Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Kolkata extends ban on flights to six cities till 31 July; confirmed cases in Bengal exceed 38,000

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Kolkata extends ban on flights to six cities till 31 July; confirmed cases in Bengal exceed 38,000

07:56 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in West Bengal Latest Updates

1,894 fresh COVID-19 infections in Bengal 

West Bengal recorded 1,894 COVID-19 infections in a day, taking the overall count to 38,011 as on Friday. According to data provided by the government, there are 14,709 active cases.

In the past 24 hours, the state has recorded 26 deaths.

Of the new confirmed cases, 563 were recorded in Kolkata alone. Twelve more patients have succumbed to the viral infection in the city. 

07:51 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in West Bengal Latest Updates

Kolkata extends ban on flights from 6 cities, including Delhi and Mumbai, 31 till July

The ban on passenger flights to Kolkata from six cities including Delhi and Mumbai has been extended till 31 July as confirmed cases continue to surge in West Bengal. 

All these cities are COVID-19 hotspots and have reported the highest number of cases in the country.

Earlier, flight operations to Kolkata from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Nagpur and Ahmedabad were suspended on the request of West Bengal government. 

It is informed that no flights shall operate to Kolkata from Delhi,Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur,Chennai & Ahmedabad from 6th to 19th July 2020 or till further order whichever is earlier. Inconvenience caused is regretted.@AAI_Official @MoCA_GoI @ushapadhee1996 @HardeepSPuri @arvsingh01

— Kolkata Airport (@aaikolairport) July 4, 2020

07:47 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Kerala Latest Updates

Kerala confirms community spread of COVID-91 in coastal areas

The Kerala government Friday confirmed the community transmission of coronavirus in two coastal areas in Thiruvananthapuram district. The development, which is indicative of the vulnerability of coastal areas to COVID-19, comes even as nearly 800 new cases were reported in the state in the past 24 hours with overall count surging pastexceeding 11,000.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, at the daily briefing, said community transmission of the coronavirus is observed to have taken place in the coastal neighbourhoods of Pulluvila and Poonthura in the capital district.

He also indicated that a complete lockdown is likely to be imposed in Thiruvananthapuram’s coastal areas.

Coronavirus LATEST Updates: West Bengal recorded 1,894 COVID-19 infections in a day, taking the overall count to 38,011 as on Friday. According to data provided by the government, there are 14,709 active cases.

India's tally of coronavirus cases crossed 10 lakh on Friday with 34,956 new patients testing positive, a new high in daily cases, on Friday while the toll rose to 25,602 with 687 casualties in 24 hours. Friday was the second consecutive day when the country reported over 3o,000 cases.

The Union health ministry said that the total count of cases stands at 10,03,832, including 3,42,473 active cases and 6,35,757 cured/discharged/migrated patients. The recovery rate stands at 63.33 percent.

Community spread of COVID-19 in Thiruvananthapuram, says Kerala CM

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said that there is a community spreadof COVID-19 in some places in coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram, where a large number of cases have been reported. He said that a total lockdown will be implemented in the coastal areas from Saturday.

"The situation in some places in the coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram district is serious as COVID-19 is spreading at a very fast rate. Large number of cases in these areas are an indication of the infection spread. We can say there is a community spread in these places. The government is taking steps to coordinate all the efforts to face this serious situation," Vijayan said at a press conference.

Vijayan added that community spread has occurred in two places in the coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram district. Poonthura, Pulluvilla and its nearby places have seen a rapid increase in the number of contact cases, the chief minister said.

"We are moving to the next stage. There will be more restrictions in the capital district, where maximum number of cases have been reported. Of the 246 positive cases in the district today, only two came from abroad. 237 cases were due to contact. Four healthcare workers were also infected and the source of three cases is unknown. This is an unusual situation," Vijayan said.

Kerala reported 791 new COVID-19 cases, 133 recoveries and one death on Friday.

Karnataka govt says lockdown won't be extended in Bengaluru

Karnataka minister R Ashoka on Friday said that the COVID-19 lockdown will not be extended further in Bengaluru.

"We have taken expert opinion, and the lockdown will not be extended. It will end on 22 July," the minister said.

Earlier on Friday, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) mayor M Goutham Kumar called for an extension of lockdown in the city for one more week due to rise in the COVID-19 cases.

"It will be better if we get more time to tackle COVID-19 cases. We wish for the extension of lockdown for one more week. We have given the proposal to the government," said Kumar.

Lockdown had been imposed in the city for seven days with effect from 8 pm on 14 July till 5 am on 22 July to curb the further spread of COVID-19.

State-wise cases and deaths today

Maharashtra reported 8,308 new COVID-19 cases and 258 deaths on Friday. The total number of positive cases has risen to 2,92,589 including 1,60,357 recovered cases, 1,20,480 active cases and 11,452 deaths.

Tamil Nadu, which is the second worst-affected state in the country, reported 4,538 new cases and 79 deaths in the last 24 hours. The total number of cases in the state has risen to 1,60,907 including 47,782 active cases, 1,10,807 discharged cases and 2,315 deaths.

National Capital Delhi reported 1,462 new COVID-19 cases taking the total count to 1,20,107. The toll has risen to 3,571 after 26 deaths were reported today.

There are 17,235 active cases in Delhi and 99,301 patients have recovered till date.

A total of 3,693 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Karnataka on Friday, taking the total number of cases to 55,115 cases including 20,757 recoveries and 1,147 deaths. The state reported 115 deaths due to the virus.

Gujarat's COVID-19 count has risen to 45,481 including 32,103 discharged patients and 2,089 deaths. Meanwhile, Puducherry reported 91 new COVID-19 cases and three deaths in the last 24 hours. The total number of cases has risen to 1,832 including 1,014 recoveries and 25 deaths.

Andhra Pradesh reported 2,602 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases to 40,646 including 20,298 and 534 deaths.

Uttarakhand reported 120 new COVID-19 positive cases today taking the total number of cases to 4,102. Himachal Pradesh reported 18 new COVID-19 cases today taking the total count of cases to 1,402 including 383 active cases, 995 recoveries and nine deaths.

With 25 new cases, the total number of cases has risen to 660 in Chandigarh. There are 169 active cases and 480 patients have been cured to date.

India now has India the third-highest total cases after the United States and Brazil. And according to an estimate by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, by the end of next year, India will be the worst-hit country in the world.

The Health Ministry, however, said that actual caseload of COVID-19 in the country is 3,42,756. It said only 1.94 percent of the cases are in ICUs, 0.35 percent cases are on ventilators and 2.81 percent cases are on oxygen beds.

"The actual caseload of COVID-19 cases in the country is only 3,42,756, as on date. More than 6.35 lakhs (63.33 percent) of the total cases have recovered. India, being the second-most populous country in the world with 1.35 billion people, has 727.4 cases per million. On the global scale, cases/million population in India are four to eight times less than some European countries," the ministry said in a release.

The ministry said that the case fatality rate at 18.6 deaths/million is one of the lowest in the world.

