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VIJAYAWADA, SUNDAY DECEMBER 22, 2019; PAGES 12 `3

Current Weather ConditionsUpdated December 21, 2019 5:00 PM

ALMANACTODAY

Month & Paksham:Margashirsha & Krishna PakshaPanchangamTithi : Ekadashi: 03:22 pm Nakshatram: Swati 06:38 pm Time to Avoid: (Bad time to start

any important work)Rahukalam: 04:21 pm- 05:43 pmYamagandam: 12:14 pm – 01:36 pm

Varjyam: 12:01 am- 01:33 am

Gulika: 02:59 pm - 04:21 pmGood Time: (to start any important work)

Amritakalam: 10:16 am - 11:47 pmAbhijit Muhurtham: 11:52 am - 12:36 pm

VIJAYAWADAWEATHERForecast: Partly CloudyTemp: 32/20Humidity: 68%Sunrise: 06.41Sunset: 05.47

UDDHAV: CMOs TO BE SET UP INALL DIVISIONS IN MAHARASHTRA

SUNDAR PICHAI GETS WHOPPING$242 MILLION STOCK PACKAGE

EXIT POLLS PREDICT JMM-CONG-RJDWILL FORM GOVT IN JHARKAHND

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday saiddivisional-level 'chief minister's office' will be set up across the state

to ensure people need not have to travel to Mumbaifor governmental work. Speaking in the Assembly,Thackeray said these CMOs would be connected tothe main one in Mantralaya, and claimed the movewas part of his government's efforts to decentralisepower. He also announced that a Rs 10 per mealscheme for the poor, called 'Shiv Bhojan', will bestarted on a pilot basis at 50 places in the state.

Various exit polls have predicted the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-Congress-Rashtriya Janata Dal alliance to form the government in

Jharkhand. India Today-Axis My India has claimed that the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance will get 38 to 50 seats in the 81-memberJharkhand Assembly while the BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP) will get around 22-32 seats. According to the KashishNews exit poll, JMM-Congress-RJD willget around 37-49 seats while the BJPwill get 25-30 seats.

Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai will take home $240 millionstock package ($90 million of it tied to Alphabet`s

performance) on top of a $2 million annual salaryin 2020. Alphabet said in a Securities ExchangeCommission filing on Friday that Pichai will alsostart receiving a substantial raise from January 1to $2 million a year, reports the Mercury News.The compensation package is being given inrecognition of Pichai`s "expanded role as CEO ofAlphabet and Google".

INDIA LEADS THE WORLD ININTERNET SHUTDOWNSAs of 2018, India led the world in internet shutdowns, according to a

report by internet advocacy group Access Now, accounting for 67%of the total recorded worldwide. An internet shutdown is a suspensionof internet access ordered by the authorities. Telecoms companies thenturn off the cellular networks at transmitting towers providing mobilephone internet services in the area. Countries with far morerestrictive control over the internet, such as China and NorthKorea, did not feature prominently in the numberscompiled by Access Now because of the lack of publiclyaccessible data, the group noted.

Vijaya Sai: Exercise on toincrease AP districts to 25Visakhapatnam has large chunk of governmentlands for Executive Capital PNS n VISAKHAPATNAM

Justifying that the need to gofor three capitals in AndhraPradesh to ensure equal devel-opment of all the three regionsof the state, YSR CongressParty general secretary andRajya Sabha MP V Vijaya SaiReddy on Saturday said thatYSRC government was plan-ning to increase the number ofdistricts from 13 to 25 in thestate for easy and effectiveadministration.

Speaking at the birthdaycelebrations of Chief MinisterYS Jaganmohan Reddy at theparty office in Vizag city,Vijaya Sai Reddy said the theyhad begun the exercise toincrease the number of dis-tricts to 25 and all the big dis-

tricts in the state will divideinto two to three districts.

"There is lot of advantagewith the small districts interms of administrative pur-pose and also to reach the wel-fare schemes to all the needypeople without any delay,"Vijaya Sai Reddy said.

He said that there was noth-ing wrong in setting up an

executive capital at Vizag, leg-islative capital at Amaravatiand judicial capital at Kurnooland increase the number ofdistricts to 25 to ensure uni-form development. TDP lead-ers are opposing the proposalof the three capitals for theirselfish gains and real estatebusiness, Vijaya Sai Reddyalleged.

During the election cam-paign, YSR Congress Partyhad promised to create onedistrict in each Lok Sabhaconstituency, he reminded.

The MP said the decision onmaking the Coastal city Vizagas the executive capital was agift from Jaganmohan Reddyto north coastal AndhraPradesh on his birthday.

Continued on Page 3

PNS n LUCKNOW

Fresh cases of stone peltingtook place in Uttar Pradesh'sKanpur and Rampur onSaturday against theCitizenship Amendment Act,while 15 people, including aneight-year-old boy, were killedsince Thursday in violent agi-tations in different parts of thestate.

Over 260 policemen werealso injured, of whom 57received gunshot wounds, IG(Law and Order) PraveenKumar told PTI on Saturday.

"Women and children wereused as shields by the protes-tors," Director General ofPolice O P Singh said onSaturday maintaining thatpolice did not open fire.

"All the deaths that tookplace have been in cross firingand this will become clear inpostmortem examination," theDGP told reporters.

"We are clear and transpar-ent in this. If anyone died dueto our fire we will conduct ajudicial inquiry and takeaction. But nothing happenedfrom our side," the DGPstressed. Police had no optionbut to resort to lathi charge tochase them away, he said,adding that tear gas shells for

dispersing the mob.In Kanpur, anti-CAA pro-

testors on Saturday setYatimkhana police post on

fire and indulged in heavybrickbatting, leading to injuryto some people.

Continued on Page 3

12

AN IPS OFFICER

WITHIRON FIST

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

The Amaravati Capital regionremained tense on Saturday,with farmers continuing theirprotests for the fourth consec-utive day.

The protesters poured ontothe streets in all the 29 villagesunder CRDA limits. Theystaged dharnas at variousplaces and burnt tyres whileraising slogans like 'SaveAndhra' and 'Down DownGN Rao Committee Report'.

At Velagapudi, the seat oftemporary Assembly, the agi-tators painted the panchayatoffice black. The villagersstopped vehicles by squattingon the Seed Capital road lead-

ing to the Secretariat. Theyeven burnt the flexis put up togreet the Chief Minister on theoccasion of his birthday.

Elsewhere at Velagapudicentre, the relay hunger-strike

by farmers is continuing.Protests were reported fromvillages in Mangalagiri mandalwere the farmers staged dhar-nas and took out rallies.

Continued on Page 3

Farmers stage a novel protest against the three capitals proposal by putting up aboard comparing the government with a buffalo, in Amaravati region on Saturday.

Chiru wantseveryone towelcome 3 capitals concept PNS n VIJAYAWADA

'Mega Star' Chiranjeevi onSaturday lent his support toChief Minister YSJaganmohan Reddy's idea ofhaving three capitals in thestate. The proposal, put forthby Jagan in the Assembly,kicked off a controversy acrossthe state. The actor-politicianexhorted one and all to wel-come the concept, saying:"Development is feasible withdecentralisation of authorityand administration. Moreover,I have faith in JaganmohanReddy that he will strive fordevelopment of the state in aplanned way." The actor-politician wanted everyoneto welcome the decision tohave legislative capital atAmaravati, executive capital atVisakhapatnam and judicialcapital at Kurnool.

Continued on Page 3

Protests show anger spillingout on the streets: PawarPNS n PUNE

Targeting the revisedCitizenship AmendmentAct and National Registerfor Citizens, NationalistCongress Party PresidentSharad Pawar on Saturdaysaid the opposition againstthe laws is "mass anger

spilling out through protestsand processions all overIndia".

He said the people arestrongly against these lawsand their angst is comingout through nationwideprotests in the past oneweek.

Continued on Page 3

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

BJP MP YS Chowdary onSaturday warned the StateGovernment that the Centrewould take 'appropriate mea-sures at the appropriate time'on three state capitals forAndhra Pradesh and that itwould not keep silent on thestate government's change ofstand.

Change of state capital fromAmaravati to elsewhere is nota joke, Sujana said, expressingapprehensions over the reporton state capital submitted bythe expert committee headedby GN Rao.

Talking to a section of themedia here, he said that thereshould be decentralised devel-opment but not mere changeof state capitals. Moreover, itis not proper to change thecapital without any fore-thought, he said.

The YSRCP government,instead of focusing on admin-istration, continuing with thepersonal vilification and wast-ing precious time, the MP said,criticising the style of func-tioning of the government.

Changing the state capitalwhenever the ruler changes isnot feasible, Sujana saidadding that none knows thecontents of the GN RaoCommittee report.

The places the committeevisited to obtain public opin-ion on state capital are shroud-ed in mystery, he commented.

"The committee gave thereport the government want-ed", he hinted.

"If the state capital is relo-cated elsewhere, what wouldbe the fate of farmers who hadpooled their land for the cap-ital city," Sujana asked.

Continued on Page 3

YS Chowdary

‘Centre won't remainsilent on 3 capitals’

CM launches YSR Nethanna Nestham

CITIZENSHIP ACT

BJP to contact over 3 cr families, holdrallies across country in next 10 days PNS n NEW DELHI

The BJP on Saturdayannounced a mass contactprogramme to expose opposi-tion parties' "lies" and apprisepeople of the details of theamended citizenship law toassure them that it is notagainst existing citizens.

The decision was taken in ameeting chaired by BJP work-ing president J P Nadda andconvened to formulate the

party's strategy over the issueamid protests in various parts

of the country against the newprovision in the Citizenship

Act and the proposed creationof a National Register ofCitizens.

Party general secretaryBhupender Yadav toldreporters that the BJP in thenext 10 days will contact morethan three crore families,organise rally in every districtand hold over 250 press con-ferences across the country toinform masses about the newlaw.

Continued on Page 3

PNS n DHARMAVARAM

In his birthday gift to handloomworkers, Chief Minister YSJaganmohan Reddy on Saturdaylaunched a new scheme forthem called YSR NethannaNestham.

Speaking on the occasion, theChief Minister said the gov-ernment has started the newscheme for the well-being ofweavers.

He said there was nobodywho was more aware of the dif-ficulties faced by the handloomweavers of Dharmavaram thanhe. Recalling the great historyof the handloom weavers, the

Chief Minister said right fromweaving a silk saree that couldfit in a matchbox to their con-tribution in the freedom move-

ment, weavers had made amark. He added thatDharmavaram handloom silkswere known all over the world.

However, nobody botheredabout the problems being facedby the weavers, Jagan said.

The CM said though theywere reeling under mountingdebts and poverty, the previousgovernment had looted them inthe name of APCO. He said aninquiry was being conductedinto the episode.

Jagan said that he becameaware about the problems of thehandlooms weavers during hispadayatra in the State. That waswhen he decided to help theweavers and was here now tofulfil the promise he had madeto them.

Continued on Page 3

Over 1,100 academicians, scholarsrelease statement backing CAAPNS n NEW DELHI

As many as 1,100 academi-cians and research scholarsfrom various universitiesacross India and abroad as wellas prominent persons releaseda statement in support of theamended Citizenship Act onSaturday. The signatories to thestatement include Rajya Sabhamember Swapan Dasgupta,Shishir Bajoria, Chairman,IIM Shillong, Sunaina Singh,Vice Chancellor, NalandaUniversity, JNU professorAinul Hasan, Abhijit Iyer-

Mitra, Senior Fellow, Instituteof Peace and Conflict Studiesand journalist Kanchan Gupta.

The statement comes in themidst of countrywide protestsagainst the new citizenshiplaw. Students from variousuniversities have also joinedthe agitation.

In the statement, the signa-tories appealed to every sectionof the society "to exerciserestraint and refuse to fall intothe trap of propaganda, com-munalism and anarchism".

"We also note with deepanguish that an atmosphere of

fear and paranoia is being cre-ated in the country throughdeliberate obfuscation andfear-mongering, leading toviolence in several parts of thecountry," the statement said.

Two weeks ago, over 1,000scientists and scholars hadsigned a petition demandingthat the CitizenshipAmendment Bill in its currentform be withdrawn, with notedacademician Pratap BhanuMehta saying the legislationwill transform India into an"unconstitutional ethnocracy".

Continued on Page 3

PM greetsJagan onbirthdayPNS n VIJAYAWADA

Prime Minister NarendraModi, in a tweet, conveyedbirthday wishes toJaganmohan Reddy. He saidhe was praying for his longand healthy life. UnionTransport Minister NitinGadkari wished JaganmohanReddy. In a tweet, he said'May you be blessed withgood health and long life.'

Telangana MP SantoshKumar tweeted his photo-graph with Jagan and con-veyed his wishes to the ChiefMinister. Santosh Kumar saidthat the new State wouldreach new heights and thepeople would cherish Jagan'sleadership for ages.

Devoteeoffers Rs 1 crto Lord BalajiPNS n TIRUPATI

A devotee fromVisakhapatnam in AndhraPradesh donated Rs 1 crore tothe famous temple of LordVenkateswara at TirumalaHills, near here, on Saturday.

The devotee requested thetemple authorities to use thefund for its pilgrims freemeal trust called SriVenkateswara Anna PrasadaTrust, a temple official said.

The trust offers about onelakh meals daily to the visit-ing devotees, the official said.

The donor, who did notwish to be named, handedover the DD for the amountthrough a saintSwaroopanandendra ofVisakhapatnam to an officialof the Tirumala TirupatiDevasthanams (TTD) thatgoverns the hill temple, theofficial said.

Trump signs$1.4 tn inspending,avoidsshutdown

‘NRC, CAA ploysto divertpeople'sattentionfrom eco slump’

5

8

Ruler:Strictlyfor Fans 10

‘ALL ANDSUNDRY’

3Capitals can'tbe built orshifted onpersonalwhims

Amaravati farmers continueprotests against 3 capitals

BJP’s BhupenderYadav said the partywill contact more than3 crore families, orga-nise rallies in everydistrict and hold over250 press conferencesacross India

Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy hands over a cheque of Rs 3.51 crore forthe familes of deceased weavers of Anantapur district, on Saturday.

UP rocked by anti-CAAviolence, toll rises to 15

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VIJAYAWADA | SUNDAY | DECEMBER 22, 2019 vijayawada 02

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Kids order goodsworth $700 on mom's credit cardNEW DELHI: A woman in theUS was in for a huge shock asshe discovered that her twochildren had ordered toysworth $700, including PJMasks toys and Barbies, on hercredit card. And she didn'tknow till the order had arrived,a media report said.Veronica Estell posted ahilarious video on her Facebookpage to tell what had happened.In the viral video, she opens thepackages, while the childrengive a guilty look. She soonfound that more ordered stuffwas on the way."UPS showed up with boxes ofgifts and all it had on theshipping tag was my name. SoI'm like, 'OK, who sent all thesegreat gifts?! Whoever it is gotmoneyyyy," The Sun quoted heras saying.The post received over 76,000likes, with most people findingthe whole thing hilarious. Sherecalled how her six-year-oldchild told her: "Cam! Ourpackage came that we orderedfrom Alexa!" The kids usedAmazon Alexa - linked to hercredit card - to order the toys."She said that she had alreadybought for her children most ofthe stuff they ordered. "Youbought all this stuff andnothing for me and you usedmy damn credit card," she said.One Facebook user wrote:"Hahaha. Smart kids! I wouldn'teven be mad. I'd be proud if myfour-year-old did that!"At the end of the video, thewoman told them to pose for aphoto for the police as "this iscredit card fraud." "I'm tellingyour daddy," she said as herchildren looked on sheepishly."

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IANS n LONDON

Artificial Intelligence can helpdetect one of the most com-mon forms of blood cancer -acute myeloid leukaemia(AML) - with high reliability,new research has found.

Their approach, based on theanalysis of the gene activity ofcells found in the blood, couldsupport conventional diagnos-tics and possibly accelerate thebeginning of therapy, said thestudy published in the journaliScience.

In the early stages, the symp-toms of AML can resemblethose of a bad cold. However,AML is a life-threatening dis-ease that should be treated asquickly as possible.

"With a blood test, as itseems possible on the basis of

our study, it is conceivablethat the family doctor wouldalready clarify a suspicion ofAML," said Joachim Schultze,a research group leader at theGerman Center forNeurodegenerative Diseases(DZNE).

"And when the suspicion isconfirmed, the patient isreferred to a specialist. Possibly,the diagnosis would then hap-pen earlier than it does nowand therapy could start earlier,"added Schultze, who is alsoHead of the Department forGenomics andImmunoregulation at theLIMES Institute of theUniversity of Bonn inGermany.

