Sanjukta Basu

Delhi-based photographer Sanjukta Basu had an epiphany right before her 39th birthday. "I was introspecting on the years gone by, and realised that although I had achieved much, I didn't think I had reached a 'destination'. It was as if I was lost at sea, and needed direction. But then I decided to embrace the fact that I go where the wind takes me. I was going to be 40, and this was me. I wasn't going to change. That's how my first tattoo took shape in my mind," says Basu, who once practiced law.

And so, her first tattoo was a sailboat, with a wave and birds in flight, with the line "wherever the wind takes me". This was also the time the idea of a project on women with tattoos took shape. Typically, some of them got one to signify something profound, like a break up with a lover or a violent relationship. Others didn't think it needed a reason. "The project is about challenging the stereotype around women with tattoos. They don't get them because they are slutty or hippie, or because they are reckless," she argues.

The photographer, who is on the lookout for new subjects to shoot in Mumbai and Delhi, says, ideally, all women should get in touch with her and tell her their stories. Sunday mid-day got Basu to shares some of her favourites.

Vimala is an aviation professional, and loves wings. Years after she got married to the man she loved, she realised he was addicted to gambling, and draining her of finances. At 48, when she found herself free from the toxic relationship, she got a tattoo — a heart with wings. It was time to fly again.

Parama, Sanjukta's first subject for the Women And Body Art project, is not one person. Within her sits the essence of Kolkata, the city she comes from and loves. The tattoo on her forearm and is an image of Kolkata landmark Victoria Memorial, an angel atop it. It signifies her belief that something good lies in everything she sees.

Archana, a women's rights activist, grew up in a protective, privileged Tamil Brahmin family. While she has grappled with body image issues, she also didn't know that you could be anything else other than a doctor, an engineer or a lawyer. When she went to college, she met women from a variety of backgrounds and, before she knew it, the seeds of female solidarity had been sown. Her first tattoo is a symbol of feminism, and she got it on the day she learnt that feminism in fact, had a symbol.

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Eat with your hands, please," Lloyd Braganza who runs one of Goa's most popular restaurants, tells us, rolling up the sleeves of his floral shirt, revealing a koi fish tattoo. We are at Copper Leaf, one of the best fish thali destinations at Porvorim, and for company we have chef and restauranteur Braganza, his wife Nerissa and their seven-year-old son Naethan. Llyod stops talking when the thali arrives. A mound of rice and a crispy fillet of matzo are skirted by coconut curry, clams masala, kismuri (dried fish and coconut salad), bhindi fry, gulab jamun, sol kadi and banana.

"This is Goa's most authentic thali, and locals as well as tourists come here for their fill," Marissa tells us. The fish has a sweet freshness, and the curry is hearty. The meal switches on our sussegad mood. But, there's more to this stop than indulging in gluttony. Six years after enticing Goans with delicious meals at his eatery, House of Lloyd, the family is set to open shop in Mumbai and ahead of its launch, the Braganzas are happy to give us a tour of their Goa-inspired menu.

The pork chops

Fish Market: The next stop is the Malim jetty where most of the fresh catch of the day coming in from along the coast is sold. Scenes of women haggling over prices, to fishermen unloading their catch and slicing the guts, greet us. We see ribbon fish, ponies and sole fish drying in the sun, apart from mud crabs piled in open crates.

Yeast Ecpected, Poie: We are at a nameless bakery. We enter a small room that opens into a dungeon-like opening with a woodfire oven burning a crimson orange. In a corner, a mixer is folding dough. One of the bakers, Gajanand Naik, shows off a basket full of poie. "At midnight, we start making poie. The dough is mixed for 30
minutes and left to rest for three hours," says Naik. Made from husk and wheat, the art of poie has lost a prominent ingredient — the toddy. When the Portuguese introduced the bread in Goa, they replaced yeast with locally available toddy.

Plum and white chocolate with vodka

Rassa Omelette: Our next stop is, again, an unnamed snack stall. "You are known by your product. There's no need for a name," Braganza laughs. A server puts a fat chunk of omelette on a plate and drowns it in rassa. We tear a piece of poie, that soaks up the gravy. The fluffy omelette and poie do little to douse the spice notes from the Kashmiri chillies and garam masala giving the curry its kick.

Fruit Cocktails Pork chops and Serradura: Our final stop is at House of Llyod, situated on the veranda of his 150-year-old ancestral home. Braganza has thrown over a chef's coat over his shorts and is busy behind the bar. Christmas seems to have come early as we alternate between a green jalepeno-passion fruit cocktail and a vodka-spiked plum and white chocolate. No sugar, juice or additives, the cocktails are blitzed on order. Braganza's food sings a melodious tune, one whose lyrics have been written over years oscillating between struggle and success. In 1996, his first venture was Chopsticks, a Chinese restaurant at Baga, which put him on the Goa culinary map. "I had no culinary degree and brought on board a chef from Royal China in Mumbai, to help. By 25, I had money and luxury cars. Then, I had to shut shop because of losses, " says Braganza. He began at the lowest rung, again, as waiter. In 2003, he opened Lloyds, a five-table Goan and barbeque restaurant in Calangute. Partners drove his business to closure in 2011. "Nerissa coaxed me to give it one more try. It would be my last one, I told her," Braganza recalls. The same year, together they rebuilt the restaurant on the current premise — a tile-roof open-air tent that gives the feel of a garden setting overlooking the heritage property. She took charge of the front of the house, and he revisited his childhood to master family recipes with his mother.

The Juhu outpost. Pic/Ashish Raje

Soul Food: Goan food, says Branganza, is meant to be consumed two days after it has been cooked. The gravies thicken from concentration of flavours. We understand this when we dip a garlic poie into a bowl of bloody red sorpotel. The spares have merged with the spices and transformed the curry with meaty flavour. This dish is one of the most tedious to make, Braganza says. "First, you boil the meat, dice it, and fry the parts separately. After frying the onions, you add the meat that will hold the masala," says Braganza. While it is best served three days later, chef has a serving reserved for himself that is two years old. For the Mumbai outlet, all the house curries and sauces, along with poie, will come from Goa. The most awaited dish — the barbeque grilled pork chops — makes an entry. "This takes me back to my heydays. At Lloyd's, when I fired the grill, people would follow the aromas to order the dish that was smelling so delicious," says Braganza, falling silent when the dish arrives. The meal ends with Marissa's serradura, a classic cream and biscuit pudding. The dry powder is soothed by the creamy condensed milk mush and we lick our spoons clean. We can't wait to have the next serving back home. Mr and Mrs Braganza, welcome to Mumbai.

Chef Lloyd Braganza with wife Nerissa and son Naethan

Also read - Mumbai Food: Chef Raji Gupta's pop up offers flavours from Kerala to Goa

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When the trailer of Shank’s hit the Internet two years ago, it garnered over 2,00,000 views in under a fortnight. And, why not? Until then we had not really seen stylised montages of modaks and varan bhaat being served in a fine-dining ambience. The trailer had us curious about Ashay Dileep Javadekar’s film, which looked like a documentary. Where is this Shank’s, the Marathi fine-dining place, we wondered. Two years on, with the release of the film online, we have the answers.

The 1 hour, 11 minute-long film, shot on a Canon Powershot and iPhone 6, traces the journey of Shashank Joshi, a man who nurtured and nourished his dream of being a chef, right from his boyhood days in a small town in Maharashtra. We know him, little by little, through his family, especially one cousin he is close to. We know him through his college friend, through food critics and historians, and most importantly, his mentor’s daughter Pauline with whom he has the most extraordinary journey. We see how he had to fight the odds, and nearly give up before he makes his dream a reality.

Bhave in a still from the film

A generous part of the film is made of lush close-up shots of Maharashtrian food that is sure to get Indians, especially those from the state, excited. And for Westerners, well, it’s Indian food like they have never seen before — a far cry from tandoori chicken, paneer masala and dal makhni. The screenplay uses a documentary narrative to tell a fictional story. Javadekar seems to be an ardent believer of the phrase: God is in the details. The care with which each character has been crafted, from dialogues to props and their stories, you forget that none of it is real. That’s also because of the convincing performances the actors bring to the table. Makarand Bhave becomes Shashank, in the controlled passion with which he narrates his story. Playing Pauline Bonnet-Joshi, his partner in crime, is Melissa Ehrlich Blevins. She brings so many moods into her account, from compassion, to vulnerability, excitement, and determination. The supporting cast is also impressive.

Besides telling an absorbing story, Shank’s makes us ponder on questions like how the West perceives Indian cuisine, the importance of educating customers on the food, and also, the gender bias in the industry, a reality that is larger than we wish to acknowledge. Food for thought, quite literally. The film can be streamed seamlessly, at a reasonable price on a pay-per-view platform. Shank’s heroes Maharashtrian food like never before, but, more than that it urges dreamers, aspiring restaurateurs in this case, to make their real voices heard. Minus a few rough edges in production, the film might remind you of Chef’s Table. That’s interesting because when this film was made, Chef’s Table was yet to hit the screen. A word of caution though: Do not watch it on an empty stomach, unless you are looking to work up an appetite.

Log on to: www.njemovies.com
Price: Rs 99

Vikhroli resident Dr Suvajeet Duttagupta loves cooking his meals. But, the 31-year-old cinematographer admits that some days are long and tiring and the only option is to order in. Yet, this comes with its share of heartaches. "The worst bit about ordering out is the amount of plastic that they use to package the food. While I make it a point to ask the restaurants not to send any plastic cutlery, there's only so much one can do." But, Duttagupta isn't the only Mumbaikar who wishes ordering in was more environment-friendly. With the plastic ban coming into full effect on June 23, Mumbai establishments have little more than a month to find alternatives. While some places now pack their containers in cloth bags, the containers themselves remain plastic, thus almost negating the good work done. But, there are a few who have switched to eco-friendly alternatives:

The New York Burrito Company

This brand new Mexican quick service restaurant has a takeout menu that includes Mexican bowl, burrito, tacos, nachos, quesadillas, chips with guacamole and more. They use recyclable bagasse trays and kraft bags (made from recycled paper). They also add wooden spoons and forks to their takeout bags. Senil Shah, partner, says,
"As our packaging is eco-friendly and fresh, we don't fear food getting bad. Costs have risen, but we see it as an investment for our future generation's betterment."

Senil Shah, partner, The New York Burrito Company

Where: Chowpatty
Timings: 11 am – 11 pm
Meal for two: Rs 600
Call: 8999347000

29 – Twenty Nine

This pan-Indian restaurant which opened in 2016, is much loved by the patrons for the range of regional dishes (29 states) available under one roof. "We have been experimenting with various packaging material at our Kemps Corner outlet, long before the plastic ban. The packaging material we have found best for our use is made of paper and cornstarch with an eco-friendly dissolvable lamination. This was then applied to all other 29 outlets," says owner Nishek Jain. The initial sourcing of the products came from an exhibition called PackPlus hosted in New Delhi. Certain items, like rabadi with jalebi all come in a kulhad. They pack the curries in an eco-friendly thick-bond-with-lamination pack.

