Community Spread Has Begun, Situation Bad: IMA

With one million people getting affected by COVID-19, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) is of the view that community spread has started and the situation is pretty bad.

While speaking to ANI, Dr V K Monga, the Chairman of IMA Hospital Board of India said, “This is now an exponential growth. Every day the number of cases is increasing by more than around 30,000. This is really a bad situation for the country. There are so many factors connected with it but overall this is now spreading to rural areas. This is a bad sign. It now shows a community spread.”

According to the latest update by the Union Health Ministry, the total confirmed cases reached 10,38,716. There are 3,58,629 active cases and 6,53,751 cured/discharged/migrated. A total of 26,273 deaths have been registered to date.

Dr Monga further said, “Cases are penetrating down into towns and villages where it will be very difficult to control the situation. In Delhi, we were able to contain it, but what about interior parts of the country in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Madhya Pradesh (which may be the new hotspots)?”

“All these issues are very important and the state governments should take full care and seek help of the Central government to control the situation,” Monga said.

As many as 1,34,33,742 samples have been tested for COVID-19 till July 17. Of these 3,61,024 samples were tested on Friday, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said.

ICMR is ramping up testing facilities regularly. At present, 885 government laboratories and 368 private laboratory chains are conducting COVID-19 tests across the country.

“This is a viral disease that spreads very fast. To contain the disease there are only two options. Firstly, 70 per cent population contracts the disease and gets immune, and other is getting an immunisation,” stated Monga.

Vaccination, being the greatest hope to contain COVID-19, India’s two indigenous vaccine makers would be starting human trials soon.

“There has to be phases of trials then human trial, then efficacy and side effects. Also, importantly it has to be seen how long this immunity will last because most of the patients are unable to go beyond three months of immunity,” said Dr Monga.

(ANI)

Protests In PoK Over Torture, Stripping Of Women

A large number of residents in Neelum district of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) blocked the road and held a protest against inaction by police and the government after brutal torture of local women.

They held banners in Urdu which translates: “If you are rich, can you kill anyone” and “We don’t believe in the rule of violent threats.”

Sources reveal that some miscreants tied and tortured women in village Danjer of Neelum district and that police failed to arrest the culprits despite carrying the heinous crime. The victim family members were joined by locals as they blocked the highway to demand justice.

The protesters demanded action against the Station House Officer (SHO) for his inaction. They said that those who tied women with ropes, stripped their clothes and meted out barbarity on them must be brought to justice.

The protesters, under the banner of ‘Liberation Front Nazaryati Waahliyan’ also said that victim family should be given justice and the perpetrators should be banished from the village.

Local villagers in PoK continue to face injustice due to political influence of criminals. Police even fail to arrest these culprits because of their connection with high profile and rich people. (ANI)

HC Reprieve For Pilot, Rebel MLAs On Disqualification

The Rajasthan High Court will on Monday resume hearing on a petition filed by former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and 18 other MLAs challenging the disqualification notice issued to them.

Prateek Kasliwal, appearing for state Legislative Assembly Speaker CP Joshi, said that the petitioners’ lawyers concluded their arguments in the court today.

“Today the matter was heard in the High Court. Petitioners’ lawyers (Harish) Salve and (Mukul) Rohatgi concluded their arguments. The hearing will continue at 10 am on Monday,” Kasliwal told reporters after the hearing outside the court premises here.

He also said that the hearing before the Assembly Speaker in the disqualification matter has been deferred till Tuesday in view of the hearing before the High Court.

“Abhishek Manu Singhvi has given an undertaking that the hearing before the Legislative Assembly slated for 5 pm today has been deferred till Tuesday,” Kasliwal said.

A division bench of the Rajasthan High Court, headed by Chief Justice Indrajit Mohanty, had on Thursday deferred the hearing on the matter to Friday after Sachin Pilot camp sought to amend their petition against the disqualification notice.

