,
in fact, given the green
signal for the proces-
sion on Tuesday.
Customarily, the 12-
hour procession sees
participation from
massive crowds as Lord
Jagannath, his brother
Balram and sister Sub-
hadra travel 16km
through the city to
bless devotees on the
second day of the Hin-
du month of Ashadhi.
Over the past decade or
so, about 25,000 police,
military and paramili-
tary personnel have
been roped in annually
to handle security.
Local health and even
intelligence teams have
suggested avoiding
mass gatherings for fear
of undoinganyprogress
in the fight against COV-
ID-19inthecity.Another
major for the state is to
ensure the safety of all
police, military and par-
amilitary personnel
who--if infected while
on Rath Yatra duty--run
theriskof spreadingthe
virus in their respective
cantonments.
If at all the state
gives the yatra the go-
ahead, it will likely be
limited to seven hours
with participation
from just 150-200
members. The trus-
tees of the Jagannath
temple in Ahmedabad
have previously an-
nounced their inten-
tion to keep the yatra
a “simpler” affair,
with just three chari-
ots. Khalasis who will
pull the raths will also
have to undergo a
thorough medical
check-up prior to par-
ticipating in the yatra.
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: Over
the past three months,
the state government
procured wheat and tu-
var worth Rs149 crore
from farmers at the
Minimum Support
Price(MSP).OnWednes-
day, it also launched an
online teaching pro-
gramme for Industrial
Training Institutes
(ITIs) students.
Chief Minister Vi-
jay Rupani’s govern-
ment purchased
42,000 metric tonne
of wheat worth Rs82
crore at Minimum
Support Price. Simi-
larly, it procured
11,530 metric tonne
tuvar by shelling out
Rs67 crore.
This move was aimed
specifically at the wel-
fare of the farmers,
who had been adversely
affected by the lock-
down.
The water level at the
Sardar Sarovar Dam
which touched 127.46
metre on Wednesday re-
sulted in both the hy-
dro-electric power
plants being operation-
al at full capacity. The
combined output of the
plants has reached 17 to
20 million units per day.
This means that the
power being generated
daily is worth Rs3.5 to 4
crore.
With all schools, col-
leges and other educa-
tional institutions slat-
ed to remain closed till
August 15, the state gov-
ernment has raised a
concern about the stu-
dents studying at Indus-
trial Training Insti-
tutes (ITIs). Therefore,
in order to engage the
students enrolled in
these institutes, the
government has devel-
oped an online educa-
tion programme, which
was launched on
Wednesday.
‘Mamera’—clothes, ornaments, and fruits—offered by devotees to Lord Jagannath ahead of the
Rath Yatra is displayed at the Saraspur Jagannath temple in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
A man checks the quality of split pigeonpea or tuvar dal at a
wholesale market. —FILE PHOTO
Route goes via 24 containment zones, where virus has just been brought under control
HIGH RISK
 Former Cong leader reportedly
lured by the chance to get his
brother an IAS promotion
RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION
BJP supporters hold placards and posters during a protest against China, in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
Afghan student hangs himself at hostel
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: A
24-year-old college stu-
dentfromAfghanistan
allegedly committed
suicide by hanging
himself from a tree
outside the Gujarat
University boys’ hos-
tel, police said. Univer-
sity police have lodged
a complaint of acci-
dental death and is in-
vestigating the case.
The deceased has
been identified as Sekib
Fakir. His body was dis-
covered early on
Wednesday morning.
“He was pursuing a
BBA (Bachelor of Busi-
ness Administration)
degree from an affiliat-
ed college of GU,” As-
sistant Sub-Inspector
Aniruddhsinh Mori of
Gujarat University po-
lice station said.
While the investiga-
tors are yet to ascertain
the motive behind his
extremestep,hisfriends
told the media that he
was under pressure to
clear an exam paper to
obtain his degree.
“Though his three-
year BBA was over, he
did not get his degree as
he had not cleared one
paper. This stress could
have led to this trage-
dy,” one student from
Afghanistan told re-
porters.
A witness said that
Sekib had gone to meet
a friend in E-block on
Tuesday night. It in un-
clear if he returned to
him room thereafter,
but his body was found
near A block.
Students say that,
had the security guard
posted near the hostel
been on duty, this inci-
dent could have been
avoided.
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: The
Ahmedabad Mu-
nicipal Corpora-
tion plans to dis-
tribute free tulsi
plants and sap-
lings of plants
know n to be
used in Ayurvedic
medicine.
“We plan to give
around five lakh
tulsi plants to the
public. In addition,
we will give away
two lakh saplings of
other medicinal
plants for free. In
return, the people
will have to give a
written assurance
that they will nur-
ture them,” a civic
body officer said.
“We are expect-
ing to plant more
than five lakh trees
across the city this
year. Last year, we
planted more than a
million trees under
Mission Million
Trees, of which five
lakh were planted
using the Miyawaki
technique,” this
person added.
AMC to give
Ayurveda
saplings free
No labour without
basic amenities: Patil
First India Bureau
Surat: Now that busi-
nesses have recom-
menced manufactur-
ing post Unlock 1.0,
the sector is witness-
ing a dearth of la-
bour. A demand to
bring back migrant
labourers has been
made by industrial-
ists to the govern-
ment. In response,
Member of Parlia-
ment (MP) from
Navsari CR Patil has
asked industrialists
to provide basic
amenities and job se-
curity to labourers
for their return. He
also asked them to
honour demands of
the labourers.
Speaking to First In-
dia, Patil said, “The in-
dustrialists have de-
manded that the la-
bourers be called back
but, they haven’t as-
sured us about the ar-
rangements being
made for them for their
return. We have asked
them to provide us with
the number of labour-
ers required at units.”
He added, “All indus-
trialists have been
asked to provide food
and lodging facilities
to the labourers if they
do not have access to
them. We also stipu-
lated that the labour-
ers will be quarantined
for a period before re-
porting to work. They
have not come forward
with any plan, neither
have they talked about
bearing the expenses
to bring them back. If
the labourers arrive in
the city now, they will
have a difficult time
and the whole situa-
tion may get out of
control.”
Migrant labourers have begun returning to Gujarat.
Brijesh Merja hands over his resignation to Assembly Speaker Rajendra Trivedi. —FILE PHOTO
AT A LOSS
AAA
POWER MOVE
TTT
ECI APPOINTS SPECIAL OBSERVER
—PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE
—PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE
—PHOTOBYNANDANDAVE

G Vol 1 G Issue No. 203 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: Jagdeesh Chandra, responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act
PERSPECTIVEAHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020
THE DRAGON IN
LADAKH MUST
BE TAMED
n a violent face-off with Chinese
troops in Ladakh’s Galwan Val-
ley 20 Indian soldiers, including
commanding officer Col. San-
tosh Babu, were martyred on
Tuesday. The country seethed with anger
against the aggressor. That there were
casualties on the Chinese side did not
douse that anger because China continues
to occupy a sizable chunk of our land in
the strategically located valley. To rub salt
in our wounds it has claimed sovereignty
over the territory and made its intention
of not vacating the land quite clear.
It is in this context that Prime Minister Nar-
endra Modi’s first remarks on the clashes have
to be viewed. Breaking his silence on the border
situation in his opening remarks at a virtual
meeting with chief ministers of various states
on Wednesday, Modi warned China that India
“wants peace but is capable of giving befitting
reply if provoked, be it any situation”.
He then observed two-minute silence to
pay tribute to the brave martyrs. In what
is seen as an effort to reassure the nation
Modi said, “I would like to assure the na-
tion that the sacrifice of our jawans will
not be in vain. For us, the unity and sover-
eignty of the country is of utmost impor-
tance. India will defend every stone, every
inch of its territory.” The prime minister
further said, “India is a peace-loving coun-
try, we never instigate anyone but we will
never compromise with the sovereignty of
the country.” Before paying tributes to the
martyrs, Modi said that the country will
be proud to know that our soldiers died
fighting the Chinese.
Adiplomaticeffortwassimultaneouslymade
with Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and his
ChinesecounterpartWangYioverthetelephone
to lodge India’s protest against the aggression.
The prime minister’s response came after
opposition leaders, mainly Sonia Gandhi,
her son Rahul Gandhi and former PM HD
Deve Gowda demanded a statement from
him on the entire development in Ladakh.
Expressing her deep anguish over the kill-
ing of soldiers, Congress president Sonia Gan-
dhi said the developments have shaken the
nation and urged the prime minister to tell the
country how China seized our land, what is the
situation on the spot today. She had a few other
posers for Modi. She said that her party was
with armed forces, the soldiers, their families,
and the government.
Targeting Modi, Rahul Gandhi tweeted,
“Why is the PM silent? Enough is enough.
We need to know what has happened…”
It is learned that the Chinese have beefed up
their positions in the region and are in no
mood to retreat. An almost similar conflict
took place in Nathu La in 1967. After hand-to-
hand combat over fencing by India, China used
machine-gun fire and killed 88 Indian soldiers.
India retaliated with artillery guns, wiping out
all Chinese borders and 300 enemy troops.
Will such a step be an option today?
IN-DEPTH
I
he gloves are off in this match.
Both teams are purposely com-
mitting fouls against opposing
players! And the result is heavy
casualties on either side. While
no confirmed reports coming
from Galwan Valley, various the-
oriesonthenowbloodystand-off
have been tossed around.