Nishek Jain, owner, 29 - Twenty Nine. Pic/Bipin Kokate

Where: Kemps Corner
Timings: 11 am – 3.30 pm and 7 pm – 11.30 pm
Meal for two: R1,000
Call: 7208022929

O Pedro

This Goan eatery became an instant talk-of-the-town thanks to its mix of flavours soaked in the coastal calm. From healthy options such as corn falafel lettuce wrap to good ol' chorizo chili fry poie, their menu has something for everyone. Before starting their takeaway services, O Pedro's tried and tested their delivery menu so that they knew that the food ordered for delivery would travel well. All these dishes are packed in products made of sugarcane, sorghum and wheat that are sourced locally from Pappco Greenware. "Working without plastic has its own challenges as one is not able to secure or seal in liquids completely, but we seal our boxes with paper tape to reduce chances of spillage," says Yash Bhanage, Partner at O Pedro. He adds, "The quality and the experience of eating the meal is most important for us. Therefore, we are only looking at delivering within a limited radius where we know the food would reach our guests quickly and in the way it was intended to."

30-60
No. of days in which sugarcane bagasse decomposes

Where: Bandra Kurla Complex
Timings: Noon to 1 am
Meal for two: R1,200
Call: 26534700

Mandala

This delivery kitchen offers a wide range of salads, sandwiches and soups. Sticking to their organic living philosophy, they also ensure that their food reaches their patrons in bio-degradable containers made of sugarcane bagasse — the fibrous residue. They source these products from a company that buys the packaging raw material from the UK and then processes it to create biodegradable bowls. The company also provides data on how many carbon credits they save by using their boxes. "We don't add any items on our menu that don't withstand our rigorous testing. This means that we let our food sit out at room temperature for up to an hour to see if it retains its flavour and freshness," says Sarvangi Shah, director of marketing.

Where: Kemps Corner and Prabhadevi
Timings: 11 am-midnight
Meal for two: Rs 700
Call: 8291817376

The Pantry

Tucked in the bylanes of the city's art district, this artsy café is a perfect hideout. The Pantry was established six years ago with principles of using fresh, local produce. This even translates in their packaging where they use food containers made of cornstarch while their straws, sleeves, boxes are all made of paper. Soup containers are made of bagasse. "Liquid foods like soups are the trickiest to pack but as we use bagasse container for the same and they are with an airtight lid which holds liquids safely, it makes it easy to travel," says Sumit Gambhir, the partner at The Pantry. In order to avoid spoilage due to temperature, they ensure that they maintain the delivery timings.

Address: Kala Ghoda, Fort
Timings: 8.30 am – 11.30 pm
Meal for two: Rs 1,400
Call: 22678901

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Redoing your office interiors? Try out some of the must-have elements in office spaces like the right furniture, adding nature to the surroundings and activity based settings. Ishan Thacker, Associate Director, Vector Projects (I) Pvt. Ltd. and Amit Ramani, Founder and CEO of Awfis Space Solutions list some recommendations.

1. The right furniture: This plays a pivotal role in any kind of work space setting. Offices need to invest in the right kind of furniture to increase their employees' efficiency. Opt for something that has high functionality over ordinary designs. Adjustable desks and chairs can be a good choice; multipurpose furniture can also be added to save space. Another new entrant in the space is reconfigurable furniture that can be customized as per need. It provides both the required flexibility as well as privacy.

2. Go back to nature: Add in a little nature to your premises with biophilic designs. The latest trend in the office space, the presence of plants and other natural elements can add positivity within the environment and improve the air quality.

3. Activity-based settings: It is exciting to be at a workplace that engages you with diverse group of people and gives you the opportunity to network and collaborate. Flexible workstations, new age cabins, activity-based settings including comfortable couches and beanbags, breakout zones, meeting lounges and pods are some of the attractions in an office that provide a natural crossroad for employees to meet and share ideas, thereby enhancing their motivation levels and productivity.

4. Ergonomic lighting: Our cortisol level drops significantly under artificial and poor lighting conditions and dimly lit workplaces strain the eyes, causing headache and drowsiness. This can lead to poor productivity. Natural light is the best. Daylight that filters through the space not only affects employee well-being but also boosts the energy and mood level. Consider making the best use of natural light and swap the florescent bulbs with personal lamps, string lighting, and soft coloured bulbs to keep your employees alert and attentive.

5. Aesthetic appeal: Everything from layout, to furniture and even artwork is subject to appeal in a workplace. The idea is to create a transcendental experience for the user and to design a warm casual space that works as an incubator for ideas. Materials like wood and metal bring warmth and rustic feel to the space. Keeping in mind the fact that the office workspaces today are dynamic in nature and are witnessing rapid changes, the workplace style should be bold, industrial and vibrant with new age materials, technology and decluttered design vocabulary.

6. Technology: A modern office space is incomplete without the right technology. Integrated systems, fast-speed internet connections and latest hardware and software are things your office must have to appeal to the incoming tech-savvy generations. Not only that, office can also invest in mobile devices or rather agile settings to help one switch easily from one place as to another. The new workforce prefers more flexibility which will in turn result in enhanced productivity.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

As the summer season calls for travel, invest in the right kind of bags before you set out for a trip. While women have a lot of options, so do men as they can invest in smart duffle or crossbody city bags, experts suggest. Tabby Bhatia, Director at Voganow.com, and Salesh Grover, Business Head, OSL Luxury Collections Pvt Ltd, Corneliani, have listed different styles of bags that men can use:

1. Crossbody city bags for business jet-setters: Available in different textures, these bags come with adequate space to store your notes, electric gadgets and clothes making them an ideal pick for every business outing.

2. Leather strolley bags: This bag comes in different types of leather and adequately sized pouches that not only help in segregating your luggage but also give a classy appeal to your travel ensemble. Always keep in mind to pick a strolley with high quality leather as it extends the durability and helps in withstanding rigors travel easily.

3. Duffle bags: This is the most ideal option for those who believe in luxury travelling. Stylish yet comfortable, these bags come in a versatile range and are a worthwhile choice when it comes to carrying a lot of stuff without making a mess. Be it a weekend escape or an adventurous trip to the mountains, duffle bags are always a go to option for any traveller planning a vacation.

4. Briefcase: One of the oldest and classic bags in the category is a briefcase. Carrying it simply adds to the sartorial elegance in your professional look. For the fashion aficionados, especially when it comes to that business meeting, a leather briefcase will boast of the formal status that one carries. Also, known as folio cases, this is definitely a must have to keep all your important documents at one place.

5. Backpacks: Well, whether you're a student or a professional or a wanderer, a staple accessory that can carry all your stuff and gives a cool vibe is a backpack. Always look for a superior quality backpack that is spacious, prior straps check should be made for a hassle free journey. Try choosing leather backpacks that last long and are durable.

A frame from the series, Music for Everyone. Pic/Yuyang Liu

The town of Siem Reap in Cambodia is a fascinating blend of history, modernity and culture. While the magnificent temple complex of Angkor Wat is no more than 6 km away from the picturesque location, it is also home to artisan collectives and Cambodian Cultural Village that gives a glimpse of the country's diverse cultural heritage. Since 2005, the city has also been the venue for Angkor Photo Festival & Workshops (APFW), a non-profit cultural association founded by noted names in photography from across the world - including members of Magnum Photos - to nurture Asia's photographic community by providing an affordable and self-sustainable platform for professional training.

From the series, Two Eyes Good, Four Eyes Bad. Pic/Rebecca Chew

Over the years, emerging photographers from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Indonesia, Japan and Cambodia among other Asian countries have attended tuition-free professional workshops, worked on a photo story inspired by their surroundings and showcased their project at the end of the festival. The APFW alumni community is a thriving one, where collaborations and creative exchange is common. Photographers from Mumbai, too, have participated in the festival, and to introduce emerging lensmen from the city to its upcoming edition in December, APFW alumni will conduct an interactive session this Saturday. The session, being held in Mumbai for the first time, is part the Angkor Hangover series of events organised across Asia.

From the series, Bokator, on young Cambodians trying to resurrect a traditional form of martial arts. Pic/Zishaan A Latif 

"The mentors are people whose work I admire. And when a group of 30 individuals with eclectic practices and realities specific to their countries come to learn from them, they also learn from each other," says freelance photographer and filmmaker Aishwarya Arumbakkam, who participated in the festival in 2016 and is one of the organisers of the Mumbai session. Multimedia projections by photographers from the 2016 batch are also a part of the evening.

From the series, Ahp. Pic/Aishwarya Arumbakkam

While applications are shortlisted on the basis of merit, freelance photographer and alumna Karen Dias explains that to keep the programme accessible and inclusive, there is no upper age limit for applicants. Fellow alumnus of the 2009 batch, Zishaan Akbar Latif, recalls, "As a budding photographer, you are terrified of showing your work, but you realise that others are in the same boat, too. Being in that quaint part of the world at a workshop that's different from its uptight counterparts helps you loosen up," he shares.

APFW organising committee member Andrea Fernandes, who has been associated with the festival for five years, sums up its nature, "This event is initiated by alumni and this is the direction we want the festival to go in - where every person associated can have a space to speak about their work and collaborations."

ON: May 12, 5 pm to 7 pm
AT: Trilogy by the Eternal Library, Raghuvanshi Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel.
CALL: 8080590590

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NCP chief Sharad Pawar pitched for a stable government at the Centre and urged citizens to come out in large numbers to cast their votes as he exercised his democratic right on Monday. Voting was underway for the fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls in 72 parliamentary constituencies spread across nine states.

#Mumbai: NCP Chief Sharad Pawar after casting his vote at polling booth 31 in Tardeo. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/G8VNrNwESd

— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019

In Maharashtra, polling was being held in 17 seats, including Mumbai. "Today is an important day for the country. It is required that a stable government is formed. It is expected that Mumbaikars will not lag behind, and will exercise their voting right by coming out in large numbers and voting decisively," Pawar, the former Union minister, tweeted in Marathi.

Earlier, BJP MP Poonam Mahajan, Congress nominee Urmila Matondkar, industrialist Anil Ambani and actor Rekha cast their votes in Mumbai in the initial hours of polling. State education minister Vinod Tawde, BJP candidate from Mumhai-North East Manoj Kotak and Congress nominee from Mumbai-Central Eknath Gaikwad were also among the early voters.

Pic courtesy/Bipin Kokate

Anil Ambani was spotted casting his vote in Mumbai

Pic courtesy/Faizan Khan

Manoj Kotak cast his vote in Mumbai

Pic courtesy/Yogen Shah

Urmila Matondkar present at the polling booth to cast her vote.

It was a delight to participate in the festival of democracy, casting my vote is for progressive development of every Indian, for #NewIndia. I urge Mumbaikars to join in and make each vote count! #MumbaikarVoteKar pic.twitter.com/epS3g0Vwk4

— Chowkidar Vinod Tawde (@TawdeVinod) April 29, 2019

An average 18.39 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the first four hours in Maharashtra's 17 seats on Monday as polling for the fourth and last phase of Lok Sabha elections in the state was underway. Polling began at 7 am and long queues were seen outside many booths, some of which were decorated with balloons and 'rangolis' (colourful decorations). The voting figures till 11 am in other constituencies are as follows: Dhule- 18.26 per cent, Dindori - 21.06 per cent, Nashik- 17.22 per cent, Palghar- 21.46 per cent, Bhiwandi- 17.25 per cent, Thane-17.43 per cent, Mumbai-North- 19.46 per cent, Mumbai-North West 17.64 per cent, Mumbai-North East-18.39 per cent, Mumbai-North Central- 16.21 per cent, Mumbai-South Central-16.80 per cent, Mumbai- South 15.51 per cent, Maval- 18.23 per cent, Shirur- 18.65 per cent and Shirdi 20.55 per cent.

