At least 100 protesters gathered outside the residence of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, with marchers calling for the economy to reopen and condemning the health orders enacted in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Bursa Malaysia said both exchanges would collaborate on several areas of mutual interest aimed at strengthening ties and promoting the flow of investment.

The post Malaysia, Shenzhen stock exchanges sign MoU to improve cross-border collaboration appeared first on DealStreetAsia.

While China had officially designated all areas of the country as low-risk last Thursday, the new cases according to data published on Sunday represent a jump from the single case reported for the day before. The number was lifted by a cluster of 11 in Shulan city in northeastern Jilin province.

HRT has confirmed that the mechanic involved in a serious looking pit lane incident during the Italian Grand Prix is not badly injured

Jenson Button is expecting to have a strong race at the Brazilian Grand Prix this weekend, but is hoping for rain on Saturday to mix up the qualifying order

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh believes Formula One should consider immediate rule changes to spice up the racing, after the Bahrain Grand Prix proved the new regulations had done very little to ease overtaking

Karun Chandhok apologised to his HRT team after his debut grand prix in Bahrain lasted a little over two-and-a-half minutes

Fernando Alonso has said "it's too early to talk about changing the rules" despite the criticism following the Bahrain Grand Prix

A frustrated Sebastian Vettel said brake failure cost him victory in the Australian Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso has posted a video on his YouTube account thanking fans for their support and promising them he will seen them "very soon on the track"

Lewis Hamilton's championship chances have been dealt a further blow after the McLaren driver was handed a five place grid penalty for the team changing his gearbox

Sebastian Vettel was thankful for a dry for Sunday morning qualifying at the Japanese Grand Prix, after he put his peerless Red Bull on pole

Vitaly Petrov has been slapped with a five place grid penalty for the Korean Grand Prix for his part in the accident at the start of the Japanese Grand Prix

Seventeen-year-old Max Verstappen will start his second Formula One race from sixth on the grid but admitted it could have been even better without a brake issue in Malaysia

Jarno Trulli has apologised to Karun Chandhok after taking him out the Monaco Grand Prix within seven laps of the chequered flag

Nico Rosberg thanked the hard work of his Mercedes team after securing its first ever podium finish

Jenson Button has flown back to Woking to work in McLaren's simulator in the hope of resolving some of the set-up problems he experienced at the Malaysian Grand Prix

French health officials on Saturday announced another 80 deaths from the new coronavirus, the lowest figure recorded over 24 hours since early April.

A loving touch will get seedlings ready to plant

As spring turns to summer, gardeners everywhere will be itching to plant the seedlings and cuttings they’ve been raising indoors out in the garden. However, particularly for newbies, the effects of this transition from the cosseted conditions of a warm windowsill to the great outdoors can be a significant hurdle.

The reason why this switch is tricky is that plants have the amazing ability to adapt their anatomy to shield themselves from environmental threats, however they are only triggered to do so when stimulated by the threat itself. Indoors, plants enjoy stable temperatures, limited air movement and much lower light levels (as window glass filters out UVB rays). This means they tend to direct most of their energies into growing, instead of investing in these defences.

Elite clubs will prey on desperate ones in the hunt for bargains as the game reels from its biggest financial hit since the 1930s

Even at the time – in 2017 – the fee Paris Saint-Germain paid Barcelona for Neymar was extraordinary: £198m was 125% more than the previous record, set a year earlier when Manchester United had signed Paul Pogba from Juventus. Transfer records simply aren’t broken by that amount in the usual run of things. It was a statement signing, a deal designed not only to land the player, but to emphasise PSG’s financial power, to highlight their status as a super-club while inflating the market to a level at which only the mega-rich could compete.

Three years on, with football suspended across the globe and major leagues desperately seeking ways to get games on to stave off financial apocalypse, the world looks very different. A model predicated on constant growth has received an abrupt shock.

The Labour MP and A&E doctor on her run-in with the health secretary and her shifts on the hospital frontline

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When Rosena Allin-Khan stood up in the House of Commons last Tuesday to address the health secretary, Matt Hancock, she anticipated being stonewalled. She didn’t expect to become the story.

In her other life, the MP for Tooting is an A&E doctor and intensive care specialist and has been working 12-hour hospital shifts throughout the pandemic. Allin-Khan reported that the government’s failures were contributing to a greater loss of life and she wanted answers on its testing strategy. The health secretary awkwardly responded by suggesting that Allin-Khan’s testimony was untrue and moreover, that she “might do well to take a leaf out of the shadow secretary of state’s book in terms of tone”.