One similar theory is the ab-
rogation of Article 370 by India
during August last year. Previ-
ously, Ladakh was part of the
state of Jammu & Kashmir
(J&K), but with the abrogation,
it became a separate Union Ter-
ritorywithoutlegislation.While
the new territory status of J&K
wasrecognisedandrespectedby
the United Nations, which was a
major diplomatic victory for In-
dia, the new status of Ladakh
irked the Chinese straightway.
China immediately hinted
that with the new territories of
Ladakh and J&K, the border
disputes of China and Pakistan
with India will become more
complex. And it seems now that
within ten months the can of
worms is open. China by its ac-
tions is not only alarming In-
dia, but also assuring Pakistan
on its take on border issues.
Last week Wang Xianfeng,
who is a press officer for the
Chinese embassy in Pakistan,
tweeted a report from a Chi-
nese analyst Wang Shida and
titled ‘India blinded by double
confidence’ on India’s abroga-
tion move. The report claims
that following the abrogation
of Article 370, India opened
“up new territory on the map”
with respect to China.
“On the Chinese side, India
‘opened up new territory on the
map,’ incorporated part of the
areas under the local jurisdic-
tion of Xinjiang and Tibet into
its Ladakh Union territory, and
placed Pakistani-administered
Kashmirwithinitsso-calledUn-
ion territories of Jammu and
Kashmir.ThisforcedChinainto
theKashmirdispute,stimulated
China and Pakistan to take
counter-actions on the Kashmir
issue, and dramatically in-
creased the difficulty in resolv-
ing the border issue between
ChinaandIndia,”opinedShida.
Shida also alleged, “Hindu
nationalism is prevalent in In-
dia and that the Indian authori-
ties and the strategic commu-
nity have been blinded by so-
calleddoubleconfidence.”Shida
explains the reasons for this
‘double confidence’ as being the
BJP’s political predominance
following two landmark Parlia-
mentary election wins in 2014
and 2019 and the US cozying up
to India, seeing it as a counter-
weight to China. Regardless of
how confident India is and no
matter how good it feels about
itself. India’s attempts to forci-
blyseizeterritoryaredoomedto
fail, the article had concluded.
This sharp reaction came in
response to Home Minister
Amit Shah speaking in Parlia-
ment about India’s intention of
taking back Pakistan-occupied
Kashmir (PoK) and the disput-
ed area of Aksai Chin. Last
year Minister of External Af-
fairs S Jaishankar was also in-
formed by China about the
same. Jaishankar had at that
time informed Beijing that the
abrogation was an entirely in-
ternal matter that did not im-
pact India’s external bounda-
ries or the LAC with China.
In recent days, a number of
Pakistani media outlets, includ-
ing The Nation, Express Trib-
une, The News International,
and state-run Associated Press
of Pakistan have given cover-
age to Wang Shida’s analysis.
It seems strange that such a
tweet emanated from a Chinese
official in Islamabad, which
means there is a Pakistani con-
nection to it and the attempt is
almost as if the Chinese are try-
ing to reassure Pakistan. Even
as scientists and governments
worldwide burn the midnight
oiltofightthecoronapandemic,
as millions lose their loved ones
andkeepvigilinhospitalwards,
China has clearly twisted the
crisis into a strategic opportu-
nity by taking advantage of the
geo-political distraction. China
transgressingtheLACresulting
in tragic deaths of 20 soldiers of
the Indian Army, the first casu-
altiesof conflictalongtheIndia-
China border in 45 years, under-
lining the scale of the problem,
andthechallengeahead.Aprob-
lem that will require a united
and firm resolve, and not robust
diplomatic offensive.
While both India and China
are nuclear powers and have big
armies at their disposal, China’s
defence budget is three times
more than India’s. China has
hiked its defence budget from
US$ 177.6 billion in 2019 to US$
179 billion in 2020. China has the
world’s largest military of two
million troops and the second-
largestmilitaryspenderafterthe
US. According to the Stockholm
InternationalPeaceResearchIn-
stitute (SIPRI), China’s defence
spending in 2019 amounted to
US$ 232 billion. An article by the
Indian Institute for Defence and
Analysis (IDSA) states that In-
dia’sbudgetfor2020amountedto
US$66.9billion(Rs4,71,378crore).
Therefore, war is clearly not
an option. Both countries must
continue to back-channel diplo-
macy and solve the issue while
maintaining restraint.
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY
THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL
DID ABROGATION OF ART 370 AFFECT
CHINA’S APPROACH TO LADAKH?WHILE NEW TERRITORY STATUS OF J&K WAS RECOGNISED BY UNITED NATIONS, A MAJOR
DIPLOMATIC VICTORY FOR INDIA, THE NEW LADAKH REGION IRKED CHINESE STRAIGHTWAY
T
One similar
theory is the
abrogation of
Article 370 by
India during
August last year.
Previously,
Ladakh was part
of the state of
Jammu &
Kashmir (J&K),
but with the
abrogation, it
became a
separate Union
Territory without
legislation
MOHD
FAHAD
While both India and
China are nuclear
powers and have big
armies at their
disposal, China’s
defence budget is
three times more than
India’s. China has
hiked its defence
budget from US$ 177.6
billion in 2019 to US$
179 billion in 2020
The author is
Jaipur-based journalist
ur house is on
fire,” warned
the teenage
climate activ-
ist Greta
Thunberg at last year’s
World Economic Forum
meeting in Davos. Her
pointed words – accusing
adults of sitting idly by
as the planet burns – qui-
eted a roomful of global
leaders, inspired young
activists worldwide, and
underscored the critical
importance of putting
children at the center of
global action to build a
better future.
Climate change is hap-
pening now. That was ap-
parent in Australia’s recent
unprecedented bushfires,
in which 18 million hec-
tares burned and an esti-
mated one billion animals
died. It was also reflected in
India’s 2019 heat wave,
among its longest and most
intense in decades. And a
warming planet is contrib-
uting to the global spread
of dengue, a mosquito-
borne viral infection.
Climate change is not
the only area where we
are failing our children.
Predatory commercial
marketing that targets
children and their care-
takers is contributing to
the widespread con-
sumption of unhealthy
products, such as alco-
hol, tobacco, e-ciga-
rettes, and sugar-sweet-
ened beverages. The
global economic losses
associated with the inap-
propriate use of breast-
milk substitutes – asso-
ciated with lowered in-
telligence, obesity, and
increased risk of diabe-
tes and other non-com-
municable diseases –
amount to an estimated
$302 billion.
Children are our most
precious resource, and
they deserve to live long,
healthy, and productive
lives. To determine how to
enable them to do just that,
the World Health Organiza-
tion, UNICEF, and the Lan-
cet recently convened a
landmark commission –
which I co-chaired, along
with Awa Marie Coll-Seck,
Minister of State in Sene-
gal – that brought together
40 experts on child health
and wellbeing.
As the commission’s
report – “A Future for
the World’s Children?”
– notes, the key is to in-
vest in people while they
are young. Evidence
shows that hungry chil-
dren have poorer health,
worse educational out-
comes, and earn less as
adults. Children who are
exposed to violence are
more likely to commit
violence. Conversely,
children who receive
proper nutrition, appro-
priate care, and quality
education grow up to be
healthy, productive citi-
zens, who are presuma-
bly better equipped to
raise healthy, productive
children of their own.
In short, investing in
children today brings life-
long, and even inter-gener-
ational benefits. This
brings value to all of soci-
ety. For example, a school-
building program under-
taken in Indonesia in 1973-
1979 has helped to boost
today’s living standards
and tax revenues.
The return on invest-
ment in children is re-
markably high. In the
United States, every dol-
larinvestedinapreschool
program was found to
bring $7-12 in societal
benefits per person, via
reductions in aggressive
behavior and improved
educational attainment.
In lower-middle-income
countries, every $1 invest-
ed in maternal and child
health can bring over $11
in benefits.
FOR FULL REPORT LOG ON TO
WWW.PROJECTSYNDICATE.COM
Sustainable development starts with children
“
O
Pleasure from the senses
seems like nectar at first,
but it is bitter as poison in
the end. —Bhagavad Gita
Spiritual
SPEAK
Top
TWEET
Rajnath Singh
@rajnathsingh
The Nation will never forget their
bravery and sacrifice. My heart
goes out to the families of the fallen
soldiers. The nation stand shoulder
to shoulder with them in this difficult
hour. We are proud of the bravery
and courage of India’s breavehearts.
Dharmendra Pradhan
@dpradhanbjp
India does not support violence
but it will also not shy away in
giving a befitting reply if there
is an attempt to compromise its
territorial integrity. Under the
leadership of PM Modi India’s
borders and sovereignty are and
will remain secure.

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INDIAAHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020
New Delhi: Congress
president Sonia Gandhi
urged Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on
Wednesday to come for-
ward and tell the coun-
try how Chinese troops
occupied Indian terri-
tory and why 20 soldiers
were killed.
In a video message,
she assured the country
of her party’s full sup-
port to the Indian Army
and government and
said, “I am confident
that in these challeng-
ing times, the entire na-
tion will unite to face
the enemy.”
“I urge the prime
minister to come before
the country and reas-
sure it on the basis of
truth and facts in this
hour of crisis,” she add-
ed. Gandhi asked
whether some Indian
Army personnel were
still missing and how
many were still seri-
ously injured. She said
the government should
explain its thinking
and strategy to deal
with the situation on
the border in Ladakh.
