As many as 77 inmates and 26 policemen at the Arthur Road Jail have been infected with the novel Coronavirus, said the home minister on Thursday. A total of 200 prison inmates and staff members were tested after a prisoner and two staffers were found positive for COVID-19.

ROn Monday, a 50-year-old undertrial was found to have contracted the virus, after which two more jail staffers also tested positive.

200 tested so far

Of the 200 tested so far, reports of 97 have come back negative. Sample of the 300 others, who shared the barrack with the infected people, will be collected on Friday.

While the undertrial is being treated at JJ Hospital, the administration is in the process of getting others the required treatment. All of them will be shifted to GT Hospital and St George on Friday. Arthur Road Jail or the Mumbai Central Prison has a capacity of 800 inmates but currently it houses more than 2,000 prisoners.

Home minister Anil Deshmukh said, "A total of 103 people have been found corona positive, including 77 prisoners and 26 Jail Police. The process of admitting all of them to the hospital for treatment is underway."

Cook may have been the carrier

To prevent the spread of COVID-19 in prisons, seven jails were locked down, preventing entry and exit of new accused and staff. But, the authorities suspect they contracted the virus from a cook who had caught the infection. Thane Jail, Kalyan Jail, Taloja Jail and Yerwada Jail in Pune are among the prisons where the restrictions have been placed.

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With over a 100 people testing positive for COVID-19 at the APMC market in Vashi, Navi Mumbai Mayor Jayawant Sutar has demanded that it be locked down. He has threatened to write to the Maharashtra Governor and to the Central Health Committee Task Force.

Speaking to mid-day, Sutar, the mayor from BJP, said, "As per my information, the APMC already has over 100 cases of Coronavirus. When a positive case was detected on April 28, NMMC Commissioner Annasaheb Misal had ordered to shut the market for 14 days, but had to withdraw the order, after the Konkan Commissioner refused to do so."

"I spoke to Misal again during a conversation with bureaucrats and he has expressed concern over the increasing number of positive cases in the market. But so far, no decision has been taken on shutting it down," said Sutar. "Our job is to bring the matter to the notice of the government and ministers, with whom lies the final decision. If they do not heed our request, we will bring the issue to the notice of the Maharashtra Governor and the Central Health Committee Task Force monitoring the outbreak," Sutar added.

APMC Administrator and Secretary Anil Chavan, said, "As per our record, only 25 staff, including traders, have tested positive. We have been asking for swab test reports from the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), but for reasons best known to them, they have not shared the reports with us." Chavan added, "We have come to know that in case a trader tests positive, the NMMC will take into account all his family members which will show a higher count."

There has been no decision on closing the market yet. File pic

When asked if they are still contemplating shutting APMC, as suggested by some traders, Chavan said, "We have learnt that government officials are still discussing this and in the next few days, the matter would be clear. Meanwhile, APMC market is functioning with restrictions and if a trader gets infected, we ensure that his galla and the two adjacent gallas are closed and sanitised."

mid-day asked Sutar about NMMC not sharing the test reports with APMC, to which he replied, "There is no reason to not share the information. All COVID-19 cases are told about to the health department and the government daily. So there is no question about APMC claiming lack of information."

A trader who did not wish to be identified, said, "It is unfortunate that the APMC market is becoming a hotspot for COVID-19. Right from the beginning, we have been alerting the APMC committee about an outbreak possibility and that they should shut the market for a few days, but our plea fell on deaf ears."

Blame game over outbreak

Sources in the APMC committee said that as opposed to the 300 trucks allowed in the market per day, traders continue to over-order stock, which is leading to several extra trucks waiting at the truck terminal. This, sources say, is exacerbating the outbreak in the market.

The market also does not have any way to prevent asymptomatic infected people from entering the premises.

Traders, on the other hand, say that the market generates a business of several crores per day and that the committee and the government do not want to interrupt that cash flow. "If someone gets infected in one stall (galla), several other workers working for the particular trader automatically run the risk of getting infected and so do their families. We have suggested that the market be completely shut for one full week with a few days' notice so people can stock up. But even that suggestion is not being taken as it will interrupt the cash flow," another trader who did not wish to be named said.

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As a precautionary measure against the rising COVID-19 cases in the city, Mumbai got four COVID Care railway stations on Thursday.

The four stations - Mumbai Central, Dadar (western), Bandra Terminus and Panvel are among the 215 stations across the country shortlisted by the Union Health Ministry, where rail isolation coaches will be parked as COVID-19 care centres in case COVID cases continue to rise in the city.

These coaches will act as quarantine and isolation centres for city patients.

A senior official confirmed the development and said considering the possibility of an increase in cases, railway coaches would be put to use. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare chalked out a detailed list on Wednesday night. Elaborating further he said, separate coaches have been planned for suspected and confirmed patients to avoid cross-infection.

"The special train coaches will be cleaned and disinfected as per protocol and handed over to the authorities. Later, officials will map at least one COVID dedicated hospital for each train so that the patient can be shifted in case of an emergency," he said.

"Basic arrangements like ambulances etc for shifting the patient shall be made available by the state with paramedical staff. The train will be provided with watering arrangements, proper electricity connections and maintenance," he added.

He said the contact number of local railway authority would be shared with the state where the train is stationed and wherever required, catering arrangements shall be made by IRCTC/ Commercial Department with Railway Protection Force (RPF) ensuring suitable security. Guidelines have also been issued for proper signage to be placed outside railway stations, platforms and near the location of coaches.

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Encouraging everyone around him to stay indoors, Mayur Jadhav himself has been visiting various containment zones in Lokhandwala and Oshiwara wearing a PPE suit for three to four hours daily. A frontline worker, Jadhav does the risky job of collecting bio-medical waste from residential buildings and COVID-19 quarantines.

Amid the Coronavirus-caused lockdown, people are asked to put household waste in black bags and bio-medical waste — gloves, masks and items touched by COVID-19 patients, staffers at a quarantine facility — in yellow bags.

Like Jadhav, conservancy workers dealing with bio-medical waste are trained for the task. Jadhav, 30, resides at Durgadevi Chawl, Vakola and after weeks of practice, he is comfortable with the job. "Initially, I was worried as I had heard many were getting sick. But once we get the hang of it, we do the work without problems. Every day, we put sanitiser and spray disinfectant on the yellow bag and wait for five minutes before loading it on the vehicle meant only for yellow bags," he said. In K West ward, there are over 650 COVID-19 cases and over 300 containment zones.

'Made wife understand'

Rishikesh Dhotre, 43, is among the workers residing far from his workplace and spends over 10 hours outdoors. He leaves his Nalasopara residence 4:45 am for Worli and returns home around 3:30 pm. "I was nervous as we were visiting places everyone was asked to avoid. My wife would fight and ask why I am the one to go. But gradually, I understood the precautions we have to take and explained them to my wife. She is worried but understands the importance of the job," Dhotre said.

While Dhotre is glad to have access to fresh PPE kits every day, he also has to contend with how hot it gets during the three-hour collection.

Worried about family

Conservancy workers constantly worry about their family members, especially senior citizens at a higher risk of infection. Sarthak Chandramani, 29, works in G North ward comprising Dharavi. He takes extra precautions once he reaches home as he has a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter and 63-year-old father.

"I don't touch my phone after wearing the PPE and I call my family before I reach home. They have strict instructions to leave the house and keep a bucket of hot water and soap near the door. They are only allowed to enter after I have soaked my clothes in the bucket and gone for a bath," he said.

Chandramani often picks up medical waste falling out of the garbage bags with his hands. "People often overstuff garbage bags and then they can't be tied. Waste falls out from overflowing bags and we have to disinfect it, put back in the bag and disinfect the bag again," he said. Chandramani lives in BDD chawl, another high-risk area.

After the recent death of a civic official on food-distribution duty in Dharavi due to COVID-19, the BMC is screening all staffers. Kiran Dighavkar, assistant municipal commissioner, G North ward, said, "We have around 900 labourers collecting waste and there are 200 containment zones in this ward. We conduct screening once a week and check for fever with infrared thermometers. We have also counselled staffers to immediately report symptoms," he said.

Where is biomedical waste taken?

Medical waste is taken to a biomedical facility managed by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board at Deonar. Amar Supate, principal scientific officer with MPCB said that since March 29, the facility has processed 11 tonnes of COVID-19 waste from Containment Zones and other biomedical waste.
"The yellow bags are directly put into the incinerator. Other kinds of plastic waste, glass vials, injections or syringes and scalpels are sterilised with sodium hypochlorite and then shredded for recycling," Supate said.

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Horsing around

Youngsters on a bike tow a horse along as they ride in Dadar on Thursday. Pic/Ashish Raje

When stories cross borders 

At a time when the Internet is our window to the world, Sarmaya, a not-for-profit curated repository of art, has tied up with the NGO Pratham to offer art resources and spread awareness about the vast cultural legacy of India in vernaculars. On its social media accounts, you'll thus find team members narrating the story of the ancient Indian Chera coinage in Malayalam, Marathi and Hindi. "Beyond the boundaries of the Tier-1 cities, interesting content or pedagogy is not available in languages other than English. Since we call ourselves a museum without boundaries, we thought we should create content in the vernacular. Our stories and collections are from all over India. We have such a diverse legacy; it should reach as many people as possible. We're using artifacts from our collection to supplement the storytelling," founder Paul Abraham told this diarist. 

CMs, don't forget the arts

Last month, we reported in this section that the Assistance for Disaster Affected Artistes (ADAA) formed by artistes and cultural practitioners Shubha Mudgal, Aneesh Pradhan, Rahul Vohra, Arundhati Ghosh, Sameera Iyengar and Mona Irani, had exceeded its target for donations collected to support artistes hit by the pandemic. Now, the group has appealed to the chief ministers of Indian states with model funding schemes and action plans to support the arts and culture community.

"While several relief schemes have been announced for various sectors, and several individuals and arts organisations are also launching fund raising campaigns and relief measures, finally, it is the government that controls policy matters. Our letter and proposed action plans are gentle reminders to our law and policy makers that along with an economic emergency, the country also faces a cultural emergency," Mudgal told this diarist.

Scripting new beginnings

 
 Catch the Light by Siddharth Chauhan that received the grant

In its constant attempt to bring more Indian LGBTQIA+ content to the fore, Kashish Mumbai International Film Festival (India) is now inviting Indian filmmakers to submit narrative screenplays based on stories from the community for a film production grant, Kashish QDrishti Film Grant 2020.

"The grant has been awarded to films that were in competition for the film festival earlier. This time, we have opened it out for scripts. We have also raised the grant amount to Rs 2 lakh from the earlier Rs 1 lakh," Sridhar Rangayan, festival director, told this diarist. "We want to nurture the LGBTQIA+ film industry and help produce and distribute their content".  

Rooting for the raaga

Mumbai Green Raaga by Tender Roots Academy of Performing Arts by Banyan Tree Events in association with Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) has taken the online route, too. Having supported young artistes in the past, the web format promises to do the same. They have already made available 15 such videos on their social media. "It can never be the same as a live experience. But we are featuring young talent to the world in inspiring capsules from the archives," Mahesh Babu, founder and MD, Banyan Tree Events, said. 

Beard today, gone tomorrow

Musician and chef Sahil Makhija of Headbanger's Kitchen saw people on social media shave off their beards during the lockdown and friends could bet he wouldn't. "They said they'd donate Rs 5,000 if I did. The seed of the idea was sown and I put up a poll on my YouTube channel. I shaved my beard live for COVID-19 relief donations," Makhija told this diarist. He has managed to raise $370 through the live session and Rs 8,500 through a Facebook post about the same. "I will split the amount between charities providing PPEs for doctors, and those catering meals for stranded people," he said.