US military medics deployed in California, Texas as virus surges

Teams of military medics were deployed in Texas and California to help hospitals deluged by coronavirus patients as Miami area authorities began stepping up enforcement Friday of a mask requirement — echoing efforts in many parts of the world to contain surging infections, AP reported.

In California, military doctors, nurses and other health care specialists were being deployed to eight hospitals facing staffing shortages amid a record-breaking case numbers. In Houston, an 86-person Army medical team worked to take over a wing of United Memorial Medical Center.

Several states have been reporting record numbers this week, contributing to a surge in the national death rate. The seven-day rolling average for daily new deaths has risen 34 percent from two weeks ago, while the case count in that period shot up 43 percent.

With inputs from agencies

from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/3heydrs

परिवार के साथ बर्थडे सेलिब्रेट करेंगी भूमि पेडनेकर, खास दिन मांगी वैक्सीन बनने और प्रभावित लोगों की जिंदगी के लिए दुआ

परिवार के साथ बर्थडे सेलिब्रेट करेंगी भूमि पेडनेकर, खास दिन मांगी वैक्सीन बनने और प्रभावित लोगों की जिंदगी के लिए दुआ
परिवार के साथ बर्थडे सेलिब्रेट करेंगी भूमि पेडनेकर, खास दिन मांगी वैक्सीन बनने और प्रभावित लोगों की जिंदगी के लिए दुआ

बॉलीवुड एक्ट्रेस भूमि पेडनेकर आज अपना 31वां जन्मदिन घर पर ही सेलिब्रेट कर रही हैं। जहां हर साल वो अपने चाहने वालों के बीच रहती आई हैं वहीं इस साल महामारी के चलते एक्ट्रेस अपनी बहन और मां के साथ समय बिताने वाली हैं। दैनिक भास्कर से बातचीत में एक्ट्रेस ने बर्थडे सेलिब्रेशन के अलावा लॉकडाउन और शूटिंग से जुड़ी कई दिलचस्प बातें शेयर की है।

बहन और मां के साथ सेलिब्रेट करेंगी भूमि

इस बार जन्‍मदिन अलग तरह से स्‍पेशल रहने वाला है। वह यूं कि मैं किसी से नहीं मिल रही। अपने परिवार के साथ घर पर ही रहने वाली हूं। बर्थडे प्‍लान बड़े सिंपल और बेसिक रहने वाले हैं। इस महामारी के चलते प्रभावित लोगों की जिंदगियां बेहतर हो जाएं, वैक्‍सीन आ जाए, वही इस जन्‍मदिन की सबसे बेहतर सौगात होगी। यबीते सालों में मैं इसका सेलिब्रेशन बड़े धूमधाम से करती थी, अपने चाहने वालों को बुलाती ही थी। लोग मुझे पैंपर करें, बड़ा अच्‍छा लगता है। इस बार मैं बस अपनी मां और बहन के साथ रहने वाली हूं। हां संभवत: जूम कॉल पर अपने चाहने वालों की दुआएं हासिल कर लूंगी।

काम और सेट को कर रही हैं मिस

जिंदगी में व्‍यस्‍तता तो रही है। पर मुझे परिवार के साथ वक्‍त बिताना अच्‍छा लगता है। साथ ही में शूटिंग और सेट्स को मिस तो कर ही रही हूं। काम को मिस कर रही हूं। उम्‍मीद है कि जल्‍द सब पहले की तरह हो जाए। ऐसा मुमकिन होता नजर आ रहा है। लोग वायरस के साथ तालमेल बना रहे हैं।

लॉकडाउन में क्रिएटिव काम करके बिता रही हैं समय

बाकी क्रिएटिव लोगों की तरह मैंने भी खुद को रचनात्‍मक कामों में व्‍यस्‍त रखा है। कुछ अलग हुनर में हाथ आजमाए हैं। कुकिंग और घर के बाकी कामों में हाथ बंटाए। इन सबके अलावा ढेर सारा लिख रही हूं। खूब किताबें पढ़ रही हूं। जमकर मेडिटेशन भी किया। इन सब ने मुझे खासा व्‍यस्‍त रखा। मैंने काफी डि‍जिटल करार भी किए इन महीनों में। इन सबने मुझे जाहिर तौर पर काफी व्‍यस्‍त रखा।

बहन के साथ करती हैं पागलपंती

बीते चार महीनों ने परिवार के साथ रहने में काफी मदद की। ऐसे में कई नए पहलुओं के बारे में भी जानने का मौका मिला। सब साथ मिलकर कुकिंग से लेकर रीडिंग करते रहे। जाना कि मेरी बहन को काम से संबंधित किन चीजों की जरूरत है। वह मुझसे दस गुना ज्‍यादा काम करती है। जबसे लॉकडाउन हुआ है उसे कभी काम से ब्रेक लेते नहीं देखा है। सिर्फ नाश्‍ते और चाय पर हम दो घंटे साथ बैठ पाते रहे। उस दौरान आपस के जज्‍बात शेयर किए। थोड़ी बहुत पागलपंती भी की।

लॉकडाउन के दौरान मैंने भी जूम नैरेशन लिए। महसूस हुआ कि यह बुरा एक्‍सपीरिएंस नहीं है। यह भी उतना ही असरदार है, जितना फेस टु फेस नैरेशन। मुझे तो यह ऑनलाइन नैरेशन का कॉन्‍सेप्‍ट सही लगा। अच्‍छी बात यह रही कि ढेर सारे राइटर्स भी बिजी रहें होंगे। हालांकि कामना तो यही है कि पुराने दिन वापस लौटें। हमें इस माहौल में भी काम पर जाने की जरूरत है। इकॉनोमी को बेहतर करने की दरकार है। तभी मैं सेट्स पर जाने को बेकरार हूं। डेली वेजेस वर्कर्स के बारे में सोच कर दुख होता है कि काम शुरू न होने की वजह से वे कितना परेशान हो रहे हैं। मैं वर्कोहॉलिक हूं। यूं बैठे रहना कतई नहीं सुहाता। बहरहाल, दो फिल्‍मों के किरदारों की क्रिएशन पर मेरा प्रेप वर्क शुरू हो चुका है। उम्‍मीद है, जल्‍द शूट शुरू हो।

Download Dainik Bhaskar App to read Latest Hindi News Today

Bhumi Pednekar will celebrate birthday with family, made wish for corona vaccine and pray for the lives of affected people

from Dainik Bhaskar https://ift.tt/32B9d9M

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Kolkata extends ban on flights to six cities till 31 July; confirmed cases in Bengal exceed 38,000

07:56 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in West Bengal Latest Updates

1,894 fresh COVID-19 infections in Bengal 

West Bengal recorded 1,894 COVID-19 infections in a day, taking the overall count to 38,011 as on Friday. According to data provided by the government, there are 14,709 active cases.

In the past 24 hours, the state has recorded 26 deaths.

Of the new confirmed cases, 563 were recorded in Kolkata alone. Twelve more patients have succumbed to the viral infection in the city. 

07:51 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in West Bengal Latest Updates

Kolkata extends ban on flights from 6 cities, including Delhi and Mumbai, 31 till July

The ban on passenger flights to Kolkata from six cities including Delhi and Mumbai has been extended till 31 July as confirmed cases continue to surge in West Bengal. 