“Today, when there is
so much anger in the
country over Chinese
intrusion into Indian
border, the prime min-
ister should come out
and tell the truth on
how the Chinese occu-
pied the Indian territo-
ry, why brave soldiers
were martyred and
what is the current situ-
ation along the LAC,”
she said.
Gandhi assured
the country of Con-
gress party’s complete
solidarity with the
Army and government
and said, “In this time
of crisis, Congress
stands with the Indian
Army, the soldiers,
their families and the
government.”
“Which portions of
the Indian territory
have the Chinese occu-
pied? What is their lo-
cation? What is the
government’s thinking
and strategy to deal
with this situation?”
she asked.
The Congress presi-
dent saluted the slain
soldiers and said, “The
sacrifice of 20 Indian
soldiers on the LAC has
shaken the very soul of
India. I salute them and
pay my tributes from
the depths of my heart.
I also pray that god
grants their families
the strength to brave
this loss.” —PTI
Tell truth about Ladakh incident: SoniaSonia urged PM to tell nation how Chinese occupied Indian territory
Army personnel carry the casket of Hawaldar Sunil Kumar, who was one of the 20 jawans who
were killed during the face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in Ladakhs Galwan Valley, after a
wreath-laying ceremony at Jaiprakash Narayan Airport in Patna on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY PTI
Mumbai: Shiv Sena
leader Sanjay Raut on
Wednesday said that all
parties would support
any decision taken by
PM in connection with
China but added that
the PM should first re-
veal the truth behind
the death of 20 Army
personnel. “Our rela-
tions with China have
not been great, but no
bullets had been fired at
the China border for
close to 50 years. The
killing of 20 of our
jawans is shocking. We
cannot hold Jawaharlal
Nehru, Indira Gandhi
or Rahul Gandhi re-
sponsible for whatever
happened at the bor-
der,” Raut said. —ANI
All parties will support any
decision PM takes: Raut
Mumbai: Geopolitical
tensions between India
and China at the
Ladakh border curbed
investors risk appetite,
leading equity bench-
mark indices to close
with slight cuts on
Wednesday.
The bourses experi-
enced bouts of volatili-
ty while the economy
opens up after extended
lockdowns and COV-
ID-19 cases continue to
rise across the country.
At the closing bell, the
BSE S&P Sensex was
down by 97 points or
0.29 per cent at 33,508
while the Nifty 50 edged
lower by 33 points or
0.33 per cent at 9,881.
Kotak Mahindra
Bank dipped by 2.3 per
cent, ITC by 2.2 per cent,
Mahindra & Mahindra
by 1.9 per cent and Hin-
dalco by 1.6 per cent.
Power Grid Corpora-
tion, Bajaj Finserv,
Asian Paints and Ve-
danta too traded with a
negative bias. —ANI
Sensex dips by 97 points
amid geopolitical tensions
New Delhi: Around 120
Indian soldiers, almost
an entire company, was
trapped and encircled
by the Chinese People’s
Liberation Army (PLA)
and followed by savage
and deceptive attacks,
many to a point of mu-
tilation, on Monday
night, sources said.
Pointing firearms on
their faces, the Chinese
PLA brutally tortured
some Indian soldiers to
death, sources further
revealed, adding that
the Indian soldiers were
helpless with the gov-
ernment directions of
not to use firearms. It
was not a hand-to-hand
fight between the forc-
es, as agencies has
learnt and the PLA
troopers used all kinds
of weapons against the
Indian soldiers, who
bravely fought and tried
to control the situation.
Sources said the In-
dian Army troopers
were outnumbered by
1:5 ratio when they
came under attack from
the Chinese People’s
Liberation Army sol-
diers at the patrolling
point number 14 in
Ladakh on LAC in east-
ern Ladakh.
“It was the deadliest
attack carried on the
Indian Army personnel
by the Chinese military
personnel to our memo-
ry,” the government
sources said. —Agencies
Entire Army Company was trapped by ChinesePLA
Pithoragarh: A day
after Indian Army con-
firmed that 20 person-
nel, including a Colo-
nel rank officer, had
lost their lives in the
violent face-off in the
Galwan valley area of
Ladakh on June 15, the
security has been in-
creased from Nabhid-
hang to Lipulekh Pass
in Pithoragarh.
DM, Pithoragarh, Vi-
jay Kumar Jogdande on
Wednesday said that
the Indian Army and
ITBP personnel are con-
stantly patrolling the
area along with the
night vision cameras.
“The situation on the
border is fine. The
Army and ITBP are pa-
trolling and monitoring
the Indo-China border
with the district.”
In a strong message
to China after the kill-
ing of Indian soldiers in
the violent face-off, PM
Modi on Wednesday
said that India wants
peace but is capable of
giving a befitting reply,
if instigated. —ANI
Security increased in Pithoragarh
New Delhi: The Cen-
tral Bureau of Investi-
gation (CBI) has regis-
tered a case against
two Mumbai-based pri-
vate firms and others
on allegations of
cheating Bank of India
of Rs 57.26 crore dur-
ing 2013-2018, and also
carried out searches at
five locations.
The central investi-
gation agency regis-
tered a case on June 12
on a complaint from
Bank of India against
Avyaan Overseas Pvt
Ltd (now known as
Bagla Overseas Pvt
Ltd), its MD Mohit
Kamboj and directors
Jitendra Gulshan Ka-
poor, Siddhant Bagla,
Irtesh Mishra.
The CBI also filed an
FIR against KBJ Hotels
Goa Pvt Ltd and uniden-
tified persons, including
government servants
and bank officials. It was
alleged that the firms
and its directors cheated
Bank of India to the
tune of Rs 57.26 crore.
The agency also con-
ducted raids till Tues-
day late night at five
places in Mumbai that
include the residential
and official premises of
the accused.
The raids were also
conducted at office of
the private company
which led to recovery
of certain incriminat-
ing documents includ-
ing of property, loan,
various bank account
details and locker keys,
the CBI said. —Agencies
CBIbooks2Mumbaifirms
in`57.26crcheatingcase New Delhi: Delhi Lieu-
tenant Governor (LG)
Anil Baijal on Wednes-
day held a meeting with
CM Arvind Kejriwal
and Deputy CM Manish
Sisodia to discuss the
COVID-19 management
in the capital as the cas-
es are increasing with
each passing day.
“Had a constructive
meeting of Expert Pan-
el with Hon’ble CM,
Delhi @ArvindKejri-
wal, Dy CM @msisodia
, CS, ACS, Pr. Sec Health
& members of Advisory
Committee on COV-
ID-19 management in
Delhi,” he tweeted. The
LG held the meeting
with CM and others via
VC on Wednesday after-
noon. However, what
was transpired between
the meeting is yet to be
known. According to
the Health Ministry, the
coronavirus case in
Delhi has reached 44,688
on Wednesday. —ANI
LG Baijal holds meeting
with Kejriwal and others
AVAILABILITY OF BEDS IN HOSPS
NEEDS TO BE UPDATED DAILY: DIDI
Kolkata: West Bengal
CM Mamata Banerjee
on Wednesday said that
the availability of beds
for COVID-19 patients in
private and government
hospitals need to be
updated on a daily basis
to avoid harassment of
patients. “Availability of
beds in both private and
government hospitals
needs to be updated on
day-to-day basis to avoid
harassment,” Banerjee
said. CM said that as on
June 16, over 3.5 lakh
coronavirus tests have
been conducted in West
Bengal. “A total number
of 104 safe home centre
have been set up for those
having mild symptoms or
low fever because hospital
beds are being kept for
serious patients only.”
DELHI HEALTH MINISTER JAIN
TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19
New Delhi: A day after testing negative, Delhi
Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Wednesday
tested positive for COVID-19. In a statement,
Ofﬁce of Delhi Health Minister said, “Delhi
Health Minister Satyendar Jain tests positive for
COVID-19.” Earlier in the day, he was tested again
for COVID-19 at Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality
Hospital. He was admitted here after he com-
plained of high fever and difﬁculty in breathing on
June 15. The Health Minister had tested negative
for COVID-19 on Tuesday.
DIGVIJAYA SINGH FILES
COMPLAINT AGAINST MP CM
Bhopal: Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on
Wednesday lodged a complaint with Crime Branch
against MP CM Shivraj Chouhan for allegedly tweet-
ing a doctored video of Rahul Gandhi last year ‘with
an intention to tarnish his image’. “On the complaint
of BJP, an FIR has been registered against me and
12 others. I want that an FIR should be registered
based on our complaint,” Singh said. Earlier, Bhopal
Crime Branch had registered an FIR against Singh
in connection with an alleged fake video regarding
Chouhan shared by him on social media.
SCRAP PENDING CBSE BOARD
EXAMS: SISODIA URGES HRD MIN
New Delhi: Delhi Deputy
Chief Minister Manish
Sisodia Wednesday
wrote to Union HRD Min-
ister Ramesh Pokhriyal
‘Nishank’, urging him to
cancel pending board
exams, citing the spike
in COVID-19 cases and
high number of contain-
ment zones in the city.
Sisodia’s letter came on
a day the Supreme Court
asked the Central Board
of Secondary Education
(CBSE) to examine if
remaining board pa-
pers can be scrapped
and marks allotted to
students on the basis of
internal assessment. The
apex court was hearing
a petition by a group of
parents seeking a direc-
tion to the CBSE to scrap
the pending exams.
New Delhi: Bharati-
ya Janata Party
(BJP) on Wednesday
announced the
names of candidates
for the Mayor and
Deputy Mayor elec-
tions for all the three
municipal corpora-
tions of Delhi. The
BJP is in the majori-
ty in all the three mu-
nicipal corporations.