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A 3D printing startup in Mumbai has been accused of not fulfilling its part of the deal in a crowdfunded project initiated by a Delhi-based content creator to provide equipment to frontline health workers.

In March, Kusha Kapila contacted Boson Machines (BM) to provide 3D printed face shields for medical personnel at an initially agreed price of R150, by raising Rs 900,000 on Ketto.

With an industry standard yet to emerge, there were a lot of debates between Kapila and BM over the price and the number of masks to be made for raised amount."We then settled on R19 lakh for 18,000 masks," said Kapila. "Even this meant that a shield would cost Rs 105, which was still higher than the price of other 3D printers. The price was again reduced to Rs 75, before they finally agreed to R60. At the same time, the fundraising goal was also increased to Rs 21 lakh. They already had orders and capacity for 14,500 masks and we wanted to help as much as we could."

Kapila’s tweet tagging Aaditya Thackeray where she called out Boson

Boson was paid around Rs 13 lakh for the 14,500 face shields, and the remaining money was with Ketto, to be paid after the second batch of shields were dispatched.

The story gets muddled at this point, with Kapila taking to Twitter on May 1, accusing the company of not honouring its commitment and claiming even Rs 60 per mask was steep.

"After many enquiries, and [BM co-founders and brothers] Arjun and Parth Panchal's consistent unavailability, they finally sent a cost breakdown that I forwarded to various industry experts for verification."

In another tweet, Kapila alleged BM charged more than market price. Both Kapila and Ketto also claim that BM had been evading their questions.

"As of today, suppliers charge anywhere between Rs 35 and Rs 50 for a shield of the same quality," Kapila told mid-day. "This suggests that BM is trying to profit off this fundraiser. Profiting off a pandemic is shameful and anti-national. For instance, the cost of the plastic frame is quoted as R80 and they could only justify Rs 27. That's a difference of Rs 53. Further, the visor cost is quoted as Rs 30, but we found out that a sheet costs Rs 8. The tally says BM has delivered 10,700 pieces but we don't know if this has actually happened. As of today, Boson owes [me and Ketto] Rs 6,76,000," Kapila said.

By this, Kapila means BM has to return her and Ketto R6,76,000 from the initial Rs 13 lakh paid, as per her calculations. "The last time I spoke to them, which is when we reached a price of Rs 60, they agreed to return the money but later said their CA would get in touch and have ghosted me since," said Kapila.

Parth Panchal. Pic/Facebook, Arjun Panchal. Pic/Twitter

BM claims it has already delivered 10,700 face shields to 19 hospitals and other institutions across the country, including Mumbai's Sion Hospital, Kasturba Hospital, KEM Hospital, Wadia Hospitals—and even the BMC.

In an email to mid-day, BM refers to Ketto Online Ventures Private Limited as the buyer, and not Kapila. "We are unaware of the role of Ms Kusha Kapila with the buyer, M/s Ketto Online Ventures Private Limited, and whether she is authorised to represent the company in commercial matters," it said.

BM also alleged Ketto owes them an outstanding R1,31,063 from the orders that they had already fulfilled.

"We have seen the statement put out by Boson and our legal team is taking necessary steps," said Varun Sheth, of ketto.org.

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The issues regarding hospitals that are treating COVID-19 patients continue to increase. Patients at one of the dedicated facilities for COVID-19 treatment in Mumbai, Seven Hills Hospital, claim they are not getting tested and are even neglected. They have also been complaining of lack of medicines and cleanliness.

A 35-year-old woman, a dialysis patient, was taken to Seven Hills Hospital on April 12. "I tested positive for COVID-19 and within seven days I tested negative. But after another seven days I again tested positive. This is because there is no provision to isolate positive patients from suspected ones. All are in the same ward," she said.

The patient further stated, "After finally testing negative, I was not discharged as there was some spelling error in my report. I am stuck in the hospital with positive patients around me," she said.

Other patients also recalled the horror in the 'posh' hospital. "The bed sheets haven't been changed for the past 5 days, we don't get breakfast on time. Some patients are taken for dialysis at 9 am, but many times they don't undergo it. The plates are never picked up after meals," said another patient.

"The nursing staff is so scared that they don't come forward to help. A couple of days ago a patient fell in the bathroom, when she tried to get off her wheelchair after waiting for an hour for help. Patients helped her," said yet another patient. Another male patient who fell had the same experience.

Official speak

When asked about the patients' allegations, the administration said they will look into them. "Till now, we have received good reviews about the hospital administration and management, except for few instances. But, this is sad. This should not happen with anyone. I will get the information and act accordingly," said Dr Daksha Shah, deputy director of the BMC health department.

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Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Friday expressed confidence that Mumbai will see a sharp decline in COVID-19 cases in the next 15 to 20 days. Speaking to PTI, Tope said joint secretary of the Union Health Ministry Lav Agarwal was in the city on Thursday to discuss the situation here. "All ward officers were present at the meeting, which was also attended by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. We discussed corrective measures that were being taken," the minister said.

Agarwal suggested that containment zones be properly demarcated and contact tracing, testing and treatment of positive patients should be done in these areas, Tope said. Early detection will bring down the mortality rate, the minister said, adding that the government plans to increase institutional quarantine facilities. "The Centre wants us to increase disease surveillance in the congested areas to stop the spread of the virus," he said.

With the steps taken by the government, the pandemic will be contained in the next 15 to 20 days in Mumbai, the minister assured. The state government plans to rope in workforce from other departments if the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation falls short of manpower, the minister said, clarifying that there was no shortage of funds.

Of the 17,974 COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra, 11,394 were reported from Mumbai alone and the city had recorded 437 deaths from the toll of 694 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 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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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

An offence was registered against a 19-year-old man for allegedly kidnapping and raping a girl from Mokhada village in Maharashtra's Palghar district, police said on Friday. The Palghar police on Thursday registered a case against the accused under sections 376 (rape), 363 (kidnapping) and other provisions of the Indian Penal Code, while no arrest has been made so far, public relations officer Hemant Katkar said.

The accused, who was reportedly in love with the 18- year-old victim, allegedly kidnapped her on April 18 and raped her in captivity for two days, he said.

The victim subsequently escaped and lodged a complaint on Wednesday, following which a case was registered, the official said, adding the further investigations were underway.

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With the cases of coronavirus continuing to surge in Mumbai, the Mumbai Police has been pulling all stops to ensure the safety of the people. The police department has been active not just in the public space but on social media with their public interest messages urging people to respect the lockdown and follow the precautions put in place by the government.

In their latest post on Twitter, the Mumbai Police has posted a series of posters used some of the famous musical bands’ names such as Backstreet Boys, Linkin Park, Oasis and U2 to make sure people follow the lockdown rules.  The police department urged their followers through slogan coined with puns asking people not to visit Linkin Park,  reminding ‘U2’ stay home and that your home is your ‘Oasis’.

The Mumbai Police said in the caption, “Stay indoors, for we are on the streets, playing your favourite safety tunes with our 'Band-o-bast'.

Stay indoors, for we are on the streets, playing your favourite safety tunes with our 'Band-o-bast'. #LockdownPerformance #TakingOnCorona pic.twitter.com/ejPW0Ofbfw

— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) May 7, 2020

The post shared on Thursday morning has garnered more than 1,900 likes and was retweeted 333 times. Users commenting on the post lauded the the police department’s creativity on their social media posts.

You guys have a great taste in music!

— Rudresh Solanki (@rudresh97) May 7, 2020

Huge respect to the person/group of people managing this account and showing his/their creativity even in this tough situation!!
Kudos to the team guys.
More recognition to you all.@MumbaiPolice @OfficeofUT

— Rishabh 🇮🇳 (@Rishabh4593) May 7, 2020

You always amaze with something 😍 new.. it's a pride to b a Mumbaikar and to be safe with Mumbai police 🙏

— roshan bangera (@roshbangera32) May 7, 2020

Creativity level genius 🔥

— Karen P (@Head_in_d_cloud) May 7, 2020

What do you think about this post?

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With the cases of Coronavirus continue to surge in the city, the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) has decided to suspend its operations from May 11 to 17.

The market committee has decided to shut all five markets, that include onion-potato markets, spices, fruits, vegetables and grains. The decision was made as cases among the market participants have been rising in spite of strict guidelines put in place to maintain social distance.

Navi Mumbai mayor Jaywant Sutar had urged the Maharashtra government to shut the APMC Market in a bid to stop the movement of people as many of the customers come from Mumbai to the travel to buy their stock of groceries.

The APMC Market in Vashi is the largest supplier of fruits, vegetables, grains and spices to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

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Amid allegations of hospital mismanagement and with the rise in COVID-19 cases in Mumbai, the Maharashtra government completely overhauled the top administrative set-up of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) , by transferring commissioner Praveen Pardeshi and two additional commissioners on Friday.

Iqbal Singh Chahal will replace Praveen Pardeshi as the new chief of BMC. Pardeshi will take charge of urban development department in Mantralaya which was headed by Chahal. Ashwini Bhide, who was waiting for a posting after the Metro 3 controversy and subsequent transfer, was appointed as the additional municipal commissioner along with ex-Thane civic Sanjeev Jaiswal, who also joined Bhide in the same capacity. The will replace incumbent Babasaheb Jarad and Jayshree Bhoj, who were transferred.

Talks of possible clash of opinion between Pravin Pardeshi and his political and administrative bosses in Mantralaya seems to have proven correct even as the opposition parties said on Friday that the Shiv Sena-led government was trying to underplay its failure by shifting the blame to the bureaucrats by transferring them.

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To tackle the spread of Infection, Panvel Municipal Corporation has taken a big decision. Contributing more than 40% cases in the tally of Covid-19 cases, Corporation has decided to declare entire Kamothe node as containment zone from Friday night. No travelling outside Kamothe will be allowed for common citizens, also residents will be allowed to step out only for buying essential things. Only employees working in essential services will be allowed to enter or exit the area.

Panvel Corporation area till now has reported 138 Corona cases till now. Out of these cases, 54 are from Kamothe node. To tackle the spread, Corporation was thinking of taking some strict action, finally it has decided to declare entire Kamothe node as containment zone.

The node is spread over 2.76 Square kilometer, having population of 1.13 lakh rupees. "Kamothe is contributing more cases than rest of the area, so we needed to take some strict action. As per standard practice, we were sealing a building as containment zone where positive case gets detected, but now we have decided to declared entire node as containment zone" told Ganesh Deshmukh, Municipal Commissioner of Panvel Corporation.

No travelling of persons will be allowed inside Kamothe from Friday night, only essential services employee including Medical practitioners, Government and Corporation employees, security personnel will be allowed after providing ID cards.

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'Videsh se log flight se laye ja rahe hain, aur gareeb patri par mar rahe hain (People are being brought back from abroad on flights and the poor are dying on railway tracks)," said a migrant, who was walking on the tracks to reach his hometown in UP, about the tragic incident at Aurangabad. Most migrants are aware of it, but choose to walk on the tracks to avoid police action on the highways.

They fear they will be stopped from walking home and beaten and quarantined by the police. Speaking to mid-day, many of them said they don't have a choice.

mid-day has been reporting about the plight of the migrants who claim the government is not helping them with food and have also spent all their money since the lockdown began as they have been out of work. Many of them also claimed they decided to walk home as despite giving all required documents to board the special trains, local authorities are not telling them of the next procedures. Some of them decided to walk as they don't have the required documents. After the disturbing sight of hundreds of migrants walking home on highways, comes another such sight of them walking on railway tracks.