Only US is judged to have dealt with it worse, after it was reported the UK has the highest death toll of any country in Europe

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More people in this country now believe the UK has performed worse than Italy, Spain and France in the Covid-19 crisis than say it has done better than its European neighbours, according the latest Opinium poll for the Observer.

The data shows that only the United States is judged by a majority of people in the UK to have fared worse. While two weeks ago more people thought that the UK had done better than Italy and Spain, now the reverse is the case.

Willy Thuan is a French photographer who started to travel the world early and never stopped until he settled in Thailand in 1994. Then for the past 25 years, his passion for photography has taken him to every corner of Thailand. He has been a Phuket blogger since January 2011. 

One day, during a casual lunch with friends on the Bangtao beach in Phuket, he saw this baby elephant walking towards the water and with the instincts of an experienced photographer, he started taking photos. 

On his blog, he recalls that day: "I saw a small elephant walking alone toward the water and I, of course, thought he would stop there and wait. But no, once approaching the sea, he just started to run faster and rammed into the waves like the kid he was! He came in and out several times; his mahout was casually waiting nearby, apparently used to the elephant's behaviour. The elephant suddenly did something hilarious, totally unexpected: he put his head into the sand and pushed himself forward. I happened to carry a 28-300 mm lens on that day, giving me this perspective, and the photo of a lifetime"

Soooo cute! 

It's only now that Ibrahim Ali Khan's presence on Instagram has become more frequent than before. And thanks to him being a TikTok fan, we now know that he has quite an actor in him! Credit the genes! But does he have plans to pursue it professionally?

Sara Ali Khan, who recently indulged in a candid conversation with Bollywood Hungama, was asked if Ibrahim plans to get into films. "He has not even gone to college as yet. So I think acting is a while away. It's definitely something he is interested in, something he is passionate about. And he's gonna study film in LA. So, if he wants to do something he'll do it,"  she said.

In October last year, Sara and Ibrahim shot for their first magazine cover together, and the internet was all praises. Given that he already has a thing for the camera, looks like it is only a matter of time before we see him in films!

Apart from impressing people with her acting skills, Sara Ali Khan has also been acing her social media game. The actress who often uses rhyme schemes in her Instagram captions also entertains people with her 'Knock Knock Jokes'. Her brother Ibrahim Ali Khan is often seen accompanying her in these videos. In an exclusive chat with Bollywood Hungama, Sara Ali Khan spoke about these videos and how Ibrahim reacts to them.

Recently Sara Ali Khan posted a Tik Tok video where they are seen taking the challenge of ‘Who’s most likely to’. When asked about whose idea it was to make Tik Tok videos, Sara said, “I think Ibrahim was the first among all of us to get on to TikTok and he often tells me that 'Let's make a TikTok’. I asked him what to do because I am not good at this. The only thing I can do is Knock Knock Who's There, you don't find that very funny. He would be like ‘let's do this one’ and we just did it. As you can see, we did not know what the questions were going to be. We did not listen to the questions first and wanted it to be a surprise.

Talking about her popular Knock Knock jokes, Sara said, “I think Ibrahim needs to be told that. Because every time I go into his room in my nightie with my phone saying ‘knock knock’ and he is like ‘No Sara’ and I am like ‘Common please’. He always thinks I am not going to put it up because I am puffy, in my nightie, and choti (Ponytail). And I am like ‘Check Instagram’.”

Meanwhile, on the work front, Sara had started shooting for Atrangi Re before the lockdown was imposed. Atrangi Re directed by Aanand L Rai also stars Akshay Kumar and Dhanush.

ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Sara Ali Khan opens up on brother Ibrahim Ali Khan’s Bollywood plans, says it’s only a dream right now

Subhash Ghai is one of the celebrated filmmakers of Bollywood. He has films like Taal, Karz, Ram Lakhan and Khalnayak to his credit and has worked with several A-list actors. However, the director has never worked with Amitabh Bachchan. The two had started working on a project but it was called off in its early stage. In an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Hungama, Subhash Ghai revealed why they never completed the film.

Talking about why the film was stalled, Subhash Ghai said, “Both of us tried to make the film, but the situation was such that the film could not be made. Neither of us was at fault. Sometimes situations are such that you feel that films cannot be made and we stop in between. There were several factors. Even I was at fault as I was impatient back then. He is one of the finest actors of India and it is my bad luck that I could not work with him. He does the bad scenes also so well that it puts the writer to shame. I did not write as well as Amitabh Bachchan performed it. I am a great admirer of Amitabh Bachchan and we are family friends. It was not in our fate to work with each other.”