The last date for sub-
mitting nomination
is June 17. The elec-
tions are scheduled
to held on June 24.
Mayor, Dy
Mayor polls:
Delhi BJP
shares names
MARTYRS
WHO LAID
DOWN
THEIR LIVES
New Delhi: The In-
dian Army on
Wednesday released
the names of the 20
military personnel,
including an officer,
who laid out their
lives in the violent
face-off with China
in Galwan Valley,
Ladakh.
The names of the
personnel are -- Col
Bikumalla San-
tosh Babu, Nb Sub
Nuduram Soren,
Nb Sub Mandeep
Singh, Nb Sub
(Dvr) Satnam Sin-
gh-Gurdaspur,
Hav (Gnr) K Pala-
ni, Hav Sunil Ku-
mar, Hav Bipul
Roy, NK (NA)
Deepak Kumar,
Sep Rajesh Orang,
Sep Kundan Ku-
mar Ojha, Sep
Ganesh Ram, Sep
Chandrakanta
Pradhan, Sep An-
kush, Sep
Gurbinder, Sep
Gurtej Singh, Sep
Chandan Kumar,
Sep Kundan Ku-
mar, Sep Aman
Kumar, Sep Jai
Kishor Singh and
Sep Ganesh Hans-
da. PM Modi on
Wednesday paid
tributes to these sol-
diers and asserted
that their sacrifice
will not go in vain.
The Prime Minis-
ter, Union Home
Minister Amit
Shah and CMs of 15
States and Union
Territories, who
were present in the
meeting via video-
conference on
Wednesday, ob-
served a two-min-
ute silence as a
tribute to the sol-
diers. —ANI
—Pic for representational purpose only
SAVAGELY ATTACKED
WHY IS PM SILENT? WHY IS HE
HIDING? ASKS RAHUL GANDHI
New Delhi: Former Congress president Rahul
Gandhi on Wednesday criticised Prime Minister
Narendra Modi over the face-off
with the Chinese army at Galwan
valley in eastern Ladakh. Twenty
Indian soldiers were killed in a
violent clash with Chinese troops
in the Galwan valley area on Mon-
day evening. Taking to Twitter,
Rahul Gandhi questioned why the
Prime Minister is silent about the clash between the
Indian and Chinese troops. “Why is the PM silent?
Why is he hiding? Enough is enough. We need to
know what has happened,” Gandhi said on Twitter.
Sonia Gandhi
Anil Baijal

INDIAAHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020
MAHA CHIEF SECRETARY UNLIKELY
TO GET THIRD EXTENSION
Maharashtra Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta is now
unlikely to get third extension in service in July.
He is 1984 batch IAS officer.
WILL MEHTA MOVE TO DELHI
AS CHAIRMAN OF CERC?
There are strong rumours that Maharashtra Chief
Secretary Ajoy Mehta is moving to Delhi as Chair-
man of the Central Electricity Regulatory Com-
mission (CERC). He is 1984 batch IAS officer.
Post will fall vacant early next year.
SANJAY KUMAR TO BE NEW CHIEF
SECRETARY OF MAHARASHTRA?
In all probability, Sanjay Kumar will be new Chief
Secretary of Maharashtra in July. He is 1984
batch IAS officer. One source however said that
1985 batch IAS officer Sitaram Kunte will suc-
ceed Ajoy Mehta as Chief Secretary.
DEPUTATION TENURE OF KIRAN
AS SP, CBI EXTENDED
The deputation tenure of Kiran S as Superinten-
dent of Police (SP) in Central Bureau of Investi-
gation has been extended upto June 8, 2021. He
is a 2008 batch IPS officer of UP cadre.
APPLICATIONS FOR PESB
VACANCIES SOUGHT TILL JULY 15
The willing applicants can apply for the vacancies
advertised by Public Enterprises Selection Board
fell last dates during lockdown till July 15, 2020.
THREE OUT OF FIVE FROM WEST
BENGAL EMPANELLED AS DG IN GOI
Three 1987 batch IPS officers, out of total five,
eligible from WB cadre have been empanelled for
DG and equivalent posts in Government of India.
SN MISHRA TO GET ACS RANK IN MP
S N Mishra will get ACS rank in Madhya Pradesh
on July 1. He is 1990 batch IAS officer.
MP HC STILL NEEDS NINE
PERMANENT JUDGES
The Madhya Pradesh High Court still needs nine
permanent judges as on June 1, 2020.
P&H HC STILL SHORT OF 25
PERMANENT JUDGES
As many as 25 vacancies of permanent Judges
in Punjab & Haryana High Court as on June 1,
2020, are yet to be filled up.
MS SUCHITRA SHARMA RETURNS
TO PARENT CADRE
Ms Suchitra Sharma, CVO, Gas Authority of India
Limited (GAIL), Delhi, has been given premature
repatriation to her parent cadre in order to avail
the benefit of promotion. She is a 1987 batch
IRS-C&CE officer.
SERVICES OF SUNIL MATHUR
PERMANENTLY ABSORBED IN
MAHA-METRO
The services of Sunil Mathur has been permanently
absorbed in MAHA-Metro. He is an IRSEE officer.
R K SINGH APPOINTED AS JOINT
SECRETARY, DPIIT
R K Singh has been appointed as Joint Secretary,
DPIIT. He is an officer of the Central Secretariat
Service.
GANGADHARAN APPOINTED AS
DIRECTOR, CULTURE
C Gangadharan has been appointed as Director,
Culture. He is an officer of the Central Secretariat
Service.
P C MEENA APPOINTED AS DEPUTY
SECRETARY, MINES
P C Meena has been appointed as Deputy
Secretary, Mines. He is an officer of the Central
Secretariat Service.
POWERGallery
Maya tries...
It is submitted that in
Rajasthan Assembly ga-
zette notification also
these 6 MLAs were
shown as elected from
BSP.Subsequently,with-
out notice to BSP, honor-
able speaker of Rajas-
than Assembly has
changed their nomen-
clature in his records as
MLAs belonging to Indi-
an National Congress,”
the letter reads.
Mishra contests that
neither has there been a
merger of BSP at na-
tional level nor its state
unit in Rajasthan
merged with Congress
“which is a mandatory
condition under the
10th schedule of Consti-
tution of India.”
The letter claims that
under such a situation
the six BSP MLAs “can-
not be and should not be
permitted to partici-
pate in the voting as
members of Congress
party and they are
bound to follow the
whip of BSP.”
The party has thus de-
manded from the ECI to
ensure that the BSP
MLAs are not permitted
to participate in voting
as Congress MLAs and a
separate arrangement
of votingshouldbemade
by treating them as BSP
MLAs only, bound by the
party’s whip.
While the party may
have raised its points,
knowledgeable sources
reveal that BSP’s action
in the RS polls will not
be of any major conse-
quence keeping in mind
the past practice. It is
believed that the elec-
tion process will contin-
ue unhindered since
even in past the same
has happened.
Red-flagged!...
of the national cyberse-
curity agency – Comput-
er Emergency Response
Team of India (CERT-
in). India wasn’t the
first country to restrict
use of Zoom within the
government. Taiwan
has banned government
agencies from using
Zoom, the German For-
eign Ministry restricts
its use of Zoom to emer-
gency situations on per-
sonal computers while
the United States Senate
advises members to use
other platforms. The
company had respond-
ed to the home ministry
advisory, insisting that
it was serious about
user security.
A’bad accounts...
Till date, 25 doctors
have tested positive, 20
from new civil hospitals
and five from SMIMER.
Six doctors from pri-
vate hospitals and two
nurses too have tested
positive.
In Vadodara, there
are 540 active cases;
with 102 patients on ox-
ygen and 50 on ventila-
tors. As many as 44 of
these are new cases.
As positive cases
keep emerging from
Jambusar, the local
market association has
decided to down shut-
ters for seven days. Sev-
en more cases were re-
ported from Jambusar
in Bharuch district in
the past 24 hours.
In Rajkot city, three
front-line warriors
have tested positive:
two doctors and one em-
ployee from IG Memori-
al Private Hospital.
Indian Army,...
Staff Gen Bipin Rawat
and the three service
chiefs, sources said.
The Army has al-
ready rushed in addi-
tional troops to all its
key front-line bases and
formations along the
Line of Actual Control
(LAC) in Arunachal
Pradesh, Uttarakhand,
Himachal Pradesh and
Ladakh, they said.
The Indian Air Force
has already raised the
alert level in all its
front-line bases tasked
to keep an eye on the
LAC, the de-facto bor-
der. —ANI
Bringing a...
our power in protecting
the country’s integrity
and sovereignty,” the
Prime Minister said.
“Iwouldliketoassure
the nation that the sacri-
fice of our soldiers will
not be in vain. For us,
the unity and sovereign-
ty of the country are
most important. And no
one can stop protecting
our country. India wants
peace but it is capable of
giving a befitting reply
if provoked.
“The country is
proud of them as they
sacrificed their lives
while killing the ene-
my,” he added. The
Prime Minister, Union
Home Minister Amit
Shah and Chief Minis-
ters of 15 States and
Union Territories, who
are present in the meet-
ing via video-conferenc-
ing today, observed a
two-minute silence as a
tribute to the soldiers
wholosttheirlivesinthe
violent face-off. —ANI
UN General...
including China and
Pakistan, in June last
year.