Tukaram Kuldip and his friends are walking from Mumbai Central to UP

Tukaram Kuldip, a resident of Basti, Uttar Pradesh, started walking from Mumbai Central on Thursday night, and by Friday morning had reached Thane. "We are a group of 30 people going to Basti. We submitted relevant documents at Nagpada police station to board the special trains, but there is no response. We are starving. Sarkar theek hai achche ke liye band kiya hai, lekin ham gareebon ka kya ? Videsh se log flight se laye ja rahe hai aur gareeb patri par mar rahe hai. (It's good the government has implemented the lockdown, but what about us poor people? People are being brought back from abroad on flights and the poor are dying on the railway tracks) We heard about the Aurangabad incident. Nobody wants to die like that but we have no options left. Ghar par hamare log bhi hain. (We have family at home)."

'Should we starve here?'

Another group of 30 migrants was walking on the railway tracks near Mulund railway station. A member of the group, Jalaluddin Khan, told mid-day. "We know it's dangerous. So should we starve here? Should we get beaten up by the police? Nobody knows what we are going through since the past one month. We are given half-cooked rice by the local civic corporation to eat once a day. We just want the government to take us home." This group belongs to Basti, Uttar Pradesh.

"Our group members submitted the forms at the concerned police station for the special trains but they got rejected. We don't know why. No one told us anything. We will see if there are any arrangements in Thane, otherwise we will continue walking," Khan said.

Udaybhan Yadav and his family are walking to Basti 

Another migrant worker, Udaybhan Yadav, a resident of Basti, started his journey from Mulund along with his wife and eight-year-old child. Yadav used to work at a hotel in Mumbai. "My parents are worried about us as we have no money and are not getting enough food here. We don't know when things will return to normalcy."

Railway speak

"We have been on alert since the lockdown was announced. The gateman and the keymen have been briefed to alert us about the movement of migrants. We have been counselling and taking action against those walking on the tracks," said Atul Pathak, IG Central Railway Mumbai division.

Inputs by Vishal Singh

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AMID allegations of mismanagement of the COVID-19 crisis, the state has completely overhauled the top rung of the BMC by transferring civic chief Praveen Pardeshi and two others on Friday. Iqbal Singh Chahal replaces Pardeshi.

In addition to urban development, Pardeshi would also look after the water resources department. Pardeshi, a celebrated disaster management expert, who shot into limelight after managing the aftermath of the Latur earthquake very effectively as the collector, has been the most sought-after bureaucrat in planning relief and rehabilitation.

Ashwini Bhide too was waiting for a posting after her Metro III issue with Shiv Sena and a subsequent 'punishment' transfer. Along with many other IAS colleagues, she was deputed to the BMC for a special task after the Coronavirus break-out. She would now be a full-fledged empowered officer. Ex-Thane civic chief Sanjeev Jaiswal has also joined Bhide as an additional commissioner. He was waiting for a posting after leaving Thane where he served a record time.

Abasaheb Jarhad and Jayshree Bhoj, who were recently appointed in the BMC, have been shifted to make space for Bhide and Jaiswal. Two additional commissioners — P Velrasu and Suresh Kankani — have been spared.

Clashes in Mantralaya

Murmurs of clashes between Pardeshi and his political and administrative bosses in Mantralaya seemed to have proven right even as the opposition parties said on Friday that the Shiv Sena-led government was trying to find a scapegoat for covering the failure of the political set-up in Mumbai.

Sion hospital incident

Iqbal Singh Chahal

Since Mumbai's woes have been unending with the spread of the virus and the expose of BMC-run Sion hospital where bodies and patients were placed together in one ward and a COVID-19 patient's escape, made the government red-faced. Pardeshi and his team of additional commissioners, who were new to the city, invited criticism time and again. Sources said Pardeshi had several arguments with chief secretary Ajoy Mehta who preceded him as BMC chief. Pardeshi served as Devendra Fadnavis's principal secretary in the CMO before getting BMC chief's post in the previous political regime. Considering his seniority, he has also been in the reckoning for the CS office.

'Transfers no solution'

Jarhad replaced relief and rehabilitation secretary Kishorraje Nimbalkar who has been transferred as Public Works Department (PWD) secretary. Manoj Saunik will be an additional CS of the all-important finance department. He has been holding dual charge of PWD and finance. Bhoj has been sent to Maharashtra Small Scale Industries Development Corporation as its managing director. Opposition leader in the legislative council Praveen Darekar said the government was masking its failure by finding scapegoats. "Transferring bureaucrats isn't the right approach to mend things. The government should be able to make good policies and make bureaucrats implement them," he said.

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has increased the capacity of Corona Care Centres (CCC) for positive asymptomatic people double fold, with the help of schools, college buildings and pandals on open plots. The city now has 37,343 beds reserved for people who are positive but don't have any symptoms. One-fourth of the city's patients are in these centres. The maximum number of these CCC2 facilities is in wards which are on the top with high numbers of COVID-19 cases.

While the institutional quarantine centres (CCCs) have over 7,000 high-risk contacts with a capacity of little more than 20,000, the BMC is now focusing on the Corona Care Centres 2 (CCC2) which deal with positive asymptomatic patients. The maximum number of facilities is available in E (Byculla), L (Kurla), M east (Govandi, Mankhurd), M west (Chembur) and S (Bhandup) wards where the number of patients is increasing significantly.

With the Shreeniwas Mill building have a capacity of 3,000 beds, two parking lots with 1,000 beds, NSCI club of Worli with 500 beds, and some schools, G south ward has 5,568 beds for asymptomatic positive patients. Byculla has 2,605 beds with an 850 beds centre in a hall and a pandal. With more than 900 cases in Dharavi, G North ward utilised the space of Dharavi College to set up another 700 beds facility. C ward used gymkhana lawns and buildings on Netaji Subhash Road for more than 1,200 beds.

L ward erected pandals in Somaiya ground and Kurla ST Depot for 2,000 beds, M west ward uses the Swami Vivekanand College building for 1,200 beds and M east ward with densely populated slums used MHADA buildings for a 700 beds facility.

As of today, 2,233 people are in CCC2. "Hardly 6 per cent of the beds are occupied so far. But the BMC is preparing for the worst scenario," said a BMC official.

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Even as the desperation to reach their homes continues, migrant workers stuck in Maharashtra are faced with a new challenge. Most of their applications for returning home have been rejected by the authorities concerned as they have their local addresses on their Aadhaar cards. Even though they have their voter ID cards and ration cards on their phones, lack of printing facilities is proving to be another major hindrance

The migrants from Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai who have their local addresses on their Aadhaar cards are not being allowed to return, as they have no other way to prove that they are non-residents of this state. Some of them claimed that they had come to Mumbai only for work and got the Aadhaar card made to open bank accounts and procure sim cards and driving licence. A number of migrant labourers working at different power looms in Bhiwandi are natives of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh but they can't avail the government's Shramik Express facility for the same reason. The police and collector offices believe that as they have their local addresses on Aadhaar cards, they are Mumbai residents, and hence would not be allowed to go to any other state.

Currently, in Mumbai around six lakh migrants want to return to their hometowns in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and others. Of the total, 2 lakh people have a Mumbai address on their Aadhaar cards.

Ishwar Paswan, cab driver

Speaking to mid-day, youth Congress president of Mira Bhayandar, Deep Kakde said, "Till now applications of more than 3,000 migrants have been rejected because they have a Mumbai address on their Aadhaar cards. These people have been working in the city as labourers. We have prepared a list of the names of those whose forms have been rejected and we are trying our best to send them home." "Some of them are also lying and hiding the truth. An entire family claimed that they are migrants whereas they have been running a shop in Mira Road for the past 20 years. How can we trust people?" he asked.

Illegally done

According to sources, most of the migrants get their Aadhar cards made illegally from various centres. Once they get a job in Mumbai, they have to open a bank account for which they need the Aadhaar card. Sources further said that with the help of the company owner, they submit a R100 stamp paper and a document saying that he stays at the company address in the city. Based on this document they can open a bank account and even get a driving licence.

Migrants speak

Speaking about the problems they have been facing, Saket Rai, who is originally from Uttar Pradesh said, "I have been working as a labourer at a steel transportation company in Bhayandar for the past five to six years. I am originally from UP but as I am working in Mumbai, I got the Aadhaar card made on the local address with help from my company owner. I submitted my form after standing in the queue for six hours but it got rejected. I had also submitted my medical fitness certificate from a doctor. I have other documents like ration card and voter ID card but even they have been rejected."

Migrants from Bihar who work at powerloom factories in Bhiwandi are stuck here because they have local addresses on their Aadhaar cards

Rajnath Arjun Rajbhar, who works in a godown at Worli, said, "My form also got rejected because I submitted an Aadhaar card with a Mumbai address. I live in a rented accommodation in Bhayandar and have no money left. I have spent all of it on groceries and rent and now it's impossible to survive. I want to go back to my home in Uttar Pradesh."

Another migrant, Chandrabhan Yadav said, "I have been working at a steel company in Bhayandar for the past five years. After marriage I got my wife and two kids here from Uttar Pradesh. I'm a daily wager and have already exhausted my savings. I want to go back home now. My forms also got rejected because my Aadhaar card has a Mumbai address. The government should allow us to go back as we can't survive here."

Ishwar Paswan, a resident of Koderma in Jharkhand, has been working in the city as a cab driver. Speaking to mid-day, he said, "I had submitted my form at the Vile Parle police station a week ago but have not got any response yet. I guess it has been rejected as the address mentioned in my Aadhar card is of Mumbai but I am originally from Koderman. Don't know how I'll go back."

A power loom daily wager, Madan Shah, who hails from Bihar's Madhubani district, said, "I have a Bhiwandi address on my Aadhaar card. I had gone to the authority concerned with my application, but they turned me away after checking the address. I don't know how to go back home now. I may start walking to Madhubani because the government is not helping me." Mahesh Kumar Sahu too has been working at a Bhiwandi power loom since years. "After the government rejected my application, I asked my relatives to send my election and ration cards to prove that I hail from Bihar. I got my Aadhaar card made here because it was needed for opening a bank account," said Sahu.

Migrants board a train from the LTT for their hometown Gorakhpur on Friday. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Another power loom worker, Rajendra Gupta said, "I had registered online four days ago to travel by train to Madhubani district, but I'm yet to get any update."

Registration process

Migrants need to fill the application forms and submit it to the police with their valid documents. The cops submit them to the collector office and Mantralaya for verification. The collector office scrutinises the forms and the valid ones are then sent to the Mantralaya for getting their tickets.

Usha Jitesh Vora, a Vidhan Sabha booth committee president, said, "From a list of 1,200 people we have, applications of more than 400 have been rejected due to the address problem. We have submitted the names of these 400 people to the Mantralaya for permission."

'Govt should allow them'

When contacted, an UIDAI source said, "Aadhaar card is not a mandatory document as a resident proof. The government should ask for other documents from migrants and allow them to travel after verification. If any migrant wants to update the address with the MLA certificate, they can do it online because Aadhaar card centres are closed now."

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With 1,089 confirmed infections on Friday, the total cases of the COVID-19 has increased to 19,063 in Maharashtra, including 12,142 in Mumbai alone. Meanwhile, the total number of cases in Dharavi has crossed 800 and five patients who had died earlier were on Friday confirmed to have the virus.