All these cities are COVID-19 hotspots and have reported the highest number of cases in the country.

Earlier, flight operations to Kolkata from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Nagpur and Ahmedabad were suspended on the request of West Bengal government. 

It is informed that no flights shall operate to Kolkata from Delhi,Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur,Chennai & Ahmedabad from 6th to 19th July 2020 or till further order whichever is earlier. Inconvenience caused is regretted.@AAI_Official @MoCA_GoI @ushapadhee1996 @HardeepSPuri @arvsingh01

— Kolkata Airport (@aaikolairport) July 4, 2020

07:47 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Kerala Latest Updates

Kerala confirms community spread of COVID-91 in coastal areas

The Kerala government Friday confirmed the community transmission of coronavirus in two coastal areas in Thiruvananthapuram district. The development, which is indicative of the vulnerability of coastal areas to COVID-19, comes even as nearly 800 new cases were reported in the state in the past 24 hours with overall count surging pastexceeding 11,000.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, at the daily briefing, said community transmission of the coronavirus is observed to have taken place in the coastal neighbourhoods of Pulluvila and Poonthura in the capital district.

He also indicated that a complete lockdown is likely to be imposed in Thiruvananthapuram’s coastal areas.

Coronavirus LATEST Updates: West Bengal recorded 1,894 COVID-19 infections in a day, taking the overall count to 38,011 as on Friday. According to data provided by the government, there are 14,709 active cases.

India's tally of coronavirus cases crossed 10 lakh on Friday with 34,956 new patients testing positive, a new high in daily cases, on Friday while the toll rose to 25,602 with 687 casualties in 24 hours. Friday was the second consecutive day when the country reported over 3o,000 cases.

The Union health ministry said that the total count of cases stands at 10,03,832, including 3,42,473 active cases and 6,35,757 cured/discharged/migrated patients. The recovery rate stands at 63.33 percent.

Community spread of COVID-19 in Thiruvananthapuram, says Kerala CM

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said that there is a community spreadof COVID-19 in some places in coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram, where a large number of cases have been reported. He said that a total lockdown will be implemented in the coastal areas from Saturday.

"The situation in some places in the coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram district is serious as COVID-19 is spreading at a very fast rate. Large number of cases in these areas are an indication of the infection spread. We can say there is a community spread in these places. The government is taking steps to coordinate all the efforts to face this serious situation," Vijayan said at a press conference.

Vijayan added that community spread has occurred in two places in the coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram district. Poonthura, Pulluvilla and its nearby places have seen a rapid increase in the number of contact cases, the chief minister said.

"We are moving to the next stage. There will be more restrictions in the capital district, where maximum number of cases have been reported. Of the 246 positive cases in the district today, only two came from abroad. 237 cases were due to contact. Four healthcare workers were also infected and the source of three cases is unknown. This is an unusual situation," Vijayan said.

Kerala reported 791 new COVID-19 cases, 133 recoveries and one death on Friday.

Karnataka govt says lockdown won't be extended in Bengaluru

Karnataka minister R Ashoka on Friday said that the COVID-19 lockdown will not be extended further in Bengaluru.

"We have taken expert opinion, and the lockdown will not be extended. It will end on 22 July," the minister said.

Earlier on Friday, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) mayor M Goutham Kumar called for an extension of lockdown in the city for one more week due to rise in the COVID-19 cases.

"It will be better if we get more time to tackle COVID-19 cases. We wish for the extension of lockdown for one more week. We have given the proposal to the government," said Kumar.

Lockdown had been imposed in the city for seven days with effect from 8 pm on 14 July till 5 am on 22 July to curb the further spread of COVID-19.

State-wise cases and deaths today

Maharashtra reported 8,308 new COVID-19 cases and 258 deaths on Friday. The total number of positive cases has risen to 2,92,589 including 1,60,357 recovered cases, 1,20,480 active cases and 11,452 deaths.

Tamil Nadu, which is the second worst-affected state in the country, reported 4,538 new cases and 79 deaths in the last 24 hours. The total number of cases in the state has risen to 1,60,907 including 47,782 active cases, 1,10,807 discharged cases and 2,315 deaths.

National Capital Delhi reported 1,462 new COVID-19 cases taking the total count to 1,20,107. The toll has risen to 3,571 after 26 deaths were reported today.

There are 17,235 active cases in Delhi and 99,301 patients have recovered till date.

A total of 3,693 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Karnataka on Friday, taking the total number of cases to 55,115 cases including 20,757 recoveries and 1,147 deaths. The state reported 115 deaths due to the virus.

Gujarat's COVID-19 count has risen to 45,481 including 32,103 discharged patients and 2,089 deaths. Meanwhile, Puducherry reported 91 new COVID-19 cases and three deaths in the last 24 hours. The total number of cases has risen to 1,832 including 1,014 recoveries and 25 deaths.

Andhra Pradesh reported 2,602 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases to 40,646 including 20,298 and 534 deaths.

Uttarakhand reported 120 new COVID-19 positive cases today taking the total number of cases to 4,102. Himachal Pradesh reported 18 new COVID-19 cases today taking the total count of cases to 1,402 including 383 active cases, 995 recoveries and nine deaths.

With 25 new cases, the total number of cases has risen to 660 in Chandigarh. There are 169 active cases and 480 patients have been cured to date.

India now has India the third-highest total cases after the United States and Brazil. And according to an estimate by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, by the end of next year, India will be the worst-hit country in the world.

The Health Ministry, however, said that actual caseload of COVID-19 in the country is 3,42,756. It said only 1.94 percent of the cases are in ICUs, 0.35 percent cases are on ventilators and 2.81 percent cases are on oxygen beds.

"The actual caseload of COVID-19 cases in the country is only 3,42,756, as on date. More than 6.35 lakhs (63.33 percent) of the total cases have recovered. India, being the second-most populous country in the world with 1.35 billion people, has 727.4 cases per million. On the global scale, cases/million population in India are four to eight times less than some European countries," the ministry said in a release.

The ministry said that the case fatality rate at 18.6 deaths/million is one of the lowest in the world.

US military medics deployed in California, Texas as virus surges

Teams of military medics were deployed in Texas and California to help hospitals deluged by coronavirus patients as Miami area authorities began stepping up enforcement Friday of a mask requirement — echoing efforts in many parts of the world to contain surging infections, AP reported.

In California, military doctors, nurses and other health care specialists were being deployed to eight hospitals facing staffing shortages amid a record-breaking case numbers. In Houston, an 86-person Army medical team worked to take over a wing of United Memorial Medical Center.

Several states have been reporting record numbers this week, contributing to a surge in the national death rate. The seven-day rolling average for daily new deaths has risen 34 percent from two weeks ago, while the case count in that period shot up 43 percent.