However, Subhash Ghai seems hopeful of working with the veteran actor in the future when the time is right and they get the right script. The incomplete film of Subhash Ghai and Amitabh Bachchan was titled Devaa. In 2013 there were reports of Subhash Ghai collaborating with Bachchan for the biopic of Sarabjit which was ultimately essayed by Randeep Hooda and directed by Omung Kumar.

ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Subhash Ghai reveals the plot of Khalnayak 2 with Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit, and Jackie Shroff

That Mother's Day has arrived amid the lockdown this year is only as inopportune as it is befitting. After all, few could have had a better first-hand account of the panache with which she maintains the physical and emotional well-being of the entire family, even when isolated with them for months, within the confines of four walls. Among the many artistes to pay tribute to mothers is Anushka Manchanda, who has released a single, Thanks maa, that streams on Resso.

"When the pandemic struck, a lot of us began to reflect on how vulnerable we feel. We look to our family and loved ones for support and the single most important person we tend to depend on are our mother. Whether they are away, or at home with us, they give us so much support and comfort. In times like this, it's even more important to let them know how grateful we are for them." Manchanda says that composer Charan Singh Pathania has captured the essence of what she wanted to say. "I wanted the song to be joyful while capturing the emotional bond we share with our mothers," says the singer.

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Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput tied the knot on July 7, 2015, in a private ceremony and since then their love has grown stronger. Mira is the daughter of Delhi-based businessman Vikramaditya Rajput and Bela Rajput. Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput became proud parents to baby girl Misha on August 26, 2016. Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput welcomed their second child, a baby boy on September 5, 2018, and the duo named their new-born Zain Kapoor.

Misha and Zain are one of the most adorable star kids of B-town. The cute little kiddos are the apple of everyone's eye. Just like other star babies, both the kids, particularly Misha has several fan clubs dedicated to her. Shahid and Mira often treat their fans with lovey-dovey pictures of their kids on Instagram.

During the coronavirus lockdown, Mira tried her hands at embroidery and even took some help from daughter Misha. Mira shared a picture of an embroidered heart and wrote, "Big love with my little love. With a hand drawn pattern and help on the turns, little hands made the heart with a lot of excitement and filled with a whole lot of love!" Take a look at the picture here:

The star wife keeps sharing snippets of her family quarantine time on her Instagram profile. She recently gave a shoutout to everyone for staying indoors. She wrote an elaborate open letter which read, "Love them. Hug them. Ask them how they feel and let them cry if they're not okay. Kiss them. Paint with them and let their clothes and the walls get dirty. Watch their favourite cartoon with them. Snuggle up with them. Give them extra ketchup if they ask for it that day. And when you’re tired after doing the dishes and cooking dinner and they say “Mumma can you play with me” remember this time isn’t forever. Little hands. Big hearts Love them."

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mira Rajput Kapoor (@mira.kapoor) onApr 29, 2020 at 9:52am PDT

On the work front, Shahid Kapoor's last film, Kabir Singh, did excellently at the box office. The Sandeep Reddy Vanga directorial was the story of a brilliant doctor who takes the self-destructive path when the love of his life is forced to marry another man. It earned over Rs 250 crore and became one of the highest grosser of 2019.

As of now, Shahid has signed the Hindi remake of the Telugu film Jersey, which is the story of a cricketer and how he battles the politics within the game and his inner demons. The film is all set to release on August 28, 2020.

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While people across the country have been spending a lot of time at home owing to the lockdown, superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Saturday provided a unique platform for all the aspiring filmmakers to produce some 'fun, creative and... spooky' video. The 54-year-old actor shared a statement on Instagram, detailing about the opportunity for the filmmakers to channel their inner "filmmaking ghost to make a scary indoor film with an element of horror in it."

Taking it to the captions, the 'Don' actor wrote: "Since we've all got a bit of time on our hands in quarantine, thought I can get us all to work a bit... in a fun, creative and... spooky way!" In the post, titled with a hashtag 'SpookSRK,' the actor has listed down the rules to be followed while making the video and shared the email link to submit their work.

 

 

 

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Since we’ve all got a bit of time on our hands in quarantine, thought I can get us all to work a bit... in a fun, creative and... spooky way! #SpookSRK Read on for more details.

A post shared by Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) onMay 9, 2020 at 5:21am PDT

The 'Dilwale' actor also announced that the selected "three winners" will get a chance to video call the star himself.