Civic officials of G North ward said that 25 new infections were reported from Dharavi, including five cases in Matunga Labour Camp. So far 26 people have died of COVID-19 in Dharavi.

One Dadar resident was also among the 25 deaths reported in the city on Friday. Dadar also reported the highest daily spike in cases with 21 infections, including 15 from Kirtikar Market. In Mahim a 93-year-old woman is among the 11 new cases reported on Friday.

The BMC said of the 748 new infections, around 200 patients had tested positive between May 4 and May 6 but their names were added to the list on Friday. The civic officials said several teams are carrying out door-to-door survey for influenza-like symptoms to ensure early identification and treatment of suspected COVID-19 cases.

State health department officials said that across state, 37 new COVID-19 deaths have been recorded, including 10 in Pune and one each in Jalgaon and Amravati. Twenty-seven of them were suffering from other ailments and 17 of them were senior citizens. The total death toll due to COVID-19 in Maharashtra is 731.

Meanwhile, the clinical trial to use plasma therapy to treat COVID-19 patients with serious symptoms is yet to begin as no patient at Nair Hospital fits the criteria set by the Indian Council of Medical Research. Civic officials said majority of the critical patients are admitted at KEM Hospital, so an application was filed last week to include the hospital for the trial. KEM Hospital Dean Dr Hemant Deshmukh said they are expecting the approval from the ICMR in a day or two.

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Around 16 migrant workers sleeping on rail tracks were crushed to death by a goods train at Satana village in the limits of Karmad police station near Aurangabad district at around 05.30 am on Friday. Of the total 16 deceased, 14 died on the spot while two others died on their way to the hospital.

According to the local police, a group of around 20 migrants started walking from Jalna district to Bhusawal in Madhya Pradesh which is around 170 Kms.

"They were exhausted due to the walk and decided to take rest, but soon they dozed off with 16 of them sleeping on the tracks while the other four slept adjacent to it. Of the four who survived, one has suffered injuries while the other three are in a state of shock. We are speaking to them to verify other details," Mokshada Patil, SP, Aurangabad said.

"During early hours today (Friday) after seeing some labourers on track, loco pilot of goods train tried to stop the train but eventually hit them between Badnapur and Karmad stations in Parbhani-Manmad section. Injured have been taken to Aurangabad civil hospital and an inquiry has been ordered," the Railway Ministry tweeted.

According to a statement by the Ministry of Railway, the survivors left Jalna at 07.00 pm on Thursday. They walked till Badnapore by road and then went onto the track towards Aurangabad. After walking for about 36 km, they decided to take rest in which 14 sat on the tracks, while the rest sat adjacent to it.

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There's Relief in the air

Tom Hanks played a FedEx employee whose plane crashed in the Pacific Ocean, in the movie Cast Away. We are glad this carrier with food and medicines had a safe touchdown in Mumbai on Friday. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Open a window

Leaping Windows is a corner café-cum-reader haven in Versova that patrons would keep returning to for its warm vibe and collection of comics at the in-house library. But like everyone else in the F&B business, owners Usta and Bidisha Shome are feeling the pinch in the absence of that loyal clientele. They have thus started a crowdfunding campaign to cover the salaries of their employees. Utsa told this diarist, "A business of our kind doesn't have a contingency fund of more than a month and we started this fundraiser to make sure that our staff, who are part of our family, get paid." Log on to 30bbbarfuel.in to keep this neighbourhood gem afloat. 

School of thought

The trying times that we are living in have taken their toll on all sections of the society, including schools, especially the not-for-profit standalone ones, like the Kandivli-based Akshara High School. The institution, which calls itself an inclusive neighbourhood school, boasts of an arts-based curriculum, hands-on learning and heavily subsidised fees for those from the middle and lower-income groups. However, closure for nearly three months has meant a sudden drop in donations and pending fees. To ensure that its 250 students have a school to come back to, they have started an online fundraiser. "Akshara is a place where students learn science through baking, mathematics in the playground, and lessons beyond textbooks. But the parents of most kids in our school have faced pay-cuts or job losses. With donations thinning, we are struggling to keep the school running, and hence, we decided to start the fundraiser," said founder Mridula Chakraborty. To help the school out, log on to www.ketto.org.

An online tribute to Kaifi saab

In January last year, actor Shabana Azmi, lyricist Javed Akhtar, director Feroze Abbas Khan, and musicians Shankar Mahadevan and Ustad Zakir Hussain had joined hands to organise Raag Shayari, a grand performance meant to pay tribute to poet Kaifi Azmi on his birth centenary. It interpreted Azmi's greatness in different ways, with Mahadevan singing some of his poems, and Akhtar reciting some others in Urdu while Hussain played the tabla to add music to the verses.

That same show was broadcast digitally yesterday on the occasion of the noted poet's death anniversary, and Hussain said, "Shabana ji and Javed saab had put together Raag Shayari, and it was under their guidance and thanks to brilliant composing by Shankar Mahadevan that we were able to put together a fitting and reverential tribute to Kaifi saab, the legend. It was a special privilege to me to be part of this performance."

Silence of the arts

Isolation often creates fodder for the artistic mind, and auction house Christie's recently released a list of 10 master painters who created masterpieces themed on solitude. Frida Kahlo, who's included in the list, once said, for instance, "I paint myself because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best." VS Gaitonde the only Indian to feature was also of the opinion, "Everything starts from silence. The silence of the canvas. The silence of the painting knife. The painter starts by absorbing all these silences."

Adieu to the old banyan tree

There was one unexpected casualty in the heavy unseasonal rains that lashed Pune recently. An old, beautiful banyan tree that stood witness to the frenetic hustle and bustle of men and mounts at Pune's iconic racecourse was uprooted. An open shed and some part of the seating area was damaged. Two small television sets were also smashed. Surendra Sanas, chairman, Pune Turf Clubhouse committee, said it was unfortunate to lose a precious tree that stood as a sentinel for so many years. The other damage, Sanas said, is not as alarming. "We are waiting for the insurance formalities to be completed after which restoration with the aid of a few workers staying within the premises will start," he said.

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A case has been registered against office-bearers of Bandra Gymkhana in the city for violation of lockdown after a video purportedly showed members celebrating its completion of 85 years despite the lockdown restrictions.

A lawyer filed a complaint saying that a video on social media showed Gymkhana members singing and dancing during the celebration of completion of 85 years of the club, a police officer said.

A case under IPC sections 188 (defying public servant's order) and 269 (act which may spread infection) was registered against office-bearers and some members, he said, adding that probe was on.

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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 civic-run Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking on Friday said it would recruit a kin if any employee dies due to the coronavirus infection while on duty. It would be in the Class II or IV categories depending on the kin's educational qualifications, an official said. "Employment will be provided to the wife or son or unmarried daughter of a deceased employee.

If the person who died is a bachelor, then the job would be given to his brother or unmarried sister," an official said.

So far, 64 BEST employees have tested positive for the virus, including four who died of the infection.

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Maharashtra Cyber has registered 363 offences of rumour mongering, spreading misinformation, hatred and fake news on social media during the COVID-19 lockdown, an official said on Saturday. The state police's cyber wing has been monitoring online activities to prevent the spread of misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. As many as 196 persons were arrested for sharing or uploading objectionable posts, videos and photographs on social media, the official said.

In Sangli district, a case was registered against some people for uploading a Tik-Tok video about a particular community being responsible for the pandemic and also using abusive language against prominent social reformers, he said. At least 14 offences were registered by the cyber wing in the district since the lockdown was enforced, he added.

Similarly, in Parli town of Beed district, some persons were booked for a social media post linking the spread of COVID-19 to a particular community, he said, adding that the district had recorded highest number of cyber offences during the lockdown. Of the 363 offences registered so far, at least 155 cases were related to WhatsApp forwards, while 140 were for objectionable Facebook posts, the official said.

The cyber wing had deleted at least 101 objectionable posts from social media platforms during the lockdown, he added.

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Two police officers and a constable were injured after a 27-year-old man attacked them with a chopper in south Mumbai early today, police said. Karan Pradip Nayar, president of Silver Oaks estate near Breach Candy, attacked the policemen who were on routine 'nakabandi' duty at 1.30 am, senior police inspector of Marine Drive police station Mrityunjay Hiremath told PTI.

The policemen, all deployed at the Marine Drive police station, received injuries on their shoulders and hands and were taken to the state government-run JJ hospital, he said. "When our policemen saw the man walking with a large chopper near the Pransukhlal Mafatlal Hindu Swimming Bath and Boat Club, they tried to stop him. He ran away and they chased him. When they tried to catch him, he attacked them with the chopper," Hiremath said.

Nayar, an architecture graduate, has been arrested, the police officer said, adding a case has been filed against him under various sections of the IPC, including 307 (attempted murder) and also the Arms Act. DCP Zone 1 Sangramsinh Nishandar reached the spot immediately after the incident and made arrangements for the medical treatment and accommodation of the injured policemen, he said.

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When Elon Musk revealed his newborn son’s name, X Æ A-12, he took the internet by storm. Even as the Tesla and Space X explained the meaning of the name, the buzz around it refuses to die down. Mumbai Police, taking a cue from Musk, posted a hilarious cryptic lockdown mandate.

The police department took to Twitter and asked their followers to solve this cyptic lockdown mandate that was written with characters Æ, b, 8 and a home emoji.

*Æ b 8 🏠

Crack this #lockdown mandate.#AMaskDecode

— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) May 8, 2020

The post that was shared on Friday was quick to catch people’s attention and many tried to decipher the tweet. From answers ranging from ‘Aye, ghar baith’ to ‘All be at home’, the Twitterati realized that the Mumbai Police was asking people to stay at home. Some people also lauded the creativity of the police as they cashed on a trending topic and posting as a public service message.

Aye, Be At Home?

— Easha (@Esssaaa12) May 8, 2020

Ae baith ghar

— Arfat Qureshi (@arfatqureshi327) May 8, 2020

All be at home

— Richie Rich (@picachuppp) May 8, 2020

We should be at home...

— Rachit James (@james_rachit) May 9, 2020

😂..very creative,( Elon Musk )..👍🏻

— Sylvestre Almeida (@Sylvestre_n_twt) May 8, 2020

Wow! Thanks for letting me know the pronounciation of first word 😂

— Sushmush♉ (@sushmasarraf) May 8, 2020

What do you think of the post?

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A man has been arrested killing a senior citizen for scolding him and his partner after finding them in compromising position. The accused, identified as Karan Singh Yadav (30), was nabbed by cops from the Shanti Nagar Police in Bhiwandi from a quarantine facility in Parbhani whereas his partner is absconding.

The deceased, Krushna Joshi (72) owned a room in a chawl at Temghar pada. He had rented the room to Yadav’s partner, identified as Lata alias Jyoti Rathod (35). Yadav would often visit Rathod in her home. In April, when Joshi had gone to collect rent, he found the Yadav and Rathod in compromising position. Joshi then scolded the couple and warned Rathod to stop bringing her friends to the room.

According to the police, Rathod and Yadav, enraged by Joshi’s comments, decided to kill him. “On the night of April 11, the couple found Joshi alone at his house and hit him with a stone," said an officer, adding that the duo fled the city the same night.

On  April 12, when Joshi’s son, who stays closeby, tried to contact him, he didn’t respond.  He then rushed to Shanti Nagar Police station and filed a missing person report against his father. The police launched a search for Joshi and found that Rathod also went missing the same night. Senior Inspector Mamta D'Souza formed a team under the leadership of Assistant Police Inspector Amol More and Shailesh Mhatre and started the investigation.