For the study, the researchersfocused on the "transcriptome",which is a kind of fingerprint

of gene activity. In each andevery cell, depending on its

condition, only certain genesare actually "switched on",

which is reflected in their pro-files of gene activity.

Exactly such data - derivedfrom cells in blood samples andspanning many thousands ofgenes - were analysed in thecurrent study. "The transcrip-tome holds important informa-tion about the condition ofcells. However, classical diag-nostics is based on differentdata. We therefore wanted tofind out what an analysis of thetranscriptome can achieveusing artificial intelligence, thatis to say trainable algorithms,"said Schultze.

Data from more than12,000 blood samples - thesecame from 105 different stud-ies - were taken into accountfor the study. Approximately4,100 of these blood samplesderived from individualsdiagnosed with AML, theremaining ones had been

taken from individuals withother diseases or f romhealthy individuals.

Scientists fed their algo-rithms parts of this data set.The input included informa-tion about whether a samplecame from an AML patient ornot. "The algorithms thensearched the transcriptome fordisease-specific patterns. Thisis a largely automated process.It's called machine learning,"said Schultze.

Based on this pattern recog-nition, further data wasanalysed and classified by thealgorithms - categorised intosamples with AML and with-out AML. Put into applica-tion, this method could sup-port conventional diagnos-tics and help save costs, saidSchultze.

AI can detect blood cancer with high reliabilityn In the early stages, the

symptoms of AML canresemble those of a badcold. However, AML is a life-threatening disease thatshould be treated as quicklyas possible

n "With a blood test, as itseems possible on the basisof our study, it is conceivablethat the family doctor wouldalready clarify a suspicion ofAML," said Joachim Schultze,a research group leader atthe German Center forNeurodegenerative Diseases(DZNE)

Two Skill DevelopmentInstitutes to be set up at AUPNS n VISAKHAPATNAM

Two Skill DevelopmentInstitutes would be set up inAndhra University soon.

Hoon Maritime Institute,Kolkata, in association with thevarsity will set up its HoonMaritime Skill DevelopmentCentre on the AndhraUniversity campus to offerpost-sea training courses.

The project is estimated tocost about Rs 5 crore. On theother hand, Avanti Feeds, a pri-vate shrimp exporter of thecity, will establish AvantiAquaculture SkillDevelopment Centre with Rs 4crore.

Andhra University Vice-Chancellor Prof PVGD PrasadReddy said that in the absenceof institutes offering post-seaoriented courses in AndhraPradesh, the aspirants areforced to go to other metrocities. "About 750 studentsfrom the city, including themarine engineering students ofAndhra University, are travel-ling all the way to Kolkata toget training in the Hoon

Institute. Prof Reddy added that the

Hoon Institute will fund for theinfrastructure, simulationequipment and others. "Theswimming pool on the cam-pus, which was closed severalyears ago, will be excavated forthe training purposes.Swimming pool will be allocat-ed to Andhra University stu-dents for two hours a day.Andhra University and thepeople of Vizag city will reapthe social advantages of theinstitute, while we will alsocharge rent for the institute onthe campus," said Prof Reddy.

The Vice-Chancellor saidthat they already entered intoan MoU (memorandum ofunderstanding) with AvantiFeeds to set up the AquacultureSkill Development Centre."Apart from training 1,000fishermen every year in shrimpexporting related activities, theorganisation will recruit allthe 30 students of theDepartment of Marine LivingResources of the varsity for thenext five years as part of theMoU. The shrimp exporterwill also recruit all the trainedpersonnel at the Centre," saidProf Reddy.

n Andhra University Vice-Chancellor Prof PVGDPrasad Reddy said thatthey

n already entered signedthe memorandum ofunderstanding withAvanti Feeds to set upthe Aquaculture SkillDevelopment Centre

n "Apart from training1,000 fishermen everyyear in shrimpexporting relatedactivities, theorganisation will recruitall the 30 students ofthe Department ofMarine LivingResources of thevarsity for the next fiveyears as part of theMoU. The shrimpexporter will alsorecruit all the trainedpersonnel at theCentre," said ProfReddy

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Minister for EndowmentsVelampalli Srinivas said theGrand Abhushanam Jewelleryand Gems exhibition willenable people from the jew-ellery trade to interact andforge strong business ties. Hecomplimented the organisersat the inaugural programme ofthe two-day B2B jewelleryexpo organised jointly by AllIndia Gems and JewelleryDomestic Council and AndhraPradesh Bullion MerchantsAssociation here on Saturday.

He said the event bringstogether prominent manufac-turers and retailers at regionallevels, thereby encouragingface-to-face interactions to pro-mote business across the vari-ous regions and boosting busi-nesses besides allowing ahealthy exchange of opinionsand views with the view toaddress various challenges facedby the industry at local levels.

Speaking on the occasion,Anathna Padmanabhan,Chairman of GJC, said, "It is aproud moment for the entireGems and Jewellery fraternitythat Grand Abhushanam issuccessfully entering into its3rd edition, wherein there willbe a varied range of latest andfinest collection of gems andjewellery from South India. Ithas been consistent in itsendeavour to meet the expec-

tations of both the exhibitorsand visitors. Like the previoustwo editions, it will showcasethe latest designs."

Shaankar Sen, Vice-Chairman, GJC, Ashok Jain,Convener, GrandAbhushanam, Director GJC,Manoj Jha, Joint Convener,Grand Abhushanam, VijayKumar, President, AB ShantilalJain, Chief Organiser, ABBullion, were present.

Jewellery expos will forge businessties among traders, says minister

Second case of espionagefrom Vizag, home to ENCPNS n HYDERABAD

The arrest of seven personnelof the Indian Navy over analleged espionage racket mayhave turned the spotlight backon Vizag, this being the secondtime a case of espionage hasbeen reported from the coastalcity.

Vizag is the headquarters ofthe Eastern Naval Commandof the Indian Navy. In 2001,four Naval personnel and thethen chief security officer ofthe Naval Armament Depot(NAD) were arrested foralleged spying and leakingsensitive information to ISIagents in Nepal.

Sources said two of thosefour had passed on microfilmscontaining pictures of theNaval Command, includingthe dockyard and shipbuildingcentres, to ISI agents in Nepal.

While the trial was still on,Raj Kumar Singh, the chiefsecurity officer of NAD,

hanged himself at theVisakhapatnam Central Jail.The others were handed vari-ous terms of imprisonment.

The city assumed impor-tance for the Navy afterPakistan's submarine PNSGhazi was sunk a few km offthe Vizag Coast during the1971 war. This played a majorrole in ending the war. Later,Vizag became the headquartersfor Navy's submarine wing. Italso houses two nuclear sub-marines - INS Chakra andindigenously built INSArihant.

The latest arrests of theseven naval personnel, whowere allegedly honey-trapped

by the ISI, were carried outunder a covert plan code-named Operation Dolphin'sNose. A hill resembling a dol-phin's nose sits adjacent to theEastern Naval Command.

Dolphin's Nose is home toresidential complexes andoffices of the Indian Navy.

Falling prey to a Facebookhoneytrap set up by fourwomen, the sailors allegedlyleaked sensitive informationabout the locations of Indiannaval ships and submarines toa Pakistani handler. Followingtheir arrest, the Andhra Prade-sh Intelligence Department onFriday claimed to have bustedan espionage racket in theNavy.

Central Intelligence officialswere seen camping at the Vizagbranch, though they declinedto speak about the case. Citingthe name of the operation,police sources said the spyingactivities were perhaps beingconducted from Vizag itself.

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Pontiff of Vizag Sarada PeethamSwaroopanandendra Swamiexhorted Srivari Sevakulu to takeup the propagation of Sanatanadharma in a big way.

Addressing the Satsang atSrivari Sadan for Srivari Sevakulu

here on Saturday, the pontiffsaid Srivari Sevakalu had theunique opportunity to serve thedevotees, who came from acrossthe world to redeem their vows.Their service to devotees was asgood as service to LordVenkateswara.

TTD Executive Officer AshokKumar Singhal and additionalexecutive officer AV DharmaReddy welcomed the pontiff on hisarrival at the Seva Sadan. He said

it was heartening to meet theSrivari Sevakulu, who left theirfamilies for days and served thedevotees and Lord Venkateswarawhose service almost guaranteedbliss and 'moksha'.

The TTD EO highlighted thatSrivari Sevakulu service, whichbegan in 2000 with just 200, hasaccounted for 12-lakh sevakuluoffering service at Tirumala andother locations. He said sevakalurendered devoted service duringfestivals during Brahmotsavams,Vaikunta Ekadasi and RathaSaptami and exhorted them to fur-

ther extend their services in allrungs of TTD activity.

Earlier, PRO T Ravi highlight-ed the activities of Srivari Seva, itsorigin and its essence and the facil-ities provided by the TTD for theconvenience of Srivari Sevakulu tothe pontiff. Members of Sri SathyaSaibaba Seva Institute presented adevotional bhajan sangeet.

TTD Board members SubbaRao, VSO Manohar, EEMallikarjun Prasad, catering offi-cer GLN Shastri, Srivari SevaAEO U Ramesh, SI Varaprasadand Srivari Seva staff participated.

Service to devotees is service to God, preaches Sarada Peetham seer

Pontiff of Vizag Sarada Peetham Swaroopanandendra Swami addresses a gathering of Srivari Sevakalu in Tirumala on Saturday

n Pontiff of Vizag Sarada Peetham SwaroopanandendraSwami said Srivari Sevakalu had the unique opportunity toserve the devotees, who came from across the world toredeem their vows

Poets are ‘unacknowledgedlegislators', says GovernorPNS n VIJAYAWADA

Governor Biswa BushanHarichandan said that poets are'unacknowledged legislators'. Hewas inaugurating the 5thInternational Multilingual Poet'sMeet, 'Amravati Poetic Prism'here on Saturday. It was organ-ised by the Cultural Centre ofVijayawada & Amaravati(CCVA) and supported by theAP Creativity and CultureCommission, APCRDA,Vijayawada MunicipalCorporation, Ashoka Builders,Novotel and Pragati printers.

Addressing a gathering, theGovernor said that foreigners likethe Amaravati Poetic Prism,which serves as a platform toshare the ideas of the creativeminds. He also mentioned aboutthe great messages given byRaghuvamsa and KumaraSambhava written by MahakaviKalidasu, who was acclaimed asKavikulaguru

(poets poet) and compliment-ed Y Harish Chandra Prasad fororganising the event.

The Governor applaudedthe efforts of Malaxmi Groupand CCVA in propelling worldpoetry to the next level in theform of Amaravati Poetic

Prism. He stressed the impor-tance of safeguarding art andculture and stated that poetsand poetry should be wel-comed to showcase their worksand encourage their rare talent.The Governor launched the 5thedition of Amaravati PoeticPrism (APP) and also the spe-cial postal cover on APP.

Poets Dr Sitakant Mahapatra,Dr Vizai Baskar, Shiva KumarVerma, Mukesh Kumar Meenaand Papineni Shiv Shankarrendered their poems. Y HarishChandra Prasad felicitated theGovernor. Sandeep Mandava ,Malaxmi Properties, proposed avote of thanks.

n Governor Biswa BushanHarichandan said thatforeigners like theAmaravati Poetic Prism,which serves as aplatform to share theideas of the creativeminds

n He also mentioned aboutthe great messages givenby Raghuvamsa andKumara Sambhavawritten by MahakaviKalidasu, who wasacclaimed asKavikulaguru (poets' poet)

Special trains toclear extra rushPNS n VIJAYAWADA

In order to clear extra rush ofpassengers, five special trainswill be run betweenSecunderabad - Kakinadatown and Machilipatnam -Secunderabad.

Train No. 07053Secunderabad - Kakinadatown special train will departSecunderabad at 20.00 hrs onDecember 24 and 27 andarrive in Kakinada town at08.30 hrs the next day.

In the return direction,Train No. 07054 Kakinadatown - Secunderabad specialtrain will depart Kakinadatown at 20.50 hrs onDecember 26 and 29 andarrive in Secunderabad at08.50 hrs the next day.

En route, these special trainswill stop at Nalgonda,Miryalaguda, Piduguralla,Guntur, Vijayawada, Gudivada,Kaikalur, Bhimavaram town,Nidadavolu, Rajahmundry andSamalkot stations in both the

directions. These special trainswill have AC II Tier, AC IIITier, AC Chair Car, SleeperClass and General SecondClass Coaches.

Train No. 07051Machilipatnam -Secunderabad special trainwill depart Machilipatnam at23.15 hrs on December 23 andarrive in Secunderabad at08.25 hrs the next day.

En route, this special trainwill stop at Gudivada,Vijayawada, Guntur,Piduguralla, Miryalaguda andNalgonda stations. These spe-cial trains will have AC II Tier,AC III Tier, AC Chair Car,Sleeper Class and GeneralSecond Class Coaches.

VIJAYAWADA | SUNDAY | DECEMBER 22, 2019 vijayawada 03

CAPSULE

YSRCP worker paintsRayapudi panchayatoffice blackAMARAVATI: Tension prevailedfor some time on Saturdayevening at Rayapuydi in theCapital Region when an YSRCPactivist replaced the party colourson the panchayat office with blackcolour in protest against the GNRao Committee report. Theprotester said he had earlierpainted the office with partycolours with a lot of enthusiasmwith the hope that Chief MinisterYS Jaganmohan Reddy woulddevelop the region by continuingthe capital project. "However, withthat hope fading away with theswift turn of events in the pastfew days, I have decided to erasethe party colours on thepanchayat office with my ownhands," he said. Soon, moreYSRCP activists gathered at theplace, prompting the police torush to the place. The police werein a dilemma on whether to arrestthe protesters or not. Thevillagers said, "When thegovernment is taking the capitalaway from us, there is no needfor our panchayat office to haveYSRCP colours."

SwaroopnandendraSwami offers prayers at TirumalaVIJAYAWADA:Swaroopanandendra Swami ofSarada Peetam, Vizag, visited SriVari temple at Tirumala onSaturday. On his arrival in front ofSri Vari Temple, TTD ExecutiveOfficer Anil Kumar Singhal,additional executive officer AVDharma Reddy and priestswelcomed him with templehonours and led him to sanctumsanctorum. TTD Board memberSubba Rao, special invitee SekharReddy, temple deputy executiveofficer Haridranath, TemplePeishkar Lokanadham and otherswere present.

Devotee donates Rs 1 cr to SVAT VIJAYAWADA: A devotee of VizagSarada Peetham PontifSwaroopanandendra Swami hasdonated Rs 1 crore for the SriVenkateswara Nitya AnnadanamTrust. The devotee presented acheque for the amount to thepontiff in front of the Srivaritemple on Saturday, who in turnhanded it over to the TTD EO AnilKumar Singhal and Additional EOAV Dharma Reddy.

Finally, JaganmohanReddy is having his wayfor building three new

capitals for Andhra Pradesh atVisakhapatnam, Amaravatiand Kurnool with each servinga different purpose. In revers-ing the ambitious plans of hispredecessor N Chandrababuto build a megapolis atAmaravati, Jagan is aiming toput his solid stamp onAndhra's future and simulta-neously axe the TDP presi-dent's socio-political base inKrishna and Guntur districts.

The triple-capital recom-mendation of the G N RaoCommittee, which Jagan knewin advance and whose broadcontours he disclosed in theAssembly, has plunged Andhrainto confusion and laid thefoundation for further delay inbuilding the capital. The com-

mittee picked up the present-ly irrelevant ideas from themothballed report of K CSivaramakrishnan opposing agreenfield capital city and fromthe 92-year-old Sribagh Pact.

Under this agreement, ifthe High Court were to set upin coastal Andhra, the capitalwould be located inRayalaseema. Indeed, Kurnoolbecame Andhra's capital afterit was hived off from the erst-while composite Madras Stateand Guntur became the seat ofthe High Court. Neither cityflourished because the capitalshifted to Hyderabad threeyears later in 1956 once theerstwhile Hyderabad State andAndhra were merged. HowKurnool will prosper now witha truncated High Court withbenches in Amaravati andVizag defies understanding.

Capitals cannot be built orshifted on the whims of a sin-

gle leader, be it ChandrababuNaidu or Jaganmohan Reddy,for the simple reason thatthey cost a lot of money. Theformer began building agrandiose capital spread over33,000 acres and costing thou-sands of crores, while Jaganwants three small capitals thatwould facilitate "decentraliseddevelopment of the State".

The latter is a rather naïveformulation because decen-tralisation does not happensimply by having multiple cap-itals. Even the four commis-sionerates proposed by the

GN Rao panel are a poor imi-tation of the erstwhile RegionalPlanning Boards which servedno purpose beyond rehabilitat-ing defeated and disgruntledpoliticians. What we need aremicro-level administrativeunits which N. T. Rama Raocreated decades ago by settingup revenue mandals.