Pilot and the MLAs from his camp approached the Rajasthan High Court over disqualification notice seeking the quashing and setting aside of the show cause notice issued to them on July 14 by the Speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly.

The development comes after Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi sent notices to Pilot and 18 MLAs under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, popularly known as the anti-defection law after chief’s whip application for their disqualification. MLAs were earlier asked to present before Assembly Speaker on July 17.

According to the notice, if these MLAs fail to respond to the notice then the Speaker can proceed ex parte and disqualify them from the Assembly.

The Congress complaint and the Speaker’s notice came after Pilot and the lawmakers supporting him skipped Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meetings on July 13 and 14.

Rajasthan Congress continues to remain in turmoil after simmering differences between Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot came out in the open. Pilot was, on July 14, also sacked from the posts of Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister and state PCC president.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has blamed the BJP for attempting to destabilise the state government by poaching MLAs.

A controversy had broken out in Rajasthan after Special Operation Group (SOG) sent a notice to Pilot to record his statement in the case registered in the alleged poaching of Congress MLAs in the state. (ANI)

‘China Strengthening Military Bases In Gilgit, Baltistan’

As Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday kicked off construction work at the Chinese-backed Diamer Bhasha Dam in occupied Gilgit Baltistan, activists from the region strongly believes that Beijing is using military power to build the mega infrastructure with an aim to counter India’s growing influence in the region.

Senge H Sering, director of the Washington-based Institute of Gilgit Baltistan Studies told ANI, “We have to look at commencement of construction of Diamer Dam in context of Chinese attacks and occupation of Indian lands in Ladakh, Uttrakhand, Sikkim and ArunachalPradesh. China is concerned about India’s growing interest in acquiring control over Gilgit Baltistan.”

He said, “China knows that Gilgit Baltistan is a legal part of India and if the international community helps India then Pakistan will not find many friends to resist India’s advances. Starting Diamer Dam is China’s way of marking the territory. China is using military power toclaim land in Aksai Chin and it is doing the same in Gilgit Baltistan by building mega infrastructure.”

The Pakistan government in May signed a whopping Rs 442 billion contract with a joint venture of a Chinese state-run firm and a commercial arm of Pakistan’s military for the construction of the Diamer Bhasha Dam.

The project will generate 4,500MW electricity and is expected to be completed by 2028.

Senge said, “China would like Iran to join CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) since this will give leverage to China in a territory like Gilgit Baltistan which has a Shia majority. Control over the construction of Diamer dam will enable China to bring PLA personnel to Gilgit Baltistan to strengthen Pakistan’s military.”

He added, “China is helping Pakistan’s air force update the base in Skardu. The updating road network in the name of facilitating the construction of the Diamer dam will help China move the logistics to Gilgit in much lesser time which could be a game-changer against India’s advancement towards Gilgit Baltistan.”

“In recent days, we have seen huge attacks by the Taliban on Afghan forces. After roping in Iran, Afghanistan is the next target of China. China wants Pakistan’s proxies to have complete control in Afghanistan so they could form a nexus with Iran and Afghanistan to secure CPEC/BRI. Although it may seem like an anti-India and anti-Afghan campaign in the long run, this is to minimise space for the US in South and Central Asia,” Senge further said.

Another political activist and writer from the region, Dr Amjad Ayub Mirza said that the mega-dam is located on the seismic zone and a major threat to ecology. He said, “Diamer Bhasha Dam is a flawed project. 70 per cent of the share is Chinese and 30 per cent that of Frontier Works Organisation which is the commercial arm of Pakistan Army.”

“It is being built in a seismic zone and an earthquake will have a devastating effect in the region. If the dam bursts, it will wipe out all of the barrages on the Indus River. 200 sq km of the reservoir for the dam will submerge 100 km of Karakorum highway. 32 villages are already affected rendering thousands of people homeless. The social, economic, and environmental damages will be devastating for the whole region of Gilgit Baltistan,” said Dr Mirza.