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Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from Agencies

Amid the busy polling booths across the city, was a special room at the Mumbadevi polling station called the Sakhi Matadan Kendra - a polling booth managed entirely by women. The room had four female election officers dressed in sarees and the centre was entirely guarded by female police officers too.

The Election Commission began this unique initiative of an all-female polling centre in every constituency to make the electoral process more women-friendly. The booths were also decorated with rangoli and other art while cold drinks were offered to all the voters at these booths.

A senior officer at the booth told mid-day that the balloon and flower decorations and an all-women staff was meant to "encourage more female voters to cast their votes. It also provided a sense of refreshment among the chaos and tension of elections," she said. The Sakhi Matadan Kendra took up one room among the four at the Mumbadevi polling station.

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A still from Some Stories Around Witches

In the tribal villages of Odisha, a teenage girl kills an elderly relative believing that she is a witch and the cause of her father’s death. Overnight, a village turns into a mob to kill three people — a man and two women — who were identified as witches by a witch doctor. Meanwhile, a family is threatened and ostracised, for it is believed they bring ill fate, after they cook meat.

Lipika Singh Darai

The audience is engaged with three real life incidents in the 53-minute documentary, Some Stories Around Witches. Directed by Bhubaneswar-based FTII alumnus Lipika Singh Darai and produced by the Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSBT), the film explores the politics of witch hunting and the humanitarian crisis surrounding it. It will be screened tomorrow as part of the 22nd edition of Dr Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum’s monthly screening programme, Movies At The Museum.

“There is a mystery surrounding tradition and myths about witchcraft but we should also see it in the light of socio economics and politics to understand the complexity of the events. The cases are very sensitive and my priority was to make the camera’s presence insignificant,” says Darai, who will be present for a Q&A session post the screening, which marks its premiere in Mumbai.

At the event, also catch the screening of another PSBT production, There Is Something In The Air. Directed by Delhi-based filmmaker Iram Ghufran, the Hindi-Urdu documentary is a series of dream narratives, and accounts of spiritual possession as experienced by women ‘petitioners’ at the shrine of a Sufi saint in north India.

Sexual harassment is one of the most unfortunate acts that can happen in a workplace. It is a crime in its truest form that puts a woman’s safety and security in question. Sexual harassment is not only difficult to experience, but also an adverse event that is difficult to eliminate. We have heard stories related to sexual harassment in workplaces several times and about female employees getting wrong hints from their male colleagues (managers at times), dirty looks, unwanted dinner invitations, being touched inappropriately or hearing lewd comments. Sexual harassment should be dealt smartly and tactfully. We have listed six such measures to tackle sexual harassment in a workplace:

1. Get in touch with the HR team: Almost every organization has a dedicated Human Resource cell that looks after anti-harassment policies. A woman who falls prey to sexual harassment should immediately get in touch with the anti-harassment team of the HR division for immediate action against the accused and his untoward behavior. Also, the HR team possess good knowledge of anti-harassment policies, which they should implement without any delay.

2. Document the situation: Do not endure sexual harassment and report it immediately. Find out if there are other victims also, gather witnesses and secure the statement of witnesses in written. Also, find out if there are any video recording or CCTV footage of the event. Put all documents and video recordings in front of the HR or top management while complaining.

3. Inform the supervisor: Whoever is harassing you, be it your team member or somebody from other teams, inform your immediate supervisor about the entire incident. Write an official email citing the incident and request the supervisor for a personal meet. A supervisor has the right to know about what is going on with the team members.

4. Draw a line: It is good to engage in jokes and informal talks with colleagues, but do not forget to draw a line and maintain a gap between you and the male colleagues. Be direct and straightforward and speak up when you are not liking their attitude or behaviour towards you. Ask them to stop their 'over-funny' acts and not to cross limits. This will help you tackle sexual harassment in the initial stage right after you get wrong vibes.

5. Talk to the harasser: Do not stay away from the accused and speak with him directly. If he does not apologize and discontinue doing so, let him know that you are going to file an official complaint for being sexually harassed at workplace. If he still continues to harass, take strict and immediate action. Women have the right to go for legal actions too. 

6. Get in touch with senior management: If everything fails and your supervisor cannot take any action against the event, get in touch with the senior management of the organization. Put forth all evidences including video footages and written statements and let the senior management know about it. Ensure that the management handle the situation tactfully and take strict steps against the accused.

Many women who are victims of sexual harassment tend to stay quite because of threats or the fear of losing their jobs. However, this is not the solution to prevent sexual harassment. Women must raise their voice if they are molested or sexually abused in their workplaces. Only if their voices are raised, they will get the strength to fight against such ill acts.

Based on a discussion with Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi, the DoPT (Department of Personnel & Training) issued fresh guidelines regarding 'sexual harassment of women at workplace' in December 2016. Following are the guidelines the DoPT issued:

1. Brief details of the implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act including the number of cases received and disposed shall form a part of the Annual Report of all ministries/ departments and authorities there under.
2. The enquiry of cases must be completed within 30 days and under any circumstances within 90 days from the date of the complaint.
3. The ministries/ departments etc. have to keep a watch on the complainant so as to ensure that she is not victimized in any manner because of her having filed the complaint. The aggrieved woman has been given further option to send representation to the Secretary or head of the organization in case she feels that she is being victimized because of her complaint. The concerned authority will be required to dispose of this complaint within 15 days.
4. All ministries/ departments etc. are now required to submit a monthly progress report to the Ministry of Women and Child Development so that the progress can be monitored.

Check out a festival that celebrates women's writing across genres, and the long and short forms of writing. Organised by SheThePeople.TV, there will also be workshops on how to get one's work published.

ON: Today, 1 pm; March 18, 11 am onwards.
AT: Goethe-Institut, Kala Ghoda.
REGISTER: shethepeople.tv

Thunderbird. Pic/Illustrated by Tomislav Tomic © Bloomsbury Publishing 2017, taken from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

One for the muggle library

If you're a Potterhead, you'll love the updated version of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (Bloomsbury; '599) that comes on shelves 16 years after JK Rowling gave muggles the original edition. An A to Z guide of the magical creatures lurking in the wizarding world, this one includes six new beasts (total of 81 species), new illustrations (neat work by Tomislav Tomic) and a revised foreword by the book's fictional author and magizoologist Newt Scamander. The breezy 144-pager teleported us into the Potter universe as familiar images of Hungarian Horntail and Basilisk flashed before our eyes. We also discovered incredible new beasts, including Thunderbird or Hidebehind. Apart from Scamander's wry humour, evident in the footnotes, we were hooked by the foreword, where he clarifies wild assertions made by Rita Skeeter and hints at being the secret-keeper for Albus Dumbledore. That's some fine foreshadowing, JK.

Gluten-free goodness

We've never shied away from going for the bread basket when it's placed in front of us at a restaurant. But, for those who have embarked on a let's-eat-healthy mission, Kitchen Garden by Suzette has launched the country's first organic, multigrain, gluten free bread, which they say looks and tastes like 'normal' bread. We decided to call for a loaf this week, not knowing what to expect. Organic goodness or just fancy jargon? The bread came as a nicely packaged gigantic loaf. The texture was soft and fluffy. You might not fall in love with it at first go, but with each bite the taste grows on you. Packed with nutrients and fibre, it's got the flavour of buckwheat. We had it with peanut butter and it went well. If you're having a PB & J craving, this could be the healthier version to try.

Raj Khatri at his Malad home. Pic/NIMESH DAVE

As a teen studying at a Khandala boarding school, Raj Khatri was an ardent fan of Hardy Boys. Every week, he’d head to the school library to pick up a copy from the limited edition series, The Hardy Boys Casefiles, that explored mature, espionage-based themes. But he never read a single one. "It was to gaze lovingly at the cover," he laughs. "If you remember, the cover always carried an action shot. Sometimes, it was of a car chase or a person fleeing an explosion or a man hanging precariously from a bridge. They [covers] had a dynamic, kinetic energy that I loved." He would then return to the dorm, sit with a paper and recreate the cover of the week in his notebook.

Khatri, now 35, continues to nurture his fascination with pop art and posters. He spends hours recreating posters of iconic Hollywood films and television shows, presenting his own unique interpretation. Spearheading the alternative movie poster movement in India, now a global phenomenon, Khatri creates re-imagined posters using bold brushstrokes and vibrant colours. Kill Bill, The Dark Knight and The Matrix have all got a cover each. "What artists usually do is take one object from the film and create a poster around it. I decided to make posters that look like abstract paintings, but when you place the movie’s name below them, you get the message."

Most Hollywood films, he explains, have a thematic colour palette. "Uma Thurman’s yellow costume became synonymous with Kill Bill. I watched it and made notes of all the focal elements in the film," he says, adding that he makes posters keeping a film’s fans in mind. "For instance, in the 2014 film, Night Crawler, there’s an iconic red car that the protagonist drives. You’ll get the poster only if you’ve watched the film."

It was on an impulse, that he decided to upload the posters on social media in 2010, not realising they would get him recognition. The artworks later landed him a chance to exhibit his work at a Los Angeles exhibition in 2014. The following year, he launched his first minimal series posters — a take off from alternative posters that instantly went viral.

As creative head with a city-based ad firm, Khatri is also the man behind original posters for Hindi cinema projects Neerja, Phantom, Kahaani 2 and Bang Bang. "Of course, I love the process of digitally creating movie posters, but more often than not, there’s a filter between what I conceive and what is released. It’s not entirely indigenous because there are so many people involved and they all have an input to offer. After a point, fatigue develops," he says.

It was the creative release that alternative posters offered him and a Wacom tablet that his girlfriend, now wife, gave him that saw him through. "No pesky clients and deadlines. I was free to use my own style, and that’s what I love about this," he says.

The Wife
Director: Bjorn Runge
Cast: Glenn Close, Jonathan Pryce, Christian Slater
Rating: 

The two lead performances are what make The Wife so special. In this unsettling drama - an adaptation of the 2003 Meg Wolitzer novel by Jane Anderson - Glenn Close plays Joan, the wife of a Nobel Prize-winning writer Joseph Castleman (Jonathan Pryce).

Directed by Bjorn Runge, The Wife opens in 1992 when Joe and Joan Castleman, in their Connecticut home, are trying to fall asleep when they get a call from the Nobel academy, informing them of the prize. It's their moment of triumph after 40 years of struggle with the written word, in which Joan, supposedly, has played a largely complementary role. Of course, there are flashbacks that hint at her own phenomenal ability to write prose, stifled by a marriage that demands she subjugate her talents to a life of reflected glory in a period (late '50s and early '60s), where women writers were not given the importance they command today.

There's no great suspense or mystery powering this tale of a breakdown that spirals into tragedy at the crowning moment of an author's accomplishments. In fact, Runge doesn't appear to be as interested in developing the suspense as he is in showcasing the unravelling of a suppressed human mind.

Close literally steals the thunder with her role as the devoted wife of a celebrated novelist. She is the keeper of his deepest, darkest secret; a stunningly nuanced expressionism that is more than likely to take your breath away. The restraint and modulation she brings to the role are simply phenomenal. It's a performance that is deservedly walking away with a slew of awards.

Pryce is no mean performer either. His role may not garner much sympathy, but his act complements that of Close so well that you begin to believe in their togetherness.