The officer said that they found Rathod’s address in which it was mentioned that she is a native of Parbhani. We didn't have any other details such as her mobile number or the CCTV footage of the spot of the incident, so we decided to go to Parbhani to find her" told API Shailesh Mhatre. "When our team went to Parbhani, we visited the place mentioned in address but there was no one stay there of this name," he added.

The cops then decided to check quarantine centres in the district made for people coming from other districts. "We found a name similar to that of Rathod’s partner, Yadav. We then immediately interrogated him and he confessed to committing the crime, but Rathod is still absconding,” said API Mhatre.

During interrogation, Karan told the police that, he dumped Joshi’s body in a well near the chawl. The police team came back to the city and recovered Joshi’s body, which was found to be completely decomposed. An offence has been registered against Yadav and Rathod under IPC section 302 (murder), 201 (disappearance of evidence) and 34 (common intention of committing the crime).

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Dear Diana,
Of late, my husband has been hooked to his cell phone. His conversations are long and he always steps away to talk. I have even tried to eavesdrop, but he talks so softly that I cannot fathom anything. It is clear that he is looking at something more than just conversations with the caller. I feel he is attracted to another woman from the way he is all smiles after the conversation ends. My husband behaves as if nothing is amiss. A few days ago, we went to a party. Suddenly, he disappeared for an hour. He sent me a message saying that he had to attend an urgent call. On the way back home, I questioned him. He told me not to read too much into the calls. I don't know what to do. If I keep asking my husband, it will surely create problems between us. How do I know who the caller is?
— Roshni

Dear Roshni,
You need to know with whom he is indulging in such long conversations. Do not waste any further time in telling your hubby what is on your mind. More importantly, he needs to tell you the truth. He is hiding things from you which is strange. This is making you speculate. It could be a work related call and things could be hectic on his office front, but he needs to tell you. Or it could be someone else. You feel there is another woman in his life. Your hubby may have fallen for someone, but he should realise that he is married. Sooner or later, things could take an ugly turn if he gets more and more involved with these calls. He is ruining things by being secretive. It is time he spills the beans and told you what is going on. If you need help, speak to someone else from the family or a close pal.

Dear Diana,
I have been married for the last three years. Things were going fine till my husband met one of his old school pals. This friend is not married and has sworn to remain a bachelor all his life. He had relocated to Singapore, but is now back in Mumbai. My hubby has been spending a lot of time with him. In the process, he is also getting influenced a great deal by him. As his friend is single, I feel he is always checking out any women who comes his way. His friend can get away, but not my husband. I find his behaviour disgusting. Sometimes they make things so obvious that I feel they deserve to be pulled up and taken to task. Often, I accompany them on outings and when my husband gangs up with his pal, he goes berserk. I have told him to stop going overboard, but he says it is harmless fun. My hubby was not like this before. How do I tell him to stop checking out any woman who crosses his path?
— Trishala

Dear Trishala,
It is clear that your husband is greatly influenced by his pal. He may have reconnected with him after a gap, but that is no excuse for him to do exactly what he says. The pal is single, but your husband is not. Moreover, it will spell trouble for them if they go berserk, some woman might go and complain about them which may lead to big trouble for them. You need to calmly explain to your husband that his behaviour is not done and that it will lead to problems for him. He cannot go by what his pal is saying. This pal has a roving eye and your hubby is doing exactly what he says. It is time he stopped being dictated by what his pal says. He might think that you are trying to take him away from your pal, but you need to be tactful. He can be friends with him, but he need not go overboard when he sees any woman

Dear Diana,
I have been married for eight years. We are a middle-class family. We have a daughter who is six years old. Life is tough, but we are managing. Things were fine till about four months ago, when my husband started behaving strange. He would come home late night almost every day. Even though he has weekends off, he would say he has work and not return till late night. This has been going on for a while and my husband is not saying what is going on. Last week, around 2.30 am he suddenly got up from sleep. He woke me up to say that he was feeling hungry. He said he felt like eating a cheese sandwich. I quickly rushed to make him a sandwich. But by the time I returned, he was getting ready to leave. He said he was going to Pune for a meeting. He told me to pack the sandwich along with tea in a flask. He left and did not return for three days. Whenever I would call on his cell phone, he would say he is busy. He is back home, but refuses to say for what he travelled to Pune. I think something is amiss. What should I do?
— Sagarica

Dear Sagarica,
It is rather strange that your hubby is hiding things from you. He needs to tell you what is going on. It is clear that something is troubling him. It could be on the workfront, but there is no reason to be evasive. He does not care for you even though you are worried sick. Your husband seems to be the least concerned about you. He knows that what he is doing is wrong, yet he continues with his strange behaviour. He cannot just disappear and then appear in your life. It is his duty to tell you his whereabouts. There is no point jumping to conclusions and falling prey to idle talk. There could be a genuine reason that is causing havoc in his life. Tell him that you need to know the truth and may be he needs help.

Dear Diana,
I had lied to my mother that I was going overnight with my pals to Lonavla. The fact was that I was spending time with my girlfriend at a common pal's house whose flat is vacant. The next day while unpacking my bag, my mother found my girlfriend's T-shirt in the bag. She wondered how a female pair of clothing was among my clothes. It was a girlie T-shirt and not one of those unisex T-shirts which I could pass off as one of my friends. I then cooked up a story saying that one of my pal's girlfriends had tagged along. But she still wondered how it reached my bag. The fact was that my girlfriend was carrying a lot of stuff and while packing, it slipped in with a large bath towel. I had just stuffed my towel in the bag and did not realise that her top went in with it. I told my mom to discard it, but she has washed it and kept it in my cupboard. I am embarrassed and do not know what to say. My mother has not broached the subject again. What should I do? I feel guilty. Should I tell her the truth?
— Nayan

Illustration/Uday Mohite

Dear Nayan,
First, learn to handle your own stuff — you are making your mom do things for you still! Instead of stuffing your bag with bundles of clothes, if you had neatly folded the clothes and kept it, this problem would not have arisen. Also, when you were back home, you dumped your bag and made your mother do the unpacking. It is time you learn to do your own stuff. You seem to have your mother doing all your work. If you had unpacked your bag and separated the clothes that needed to be washed, you would have found your girlfriend's top rolled in the towel. So you alone are to blame for the predicament that you find yourself in. If you are riddled with guilt, tell your mom the truth who by now already knows what you are trying to hide.

Dear Diana,
I have been married for two years. My husband is proving to be a good-for-nothing. He joined a gym recently, but barely went for a week. He is a couch potato and does not help me with household chores. As a result, he is gaining weight and suffering from diabetes. He also switches jobs every few months due to which we are always low on funds. In the first year of marriage, he was okay, but now he has become a pain. He cribs about everything. I work as a teacher and give tuitions to supplement the income. I don’t think anyone can change him. He is simply atrocious and always finds faults in others. His family, who is based in Goa, have also given up on him. I feel like leaving him, but then at times he is loving and caring making me wonder if I am doing the right thing. I am confused and do not know what to do? Should I give him an ultimatum?
— Mohini

Illustration/Uday Mohite

Dear Mohini,
You are living with a man who has scant respect for you. If he cared for you, he would not behave in such an atrocious manner. This man certainly needs to be shaken up. He seems to be living in his own world and feels that he can get away with everything. You need to give him an ultimatum. If he does not change — or at least show signs of changing, there is no point sticking around. He may be sweet and caring, but that is only for a while. He has made life a living hell for you. You need to walk out on him. For a while, go stay with a friend or your folks. Hopefully, common sense will prevail and he will shape up. If he does not, you are happier and better without him.

Kunal Kapoor in Indian terrain collection

Indian Terrain, India's leading menswear brand, signed up actor Kunal Kapoor for 2 years. The actor is a perfect mix of elegance and intensity, which truly resonates with the brand’s philosophy of 'Real Mature Manly'.

Kunal Kapoor is by far the most recalled Brand Ambassador for Indian Terrain. He was the brand’s first Brand Ambassador in 2006 soon after the release of one his most successful movie – Rang De Basanti. The association was quite successful and was rightfully bagged up with significant investments in the media from the brand’s side which lead to substantial improvement in the brand's awareness levels.

"He is known for his incredible talent and is celebrated by young fashion followers across India for his cool and sophisticated style. He truly is a reflection of today’s Indian Terrain man. Today, when we are both much evolved and richer in our individual experiences, we wanted to partner with Kunal Kapoor again and take the brand to the next level," says Venky Rajagopal, CMD, Indian Terrain Fashions Ltd.

"I have always loved the attitude of Indian Terrain. The brand is authentic, and they understand the culture of the everyday Indian man. The new range in store inspires passion, commitment and is very much testament to the great potential the brand has Kunal Kapoor commented.

Kunal Kapoor in Indian terrain collection

Recently, Indian Terrain partnered with Prashanth Shah, Senior Consultant Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Surgeon, who has saved numerous lives of children with congenital heart defects, for its property “Indian Terrain Champion Sportive Series”. The series is billed as the biggest pan India cycling event for amateurs. It is also called #theheartride, where the total amount raised by registration at the events, will be matched by the brand to contribute towards surgeries. We saw Kunal Kapoor supporting the cause at the Champion Sportive Grand Delhi which happened on 3rd Sept 2017.

The total turnover of the brand is over Rs 600 crores and the distribution width expands over 250 cities in the country with 1000+ touch points. IT is also known as the No. 1 brand across Central & Lifestyle stores FY 16-17.

The chandrakala saree

Every Sankranti, many married Maharashtrian women follow the tradition of meeting for the haldi kumkum ceremony, draped in black sarees. However, the black chandrakala saree that is traditionally associated with this festival is hardly worn any more. This week, Solapur-based saree and textile revivalist Vinay Narkar will bring the handwoven saree back into the spotlight with an exhibition.

The traditional motif

"Last year, I worked with the Irkal tradition of sarees, which is predominantly a north Karnataka and Maharashtrian tradition. During the process, I came across the chandrakala saree. I had heard about it since my childhood, through my grandmother and in literature. But I had never seen one; even my grandmother didn't own one. Most Maharashtrian communities follow the tradition of gifting a chandrakala saree in black or indigo blue to a bride on her first Sankranti," says Narkar. Though black is usually considered inauspicious, Narkar feels that it might have to do with the northern movement of the sun and the end of winter. He also found references of the saree in other colours.

A saree inspired by Raja Ravi Varma paintings

With the intent to revive the saree, which represents a starry night, and uses the star or moon motif, Narkar headed to Baroda to find a photo of Maharani Chimnabai Gaekwad in a chandrakala saree. He also found an MV Dhurandhar painting in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya of a woman draped in this saree. The north Karnataka districts of Gulbarga, Bidar and Bijapur also follow this tradition. "Originally, it was a nine-yard Irkal saree with star or moon butas made with khari print. It then extended to other weaving traditions such as the Paithani (with the motif being dots) and Chanderi. The motif of the moon with a flower is seen in the Benarasi tradition too. I have also used the intricate zari kasuti embroidery from Karnataka. Black Paithanis still exist, but chandrakalas were lost," rues Narkar. What sets the chandrakala saree apart from the others is that it's not a weaving tradition but an aesthetic; the saree can be woven using different techniques.