He added, “The dam will submerge ancient rock carvings and a rich Buddhist archaeological treasure. Moreover, the dam is being built illegally on Pakistan-occupied Indian territory. It seems that there are sinister designs hidden in the decision to construct this dam.”

The activist, who hails from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, said, “People lack basic health and educational facilities in the region. There are no job opportunities and instead of investing in the infrastructure of the occupied territory Pakistan and China are spending USD 14 billion tobuild this illegal dam. Why?”

Gilgit Baltistan is part of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir which remains under Pakistan’s illegal occupation since 1947.

India has said the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including the areas of Gilgit and Baltistan, are “an integral part of India by virtue of its fully legal and irrevocable accession”. (ANI)

Defence Minister Visits Forward Areas In Ladakh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief General MM Naravane on Friday arrived at Stakna, Leh to witness para dropping skills of the Armed Forces here.

Troops of Armed Forces carried out para dropping exercise here in presence of the Defence Minister and Army officials. The Defence Minister also witnessed scoping weapons.

Defence Minister is on a two-day visit to Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.

He will take stock of the situation at both the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the Line of Control (LOC).

Earlier today, taking to Twitter, Singh wrote, “Leaving for Leh on a two-day visit to Ladakh and Jammu-Kashmir. I shall be visiting the forward areas to review the situation at the borders and also interact with the Armed Forces personnel deployed in the region. Looking forward to it.”

While Pakistan constantly violates ceasefire from across the LoC, China has continued to intrude into Indian territory in Ladakh region in recent past, escalating tensions between India and its eastern neighbour.

On June 15, twenty Indian soldiers were killed during combat with Chinese forces in Galwan valley, leading to tensions between both nations. Chinese soldiers subsequently started moving back following dialogues between two countries through the military level and diplomatic level. (ANI)

Pak Offers Third Consular Access To Kulbhushan Jadhav

Pakistan has offered third consular access to India for its national Kulbhushan Jadhav, Pakistani media reports on Friday said.

The reports quoting Pakistan Foreign Shah Mehmood Qureshi, said a note verbale has been sent meeting India’s demand to not have security personnel during the meeting.

This comes a day after India has said that its national Kulbhushan Jadhav was “visibly under stress” as Pakistan did not permit a free conversation between him and the consular officers and they were not given “unimpeded, unhindered and unconditional” access.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson said in a statement that the conversation between Jadhav and consular officers was being recorded as evident from a camera and the consular access offered by Pakistan was neither “meaningful nor credible”.

The spokesperson said that Pakistani officials with an intimidating demeanour were present in close proximity of Jadhav and consular officers despite the protests of the Indian side.

He said Jadhav himself was visibly under stress and indicated that clearly to the consular officers.

The spokesperson said that the government was committed to ensuring the safe return of Jadhav to India and “will decide on a future course of action in the light of the events today”.

“The consular officers were not given unimpeded, unhindered and unconditional access to Jadhav. On the contrary, Pakistani officials with an intimidating demeanour were present in close proximity of Jadhav and consular officers despite the protests of the Indian side. It was also evident from a camera that was visible that the conversation with Jadhav was being recorded,” the statement said.

“Jadhav himself was visibly under stress and indicated that clearly to the consular officers. The arrangements did not permit a free conversation between them. The consular officers could not engage Jadhav on his legal rights and were prevented from obtaining his written consent for arranging his legal representation,” it added.

India recently requested the Pakistani side for an unimpeded, unhindered and unconditional consular access to be provided on July 13. Pakistan was asked to ensure that the meeting is held in an atmosphere free from fear of retribution and without the presence of any Pakistani official in the vicinity of Jadhav and the Indian consular officials.

Pakistan was also requested to not record (video and audio) the meeting.

The statement said that despite Pakistan’s assurance of ensuring unhindered consular access to Jadhav, the environment and the arrangements of the meeting were not in accordance with the assurances of Islamabad.