President of the UN
General Assembly
Tijjani Muham-
mad-Bande announced
the commencement of
the elections at around
9 am Wednesday. —ANI
FROM PG 1
New Delhi: India re-
corded the highest ever
spike of 2,003 COVID-19
deaths on Wednesday
after Maharashtra and
Delhi added earlier fa-
talities not attributed to
the disease as Prime
Minister Narendra
Modi asked states to
make full use of the ex-
panded coronavirus
testing capacity and
saving lives a top prior-
ity. Modi also called for
fighting the stigma as-
sociated with the coro-
navirus and that people
should be assured there
is no need to panic if
somebody has contract-
ed the infection as the
number of recovered
patients has also been
rising. The COVID-19
recovery rate for the
country currently stood
at around 53 per cent.
Speaking to chief
ministers and repre-
sentatives of 14 states
and the union territory
of Jammu and Kashmir
through video confer-
ence, Modi underlined
the emotional aspect of
the fight against the
coronavirus, including
battling fear of being af-
flicted, and the stigma
attached by making peo-
ple aware of the high
number of those who
have defeated the infec-
tion and recovered.
Saving lives should
be the top priority, Modi
told the chief ministers,
as he called for expand-
ing the health infra-
structure of the states,
according to an official
statement.
The Wednesday in-
teraction was the sec-
ond and final segment
of Modi’s sixth round
of consultations with
chief ministers in the
last three months on
fighting the COVID-19
pandemic.
Referring to the rise
in number of infec-
tions, he underscored
the need for testing,
tracking, tracing and
isolating COVID-19 pa-
tients to deal with the
pandemic.
‘MAKESAVINGLIVESATOPPRIORITY’
PM Narendra Modi paying tributes to the martyrs during Virtual
Conference with the Chief Ministers, in New Delhi on Wednesday.
New Delhi: The Su-
preme Court on Wednes-
day slammed the Delhi
governmentforthreaten-
ing doctors, nurses, and
health workers with le-
gal actions for bringing
to the public knowledge
thestateof healthcarein
the hospitals of the na-
tional capital.
A three-judge bench
headed by Justice
Ashok Bhushan and
also comprising Justice
MR Shah and Justice
Sanjay Kishan Kaul
was hearing a suo motu
matter related to the
proper treatment of
COVID-19 patients and
dignified handling of
bodies in government
hospitals. —ANI
SC slams Delhi over
cases filed against docs
New Delhi: The Union
Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare on Tues-
day informed that the
recoveryrateof patients
suffering from COV-
ID-19 has risen to 52.8
percent in the country.
Currently, 1,55,227 ac-
tive cases are under
medical supervision.
“During the last 24
hours, 6,922 COVID-19
patients were cured. A
total of1,86,934 patients,
so far, have been cured
of COVID-19,” read a
statement from the min-
istry. The number of
government labs have
been increased to 674
while private labs have
been increased to 250.
In the last 24 hours,
1,63,187 samples were
tested. The total num-
ber of samples tested so
far is 60,84,256. On Tues-
day, the Health Minis-
try reported that India's
recovery rate was
52.47per cent. —ANI
6,922coronapatientsrecoveredinlast
24hours,recoveryraterisesto52.8%
Muzaffarpur: A law-
yer on Wednesday
moved a criminal com-
plaint against 8 per-
sons, including Bolly-
wood superstar Salman
Khan and producer-di-
rector Karan Johar, in a
court regarding death
of Bollywood actor Su-
shant Singh Rajput.
The court had fixed
July 3 as the next date of
hearing. In his com-
plaint filed in the court
of Chief Judicial Mag-
istrate, advocate Sudhir
Kumar Ojha alleged
that these eight persons
forced Sushant to com-
mit suicide under a con-
spiracy which, he plead-
ed, amounted to murder.
Others named in the
complaint are Aditya
Chopra, Sajid Nadiad-
wala, Sanjay L Bhansa-
li, Bhushan Kumar,
Ekta Kapoor, and
Dinesh. Complainant
claimed these persons
did not let Sushant's
movies get released un-
der conspiracy.
Complaint against Salman, 7
others in Muzaffarpur court
Dehradun: Uttara-
khand Tourism Min-
ister Satpal Maha-
raj and his wife Am-
rita Rawat who tested
positive for COVID-19
on May 31 have been
discharged from
AIIMS, Rishikesh af-
ter 17 days of treat-
ment, officials said.
They were dis-
charged from the hos-
pital on Tuesday even-
ingandadvisedtokeep
themselvesinisolation
athome,Deanhospital
administration UB
Mishra said. Maharaj,
hiswife,theirtwosons
, two daughters-in-law
and a grandson were
admittedatthefacility
on May 31 after testing
positive for COVID-19.
Their sons, daugh-
ters-in-law and one
grandson were dis-
charged as per the lat-
est COVID protocol
on June 10 as they
were asymptomatic,
Mishra said. Howev-
er, the minister and
his wife, also a for-
mer minister in the
Harish Rawat gov-
ernment were still at
the hospital, he said.
Satpal Maharaj, wife
discharged from AIIMS
PM Modi called for expanding health infrastructure of states while addressing CMs of 14 states & UTs via VC
—PHOTOBYANI
Vaishali
Two jawans from Odis-
ha were among the 20
soldiers martyred at
Galwan Valley along the
India-China border dur-
ing a violent
face-off with
their Chinese
counterparts
on Monday
night. The two
are Naib Sube-
dar Nandu
Ram Soren (42)
of Badacham-
pauda village in May-
urbhanj district and se-
poy Chandrakanta
Pradhan (32) of Beora-
panga village in Kand-
hamal district.
Chief Minister
Naveen Patnaik and
Union Minister Dhar-
mendra Pradhan paid
tributes to martyred
Odia jawans and other
Indian Army personnel.
Pradhan tweeted,
“The unshakeable cour-
age and love for the na-
tion that runs through
the veins of our soldiers
has no parallels. I bow
to the valour of the In-
dian Army and salute
the sacrifice of our
brave hearts.
The nation
will forever re-
main indebted
for their inval-
uable service.
Flag of India-
Folded hands.
India does not
support vio-
lence but it will also not
shy away in giving a be-
fitting reply if there is
an attempt to compro-
mise its territorial in-
tegrity. Under the lead-
ership of PM Modi In-
dia’s borders and sover-
eignty are and will re-
main secure.”
Naveen said the
supreme sacrifice of
the jawans will always
be remembered by the
nation.
Pradhan, Patnaik pay
tributes to martyrs
Imphal: The N Biren
Singh-led BJP govern-
ment in Manipur was
left on a sticky wicket
after three sitting BJP
MLAs resigned from
the party and joined
the Congress and six
other MLAs withdrew
support. With this, the
strength of the NDA
government has been
reduced to 30 MLAs.
The National Peo-
ple’s Party, which had
four MLAs, including
three ministers, the
lone Trinamool MLA
and an independent
MLA from Jiribam
also withdrew their
support to the BJP-led
government.
The 60-member Ma-
nipur Assembly has a
current strength of 59
MLAs after Shyamku-
mar Singh of Andro
assembly constituen-
cy, who had defected
to the BJP from Con-
gress, was disquali-
fied. With three BJP
MLAs joining Con-
gress, the party now
has 24 members in the
Assembly even
though former CM
Okram Ibobi Singh
claimed the effective
strength of the party
was now 27. —Agencies
Manipur govt in trouble as 3 BJP
MLAs resign,NPP pulls support

TALKING POINTAHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020
indus in India have had a
helping hand – several in fact
– when it comes to fighting
deadly contagions like Cov-
id-19: multi-armed goddesses
co-opted to help contain and
kill pestilence.
Collectively known as “Am-
man,” or the Divine Mother,
the goddesses of contagion –
and it always goddesses, not
gods – have been called on for
their services before. They
have been deployed in many
of the deadly pandemics India
has experienced from ancient
times until the modern age.
In conducting my fieldwork
as a cultural anthropologist
who studies religion, I have
seen small shrines all over
India dedicated to these god-
desses of contagion, often in
rural, forested areas outside
village and town limits.
The goddesses act as “celes-
tial epidemiologists” curing
illness. But if angered they
can also inflict disease such
as poxes, plagues, sores, fe-
vers, tuberculosis and ma-
laria. They are both poison
and cure.
BLOWING HOT
AND COLD
One of the first images of a
contagion goddess recorded
is of the demon-turned-god-
dess Hariti, carved and wor-
shipped during the deadly
Justinian plague of Rome
that came to India via trade
routes, killing between 25 to
100 million people globally. In
the late 19th century, my
hometown of Bangalore suf-
fered an epidemic of bubonic
plague, which required the
services of a contagion god-
dess. British colonial docu-
ments record the repeated
waves of illness that stalked
the city, and the desperate
pleas to a goddess named
“Plague Amma.”
In South India, the premier
contagion goddess is Mariam-
man – from the word “Mari”
meaning both pox and trans-
formation. In the North of
India, she is known as the
goddess Sheetala, meaning
“the cold one” – a nod to her
ability to cool fevers.
The goddesses’ iconogra-
phy emphasises their thera-
peutic healing powers.
Sheetala carries a pot of
healing water, a broom to
sweep away dirt, a branch of
the indigenous Neem tree –
said to cure skin and breath-
ing disorders – and a jar of
ambrosia for eternal life.
Mariamman, on the other
hand, carries a scimitar with
which to smite and decapi-
tate the demons of virulence
and illness.