Vinay Narkar

Narkar feels that one of the reasons that led to a decline in popularity was the khari print used to make the motif. It would wear out in places and not last long. "Also, may be the style preferences changed with time. The biggest reason, which applies to most disappearing weaves of Maharashtra, is because it was one of the earliest states to be industrialised. Other regional sarees such as the Vidarbha saree, the Solapur saree, the Poona saree have all disappeared," he explains. For this collection, Narkar has worked on a cotton silk fabric to give the saree a vintage feel associated with the tradition.

'Textiles speak of history'
"Each region of India has different stories associated with its crafts. These fables are even mentioned in ancient Indian treatises. Craftsmen narrate these stories even today. Textiles also speak of recent history, as there was a distinct class segregation for weaves worn by the royals and the masses. The practice of gifting the black saree for Sankranti continues even today. My mother-in-law had gifted me a navy blue saree for Sankranti, which was the closest to black as we don't wear black in our family," says designer Shruti Sancheti who works with various weaving clusters of Maharashtra. Yellow for Saraswati pooja, and gold and red or white and red for weddings, the use of colour and motif bears specific significance. "I am a Rajput, and several people and royals from my community wear black on Diwali as it falls on amavasya," explains Sancheti.

Also check
Narkar will be displaying a set of contemporary sarees with the use of optical art. He has also recreated a Paithani from the Peshwa era, which is displayed in Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum, Pune. The black saree uses the polka dot motif. "The gaudy Paithanis are a result of modern times. I found the dot motif in Mumbai's old markets where people sell zari from old sarees." Another story from the collection is the Raja Ravi Varma saree. "Ravi Varma was very fond of the nine-yard saree. Almost all his characters were seen wearing it. He has used the same design of the saree in different colours for his paintings - Laxmi in red, Saraswati in white, Radha in pink for romanticism, and Subhadra in blue," says Narkar.

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One of the images in Masaba Gupta’s Insta-only campaign features model TJ Banu in a chiffon saree, the pallu draped around her head like a hijab

In a world divided by political agendas and religious regulation, women's clothing is defined through moral dress codes. "Do we have the freedom to wear whatever we want, when there are no dress codes for men?" asks young Mumbai designer Masaba Gupta, through her "Can't" series of T-shirts and caps launched as part of Tiger Lily, Spring/Summer 2018 line. One of the images in her Insta-only campaign is of model TJ Banu in a chiffon saree, the pallu draped around her head like a hijab (left in pic).

Kallol Datta introduced a range of hijabs, as part of his runway collection in 2015, with pattern cutting experiments of 3D inserts, embellished in tassels and foil print

In January 2016, Dolce & Gabbana released a "modest-wear" range, joining the likes of Oscar de la Renta and Tommy Hilfiger. H&M released a first advert featuring a Muslim woman in a hijab in 2015, and House of Fraser now stocks athleisure hijabs, designed for Muslim women to wear while exercising and swimming. But the rebellious interpretation of a conservative style has seen both criticism and cheer. Veteran designer James Ferreira welcomes the newfound reverence. "We've endured the West's interpretation of fashion for far too long... open any magazine, and there are tits all over," he says. Ferreira first designed and retailed a range of hijabs with badla work (intricate Indian embroidery in metal thread) as long as 30 years ago.

Kolkata-based Kallol Datta's emancipated designs occupy a middle ground between the genders. That he is inspired by the Islamic style of cloaking is a result of having spent his early years in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Kuwait. He began designing abayas and kaftans in 2008, and called his version "sleeping bags". It's only as recently as 2015 (right in pic), when he introduced a range of hijabs with pattern cutting experiments of 3D inserts, embellished in tassels and foil print, and sold them at stores in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Masaba Gupta

"It's a cool move," Ferreira says of Gupta and Datta's new designs. "Masaba and Kallol are mending broken ties between communities; it's like what the beard did post 9/11. At a time when the world began associating the beard with a political event, men from across cultures and countries embraced the beard. Solidarity is always heartening," feels Ferreira.

Kallol Datta

How do you explain using femininity as a tool of empowerment or rebellion?
Masaba Gupta: We create clothes on steroids, what we call churning out "maal". While Tiger Lily, our S/S 2018 collection, has a lot of new prints, the colour palette of knockout pinks and bottle greens stays true to my brand's aesthetic. It's an elevated, easy-to-wear collection inspired by the modern-day woman. So it's online campaigns that allow me a creative release, a platform to have an opinion. I was empowered rather than fearful when shooting the campaign. There's always the fear of being trolled on social media, but then that happens anyway.

Kallol Datta: It's not so much about being rebellious as it is about asking, how do you shroud yourself in fabric? As a designer, I pay attention to the fabric's form rather than the human form, hence layering and shaping remain at the core of my designs. It's also a familiar space [hijab] since I spent most of my early life in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Bahrain.

Why pick a symbol of conservatism?
Masaba Gupta: The starting point of the idea was to talk about our best-seller sarees. And the saree has been constantly debated... in relation to how it should be worn by a specific type of woman to why the youth are apprehensive about embracing it. That's why the decision to showcase the saree worn by real women, as opposed to models, in the campaign shoot. Middle Eastern women think that a saree is intrinsically Indian, hence the idea of styling this drape like a hijab.

Kallol Datta: I enjoy working with native wear clothing in a template form to realise silhouettes, which keep changing as layers are added or subtracted. The chador, manteau, abaya, kaftan or hijab become great building blocks for me to work with. At the same time, clothes-making for me is rooted in anthropology.

When a politically engaging idea occurs to you, how long before you wonder if controversy will follow?
Masaba Gupta: I don't want to unnecessarily stir up a controversy, and have people protesting outside my home. My brand's business head doesn't always agree with my social media posts (laughs). But I also believe that there's a difference between being brave, creative and downright foolish. That's why I put a caption to the image: 'This is celebratory and not a gimmick. I want women to wear a saree the way they feel best, in keeping with their traditions and their comfort. Most importantly, for them to not justify, why they chose to wear it the way they do'.

Kallol Datta: It never crosses my mind. I've been mindful about not using symbols, or portraying national icons in my designs.

How does fashion become political?
Masaba Gupta: I find fashion a departure from controversy or politics. After India, my biggest business comes from Dubai and Kuwait. My job as a designer is done when my clothes inspire freedom in Muslim women to adopt fashion the way they desire.

Kallol Datta: When Eastern concepts move to the West, they often get lost in translation. A woman wearing a hijab, a man in a kaftan - they become visible markers of their communities. The lack of representation [of these markers] in editorials and fashion journalism means that you're telling them, 'we choose not to see you'. Although Indian designers cater to Islamic countries, it's rare to see indigenous cultural markers in their clothes. Indian designers haven't moved beyond lehengas and sarees; it's their bread and butter. They are ignoring a thriving demographic. It's heartening to see 'modest fashion' come into its own.

Also Read: Jacqueline Fernandez Had Fun Designing For MMA Fighters

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Teenage sensation Manu Bhaker believes India shooters were at the peak of their performances before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted their Olympic plans and created a global health crisis. The 18-year old pistol shooter, who was one of India's medal hopefuls in Tokyo Olympics, was disappointed at the Summer Games being postponed but said well-being of people comes first before anything.

"I was expecting some tournaments to be affected but suddenly everything has been impacted by the pandemic, everything is getting cancelled. I feel both positive and disappointed at the same time. We were at the peak of our performance recently and would have been nice to compete at the Olympics right now," Bhaker told India Today.

"But then, health is more important than anything. But when we practice with the team, there is always that competitive spirit, because we can see people doing better than us. So that's lacking," she said.

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Some athletes are donating money, some others are helping in providing essentials to the needy, but Asian Games gold-winning rower Dattu Baban Bhokanal took a more hands on approach while helping people amid the COVID-19 pandemic by sanitising his village in Nashik. The 29-year-old used a fertiliser sprayer to carry out the sanitisation drive in his village Talegaon Ruhi, which is part of Chandvad tehsil on Sunday last. He said it took around four hours to complete the task. "Me, my family and some friends decided to sanitise the village, which has a population of about 12,000," Bhokanal told PTI from over phone.

Nashik is not as aggressively affected by the fast-spreading COVID-19 pandemic, which has ravaged Maharashtra. The region has just over 30 cases and a death toll of 2 in all with the Chandvad tehsil reportng just one case. Bhokanal's village is, however, completely unaffected by the deadly outbreak so far. Overall, the pandemic has claimed 339 lives in India where the number of positive cases has surged past the 10,000 mark. In Maharashtra, the total number of cases have gone past 2,000.

Bhokanal was on leave to visit the village when the nationwide lockdown, now extended till May 3, forced him to stay longer than he was supposed to. Making use of the time at hand, he carried out the sanitisation drive with his brother, uncle and a friend to help him out. "Sanitisation of any area is important to keep the virus at bay. For example, when a person visits a doctor's clinic, he might touch the pole or the walls inside that clinic. Therefore we thought sanitisation of the clinic was essential alogn with several other places," he explained.

Rower Dattu Bhokanal (right) at a sanitisation drive in his village in Nashik on Sunday. Pic/PTI

The acclaimed rower, who is a silver-medallist from the Asian Championships, said a spraying machine lying at his home for agricultural usage, came in handy. "We sanitised the places people frequent like the government clinic, veterinary clinic, gram panchayat office, its gates," informed the rower. Bhokanal said he and his family also sanitised medical shops, temples and the local vegetable market.

He said he would continue to carry out this drive twice a week. With the entire sporting calendar shredded due to the pandemic, rowing has also been affected. Bhokanal said working out at home has helped him in shape and be ready for when the action resumes.

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Five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand has joined WWF (World Wide Fund) India as its ambassador for environment education programme. WWF India is celebrating its 50 years of conservation in India and it is delighted to see Anand lend his support to conservation and protection of the environment. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, governments, development organisations, corporates and individuals around the world are doing their bit to prevent the spread of the disease.

Talking about his association with WWF India, Anand, said, "Our children deserve a better, greener and more sustainable world than the one we are living in today and it is our responsibility as parents and elders to show them the way. "I am very excited and happy to join WWF India and work together with them to enthuse more and more children and youth about the need to protect our natural world. I look forward to an enriching and progressive association with WWF India."

WWF India's environment education programme is as old as the organisation itself, starting way back in 1976 with the Nature Clubs of India (NCI) initiative. Currently the environment education programme undertakes five large initiatives that reach out to school children, youth and citizens across the country and aim to create a generation of critical thinkers, problem solvers and environmentally conscious individuals.

The environment education programme currently reaches out to over 5,00,000 children across 2000 schools in the country.

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Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel on Friday cautioned against the temptation to shoehorn too many Formula One races into a revised calendar, describing the move as "not realistic". The 22-event F1 season has been decimated by the Coronavirus with nine races either cancelled or postponed. The French Grand Prix scheduled for June 28 is also in doubt as is the Belgian Grand Prix, set for August 30.

F1 chiefs have floated the idea of making up for lost time by staging races on successive weekends or even having two races on the same weekend.

Staff burnout issue

However, Ferrari star Vettel fears such a move could lead to burnout for team staff. "We drivers are a little privileged," Vettel told reporters by teleconference from his home in Switzerland. "Of course, the races are tiring but there have to be limits for the staff. They must rest. "We must also see if it is easy to reschedule races, if the circuits are not already taken. Many questions remain. I think the schedule will be busier, but 10 consecutive weekends is not realistic."

Vettel suggested that he would favour staging races without fans if it allowed a quick resumption as long as it did not become a common feature. Other sports have already toyed with the idea of staging events behind closed doors. For example, the US PGA Tour on Thursday announced plans to resume in June, with the first four tournaments being closed to spectators.