With inputs from agencies

from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/3heydrs

नवाजुद्दीन सिद्दीकी के एक्सट्रा मेरिटल अफेयर के ऑडियो-वीडियो क्लिप जारी करेंगी वाइफ अंजना, बोलीं- बॉलीवुड एक्ट्रेस के नाम लेने से हड़कंप मचने वाली है

शुक्रवार को जहां एक तरफ नवाजुद्दीन सिद्दीकी की अगली फिल्‍म रात अकेली है का ट्रेलर जारी हुआ, वहीं उनकी पत्‍नी अंजना आनंद किशोर पांडे ने नवाज के 'ताल्‍लुकातों' की ऑडियो और वीडियो जारी करने का ऐलान किया। यह ऐलान नवाज के भाइयों व उनकी पत्‍नियों के उन आरोपों के बाद हुआ है, जिसमें अंजना को कटघरे में खड़ा करने की बात कही गई। नवाज के भाइयों की बीवीओं ने बाकायदा 6 जुलाई को नोटिस भी भिजवाए हैं। उनमें सबा, शाइस्‍ता, गुलनाज, आफरीन ने अंजना को झूठा बताया है। सभी ने अंजना के आरोपों को सिरे से खारिज करते हुए कहा कि सिद्दीकी परिवार की बहुओं के साथ टॉर्चर नहीं हुआ । इतना ही नहीं सबने अंजना को पैसों का भूखा भी बताया है।

मेरे सब्र टूट चुका हैः अंजना

इस पर अंजना ने दैनिक भास्‍कर के सामने अपना पक्ष रखा। उन्‍होंने कहा, 'मैं चाहती तो नहीं थी, मगर अब सिद्दीकी परिवार ने मेरे सामने कोई चारा नहीं रखा है। मुझे पता है कि सबा, शाइस्‍ता, गुलनाज, आफरीन ने नवाज के भाइयों के दबाव में आकर इस तरह के बयान दिए हैं। मैं अब वे सारे ऑडियो व वीडियो जारी करने वाली हूं, जिनमें मेरी और फैजुद्दीन की बातें है। शमास से भी बातों की रिकॉर्डिंग हैं, जिसमें नवाज के एक्‍स्‍ट्रा मैरिटल अफेयर की बातें हैं। परिवार में औरतों पर जुल्‍म ढाने की बातें हैं। मैं अब तक चुप थी, मगर अब सिद्दीकी भाइयों ने मेरे सब्र का पूरा इम्तिहान ले लिया है।'

नवाज के थे बॉलीवुड एक्ट्रेस से रिश्तेः अंजना

आगे उन्होंने कहा, अब अगर मैं चुप रही और दुनिया को उनकी कारगुजारियां नहीं दिखा पाईं तो इसके अलग मतलब निकाले जाएंगे। नवाज के एक्‍स्‍ट्रा मैरिटल अफेयर इंडस्‍ट्री की हीरोइनों से भी रहे हैं। उनके नाम जाहिर होगें तो यकीनन हड़कंप मचने वाला है। नवाज के भाइयों ने तो यह तक जाहिर किया था कि भाभी आप के मर्डर तक की प्‍लानिंग की गई थी। यह सब बातें ऑन रिकॉर्ड फोन कॉल्‍स में हैं। वीडियो घर के कैमरों में रिकॉर्ड हैं। अब सब पब्लिक के सामने रखूंगी। दूध का दूध और पानी का पानी करूंगी।

कुछ दिनों पहले बदले अंदाज में आईं थी नजर

इन दिनों ऑडियो-वीडियो रिलीज करने की धमकी दे रहीं अंजना के बोल कुछ दिनों पहले नवाज को लेकर काफी सकारात्मक थे। 23 जून को भास्कर को दिए एक इंटरव्यू के दौरान अंजना ने नवाजुद्दीन से जुड़ी कई भावुक बातें शेयर की थीं। उन्होंने बताया कि कैसे दोनों ने संघर्ष के दिनों में एक दूसरे का साथ दिया।

संघर्ष के दिनों में दिया एक दूसरे का साथ

सुशांत की मौत का कारण कई जगह पर उनका स्ट्रगल माना जा रहा है। इसी बीच अंजना ने नवाज के संघर्ष पर कहा, उन्होंने 16 साल संघर्ष किया है। उन 16 सालों में हमने कभी निराशा नाम का शब्द उनकी जुबान से तो कभी ना सुना। हम दोनों बहुत जुनून के साथ सही अवसर का इंतजार कर रहे थे। काम नहीं होता था। गाड़ी थी नहीं हमारे पास तो हम लोग घर में ही बैठकर दिन- रात भर बातें किया करते थे, फिल्मों पर बातें होती थीं। आत्महत्या तो बहुत दूर की बात है। कभी उन्हें निराश देखा ही नहीं। कुछ ना कुछ करने में लगे पड़े रहते थे। जगह छोड़नी तो नहीं है। मैं जब तक उनके साथ थी, कभी सुसाइड या डिप्रेशन के भाव उनमें नहीं देखे। खाने के भी लाले पड़े होते थे। पर हम दोनों काफी खुश रहते थे। बड़ा गोल्डन टाइम था हम दोनों की लाइफ में।

फाइटिंग स्पिरिट कहां से लाते थे नवाज?

(हंसते हुए) स्ट्रगल के फेस में ही जब आप को खूबसूरत लड़की मिल जाए जो आपसे बेशुमार प्यार करे, बिना किसी शर्त के। आप दिनभर ऑडिशन देकर थक हार कर आओ और फिर रात को अच्छा खाना मिल रहा है तो किसी की भी फाइटिंग स्पिरिट दोगुनी हो ही जाती है। उनकी उस वक्त अच्छी खासी उम्र थी। मैं बस 20 -22 साल की थी। स्ट्रगल तो तब कहा जाए ना, जब आपकी लाइफ में कुछ होता ही नहीं है। उनकी जिंदगी में मैं पहले से ही थी। आधा स्ट्रगल वैसे ही कम था। अनीता (नवाज की एक्स गर्लफ्रेंड) ने उन्हें छोड़ दिया था क्योंकि वो स्ट्रगलर थे। उस पेज में अचानक 20-22 साल की लड़की का जिंदगी में आ जाना, इससे उनके आधे दुख तो खत्म थे।

कभी आप दोनों के बीच भी तू तू मैं मैं हुई?

ज्यादातर तो हम सब हंसी खुशी साथ रहते थे। हम लोगों की भी जिंदगी में प्रॉब्लम्स होती थीं। मैं निकल जाती थी कमरे से। कभी मैं नाराज होती थी तो वह मना लेते थे। उन्होंने कभी मुझे छोड़ना नहीं चाहा। यह बात मुझे अच्छी लगी थी। बहरहाल, शादी के बाद उनके भाई उनकी फैमिली को रिस्पेक्ट करना नहीं आया और नौबत यहां तक पहुंची।

यानी डोमेस्टिक वायलेंस कभी नहीं हुआ?