The Wife is a little compact and contrived, given its novel origins. The attempt to complicate matters for the Castlemans by showcasing their troubled relationship with their budding novelist son, David, seems passé. Also, Joan's seething frustrations don't seem completely justified, even whilst considering the period they take wings in. While the movie is not a great piece of work, the lead artistes definitely are worthy contenders for the awards.

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2019 Oscar Nominated Short Films
U/A: Action, documentary
Director: Reyka Zehtabchi, Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Marianne Farley, Jeremy Comte, Vincente Lambe, Guy Nattivi
Ratings: 

This anthology film features five Oscar-nominated short films each in the Live Action category and one short documentary set in India. The live action line-up includes Madre, Fauve, Marguerite, Detainment, and Skin.

The documentary film Period. End of Sentence by Reyka Zehtabchi from the USA, tells the story of women, in a rural village just outside of Delhi, fighting the deeply rooted stigma of menstruation in India. It's factual, hard-hitting and exposes India's hinterland underbelly that puts premium on dogmatic tradition and self-defeating old school beliefs.

Stills from Detainment

Madre (Mother), a stirring short from Spain directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen, has a single mother enveloped in a living nightmare - having to deal with her seven-year-old son, who tells her he can't find his father who he was vacationing within the French Basque Country. The film is a taut, frightening thriller that grips you till the end.

Marguerite, the short from Canada, by Marianne Farley, opens up locked-up memories through an evolving friendship between an ageing woman and her nurse, thus allowing her a sort of redemption from all the hurt and guilt accumulated over long lonely years. It's a human story that allows emotions to creep in steadily and eventually makes the precarious journey through memory lane a fulfilling one.

Fauve, another Canadian short, by Jeremy Comte, deals with an innocent, seemingly harmless power game between two boys that eventually turns scary. It's a stirring indictment on the brash, confrontational, competitive arrogance that has enveloped every aspect of young life today.

The most shocking of the lot are, of course, Detainment and Skin. Vincent Lambe's Detainment, a short from Ireland, based on the James Bulger case - for which two 10-year-old boys are detained by police under suspicion of abducting and murdering a toddler. It's a gruesome and harrowing tale told through interview transcripts of the case and the tension-ridden treatment is bound to leave you disturbed and despondent.

Skin, a short from the USA by Guy Nattiv, spins a horrific drama that has its origins in racial incrimination. A black man smiles at a 10-year-old boy in a small supermarket in a blue-collar town, and all hell breaks loose. This one's a blinder about how conditioning rules the way we think and behave even in such harmless, innocuous moments.

This entire package is a delightful showcase of talent and diversity and therefore, rightfully enshrined in the nominations for the best and worthiest shorts of 2018. They are definitely winners!

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Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Mayor Kishori Pednekar on Monday informed that the total number of containment zones in the city is now 1036.

"There has been a significant drop in the number of containment zones in Mumbai," Pednekar said. The Mayor said that many zones are out of the list as they reported zero COVID19 cases in the last two weeks. "231 zones are out of the containment zone list after they didn't record a single COVID-19 positive patient for the last 14 days," she added.

According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of positive COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra is 8,068. Till now, 1,076 people have either been cured and discharged, while 342 deaths have been reported in the state.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court on Monday pulled up the state for its claim that the novel Coronavirus could spread through newspapers. The state had, accordingly, banned the distribution of newspapers, while allowing its printing. The court, in an order dated April 20, directed the state to justify its claims with evidence and expert opinions instead of meagre statements.

A suo moto public interest litigation (PIL) in this regard was filed at the Nagpur bench of HC after the distribution ban was announced on April 18.

Government pleader DR Kale told the court that the order was amended on April 21 to allow "door-to-door distribution except in MMR, Pune, and other containment zones."

While Kale said that the virus stayed on surfaces for a while, and hence newspapers could be potential carriers when passed from hand-to-hand, the court said that there was no evidence to prove this.

It, however, added that door-to-door delivery could be restricted in some areas while asking the government to respond to its queries along with a report by amicus curiae advocate Satyajeet Bora.

The next date of hearing in the case is June 11.

11 June
Date of the next hearing in the case

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Social distancing and lockdown may have impacted each one of us mentally, emotionally and psychologically but it is the children and teenagers who have had to cope with sudden closure of schools, cancellation of exams and a prohibition of face-to-face interaction with their friends and teachers.

Anusha Manjani, Manager, Counseling Services at Akanksha Foundation, says, "Children are acutely aware of the sudden changes and panic in the environment around them. Younger children can feel confused, uneasy and scared; older children express feelings of anxiety, sadness and helplessness."

She added, "The uncertainty and chaos of the pandemic impacts all aspects of children's lives- it is not just a threat to their physical health- but to their learning, their home environment, their interaction with peers, their emotional well-being. Moreover, economic hardships, the overcrowding in homes, the lack of access to resources in low income communities can lead to higher incidence of neglect, violence and abuse- making staying at home itself a risk to some children's safety."

In such a time, it is crucial that children have support of their parents and teachers to help them in having a routine and structure to their day. Anusha says, "Parents and teachers can be key caregivers and anchors during this time to support the mental well-being of children- by reassuring them of their safety, creating a space to share feelings and using art, play, fun learning activities to engage with them."

Akanksha Foundation has started a helpline number called 'The Listening Space' for all the stakeholders such as students, teachers and parents to express themselves or just discuss about what's happening. While younger children have more questions about whats happening outside, older  children are venting out their frustration, their anxiety about their parents etc.

Parents and teachers are also coming up with interactive tasks and new ways of learning. Worksheets are sent to the students everyday and once the child solves it and shares it, the teacher reverts with the corrections as well. 

It is not just academics that are taken care of amid lockdown, things such as maintaining gratitude journals and 'doing a good deed everyday' are also being imbibed in the children to maintain their mental and emotional health.

A creative snakes and ladders

"At Akanksha, teachers, counsellors, social workers and parents are working together to support the children- whether it is checking in for the child's well being, spreading awareness of safety measures, encouraging learning through low-cost tech or doing parent-child activities- we are keeping the lines of communication and connection open and strong to navigate these difficult times together," says Anusha.

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After the death of three police constables within 48 hours, the police have rolled out a 10-point strategy to tackle the COVID-19 infection in its force that comprises around 45,000 personnel — both constables and officers. Apart from resting its senior members and changing duty patterns, the police have now begun administering Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to cops along with multivitamin tablets. Provisions will also be made for stay and nutritional food for cops till the lockdown lasts.

This will go on till the lockdown lasts. Ever since the pandemic broke out, senior cops have been given desk jobs but the infection spread among a few policemen and their family members.

Also Read: Exclusive: After Third Cop Dies Of COVID-19, Mumbai Police Sends Personnel Above 55 On Leave

"Our personnel are risking their lives to protect the city. Keeping their personal health and immunity strong has been a major priority for us," DCP (PRO) Pranay Ashok told mid-day, adding, "We have initiated a strategy to tackle it."

Accordingly, all cops above 55 years of age have been asked to stay at home, cops above 52 years of age with previous medical conditions have also been asked to stay home. The duty hours will also be changed from 8-hour shifts to 12-hour shifts and giving cops 24 hours off after that.

Around 12,000 cops will soon be administered with HCQ under medical supervision. Multivitamin tablets and protein supplements too will be given to 20,000 cops to strengthen their immunity.

Apart from this, police personnel will have the following special services:

1. Designated hospitals and dedicated beds in all COVID hospitals.

2. COVID Helpline number for personnel and families at the control room to resolve any doubts or issues.

3. Adequate number of PPEs, face masks, hand-sanitisers, gloves, face shields.

4. Amenities like food packets, ration, hot water flasks, pandals at checkpoints

5. Accommodation facilities

6. '50 lakh ex-gratia amount to all personnel who lose their lives fighting COVID (by the government).

12,000
No. of cops who will soon be administered with HCQ under medical supervision

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Nearly three dozen cops, including Assistant Sub Inspectors to constable-rank policemen, attached to Kasa police station in Palghar have been transferred as a result of the Palghar mob-lynching incident.

Sources at the police station told mid-day that 35 policemen have been moved to different police stations in Palghar district, as they failed to gauge the public mood despite repeated offences by local villagers, who had been rearing their heads against the government.

"Just two days before the barbaric killing of three men — saints Chikne Maharaj and Shushil Giri and their driver Nilesh Tilghate, the mob, in a similar manner, had attacked a doctor. The doctor was spared as he too is a tribal," said an officer from Palghar police.

"Kasa police should have taken stern action against the mob as they had injured policemen in the April 14 incident. Had action been taken against the mob then, local villagers would not have mustered the courage to gather at one place and dared to lynch the trio," the officer said.

Two police officers, PSI Sudhir Katare and API Anandrao Kale, have been suspended over 'dereliction of duty'. However, action taken by both on April 16 — the day of the lynching — has been defended by eye-witnesses.

Meanwhile, the sarpanch of Gadchinchale village Chitra Choudhary has been given police protection after she wrote to Kasa police about threats from relatives of the accused. One of the two watchmen of the forest department, Sonudaji Borsa, has registered an NC against the mother of an accused for threatening him but no protection has been given to him so far.

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With the tourism industry at a complete standstill across the country, a number of domestic animals associated with it have been severely impacted. In the Raigad district of Maharashtra, too, a number of these animals are a common sight, especially at the tourist spots like Matheran, Raigad fort and the beaches. Horses, donkeys, monkeys and stray dogs at all these places have been left without any food to eat. These places, usually frequented by hundreds of tourists every day, have seen barely any visitors over the last month and a half. The tourists would offer food to the animals who are now left to fend for themselves. Even the locals who have pets are finding it tough to manage without much income.

Given the grim situation, the district animal husbandry department along with a few do-gooders have now taken upon themselves to feed the animals and provide them ample drinking water.

Donkeys given dry grass at Raigad Fort

Dr Shubash Mhaske, district deputy commissioner, Animal Husbandry department, informed mid-day that the district, known for its farmhouses, hill stations, forts and beaches, has around 1,200 horses and ponies, of which nearly 460 are reared at Matheran hill station and the rest at the beaches around the districts. With the forest cover in Raigad district, monkeys too are found in large numbers here. "These are often fed by commuters en route to their destinations but that has stopped for over a month now," Mhaske said.

Dr Mandar Patel, Livestock Development Officer, Roha, therefore, visited the ghat areas on Roha-Nagothane road a couple of days ago with his team to feed some monkeys. Similarly, a team even visited Matheran to arrange food and water for the monkeys there.

Animal lovers step up in Pen
Hundreds of stray dogs and 40 cows are also being fed daily by a few animal lovers in and around Pen in Raigad.

"Cimaa Punmiya has come up with an innovative concept of Animal Food bank, where any animal lover can donate food. Kumar Deshpande provides a liquid diet for the strays. The Animal Husbandry department has arranged for medicines," Dr Mhaske said.

Donkeys of Raigadwadi starving
Another animal hit by the lockdown is the donkey. Around 90 donkeys reside around RaigadWadi, foothills of Raigad Fort. Dr Dattatray Sonawale, veterinary assistant commissioner of Animal Husbandry, Mahad Taluka, informed mid-day that the restoration work of Raigad Fort is on for the past couple of years and nearly 250 donkeys were being used to take up repairing material.