"It's complicated," admitted Vettel. "On the one hand, there is the health of the sport, on the other, that of the people who work in the paddock and especially the fans. "There are several options. No one likes to run in front of empty stands, but we will have to see if it will not allow us to resume much sooner. The first races will probably be a little different, but not too much, I hope, because we want to run in front of the fans."

Vettel insists that for him even a 10-race season is just as valuable as a 22-race campaign. However, he admits that the damage to the sport caused by the pandemic could be fatal for the smaller teams on the grid.

'Small teams in danger'

Without racing, the massive TV and sponsorship revenues have dried up. Half of the teams have already started furloughing staff. Teams have agreed to lower the spending cap from $175 million to $150m. "Some small teams are in danger and, as a family, F1 has to take care of its own."

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Legendary sprinter Milkha Singh's daughter and ace golfer Jeev Milkha Singh's elder sister has been running a "marathon" in New York -- not on a track but at a hospital, battling the COVID-19 pandemic that has ravaged the world. Mona Milkha Singh is a doctor at the Metropolitan Hospital Center in New York, attending to emergency patients of coronavirus, which has so far claimed more than 40,000 lives in the US alone while causing over 1.5 lakh deaths worldwide.

"She is basically an ER (Emergency Room) doctor in the Metropolitan Hospital Center in New York city. So, when someone comes with the coronavirus symptoms, she has to treat them," Jeev, a four-time European Tour champion, told PTI. "She checks the patients, stabilises them, performs intubation (insertion of artificial ventilation tube into a patient) before they are sent to special wards to quarantine the COVID-19 patients," he added. The 54-year-old Mona passed out of Patiala Medical College before moving to the USA in the '90s. She has been working there for more than 20 years.

"I am so proud of her. She says it is like running a marathon every day. She has been working five days a week, sometimes day shifts, sometimes night shifts, 12-hour shifts and it is tough but she has to do the job as best as she can." The 48-year-old from Chandigarh said the job is a stressful one and sometimes he feels scared for her. "I feel worried. When you are treating people, anything can happen, so we talk to her everyday. My mom and dad also keep checking on her. "We keep asking how she is feeling and if there are any symptoms. I tell her to stay positive and boost her immune system," said Jeev, also a five-time Asian Tour winner. New York has reported nearly 250,000 confirmed cases and over 18,000 fatalities, forcing the government to extend its lockdown till May 15 to contain the fast-spreading disease. However, the lockdown is also giving rise to a lot of mental health issues among people, who also need equal attention. "With New York in partial lockdown, she gets a lot of patients who are suffering from depression as they are not used to staying at home," Jeev elaborated.

"There are people who come with bullet wounds, people who are having anxiety attacks, youngsters with drug overdose or old people getting heart attacks, basically any kind of emergency, she has to treat them all," he said. The Chandigarh-based golfer also called for greater respect for the frontline workers, who have been attacked in India while performing their duties. "It is my humble request to every citizen of the world to respect the frontline workers because they are there to help us, whether it is the doctors, police, people who pick up garbage ... we must be respectful, kind and grateful to them and make sure they are taken care of," he said. The dreaded virus has infected over 20 lakh people across the globe.

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The National Basketball Association (NBA) has planned to reopen practice facilities in states and municipalities that were easing shutdown restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The states of Texas and Georgia have reopened businesses this weekend and players can return to team facilities for voluntary individual workouts but are still prohibited from holding group workouts or team activities, according to ESPN.

However, this is not an indication of the NBA approaching a new timetable for resuming the season.

The season has been suspended since March 11 due to the pandemic.

The US has reported 939,235 coronavirus cases, with 53,934 deaths, both tallies the highest in the world.

According to ESPN, a few team executives and General Managers have expressed their misgivings about the safety of the move considering the volume of medical opinions against the reopening of businesses, the lack of enough testing and a vaccine.

There are other executives however, who have been clamoring for players to be able to get back to training facilities, which they believed to be the safest places in current circumstances.

In places with more restrictive governance of stay-at-home orders, the NBA is telling teams the league will work with franchises to help find alternative arrangements for their players.

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National rowing coach Bajrang Lal Takhar, 39, wants India's ace rowers, Sawarn Singh and Dattu Bhokanal to make the most of the Coronavirus-caused lockdown by working on their mental toughness.

Takhar, the first to win an Asian Games individual gold [Guangzhou 2010], is keen that the duo fine-tune their technique and emerge mentally stronger when the lockdown is over.

"Dattu performed well at the Rio Games in 2016 [finishing 13th in men's single sculls] in his maiden Olympics. Sawarn is also a good rower. My advice to them is to become mentally strong if we want to win at the Olympics. At the top level, there is not much to differentiate in terms of physical fitness. Being mentally strong can make a huge difference. They [Sawarn and Bhokanal] also need to work on their technique," Takhar, who has been guiding the rowers via video conferencing from his hometown in Maganpur, Rajasthan, told mid-day on Monday.

Meanwhile, Takhar urged patience from those expecting a rowing medal at the Tokyo Olympics. "They [Sawarn and Bhokanal] will surely qualify for the Tokyo Games. They will make it to the final as well, but we may have to wait for another Olympics [Paris 2024] to win a medal," felt Takhar.

Sawarn, 30, has won gold in quadruple sculls along with Bhokanal, Om Prakash and Sukhmeet Singh at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games, while he bagged a bronze in single sculls at the Incheon Games in 2014. Bhokanal, 29, won silver in single sculls at the 2015 Asian Rowing Championships in Beijing.

Takhar has urged the Rowing Federation of India (RFI) to concentrate on rural areas if they wish to tap upcoming talent.

"The RFI needs to search for talent in rural regions. Getting physically strong people is extremely crucial to succeed in rowing. We have worked on certain plans to train aspiring players," he concluded.

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A new Michael Jordan television documentary has become a smash hit for NBA fans whose hope of watching the playoffs these days was scuttled by the coronavirus pandemic. "The Last Dance" details the career of the NBA legend who led the Chicago Bulls to six titles in the 1990s, with editions three and four of the 10-part saga telecast on Sunday. It was the top ESPN telecast in the advertiser-prized 18-to-34 demographic since the shut down of sport due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In all, 6.1 million people watched the opening episodes in the United States, making the documentary Twitter's top trending topic and ESPN's most watched original program since the network began producing such shows 16 years ago. An average of 5.9 million viewers watched the latest episodes aired in the US on Sunday. "The Last Dance" mixes previously unaired behind-the-scenes footage taken by a special camera crew with the Bulls during their 1997-98 NBA championship run with the retelling of Jordan's amazing story from his youthful days to Chicago's amazing dynasty run of six 1990s NBA titles.

The project was set to be broadcast in June when the NBA Finals were scheduled, but when sports programs were wiped out due to the global virus pandemic, ESPN advanced the release date. The Jordan documentary's blockbuster success looks likely to spark similar projects. Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar who died in a January helicopter crash, had a personal camera crew follow him around during his final NBA season, ESPN reported last week, hinting that behind-the-scenes footage could become part of a Bryant documentary.

Bryant, a five-time NBA champion, scored 60 points in his final NBA game in 2016, which capped the worst season in Lakers history at 17-65. Dwyane Wade, a member of the 2008 US Olympic "Redeem Team" that won Beijing gold after a 2004 bronze at Athens, says he is already executive producing a documentary about that collection of NBA talent.

A lingering hatred

ESPN has aired discussion shows about the documentary after telecasts, with Sunday's episodes about Jordan's lingering hatred of the Detroit Pistons leading to Monday interviews with former Detroit star Isiah Thomas, notably about the Pistons snubbing the Bulls for post-game handshakes when Chicago swept the defending champions out of the 1991 playoffs.

"I hated them," Jordan said in the fourth chapter of the documentary. "And that hate carries even to this day." Thomas was not selected as a member of the 1992 Barcelona US Olympic gold medal "Dream Team" -- an NBA all-star lineup that featured Jordan -- and Thomas said Monday on ESPN that he hoped the handshake snub wasn't the reason why he didn't make the historic lineup.

"If I'm not part of the Dream Team for that lapse of emotion, for not shaking somebody's hand, then I'm more disappointed today than I was back then when I wasn't selected," Thomas said. "I paid a heavy price. If that moment meant I'm not selected to be on the Dream Team because of that moment, that's hurtful. That cuts deep."

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The postponement to 2021 of the Olympic Games in Tokyo because of the coronavirus pandemic will cost the International Olympic Committee (IOC) "several hundred million dollars", its president Thomas Bach said on Wednesday. "We already know that we have to shoulder several hundred million US dollars of postponement costs," the German wrote in a letter to the Olympic movement, warning that, while the IOC would honour its financial obligations to Tokyo, it would probably have to make cuts. "We also need to look into and review all the services that we provide for these postponed Games," he said.

"The IOC will continue to be responsible for its share of the operational burden and its share of the costs for these postponed Games." The IOC, which has approximately $1 billion (926 million euros) in reserves, took the historic decision to postpone the Games, scheduled to open on July 24, until July 23 to August 8, 2021. If the coronavirus pandemic is not brought under control within a year, the Games cannot be postponed again and will be cancelled, the head of the organising committee (COJO) Yoshiro Mori warned on Tuesday.

A task force, which brings together the IOC and various partners, including COJO, "has established the priorities and management strategies to make these postponed Olympic Games feasible and successful", Bach said. These include creating "a safe environment with regard to health for all participants". "At this moment, nobody knows what the realities of the post-coronavirus world will look like," he said. "What is clear, however, is that probably none of us will be able to sustain every single initiative or event that we were planning before this crisis hit." He added that the IOC should also view the crisis as an opportunity.

"We can fairly assume that, in the post-coronavirus society, public health will play a much more important role. Sport and physical activity make a great contribution to health," he wrote. Bach also said the Olympic movement should consider its relationship with esports in light of social distancing.

"Whilst maintaining our principles by respecting the red line, with regard to the Olympic values, we encourage all our stakeholders even more urgently to 'consider how to govern electronic and virtual forms of their sport and explore opportunities with game publishers'," he said.

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The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) asserted that the International Boxing Association (AIBA) acted in haste after the hosting rights of the 2021 men's world championship were taken away from the country for non-payment of host city fee. In a statement, AIBA handed over the championship, originally allotted to India in 2017, to Serbian capital Belgrade. The BFI acknowledged the delay in payment but blamed it on procedural complications arising out of the AIBA's failure to resolve issues with regards to the account in which the money was to be transferred.

Delay in payment

The payment of what is estimated to be USD 4 million was due to be made on December 2 last year. "After New Delhi didn't fulfill its obligations to pay host fee as mentioned in the Host City Agreement terms, AIBA has terminated the contract. Therefore, India would have to pay a cancellation penalty of USD 500," the AIBA said in a statement. The elite competition would have happened for the first time in the country.

The BFI, headed by Spicejet Airlines owner Ajay Singh, said the AIBA could not clearly tell where to transfer the money. "We have reason to believe that the decision to change the venue of WCH-2021 was taken in haste without due consultation with BFI...the penalty that is imposed is shocking and surprising. Both parties are working for an amicable solution. BFI is confident that the penalty will be waived off and we will host World Championships in future," the BFI statement read.

AIBA's account frozen

AIBA has been suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for administrative and financial mismanagement. "The AIBA account in Lausanne was frozen. The account of AIBA in Switzerland as mentioned in Host City Agreement is still inoperative. AIBA intended to have some previous payments through an account in Serbia. "As Serbia is in the Grey List of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) countries, Indian Banks do not normally send money to Serbia. AIBA could not resolve these issues," said the BFI.