The present regime seemsintent on dispossessing TDPleaders of land they acquiredthrough irregular means inand around Amaravati. Whilenone would condone 'insidertrading' by the cohorts of

Naidu, this could be tackledthrough the sky-high powersthat Government enjoys,instead of scrapping the corecapital concept. Telugu DesamParty has failed to effectivelyrebut the charges of insidertrading, purchase of primeland by Heritage Foods,

Naidu's son Nara Lokesh andtheir relatives.

Still, Jagan may be throw-ing the baby out with thebathwater considering that Rs.5,860 crore has already beensunk into Amaravati. The TDPleaders' irregularities are alsono justification for leavinghigh and dry the genuinefarmers who had voluntarilysurrendered land in anticipa-tion of windfall returns.

Jagan may be right in argu-ing that the huge amount ofmoney required for a megacapital could be better spent onpriority sectors like irrigationand health. However, where isthe guarantee that the threecapitals, their attendant infra-structure and logistical expens-es of shifting bureaucrats andMinisters every few monthswill cost any less?

The Government put forth aweak argument and even tout-

ed misleading information inthe Assembly about the three-capital system in South Africa,a failed idea, besides makingamazing claims that the area ofDelhi was less than Amaravati's,forgetting that the NationalCapital Region extends to sev-eral neighbouring States. AMinister P. RamachandraReddy even claimed that APdid not require Centre's per-mission to build its capitals; itcould build thirty if it so wishedand not just three.

Indeed, the Centre is actingas if it has no stake in thesedevelopments though PrimeMinister Narendra Modi laidthe foundation stone forAmaravati while hisGovernment has given overRs. 2,500 crore for building thecapital. As a consequence, theBJP is at odds with itself. Eachleader is welcoming or criticis-ing the three-capital concept

depending on his native place.Government is a continuous

process and new regimes canmake tectonic shifts in policiesonly at the risk of slowingdown the pace of develop-ment. Instead, they must comeup with new ideas in newspheres and not just undoexisting ones. The High Courtand the judiciary complex atKurnool cannot generate sig-nificant economic productiv-ity nor can the Legislature atAmaravati.

Andhra has the distinctionof having had four capitals sofar - Madras, Kurnool,Hyderabad and Amaravati. Itwill create an unwanted recordby having a few more capitalsbecause Naidu did not havethe savvy to wait out the 10-year window to continue thecapital in Hyderabad and Jaganlacked patience. Now, every-one will have to pay the price.

The former began building a grandiosecapital spread over 33,000 acres andcosting thousands of crores, whileJagan wants three small capitals thatwould facilitate "decentraliseddevelopment of the State"

S NAGESH KUMARFormer Resident Editor,

The Hindu

‘ALL ANDSUNDRY’ Capitals can't be built or shifted on personal whims

CM launches YSR Nethanna NesthamContinued from Page1

Every handloom weaverwould get Rs 24,000 as partof the scheme launched bythe government, he said.

The Chief Minister saidnearly 85,000 weaver familiesin the State would benefitfrom the scheme. Everyweaver would get Rs 1.2 lakhin five years. Recalling that57 weavers of Anantapur dis-trict committed suicide dur-ing the Chandrababu Naidurule, Jagan said the familiesof the weavers who commit-ted suicide would get a finan-cial assistance of Rs 3.5 crore.

He said all the Navaratnaspromised in the manifestowere being implemented inthe past six months of hisassuming power. In all, 25lakh poor people would begiven house sites by the nextUgadi. From January 9, everymother would be getting Rs15,000 through Amma Vodi

programme to educate herchildren. Auto and taxi dri-vers were benefited by theVahana Mitra scheme.Agrigold victims who weresuffering for the past fiveyears were given financial aidby the government, he said.

Similarly, the governmenthas gone to the aid of thefishermen, he added.

The Chief Minister said hisstrength was the people'sblessings and God's grace. Hesaid while the previous gov-

ernment had spent only Rs500 crore in f ive yearstowards social pensions thepresent government wasspending Rs 1,500 croreevery month and therebygiven confidence to thesenior citizens. He said thegovernment has passed a billreserving 75 per cent of jobsto locals and started villagesecretariats and village vol-unteers system to reach outto the people in every nookand corner of the state.

The government was fol-lowing the principle of socialjustice by providing a placefor SC, ST, BC and Minoritiesin the State Cabinet and hasset up a permanent BCCommisionerate.

He said the governmenthas provided 4 lakh jobswithin four months of com-ing to power and ensuringthat the government schemesreach even the remotest vil-lages in the State.

Builders' JACopposes threecapitals in StatePNS n VIJAYAWADA

Members of CREDAI,NAREDCO, BNI, AITUC andother construction workers'organisations JAC stronglycondemned the GN RaoCommittee recommendations,proposing three capitals for AP.

Addressing media per-sons here on Saturday,CREDAI president A SivaReddy said that the JAC wasworried over the proposalon change of capital.

He reminded that ChiefMinister YS JaganmohanReddy compared AP withSouth Africa and announcedthree capitals even before theGN Rao Committee submit-ted its report on the issue.

Siva Reddy recalled thatJagan had backed the propos-al of capital city in Amaravatiwhen he was the Leader of theOpposition but was nowopposing it.

He said that the governmentshould rethink on the deci-sions and take corrective stepsif it is wrong.

He said that the people ofKrishna and Guntur districtswill not accept the govern-ment's decision but oppose itstrongly. Siva Reddy saidthat AP has a long coastlineand is geographically wellspread, making travellingbetween Kurnool andSrikakulam difficult.

Continued from Page1

"The expert committee rec-ommendations pave the way forremoval of socioeconomicinequalities. Earlier, the develop-ment of the state was concentrat-ed In addition, and aroundHyderabad, while other regionsfaced neglect leading to socioe-conomic and regional imbal-ance." "What would be the fateof the North Coastal AP andRayalaseema if the state govern-ment were to spend an addition-al Rs 1 lakh-crore on develop-ment of state capital atAmaravati having amassed debtto the tune of Rs 3 lakh-crore,"Chiranjeevi asked.

He said that the three capitalsconcept would provide securi-ty to children of migrant labour-

ers, who are leaving their villagesfor greener. At the same time,Chiranjeevi wanted the govern-ment to dispel the sense of ins-ecurity and apprehensions fromthe minds of farmers of capitalregion and initiate measures torender justice to them and so asnot to cause any loss to them.

Continued from Page1

At Mandadam, which hasemerged as the nerve centre ofthe farmers' agitation, andalso at Rayapudi andVelagapudi, the situation isvolatile. Farmers at theseplaces have been gathering onthe roads for the past four daysand staging novel protests.

Demanding that Amaravatiremain the only Capital of theState, the farmers said cen-tralised governance would nothamper decentralised develop-ment. The farmers said thatthe GN Rao Committee reporthad not only destroyed thefuture of their children butalso dealt a deadly blow totheir sources of income. Theysaid that they would not calloff their agitation until theproposal of three Capitals in

the State was withdrawn.The farmers said when the

YSRCP was in the Opposition,it had supported the Naidugovernment's decision to buildthe State Capital at Amaravati.Even YSRCP president YSJaganmohan Reddy hadendorsed the Capital atAmaravati, but now he wassetting the regions against oneanother, they alleged.

Questioning the very con-stitution of the GN RaoCommittee, the farmersalleged that the panel hadtaken unilateral decisions andnot holding consultations withthose who had parted with33,000 acres of land.

The farmers said the GNRao Committee's recommen-dations were unethical andwanted them not to be imple-mented.

Farmers' protests continueto rock Amaravati

BJP to contactover 3 cr families,hold rallies...

Continued from Page1

The new law seeks to givecitizenship to minorities fromthree neighbouring countries,who arrived in India beforeDecember 2014 due to religiouspersecution. He also accusedopposition parties, especiallythe Congress, of spreadingmisinformation in a bid to dis-turb peace across the countryduring recent protests whichhave claimed several lives.Yadav said the party will alsoinvolve beneficiaries of theamended law in its informationcampaign about the statute.

Middle class in Vizag wary ofcapital raising cost of living PNS n VISAKHAPATNAM

Visakhapatnam is already one ofthe costliest cities to live in thecountry. And, the middle stra-ta of the Vizag population nowfear that the cost of living willshoot up drastically if the Cityof Destiny is made ExecutiveCapital of Andhra Pradesh asproposed by Chief ministerJaganmohan Reddy in the StateAssembly a few days ago.

While their plans to buyapartments would remain adream for thousands of fami-lies, the house rent would alsosurge. The proposed ExecutiveCapital in Vizag would lead tomore traffic snarls, mushroom-ing of brokers, middlemenand land grabbers and above allthe cost of living in Vizag willshoot up by at least 40 per cent,anticipated B Lokanadham ofCPM.

"The middle class and poorfamilies in Vizag may face somany problems if the ExecutiveCapital was realised and thecity may face water crisis alsowith rapid urbanisation,"Lokanadham pointed out.

"We are paying Rs 7,000 rentper month for a one-bedroomhouse at MVP area. If Vizagcity turned as ExecutiveCapital, the house rental may

further increase and it willbecome a big burden for peo-ple like us," said P Raju, a res-ident of Kommadi area in thecity.

The land prices in the corecity may not increase much asthe prices for the lands in thecore area almost reached thesaturation point around twoyears ago. In the Rushikondaarea, the price of land is Rs15,000 per square yard, whichmay go up to Rs 25,000 persquare yard in the comingdays, he added.

Realtor, investors, richupbeat over capital plan

The real estate businessmenare expecting a big boost in thesector after Chief Minister YS

Jaganmohan Reddy's proposalto develop Vizag city asExecutive Capital. However,the common people and rep-resentatives of the Left partiesare worrying that the cost ofliving in the Vizag region willfurther increase if the propos-al translated into action.

The President of CREDAI,Vizag Chapter, B SrinivasaRao, predicted that the demandfor the housing and cost of theflats in the apartments atYendada, Madhurawada,Bheemili, Tagarapuvalasa anda few other places in the citywill witness a steep jump as themajority of the people willbuy flats as an investment inthe wake of Chief Minister

dropped strong hints of devel-oping Vizag as an ExecutiveCapital, he added.

Since Vizag is a beautifulcoastal city and most liveableplace, the city will witnessmore high-rise buildings in thecoming days as the demand forthe flats and land from variousparts of the state will increase,he added.

The realtors opined that theprices of land and flats in thecity may increase at least 30 percent after the government takesa concrete decision on theExecutive Capital. At presentover 5,000 flats in the apart-ments and housing societiesare up for sale at various placesin the city, mostly on the city'soutskirts, said B RamachandraRao, a realtor in Vizag city.

n Plans to buy apartmentswould remain a dreamfor thousands of families

n The real estatebusinessmen areexpecting a big boost inthe sector after ChiefMinister YS JaganmohanReddy's proposal todevelop Vizag city asExecutive Capital

UP rocked by anti-CAA violence, toll at 15 Continued from Page1

Police had to lob tear gasshells and use canes to chasethem away, and fire tenderswere rushed to control theflame.

ADG (Kanpur) PremPrakash said RAF has beencalled out along with 'Vajr'vehicles to control the situation.

Samajwadi Party MLAAmitabh Bajpai and formerMLA and SP leader KamleshTewari have been arrested as aprecautionary measure andtheir vehicles have also beenseized.

Officials said that crowdsgathered in areas likeBabupurva, Nai Sadak,Moolganj, Dalelpurva andHaleem College and police inlarge numbers was deployed tokeep a watch over the situation.

Clashes broke out in

Rampur between anti-CAAprotesters and police onSaturday, resulting in injuries toseveral people, includingpolicemen, officials said.

Around 400 to 500 peoplegathered here to protest againstthe amended Citizenship Actamid a bandh call and five ofthem were taken into preven-tive custody, they said.

Five protesters were hospi-talised and the condition of oneof them was stated to be criti-cal, District Magistrate (DM)Aunjaneya Singh said.

"Over a dozen policemenalso suffered minor injuriesduring stonepelting by the pro-testers, including children agedbetween 12 and 18 years," hetold PTI.

Another dozen protesterssuffered minor injuries due totear gas shelling by the police,Singh said.

Protests show anger spillingout on the streets: Pawar

Continued from Page1

"It is felt that these lawsmay disturb the country'ssocial and religious harmo-ny; a particular religionseems to be the target. Thegovernment has created anatmosphere of instability,"Pawar said.

He said that in view ofthis, the NCP voted againstthe CAA in Parliament,intellectuals and litterateursare opposing it and now atleast eight states haveannounced they would notimplement it.

"It appears a rift is beingdeliberately created betweenthe Centre and states. Thecountry is facing a severefinancial crisis. Attention issought to be diverted fromthe economic woes throughall this. For no reason at all,such a situation has been cre-ated," the senior leader said.

Pawar said the proposal togive citizenship to "NRIs"from only three countries -- Pakistan, Bangladesh andAfghanistan -- is also ques-tionable, and asked why allothers were kept out of itspurview.

Vijaya Sai:Exercise on toincrease APdistricts to 25 Continued from Page1

Speaking to newsmen,Vizag District Collector VVinay Chand said that theyare yet to receive any communication from thegovernment on making Vizag city theExecut ive Capita l ofAndhra Pradesh.

Vizag has huge chunk ofgovernment lands at thecity's outskirts and is idealfor the Executive Capital,Vinay Chand, said.

Sources said that districtadministration was on thejob to identity the suitablelands betweenMadhurawada andAnandapuram for the pro-posed Executive Capital.

Over 1,000academicianssupport of CAA,release statement

Continued from Page1

The petition had come afterthe Lok Sabha had passed thebill and before it was passed inthe Rajya Sabha.

Later, 600 artistes, writers,academicians, former judgesand former bureaucrats hadurged the government towithdraw the Citizenship(Amendment) Bill, terming itas "discriminatory, divisive"and violative of the secularprinciples enshrined in theConstitution.

The signatories to the state-ment congratulatedParliament for "standing upfor forgotten minorities","upholding the civilisationalethos of India" and "providinga haven for those fleeing reli-gious persecution".

‘Centre won'tremain silenton 3 capitals’

Continued from Page1

He advised the state govern-ment to focus on decentralisa-tion of development ratherthan decentralisation of admin-istration. He said that he is ata loss to understand, who wasadvising the government oncapital issue. "If the YSRCP gov-ernment behaves as it likes andwastes taxpayers' money,Centre won’t keep mum", hesaid. "Moreover, the Centrewould not give financial sup-port to the State for change ofcapital," he said. The MP saidthat the Centre gave funds forAmaravati, which was unprece-dented in country's history,adding that he would discussthe issue with the senior func-tionaries in the government.

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

BJP State president KannaLakshminarayana on Saturdayexpressed surprise at capitalchanging with the change ofChief Minister and noted thatthis was the first time he encoun-tered such a phenomenon in theState's history. He termed thedecision not good for the State'sdevelopment.

He noted that the Centrewould not interfere with themindless decisions taken by theYSRCP. However, the BJP's Stateunit president's remarks runcounter to the remarks passed bythe BJP MP.

Kanna said that the BJP wascommitted to decentraliseddevelopment of the State andremarked that developmentunder the leadership of YSJaganmohan Reddy would be amyth. He advised the ChiefMinister against misusing thetaxpayers' money.

With 150 Assembly seatsunder his belt, the Chief Ministerwas in the grip of sense of inse-curity, he alleged and said thathe was at a loss of comprehen-sion why Jagan was in the gripof fear.

He advised the Chief Ministeragainst harassing the peopleout of vendetta for Oppositionleader N Chandrababu Naidu.

What steps Jagan contemplat-ed against those who indulged

in insider trading in Amaravatiduring the past six months, hedemanded. Who stopped Jaganfrom taking disciplinary actionagainst the corrupt, he won-dered.

The State government wenton record three months ago onthe corruption in the Polavaramproject, but so far there was noaction against the erring, why?

The government reviewedthe power-purchase agreements(PPAs) without exposing thecorruption in reaching the PPAs,he observed and reiterated thatthe government should notharass the people. He asked thegovernment to take actionagainst the corrupt, if it can.

He alleged that the govern-ment foisted cases against theBJP workers for their fault ofresisting the YSRCP leadersfrom encroaching the publicpark in Kakinada.