जी हां, मैंने कभी नहीं कहा कि उन्होंने मुझे मारा या टॉर्चर किया लेकिन उन्हें कभी फीमेल की रिस्पेक्ट करना नहीं आया। उन्होंने अपने अपने भाई अपनी फैमिली की वजह से घर खराब कर लिया।

Download Dainik Bhaskar App to read Latest Hindi News Today

nawazuddin siddiqui's Wife Anjana will release audio-video clips of actor's Extra-Marital Affair, says- Bollywood actress's name is going to stir.

from Dainik Bhaskar https://ift.tt/2OAiG9l

परिवार के साथ बर्थडे सेलिब्रेट करेंगी भूमि पेडनेकर, खास दिन मांगी वैक्सीन बनने और प्रभावित लोगों की जिंदगी के लिए दुआ

बॉलीवुड एक्ट्रेस भूमि पेडनेकर आज अपना 31वां जन्मदिन घर पर ही सेलिब्रेट कर रही हैं। जहां हर साल वो अपने चाहने वालों के बीच रहती आई हैं वहीं इस साल महामारी के चलते एक्ट्रेस अपनी बहन और मां के साथ समय बिताने वाली हैं। दैनिक भास्कर से बातचीत में एक्ट्रेस ने बर्थडे सेलिब्रेशन के अलावा लॉकडाउन और शूटिंग से जुड़ी कई दिलचस्प बातें शेयर की है।

बहन और मां के साथ सेलिब्रेट करेंगी भूमि

इस बार जन्‍मदिन अलग तरह से स्‍पेशल रहने वाला है। वह यूं कि मैं किसी से नहीं मिल रही। अपने परिवार के साथ घर पर ही रहने वाली हूं। बर्थडे प्‍लान बड़े सिंपल और बेसिक रहने वाले हैं। इस महामारी के चलते प्रभावित लोगों की जिंदगियां बेहतर हो जाएं, वैक्‍सीन आ जाए, वही इस जन्‍मदिन की सबसे बेहतर सौगात होगी। यबीते सालों में मैं इसका सेलिब्रेशन बड़े धूमधाम से करती थी, अपने चाहने वालों को बुलाती ही थी। लोग मुझे पैंपर करें, बड़ा अच्‍छा लगता है। इस बार मैं बस अपनी मां और बहन के साथ रहने वाली हूं। हां संभवत: जूम कॉल पर अपने चाहने वालों की दुआएं हासिल कर लूंगी।

काम और सेट को कर रही हैं मिस

जिंदगी में व्‍यस्‍तता तो रही है। पर मुझे परिवार के साथ वक्‍त बिताना अच्‍छा लगता है। साथ ही में शूटिंग और सेट्स को मिस तो कर ही रही हूं। काम को मिस कर रही हूं। उम्‍मीद है कि जल्‍द सब पहले की तरह हो जाए। ऐसा मुमकिन होता नजर आ रहा है। लोग वायरस के साथ तालमेल बना रहे हैं।

लॉकडाउन में क्रिएटिव काम करके बिता रही हैं समय

बाकी क्रिएटिव लोगों की तरह मैंने भी खुद को रचनात्‍मक कामों में व्‍यस्‍त रखा है। कुछ अलग हुनर में हाथ आजमाए हैं। कुकिंग और घर के बाकी कामों में हाथ बंटाए। इन सबके अलावा ढेर सारा लिख रही हूं। खूब किताबें पढ़ रही हूं। जमकर मेडिटेशन भी किया। इन सब ने मुझे खासा व्‍यस्‍त रखा। मैंने काफी डि‍जिटल करार भी किए इन महीनों में। इन सबने मुझे जाहिर तौर पर काफी व्‍यस्‍त रखा।

बहन के साथ करती हैं पागलपंती

बीते चार महीनों ने परिवार के साथ रहने में काफी मदद की। ऐसे में कई नए पहलुओं के बारे में भी जानने का मौका मिला। सब साथ मिलकर कुकिंग से लेकर रीडिंग करते रहे। जाना कि मेरी बहन को काम से संबंधित किन चीजों की जरूरत है। वह मुझसे दस गुना ज्‍यादा काम करती है। जबसे लॉकडाउन हुआ है उसे कभी काम से ब्रेक लेते नहीं देखा है। सिर्फ नाश्‍ते और चाय पर हम दो घंटे साथ बैठ पाते रहे। उस दौरान आपस के जज्‍बात शेयर किए। थोड़ी बहुत पागलपंती भी की।

लॉकडाउन के दौरान मैंने भी जूम नैरेशन लिए। महसूस हुआ कि यह बुरा एक्‍सपीरिएंस नहीं है। यह भी उतना ही असरदार है, जितना फेस टु फेस नैरेशन। मुझे तो यह ऑनलाइन नैरेशन का कॉन्‍सेप्‍ट सही लगा। अच्‍छी बात यह रही कि ढेर सारे राइटर्स भी बिजी रहें होंगे। हालांकि कामना तो यही है कि पुराने दिन वापस लौटें। हमें इस माहौल में भी काम पर जाने की जरूरत है। इकॉनोमी को बेहतर करने की दरकार है। तभी मैं सेट्स पर जाने को बेकरार हूं। डेली वेजेस वर्कर्स के बारे में सोच कर दुख होता है कि काम शुरू न होने की वजह से वे कितना परेशान हो रहे हैं। मैं वर्कोहॉलिक हूं। यूं बैठे रहना कतई नहीं सुहाता। बहरहाल, दो फिल्‍मों के किरदारों की क्रिएशन पर मेरा प्रेप वर्क शुरू हो चुका है। उम्‍मीद है, जल्‍द शूट शुरू हो।

Download Dainik Bhaskar App to read Latest Hindi News Today

Bhumi Pednekar will celebrate birthday with family, made wish for corona vaccine and pray for the lives of affected people

from Dainik Bhaskar https://ift.tt/32B9d9M

Nepal issues clarification on KP Oli's remarks about Ayodhya, claims he 'highlighted need for further research'

The Nepal foreign ministry on Tuesday issued a clarification on Prime Minister KP Oli's remarks regarding the birthplace of Lord Ram and allegations that India created a "fake Ayodhya".

In a statement that sought to downplay the row, the ministry said that Oli's remark "was simply highlighting the importance of further studies and not meant to debasing the significance of Ayodhya and the cultural value it bears (sic)."

"The remarks made by the Prime Minister are not linked to any political subject and have no intention at all to hurt the feeling and sentiment of anyone," the ministry said.

"As there have been several myths and references about Shri Ram and the places associated with him, the Prime Minister was simply highlighting the importance of further studies and research of the vast cultural geography the Ramayana represents to obtain facts about Shri Ram, Ramayana and the various places linked to this rich civilisation," it added.

The ministry further said, "It may be underlined that the tradition of celebrating Bibaha Panchami where a marriage procession coming from Ayodhya, India to Janakpur, Nepal takes place every year. The Prime Ministers of Nepal and India launched the Ramayana Circuit in May 2018, of which Janakpur-Ayodhya Passenger Bus Service is an important component. These facts signify the bond of time-honoured cultural affinity between our two countries and peoples."

On Monday, Oli had said, "Although real Ayodhya lies at Thori, a city in the west of Birgunj, India has claimed that Lord Ram was born there (in India). Due to these continuous claims, even we have believed that deity Sita got married to Prince Ram of India. However, in reality, Ayodhya is a village lying west of Birgunj."