"The account of AIBA in Switzerland, as mentioned in Host City Agreement, is still inoperative," it added.

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Ferrari star Sebastian Vettel has made his esports debut with the Legends Trophy organised by Torque Esports.

After being supplied with a simulator by Torque Esports company Allinsports, Vettel made his first appearance in esports competition fighting battles with the likes of former F1 racer and two-time Indy 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya and fellow ex-Formula 1 World Champions Emerson Fittipaldi and Jenson Button.

Vettel's Ferrari teammate Chales LeClerc has been active on various esports platforms, participating from his Monaco apartment. LeClerc has won two virtual F1 races and taken part in a variety of other races.

Vettel finished 15th and 12th, respectively, in his two races but the four-time F1 champion was unlucky in both -- getting caught up in incidents that were not his fault on the rFactor 2 virtual version of the former home of the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Montoya finished the day as the Legends Trophy points leader. He led home Button and ex-24 Hours of Le Mans winner Emanuele Pirro in race one while finishing fifth in the reverse grid race, which was won by Fernandez over factory Aston Martin Le Mans winner Darren Turner and Pirro.

The Colombian was able to avoid first-lap drama in the opening race to take the victory.

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USA'S skiing legend Lindsey Vonn is finding new fun activities to keep herself and National Hockey League (NHL) star fiance PK Subban busy during this Coronavirus-caused lockdown. On Tuesday, Olympic gold medal-winner Lindsey, 35, posted this picture (above) on social media as she washed her SUV, wearing a bikini. "Took an adventure to the drive way [sic]. It was epic. #stayhome #takeabreakwithlandrover," Lindsey captioned her picture that went on to receive over 125,000-plus 'likes'. Lindsey also spelt out her routine during this quarantine period.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Took an adventure to the drive way. It was epic. #stayhome #takeabreakwithlandrover

A post shared by L I N D S E Y • V O N N (@lindseyvonn) onMay 4, 2020 at 8:19am PDT

She begins her day by 8am, feeding her dogs before heading for a workout. "I usually go to the gym but since we're obviously in quarantine, the garage is my jam," she told American magazine US Weekly. Lindsey and Subban tidy up their house together and then engage with their fans via Instagram Live.

NHL star PK Subban

Often, there are work-related meetings for the now-retired champion skier, who is also a successful entrepreneur. "I am working on a few projects so as you can imagine, there is a lot phone calls, Zoom meetings and other business that needs to be done," she said.

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Nihari Gosht. Pics/Sameer Markande

A wooden horse at the entrance of Basanti reminds us of Hema Malini's beloved companion, Dhanno, from the runaway hit Sholay. However, Twinkle Keswani of Silver Beach Entertainment and Hospitality says the theme has "nothing to do with the film. The name reflects the restaurant's inherent Indian roots."

Bhindi Naintara

The interiors, designed by Minnie Bhatt, are a burst of bright colours and yet, strangely soothing. A minimalist look, restrained use of wall decorations, generous space between tables, and French windows create an illusion of space.

Awadhi delights
A few Punjabi staples aside, the menu has a distinct bent towards Awadhi cuisine. Chef de Cuisine Salim Qureshi of the famed Qureshi gharana brings family recipes and secret ingredients to Basanti. Head chef Rohan D'Souza says, "Chef Qureshi would carry a bag of ingredients that he would guard fiercely. We coaxed him to share his secrets."

Sumit Kokate is the man responsible for Basanti's extensive paan menu

The starter, Galawat ke Kebab, (Rs 365), is where chef Qureshi shows off his Lucknowi roots. The lamb is cooked to perfection such that the medallions melt in our mouth, while the spices tantalise our taste buds. The Nihari Gosht (Rs 390), from the Subz aur Salan section of the menu, consists of generous portions of lamb that fall right off the bone. The gravy of yoghurt, cooked with ginger, saffron and other spices, makes the dish pungent and calming, all at once. We savour a few vegetarian dishes, too - Bhindi Naintara (Rs 270) and Paneer Do Pyaza (Rs 290) are comfort picks. The Dal Ek Khaas (Rs 250), which is slow-cooked for hours, with dollops of butter added at intervals, is a hit at the table.

Paan's labyrinth
Finally, it is time to savour the paan menu, which is peppered with curious names: Ice Paan, Fire Paan, Vanilla Paan, Pineapple Paan and Butterscotch Paan. The man behind the counter, Sumeet Kokate, previously worked at Tara Paan, a famous paan hangout in Nashik.

He proudly reveals that he was trained by 'guru' Tarasingh Shinde, who has supposedly created over 100 varieties of paan. Having learnt the ropes from the best, Kokate went on to experiment some more, while also borrowing from his guru. The result is a range of delicious betel-leaf treats. We start with the Blackcurrant Coffee (R85), where the leaf is dipped in a layer of melted chocolate. At first, we taste the sweet chocolate, but when we bite through the leaf, we experience a burst of flavours - fruity black currant and an after-taste of bitter coffee. The Fire Paan (R145) is all drama - cloves that hold the leaf together are set alight. You are to put the flaming paan right into your mouth to douse the flame. The fiery clove coats the palate, followed by kattha, gulkand, mukhwas, and other paan staples. The Ice Paan, on the other hand, is filled with crushed ice.

The Pineapple Paan (Rs 85) comes with a coating of the fruit and sugar paste. Inside, we taste sweetened coconut flakes, cardamom powder, gulkand, and mukhwas.

The establishment may have put out their disclaimers about Sholay, yet Amitabh Bachchan's gimmicky hit tune, Khaike Paan Banaraswala, comes to mind as we exit Basanti.

Opens: Tonight (7 pm)
Time: 12 pm to 3.30 pm, 7 pm to 1 am (from August 24)
At: 7/11, Meera Apartments, Juhu Versova Link Road, Seven Bungalows, Andheri West.
Call: 7045637722

Bloody Mary and Jalapeno Salsa

Food: Can do better
Ambience: grungy
Service Fast
Cost: varies
Verdict: 

This is one bar that Monisha Sarabhai from television series Sarabhai vs Sarabhai would like to visit. Agent Jack's is an app-centric bar chain that lets you bid for your drink, and if you get lucky, you land yourself a dirt-cheap deal for your poison.

Caipiroska

Ever since Agent Jack's outlets opened in Malad and Navi Mumbai, we've been curious to check out the bargain-happy bar. So, when they opened their newest outlet in Andheri, we headed there in a flash.

Located on Veera Desai Road, the property is huge; the glass wall interiors lend the space an air of roominess. Even their smoking section is larger than other watering holes in the neighbourhood. Cycle motifs and signage make way across the decor almost everywhere — from the lights, serving dishes to the washbasin. We settle in at a table of our choice on a Sunday night and are ready to hit jackpot.

Crispy Prawn

App sarkar
We download the app and our attendant takes us through the ordering process. The app is glitch-free so far. The menu displays the lowest drinks price for the day, stock market-style, and the current bidding range. There's a big screen that displays your name and your bargain process. For old-school tipplers who find downloading an app tiresome, the bar takes regular orders too.

We place our bid and within seconds an attendant confirms our order, completing the bump-free ride to VFM daaru. The bargain process is fun, as Agent Jack throws witty repartees at us when we place low bids (see pic above). We pick a Bloody Mary (Rs 270, all prices exclusive of taxes) and a Caipiroska (Rs 280). For some chow, we choose the Chicken Pesto Popper (Rs 250) and Jalapeno Salsa (Rs 225).

Chicken Pesto Popper

An offer he couldn't refuse
The service is quick; both dishes are hot, and arrive at our table in 10 minutes. But the food doesn't flatter. The Bloody Mary could do with stronger flavours, and the chicken dish borders on the 'hariyali kebab' variety. Had it been named differently, it would have made the cut since it tastes great.

Agent Jack's Bar in Andheri

The Jalapeno Salsa is more creamy fondue with bits of jalapeno; the toast on the side is the saving grace. Our next order, Crispy Prawns Wok fares better. The crisp coating reveals delicate flavours of prawn in a single bite, a definite bar nibble winner. By now, the prices are hitting rock bottom due to their popularity, with vodka and whiskey pegs costing as low as '50. The app continues to function fuss-free with our next set of orders. Our final food pick is Pizza Sicilia ('325) that's generous with toppings but the taste borders towards Indian 'sabji' style.

Barring a few food hiccups, Agent Jack's stays true to its promise of offering a fun bargain.

Agent Jack on the app

Time 5.30 pm to 1.30 am
AT De Mall, Veera Desai, Andheri West.
Call 62614222

Baah Gajor Gahori

Growing up in a conservative home in Imphal, Keisham Kunjakishor Singh, who goes by the names Keisham or Bung, wasn't allowed to cook chicken and pork in his kitchen. "My parents never stopped us from eating it but we couldn't cook meat inside our home. So, I would bring the stove to our courtyard, and smoke pork outside. I also remember learning how to smoke fish at the age of 10. That is considered vegetarian in most Manipuri homes," says the 35-year-old Manipuri fashion designer based in Mumbai, who moonlights as a home chef. This Sunday, he will offer a taste of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian fare from the northeastern state, at the pop-up titled Manipuri Chakhum, presented by Authenticook.

Singju

Take a veggie walk
The meal features 10 dishes, including Singju, a popular street snack served at female-run stalls known as potphams. It's a salad made using cabbage, lotus root and fenugreek leaves, laced with several herbs. For the mains, you can seek comfort in Mangal Ooti, a dal featuring whole yellow peas cooked with bamboo shoot, brought in from his native town. "I travel to Imphal every month and return with seasonal herbs, black rice, bhut jolokia and spices like bay leaves, Chinese chives and ginger. We grow most of them in our backyard," says Keisham.

Chakhao Kheer

He'll use the pungent chive leaves in Maroi Bori Thongba, a curry with black gram and lentil dumplings, while the other spices will be used in Kangsoi, a popular Manipuri version of a stew made with fresh, seasonal vegetables like tomatoes, cabbage and potatoes. "I grew up on this stew, and sticky rice. I'll use my mother's recipe to make it," he adds.

The food will be served with sticky rice

Also on the vegetarian menu is Chamfoot, a simple, steamed vegetable salad. Keisham has prepared accompaniments like Soibum Iromba (fermented bamboo shoot chutney) and Kanglayen Iromba (dry mushroom chutney).

Know the difference
The non-vegetarian menu stars Baah Gajor Gahori Tender, where chunks of pork are cooked with bamboo shoot and bhut jolokia chilli. "The Manipuri style of cooking pork is vastly different from Naga pork, which usually is just boiled or steamed. We use several spices to cook the meats. I make my own spice mix with coriander, cumin, fenugreek seeds, and asafoetida."

KK Singh aka Keisham

Similarly, Yen Thongba, or chicken curry, is prepared by shallow frying the meat first and then boiling it in water to thicken it as gravy. The pop-up also features Nga Ataoba Thongba, comprising Rohu fish that is fried and curried in tomato. Keisham will also offer sticky rice that has been wrapped and cooked in lotus leaf. "It's the most traditional way of cooking it. The leaf infuses an aroma into the rice. For dessert, there's Chakhao Kheer cooked with black rice. It's something my father would cook for us in the afternoons when we were kids," reminisces Keisham.

On: August 27, 1 pm
At: Authenticook Underground Studio, Chembur
Log on to: authenticook.in
Cost: `1,050 (vegetarian); `1,250 (non-vegetarian)