Change of capital notgood for State: Kanna

Chiranjeevi supportsthree capitals concept

VIJAYAWADA | SUNDAY | DECEMBER 22, 2019 nation 04

SHORT READS

Modi reviewsperformanceof ministriesNEW DELHI: Prime MinisterNarendra Modi on Saturdayreviewed the progress made byvarious ministries in the last sixmonths after the BJP returnedto power for the secondconsecutive term. In themeeting that is likely to continuetill the evening, briefpresentations are being made byministries on various decisionstaken by them, sources in thegovernment said. The sourcessaid the focus would be onagriculture, rural developmentand the social sector. Themeeting comes in the backdropof protests in various citiesagainst the amended citizenshiplaw and the proposed nation-wide National Register ofCitizens exercise.

2 Pak soldiers killedin retaliatory actionalong LoC in J-KJAMMU: At least two Pakistanisoldiers were reported to havebeen killed on Saturday in anexchange of fire with the IndianArmy along the Line of Control(LoC) in Akhnoor sector ofJammu and Kashmir, defencesources said. They said thePakistani troops violatedceasefire and fired on forwardposts in Pallanwalla area ofAkhnoor which was effectivelyretaliated. In the morning, theIndian Army spotted two bodiesnear the LoC. However, aphysical verification could notbe carried out because of tensesituation along the border, thesources said.

Gambhir says hereceived death threats over phoneNEW DELHI: BJP MP GautamGambhir has approached theDelhi Police, alleging he hasreceived death threats from acaller using an internationalnumber. The East Delhi MP haswritten to the deputycommissioners of Shahdara andCentral districts about thethreats received by him onFriday. He urged police toensure the safety and security ofhis family.

9 women rescuedfrom prostitutionracket at posh spaPNS n MUMBAI

Nine women were rescuedfrom a prostitution racket ata popular spa in Prabhadeviarea of Central Mumbai,police said on Saturday.

Acting on a tip-off, officialsfrom the Mumbai police'sAnti-Narcotics Cell raidedthe spa, situated in a plushresidential tower, on Fridayand rescued nine womenfrom the premises, an officialsaid.

The police found immoralactivities being carried out atthe spa, deputy commission-er of police (ANC) ShivdeepLande said.

The police have arrestedSalim Shaikh, who owns theestablishment, the officialsaid, adding that the womanwho was in-charge of theillegal activities has beenissued a notice under Code ofCriminal Procedure (CrPC).

An offence has been regis-tered under Prevention ofImmoral Trafficking Act andrelevant sections of the IPC atDadar police station, he said.

Armed forcesowe successto intel, saysNaravane

PNS n PUNE

No military operation is suc-cessful without the support ofintelligence agencies, ViceChief of Army Staff andArmy Chief-designate LtGeneral Manoj Naravane saidhere on Saturday.

The Lt General was speak-ing at the launch of formerjournalist Nitin Gokhale'sbook 'R N Kao: GentlemanSpymaster'.

"Military operations andintelligence go hand in hand.In fact, whenever we have anoperational briefing, it alwaysstarts with 'khabar dushmanke bare main' (news aboutour enemies) and that'khabar' is what we get fromour intelligence operatives,"Lt. General Naravane said.

Shiv Sena: Atmosphere free asburden of ties with BJP ended PNS n MUMBAI

The Shiv Sena on Saturday saidthat the Uddhav Thackeray-ledparty has "eased the burden" ofrelationship with the BJP result-ing into a "free atmosphere" notonly in Maharashtra but also inthe BJP camp.

The Sena, a long-time ally ofthe BJP, had last month joinedhands with ideological rivalsCongress and NCP to form agovernment in Maharashtra withThackeray as Chief Minister. Inan editorial in the party mouth-piece 'Saamana' on Saturday, theSena took a dig at the BJP overdisgruntled leaders EknathKhadse and Pankaja Munde.

"The BJP should stop makingcomments like it is ready to talkto us. Some members of the BJPhave even said that they will notsit in the Opposition for long.However, as the Shiv Sena haseased the burden of relationshipwith the BJP, Maharashtra is alsofeeling lighter and there is a freeatmosphere now," it said.

In fact, the atmosphere is sofree and lighter now that BJP

leader Eknath Khadse is speak-ing his mind openly, the Senasaid, apparently referring toKhadse's open criticism of cer-tain BJP leaders for the electorallosses. Khadse's recent meetingwith NCP chief Sharad Pawarand CM Thackeray had triggereda speculation over his futurepolitical journey.

"He (Khadse) met SharadPawar and also held discussionswith Chief Minister UddhavThackeray. He now courageous-ly says that he is free to take hisown decision. The same is truewith (former BJP minister)Pankaja Munde. Everybody is

feeling relieved of stress now," theSena stated.

The Sena also fired barbs atformer chief minister and seniorBJP leader Devendra Fadnavisover his criticism of Thackeray.

Fadnavis had questionnedwhether Uddhav Thackeray hadpromised his late father BalThackeray to install a CM of theSena in Maharashtra by takingthe help of the Congress. "Itseems that the Leader ofOpposition in the LegislativeAssembly (Fadnavis) is stillobsessed with power. It will takehim some time to adjust. Thosewho aimed for power by break-

ing the Congress party shouldnot lecture us on taking help ofthe Congress to form a govern-ment," it stated.

The Sena reminded the BJPthat leaders like Ram VilasPaswan (LJP) and Nitish Kumar(JD-U), who had criticised PMNarendra Modi in the past, arethe allies of the saffron party.

"In 2014 (before theMaharashtra assembly elections),Khadse had announced withpride that the BJP was snappingits alliance with the Shiv Sena.Cut to 2019. He is left nowherenow. Similarly, in 2019 (after theresults of the state assemblypolls), Fadnavis did not honourthe commitment given to theSena, and he became politicallyunemployed," it stated.

The Sena has been accusingthe BJP leadership, especiallythen chief minister Fadnavis, fornot honouring the pre-LokSabha poll "promise" that theSena will get the post of the chiefminister of Maharashtra for aperiod of 2.5 years in the eventof the NDA coming to power inOctober this year.

PNS n GUWAHATI

The opposition to the amend-ed citizenship law will go on ina Gandhian way till it isrevoked, says AASU's chiefadvisor Samujjal Bhattacharya,asserting that Assamese peopleare fighters to the core and theirvoices will prevail.

The All Assam Students'Union (AASU), which led thehistoric Assam agitation from1979-85, is now spearheadingthe anti-citizenship law move-ment.

The protesters are seekingthat the new legislation berevoked, saying it "violates"the Assam Accord of 1985.

"We fought the Citizenship(Amendment) Bill (CAB) toothand nail, and we are against thisCAA, and people of Assam willcontinue to oppose this with

unrelenting spirit. We will notgive up, our fight shall go on tillthe CAA is revoked,"Bhattacharya said.

The AASU leader, who wasalso part of the Assam agita-tion, asserted that the anti-CAA movement has witnessed"unprecedented solidarity"from people who defied cur-fews like never before to protestpeacefully and democraticallyto make their voices heard.

"I saw how people protestedin Assam movement of 80s, butthe way Assamese have comeout in such huge numbers insuch a short period, and attimes spontaneously, speaksvolumes for the pain they aresuffering due to the impositionof the Citizenship(Amendment) Act. People ofAssam have rejected the CAA,"Bhattacharya told PTI in an

interview.When asked whether the

AASU and the masses will beable to sustain the momentumin the long run if the govern-ment does not respond to theirdemands, he said, "WeAssamese are fighters to thecore."

"And this movement is notabout Hindus, Muslims orBengalis, but about allAssamese, irrespective of theirreligious faith or economicclass, it's about our Assam andAssamese pride. PractisingGandhian values, we haveuncompromisingly protested

with 'satyagraha' and 'ahimsa'.And, I feel that voices of peo-ple will prevail eventually," hesaid.

Hearing a batch of pleaschallenging the CAA, theSupreme Court on Wednesdaydecided to examine the consti-tutional validity of the act butrefused to stay its operation.

The newly-amended lawseeks to grant citizenship tonon-Muslim migrants belong-ing to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist,Christian, Jain and Parsi com-

munities who came to thecountry from Pakistan,Bangladesh and Afghanistanon or before December 31,2014.

"We Assamese peopleprotested peacefully when thecurfew was on, defied it andcourted arrest as it our right toprotest against a law which weknow is against Assam and itspeople. And the CAA violatesthe Assam Accord of 1985,"said the chief advisor of AASU,who has been one of the vocal

faces of this movement.The accord clearly mandat-

ed that all illegal Bangladeshiimmigrants coming after theall-accepted cut-off date ofMarch 24, 1971 will be detect-ed and deported, irrespective oftheir religion, he said.

"Our premise is very simple,we don't want any more illegalforeign immigrants coming andsettling in Assam, we havealready accommodated far toomany beyond our capacity. Andwe don't want our Assameseculture to be diluted, or becomea minority in our own homestate," Bhattacharya said.

The AASU has been holdingprotests across Assam. InGuwahati, a huge number ofpeople have been gathering attwo main venues -- Latasilplayground and AEI groundsin Chandmari -- to register

their dissent.In a protest called by the

artiste community of Assamand supported by the AASUand other outfits on Thursday,Bhattacharya had alleged thatthe government seeing the"unflagging spirit" of the peo-ple was using the "triple ploy"of "daman, pralobhan, and vib-hajan (suppression, enticementand division) to "weaken themovement".

"But we will not bend orrelent but fight for our moth-er land," he said, as slogans of"Jai Ai Axom" (Glory to MotherAssam) and "CAA aaminamanu" (Will not acceptCAA) rent the air. Men andwomen, many wearing tradi-tional 'gamosas', raised theirhands in unison, reaffirmingthe resolve to fight the con-tentious legislation.

We Assamese are fighters to the core, our voices will prevail: Samujjal

Situationimprovingin Delhi,security tight PTI n NEW DELHI

The situation in areas hit byviolence during protestsagainst the new citizenship lawis gradually returning to nor-mal, police said on Saturday,and assured that a heavydeployment of security per-sonnel has been made in OldDelhi and Seemapuri areas.

Stone-pelting and incidentsof violence were reported fromDaryaganj in Old Delhi andSeemapuri in northeast part ofthe national capital on Friday.

Manish Seth, secretary ofDaryaganj Traders' Association,said all shops in the areaopened on Saturday morningand there's no unrest. He saidpolice have been keeping a tightvigil. A senior police officerfrom Shahdara district saidsituation was under control inthe area. "Delhi Police havedominated the area and areconducting flag marches sinceFriday evening to ensure thatno untoward incident is report-ed," he added.

PNS n LUCKNOW

The Uttar Pradesh Police chiefon Saturday maintained thatpolice did not open fire duringthe protests against theCitizenship Amendment Act,suggesting that those who diedwere caught in cross-firingbetween protesters.

At least 11 people, includingan 8-year-old boy, died asprotests against the contentiouslaw in the state turned violenton Friday.

According to officials, fourdeaths were reported fromMeerut district and two fromKanpur and the boy was killedin a stampede in Varanasiwhen a violent mob was beingchased by policemen. Twopeople lost their lives in Bijnorand one each in Sambhal andFirozabad, they said.

"All the deaths took place in

cross-firing and this willbecome clear in the post-mortem examination," saidDirector General of Police(DGP), Uttar Pradesh, O PSingh. "We are clear and trans-parent on this. If anyone dieddue to our firing, we will con-duct a judicial inquiry and takeaction. But nothing happenedfrom our side," he asserted.

On Friday, protestersclashed with police at severalplaces in the state, hurlingstones at them and torchingvehicles. Fifty policemen wereseriously injured in the vio-lence, the officials said.

Of the 75 districts in thestate, one-fourth have beenaffected. Thousands gatheredafter Friday prayers and defiedthe law, Singh said.

He said "outsiders" wereinvolved in the violence andmembers of political partiesand NGOs could also havebeen present.

According to the DGP,police had reached out to reli-gious leaders and they hadassured that there would bepeace. "But still protestersgathered and indulged in vio-lence and at some places theyalso fired with illegal weapons,"he said.

UP police did not open fire duringanti-CAA protests: DGP OP Singh

Venkaiah Naidu to giveaway ’19 National Awards

PTI n NEW DELHI

Vice President Venkaiah Naiduwill present the National FilmAwards to the winners onMonday. The annual NationalFilm Awards ceremony will beheld at Vigyan Bhawan wheremegastar Amitabh Bachchanwill also receive the DadasahebPhalke award.

Union Minister forInformation & BroadcastingPrakash Javadekar will beattending the ceremony, a pressrelease said. Traditionally, theNational Awards are handedout to the winners by the

President of India. According tosources, President Ram NathKovind will host high tea for thewinners later. In 2018, PresidentKovind had presented only ahandful few set of awards dur-ing the ceremony which wasdivided into two phases.

The first set of awards wereconferred by Union MinistersSmriti Irani and RajyavardhanSingh Rathore, while thePresident presented the secondlot. The winners of 66thNational Film Awards wereannounced in August this yearwith Gujarati film "Hellaro"bagging the Best Film honour.

PNS n MANGALURU

Mangaluru city which is undera curfew remained calm underheavy police security onSaturday while prohibitoryorders were lifted for twohours from 6 a.m to enablepeople to purchase essentialitems.

City police Commissioner PS Harsha said the curfew willcontinue till Sunday night inthe commissionerate limits asa precautionary measure afterthe violent clashes betweenprotesters agitating againstCitizenship Amendment Act(CAA) and the police onThursday. Owners of someshops who had only a littlestock left on Saturday, sold theiritems within the two hours.

Many people complainedthat they were not aware of therelaxation of the curfew as itwas announced only on localtelevision channels.

Mobile internet serviceswhich were suspended areexpected to be restored by

Saturday night. Vehicles bar-ring city buses, autorickshawswere seen plying.

District in-charge MinisterKota Srinivas Poojary, whoheld meetings with the districtDeputy Commissioner andsenior police officers on Friday,said the situation here is stableand briefed the Chief Ministeron the developments.

Meanwhile, a case has beenbooked by the MangaluruSouth police against formerstate minister and Mangaluru

MLA U T Khader for alleged-ly delivering a provocativespeech and stirring communaldisharmony and inciting vio-lence.

Based on a complaint filedby pro-BJP Yuva Morcha sec-retary Sandesh Kumar Shettyon Friday, the case was filedunder Sections 124 A (sedi-tion), 153 A (promoting enmi-ty between different groups ongrounds of religion) and 153(wantonly giving provocationwith intent to cause riot).

Calm prevails in Mangaluru;curfew relaxed for two hours

PNS n KOCHI

Vowing to "protect theConstitution of India", theCongress in Kerala led by its topleaders on Saturday organisedmassive protests in all districtheadquarters as part of strength-ening its campaign against theCitizenship Amendment Act(CAA).

Senior Congress leadersincluding Ramesh Chennithala,Mullappally Ramachandran,Shashi Tharoor, Benny Behananand M M Hassan participated inthe campaign.

Leaders including MPs MLAsand workers of the party court-ed arrest in many districts. Insome places including Kochi,Wayanad and Kozhikode andThiruvananthapuram the work-ers tried to break the police bar-ricades and tried to enter centralgovernment institutions, leadingto minor scuffles with police per-sonnel.

Inaugurating the protest in

Malappuram district in NorthKerala, which has been witness-ing a series of agitations againstthe CAA, Leader of Oppositionin the state Assembly,Chennithala alleged the BJP andits government at the Centrewere trying to divide the peopleof the country as Hindus andMuslims.

"It is a fight against authoritar-ianism and fascism. The govern-ment is using brute force to

silence the people who are on thestreets against the law meant todivide the people of the countryon religious lines," he allegedaddressing the protesters.

He cited the KesavanandaBharti case in which the apexcourt ruled in 1973 that there isa "basic structure" to India's con-stitution that cannot be altered byany amendment.

"Prime Minister NarendraModi and Home Minister Amit

Shah are trying to change thebasic structure of theConstitution. How can theyundermine the Supreme Courtverdict in the KesavanandaBharati case and bring such anunconstitutional amendment.Now we have challenged theCAA in the Supreme Court. I amcertain that the new law wouldbe thrown into dustbin,"Chennithala said. State Congresschief Mullappally Ramachandran

inaugurated the agitation inKasargod district.

Addressing the Congressworkers, he said students andacademics in universities acrossthe country are on the path ofagitation against the CAA.

"Networks are down in manycities including the national cap-ital and the basic rights of thepeople are denied in Modi's newdigital India," he alleged.

He accused the BJP and theRSS of trying to demolish thebasic structure of theConstitution and convert Indiaa Hindu Rashtra.

Criticising the governmentfor denying Muslims citizenshipon the basis of religion andbranding the ongoing protestsby the people a communal issue,Ramachandran said, "theCongress will always stand withIndia's minorities. We are readyto die for you. It is the party ofMahatma Gandhi who sacri-ficed his life for the people of thecountry".