"Most of the donkeys had come from nearby areas and only 90 are still at the spot. They are owned by six-seven families who are still staying at the foothills of the fort," said Sonawale. These people along with their donkeys have been having a tough time sustaining due to the lockdown as "the donkeys are not allowed to roam around in the fields making it difficult for them to manage fodder or dry grass," the doctor added.

Prabhakar Sawant, a Raigadwadi resident, said that most of the donkeys are hired by contractors of restoration work.

After the district collector's directives, Sonawale and his team approached a few NGOs requesting them to provide dry grass, rice bran, wheat bran and medicines required for treating some injured donkeys. "Accordingly, potable water of 1,000 liters has been provided at the spot," he said, adding that the effort will continue to provide feed and dry grass to the donkeys till they are "in our jurisdiction and ration kits will be given to their owners."

'Everyone will be taken care of'
Nidhi Choudhari, district collector, told mid-day that the collector's office was doing everything to reach out to migrant workers and underprivileged people by providing ration kits and organising community kitchens with help from NGOs and corporates. "Directions have also been given to the Animal husbandry department to ensure that animals and strays are taken care of. Many animal lovers too have volunteered to help," Choudhari said.

1,200
Approx no. of horses/ponies in Raigad district

460
No. of horses/ponies at Matheran

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As many as 160 personnel of the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) have been keeping your city clean in an effort to prevent the spread of the deadly novel Coronavirus. Thirty-two teams of the MFB have sanitised more than 3,000 places, including hospitals and containment zones, over the past month.

The MFB teams, following the instructions of the BMC's health department, have disinfected 3,063 spots using 2.47 lakh litres of sodium hypochlorite. They have been disinfecting hospitals and the areas, which have been sealed following a spurt in cases of COVID-19 infections, on alternate days. The fire department said they are using 17 quick response vehicles, nine mist blowing machines and six boom mist machines to sanitise the affected places.

The real challenge is to disinfect the gullies around the houses and narrow pathways in the slum where hardly one person can walk at a time, said an officer from the MFB. "The number of containment zones in the slum has increased, but the fire brigade team is working hard to sanitise all the areas in time, and effectively," the officer added.

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THE city's congested areas continue to see a rapid increase in the number of Containment Zones (CZ) as a result of positive cases in such areas across wards. Out of the total 1,391 CZs in the city, 779 (56 per cent) are in high density areas.

While the southern part of the city — Worli, Dharavi and Byculla has been the centre of COVID-19 cases, in the past 10 days, the northern and eastern part of the city have also seen CZs rise. The Kurla-Chembur belt in Eastern suburbs and the Jogeshwari-Andheri belt in western suburbs, together have nearly 25 per cent of the city's CZs. Out of the 1,391 active CZs, these two together have 322. Byculla too has seen a significant rise.

In the L ward, comprising Kurla and Chembur, CZs increased from 58 to 176 in the past 10 days, with 140 being in congested areas. Most parts of the ward are slum pockets. Assistant Commissioner Manish Valanju was unavailable for comment.

K West ward, comprising Jogeshwari to Vileparle West, has 146 active CZs, of which 92 are in congested areas like slums and gaonthans. The local ward officer said that the number is high because of the sealing of small pockets and not whole areas. "We are closing access to smaller areas instead of closing large chunks. It helps manage essential services. Hence the numbers are high," said Vishwas Mote, assistant commissioner of the K West ward. He added that the most number of CZs are in congested areas like Gilbert Hill, Behram Baug, Gillette Nagar, Anand Nagar and Versova Koliwada.

E ward, that comprises Byculla, has over 100 CZs, of which 37 are in congested areas. Dharavi (G North), Parel-Worli (G South) and Santacruz E to Bandra E (H East) also have a high number of CZs.

The above six wards have 721 CZs, of which 430 are in congested areas. "The increased cases in congested areas is the outcome of the targeted approach for identification of COVID-19 suspects and testing," said a senior BMC officer. The officer added that the strategy includes proactive contact-tracing, containing pockets, house-to-house surveys of contained pockets, fever camps and identifying suspected cases.

Doctors wearing PPE suits prepare to enter Jijamata Nagar, a containment zone in Worli. Pic/ Ashish Raje

Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner, said, There is a personal, social and economical angle to containment zones. If we can quarantine high-risk contacts from these zones and people follow basic hygiene and social distancing, the lockdown can be eased to some extent. It will also benefit society at large and will even be helpful for the economy. There are secondary industries in congested areas which provide raw material or services to mainstream industries. If the number of positive patients comes down in places like Dharavi, it will surely help the economy of the entire city."

Mumbai's Containment Zones (CZ)

Active CZs: 1,391
Released: 318

Wards with high CZs (on April 18 and April 28)

L: 58 and 176
K West: 59 and146
E: 53 and123
G South: 81 and 92
H East: 53 and96
G north: 15 and 88

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At a time when Maharashtra Governor, Bhagat Singh Koshyari is being blamed for delaying granting a legislative council membership to Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray, the former has recommended the Election Commission of India (ECI) to schedule elections to the nine vacant seats of the Council as early as possible.

The request made on Thursday is quite significant because Thackeray must get elected to either house before May 27 if he were to continue in office and give Maharashtra a stable government in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi constituents have also asked the governor and ECI to hold elections if nomination under the governor's quota wasn't possible. The nine seats fell vacant on April 24 but the commission postponed the elections because of the pandemic.

In his letter, the governor has said that the lockdown has been relaxed in many ways and hence the elections to the council seats could be held under certain guidelines.

Welcoming the move, Opposition leader, Devendra Fadnavis said, "This would be constitutional because the members would be elected in due process and it would also adhere to a norm that the governor's nominee should be made a CM or minister."

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Mumbai Police shared a heartbreaking and inspiring video of one of the officers who was tested positive for coronavirus,  going away for his treatment, with a promise of winning the battle against the pandemic and joining back on duty soon.

The 15-seconds video was enough to make Twitter users emotional and they heaped praises for the cop for being courageous despite testing positive for the virus. The police department said in the caption while sharing the video, "Our 29 year old frontline warrior, who tested positive for Coronavirus, just summarised what we’ve been meaning to tell you all along."

The video shows the officer bidding adieu to his colleagues and getting into an ambulance that was waiting to take him to the hospital.

Our 29 year old frontline warrior, who tested positive for Coronavirus, just summarised what we’ve been meaning to tell you all along - à¤Â•à¤¾à¤¹à¥Â€ à¤ÂŸà¥Â‡à¤Â‚शन à¤Â˜à¥Â‡à¤ÂŠ नà¤Â•à¥Â‹ रà¥Â‡, मितà¥Âà¤°à¤¾! #AamhiDutyVarAahot #MumbaiPoliceOnDuty #MumbaiFirst#TakingOnCorona pic.twitter.com/tNJWg7Ljsv

— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) April 29, 2020

The post shared on Twitter garnered more than 346,400 views and over 18,200 likes and was retweeted more than 3,600 times. The users commenting on the video said that they are praying for the officer’s speedy recovery.

That's the spirit ..salute to such a brave officer ...best wishes for his recovery

— Harish Raja (@hraja2016) April 29, 2020

I Salute and pray for the speedy recovery of all the Warriors who have been detected positive.
Tujhi kalji ghe Mitra.

— Akshay Raut (@akkir) April 29, 2020

His attitude says a lot about the young cop there... god bless â­Â
Yes tension gheu naka ... He will be back soonðŸ‘ÂÂŒ#PositiveVibes

— Neha (@IamNRGe) April 29, 2020

Get well soon sir love you all because of you we are safe and happy in mumbai..

— Aasif shaikh (@Asifshaikhseo) April 29, 2020

Salute ! Salute ! Salute

— Bharati Chaudhari (@bumekar) April 29, 2020

What do you think about the post?

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After locking down the nation with just four hours notice on March 24 and leaving lakhs of migrant workers high and dry, the Centre on Friday launched Shramik Special trains to transport these workers and other stranded people home.

Indian Railway appealed to people not to crowd stations as the trains are only for those screened and registered by state governments. “No one should come to the station looking for trains. We will not issue tickets or entertain request from any group or individual. We will allow only those passengers whom state officials bring. The State is the final authority on deciding who travels,” an Indian Railway spokesperson said. The first train from Maharashtra, Nashik-Bhopal Shramik Special departed from Nashik station at 9:30 pm on May 1 as scheduled.

These special, non-AC trains will run from point to point. There will be different fares for sleeper and general class. The Railways and states shall appoint senior staff as Nodal Officers for coordination.

Migrants onboard a train for Hatia, Jharkhand at Lingampally, Telangana. Pic/PTI

Passengers have to be screened by states sending them and only asymptomatic people would be allowed to travel. Sending states have to bring these people in batches to the designated station in sanitised buses following social distancing norms and other precautions. It will be mandatory for every passenger to wear face masks. Meals and drinking water have to be provided by the sending states at the originating station. Railways said they will ensure social distancing, hygiene and provide a meal on longer journeys. On arrival, the home state has to screen, quarantine passengers if necessary and arrange further travel from the station.

Nine-point plan

Maharashtra’s Minister of Transport Anil Parab gave the following guidelines travellers must follow:

• Those willing to leave Maharashtra should fill forms and submit them to local police stations through their group leaders.
• The form will require basic details like name, address in migrant and home state, Aadhar card, mobile number. Each train will carry 1,000 passengers.
• Each migrant must get a certificate from a doctor stating that the traveller does not have COVID-19 symptoms.
• Based on this information, state will decide on booking tickets and make a list based on the applications.
• After preparing list, state will seek permission from the home state. After receiving NoC, action will be taken by district collectors to help passengers reach home.
• A section of the form will ask the traveller to choose the mode of transport — rail or road.
• Those wishing to travel by bus can form groups of 25, arrange a bus and inform the local police. Each state and district will have nodal officers.
• There is no restriction of movement within the state. Those who have gone out of Mumbai and are stuck can return. No restriction on people returning from Green Zones.
• However, people residing in Red Zones, especially in containment zones, cannot move.

No respite for Red Zone migrants?

People stranded in Containment Zones and Red Zones are likely to be prevented from leaving. This means many migrants in MMR, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Nashik, Nagpur, Yavatmal and other affected districts stand no chance of leaving. Nodal officers at the district and state headquarter levels have started getting requests from people.

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The financial crisis caused due to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to school fees becoming a major point of discussion. While many schools have introduced novel concepts to ease the burden, parents are also discussing ways with managements to avoid issues with salary to staff.

Despite the constant demand by parents to cancel fees or give concessions, this is not possible for all schools. Principal of Smt. Sulochanadevi Singhania School in Thane, Revathy Srinivasan said, "Schools cannot do away with fees, after all, salaries need to be paid to staff."

Some relax norms

Many schools have their own model of relaxation in fees. Meera Isaacs, principal of Cathedral and John Connon School, said, "If some parents are facing genuine issues, we consider them. We have also waived off fine on late payment of fees."

Similarly, at the Sri Sri Ravishankar Vidya Mandir, the late fee is waived. Despite a PTA-approved hike in fees to be implemented this year, the school has decided to continue with the old fee structure for three months. Principal Rekha Kapoor, said, "This decision was taken due to the current situation."

Jamnabai Narsee School has not spoken anything about fees as yet. "Generally parents pay fees in the month of April. But we have not collected fees as we are yet to take a decision. We are not going to push for them so fast," said principal Zeenat Bhojabhoy.