Wrapping the post on a lighter note, he added: "I will be sending in my film as well...P.S - Ghosts are welcome to send their entries too."

This comes a day after the first trailer launch of Shah Rukh's new Netflix horror series 'Betaal'.

SRK's Red Chillies Entertainment is producing the horror-thriller. The new series also stars Vineet Kumar, Aahana Kumra, Suchitra Pillai, Jitendra Joshi, Manjiri Pupala, and Syna Anand.

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Actor, author, and mother Twinkle Khanna on Saturday gave a shout out to all the 'bad-ass mothers' and shared what mother actually wants for the Mother's Day. In a video message which she posted on Twitter, Mrs Funnybones is seen talking about what mothers actually want from their children instead of all the fancy mother's day greetings.

"I am going to tell you what mother's really want for Mother's Day or what at least I want for Mother's Day. I want to be free of all responsibilities for an entire day. I don't want anyone to ask me any questions," says Khanna in the video message.

What mothers really want for Mother's Day but can't tell their kids.
So what kind of mom are you — The bad mom, the badass mom or the badass mom with a good posterior? pic.twitter.com/x5q5OJ0I4V

— Twinkle Khanna (@mrsfunnybones) May 9, 2020

"Don't ask me where is your blue T-shirt, don't ask me what is 15+73, don't ask me what is going to happen to your 'A' level exams, don't ask me what's for lunch, don't ask me when you can go and meet your friend, don't ask me when the lockdown will lift," she added.

The actor turned author then spoke of how wishing to stay free of any responsibilities makes her feel that she is a 'bad mom' but deep down she also feels that she is a 'bad-ass' mom.

"Some of you watching this may think I am a terrible mom and sometimes I also wonder the same thing especially when my little one looks at me and calls me "Bad Mumma." But deep down I don't think I am a bad mom," the 46-year-old actor said.

"I think that I am a badass mom though I have a perfectly fine posterior. So here's wishing all you badass moms a happy mother's day and the ones with the good ass a happy mother's day to you as well," she added. Twinkle Khanna is a mother to two children -- a son and a daughter.

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Taking a trip down memory lane, superstar Kareena Kapoor Khan on Saturday posted a throwback picture from her Morocco trip and described it as her 'Saturday mood.' The 39-year-old actor hopped on to Instagram to post the picture from the trip that she went on with her star husband Saif Ali Khan back in 2009.

While Kareena is seen exuding elegance in a bodycon dress in the nude shade in the picture, Saif is wearing a light purple coloured shirt paired with white trousers. Accentuating the look further, Kareena paired up the dress with a waist belt and rectangular wayfarers. "Saturday Mood: Morocco '09," she wrote in the caption keeping it simple.

 

 

 

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Saturday Mood: Morocco '09 💯

A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan) onMay 9, 2020 at 1:53am PDT

The 'Jab We Met' actor has been reminiscing her previous trips by posting throwback pictures ever since coronavirus induced lockdown was imposed.

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As the nation celebrates the indomitable spirit of motherhood on Sunday, Bollywood celebrities also dedicated heart-warming messages to their mom's on the occasion of Mother's Day."

Sara Ali Khan shared a heart-melting throwback picture where she is seen as an infant in the arms of her grandmother while her mother is looking at baby Sara in a moment of affection. The actor captioned the post as, "Meri Maa ki Maa. Thank you for creating Mommy. #HappyMothersDay."

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Meri Maa ki Maa 💁🏻‍♀ï¸ÂðŸ¤°ðŸ¤±ðŸ»ðŸ™‡ðŸ»‍♀ï¸Â Thank you for creating Mommy 💝🙏🏻👩‍👧‍👧🐣🐥🐤 #HappyMothersDay

A post shared by Sara Ali Khan (@saraalikhan95) onMay 9, 2020 at 11:45am PDT

Vicky Kaushal put out a childhood throwback picture on Instagram where the actor is seen caught in a moment of mischief as he jogs at the shore of a beach, while his mother is seen scolding him. Along with the picture Vicky wrote," Dodging them till date. Keep them coming Maa. Love you! 

 

 

 

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Dodging them till date. Keep them coming Maa. Love you! ❤ï¸Â

A post shared by Vicky Kaushal (@vickykaushal09) onMay 9, 2020 at 5:40pm PDT

Ananya Panday shared an adorable video from her childhood days where she is seen sporting a while kurta-churidar with a red dotted dupatta. The video initiates with a question by a person behind the camera who asks, "Whom do you love the most in the world?"