Cong steps up campaign against CAA in Kerala

‘IAF will continueto play critical rolein security domain’PNS n HYDERABAD

Asserting that the IndianAirforce will continue to play acritical role in the securitydomain, IAF Chief R K SBhadauria said on Saturday thepresent decade is likely to wit-ness significant changes innature and methodologies ofwarfare.

Since inception, the IAF hasalways undertaken challengingroles, he said. "The presentdecade is likely to witness signif-icant changes in nature andmethodologies of warfare, par-ticularly in the sub-convention-al domain," Bhadauria said.

"The Indian Air Force willcontinue to play a critical role inthe security domain and you willbe part of the core set of peoplewho will be called upon todeliver," he said at the CombinedGraduation Parade held at AirForce Academy, Dundigal nearhere. He expressed confidencethat the Flight Cadets, who suc-cessfully completed training,would meet all challenges headon in the endeavor and accom-

plish every task to perfection."While we prepare to fight the

enemy across the entire spec-trum of warfare, we must alsoproactively assist the nation inhumanitarian assistance anddisaster relief operations and anyother support role that emerges,"he added. He exhorted thenewly-commissioned officersto be professionally competent,confident and fearless in orderto deliver as future leaders of theAir Force. The Parade markedthe successful completion oftraining for 127 Flight Cadets ofFlying and Ground Dutybranches of IAF, according to anofficial release.

When asked whether the AASU and themasses will be able to sustain themomentum in the long run if the governmentdoes not respond to their demands, he said,"We Assamese are fighters to the core."

IAF Chief R K S Bhadauria

DADASAHEB PHALKE FOR BACHCHAN

"Networks are downin many citiesincluding the nationalcapital and the basicrights of the peopleare denied in Modi'snew digital India," healleged

VIJAYAWADA | SUNDAY | DECEMBER 22, 2019 nation 05

SHORT READS

Historian Guha termsCAA as ‘immoral’BENGALURU: Eminenthistorian and writerRamachandra Guha onSaturday termed the CitizenshipAmendment Act as "immoral"and "against the spirit of theConstitution" and said a wiseand just government wouldwithdraw it. He also noted thatimmediate withdrawal of theNRC was a necessary first stepto restore trust and heal thenation. "To make two thingsabsolutely clear. 1. Theimmediate withdrawal of theNRC is a necessary first step torestore trust and heal thenation. 2. The CAA is immoraland against the spirit of theConstitution. A wise and justGovernment would withdraw ittoo," Guha tweeted. Guha wasamong many others who weredetained on Thursday forstaging a demonstrationagainst the CitizenshipAmendment Act and NRC nearthe Town Hall here, in defianceof the prohibitory ordersimposed in the city.

Two nabbed from Gujfor robbing jewellerystore in Pune

Daryaganj violence:Bhim Army chiefarrestedNEW DELHI: Bhim Army chiefChandra Shekhar Aazad hasbeen arrested in connectionwith the violence in Old Delhi'sDaryaganj, police said onSaturday. Aazad's outfit hadorganised a march from JamaMasjid to Jantar Mantar onFriday against the newcitizenship law, despite nothaving permission from police.On Friday evening, aftersecurity personnel tried todetain him during the march,Aazad surfaced inside themosque. He had given the Delhipolice a slip to reach themosque. He came outsideJama Masjid early Saturdayand was detained. He wasarrested later, police said. Afterbeing detained, Aazad was keptat the Crime Branch office inChanakyapuri since he said hewas unwell. He was laterhanded over to the centraldistrict police, they added.Following his arrest, he wastaken to a hospital for amedical check-up and will beproduced in a court. Policesuspect he instigated the crowdwhich turned violent near DelhiGate and burnt a car.

VADODARA: Two armedrobbers, who had allegedlydecamped with valuables worthover 10 lakh from a jewellerystore in Maharashtra's Punecity, were arrested in Vadodara,police said on Saturday. TheVadodara crime branch helpedthe Maharashtra police nabSushil Ashok Madhre and AmitSudershan Prasad Chaudharyfrom a guest house in therailway station area on Friday,inspector J J Patel of the crimebranch said. The accused haddecamped with valuables worthover Rs 10.19 lakh from ajewellery store in Pune'sKothrud area on November 24,he said, adding that the act wascaptured by CCTV cameras.Madhre, a dismissed policeconstable, has been involved inthree cases of robbery inMaharashtra, Patel said.The duo had been on the run

since last month and hadstayed in Delhi and Kolkatabefore coming to Vadodara, hesaid.

NRC, CAA ploy to divert people'sattention from eco slump: MNSPNS n PUNE

MNS president Raj Thackerayon Saturday virtually dubbedthe new citizenship law andproposed National Register ofCitizens (NRC) as ploys by theCentre to divert the attentionof people from the "economiccrisis".

Thackeray also raised ques-tions over the proposed "influx"of immigrants fromAfghanistan, Pakistan andBangladesh to India under therecently-passed CitizenshipAmendment Act (CAA).

"There is a riot-like situationin the country due to the vio-lence over CAA and NRC. Iwonder how many people haveunderstood these two deci-sions. There are differentaspects to these two issues," hetold reporters.

For the first time, I wouldlike to congratulate (UnionHome Minister and BJP chief)Amit Shah for the "politicalgame" he has played for suc-

cessfully diverting the attentionof people from recession andeconomic crisis, Thackeraysaid.

The CAA proposes to grantIndian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees escaping reli-gions persecution from

Afghanistan, Pakistan andBangladesh, which has trig-gered massive protests acrossthe country.

"If you can cast your voteshowing Aadhaar card as proofthen why can't that documentprove your citizenship? Why

were people made to undergobiometric screening?" he asked.

Referring to CAA provi-sions, the MNS chief said Indiawith a "135 crore population"do not need more people.

There is no need to paint itas an issue between Hindu andMuslims, he said.

Thackeray also said India isnot a "dharmshala" or a char-ity shelter where illegal immi-grants can come and settledown.

"It is important to check howmany Bangladeshis, Pakistanishave entered India from theNepal border," the MNS chief

said even as he appealed toMuslims in India to not feelinsecure.

He demanded an inter-statemigration act to enable gov-ernment authorities to identi-fy illegal migrants.

Thackeray also criticised theUddhav Thackeray-led ShivSena for joining hands with theCongress and the NCP to forma new government.

He said that that decisionwas not gone down well withthe common people, who willexpress it in the next elections.

"The good part of the(October 2019) Assembly elec-tions was that most of thedefectors who crossed over toother parties got defeated," hesaid.

Thackeray said the firststate-level convention of theMNS will be held in Mumbaion January 23.

The Raj Thackeray-led partyhas only one MLA in theMaharashtra LegislativeAssembly.

MNS president Raj Thackeray

Referring to CAAprovisions, theMNS chief saidIndia with a ‘135crore population’do not need morepeople

PNS n NEW DELHI

A group of students from JamiaMillia Islamia on Friday claimedthey had to cut short their fieldtrip to Haryana's Panipat districtafter some villagers asked themto "leave or face the conse-quences".

Panipat's Superintendent ofPolice Sumit Kumar, however,denied any such incident andsaid the students did not com-plain about anything duringtheir stay in the district.

One of the students, part ofthe 43-member group fromJamia's Social WorkDepartment, said the incidenthappened on Tuesday whenthey were attending a 10-dayrural camp in Patti Kalyana,

Haldana and Garhi Tyagyan vil-lages. "The rural camp startedon the morning of December15, the day violence eruptednear Jamia Millia Islamia(against the new citizenshiplaw). Two teachers and twonon-teaching staff accompa-

nied us on the trip," said the stu-dent, who did not wish to beidentified.

Another student said thegroup stayed at the GandhiAshram near Patti Kalyana vil-lage. "We were to carry outawareness drives in the villages

as part of the rural camp. The43 students were divided intothree sub-groups, each for a vil-lage. On the third day, we wentto Patti Kalyana, where we vis-ited a primary school and ananganwadi centre and talked tovillagers," he said.

Students cut short field trip under threat?

Jaishankar begins 2-day visit to Iran PNS n NEW DELHI

External Affairs Minister(EAM) S Jaishankar willembark on a two-day visit toIran from Sunday, where hewill co-chair the 19th JointCommission Meeting withhis Iranian counterpart, JavedZarif.

Jaishankar is also expectedto call upon Iranian PresidentHassan Rouhani, the ExternalAffairs Ministry said in astatement on Saturday.

The meeting comes daysafter the US provided a rareexemption to India fromsanctions on the Chabaharport in Iran as Washingtonsaid it recognised that thestrategic project was a lifelinefor war-torn Afghanistan toget humanitarian suppliesfrom India.

The Chabahar port —jointly being developed byIndia, Iran and Afghanistan— is considered a gateway togolden opportunities fortrade with central Asiannations by the three coun-tries. It is located on theIndian Ocean in the Sistanand Baluchestan province ofIran.

Jaishankar will also be vis-iting Oman from December23 to 25 at the invitation ofOmani Foreign MinisterYousuf bin Alawi binAbdullah, the External

Affairs Ministry said inanother statement."Duringhis visit, EAM, in addition tomeeting his counterpart, willhold meetings with otherministers to discuss mattersof mutual interest. An agree-ment for cooperation in thefield of maritime transportwill be signed during thevisit.

PNS n NEW DELHI

The Aam Aadmi Party needs toset a target of winning moreseats in the upcoming electionthan it won in the 2015 pollswhen it secured 67 of the 70assembly seats, Delhi ChiefMinister and AAP nationalconvenor Arvind Kejriwal toldparty members on Saturday.

Kejriwal said the party mem-bers should fight the upcomingelection with all their strength.

"There is just over a monthleft for assembly elections inDelhi and since Delhi is party'sbase from where it started wehave to strongly fight the elec-tion," he told party members atthe eighth national councilmeeting. "Our target is also verybig. Last time, we won 67 seatsand this time, we should not getless than that but more thanthat number," he said amid slo-gans of '70 out of 70' by partymembers. The Aam AadmiParty, which won 67 of the 70seats in 2015, will fight this elec-tion in collaboration with elec-tion strategist Prashant Kishor'sconsultancy firm I-PAC.

"My advice is that people(members or volunteers) whohave come from outside shouldtake up what responsibilitythey will be assuming in theupcoming polls," he said.

According to sources, theAAP has called all its partymembers and volunteers to

the national capital for prepa-ration and campaigning forthe election due in Delhi nextyear. Kejriwal said his party haschanged the political discourseand forced the BJP to talkabout development issues inDelhi. "It is the same BJP thatask for votes based on Jat andnon-Jat in Haryana and Hindu-Muslim in rest of the countrybut in Delhi, it has been forcedto talk about development. Theagenda of BJP of Hindu-Muslim politics does not workin Delhi.

PNS n PATNA

Bihar was rocked by large-scalevandalism and disruption ofrail and road traffic onSaturday during a bandh callby the opposition RashtriyaJanata Dal in protest againstthe amended Citizenship Actand the proposed country-wide implementation of theNRC. Carrying bamboo sticksand party flags, bandh sup-porters gathered at bus stands,railway tracks and other van-tage points in all districts of thestate since the crack of dawn,unfazed by the winter fog andchilly winds.

They sat down on railwaytracks and blocked bus termi-nuses at various places toenforce the day-long bandh.

The protesters also smashedwindshields of taxis and three-wheelers and damaged cycle-rickshaws that plied on theroads in defiance of the call forthe shutdown at the towns ofBhagalpur, Muzaffarpur andoutskirts of Patna.

At many places, the bandhsupporters included childrenof not more than 10-15 yearsof age and some of the agita-tors were in their underwear.

Tejashwi Yadav, leader of theopposition in the stateAssembly and heir apparent ofRJD supremo Lalu Prasad,marched in a large processionfrom the party office in Bir

Chand Patel Marg here to DakBungalow crossing, throwingtraffic on the busy Fraser Roadand Bailey Road out of gear.

At some places in Patna,workers of the party known fortheir strong arm tactics toenforce bandhs, tried an imagemakeover by presenting peo-ple with roses and urging themwith folded hands to supportthe shutdown in "nationalinterest".

The shutdown, that cametwo days after a bandh wascalled on the same issue by Leftparties, is being supported byother constituents of the GrandAlliance like the Congress and

the Rashtriya Lok SamataParty (RLSP). RLSP chiefUpendra Kushwaha, a formerUnion minister, took part in amarch in Patna.

Asked about the rationalebehind the bandh despite anassurance given by Bihar ChiefMinister Nitish Kumar thatNRC will not be implementedin the state, Kushwaha said,"Such assurances by state gov-ernments are meaningless. Wemust prevent the Centre fromtaking such a step. The ball hasbeen set rolling with theCitizenship Amendment Act which Kumar's party supported."

RJD's bandh brings normal life in Bihar to a grinding halt

PNS n MANGALURU

CPI Rajya Sabha MP fromKerala Binoy Viswam andsome party activists who stageda protest here against the CAAon Saturday defying curfew,were detained, police said.

The protesters raised 'SaveIndia, Save Democracy' slogansand criticised the Yediyurappagovernment for its actionsagainst those protesting againstthe new law.

Six protesters includingBinoy Viswam were detained,police said.

Meanwhile, police haverestricted the entry of formerChief Minister Siddaramaiahto the city, which was rockedby violent protests against theCAA leaving two dead in

police firing, during the peri-od when curfew is in place.

City police commissioner PS Harsha has served notice onSiddaramaiah restraining thelatter from entering the citylimits till Sunday midnight,police said.

The notice barsSiddaramaiah from flying intothe city from Bengaluru,Hubballi, Mysuru, and Goa air-ports.

His entry through road, rail,and air has also been barred.

The notice also mentions

that no one can facilitate histravel into the city.

A delegation of seniorCongress leaders who landedin Mangaluru to meet thoseinjured and bereaved familiesof the two deceased on Fridaywere denied permission anddetained at the airport here.

The delegation includedLeader of the Opposition in theLegislative Council S R Patil,former Home Minister andMLA M B Patil, formerSpeaker and MLA K R RameshKumar and former MP V SUgrappa. Siddaramaiah alsohad to cancel his trip toMangaluru from Bengaluruon getting information that thechartered aircraft he was totake was denied permission toland at the airport.

PNS n FAIZABAD (UP)

A special anti-terror court hassentenced two persons to lifeimprisonment for their allegedroles in the November 2007twin blast case in the districtcourt premises here in whichfive people were killed and 24were injured.

Additional District andSessions Judge Ashok Kumar,heading the special court setup under the UnlawfulActivities (Prevention) Act,pronounced the quantum ofsentence amid tight security inthe special courtroom in the

Faizabad jail. "The specialcourt sentenced two persons tolife imprisonment and acquit-ted one on Friday in the 2007district court serial blast case,"Faizabad Bar Association pres-ident Vijay Bahadur Singh saidon Saturday. The two whowere sentenced are tariq

Quasim and MohammadAkhtar while the third accusedin the case, Sajjad Ur Rahman,was acquitted due to lack ofevidence.

A fourth accused, KhalidMujahid, had died in the policecustody under suspicious con-ditions.

Twelve years ago onNovember 23, 2007, theFaizabad district court hadbeen rocked by two simulta-neous bomb blasts in whichfive people, including a lawyer,were killed and 24 others wereinjured, seven of them criti-cally.

PNS n KOTA (RAJASTHAN)

A POCSO court has sentenceda 70-year-old man and a 40-year-old accomplice to lifeimprisonment for raping aminor girl two years ago inRajasthan's Kota dis-trict.

P O C S OCourt-II JudgeN a r e n d r aKumar Sharmaon Friday pro-nounced the ver-dict on BabulalMali alias KrishanMurari (70) and his asso-ciate Mohit Mali alias Manoj(40), both residents of DeoliManjhi village in Kota district,for raping the 13-year-old girlof the same village, publicprosecutor Vijay Kachawa said.

The court also imposed afine of Rs 35,000 on each of thetwo convicts, he added.

The two men were bookedfor gang-rape of the minor girlunder relevant sections of theIndian Penal Code and theProtection of Children fromSexual Offences Act in DeoliManjhi police station on May

30, 2017. The then ClassVII girl had lodged a

complaint in whichshe alleged thatBabulal Mali, in thepretext of offering acucumber, took her

to a well in the vil-lage, the public prose-

cutor said.Babulal along with his

associate Mohit took the girlinside a kutcha room near thewell where the duo took turnsand raped her, the prosecutorfurther said. The two menwere held guilty for gang-rapeand convicted to life term in jailtill their remaining lives,Kachawa said.