Contagion goddesses are
not angelic and gentle, as one
might expect caregivers to be.
They are hot-tempered, de-
manding and fiery. They are
deemed wilderness goddesses
– highly local and tradition-
ally worshiped primarily by
lower caste, Dalit, tribal and
rural folk. Some are associ-
ated with tantric practices
and dark magic.
RITUAL READINESS
Placating the goddesses
through blood sacrifice, deco-
rative offerings and self mor-
tification, was – and in some
places, still is – a way of pre-
paring for a pandemic in
parts of India. Sometimes,
painful piercings, hook
swinging and self-flagellation
were offered when patients
recovered from illnesses,
both mental and physical. Or
in a sanitised version of
blood sacrifice, small silver
images of the patient were of-
fered as a prophylactic
against illness.
Rituals have often involved
variation. A devotee would be
inoculated with infected pus
and the goddess invoked
through possession to save
them. The aim was to trigger
a milder form of the illness
and gain immunity.
High caste Hindus and
those who mirror high-caste
practices often ignored and
shunned the contagion god-
desses, fearful of the blood
rites, possession and the
tantric rituals, which they
associated with low caste
worship.
But these local contagion
goddesses merged over time
with the Divine Mother Shak-
ti, the feminine personifica-
tion of the energy behind
creation. This domesticated
the goddesses, making them
more acceptable to bour-
geois Hindus.
POST-POX
LIVES
With the widespread
use of modern antibiotics,
retrovirals and vaccines in
the mid 20th century, tradi-
tional Hindu healing rituals
become less relevant. Conta-
gion goddesses were begin-
ning to be forgotten and ig-
nored. But a handful of them
developed rich post-pox lives,
reinventing themselves for
modern afflictions. Some
goddesses moved on from fo-
cussing on disease alone.
InBangalore,acityplagued
by traffic fatalities, the god-
dess Mariamman trans-
formed from a cholera god-
dess into the protector of driv-
ers. Now known as “Traffic
Circle Amman,” the goddess’s
temple sees cars and trucks
line up everyday for blessings,
before drivers face the deadly
maelstrom of city traffic.
INDIA’S
‘celestial epidemiologists’
TACKLING PANDEMICS
H
Other god-
desses came into
being to fight new ill-
nesses. On December 1, 1997,
World AIDS day, a new goddess
named AIDSAmma was cre-
ated by a science schoolteach-
er, HN Girish, not to cure AIDS
but to teach worshipers the
prophylactic measures neces-
sary to prevent the disease.
COVID-19
CONSCRIPTS
During the Covid-19
crisis all the contagion god-
desses have been re-con-
scripted. The Indian govern-
ment’s quick action in insti-
tuting a stay-at-home lock-
down that lasted two months
prevented widespread conta-
gion, but it also meant that
people weren’t allowed to go
to temples to worship the
goddesses and ask for inter-
vention. So priests offered
special decorations, includ-
ing garlands of acidic lem-
ons believed to placate the
goddesses.
The goddesses have also
been recalled in posters by
Indian artists that circulate
through Facebook. Artist
Sandhya Kumari’s rendering
of “Coronavirus Mardini” –
a hygienically masked Moth-
er India attacking the coro-
navirus with a trident – re-
called Shakti’s killing of
evil, a familiar image to all
Hindus.
A nationalistic caption was
added during reposting –
“Mother India will end the
Coronavirus, but it is every
Indians duty to stay at home
and take care of loved ones.
Jai India!”
In Kumari’s rendering, the
goddess’s iconography is up-
dated for the pandemic. The
goddesses’ many gloved hands
grasp sanitizer, masks, vacci-
nation needles and other med-
ical equipment. The coronavi-
rus is held in chains, immov-
ableandshornof itsvirulence.
While controversies over
temples reopening domi-
nates the news, a new deity,
crafted from polystyrene and
called “Corona Devi” has
been installed in a temple
dedicated to the pox goddess.
Mr Anilan, the priest and
single devotee, says he will
offer worship for “Corona
Warriors” – health care
workers, firefighters, and
other front line personnel.
Here science and faith are
not seen as inimical to one
another, but as working to-
gether, hand-in-glove.
Covid-19 has undoubtedly
increased the goddesses’
workload. And with no known
cure and no viable vaccine,
the contagion goddesses may
well have their hands full for
some time.
SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION CONCEPT: DIVYA HEMNANI DESIGN: ABHISHEK SHARMA
more acceptable to bour-
geois Hindus.
POST-POX
LIVES
With the widespread
Other god-
desses came into
being to fight new ill-
COVID-19
CONSCRIPTS
During the Covid-19
CENTURIESFOR
HINDU GODDESSES WHO
PROTECT BELIEVERS AGAINST
SICKNESS HAVE BEEN CO-OPTED
TO COMBAT THE CORONAVIRUS

Not all paths are chosen ones.
What matters in the long run is
how we walk the path we are on.
—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India
AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 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
Navapur (Gujarat/
Maharashtra): India
and China might be
squabbling over the
Line of Actual Con-
trol, but here is an-
other right on the
Gujarat-Maharashtra
border which could
be arguably called the
Line of Anybody’s
Control (LAC).
Navapur Railway Sta-
tion is equally divided
between the two neigh-
bouring states. Even
the wooden bench on
the railway station is
clinically slit into two,
with half of it falling on
one side and another
half on the other.
This LAC of sorts
came first to light
when a bemused Un-
ion Railways Minis-
ter Piyush Goyal once
tweeted in 2018: “Sep-
arated by States,
United by Railways”.
It has come to the fore
with a Twitter user
touching off a debate
about who does the
railway station be-
long to -- and it has
gone viral now.
While bureaucrats
may keep on defining
the boundaries, it is a
win-win situation for
people on either side.
They don’t bother
who controls what as
long as both sides
serve each other’s
purpose well. Sale of
pan masala and gut-
kha is banned in Ma-
harashtra but open in
Gujarat, and alcohol
is banned in Gujarat
but open in Maha-
rashtra. They just
have to criss-cross the
border a few metres.
The Twitter user
wrote, “This is the
unique station, posses-
sion of liquor is legal
on one side of this
(wooden) bench!”. An-
other shared, “If I want-
ed beer I just had to
cross over.”
He said, “I have
worked at Sanjan, east
of it comes in MH &
west in Gujarat. I stayed
on Gujarat side.
This is a ‘Line of Anybody’s Control’, cross it & get your beer!
‘LAC’ OF SORTS!

Separated by
States, United
by Railways:
Half of Navapur
Railway Station
is located in
Maharashtra
and half in
Gujarat.
Gujaratis cross it
to get liquor
In death trap: Guj tops nation’s
Covid mortality rate at 6.3%
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad/NewDelhi:
Notwithstanding the
State Government’s
claims of a better recov-
ery rate, the stinging
fact that stares Gujarat
in the face is that it re-
portsthecountry’shigh-
est mortality rate of 6.3
per cent. What is more,
as many as 5 of the 10
high-mortality districts
are also in the State.
Panchmahals district
(along with Dahod),
that also has a good per-
centage of tribals, has
the highest death rate
of 11.11 per cent in the
country. The other dis-
tricts are Anand (9.45
per cent), Patan (8.55
per cent), Aravalli (8.11
per cent) and Bhavna-
gar (7.69 per cent).
And among the big-
ger districts of the
State and its most im-
portant city,
Ahmedabad, has a
very high mortality
rate of 7.12 per cent,
second only to Kolka-
ta (7.75 per cent).
Nearly 80 per cent
of the total number
of Covid-19 deaths in
India is from 5 states
— Maharashtra, Del-
hi, Gujarat, West
Bengal and Madhya
Pradesh. Moreover,
there are 65 districts
of India which have a
MR of more than 5
per cent — 19 in Mad-
hya Pradesh, 11 in
Gujarat, 10 each
in Uttar Pradesh and
Maharashtra — the
most severely
affected.
A deeper analysis
of districts by howin-
dialives.com reveals
that there are 71 dis-
tricts which have re-
ported 10 or more
Covid-19 deaths in In-
dia and Maharashtra
has the highest, 16,
such districts.
But this is just one
aspect of the India sto-
ry. The bigger part is
that as much as 45 per
cent of the total Cov-
id-19 deaths in India
(4,507 of the total 9,915)
have been reported af-
ter the lifting of lock-
down restrictions since
June 1.
What is even more
chilling is that the
rate of growth of
deaths has exceeded
the rate of growth of
cases since June 8.
The cumulative num-
ber of deaths has
gone up 1.33 times
while the correspond-
ing rise in the num-
ber of cases has been
1.29 during the past
week.
This has meant that
India’s mortality rate
has actually risen from
2.78 per cent on June 8
to 2.89 per cent on
June 16.
Para-medical staff sanitise a grave where Covid patients are buried. —FILE PHOTO
The country’s number of deaths has increased 1.33 times and surpassed case growth of 1.29
FIGHTING DEATH!
Minister fined for
not wearing mask
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: A Guja-
rat minister of state
had to fork out a pen-
alty of Rs 200 on
Wednesday for not
wearing the mandato-
ry mask while enter-
ing the premises of
Chief Minister’s office
in Gandhinagar to at-
tend the regular week-
ly Cabinet meeting.
Wearing a mask out-
side home has been
made mandatory by the
Gujarat Government in
an effort to contain the
spread of coronavirus
in the State.