Bombay Scottish, Mahim has deferred the increase in fees for the forthcoming year. Dhirubhai Ambani International School has decided to waive off transport and canteen fees. At Pawar Public School, one month extension was provided to parents to pay the first instalment.

'Govt must intervene'

Former education minister Ashish Shelar has written a letter to Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad, asking her to issue an order to schools to rollback fee hikes. But parents feel that the issue should not be politicised.

President of Parents of Private Schools of Maharashtra (POPSOM), Milind Gangurde said, "Many parents are dependent on jobs. Some are facing huge salary cuts or loss of jobs due to the situation. It is time the government intervenes and takes a strong stand in favour of parents."

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A PIL has been filed in Bombay High Court asking the government to make a strategy for exiting the lockdown. It further asks the government to make plans for the protection of health care workers, police officials, and others providing essential services. The PIL also demands the deployment of the army in sensitive areas.

The petitioner Dr Syed Ejaz Abbas Naqvi said, "There is growing negativity in the minds of the citizens of Maharashtra amidst the current lockdown and the possibility of its extension. Some violators are roaming freely hence, the intervention of the army and para-military is required."

The advocate of the petitioner Vishal Satyaprakash Saxena said that the PIL is filed asking the government of Maharashtra to formulate and disclose the strategy to exit the lockdown and to formulate guidelines for the well-being of the citizens of Maharashtra. The court will hear the manner on May 13.

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Eight lakh people live in over 1,600 areas declared as Containment Zones (CZ) due to a high number of COVID-19 cases, but those living in nearly 60 per cent of them are at higher risk of contracting the respiratory disease as these are congested areas. The worst affected is the L ward, comprising Kurla and Chembur, with the most crammed CZs.

AS of Sunday, the civic body has sealed 1,606 areas, declared as Containment Zones. According to a BMC data, 944 of them have mostly chawls and slums, and with crammed houses and public toilets, there is a high risk of transmission of the novel Coronavirus in these places.

BMC says civic staffers visiting congested containment areas are also at risk. File pic

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's main challenge now is to keep minimum contact points in these areas. With the constant spike in confirmed COVID-19 cases, the BMC has started sealing small areas consisting of around 80-100 houses instead of locking down an entire slum pocket.

"Public toilets are the biggest risk. It is cleaned as many times as possible to avoid the spread of infection. Besides, people try to sneak out of their rooms as their houses are small. Also, there are many small and complex internal pathways, but we try to close all the gateways and separate the Containment Zones so the virus doesn't spread outside," said an assistant commissioner from the Western Suburbs. At 184, L ward, comprising Kurla and Chembur, has maximum number of CZs and nearly 85 per cent of them (157) are in congested areas. The K West ward, from Jogeshwari West to Vile Parle West, also has a number of congested CZs.

Out of 173 CZs, 117 are crammed. Bandra to Santacruz East, i.e. the H East ward, has also been struggling with a high number of sealed slum pockets. However, city's densest ward, Byculla East, has least number of Containment Zones in slums and chawls. Dharavi, despite reporting a maximum number of COVID-19 cases, has fewer CZs because the sealed areas have a large number of houses.

"We planned and executed five levels of measures. High-risk contacts are shifted to institutional quarantine. A common area, like public toilets, is cleaned two to three times a day. A team of doctor checks everyone in the area. There are fever clinics. We focus on senior citizens by checking the oxygen level of their blood and acting appropriately," said Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner.

BMC staff, including doctors, nurses, health and sanitation workers, visiting these areas are also at risk of contracting the virus. As a precaution, the BMC has suggested that they take hydroxychloroquine tablets under supervision to avoid side effects.

7,795 high-risk contacts at Corona Care Centres

As of Sunday, as many as 1,778 COVID-19 patients have been shifted from hospital to Corona Care Centre-2. "Many of them have been discharge from CCC2 as well and they are advised to remain under home quarantine. But the figure is still not available," said a senior officer form the BMC. There are 7,795 high-risk contacts in Corona Care Centres. While the BMC also keeps asymptomatic people at the centres rather than in hospitals, there isn't any data available on the number of these patients.

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Tired, hungry, thirsty, dejected and with blistered feet, hundreds of children and adults are currently trudging along the Mumbai-Nashik highway, in the hope that they will reach their hometowns in UP. Most of these daily wage workers had already begun their journey by the time the government decided to ply special trains to repatriate them.

But others began to walk towards their hometowns, uncertain and confused about train services, not knowing how to arrange the required documents or procure medical certificates.

Ashok Kumar and Ganesh Sahani's families are walking from Panvel to Basti, UP

The media has labelled it as the greatest exodus in India since the partition. The workers have been walking from Bhayandar, Bhiwandi, Ulhasnagar, Panvel, Taloja and other places, unable to wait any further for the lockdown to be lifted.

mid-day on Saturday spoke to several migrants who have been walking along the Mumbai-Nashik-Agra highway even from before the announcement of the third extension to the lockdown. Some have walked to Nashik in the hopes of boarding a train.

Vishwanath Shinde's aunt, 70, has lost her entire family so he had brought her to stay with him. Pics/Rajesh Gupta

Ashok Kumar, 27, and his family, including three children aged one to six, had walked 70 km from Panvel to Bhiwandi. The family, which used to work at a construction site till their owner suffered heavy losses and abandoned them, are headed to Uttar Pradesh's Basti district. Asked why the family started walking with children in the scorching heat instead of waiting for the government to start train services, Kumar said, "Kisko achcha lagta hai bachchon ke saath itna dur chalne ke liye? Mai aapko majburi bata nahi sakta. We were starving. I swear on my children that nobody from the government was helping us with food. Some people helped us with 15 days of ration, but how long would they do that?" Kumar and his family decided to walk home when they had only a few hundred rupees left. "We used to send money to our elderly parents and now they are sending it to us, so we can reach home safely. We don't know where these trains will leave from and what is to be done to get into them. Instead we will walk this way, may be someone will give us a lift."

'We'll die at home'
Kumar was accompanied by his friend Ganesh Sahani, who also belongs to Basti and worked at the same place. Sahani also has a 6-year-old child. He told mid-day, "We'll walk instead of starving our kids. On the way someone will help us. If we have to die, we will die in our home."

Sunil Yadav and friends rushed to this reporter's car asking for food. Team mid-day didn't have any but at the same time another car stopped there and offered them food

Kumar told mid-day on Sunday over phone that he had reached Jhansi, but Sahani's family did not make it. They were intercepted by police and taken to a quarantine centre in Nashik. "We were lucky as there was no place in the police vehicle. We stayed at the Nashik vegetable market for a night. After walking for 180 km, some people helped us with food and shelter. The next morning a vegetable supplier from UP accommodated my family in his truck and now we have reached Jhansi."

The heartwrenching stories continued. Another daily-wage labourer who belongs to Maharashtra's Akola district, was walking with his family, carrying his 70-year-old disabled aunt. Vishwanath Shinde, 45, worked with a road contractor in Navi Mumbai. He stays with his wife, two children, his sister who is blind and his disabled aunt, Vachelabai Nahi. We met Shinde near Kalyan. "Everyone is dead in my aunt's family and she is alone. So I brought her to stay with us in Mumbai. I carry her in my arms like a child. We stop every few kilometres to rest," he said.

Sumit and Sarita Dangar are walking with their child and say they have no money

Shinde, who used to earn R700 a day, said, "I don't have a single paisa to afford any transport from here. The government said it will send buses, it will send trains. There are people walking on the roads here. They can send the buses here. Will they send them after we die?"

Sumit and Sarita Dangar were walking with their 6-year-old daughter to Washim. Sumit had come to Navi Mumbai just four days before the lockdown was announced to work at a construction site. " I thought things will get better after May 3 but nothing is going to change. We both earned R800 every day. But all our savings have gone, so we decided to leave the city. Once we reach home the villagers will send us to a quarantine centre for 14 days which is compulsory."

Doctors from Kongaon Medical Practitioners' Association have set up a camp to help the migrants with basic medicines. Pics/Rajesh Gupta

'No help from govt'
Several youngsters are also walking to UP. Of one such group, 14 members worked in Bhayandar and belong to Siddharth Nagar district in Uttar Pradesh. They had heard of a special train to Gorakhpur from Nashik, and started walking there to catch it. "If we can't catch it, we will walk to our home town. No help has come from the government. It's the people who have been helping us even on the highway," said Sunil Yadav. Another group from Prayagraj working in Ulhasnagar, which has a big migrant population, also left for Nashik hoping to board the special train. The group belongs to Prayagraj. "Some trains will go to Lucknow. We have walked for a whole night for almost 50 km to reach Nashik on time. We are starving. Our parents sent some money so we can reach home. We will fight until we are alive," said Munnalal.

Migrants avoid trains
On Sunday, Sunil Yadav called this reporter to say they would continue to walk. "We had checked with people in Bhayandar about special trains. But they said they are facing difficulties to get their names registered, as there are thousands of people. They have been asked to get medical certificates and pay for tickets as well. After listening to all this, we kept walking and have now crossed Nashik," said Sunil Yadav.

Vinod Yadav, a tailor from Bhayandar, and his friends had by Saturday morning reached Kalyan Phata. "We started walking hoping to board a train. But some people told us about the formalities. We don't have a single rupee. How will we pay for tickets?" he said.

Doctors' camp on highway
In the midst of this humanitarian crisis, three doctors from the Kongaon Medical Practitioners' Association have set up a camp on the highway with medicines, which include pain killers, paracetamol and ORS. "We have been holding this camp for the past three days from 6 am to 9 pm for the migrants. We also provide food to them. Almost 500 people have benefitted every day," said Dr Bharat Patil.

"This is the time we must help each other. We have been taking their temperature as well," said Dr Kishore Singh.

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Soon after Maharashtra government directive allowing standalone liquor shops to open in COVID-19 red zones (except the containment areas), AIMIM Lok Sabha MP Imtiaz Jaleel has said if liquor shops are opened in Aurangabad, he would force their closure, adding that it is not a time to sell alcohol and create problems for women.

"Government decides to open liquor shops even in red zone! If shops in Aurangabad open we will break lockdown restrictions and forcibly close these shops. Will make many women come out on the streets. This is not time to sell liquor and create problems for mothers and sisters," the Aurangabad lawmaker tweeted in a series of tweet.

Lambasting the Maharashtra government, he further asked what is the hurry to sell liquor in this difficult time. He further stated if this is the case then why not allow selling everything, why this "privilege only to liquor shops".

The state government had on Sunday issued a list of activities that will be allowed in different zones of the State during the lockdown."The state government has decided to allow standalone shops including liquor shops to open in red zone also except the containment zones. Though there is no restriction in the number of essential shops that can be opened, only five non-essential shops can be opened in each lane," the government order stated.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

In view of the financial hit the state is likely to take owing to the pandemic, the state government has taken several austerity measures.

New schemes, construction, purchases by the state have been barred while new jobs will not be created. Employees will not be transferred and promoted this financial year.

A resolution issued by the chief secretary on Monday said that the current schemes will have to run on 33 per cent grant instead of 100 per cent. Health, medical education, relief and rehabilitation, food and civil supplies departments will get priority in state funding.

'Review schemes'
The departments have been asked to review current schemes and work on them with a limited budget.

However, there will be no cut in essential spendings like salaries and pension payments.