CPI(M) URGES PROTESTERS TO CONTINUE THEIR AGITATIONPNS n NEW DELHI

The CPI(M) on Saturdayappealed to protesters to con-tinue their agitation peace-fully against the Citizenship(Amendment) Act anddemanded that the con-tentious legislation be with-drawn and the NRC processbe discontinued. Thousandsof people have been agitatingin various parts of the coun-try since December 11, whenthe contentious citizenshipbill was passed in Parliament.

"We appeal to the people tocontinue the protests peace-fully against the anti-Constitutional CitizenshipAmendment Act and theconnected NRC/NPR. We

condemn the prohibition onprotests and excessive use offorce by the police againstpeaceful protestors in manyplaces," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechurytweeted.

"India has long beenrespected globally for itsdemocratic credentials, free-dom to protest, commitmentto pluralism, with commit-ment to a progressive consti-tution," he said.

Two get life term, one acquittedin 2007 twin bomb blasts case

NCP chief Sharad Pawar

‘Activists'arrest in ElgarParishad casewrong’PNS n PUNE

Terming the arrest of activistsin the Elgar Parishad case"wrong" and "vengeful", NCPchief Sharad Pawar onSaturday demanded that aSpecial Investigation Team beset up under a retired judge toprobe the action taken byPune police.

Pawar also demanded thatthe police officers involvedwith the arrests be suspended.

"It is wrong to imprison theactivists on the charge of sedi-tion. Voicing extreme views isallowed in democracy. Theaction of Pune police is wrongand vengeful. It is a misuse ofpower by the police commis-sioner and some of the officers.They had attacked the basicfreedom of people and onecannot be a mute spectator toall this," Pawar said.

"We will demand the chiefminister that an SIT headed bya retired judge be instituted toprobe the police action," hesaid.

AAP needs to settarget of winningover 67 seats: Kejri

70-yr-old, accompliceget life term for rapingminor in Rajasthan

Our target is also verybig. Last time, wewon 67 seats and this

time, we should not get lessthan that but more than thatnumber

— ARVIND KEJRIWALChief Minister of Delhi

MP Binoy Viswam, five CPI activists arrested

The protesters also smashed windshields of taxis and three-wheelers and damagedcycle-rickshaws that plied on the roads indefiance of the call for the shutdown at thetowns of Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur andoutskirts of Patna

The rural camp started on the morningof December 15, theday violence eruptednear Jamia MilliaIslamia. 2 teachersand 2 non-teachingstaff accompanied uson the trip

The Chabahar port — jointly being developed byIndia, Iran andAfghanistan — isconsidered agateway to goldenopportunities fortrade with centralAsian nations by thethree countries

CAPSULE

Bharat Bond ETFoversubscribed1.7 timesNEW DELHI: The ambitiousBharat Bond ETF has closedfor subscription on Friday withover-subscription of 1.7 times,garnering Rs 12,000 crore tobe utilised for capex of PSUs.The base size of issue of Rs7,000 crore. "India's firstcorporate Bond ETF, BharatBond ETF, has received a greatresponse from investorsacross different segments. Theissue was over-subscribedapproximately 1.7 times,collecting about Rs 12,000crore. Information is subject tofurther update," DIPAMSecretary Tuhin Kanta Pandeysaid in a late evening tweet.The exchange-traded fund willinvest only in AAA-ratedbonds of public sectorcompanies and will havetarget maturity structures.The ETF with a 3-year maturitywill follow the Nifty BharatBond Index-April 2023 and theone with a 10-year maturitywill follow the Nifty BharatBond Index-April 2030.The yield as on 5 December2019, of Nifty Bharat BondIndex-April 2023 is 6.69 percent and the Nifty Bharat BondIndex-April 2030 is 7.58 percent.

TBZ Original says ithas no connectionwith TribhovandasBhimji Zaveri & SonsNEW DELHI: Leading jewellerTribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri orTBZ Original on Friday clarifiedthat it is in no way connectedwith Tribhovandas BhimjiZaveri & Sons Retail, which isfacing bankruptcyproceedings. The company,also known as TBZ-TheOriginal, in a BSE filing said itis neither connected nor doeshave any relation withTribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri &Sons Retail Pvt Ltd, which hasgone into insolvencyproceedings, nor do itspromoters or the managementhold any shares in thebankrupt jeweller. TBZ-TheOriginal has actor Sara AliKhan endorsing its brands,and is promoted by industryveteran Shrikant Zaveri, thefiling said. This clarificationcame in after the resolutionprofessional of TribhovandasBhimji Zaveri & Sons Retailput up a public notice onDecember 16 seeking claimsfrom lenders and non-financialcreditors.

VIJAYAWADA | SUNDAY | DECEMBER 22, 2019 money 06

‘No new ration card neededfor inter-state portability’PTI n NEW DELHI

No new ration card will berequired for availing the porta-bility benefit under the gov-ernment's ambitious 'onenation, one ration card' initia-tive to be rolled out across thecountry from June 2020, FoodMinister Ram Vilas Paswansaid on Friday.

Currently, the initiative isbeing implemented on a pilotbasis. Inter-state as well asstate level portability is beingtried in a cluster approach. Thegovernment's aim is to imple-ment the initiative across Indiafrom June 1, next year.

Under the initiative, eligiblebeneficiaries would be able toavail their entitled foodgrainunder the National FoodSecurity Act (NFSA) from anyFair Price Shop in the countryusing the same ration card.

Paswan, who reviewed theimplementation of the initia-tive, said, "There were reportsin some newspapers that newration cards will be needed forthis scheme. It is baseless. Nonew ration card (is) required.Existing card will be valid panIndia".

Beneficiaries will avail sub-sidised foodgrain using theirexisting ration card by bio-metric authentication on elec-tronic point of sale (ePoS)machines, he said in a series oftweets.

The minister said the state

level portability of ration cardis fully operational in 12 Statesand partially in four states.

The 'state-level portability'allows the ration card holdersto lift their foodgrain from anyePoS enabled fair price shops(FPS) within their district orstate.

Whereas 'inter-state porta-bility' is operational in eight

states in clusters of two-adjoin-ing states of Andhra Pradeshand Telangana; Gujarat andMaharashtra; Haryana andRajasthan and Karnataka andKerala, the minister added.

"Four more states MadhyaPradesh, Goa, Jharkhand andTripura will be clubbed withthese 8 states from January 1,2020 to make one cluster,"

Paswan said.He said the beneficiaries

from all these 12 states will beable to lift their entitled food-grain from any FPS of these 12states.

Paswan said the e-biometricauthentication of beneficiariesand state-level portability isessential for distribution offoodgrain under the 'OneNation One Ration Card'scheme.

However, Tamil Nadu andDelhi governments are notusing ePoS devices in rationshops. Assam government hasnot taken any initiative so farto install ePoS devices, hesaid.

In Tamil Nadu, the use ofePoS devices in 34,700 FPSshas not started despite achiev-ing 100 per cent Aadhaar seed-ing in ration cards.

In Delhi, the use of ePoSdevices remain suspendedsince April 2018 despite imple-mentation of 100 per cent bio-metric based distributionthrough ePoS in all its FPSs.

Whereas the Assam gov-ernment has not yet taken anyinitiation so far towards theinstallation of ePoS devices in38,300 FPSs even after contin-uous persuasion by the depart-ment, he added.

Under the NFSA, about 75crore beneficiaries have beencovered so far against the tar-get of 81.35 crore, as per offi-cial data.

Currently, the initiative is beingimplemented on a pilot basis. Inter-state aswell as state level portability is being triedin a cluster approach. The government'saim is to implement the initiative acrossIndia from June 1, next year

Trump signs $1.4tn in spending,avoids shutdownAP n WEST PALM BEACH

President Donald Trump hassigned off nearly USD 1.4 tril-lion in spending that will keepthe government fundedthrough September 30, dodgingthe possibility of a shutdownahead of what's expected to bea contentious election season.

White House deputy presssecretary Judd Deere saidTrump signed the legislationon Friday aboard Air ForceOne as he travelled to his Mar-a-Lago resort, where he will becelebrating Christmas andNew Year's.

The spending measures,which will add roughly USD400 billion to the deficit over10 years, include money forthe president's US-Mexico

border fence, pay raises formilitary and civilian federalworkers, and federal fundingfor election security grants.

The massive spending mea-sures were made public earli-er this week and headed off arepeat of last year's end-of-the-year impasse that led to a 35-day partial government shut-down. That showdownstemmed from Trump'sdemand that Congress sign offon nearly USD 6 billion infunding for the border wall.

Hundreds of thousands ofgovernment workers were fur-loughed or forced to workwithout pay during the shut-down. Trump skipped his hol-iday vacation and remained inWashington through theimpasse.

‘Steel industry may face disruption on expiry of mining leases’PTI n NEW DELHI

State-run SAIL on Saturdaysaid the steel industry may facedisruption post March 2020when a number of miningleases expire.

A clutch of mining leases forcoal and iron ore are slated toexpire by March next year.

According to the amendedMines and Minerals(Development and Regulation)Act, these licences will not berenewed and the mines will beallotted through fresh auc-tions.

"Today perhaps because ofthe change in the legislationeverything has to go throughthe auction route, which is cre-ating lots of issues and the steel

industry may face disruptionby 1.4.2020 because of theauctions of coal mines," SAIL

Chairman Anil KumarChaudhary said.

He was speaking at a session

on 'India: Roadmap To A USD5 Trillion Economy' organisedby industry chamber FICCIhere.

Another concern for theindustry is high input cost,Chaudhary said.

Today the production cost ofsteel in India is the highest andone of the major factors con-tributing to this are the taxes,he said.

Royalty is close to 20 per

cent on the input material,whether it is coal or iron ore.Freight cost is higher thanwhat is being paid in othercountries. Electricity also addsto the high production cost,Chaudhary said.

"In India, average produc-tion cost of per tonne steel isabout USD 450, whereas inChina it is as low as USD 350where players get benefit of lowtax and incentives," he empha-

sised.Coking coal and iron ore are

the two key raw materialsneeded for making steel.

"As far iron ore is con-cerned, we have it in abun-dance. The only thing is thejudicial allocation has to hap-pen. Coking coal is not avail-able in our country and thewhole industry is dependenton import of coking coal, par-ticularly integrated steel sectorimports from Australia,Indonesia, the US etc," hesaid.

All these challenges need tobe addressed for meeting theambitious 300 MT steel pro-duction capacity target set bythe government under theNational Steel Policy, he added.

Today perhaps because of the change in thelegislation everything has to go through the auctionroute, which is creating lots of issues and the steel

industry may face disruption by 1.4.2020 because of theauctions of coal mines

— ANIL KUMAR CHAUDHARY, SAIL CChairman

Govt allowsimport of uraddal up to 4lakh tonnePTI n NEW DELHI

The government has allowedimport up to 4 lakh tonnes ofurad dal this fiscal only bymillers and refiners to boostdomestic supply and preventspike in prices.

Earlier, the governmenthad allowed import of uradup to 1.5 lakh tonne for thefiscal ending March 2020.

"Import of urad shall besubject to an annual quota of4 lakh MT. Import of uradunder the quota restrictionwill be allowed only to themillers/refiners," said a noti-fication issued by theDirectorate General ofForeign Trade (DGFT).

The restriction, however,will not apply to the govern-ment's import commitmentsunder any bilateral or region-al agreements.

India Pulses and GrainsAssociation (IPGA)Chairman Jitu Bheda haddemanded relaxation ofnorms for import of urad dal.

Meanwhile, the govern-ment has decided to offload8.47 lakh tonne of pulsesfrom its buffer stock toboost domestic availabilityand ensure stability inprices.

The Centre has offered 3.2lakh tonne of tur (arhar), 2lakh tonne of urad, 1.2 lakhtonne of chana, 1.5 lakhtonne of moong and 57,000tonne of masoor.

‘Banking industry'sNPA situation toimprove by fiscal-end’PTI n NEW DELHI

SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumaron Saturday said most bankswill be in a good position withrespect to stressed assets byMarch and there is no dearthof liquidity in the system forlending.

He added that there areopportunities to lend in sec-tors such as infrastructureand consumer lending as thereis not much of a decline indemand from consumers.

"By March 31st, most of thebanks will be in a good posi-tion with respect to stressedassets," Kumar said at the92nd Annual Convention ofindustry chamber FICCI here.

On transmission of mone-tary policy, he said the bankscannot lower rates beyond athreshold due to asset liabili-ty mismatch issues.

Kumar stated that there isno shortage of capital in thesystem, but the corporates arenot borrowing enough and notutilising their capacities well.

On lending to the telecomsector for the next round ofspectrum auctions, he said,

"For us lending to the telecomsector for spectrum is com-pletely unsecured. On paper itis secured as the auction is tobe done by government butpractically it is totally unse-cured."

"So in such circumstances,banks will have to evaluatecarefully before lending to thesector as the probability ofdefault is very high," Kumarsaid.

By March 31st,most of the bankswill be in a good

position with respect tostressed assets

—RAJNISH KUMARSBI Chairman

STT GDC Indiaplans to doubledata centrecapacity in 3 yrsPNS n NEW DELHI

Data centre company STTGDC India on Friday said itplans to double its capacityin next 3 years to capitaliseon data growth in the coun-try.

Majorly owned bySingapore based ST Telemedia,the company on Fridaytouched 100 megawatt of ITload capacity with launch ofnew facility in Bengaluru.

"With Bengaluru facilitycoming up, we have reached100 megawatt of IT loadcapacity in India. We areplanning to invest beyondthis. In next 2-3 year weplan to double our capacity,"STT GDC India CEO SumitMukhija told PTI.

PNS n PARADIP

Public hearing for JSW Steel'sproposed plant at the site earli-er selected for the Posco project,passed off peacefully here onFriday with the district admin-istration of Jagatsinghpur assur-ing the people that their legiti-mate demands would be met.

Around 10,000 people fromnearby villages participated atthe hearing, held atGadakujang, but the peoplewho are likely to be affected bythe proposed project, the res-idents of Dhinkia, Nuagaonand Noliasahi villages, boy-cotted the public hearing.

More than 300 people placedtheir views on the impact of theproposed mega project on theenvironment.

"The public hearing wasabsolutely peaceful and many

people were allowed to givetheir opinion on the proposedproject," Jagatsinghpur districtcollector Sangram KeshariMohapatra told reporters.

"The district administrationis aware about the people'sgrievances and steps will betaken to protect interest of thelocals," Mohapatra said.

Odisha State Pollution

Control Board's regional offi-cer Ramesh Chandra Ekkaand JSW officials were alsopresent in the public hearing.

The district administrationhad deployed 25 platoons (oneplatoon comprises 30 person-nel) of the police force, keep-ing in view the prevailingresentment among the locals.

South Korean steel major

Posco had to abandon its Rs52,000 crore project at thesame site due to stiff oppositionof the local people.

However, the situation forJSW's project appears to havechanged as the former secre-tary of Posco Prarodh SangramSamiti (PPSS), Sisir Mohapatra,has welcomed the project anddemanded an ideal rehabilita-tion and resettlement packagefor the affected people.

PPSS was the local body offarmers which was opposingthe South Korean steel major'sproject tooth and nail.

All the participants spoke ofemployment, rehabilitationand impact of pollution on thelocal community.

All of them demanded thatjobs should be provided to thepeople who would be affectedby the project.

Odisha StatePollution ControlBoard's regionalofficer RameshChandra Ekkaand JSW officialswere alsopresent in thepublic hearing

PTI n NEW DELHI

Over 1,400 remote locationswhere Indian soldiers are post-ed will be connected withsatellite communications sys-tem or VSAT which will helpthese jawans to communicatewith their families over phone,the government said on Friday.

Military and paramilitarysoldiers stationed in thoseremote locations will get 1 GBdata per day through VSATfacility.

"Digital CommunicationCommission (DCC) todayapproved to use VSAT for con-necting 1,409 remote loca-tions provided by the Ministryof Defence and HomeMinistry where jawans areposted. We will provide free 1GB data daily which they canuse to make calls to theirfamilies," Telecom SecretaryAnshu Prakash told reporters.

He said that at present thesesoldiers at these locationsdepend on community or vil-lage telephones to connectwith their families.

"With this system, soldiers

will be able to subscribe con-nections at very cheap rate andmake calls to their families ata nominal price," Prakash said.

The VSAT will provide datadownload speed of 1-10megabit per second.

The DCC, apex decisionmaking body at theDepartment of Telecom,approved providing digitalconnectivity to 4,087 uncov-ered villages in 112 aspira-tional districts across thecountry. This will also includeconnectivity to all 144 uncon-nected villages in Jammu andKashmir and Leh union terri-tories, Prakash said.

Soldiers in remoteareas can now useVSAT to call families

Military andparamilitarysoldiersstationed inthose remotelocations will get1 GB data perday throughVSAT facility

AI employee unionsseek waiver of loans

Public hearing passes off peacefully

PTI n MUMBAI

Several employee unions ofAir India on Friday wrote toPrime Minister NarendraModi demanding waiver of theairline's loans and run it bya professional man-agement.