Local news chan-
nels showed Minister
of State Ishwarsinh
Patel entering the
premises of the Chief
Minister’s office with-
out a mask. All other
ministers who arrived
for the Cabinet meet
had their masks on.
Patel holds independ-
ent charge of sports,
youth and cultural ac-
tivities along with the
cooperation portfolio.
After the lapse was
pointed out by news
channels, the Gandhi-
nagar Municipal Cor-
poration slapped a pen-
alty of Rs 200 on him.
After the Cabinet
meeting, Patel paid the
penalty and showed
the challan (receipt) to
reporters. The minis-
ter said it happened
inadvertently.
“I have paid Rs 200 to-
wards the fine for not
wearingamask.Ialways
wear a mask. I somehow
forgot to wear it when I
stepped out of my car.
Later I realized my mis-
take,” he told reporters
outside the Secretariat.
It is a dark mo-
ment for India.
We will be forever
grateful to our
martyrs I join the
nation to offer
my condolences
to the families of
our brave martyrs
We stand firmly
behind our Armed
Forces in this
dark hour
@ahmedpatel SANJIVANI RATH FOR SURAT
Surat Municipal Corporation gets 20 Mobile Health Units, called Sanjivani Rath, from the
State Government to fight Covid-19. The units will be used for ARI treatment at doorstep,
serve high risk persons/contacts with medicines and do counselling for mental health.
Afghan college
student ends
life in city
Sebi challenges HC
stay on Franklin
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: Securi-
ties and Exchange
Board of India (Sebi)
has filed a letters pat-
ent appeal against the
Gujarat High Court
order that had stayed
the winding up pro-
cess of Franklin Tem-
pleton’s shuttered
schemes.
Sebi has contented
that the court had erred
in staying the crucial e-
voting process. This
will ultimately delay
the entire winding up
process and cause loss
to unit holders, the peti-
tion said.
It added that the
court’s June 8 ruling
has erred in inter-
preting that unit
holders’ consent is
needed before the
winding up decision.
The high court had
ruled in favour of
continuing stay on e-
voting process till Se-
bi’s forensic report on
alleged lapses in man-
aging these schemes
is made public.
Franklin Templeton
India had on April 23
decided to wind up its
six debt schemes owing
to severe liquidity and
redemption pressures.
Sebi said if consent
of the unit holders is
also required to wind up
due to urgent events,
there would not be any
difference with an inde-
pendent provision
which speaks about
their role in winding up.
People take to streets,give anti-China calls
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: The
death of 20 Indian sol-
diers along the LAC in
Ladakh triggered pro-
tests across Gujarat on
Wednesday with people
breaking China-made
electronic gadgets and
calling for boycott of
Chinese products.
People took to the
streetsinAhmedabad,
Vadodara and Surat
and set fire to the Chi-
nese flag and pictures
of President Xi Jin-
ping. Protesters urged
the Modi government
to ensure that the sol-
diers’ martyrdom did
not go in vain.
In Surat, residents of
a housing society de-
cided to boycott Chi-
nese products and
broke a China-made
LCD TV in front of me-
dia persons. “We hereby
boycott all Chinese
products” - read a no-
tice board at the Pan-
chratna Garden Society
in Varachha area.
“It’s time we teach
China a lesson. We have
decided not to use Chi-
nese products, whether
it is TV, mobile phone or
other items. “We urge
countrymen to follow
the suit,” said Gopal
Sharma, a resident.
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: A
24-year-old college
student from Afghan-
istan allegedly com-
mitted suicide on
Wednesday by hang-
ing himself from a
tree outside a hostel
in Ahmedabad. The
reason was not imme-
diately known.
The deceased has
been identified as Sekib
Fakir, police said. His
body was found hanging
from a tree outside the
boy’s hostel of Gujarat
University.
“He was pursuing a
course in BBA (bache-
lor of business admin-
istration) from an affili-
ated college of Gujarat
University and waiting
to appear for an exam,”
Assistant sub-inspector
Aniruddhsinh Mori of
Gujarat University po-
lice station said.
The investigators are
trying to ascertain why
he killed himself.
Minister of State Ishwarsinh Patel paid fine of Rs 200.
Suratis burning pictures of
Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Even a wooden bench has been divided between two States at Navapur.

AHMEDABAD, THURSDAY
JUNE 18, 2020
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia
facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia 09
aving beautiful nails
is every girl’s dream,
but at the same time,
maintaining them is
a major task for most
of them. The major-
ity of girls tend to
grow their nails long so they
can decorate them, and go
for that perfect nail art,
which is the most creative
way to embellish the nails.
Whether you like it subtle
or bold, there are so many
ideas out there on the inter-
net you can take inspiration
from, for the perfect idea. In
fact, considering the fact that
nail art takes an ample
amount of time, it is the best
past time for girls who are
looking for things to do at this
period of time.
There are various nail art
techniques like using the
sponge art, stamping art, tap-
ing art, digital art, airbrush
art, decals and stickers art,
splatter art, water marble art,
sharpie art, adding accesso-
ries, glitter art, dotting tools’
art, and so much more. With
this, you might also want to
know the various nail shapes
you can go ahead and experi-
mentwith,likeround,square,
rounded square, oval, squov-
al, ballerina, almond, stiletto
and lipstick nails.
Even though nail art is al-
luring, there is something
very elegant and beautiful
about plain nail polishes. For
a fact, the nail care industry
has grown extensively in the
last couple of years,
after the invention
of modern nail pol-
ishes. The United
States of America
witnessed surg-
ing popularity
of nail art back
in 2012, and
that is where
it all began.
Later that
year, a docu-
mentary ‘NAIL-
gasm’ was re-
leased, that ex-
plored the vari-
ous growing
trends of nail
art by women
across the globe.
With time, there
have been sever-
al options for
nail art, like go-
ing for acrylic
nails, gel nails, or
even the basic
nail polish.
NEHAL NAYAR
nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in
H
Go for that perfect nail art, which is the most
creative way to embellish the nails!
NAILED IT!

10
ETCAHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
FACEOFTHEDAY
FAIZA SAYEED, Model
YOUR
DAYHoroscope by
Saurabbh Sachdeva
LEO
JULY 24 - AUGUST 23
Decision making can be
complicated in the next
while, as you play with
different possibilities or
with information missing. You might
be playing a waiting game in a key
area of your life. You could wrestle
with whether to leave a situation
behind.
LIBRA
SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22
You may need to
backtrack over work that
you thought was complete.
You’re in good shape for
refining projects that are already
underway. Consider that
communications may not be exactly
right. Some plans drawn up during
this shift may never come to pass.
ARIES
MAR 21 - APR 20
Until July 12th, you may
need to fix some problems
or deal with delays.
However, it’s a time of
great ideas and increased enjoyment
of your domestic life. Positive action
or support can come from behind the
scenes or unexpected sources today
with a Mars-Pluto transit.
SAGITTARIUS
NOV 23 - DEC 22
There can be some
misunderstandings or
missing information that
delays you now, but this can
be a blessing in disguise, you’re in
good shape to review, budget, and get
a different perspective on your intimate
relationships, support systems,
dependencies &personal psychology.
GEMINI
MAY 21 - JUNE 21
Review may be necessary
before moving forward,
particularly with finances.
While there can be some
communication breakdowns, you’re
learning a lot about what you truly
want and need. There can be a
strengthening connection with a
parent or boss.
AQUARIUS
JAN 21 - FEB 19
It might feel as if things are
stalling or even moving
backward, but the
refinements you make
during this cycle, lasting until July
12th, can be most beneficial. You may
be dealing with the need to rework old
projects. Old problems with work,
chores, or daily affairs can resurface.
TAURUS
APR 21 - MAY 20
Watch for expressing
yourself prematurely about
a matter today, or for
saying things that you
don’t truly mean.Decision-making is
not as straightforward as it typically
is, as you search within for answers
and need more time to draw
conclusions.
CAPRICORN
DEC 23 - JAN 20
You’re likely to learn new
things about past
problems, mainly related to
work, health, and
relationships. Seeing where you may
have been tripping up in the past can
lead to better decisions later. It’s best
not to take for granted that others
will understand you.
VIRGO
AUG 24 - SEP 23
With a stronger sense of
how your actions might
affect your future, you’ll
find that strategy goes a
long way today. However, Crossed
wires can easily occur right now.
Avoid taking on new projects now &
think about what you’d like to change
to make your social life happier.
CANCER
JUNE 22 - JULY 23
It’s better not to begin a
brand new project, as it
will likely get off to a slow
start, or you might
reconsider it later. In the weeks
ahead, there can be more than the
usual delays, misunderstandings, or
lack of clarity on a significant matter,
keeping you in limbo.
PISCES
FEB20 - MARCH 20
It can be all too easy to get
our wires crossed. Try to
avoid overloading your
schedule and bringing up
tricky topics. You might also get the
chance to arrive at a different
perspective. Keep in mind that your
communications may not always be
taken in the way you intend.
SCORPIO
OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22
You might need to review a
project or pursuit, or you
could be waiting on word
or information that keeps
you in limbo. It’s best to check your
facts, particularly as this shift occurs
now. There can be up-in-the-air
issues surrounding higher education,
publishing, or transportation.
Cinema
GHAR
ina rings the bell,
signaling the start
of the ‘show’. She
ushers young and
old, gesturing, to
quickly settle in.
The lights go out,
the room goes pitch black,
not a sound. “Rishtey mein
toh hum tumhare baap
lagte hain, naam hai, She-
hensha!” Booms out of the
speakers. Lights, camera,
action!