The spokesperson said that any conversation between Jadhav and High Commission officials must necessarily take place in privacy and without the presence of any Pakistani official or recording by Pakistan.

Pakistan claims that Jadhav was arrested from Balochistan in 2016 on charges of espionage. India has rejected Pakistan’s allegations and said he was kidnapped from the Iranian port of Chabahar.

In early 2017, a Pakistani military court sentenced him to death. In May 2017, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed his execution.

In July last year, the ICJ, by a vote of 15-1, had upheld India’s claim that Pakistan has committed an egregious violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations on several counts. (ANI)

UP Police To SC: Vikas Dubey Encounter Not Fake

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Friday submitted before the Supreme Court that encounter of history-sheeter Vikas Dubey, who was the main accused in the killing of eight cops in Kanpur, cannot be termed as fake.

The police made the submission in a detailed reply before the apex court on two petitions seeking a high-level probe into the encounter of Vikas Dubey and his aides.

In its reply, the Uttar Pradesh Police said that the encounter was correct, and in no way, can it be termed as a fake encounter.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde is hearing two petitions, filed by Ghanashyam Upadhayay and Anoop Prakash Awasthi, seeking a high-level probe into the encounter of Vikas Dubey.

The matter is slated to come up for hearing before the top court on July 20.

Vikas Dubey was arrested by the Madhya Pradesh Police in Ujjain on July 9. He was on the run and had come to the city to offer prayers at the Mahakal temple. The history-sheeter was killed in an encounter by the Uttar Pradesh Police on July 10 after he allegedly attempted to flee.

The gangster was the main accused in the encounter that took place in Bikru village in Chaubeypur area of Kanpur, in which a group of assailants opened fire on a police team, which had gone to arrest him. Eight police personnel were killed in the encounter. (ANI)

Unparalleled Reign Of Mughal-e-Azam

Mughal-e-Azam, released six decades ago on August 5, 1960, remains a landmark for the Indian cinema. It can also be a mark to measure much that happened then and is happening now.

Twelfth years into the independence, despite problems galore, a poverty-stricken India had proved the Winston Churchills wrong by staying united and ticking. The world was taking note of its global affairs (Korea, Non-Aligned Movement, UN peacekeeping and more) and achievements in art and culture (Ravi Shankar, Raj Kapoor, Satyajit Ray and more). Even critics like Nirad Chowdhury and V S Naipaul couldn’t ignore India. Jawaharlal Nehru was leading a secular democracy, howsoever flawed.   

Six decades hence, the world’s largest democracy and movie-making nation (majority bad ones) does have a global reach. It is economically stronger with a bigger place in a more complex, competitive, world. But its image as a pluralist, inclusive nation that the world has known and come to expect has taken a beating. It is becoming the anti-thesis of what Mughal-e-Azam was and is all about.

The story of Jalaluddin Mohammed Akbar (1556-1605 AD) the third Mughal Emperor, his Hindu Queen Jodhabai and their only son Salim, later to become Emperor Jehangir, was and is celebrated for depicting mutual respect and tolerance among the Muslim rulers and their Hindu subjects. History calls Akbar ‘Great’ because rather than fight them, he had consciously struck alliances with the Rajput rulers. The film makes no claims to historical accuracy, though. But the anniversary comes when its ethos is being challenged and history itself is sought to be re-written.

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Rachel Dwyer, author of the book “Filming the Gods: Religion and Indian Cinema”, says Mughal-e-Azam highlights religious tolerance between Hindus and Muslims. Her examples include scenes depicting the presence of Queen Jodhabai, a woman and a Hindu, in Akbar’s court. Anarkali, the courtesan Salim loves and to get whom he rebels against the father, sings a Hindu devotional song.  

Celebrating Janmashtami, Akbar is shown pulling a string to rock a swing with Krishna’s idol. Film critic Mukul Kesavan writes that he was unable to recall a single other film about Hindu-Muslim love in which the woman is a Hindu.