Against the back-drop of the govern-ment working outthe modalities forAir India disinvest-ment, seven employeegroupings have also said thecarrier can be turned around.

"Air India has been report-ing operational profit for aslong as three years. Servicingthe loans is a major challengeas the annual outgo is anupwards of Rs 4,000 crore,"they said in a letter.

The letter has been signedby representatives of seven

unions -- Indian CommercialPilots' Association, IndianPilots' Guild, Air CorporationsEmployees' Union, All IndiaCabin Crew Association, AirIndia Employees' Union,Indian Aircraft Technicians'

Association and All IndiaAircraft Engineers'Association.

The unions haveurged the government

to consider waiving thecredits and have the air-

line run by a professionalmanagement.

"We have immense faith,that taking these actions willindeed find Air India in theleague of profit making carri-ers, once again.

"... Air India can be turnedaround and run successfully inthe hands of professionals ifthe government intends for itto," the letter said.

Govt reformsspecial economiczones frameworkPTI n NEW DELHI

The government on Fridayannounced reforms to theexisting SEZ legal frameworkwhereby provisions for min-imum land area and sectorspecific and multi-productSEZs have been amended.

Henceforth, all existing andnew SEZs would becomemulti-sector SEZs therebyenabling coexistence of a SEZunit from any sector alongwith any other SEZ unit.

Further, the provisionsgoverning the minimum landarea requirement for settingup of SEZs have also beenrelaxed and simplified, anofficial statement said.

"The amendment whichwere notified today are expect-ed to be a major step inunlocking the potential ofSEZs to attract investments andboost exports," the Commerceand Industry Ministry said.

Japan lifts curbs on export of keychip material to South KoreaAFP n MUMBAI

Japan has lifted curbs on theexport of a key microchipmaterial to South Korea, newsreports said Saturday, daysbefore the leaders of both coun-tries meet in their first formaltalks for more than a year.

The ministry of economy,trade and industry on Fridayremoved photoresists -- usedto coat semiconductor circuit

boards -- from Tokyo's exportrestrictions against Seoul, theAsahi Shimbun newspaperand other reports said.

Japan tightened export con-trols on three materials essen-

tial to key products of SouthKorean tech companies such asSamsung in July after a seriesof South Korean court rulingsordered Japanese firms to com-pensate war-time forced labourvictims.

The move infuriated Tokyo,which insists the matter was set-tled in a 1965 treaty normalis-ing diplomatic relations betweenthe two countries, which includ-ed significant reparations.

JSW STEEL’S PLANT AT JAGATSINGHPUR IN ODISHA

special 07VIJAYAWADA | SUNDAY | DECEMBER 22, 2019

POWERPUFF GIRLSMUSBA HASHMI meets young crusaders from Jharkhand and Rajasthan who have been making adifference in their respective villages with their body of work defying age barriers. Their fight is againstageold contentious issues like child marriage, casteism, illiteracy and child labour. A report

At an age as young as 13, when most girlstend to live in a make belief world,where everything is sweet and nice, twolittle warriors decided to initiate afight against the evils in the society. Meet

Arti Kumari and Champa Kumari who feared noneand raised their voice against the villains likecasteism, child marriage, child labour and illitera-cy, that are there in the society since time immemo-rial.

Hailing from Raipura in Alwar, Rajasthan, Artiis a Class VII student and the second eldest of thefour siblings in the family. Her father is a jawaanin the Army and is posted in the conflict areas ofKashmir.

Arti’s village comprises of many families frombackward castes and tribes. The access to socialspaces and village infrastructure depends very muchon the caste of the person. Arti’s family belongs toa higher caste, and therefore is economically andsocially more comfortable than many in the com-munity.

Despite the fact that Arti has never faced anydiscrimination, her zeal to take up the issue ofcasteism at such a young age amazes everyone.“How can you decide how to treat another personbased on their caste? This isn’t even something theychoose for themselves,” she asks passionately.

To eradicate this evil practice, Arti started inter-acting with the people from the lower castes. Butthis didn’t sit well with many people in her village,not even her family. “My mother used to ask mewhat I was doing and that the whole village will boy-cott me, but I told her that they too are human andthere is nothing to avoid them. Gradually, my fam-ily understood what I was doing, but I had to gothrough a lot of resistance from the villagers whoused to ask my parents whether I am in my sens-es or not,” she tells you.

Not only this, Arti took a step ahead by hav-ing a meal in the house of one such family on theocassion of Makar Sankranti.

The other thing that kept disturbing Arti wasthat none of the children from lower castes or theBanjara community went to school. “Initially, itnever bothered me. But after I was told about theopportunities that open up when you get educat-ed, I started wondering, ‘How would the future forthese children be, without education?’” she tells you.

This thought made Arti and other childrendetermined to work to change the situation. As aresult, today, all 96 children in her village areenrolled in schools around the area.

When Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) start-ed its work here in 2015, every third child in thevillage was either out-of-school, or not enrolled.Many children worked in the stone quarries for ameager sum of money. The area is also consideredto be a source point for child trafficking. Lured bytraffickers disguised as contractors, many poor fam-ilies agree to send their children to work in cities.As a result, many children end up trafficked for ille-gal purposes.

The Banjara community, a historically nomadic

tribe, lives on the outskirts of the village, rankingthe lowest in the societal hierarchy. None of theBanjara children from here ever went to school until2015.

Guided by the activists, Arti along with otherchildren, tried to understand the rights childrenhave. They were astonished to see how the rightsof many children around them were violated reg-ularly. This was especially common in the case ofchildren from the Banjara and other low-caste com-munities. This realisation made the group ready totake the matter into their own hands.

Driven with the motivation to change the sit-uation of children, Arti contested the Bal Panchayatelections and became an elected member.

“Along with other children, I used to organiserallies, door-to-door campaigns, and personalmeetings with parents, highlighting the conse-quences of ill-practices like child marriage, childlabour, and abuse and exploitation of children.However, initially all of them used to drive us away,showing no interest of engaging into any kind ofconversation. But, I kept trying until the day theyagreed to sit and talk,” she says.

Arti and the other members of the BalPanchayat also played a pivotal role in stopping childmarriages happening in their village with the sup-port of village elders and activists.

Among all the challenges, the biggest challengewas to convince the Banjara community people tosend their children to school. “Who will take thecattle out for grazing?” “Who will go earn for thefamily?” “Will the children from the upper casteeven talk to our children?” Questions like thesehounded the Bal Panchayat members.

Therefore, the group changed their strategy.They started regularly engaging the Banjara chil-dren in sports and playing with them. “When wefirst went to the community, they showed no inter-est of talking to us. They used to say hamare bach-chon ko bigad degi yeh ladki and various otherthings. That time, I felt like giving up. It felt badbecause what we were doing was for their own goodbut still we had to hear such bad things that demo-tivated us. In this phase of time, what kept us goingwas the words of BBA activists. They told us thatfighting evil is not as easy as it seems and that thiswas just a small portion of it.

“We started visiting the community regularly.We tried conversing with the children but all wentin vain. The parents gave strict instructions to thechildren to not indulge in any talks with us. Thenwe started playing games amongst each other. Thislured the Banjara children and gradually weearned their trust. We developed a deeper rela-tionship with them. We then we were able to con-vince the children about the importance of educa-tion and play. And eventually, both the parents andthe children agreed to go to school,” she tells you.

The Bal Panchayat also had a Banjara boy elect-ed as the sarpanch (head), which was ground-breaking. Arti, as the secretary of the council, con-tinued focusing on regularisation of education forchildren from the Banjara community. The group

also campaigned against caste-based discrimination,and for improving the quality of education andinfrastructure in their schools.

Arti has also spoken fearlessly against the castesystem and reservations on many platforms like ral-lies and campaigns at the village level. She debatesthat reservations should be on the basis of one’s eco-nomic condition, and the benefits should percolatedown to the ones who need it the most.

The Gram Panchayat also recognises this BalPanchayat and thus acts swiftly on children’s con-cerns. Due to their impact, the Block DevelopmentOfficer and other administrative officials also coop-erate with them.

They have collectively been able to contributeto the village’s development tremendously, especiallythe condition of schools. Improved attendance ofenrolled children in school owing to regular teach-ers, improved meals, better student-teacher ratio,and better play grounds have been some of themajor achievements of this collaboration.

At this point, the challenge for this group of res-olute children is to get the route of an open drainadjacent to their school diverted. The drain over-flows during the rains and spews waste around theschool and on the play ground, making it inacces-sible, and also creating foul smells.

“We have already communicated about this tothe Gram Panchayat, and they have told us that theywill act on this soon,” Arti says, with a twinkle inher eyes that speaks of the confidence these kidshave in themselves.

There is a lot many changes that Arti hopes tosee in the girls of her village. “I would want that thegirls should feel empowered. Though, the changehas come. Earlier, these girls never went to theschool without a companion. So if one was absentfrom the school, the other will not go as well. Mostof them preferred staying back at their homes. Butnow, none of them wants to miss the school. Evenif someone is absent, the other will go by her own.This is the change that I would like to see on a larg-er scale that the girls should come forward and standfor their rights,” she says.

While Arti is much wiser than her age,Champa, a resident of Jhamdar village, is no less.She is the Vice President of National Maha BalPanchayat. She has also won the prestigious DianaAward for her work against child marriages in mica-mining areas of Jharkhand and was felicitated byDropdi Murmuat, Jharkhand Governor at RajBhawan in Ranchi.

Champa Kumari was once a school dropout andused to go to mines to collect mica as her educa-tion was never the priority of her family. In the year2016, Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundationintervened in Champa’s village with the aim to putan end to evil practices like child marriages, childlabour, child trafficking and all forms of childexploitation as well as ensuring 100 per cent enrol-ment of children in school.

“Like me, there were a lot of children in my areawho were taken to the mines to collect mica by theirparents. Their age was never a concern for the par-

ents. Even children as young as eight years wereinvolved in the work. Once the parents thought thatthe child is big enough to become a helping hand,they would take them to work,” she says.

Being a child who had been into mica mining,she understands how hazardous it is and all shewanted was to stop other children from falling preyto such jobs.

Apart from being a mica hub, her village prac-tises child marriage as a tradition, but Champawanted to put an end to this. Therefore, with theintervention of Champa Kumari and other mem-bers of Bal Panchayat two child marriages werefoiled in her village.

“I got to know about the marriage through somevillagers. A 12-year-old girl was being married offto a man much older to her. I went there along withother members of the Bal Panchayat and we stoppedthat horrendous act. It was difficult to convince theparents to not marry their daughter in one go, butafter multiple attempts we were able to save the girl,”she says. In her village, girls aged between 12-14are usually married to boys between 18-19 years ofage.

The whole village stood against Champa, butthe young heart had no plans of back tracking. “Myparents told me not to intervene in such matters.The villagers used to call us names for not abidingby the so called laws of the village. But maine kabhihimmat nahin haari. I told me parents that the wayI was rescued from child labour, it is my responsi-bility to help others and somehow they were con-vinced and supported my decision,” she tells you.

The largest impact of Champa’s efforts thatcould be seen is the reduction rate of child mar-riages in her village. She has become a catalyst ofchange not only in her village, but in the nearbyvillages as well.

There are many children like Champa who arededicated to making child friendly nation throughdeveloping the collective leadership by childrenthemselves using democratic process across India.

Champa KKumariArti KKumari

}

I AM HAPPY TO SEETHAT SOME AMOUNT OF

EMPOWERMENT HASCOME TO THE GIRL CHILD.

TODAY, ANY GIRL GOINGTO SCHOOL DOESN’T

NEED TO BE ESCORTEDFROM HOME

— ARTI KUMARI

sundaymagazine

11

Vijayawada, December 22, 2019

Ruler: Strictly for fans

If you have lived in a metro cityall your life, you are most likelyto have missed some of the bestchoices in food. The glut ofimported vegetables and fruits in

urban markets make for a good eye-wash and most of us are aware of thisalready. The day the urban marketsstart stocking wild purslane and wildfiddle head fern in season, we wouldknow our choices have improved. Wedon’t realise how much we can controlthe food system and the market just bymaking the right choices and beingaware in the first place. We end upconsuming a very narrow range ofproduce even though there is a vastvariety available and remains under-valued. For example, India is the lead-ing producer of lentils and we stillneed to import lentils from othercountries because most of us consumeonly two to three types of lentils as sta-ples and a large variety of lentilsremain undervalued.

Just think of the lentils you can recog-nise by taste and if all you can come upwith is kali dal and peeli dal and may besambar, you need to educate yourself bet-ter. The amazing variety of lentils avail-able in India has a potential to make oureveryday food much more nutritious andbring a wider flavour profile to our plate.

In fact, the awareness about the vari-ety of real foods and ingredients availablearound us can be instrumental in bring-ing a desired change in our own healthmanagement and the environment of theplanet. The regional variety of foods with-in the country is mind boggling andwhen I see people lugging gluten-freeflours from the west, I wonder when andhow would we market our millets better.Recently, when I moved to Dehradun, Iwas most excited aboutthe local seasonal veg-etables, lentils and

beans I now have access to. But when Iheard a Maharashtrian neighbourlamenting about the unavailability ofmotth lentils in the town and anotherKeralite neighbour complain about howdifficult it was to bring ragi flour fromher native place, I figured it was time tointroduce them to local produce asreplacements. I took them to the kiranashop across the road and introducedthem to the naurangi dal and mandue kaatta. In the bargain, I made friends withthe kirana shop owner, who got me localhemp seeds. This kind of personal con-nect with ingredients wouldn’t havebeen possible at the supermarket a cou-ple of kilometres away. Ah, we surely needto realign our food compass a little bit tosee clearly.

Iam reminded of a story my grand-mother used to tell me when I was lit-tle. It is a story of a little birdie who

used to go searching for lentil grits in thechakki of each home and how she oncetried to pick a lentil and half of the splitlentil got stuck in the chakki. The birdielamented about how she didn’t getenough food for her pardes (foreign) trav-el. It was possibly a migratory bird whoneeded all the food for the long distancetravel and the hand operated stone-millin the homes was the best place to pickon them. Several folk tales and ancientsayings had lentils as a central theme inIndia. This just goes to say that lentilshave been an important part of our foodsystem.

Interestingly, the hand-operatedstone mill has been instrumental in theways lentils have been used in India, thelargest producer and consumer of lentilson earth. In fact, the black lentil or uraddal and black chickpeas or black gram arenative to India and have been used in var-ious ways since the time recorded. Mungbeans have been known to have originat-

ed from black lentils, hence the genus ofboth remains the same, that is vignamungo. Various other lentils came toIndia through spice routes and othertrade routes and have become naturalisedever since. The most interesting occur-rence of the readiness with which Indiansadapted each lentil to suit the palate andgut both, as some of these lentils were nottasty, most of them not easily digestible,some had a very hard seed coat and somewere hard to crack.

The hand-operated chakki camehandy to process the lentils in the mostusable form. The traditional domesticchakki used to have small wooden pegsto adjust to the size of grain or lentil beingmilled and if the lentils needed to be splitor ground into flour to make besan orsattu. In many small town homes tillabout four decades ago, the besan or sattuused to be made fresh whenever need-ed, much like we use the mixie or coffeegrinder today.

There were byproducts of the stonegrinding process and those were neverwasted. While the husk or bran went tocattle feed, the grits were used to makedifferent types of steamed dumplings ordeep fried pakodas or the sun dried badisthat were flavour bombs to be added tocurries. While women of the house hadto handle all this milling, sorting, win-nowing, badi making and sun drying andthen cooking as well, they found ways toentertain and bond over these chores.

In fact stone grinders and cookingtechniques from different regions ofthe country give a fair idea of how the

kitchen gadgets and ways of cookinghave evolved with the kind of producein a specific geographic region. Forinstance, in the mountain state ofUttarakhand, the variety of lentils andbeans is quite huge but most of them arehard to grind and take hours to cook. In

the mountains, high altitude also playsa role in cooking time. The harder thelentils, the more difficult they are todigest. This is also the reason the mostpopular lentil recipes of Uttarakhand arewell adjusted to their hardness, cookingtime and digestibility.

Lentil recipes like Phanu, Chainsu,Dubka and Ras are elaborate Uttarakhandrecipes where the lentils are first roast-ed and then cooked whole or aftergrinding them in a stone grinder. Thesedishes are slow cooked in iron utensils forlong hours to make them most nutritiousand warming for the locals, where theydon’t get a lot of produce to cook with.In the mountains, where the lentils andbeans are rain fed crops along with somecoarse varieties of rice and millets, lentilsbecome the mainstay of nutrition foreveryone. Even the seasonal or foragedvegetables are greens are preserved in theform of sun dried lentil cakes or badis.