Pending bills to be paid
Buying gizmos, furniture and hiring offices have not been allowed. The expenses on event management have been curtailed. The pending bills will be paid using whatever the finances are available.

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A fire was reported on the sixth floor of Atlas building in Napean Sea Road, on Tuesday morning. While no casualties were reported, two women were rescued from the building, a fire official said.

The fire was reported in the 11-storey residential building at 4:41 am on Tuesday and the fire brigade arrived at the scene at 4:55 am. As the intensity of the fire increased it was reported as a Level 2 fire. It gutted its two bedrooms, electric wiring and installations, wooden beds, bedding, furniture, and clothing, the official said.

The fire was brought under control within four hours, at 8.40 am, with the help of eight fire engines. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, the official added.

(with PTI inputs)

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With the increasing number of COVID-19 patients in the city, the total number of containment zones have crossed the 2,000 mark. Of these, 1,235 are in congested areas.

The Central and the state governments have ordered restarting some activities in the red zones across the country. As on May 4, the number of sealed areas in the city reached 2,083. Sixty per cent of the Containment Zones (CZ) are in congested areas like chawls and slum. Around 600 containment zones are in densely populated areas and require 24-hour police surveillance.

"While the exact number of people living in these containment areas cannot be calculated, around 400 to 500 people live in every CZ," said a senior civic officer, adding that CZs restrict the spread of COVID.

Till April 23, the number of CZs were 983 with 231 zones released after 14 days. The number of CZs increased two-fold in the past 11 days.

Shifting to CCCs
The BMC has now begun to shift mild-symptomatic and asymptomatic patients to Corona Care Centres II (CCC). The civic body has started these centres across the city with a total capacity of 17,651 beds. As of now, 1778 positive patients are taking treatment in these centres. The NSCI club in Worli with a capacity of 500 people, has 279 positive persons. Byculla which comes under the E-ward has 210 positive persons in CCC II. F-North (Wadala) has 210, G-North (Dharavi, Dadar) has 207, H-East (Bandra) has 124, K-West (Jogeshwari, Andheri West) has 194 and L-Ward (Kurla, Chembur) has 118 patients in the facility.

In institutional quarantine, the civic body managed to increase the capacity of CCCI to 20,462 beds. There are 7,771 high-risk contacts of positive patients staying in these centres.

There are around 10 lakh people living in containment zones in the city right now.

10 lakh
No. of people in containment zones in the city

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Zyada se zyada kya hoga? Mar hi jaunga na chalte chalte? (What's the worse that could happen? I'll die, right?) These disturbing words of a physically challenged migrant walking home to UP from Thane sum up the mood of hundreds like him trudging home. With no clarity from the government, the migrants continue to risk their lives on highways.

Hundreds of the migrant workers continue to walk to Uttar Pradesh and even Nagpur. As it is difficult to walk in the scorching heat, most rest during the day and walk at nights on highways. They poured their hearts out to mid-day.

A majority of the migrants work as labourers on at under-construction sites in MMR. They said they were leaving Mumbai as they had no access to food and essential items at their workplaces. At least 1,000 men, women and children were seen walking along the Mumbai-Agra highway between the Thane-Kalyan junctions.

Most of the migrants will walk over 1,600 km to UP. Pic/Ranjeet Jadhav

'Procedure not explained'
Some people expressed anger against the state and Central governments, alleging they were not taking the plight of migrants seriously, and this was happening because the authorities on the local level weren't cooperative. They alleged that local authorities were not explaining relevant procedures. Many have filled forms, taken medical certificates and got these and other papers stamped by the police to board the transport provided but say they are not being clearly told what is next.

Kisan Pawar who is heading back to his village near Nagpur with his wife, daughter and son, said they barely have any money left. "Staying in Thane with no job or money will be more burdening. So we started on the 800-km-long journey on foot," said Pawar. At night they rested at Kalyan phata for few hours. Most migrants have been resting or sleeping on the side of the highway.

Rajesh Pawar, 28, a resident of Gondia district in Maharashtra worked as a labourer at a construction site in Thane. Since work stopped and he has no money left, he and his wife have started walking with their two-year-old daughter. An emotional Rajesh said, "I pray that such difficult times don't befall anyone. No one really cares about the poor and that's why we have no other option but to walk. We don't even have money to buy tickets and food. We hope to reach our village because the safety of my daughter is very important."

'I would have died anyway'
A man with a deformed foot who did not wish to be named, will be walking over 1,600 km to reach his village in UP. "Aise bhi mar jaate kyon ki khaane ke liye kuch nahi hai. Us se behtar hai jahan tak chal saku wahan tak jaun, is umeed se ke ghar pohochunga. Jyada se jyada kya hoga? Mar hi jaunga na chalte chalte? (I would have died anyway because I wasn't getting any food. It's better that I walk as far as I can in the hope that I will reach home. What's the worst that could happen? I'll die, right?)," he said.

Suhel Ahmed and Irshad Khan who worked at a construction site in Thane, had approached local authorities to know about the procedure to go back home. But they claimed they weren't given clarity about when they would be allowed to go back, so they left for Uttar Pradesh on foot.

'No co-ordination'
Irshad Khan told mid-day, "We waited in Thane all this time because the government had told us it would make arrangements at the right time for migrants to go home. But there seems to be lack of coordination between the Centre and state. For the past two days, we ran from pillar to post getting medical certificates and filling forms but there was no clarity on what next. We have a few hundred rupees and before that too gets over, we want to reach home. God knows when we will reach."

The chairperson of an NGO says the government must instill confidence in migrants. Jalpesh Mehta, chairperson, Empower Foundation, said, "Walking on the highway for kilometres is a risky affair and may also see migrants die due to hunger or exertion and not because of COVID-19. We have worked with government authorities and police in Maharashtra and Gujarat to provide food to the migrants and the support on the ground from authorities has been excellent. The living conditions of the migrants and support from their employers is indeed very poor, but the need of the hour is instillation of confidence in the migrants by the government on the ground that they will be taken care of and there are planned exits — trains and buses to help them reach back home safely."

1,000
No. of people seen walking along Mumbai-Agra highway

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The Maharashtra government collected more than Rs 62 crore revenue in two days of liquor sale after relaxations in COVID-19 lockdown were announced, said a senior official on Tuesday. The amount was collected by the excise department by Tuesday night with just one third of the total number of liquor shops in the state remaining open, he said. An estimated 16.10 lakh litres of bottled IMFL, beer, wines and country liquor were sold, he said.

The state has over 10,000 licensed shops that sell country liquor, IMFL, wine and beer of which merely 3,500 operated on Monday and Tuesday, he said. The long queues of tipplers outside liquor outlets led to the excise department recording an estimated revenue of Rs 62.55 crore by Tuesday night, he said. Of this, Rs 11 crore was collected on Monday, the day one of liquor sale, the official said. Following relaxations in lockdown norms, long queues of tipplers were seen outside standalone liquor shops on Monday in various parts of Maharashtra though authorities in some districts decided not to permit alcohol sale.

All liquor shops were closed ever since a national lockdown was imposed across the country on March 25 to halt the spread of coronavirus. The lockdown was extended till May 17, but standalone liquor shops were permitted to operate as part of relaxations by the state government. There are 10,822 license holders in the state of which 3,543 opened for business. The long queues outside every shop have now reflected in states coffers with the sale of an estimated 16.10 lakh litres of bottled IMFL, beer, wines and country liquor.

"The estimated earnings from the sale stood at Rs 62.55 crore, said Kantilal Umap, state excise commissioner. There are 17 districts (out of total 36) in Maharashtra where liquor shops remained open. Collectors in nine districts have decided not to permit opening of liquor shops to avoid the spread of the coronavirus infection. Two districts - Osmanabad and Latur - had opened shops but due to crowding, the authorities immediately ordered their closure.

There are five other districts where liquor shops were not opened but the authorities are working out a plan to allow them to operate in the coming days. Maharashtra has three dry districts - Wardha, Gadchiroli and Chandrapur.

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The Maharashtra government on Tuesday decided to ply about 10,000 buses to ferry stranded people from one district to another within the state amidst the ongoing coronavirus-induced lockdown. "After the announcement of lockdown was made (on March 24), several people got stuck at distant locations from their homes. The government has now decided to ply 10,000 buses of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) for free to drop them to their native places," State Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar said.

He said various procedural details and standard operating procedure will be put out in the next couple of days. The government had announced some relaxations during the third phase of the lockdown, which will remain in force till May 17.

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Around 50 students from hostels run by the Social Welfare Department in Mumbai's Worli area have requested the state government to let them go home amid the lockdown.

While the department has ensured that these students are provided with food, a majority of them hail from rural Maharashtra and are scared due to the increasing number of COVID-19 patients in Mumbai — particularly in Worli.

There are three Social Welfare Department-run hostels in Worli's BDD Chawls — building number 116 and 118. While the hostel in building 118 is a boy's hostel, building number 116 has both boys and girls.

Ashok Bansode, resident student

Ashok Bansode, an engineering student who hails from Akkalkot in Solapur said, "Initially, we were getting proper food. But as the cases kept rising in Worli area, restrictions came in place and now we are just being served dal and rice every day. We are also wondering whether or not the department will take responsibility for us."

The hostel management asked the students to get their medical check-ups done before seeking permission to travel home. But considering their financial conditions, nobody has money to arrange for private transportation.

"The way arrangements were done for students in Kota, we should also be given such help. We cannot arrange for our own transportation," Bansode added.

Suraj Kamble, another resident student said, "We should be taken home directly where we can remain in home quarantine. But if we are sent to any institutional quarantine or told to travel through railways, that can put us in danger of contracting the virus. All the Kota students are in home quarantine currently,"

Sachin Bansode, member of Chhatrabharati — a students' organisation which is helping these stranded students to go back home — said, "These students too have the right to go back home. Many of them are from rural parts of Maharashtra and don't have funds to head home on their own. We are in the process of understanding how they can be helped without compromising on safety."

Three
Total no. of Social Welfare Department hostels in BDD chawl

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Migrant labourers in the city might soon get some respite as the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has now come up with a plan for migrant transport movement, in addition to trains.

The country's second-biggest fleet of 17,000 buses is yet to confirm the development as the plans are under process. Details, however, reveal that about 10,000 buses will be used for the process, with the costs borne by the state government. While Maharashtra Minister of Relief and Rehabilitation Vijay Wadettiwar made a public statement on this seeking expediting the plans, the MSRTC will soon make a formal announcement.

MSRTC had earlier sent about 90 buses to bring back students stranded in Kota, Rajasthan. As per the plans available, the state transport ministry said that they were in the process of building a separate portal for booking of such migrants who were willing to travel back to their home states.

An official said bus depot managers and divisional officers will stay in touch with tehsildars or appointed state administration officials. Buses will be provided for groups of 20-25 people. He added that the buses will only be for those who register themselves with the local district collectors, expressing a desire to go back to their home district or state.

Limited passengers on every bus

"The buses will be following all norms of social distancing which means only a limited number of passengers would be occupied in every bus," an official said. He added that no passengers will be allowed to de-board the bus mid-way as they will be point-to-point buses and in case of long-distance travel, the buses will be given adequate halts for food and drinks and in case of a bus break-down, replacement buses will be provided on priority.