One sequence needs citing. Durjan Singh, Salim’s Hindu military aide, is seriously wounded while rescuing Anarkali from prison. On his death, the Hindu priests and doctors let Anarkali pay last respects to her saviour. She spreads on him her dupatta, the ultimate symbol of modesty for a traditional Muslim woman.

The film’s other theme is justice. A vanquished Salim is arraigned before the court and offered a pardon provided he abandons Anarkali. He defies and is sent to gallows. Akbar keeps word given to Anarkali’s mother, the maid who had brought him the news of Salim’s birth. He circumvents his own order to bury Anarkali alive, lets her escape into exile and suffers the odium.

The film was released amidst great fanfare and expectations.  A 12 year-old, I remember seeing the milling crowds before a huge cut-out of Akbar and Salim in full battle gear outside the newly-built Maratha Mandir theatre in Mumbai.  

Ranked as India’s ‘greatest’ by film historians, the film held the record of being, both, the most expensive and also the biggest grosser at the box office for 15 years. India has not seen anything so grand and opulent, before and since. Indeed, everything about it was excessive, surpassing all film-making norms.

It would arguably hold the record of taking the longest to complete if counted from being conceived by a young Karim Asif in 1944 to being shelved during the Partition turmoil, a complete change of the star cast and even a financier, and taking almost nine years to complete. 

Shapoorji Pallonji, a newbie to film financing, agreed to produce and finance solely because of his interest in Akbar. He, too, had doubts when the budget of each department of the film exceeded. He never financed another film.

Dilip Kumar, perhaps the only survivor of the mega project, when he could talk (in his late 90s, he cannot any more), said in a 2010 interview that the long period became of no consequence to those involved as each person was deeply committed.

He played a largely subdued Salim to theatrical Prithviraj Kapoor (Akbar) and Durga Khote (Jodhabai). Dilip had reservations about acting in a period film, but was assured a free hand. “Asif trusted me enough to leave the delineation of Salim completely to me,” Dilip said in his 2010 that interview.  By contrast, Madhubala who was keen on the role, pipped Suraiya to it.

The soundtrack was inspired by Indian classical and folk music and composed by Naushad. Of 20 songs, some had to be left out. Included was a rendering by the legendary Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. He reportedly charged ₹25,000 when Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar took ₹300 per song.

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The theme based on a 1922 play by Imtiaz Ali Taj attracted many, from a ‘silent’ one to a ‘talkie’ by Ardeshir Irani. When Asif’s project was seen as abandoned, one of his writers, also a director, Kamal Amrohi, planned to make a film on the same subject. Asif convinced him to shelve it. The same play prompted Nandlal Jaswantlal’s Anarkali, starring Bina Rai and Pradeep Kumar. With memorable songs, it became the highest grossing Bollywood film of 1953.

Made in black-and-white, Mughal-e-Azam had a seven minute song-and-dance sequence, “pyar kiya toh darna kya”, shot in colour. The set conceived as sheesh mahal (glass palace) was fitted with numerous small mirrors made of Belgian glass. It took two years to build and cost more than ₹1.5 million (valued at about US$314,000 in 1960), more than the cost of an entire film in colour those days.

The mirrors’ excessive glare made filming difficult. Wikipedia records that foreign consultants, including British director David Lean, advised Asif to drop the idea.  But Asif spent days to have wax applied to each mirror to reduce the glare.

Lachhu Maharaj was on board for choreography and Gopi Krishna performed. Among the myriad problems was one of a seriously ailing Madhubala not being able to deliver on intricate Kathak moves when it came to girki (spinning one’s body). A male dancer, Laxmi Narayan, performed that portion. He wore a mask matching her face made by Mumbai craftsman B R Khedekar.  