Movie setting, yes. At the
theatre? Certainly not! Like
most things these days,
from ‘eating out’ to ‘work-
ing out’, everything, in the
midst of a world gripped by
the covid-pandemic, is,
home-based! Cinema and
entertainment, no different
then. Is it not ironic, that a
rather popular way of ad-
dressing a movie theatre in
India, for some time has
been, Cinema GHAR?
The entertainment in-
dustry in India is in a tizzy.
Everyone is skeptical. For
the general public, the con-
sumers of content and en-
tertainment; we remain, I’d
argue, less savagely impact-
ed. We take recourse in a
galaxy of ‘online’ content.
That too however, will in-
evitably, run out! So what is
likely to happen to the
world of movies, shows,
and entertainment then?
THE SHOW WILL GO ON,
BECAUSE IT MUST
I would tend to believe that
unlike speculation in some
quarters, the world will go
on. Albeit slowly, just as seg-
ments,sectors,industriesare
opening-up again, as the
world ‘resets’, as will the en-
tertainment industry. Sure,
people may not make a bee-
line for tickets to the next
blockbuster, they may not
throngthetheaterslikeyears
past; there will however be a
return to the old ways, the
original normal, bit by bit.
NEW NORMS, NEW
NORMALS
There will however, be a
transitionary phase in or-
der for the entertainment
sector to restart. Because
of the nature of the beast
that is the coronavirus, the
majority restructuring in
the world of movies &
shows, will have to be in the
form of ‘production-proto-
cols’. Typically, an Indian
film, even a reasonable-
budget OTT or TV Show,
shoots with a crew of a 100
people! With social distanc-
ing likely to become stand-
ard operating procedure,
there will need to be a meta-
morphosis in terms of crew
sizes, that will need to be
cut by large chunks. Shoots
will have to be done with
bare minimum, skeletal
crews, ostensibly with just
the primary cast, director
and director of photogra-
phy present! Will this mean
a dilution of quality? Not
necessarily. Will it mean
leaner productions that are
more pocket-friendly? Most
definitely, and that is a
great advantage, by default.
While many other func-
tions of creating content –
music, editing, writing and
the like, that have tradition-
ally been largely isolated
pursuits; these shall con-
tinue largely in the same
way; there will also need to
be a reexamining, reimagin-
ing, and redefining of Con-
tent-Exhibition. It is likely,
that the movie-theatre, that
was, even pre-covid, experi-
encing a patronage-decline
(thanks to OTT options and
streamed content, among
other reasons), will now be
at an even greater risk, pos-
sibly face extinction even.
Having said that, exhibition
per say, will not stop. Con-
tentwillbecreated,itwillbe
showcased and consumed,
slightly differently to the
more orthodox channels –
mostly online, mostly alone,
or in very intimate groups
(not in public spaces).
SHIFT-FOCUS
From the movie or content-
lover’s point of view, I
would put a wager on Mov-
ies, Shows, even Vlog-con-
tent, moving to a place
where the visual pizzazz,
the spectacle, the frills, the
pomp, may reduce (due to
the aforementioned,
shrunk crew-sizes); the
quality, the essence, the
messaging, the meaningful-
ness, the poetry, the intel-
lectual quotient, will rise,
exponentially. Why? Be-
cause as a human race, we
willhopefullyhaveemerged
more sensitive after the
coronavirus pandemic. Art-
ists, creators, makers espe-
cially, ought to vividly re-
flect this newfound insight
and wisdom, in their writ-
ing and creations.
The Cinema GHAR then,
might not be what it once
used to. But the Cinema in
our GHAR, will have, un-
doubtedly, evolved!
KARTIK BAJORIA
cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
T

A
ctress Jennifer Garner says staying
with her family and taking her cat
for walks in a stroller is keeping her
sane during the lockdown amid the
coronavirus pandemic.
During her virtual appearance on ‘The
Ellen DeGeneres Show’, the actress
opened about spending lockdown with
her family. “We have our moments, of
course, but they have been great. They
really get the call to action to stay
put,” Garner said while talking
about her three children Violet,
14, Seraphina, 11 and Samuel.
Garner also shared the story be-
hind the images of her walking her cat in a
stroller. “One of my kids is just not into going
for walks, and I thought ‘oh my goodness we need
to just get out of the house’ and she said ‘I want
to bring the cat’”, Garner explained. “So we or-
dered the stroller.” —Agency
K
ylie Jenner and her little one Stormi
Webster have been shelling out major
mother-daughter goals time and again.
From playing tennis together to chill-
ing by the pool, trying out different hairstyles
to cuddling together, Kylie Jenner and Stormi
Webster are one of the cutest duos. While the
22-year-old beauty stalwart undoubtedly
looks flawless in her pictures, it wouldn’t be
wrong to stay that the 2-year-old is all set to
give her tough competition. In-
heriting style from her mom-
my Kylie Jenner, 2-year-old
Stormi is no less than a
diva. The little child
loves to be in front of
the camera and never
shiesawayfromposing.
Kylie is found raising
the heat levels with her
gorgeous pictures on In-
stagram while
Stormi man-
ages to take
away the
cake with
her cute-
ness. Ador-
able swim-
suits, pret-
ty dresses,
stylish ath-
l e i s u r e ,
Stormi pulls
it off all just
like her
mommy. Re-
cently, Kylie
Jenner and lit-
tle Stormi
headed for their
‘Wild,WildWest’
getaway and the
two posed to-
gether in styl-
ish leather
boots.
S
ushmita Sen took to social me-
dia and introduced co-actor
Manish Chaudhari’s charac-
ter - Shekhawat, to be seen
in her upcoming debut web series
‘Aarya.’
The former Miss Universe
showered praises on Chaud-
hari for the actor he is, and
the “discipline, focus and the
controlled intensity” he pos-
sesses. Sharing a still with
him on Instagram, Sen intro-
duced his character in the se-
ries, Shekhawat to be a “suave,
ruthless” one.
“Yet in real life is the gen-
tlest soul...an absolute Gen-
tleman!! I will forever cher-
ish the grace he showed me
in the most difficult of
Scenes!! I can’t wait to
work with him again...so
much to learn!!! Here’s
wishing you every happi-
ness & success, you so rich-
ly deserve Manish!! Sen
added to her captions.
On Monday, the ‘Main
Hoon Na’ actor dubbed
her other co-star, actor
Namit Das as an “institu-
tion himself,” while in-
troducing his charac-
ter in the forthcom-
ing series. Das will
essay the role of
Jawahar. —ANI
S
haring a still from her
much-loved film ‘Khoob-
surat,’ actor Sonam Ka-
poor Ahuja on Wednes-
day expressed her desire to get
back to film sets again.
The ‘Delhi 6’ actor posted the
still from her romantic-comedy
film on Instagram and said
that she loved the character of
‘Mili’ that she portrayed in the
film. “Can’t wait to be re-
hearsing lines, acting and
being on set again.. miss it
so damn much. This still
is from ‘khoobsurat’,”
she wrote in the cap-
tion. “I’ve never felt as
joyful playing a charac-
ter. Mili I love you. @
ghoshshashanka @
rheakapoor @juhic3 @
fawadkhan81 @disney-
filmsindia,” her caption
further read. A film by
Disney - ‘Khoobsurat’ -
continues to win hearts
even after 6 years of its
release.
The film narrated a ela-
tionship between a prince
from Rajasthan’s royal
family and doctor. While
Sonam portrayed the role
of the clumsy doctor in
the film, Fawad Khan
starred opposite her. —ANI
As a soldier’s daughter,
the death of a soldier will
always hurt hard and feel
personal. The sacrifice
of their lives and the
sacrifice of their families
will always leave a void.
I pray for peace and I
pray for strength for
the brave bereaved
families. Indian
Army, JaiJawan.
AJAY DEVGN
ETCwww.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020
11
TRIBUTETOTHESOLDIERShe Bolly-
wood frater-
nity on
Wednesday
paid their
homage to
the brave-
hearts killed during
the violent face-off
with the Chinese
troops in Ladakh’s
Galwan Valley. At
least 20 Indian sol-
diers were killed in
the violent face-off,
government sources
had revealed and
added that the casu-
alty numbers could
rise. Indian inter-
cepts revealed that
Chinese side suf-
fered 43 casual-
ties including
dead and seri-
ously injured
in the violent
clash. —ANI
T
ANUSHKA SHARMA
Salute every soldier
who laid down his
life protecting India’s
border & honour. Jai
Jawan, Jai Bharat
RIP Brave Hearts My
thoughts are with
your families during
this hour. #Galwan-
Valley #IndianArmy
Heartbroken about
the death of our brave
soldiers. #Galwan-
Valley. Our defence
stands it is ground.
We are forever in-
debted to the sacrifice
of our brave soldiers.
#jaihind
MADHURI DIXIT NENE SANJAY DUTT
My humble gratitude to the Indian Army and our brave
soldiers who laid down their lives for the safety of our
nation. Sincere condolences to their families. Jai Hind.
Mourning the loss of our brave jawans who were martyred at
#GalwanValley. My condolences to their families and salute to
the Indian Army who has always put the nation first!#JaiHind
VARUN DHAWAN
CAN’T WAIT: SONAM
GentleIntroduction
Tough Fight!
—Agency
SANITY
AMIDCRISIS
Jennifer Garner
Sonam Kapoor Ahuja
... her post
Kylie Jenner
Sushmita Sen
... her post

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