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The Maharashtra government on Friday announced a compensation of Rs 500,000 to the next of kin of all the migrants who were run over by a goods train near Aurangabad. Expressing deep anguish over the incident which killed 16 migrants, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that all the expenses for the treatment of all those injured in the mishap will be borne by the state government. "We are in constant touch with the Centre to make arrangements for running as many trains as possible for the migrants to return to their homes. I appeal to them not to give up hopes," Thackeray urged.

The Chief Minister said that the victims were working for a steel company in Jalna and were proceeding along the railway lines, apparently to their homes in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. At night they slept on the railway tracks but early Friday a goods train ran over them, killing 16 and injuring many others.

Thackeray said in the past 4-5 days around 100,000 migrants have reached home safely and more trains are being organized, including from Mumbai, to send the other stranded workers to their respective states.

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The state government on Friday directed schools across the state against introducing any fee hike this academic year in view of the crisis. It also asked schools to provide parents with options of instalments to pay the tuition fees and offer online payment services.

The Maharashtra state government's school education department on Friday issued the Government Resolution (GR) in this regard.

"For the academic year 2020-21, schools should not hike fees. If certain services at the school which are currently not offered and are, therefore, reducing the school's expenses, the management must try to reduce the fees. Considering parents' convenience, schools should offer different instalment options to pay the fees instead of asking for a complete annual fee at once. They must also offer online payment services for parents," states the GR which also mentions that this step was taken after receiving several complaints regarding schools forcing parents to pay complete fees at once.

Parents hail move

While the government had earlier suggested instalments for school fees, some schools had offered such options or even reduced fees in some cases. But the decision lacked uniformity and hence the GR was issued.

Anubha Sahai, president of Indiawide Parents' Association, said, "It is an excellent decision by the state government. It clearly states that no school shall force any parent to pay full fees during the lockdown."

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Dear Diana,
I am 33 and single. Six years ago, I was in a relationship with a guy in the neighbourhood. We had got engaged too, but later we broke off. His family felt I was not suitable for their son and they then relocated to Surat. Ever since my engagement broke off, I have not had any guy on the scene. My parents have now registered me on a marriage website. They feel I should settle down. But I believe that I will never get married due to my broken engagement. Will I ever find someone who will love me? Someone who will not ask unwanted questions about my past? I have become a recluse after the break up. My parents are worried about me.
— Rasika

Dear Rasika,
A broken engagement does not mean that you will not find love again. So do not lose heart. You could be second time lucky. Just think that this guy was not meant for you. You needed someone better. Let the engagement break up remain where it is — in the distant past. There is no point brooding about it and crying over it. After the break up, you have cut yourself from the social scene. There is no reason to do so. Hang out with your pals, you never know when and where you will meet Mr Right. Your parents are concerned about you and want you to be happy. Let them register you on a matrimonial website. I am sure they will find the best for you. At the same time, do not put pressure on yourself to get hitched. You cannot go looking for love, it just comes your way.

Don't just throw away your old sari, but re-use it by turning it into a kurta or a cushion cover, say experts. Designers Kamaldeep Kaur and Rohini and Dipti Singh have listed down some innovative ways with which you can reuse the old sari.

Representational picture

1. You can make a trendy Anarkali or a kurta out of it which can be teamed with a set of palazzos.

2. If it is a georgette or a chiffon sari, it can be reinvented into a sharara and a dupatta which you can pair with a kurta.

3. If it is a silk sari, then you can make a dupatta out of it and pair it up with a plain solid colour kurta and pants. You can also make cushion covers with it.

4. If it is a Benarasi sari, then you can cut out the border through the entire length, and put it on a plain colour chiffon or georgette sari. You can make cushion covers or dupatta or cloth bags with the rest of it.

5. You can also make lehenga for girls, kurtas, bed runner with the border. Another option can be curtains.

6. Borders from old saris can be re-used on new saris.

7. You can also add a trendy twist to the old sari.

8. You can go for a sleeveless jacket instead of a blouse with the old sari.

9. Ditch the petticoat, and drape the sari over jeans.

10. You can also use two different saris, cut them into halves or use two contrasting dupattas and drape them around like a sari. Add some interesting jewellery to make them stay together.

Visible panty lines and camel toes are big fashion faux pas and can ruin even the most perfect outfit. Do not buy tight underwear, and hide bulging belly fat with high waist panties, suggest experts.

Smita Murarka, Head - Marketing and E-commerce at MAS Brands India (amanté and ULTIMO), and Neha Kant, Founder of Clovia, have listed a few ideas:

• Aim to wear underwear that fits perfectly. A tight underwear leads to lines and discomfort whereas a loose underwear easily bunches up inside one's clothes, showing wrinkles and bumps.

• Underwear should be selected depending on the outfit being worn. Thongs are a good option when you are wearing tight clothing, boyshorts provide full coverage, hipsters offer modest coverage at the hip area, full briefs cover your abdomen area and bikinis are an all-time favourite giving a feminine look.

• To avoid visible panty lines, opt for seamless panties, boyshorts or thongs.

• To hide bulging belly fat, opt for panties with a high waist or panties with broad waistband.

• Always wear nude or skin coloured panties under white or light bottoms.

• While wearing low waist jeans always wear a low waist or ultra low waist panty.

• Avoid camel toes with a very simple hack using panty liners. Place two panty liners on top of each other and adjust it over your panty.

• Fabric of the clothes plays an important role while selecting the right underwear. A smooth seamless panty is an apt choice while wearing dresses and flimsy light fabrics.

• Stay away from thongs when you are working out and stick to cotton panties. It is important to be aware of choosing the best kind of underwear for your health as to avoid UTI, yeast infection and other such problems.

Also watch

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Style book

The sheer dresses and skirt trend is still going strong and if you wish to go a little edgy, try a sheer skirt or trousers over a bodysuit or shorts like Balmain

In a world of oversharing, you can show off the stylish contents of your bag with clear pieces like Chanel’s. Pair a formal trouser suit with the playful bag or plastic shoes

Dia Mirza in an Amit Aggarwal dress made using recycled plastic

Wear clear heels (by Prabal Gurung) or clear-strapped footwear that will help make your legs look longer

Be the fun person in your workroom by carrying a clear briefcase. pic courtesy/ instagram. com/helmut lang

MIU MIU does girly chic with this edgy winter plastic coat over a paillete dress

We know it's the ladies who are all about 'what to wear for that New Year's eve party?', but the gentlemen need to clean up too, right? If you are wondering whether to go all-out formal or casual chic, let's help you out. Here are looks - made up of smart basics and separates, as well as standout pieces - that will set you up for that once-in-a-year party.

Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

A Timeless Combination
Akshay Tejwani in HP Su Misura
Riaan says: Men love blues, no matter what anyone may say. Blue is the new black, the fashion experts will tell you. And for that very reason, we picked a classic navy suit and white shirt. You can't go wrong with these colours and a well-tailored suit will see you through a New Year's eve party quite effortlessly as it is simple yet sharp. Note, however, that the cut has to be impeccable. For this particular look, dress it down a bit and not use a tie, to keep it a bit easier. That said, I did add a pocket square to add a dash of colour and break the monotony of the suit jacket. Elegance with restraint is a good idea.

Pic/Bipin Kokate

The Edgy Look
Chirag Sachanandani in Celio
Riaan says: Possibly, one of the most indispensable pieces of the season, the bomber has been lauded as a layering essential in every man's wardrobe. People living in warmer places need not worry because these days, there are lighter variations available, even in cotton and linen. Pair the bomber over distressed jeans to give it a nice rugged flavour. Under the bomber, add a bit of a geeky detail, like a Star Wars tee. In keeping with current trends, pair the look with chic white sneakers, as opposed to boots or suede lace-ups, which are a more traditional option.

Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

Full-Out Formal
Mohit Sirothiya in Monsieur M
Riaan says: For our three-piece suit, we chose a grey and not a blue, which is common. This suit features an elegant notch lapel, with black satin piping detailing, to highlight the sharpness of the notch point. The notch point complements the jawline and neck alignment. The waistcoat has a wide neck to provide a stronger chest structure. The fitted trousers with a narrow break helps tie in the look perfectly.

Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

The Quintessential Dandy
Akshay Tejwani in HP Su Misura
Riaan says: This look is perfect for a modern guy who does not hesitate to experiment with colour, texture and patterns. It is what the Italians like to call spezzato, which literally translates to using different statement separates in one look. Mix and match starting with a blazer featuring grey checks. To complement the checked blazer, paired with a tailored black shirt and paired it with slim-fit navy chinos. Keep the other elements of the look simple in order to let the blazer stand out. While the colour palette remains simple, it certainly makes a bold statement.

Pic/Bipin Kokate

Casual Chic
Chirag Sachanandani in Celio
Riaan says: This look is perfect for a holiday party with friends. Nothing says casual elegance quite like the classic shirt and pullover combination. The idea is to let the collar peek out of the cardigan to break the monotony of colour. Pair a classic white Oxford shirt with a bright red cardigan. And since beige chinos are always stylish, add them to the look. The white and red, toned down by the beige chinos make it so effortless. Finally, to keep it cool and upbeat, opt for white sneakers over leather shoes or lace-ups. Roll up the cuff of your chinos to show off some ankle.

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Winter gives limited options to style up fashionably, especially for men, but layering it differently and accessorising it properly can do the trick. James Doidge, Head of Design, Menswear at Marks & Spencer, and Sandeep Gonsalves, co-founder of SS Homme, share some interesting winter must-haves for an effortless style.

Representational picture

1. For winter, layering is key for men's dressing. Wearing a lightweight knit such as a merino crew neck jumper under a sports-inspired bomber jacket is a great way to dress for the colder weather.

2. For something slightly warmer you can't go wrong with a cashmere jumper. The super soft knit is perfect for feeling comfy in the cold.

3. For a more casual look swap a merino jumper for a sports-inspired sweatshirt. Layer over a classic white tee and pair with jeans and trainers for a laidback weekend look.

4. For truly cold days, wearing a thermal vest or pant is essential. They are everyday basics that you can wear under most looks throughout winter to keep warm with minimum effort.

5. Lastly, accessorising with a chic scarf, simple beanie or classic leather gloves is an easy way to finish winter outfits.

6. Slim fit silhouettes that are extravagant and upbeat create a dynamic structure and are trending this winter with an emphasis on fabric and texture.

7. A quality winter coat in a neutral colour is a versatile piece of clothing that is always a good choice and available in different styles and patterns allowing one to choose from a long line trench coat or a chunky coat that goes up till the waist. Worsted wool, tweed, leather and corduroy fabrics work best for this season.

8. Another winter wardrobe essential would be the simple and practical raincoat that makes for a great layer in case of unexpected downpours.

9. Longer, more streamlined coats like overcoats and trench coats add a hint of sophistication and elegance that works best for office and everyday looks. One can go for neutral and subdued shades, keeping them easy to blend in and complement with a range of formal and smart casual outfits. For a formal look, one can layer a trench coat over a full suit or stay more relaxed with a pair of slim fit jeans and a turtleneck jumper.

10. For a glam party look, one can opt for velvet dinner jackets in hues of black and emerald to add a hint of opulence for a festive vibe.

11. Warm accessories like hats, gloves and scarves are a necessity to complete your look and keep you warm at the same time. One can accessorise their outfit with a pair of gold cuff-links, collar bar, tie bar or lapel pins.

12. Gold is much warmer than silver in general and creates a more winter look. A pair of sturdy and warm boots are a winter classic that help to keep the feet dry. A good lace-up pair or more formal monk strap footwear works well too.

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