 

 

 

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it’s clear where I get my crazy from 😜 happy Mama’s day to my Mama and all the beautiful mama’s out there ❤ï¸Â

A post shared by Ananya 💛💫 (@ananyapanday) onMay 9, 2020 at 12:15pm PDT

To which baby Ananya innocently replies, "Mama."

And he asks, "And the second?"

She smilingly replies, "Nobody."

 

 

 

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The answer is still the same 😜 love u @bhavanapandey ❤ï¸Â

A post shared by Ananya 💛💫 (@ananyapanday) onMay 9, 2020 at 12:16pm PDT

Along with the caption she wrote, "The answer is still the same. love u @bhavanapandey."

Recalling his childhood moments spent with her mom, Ishaan Khatter shared a couple of throwback pictures with his mom in an Instagram post.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Mom for president ✌🏼

A post shared by Ishaan (@ishaankhatter) onMay 9, 2020 at 1:16pm PDT

The special post featured 3 pictures of which the first one shows baby Ishaan lying in bed while his mother is seen pecking a kiss on his little arms. The second one shows his mom in a glamorous monochromatic picture, and the third one shows baby Ishaan in his childhood days, where he is seen sitting in his mother's lap and passing a smile at the camera.Along with the post he wrote, "Mom for president."

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Gauri Pradhan is proud of sister Geetanjali Pradhan who is a doctor and one of the frontline Coronavirus warriors. She also doffs her hat to all the medical professionals fighting the pandemic. Gauri's actor husband Hiten Tejwani has also lauded Geetanjali's accomplishments.

Taking to her Instagram account, Gauri even shared a post and hailed her baby sister's efforts in fighting the pandemic. Have a look right here:

 

 

 

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So proud of my baby sister!And so proud of everyone else who’s doing the same!! #drgeetanjalipradhan #fightagainstcorona #lockdown

A post shared by Gauri (@gpradhan) onMay 7, 2020 at 12:03pm PDT

Miss you, ma

Vikas Sethi is missing his mother Suraksha who is stuck in Ludhiana. She was visiting relatives when the lockdown was announced. As she is a heart patient, it is a cause of worry for him. It's his birthday on May 12, so her absence will be felt even more on his big day. Sethi is waiting for her to return. He will welcome her back home with a tub of her favourite ice cream. It's very unfortunate that there are so many TV and Bollywood actors that are not able to meet their mothers due to the nationwide lockdown.

We guess once the lockdown ends and life comes back to normal, the first thing on the cards for all these actors would be an emotional and a long-overdue reunion with their mothers and their entire family. We only wait for that day and hope it comes soon!

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Maharashtra's count for COVID-19 cases crossed 20,000 cases and the city had 722 new cases on Saturday. The bar of the state's death toll rose higher with 48 deaths, and 27 of them occurred in Mumbai.

State health officials said that while Mumbai has 12,864 COVID-19 cases, an additional 178 cases have been reported, but are yet to be added to the tally. Apart from 27 deaths that occurred in Mumbai, 10 were reported in Pune, eight in Malegaon and one each in Akola, Nanded and Amravati. State health officials said that the 48 deaths had occurred between April 25 and May 8.

Migrant workers, who were walking to MP on the Eastern Expressway, were herded back by policemen before the Mulund Toll Naka. Pic/Sameer Markande

Civic officials said that among the 27 patients who died, 21 of them were suffering from other ailments and three of the patients who died were less than 40 years old. In order to reduce the burden on the city's hospitals, the civic body is now urging people who test positive but have no symptoms to refrain from visiting hospitals. They are encouraging asymptomatic positive patients to visit COVID care centres instead.

Meanwhile, 25 new cases were reported from Dharavi which included one death. Five of the cases were from Mukund Nagar, the slum pocket with the highest concentration of cases. Dharavi alone now has 833 positive cases. Five other cases were reported from Mahim, 18 in Dadar, including eight cases from Kasarwadi.

In order to avoid the spread of the infection as seen in Dharavi, officials from H West ward are sealing the Khar Danda area, which includes slum pockets. The decision was taken after five members of a family in a residential building in the area tested positive earlier this week. "We found a high-risk patient while tracing the contacts of the family that tested positive. We are sealing the area. We are figuring out the arrangements for food," said an official from H West. In other parts of Bandra West, 13 cases have been reported from Shastri Nagar and 14 from the slaugherhouse near the Bandra Railway Station. Civic officials said another 12 cases have been reported from the Nargis Dutt Nagar slums.