He was speaking at an event organised at the Prime Minister's residence in Kathmandu. Oli also blamed India for cultural encroachment by "creating a fake Ayodhya."

"Balmiki Ashram is in Nepal and the holy place where King Dashrath had executed the rites to get the son is in Ridi. Dashrath's son Ram was not an Indian and Ayodhya is also in Nepal," he claimed.

Oli also questioned how Lord Ram could come to Janakpur to marry Sita when there was "no means" of communication. He further said that it to be impossible for Lord Ram to come to Janakpur from present Ayodhya that lies in India.

"Janakpur lies here and Ayodhya there and there is talk of marriage. There was neither telephone nor mobile then how could he know about Janakpur," Oli said.

With inputs from ANI

from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/2B18Iuw

JAC 12th result 2020: Jharkhand Board Class 12 science and commerce results likely this week; check jac.nic.in for details

The Jharkhand Academic Council, or JAC, is likely to announce the results of Jharkhand Board Class 12 science and commerce examination 2020 this week.

A report by Hindustan Times quoted JAC Chairman Arvind Prasad Singh saying that the Council is making all efforts to declare the results of intermediate, or Class 12, science and commerce exams this week. "The preparations are almost in the final stage," he added.

More than 2.34 lakh students have appeared for the Jharkhand Board Class 12 examination this year. The examinations for all the three streams - science, commerce and arts were held from 10 to 28 February.

The report mentions the officials saying that the JAC had planned to declare the results by May.

The evaluation process got delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent nationwide lockdown announced by the Central government to restrict the spread of the virus.

The evaluation of answer scripts was scheduled to be started from 20 March but it got deferred and later began from 28 May.

According to a report by Prabhat Khabar, the results will be declared online. Once announced, candidates can check their Jharkhand intermediate exam results 2020 on websites - jac.nic.in, jacresults.com, jac.jharkhand.gov.in and jharresults.nic.in.

In 2019, the overall pass percentage of JAC 12th result was 57 percent.

Steps to check JAC Results 2020 online

Step 1: Visit the website of Jharkhand Board Result websites - jacresults.com, jac.jharkhand.gov.in, jac.nic.in, or jharresults.nic.in.

Step 2: Click on the link that mentions about JAC Intermediate Examination Results 2020.

Step 3: You will be directed to a new page where you will have to enter your Jharkhand JAC Class 12 exam 2020 roll number, date of birth and other credentials.

Step 4: Your Jharkhand Board Class 12 result 2020 will be displayed on the screen along with your score in individual subjects and your total marks.

On 8 July, JAC declared the Jharkhand Class 10 board examination 2020 results.

from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/32h7I0A

Jailed poet Varavara Rao isn't a mercenary; he should receive justice, not just sympathy, writes Padmaja Shaw

The last week saw frantic efforts to somehow reach medical assistance to the Telugu revolutionary poet Varavara Rao who is currently being held in Taloja jail in Maharashtra. Innumerable organisations of poets, academics, and intellectuals have been appealing for immediate medical care for him on humanitarian grounds amidst news of gross neglect. Yesterday, 13 July, he was taken to JJ Hospital in Mumbai.

Successive governments have filed at least 25 cases since 1973 against Rao. If he is accused of conspiring to over-throw Andhra Pradesh State in one, in another he is accused of conspiring to kill a constable. None of the cases have a leg to stand on, resulting in acquittals in each instance. Now, widening the horizons of its creativity, the State is accusing him, along with others, of conspiring to kill the Prime Minister of India.

The truth is, time and again, Indian Republic that guarantees free speech and calls itself a socialist and secular democracy incarcerated the poet for his political beliefs. The poor, the Dalit, and the Adivasi understand him, for his empathy distils their conditions of existence and shows them the way to reclaim their own humanity in an increasingly brutalised State.

The octogenarian poet Rao does not "conspire." Whether to assassinate a VVIP or to overthrow the State. Since the publication of his first poetic work in 1957 till date, his life, his politics and his passions have been an open book.

He has publicly espoused revolutionary politics. Led from the front the literary movement of revolutionary poetry, unhesitatingly, with courage, inspiring thousands of young men and women to dream of more just futures for themselves. This was not a secret. Cowards conspire. Not a poet of courage like him, whether one agrees with his politics or not.

He is a prolific writer, critic, translator, journalist, academic, and a mesmerising orator. He has lived one of the most public lives. Wherever he lives, it is open-house for anyone in distress. Both the powerful and the persecuted get an equally empathetic ear from him. But his unwavering support is always for those in distress.

He has paid nine years of his productive life as price for believing in alternative politics that could serve the marginalised people, by serving prison sentences. Millions read him. Millions came to listen when he spoke. Despite trying very hard, the state has rarely succeeded in criminalising his vision in the eyes of the people.

In 1985, Rao was accused of supplying bombs to ensure the success of a strike called by "radical" students. The courts acquitted him. In his poem Reflection, written soon after the incident, he addressed the State and said:

I did not supply the explosives
Nor ideas for that matter
It was you who trod with iron heels
Upon the anthill
And from the trampled earth
Sprouted the ideas of vengeance

It was you who struck the beehive
With your lathi
The sound of the scattering bees
Exploded in your shaken facade
Blotched red with fear

Each prison term empowered the poet and stoked the people’s curiosity about his vision. This time around, his arrest has exposed the true nature of the State. That he, and the others now under arrest, had no links to the Bhima-Koregaon or with the events at the Elgar Parishad. Bhima-Koregaon celebrations, in fact, were criticised by people like Professor Anand Teltumbde, raising a rigorous debate on how to read aspects of Dalit history in India. But Professor Teltumbde, too, was arrested on similar accusations of conspiracy.

Sudha Bharadwaj, Shoma Sen, and other lawyers and activists arrested in this case have all challenged the unsustainable economic model adopted by successive governments that was devouring the lives and livelihoods of the poor, not necessarily a particular person in power. They have been engaged in relentless legal battles, as sanctioned under the Constitution of India, to restore respect for constitutional values. In each of their careers, neither over-throw of the state nor conspiracies for assassination have been a part.

Those orchestrating their persecution know this. The arrests of "conspirators" is from an a priori list, that has little to do with facts on the ground, some of which were revealed during the public hearings held on Bhima-Koregaon violence.

Charging human rights activists with assassination conspiracies is a leap of imagination taken by the security establishment, with the strategic silences and complicity of the courts. If the Indian State has shaken all shackles of Constitutional governance, the human rights activists, despite the intensity of persecution, are still functioning within the ethical boundaries set by the Constitutional values. Voluntarily.

The human rights advocacy is now being reduced to making petitions for chairs to sit on in the prison, basic medical care, newspapers and books to read. The very act of incarcerating the rights activists is a blot on the Constitutional governance and the courts should have risen to prevent it.

Rao and the others charged falsely, and being held without bail over the last two years in the name of Bhima-Koregaon, Elgar Parishad events or conspiracy to assassinate the Prime Minister, should be released unconditionally as undermining the processes of law and order and administration of justice to this extreme will erode the foundations of democratic governance. Once such a premise gets judicial sanction, the persecution of innocents will spread exponentially to engulf all dissent.