Besides Amrohi, three of the best film writers of the day, Amanullah Aman, Wajahat Mirza and Ehsan Rizvi were on board. None knows how they collaborated. Their “mastery over Urdu’s poetic idiom and expression is present in every line, giving the film, with its rich plots and intricate characters, the overtones of a Shakespearean drama,” Times of India wrote on the film’s 50th anniversary.

The battle scenes used 2,000 camels, 400 horses, and 8,000 troops, mainly from the Indian Army’s Jaipur Cavalry, 56th Regiment. Bollywood could not better those scenes for several years despite technological advances. 

Many fell sick filming it in Rajasthan’s desert. Armour and weapons were borrowed from the Jaipur royalty. But even the burly Prithviraj found them too heavy. Aluminum replicas were got made.

Each sequence was filmed three times as the film was being produced in Hindi/Urdu with plans for Tamil, and English versions. Dubbed in Tamil and released in 1961 entitled Akbar, it flopped commercially. Asif abandoned the English version for which he had engaged Romesh Thapar and British actors.  

Years later in 2004, Mughal-e-Azam became the first black-and-white Hindi film to be digitally coloured, and the first in any language to be given a theatrical re-release. The colour version was also a commercial success.

Speculation abounds on its cost. It has ranged from cost ₹10.5 million (about US$2.25 million at the time) to ₹15 million (about $3 million). That made Mughal-e-Azam the most expensive Indian film of the period.

There is more to and about the film than the space here can accommodate. As a piece of cinema-art, it is impossible to recreate those conditions. Investors, national and global, are too conservative and calculating to afford and risk such a venture.

There is no Asif, the talented and passionate, but highly erratic man, to rally the best writers, composers, cinematographers and actors. Are audiences ready? 

Mughal-e-Azam came in an era when Hollywood too was making films that were grand spectacles. It doesn’t any more. The way Asif made it, warts and all, could itself be the subject for a mega film. But then, India long ago stopped making a film like Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) that, by sheer coincidence, was on the life of a film-maker.

The writer can be reached at mahendraved07@gmail.com

Rebel Rajasthan MLAs Move HC Against Disqualification

Prithviraj Meena, an MLA supporting former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, has moved the Rajasthan High Court challenging the disqualification notice issued to them by the state Assembly Speaker.

Senior advocates Harish Salve and Mukul Rohatgi will represent the petitioners.

The development comes after Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi sent disqualification notices to Sachin Pilot and 18 MLAs of his camp.

Rajasthan Congress continues to remain in turmoil after simmering differences between Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot came out in the open. Pilot was, on July 14, sacked from the posts of Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister and state PCC president.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has blamed the BJP for attempting to destabilise the state government by poaching MLAs.

A controversy had broken out in Rajasthan after Special Operation Group (SOG) sent a notice to Pilot to record his statement in the case registered by SOG in the alleged poaching of Congress MLAs in the state. (ANI)

South China Sea Part Of Global Commons, Says India

India said on Thursday that South China sea is part of global commons and it has an abiding interest in peace and stability in the region.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said at a weekly media briefing that India firmly stands for the freedom of navigation and overflight and unimpeded lawful commerce in these international waterways.

He was replying to queries about India’s stance after the US rejected most of China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea.

“We have articulated our position on South China Sea on several occasions in the past, most recently on May 21, 2020. Our position on this issue has been clear and consistent. South China Sea is a part of global commons and India has an abiding interest in peace and stability in the region. We firmly stand for the freedom of navigation and overflight and unimpeded lawful commerce in these international waterways, in accordance with international law, notably UNCLOS,” Srivastava said.

He said India also believes that any differences be resolved peacefully by respecting the legal and diplomatic processes and without resorting to threat or use of force.

The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had earlier this week said that China’s claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea were “completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them”.

“The world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire. America stands with our Southeast Asian allies and partners in protecting their sovereign rights to offshore resources, consistent with their rights and obligations under international law,” CNN quoted him saying. (ANI)