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The Coronavirus lockdown has exposed our state and nation's deep, economic divide, as it has turned out to be a nightmare for lakhs of migrants and urban poor in Maharashtra. Not only have they lost their livelihood, they are also struggling to eat two square meals a day. "Apart from food, people also need money to pay rent and electricity bills, recharge their phones, meet medical expenses," explained Lalita T of the Stree Mukti Sanghatana, an NGO working for the rights of waste picker women. It has provided dry ration kits to 5,000 waste picker women in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Thane. They plan to carry out another distribution drive within the next couple of weeks.

The central government seems to have taken cognisance of the hunger problem as it has allowed NGOs conducting relief activities to approach the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for procuring food grains (rice and wheat) at subsidised rates from its warehouses. "We have to pick up a minimum of 1,000 kg at once. With trucks refusing to ply during the lockdown, this puts us in a tight spot. An additional challenge is that the wheat that's been allocated is whole grain wheat. It hasn't been milled into flour," said Trina Talukdar, co-founder of Kranti. Kranti first mailed the FCI on April 16 and its request to buy food grains from them was finally approved on May 8. They have provided food essentials to 700 families in Kamathipura and Malad so far, with money raised via private fundraising efforts. Each packet typically lasts a family of five for a month.

Lalita T, consultant with the Stree Mukti Sangathana

Agreeing with Talukdar, Nishant Bangera of the Muse Foundation remarked, "Providing only rice and wheat is inadequate. Why haven't pulses been included? We expected more hand-holding from the government because we lack resources. I'm not just referring to finances, there is also a shortage of volunteers on the ground given that we are dealing with a public health crisis." The founder of the Thane-based NGO revealed that carrying relief supplies for 100 people amounts to carrying more than three tonnes of material. It has been able to help about 500 families as of now. Muse emailed its registration certificate (bearing the charity commissioner's signature) to the authority concerned. Its request to buy rice was approved and it has distributed the same. It decided not to purchase wheat, because with no disposable income at hand and mills shut, recipients can't convert it into flour.

"The state has failed in its responsibility to cater to the needy. It has shifted the onus onto NGOs, but we don't have the kind of infrastructure that the state does, to reach every nook and corner," says Bilal Khan, an activist with the Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao (GBGB) movement. The GBGB kits includes supplies to prepare a basic meal— rice, wheat, pulses, masala, tea, oil, sugar, poha, rava, etc. It's logistically unfeasible for GBGB to procure rice from the FCI and all other materials from elsewhere, they say. GBGB has written to the FCI, but it hasn't heard back from them yet. Khan was one of the petitioners who had approached the Bombay High Court on March 23, seeking to address the gaps in the state government's relief response during the lockdown.

Ulka Mahajan, social worker

"It's the government's constitutional responsibility to provide food for everybody. We also want all the interstate and intrastate migrant workers to be safely transported back to their hometowns after their wages are settled," said Ulka Mahajan, a prominent social worker, who was a co-petitioner along with Khan. Mahajan feels that instead of solely depending on non-profits for distribution of food, they should also have been made stakeholders in the discussion around the lockdown and its exit plan. She stated the example of Kerala as a state which has benefitted from doing the same.

The divisional manager of the FCI in Mumbai, Avinash Dhabade, dismissed allegations of red tape claiming that, "More than 50 NGOs in Mumbai, such as the Rehbar Foundation and Citizens for Justice and Peace, have picked up food grains from us so far. NGOs engaging in relief work have to mail us their registration certificate, bearing the signature of the charity commissioner, online. If everything is in place, we will approve their request on the very same day."

Mukta Srivastava, right to food activist

As far as the stipulation to pick up one metric tonne of grains at once is concerned, Dhabade said that his hands are tied because the FCI is simply following a central government directive.

In what seems like a cruel joke, the Centre has decided to use the surplus stock of rice in its warehouses to make hand sanitiser by converting it into ethanol. The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Biofuel Coordination Committee (NBCC) based on the national policy on biofuels, which allows for the conversion of excess grains into ethanol. This move comes across as high-handed and insensitive, given the food insecurity of innumerable people in major cities across the country.

Trina Talukdar, co-founder, Kranti

"What about those who haven't registered themselves with the Maharashtra Building and Other Construction Workers' Welfare Board for instance? Or those who don't possess ration cards and so, they are excluded from the government's Public Distribution System," asks Mukta Srivastava, a Right to Food activist, questioning the government's apathy towards its most vulnerable.

Nishant Bangera, founder, Muse Foundation

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