That most of the accused are over 60 years of age and ailing is a humanitarian issue. Justice will be served only when they are acquitted unconditionally because of the unsubstantiated accusations and subversion of justice, and not on humanitarian grounds.

The author is a former professor at Osmania University, Hyderabad. Views are personal

from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/2Wik1Gd

At the heart of India's racism and colourism, a sincere conviction that we're 'nearly white'

On 2 July, Hindustan Unilever announced that its product Fair & Lovely will be renamed Glow & Lovely, as part of the evolution of its skincare portfolio ‘to a more inclusive vision of Positive Beauty'.

The company was responding to worldwide protests against the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by the Minneapolis Police in the United States. In doing so, it has much company. During and after the protests roiling at least three continents, statues associated with colonialism and the slave trade have been toppled, schools and universities have removed the names of founders who are suddenly in disgrace, and businesses all over the world have discovered racist overtones in the names or declared benefits of their products.

The word ‘racism’ sits awkwardly in India, where our national census chooses not to recognise racial groups at all. That is a decision both political and practical – political because it is a reaction to British attempts to apply European racial theories to the Indian people, as well as a government attempt to maintain ‘communal harmony’, and practical because after 3000 years of invasion and settlement by the peoples of the West – Indo-Aryans, Assyrians, Macedonians, Bactrians, Parthians, Arabs, Persians, Turks, Afghans – and some assimilation from the East, the Indian ‘race’ is nearly undefinable.

Even so, Indian racism is elemental – as nature abhors a vacuum, India abhors dark skin.

It is the only type of racism India understands and tolerates, and it predates Europe and America and Western civilisation itself. We Indians began to practise it 3000 years ago, when we chose the word varna, one of whose meanings is colour, for the four social classes into which we divided society in our oldest extant scripture, the Rig Veda, which we composed as early 1300 BCE.

Colour-based discrimination in India is nuanced. To the Western eye, most Indians are dark-skinned, with the exception of a few who ‘do not look Indian’. I was somewhat disappointed when, on arriving in America, I was told that I was as dark as ‘those other Indians’. To Indians, our skin colour has a dozen shades, from coal-black to chocolate-brown to ‘wheatish’ – an aspirational word perhaps invented by matrimonial advertisements – to milky-white to ‘looks like a (white) foreigner’.

Our coal-blackers go about their lives much like the Prince of Morocco, pleading fruitlessly,

Mislike me not for my complexion,

The shadow’d livery of the burnish’d sun,

and are somehow accommodated, sometimes attaining success far beyond their skin colour would dictate, becoming exceptions that prove the rule. In the town in Bihar where I spent my childhood, mothers console dark-skinned children by pointing out that Ram and Krishna were both dark. Indeed, Krishna was the victim of a sort of racism long before the West came by it. Writing in the 16th century, Surdas described how Balram, Krishna’s light-skinned elder brother, mocked his dark skin.

Gorey Nand Jasoda gorii tuu kas syaamal gaat

(Nand and Jasoda are both light-skinned, so why are you dark?)

But this offers little consolation to the hopelessly dark child. Krishna’s skin is not the muddy brown of India, but an arresting blue-grey that testifies to his status as Vishnu incarnate. And we may assume that Vishnu, Preserver of the Universe, is blue-grey by choice, which makes Balram’s racism quite endearing, unlike the colour discrimination the coal-blacker child can expect to face. In any case, Krishna’s darkness is forgotten as soon as it is mentioned – in the blockbusters by Ramanand Sagar and BR Chopra, Ram and Krishna were played by light-skinned actors, with a touch of blue sometimes added in an attempt at ‘authenticity’ but never applied so thickly as to offend Indian eyes.

For chocolate-browns, India offers some channels for subterfuge. A bit of flair and chutzpah allows them to pass, under flattering lights and from some angles, as wheatish, which is how their families describe them in matrimonial ads.

For the wheatish, life bubbles with greater hope, providing cosmetic solutions and carefully chosen wardrobe hues that move the skin tone toward milky-white, but it is for the milky-white and those who look like (white) foreigners that India opens her arms. These humans we make into film stars. When they take selfies with us, glistening in their whiteness against a sea of dark faces, we are overjoyed. When they lead large troupes in dance sequences in Bollywood films, we delight in how they stand out in their light skin against the backup dancers.

Three years ago, in a pleasant café in Yari Road in Mumbai, I met with a dark-skinned Bollywood actor who had just become highly successful. “When I first arrived in Bollywood,” he told me, “all the roles I got were ‘bank security guard’ or ‘taxi driver’ because I ‘looked Indian’.” His success, apparent in the number of times we were interrupted so people could take selfies with him, was the exception that proved the rule.

Now, one might ask: why does India put up with an oppressive system in which nearly the whole population is at the receiving end? But that question ignores the essential truth about India’s self-image – Indians do not really think they are dark-skinned.

If you were to ask a coal-blacker, you would almost certainly be told, ‘I am chocolate-brown.' A chocolate-brown thinks oneself wheatish, the wheatish one lays claim to milky-white, and so on. This idea is so deeply rooted in Indian minds that we have altered the physical world to match it – the pictures of Gandhi, Patel, Subhas Chandra Bose and other figures that hang in our homes are of white people with pink lips – even when, as in the case of Gandhi, countless photographs exist to prove those pictures are a lie; my childhood photos show a nearly white-skinned boy because of deliberate over-exposure in the photo studio; the women in my town wear foundation two shades lighter than their skin tones – indeed some seem to believe that the purpose of ‘powder’ is to make oneself look ‘fairer’. Everywhere you go, you are surrounded by people whose skins are light in their own minds, and lighter than ‘that really dark person’. In other words, we consider ourselves the beneficiaries of colour discrimination, not its victims.

When Indians hear of George Floyd – to the extent we hear of him at all – we do not think ‘this could have been me’; we think ‘Thank God this will never be me’.

This image of ourselves is not the result of marketing hyperbole, as in a matrimonial ad that sells a chocolate-brown bride as wheatish. Rather, it is born out of sincere conviction, shaken only occasionally by visual evidence. And it is this occasional glimpse of truth – perhaps a candid photograph or a reflection in an unfortunately placed mirror – that makes Indians, being nearly white already, open to further whitening, which brings us to the surreal world of Fair & Lovely.

My father sold Fair & Lovely for decades, perhaps since it was first introduced. The picture on the tube makes its benefits clear – three profiles of the same model with increasingly lighter skin – and of course all Hindi speakers understand those two English words. As used in India, ‘fair’ has one and only one specific meaning, and what is not fair cannot be lovely. The women in my family applied the cream regularly. Tubes lay about the house when I was growing up. On special occasions – weddings, engagements, match-making ceremonies – these tubes were passed from hand to hand and squeezed liberally on to dark cheeks. Having inherited the family business, my brother now sells the cream, and tells me it is by far his highest selling product. A mere 25-gram tube sells for Rs 54, not an inconsiderable sum in a small town in Bihar for a cream that must be applied daily, or more than once a day for “maximum effect”.

Hindustan Unilever’s cynicism – first in exploiting the gullibility of the dark-skinned Indian and now in climbing aboard the inclusion bandwagon – will go unpunished, as perhaps it should, because the people of India do not mind much. Bollywood stars with lighter skin than ours continue to vouch for the cream, and it is easy to find people in my town who will swear that, in some lights and from some angles and on some days, the cream has made their skin lighter and therefore more beautiful. And now that the stigma of the name has been removed in our newly deracinated world, Hindustan Unilever can extol the virtues of the cream without guilt, and without running afoul of political correctness.

The people in my town will continue to put gobs of Glow & Lovely on their noses, rub it in, examine themselves anxiously in the mirror, be pleased to see a lighter patch here or there, and feel smug that we Indians are not so dark that there is no hope. Even coal-blackers, after all, have the consolation that there exist entire nations in the world where everyone is darker than the darkest Indian. That, by the way, is another nugget with which mothers in my town console their dark-skinned children.

Sujit Saraf is a novelist and playwright. His most recent novel, Harilal & Sons, won the Crossword Award for fiction. He is the artistic director of Naatak, an Indian-American theatre company in San Jose, California.

from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/3ep10bj

Johnnie Walker whiskey will be sold in recyclable paper bottles from 2021, announces Diageo

Johnnie Walker whiskey will be available in paper bottles from 2021. Diageo, the parent company of the global whisky brand, said that it will be the world's first plastic-free paper-based spirits bottle.

Diageo in a release claimed that it has created the world’s first ever 100 percent plastic-free paper-based spirits bottle, made entirely from sustainably sourced wood.

"The bottle will debut with Johnnie Walker, the world’s number one Scotch Whisky, in early 2021," it said.

According to a report by CNBC, the development of paper bottle was done in collaboration between Diageo and venture management firm Pilot Lite, which in turn led to the development of a business called Pulpex Limited.

Calling Pulpex Limited as a “sustainable packaging technology company”, Diageo said its paper bottle was both scalable and plastic free.

According to a report by BBC, Pulpex will also manufacture packaging for Unilever and PepsiCo. The paper whisky bottle will be fully recyclable.

The report mentions that drinks companies have been manufacturing paper bottles to cut down on pollution as well as make products more sustainable.

As per a report by Vice, glass manufacturing requires the burning of fossil fuels—such as natural gas, light and heavy fuel oils and liquefied petroleum gas.

The air emitted includes greenhouse gases, sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides. In the process, fine particulates that contain heavy metals such as arsenic and lead are also released.

A report by Forbes mentions that Diageo’s announcement can be seen as a response to a similar initiative that was started by its competitors.

Last year in October, Absolut Vodka partnered with Coca Cola, L'Oreal and Carlsberg to design and create scalable paper bottles with Paboco.

Johnnie Walker whisky manufacturer Diageo also makes Smirnoff and Guinness.

from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/3et78zl

Vikas Dubey encounter: SC may consider appointing panel to probe deaths of 8 UP cops, gangster and his aides

New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government told the Supreme Court Tuesday that it would file a status report on encounters of gangster Vikas Dubey and his associates.

A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde said it may consider appointing a committee headed by a former judge to inquire into the encounters of Dubey, his aides as well as the killing of eight Uttar Pradesh policemen by the gangster.

The apex court said it would hear on 20 July the pleas seeking court-monitored probe into the encounters.

The bench, also comprising Justices RS Reddy and AS Bopanna, observed that monitoring of investigation is something which the court is very reluctant to do.

The top court said it may consider doing something similar to what was done in the case of encounter of four accused in the gang-rape and murder of a veterinarian in Telangana, in which the apex court had appointed inquiry commission headed by a former apex court judge.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Uttar Pradesh, told the bench that the state has taken the matter seriously and would file a status report by 16 July detailing the steps taken by the authority.

Eight policemen, including DSP Devendra Mishra, were ambushed in Bikru village in Chaubeypur area of Kanpur when they were going to arrest Dubey and fell to bullets fired from rooftops shortly after midnight on 3 July.

Dubey was killed in an encounter in the morning of 10 July when a police vehicle carrying him from Ujjain to Kanpur met with an accident and he tried to escape from the spot in Bhauti area, the police had said.

Four policemen, including an inspector posted in Nawabganj, were injured in the accident, IG, Kanpur Range, Mohit Agarwal had said.

The police claimed that Dubey, the prime accused in the ambush in which cops were killed, was rushed to the hospital where he was declared dead.

Prior to Dubey's encounter, five of his alleged associated were killed in separate encounters.

One of the pleas filed in the apex court by advocate Ghanshyam Upadhyay has sought registration of an FIR and an apex court monitored probe by the CBI into the encounter of five co-accused, who were alleged to be associated with Dubey in the killing of policemen.

Another petition was filed by Delhi-based lawyer Anoop Praksah Awasthi, who has sought a court-monitored probe by CBI or NIA to "investigate/probe and prosecute the police-criminal-politician nexus in the killing of 8 police personnel in Uttar Pradesh...and every killing in encounter by police of the gang members of Vikas Dubey including his own killing on 10 July".

The petitions filed by Upadhyay, Awasthi and another plea related to the matter was listed for hearing before the bench on Tuesday.

The plea, filed by Upadhyay, has referred to media reports and claimed that encounter of five co-accused by the police is "not only extremely illegal, inhuman, but also it is shocking to the conscience of the court and is nothing but Talibanisation of the country, which cannot be countenanced at all".

It has also sought a direction to the Uttar Pradesh government and the police to register FIR for demolition of residential building, vehicles and other properties of Dubey and also regarding encounters of the co-accused.

Besides these petitions, a police officer, who has been suspended and arrested for his alleged role in passing on crucial information about the raid to nab Dubey, has also approached the apex court seeking protection citing the spate of encounters in which the gangster and his aides were killed.

The plea, filed through his wife Vinita Sirohi, apprehended that her husband Krishn Kumar Sharma may be eliminated through illegal and unconstitutional means.

Sub-inspector Sharma, along with three others, was suspended on 5 July for his alleged involvement in passing on information to Dubey about police movement towards his house in Kanpur district to arrest him.

Separately, an NGO, People's Union for Civil Liberties, has also moved the top court seeking an SIT probe into the killing of Dubey and his two aides in Uttar Pradesh, saying the police version of the encounter of the gangster "raises many serious questions".

PUCL, which had earlier moved the top court seeking an SIT or CBI probe into UP police encounters between January 2017 and March 2018, has filed a fresh interim plea in its pending PIL urging the court to set up a panel headed by a former SC judge to probe the encounters and the nexus between criminals and politicians.

While on 3 July, two of Dubey's alleged associates, Prem Prakash Pandey and Atul Dubey, were killed by police in an encounter in Kanpur, on 8 July the police killed Amar Dubey, who carried a reward of Rs 50,000, in Maudaha village in Hamirpur district.

On 9 July, two more alleged aides — Kartikeya alias Prabhat and Praveen alias Bauwa Dubey — were killed in separate encounters in Kanpur and Etawah districts.

from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/3fsiNzr