The stone grinders in the southernstates are more adapted for the ways thelentils are processed before cooking. Tomake the lentils digestible and suited forthe warm climate, they are soaked andground into a wet paste before ferment-ing them in most cases. The stonegrinders for wet grinding are in fact agenius design that allows efficient use ofmanual force to make smooth paste ofsoaked lentils and even grains and spicesetc. For splitting the lentils, there werethe chakki type stone grinders in south-ern India in the olden times and thatexplains the evolution of some of thelentil vadas that are made with coarselyground mixed lentils, initially madewith the grits that was a byproduct ofsplitting the lentils. Even the wateryrasam and chunky sambar, cooked witha lot of vegetables and tamarind, areexamples of lentil recipes adapted to suitlocal ingredients and warmer climate ofthe south.

Rajasthan and Gujarat use the max-imum amount of lentils for the variety ofsnacks and main course dishes they cookwith lentils, majorly the black gram. Therecipes from these regions are often richwith fats and spices but very well adjust-ed to the climate, cooking methods anddigestibility.

In modern times, in the last 4 decadesto be specific, the electric mixergrinders have revolutionised the way

we cook and the per capita consumptionof lentils has increased manifold. Ofcourse, the production has also increased,but the ease of grinding the lentils hasmade it much easier for the home cook.That is one of the reasons why everyNorth Indian family makes idli and dosaat home now and making the dal vadaat home is as easy as the pyaz ke pakode.Even the South Indian stone grindershave transformed to electrically operat-ed sleek machines and making tradition-al foods using lentils and grains hasbecome easier for everyone.

My book on pakodas, the quintessen-tial snack made mostly with lentils hasrecipes using many different lentils andeven grains, tubers and even fruits.Many of these pakoda family snacks areshallow fried and even steamed and thatindicates that the traditional recipeshave evolved with human nutritionbeing the central point even if the tastebuds ruled to decide the flavours. Thebook on pakodas celebrates the diversi-ty in Indian food with some recipes withwild and foraged greens and even somemedicinal pakoda recipes that were partof the everyday food repertoire in everyhousehold earlier.

The writer is an author; a food andnutrition consultant; and develops

recipes and products for the industry.Her book Pakodas: The Snack for allSeasons came out in August this year

Outdated storyline, tried and tested drama scenes, slow narration, non-practical action scenes, unflattering makeover of Balakrishna, and the list

goes on…. makes the film nothing but a huge disappointment

F R O M T H E I N S I D E

The variety oflentils available in

India has thepotential to make

our everyday foodmuch more

nutritious andbring a wider

flavour profile toour plate, writes

SANGEETAKHANNA

andLentils

pakodas

Don’t ever give up.Never ever listen to

anyone, when they try todiscourage you,

because they do that,believe me!

— Mariah Carey

Instead of expecting externalintervention, better put in consciousefforts to make necessary amends

No shortcut to fixing issues

PakodasThe Snack for All SeasonsThe book explores the regional

pakoda variants that are deep fried,shallow fried and even steamed orpoached in water. There are pakodasmade of lentils, cereals, millets,roots, shoots, leaves and even flow-ers, some are made of wild foragedherbs and some even medicinal.

Such is the rich heritage ofIndian cuisine that each geographicalregion with a specific set of producehas a bunch of special pakodas ordeep fried foods that are absolutelyhealthy if made the right way.

The book also offers tips andtricks, methods to make the pakodasin healthier way, using the right kindof cooking fats, the appropriate fryingtemperature, as well as the most suit-able utensils to make pakodas.

10

sundaymagazine

health 09Vijayawada, December 22, 2019

WHETHER YOU HAVE LONG OR SHORT HAIR, WINTER WEATHER CAN MAKE THE ENDS OF YOUR

HAIR DRY AND BRITTLE. REGULAR TRIMS WILL KEEP YOUR HAIR IN GOOD CONDITION AND REDUCE

THE CHANCE OF SPLIT ENDS.

k KEEP SHAMPOOINGTO THE MINIMUMChemical shampoos are notorious for con-suming essential naturaloils from your scalp. Andyour hair is going to needall the oil it can get thiswinter season. Firstthings first, switch toshampoos or shampoobars that don’t haveparabens or sulfates thatexhaust all-natural oilsfrom your scalp.Shampoo your hair onlyonce or twice a week.And if you are prone togreasy hair and need toshampoo more often,then worry not as all-nat-ural shampoos will keepyour scalp safe.

k OIL ’EM BEFORE YOUWASH ’EMOiling hair is a must inmost Indian households.But this time, warm yourhair oil and massage thescalp well. Leave it inovernight. Not only willthe warm oil nourishyour scalp but also giveyour hair a gorgeoussmooth texture.

k NEVER FORGET THECONDITIONERYour hair is going to needit the most during thecold days and freezingnights. Every time youshampoo this winter sea-son, apply conditionerfrom the mid-length tothe tips. Keep it on for acouple of minutes beforewashing it off. Pat dry

your hair and voila!Frizz-free, silky soft hair!

k CONTROL THE TEMPERATURE THISWINTER SEASONWe know, we know. Hotshowers are the best andespecially in winters, theyare irresistible. But thesteaming hot water willstrip all-natural oils fromyour scalp and skin. Takewarm baths, use lukwarmwater and avoid superhot showers as far as pos-sible.

k NO HEAT STYLINGEITHERWhile we are on the topicof hot showers, don’theat-style your haireither. Frequent blow-drying, straightening orcurling damages yourhair and make them brit-tle. While you need tocontrol excessive stylingall year round, wintersmake your hair especiallyvulnerable and so, youneed to switch off thehair appliances.Having said that, step-ping outside the homewith wet hair is also abad idea. Pat hair with asoft towel and air drythem before heading out.

k KEEP DANDRUFFAWAY THIS WINTERSEASONWinter hats are in! Notonly are they fashionable,but they’ll also protectyour hair from pollutionand dust that is likely tosettle as the temperatures

drop. But with that,there’s also the chances ofscalp sweat, itchy headand ugh, dandruff! Butmake sure you keep yourscalp free from the flakes

k NOT JUST YOURHAIR, YOU NEED TOKEEP HYDRATEDTOO!It’s not just your hair thatneeds to stay hydratedthis winter season. Youneed to too. Unlike sum-mers, it’s easy to forgetdrinking water or juicesin the cold months. Butmake it a point to stayhydrated because yourdehydration will reflecton your hair too! Keep abottle of water or juice onyour desk and sip regu-larly.

k BONUS TIPS:“Whether you have longor short hair, winterweather can make theends of your hair dry andbrittle. Regular trims willkeep your hair in goodcondition and reduce thechance of split ends. Take the extra time toblow-dry your hair or letit dry naturally beforegoing outside. In coldweather, your hair willtake a long time to dry -and if your hair freezes,you risk breakage,”advices Head andShoulders regarding win-ter hair care.

— Source: The Better India;Head and Shoulders

FASTING OF ADIFFERENT KIND

Everyone has heardof fasting and

dieting. But do youknow there is

something calledskin fasting? Yes,

you heard that right!Skin fasting is a

concept which isrelatively new and is

slowly paving itsway into society.

However, for theuninitiated, we bringto you a small guideproviding an insight

into this practice.Listed here are a setof do's and don'ts, if

you'd like toincorporate it into

your skin careregime along with

some good ol'doctors' advise,

writes ANUSHKAPRADEEP

WHAT IS SKIN FASTING?Skin fasting encourages the concept of taking a break from one’s usualskin care routine in an effort to provide the skin a break from theexcessive skin care product usage. The concept revolves around detox-ification of the skin by allowing the skin’s natural system to work bytemporarily distancing oneself from skin care aides.

The trend toward abstinence and “skin fasting” came into beingwith an upsurge of multiple products flooding the market. It aims toprevent people from falling trap to the ‘new and latets’ product avail-abile on the shelves.

HOW TOPRACTICESKINFASTING?Just like regular fasting, skinfasting can be done by simplyapplying nothing to your faceand cleansing it with luke-warm water.

BENEFITSOF SKINFASTING Just like our body, even theskin needs to detox once in awhile. And skin fasting is apractice similar to diet restric-tions to give your body abreak and cleanse from, sayfood binges.

Skin detox can be helpfulfor those who use a lot ofstimulants like anti-ageingcreams, or skin lighteningcreams, or those who wear toomuch make-up regularly.

“A slight improvement,however, is advisable to bemade into the skin fastingregime, by incorporating thebasic essentials of skin careinto the fasting practise. Oneshould follow this method bycustomising the regime basedon what suits them best,” saidDr Rupa, ConsultantDermatologist, elaborating onthe technique.

THINGSTO KEEPIN MIND “There are a set of people forwhom, it is mandatory to fol-low a skin care routine. Peoplewho have eczema, acne-proneskin, or sensitive skin in gen-eral, have to use certain prod-ucts to keep their skin healthy.Abstaining from these prod-ucts even for a couple of daysmay have adverse effects ontheir skin. Skin fasting ishence, not suggested for suchpeople,” Dr Rupa adds.

“People with a skin typecompatible for skin-fastingcan definitely try it as long asthey ensure they don’t skipon the basic essentials.Basic skin care products,such as cleansers, mois-turisers and sunscreensonly benefit your skinwith regular applicationand fasting from thesebasic essentials might domore harm than good,”she concludes.

OTHERBENEFITSA skin detox lets one knowwhether they are using thewrong product for their skintype or if they are unknowinglyusing harsh or drying ingredi-ents. If you distance yourselffrom the products that aren’tgood for your skin, you’ll see avisible change. The key is to findthe right combination of prod-ucts that can help your skin.

If you’re over-exfoliating, skinfasting lets your skin recover.

Our skin produces an oilysubstance called sebum thathelps prevent moisture loss.Cutting out on external prod-ucts will let the skin neutraliseand let sebum take over.

It is to be kept in mind thatskin fasting is not a procedurethat is to be practised through-out the year. It is done to giveyour skin some healing time sothat you can restart using skin-care products as needed.

There are a set of people for whom, it is mandatory to follow askin care routine. People who have eczema, acne-prone skin, orsensitive skin in general, have to use certain products to keeptheir skin healthy. Abstaining from these products even for acouple of days may have adverse effects on their skin. Skinfasting is hence, not suggested for such people

SEVEN simple tipsfor winter hair care

HERE ARE SOME EASYSTEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO

MAINTAIN YOUR GORGEOUSLOCKS THIS COLD SEASON:

weater weath-er is here! T’sthe season ofsnuggling intowarmknitwear, feet

tucked into soft sock, asteamy cup of coffee ortea. But T’s also a seasonof diligent winter skin-care and haircare rou-tines. Winter is here andit is most likely to resultin frail, dehydrated,weak-looking hair oftenaccompanied by hairloss. Fortunately, theseproblems can be kept atbay through simple pre-cautionary measures.

S

sundaymagazine

showtime 10THAMBI: DIRECTOR JEETHU JOSEPH HAS A WAY OF

BLENDING FAMILY AND THRILLER IN A SEAMLESS WHOLE.THAMBI, WHICH STARS KARTHI AND JYOTHIKA, SCORES BIG ONTHAT ACCOUNT AND WORKS BECAUSE IT HAS A GOOD MIX OF

DRAMA, SENTIMENT AND SUSPENSE

Prathi Roju….

A SHORT-LIVED ‘PANDAGA'K RAMYA SREE

rathi RojuPandage is asimple non-fuzzy filmfilled withlaughter and a

bag full of other emotionswhich doesn’t go in syncwith each other.

The film starts with Sai(Sai Dharam Tej), son ofRao Ramesh and grand-son of Satya Raj, flying toIndia after hearing thenews that his grandfatherhas lung cancer.

Since Satya Raj cannotsurvive for more than fiveweeks, Sai wants to makethe last few days a panda-ga for his grandfather,hence the title.

The sons and daughterof Satya Raj are NRIs anddo not want to fly downto India leaving theirwork. Sai, meanwhile, getsintroduced to AngelAarna (Raashi Khanna),his grandfather’s best-friend’s granddaughter,whom he wants Sai to tiethe knot with.

From here on the filmrevolves around how Sai’sfamily members fly down

to India and wait for SatyaRaj’s death so that theycan perform his last ritesand return to their rou-tine life.

This is a routine familydrama a laShatamanambhavati,where they want theelderly to spend time withtheir busy NRI kids.

The humour in the filmis an added bonus withoutwhich the film would’vebeen a disaster as it has apretty boring storyline.

Speaking of perfor-mances, let’s begin withSai. This is a comebacktrail for him as his lastdidn’t do well at the boxoffice. His makeover hashelped the film and hisacting is okay during theclichéd comic scenes, butwhen it comes to showingemotions, he falls flat.There were rumours thatSai would sport a 6-packabs in the film. That couldhave been photoshoppedas he still has a long wayto go.

Satya Raj’s over the topacting was not in syncwith Sai’s weak emotionalscenes. Rao Ramesh hasdelivered a good perfor-

mance as a possessivefather.

Raashi Khanna, whoplays a social media fanat-ic, has done a fairly goodjob and the comedyrevolving around herscenes arte a plus point.Like any other big film,even here, Raashi’s char-acter feeels like it wasused just to up the glam-our quotient. Hari Tejadeserves a special men-tion for playing the char-acter of KukatapllyCanteen owner.

Apart from the afore-mentioned actors, the filmhas a slew of other char-acters like Naresh, Suhas,Murali Sharma and Ajay.

Speaking of the direc-tion, script and screen-play, Maruthi fails todeliver a good story. Thefilm could’ve had a betterending or at least a differ-ent message. He opts forthe tried and tested emo-tional family drama asone gets to know wherethe film is headed. He isgood with the comicaspects through AngelAarna’s character and oth-ers. The comedy despiteproviding relief from the

bland script is a hit andmiss.

Then there are a fewplugs in the screenplay.Satya Raj who will die infive weeks is all chirpyand happy except for theclimax scenes. The moviefails to connect with theaudience. At no pointdoes one feel bad aboutthe old man or get emo-tional.

Speaking of music,Thaman does a better jobthan his previous film,Venky Mama, where themusic turned out to be aminus for the film.Although it had someunnecessary songs, thecomposition is better thanwhat it was earlier.

VERDICT: Prathi RojuPandage fails toimpress in terms ofemotions. Predictable,unflattering storylinemight not leave youthrilled as you knowwhat’s going to happennext. The film has amessy and randomending. This film is amiscalculation fromthe very reliableMaruthi.

P

Rating:3 stars

Cast: Sai Dharam Tej, Rashi Khanna,Sathyaraj, Rao Ramesh

t one level, it iseasy reviewingDabangg 3. Ithas everythingthe hardcoreChulbul fans

want, so it’s a great film.For them.

For a 160-minute cele-bration of recycled kitschthat is vying to be theyear’s biggest blockbuster,simply pleasing SalmanKhan’s hardcore fan basemay not be enough —especially when there is akilling to be made in theChristmas season against arumoured 90-crore budget.So, Dabangg 3 opens wellbeyond the superstar’sfamiliar turf, in three lan-guages — Tamil, Telugu,and Kannada — besidesthe original Hindi version.

That last bit is importantto understand howsaleability quotient drivesthe efforts of the makers tocraft a commercially prof-itable product rather thanmainstream cinema withsome amount of originality.This is Salman’s show allthe way, but the villain is aKannada superstar(Kichcha Sudeep). Callingthe shots is Prabhudeva,actor-filmmaker who holdsconsiderable sway in Tamiland Telugu markets. AsBollywood’s mightiestKhan goes down South toexplore fresh box office,this new sequel triesrehashing the trademark

Dabangg spirit that hasalways revealed a massivehangover of the vintageMadras Cut movie.

This time, Salman andcompany show us ChulbulPandey’s life before the firstfilm, pushing a prequel textof sorts in the first halfbefore tying the loose endsin the second. It gives us aback story of Chulbul trac-ing his romance of thepast, marking the debut ofactress Saiee Manjrekar inwhat seems like an extend-ed cameo and little else.

Having Salman romancea much-younger Saieelooks like a mere ploy to lethim revisit all that workedin the first Dabangg. Thechemistry for one — acrossthose smalltown market-place sets in the songNaina lade — would harkback to what he did withSonakshi Sinha’s Rajjo inthe first film (rememberTere mast mast do nain?).Much of the rom-com situ-ations between Salman andSaiee, as well as the melo-drama, are also repeats ofwinning scenes we haveseen before.

Long before the film hitsintermission mark, yourealise this truth: Theinstruction given toPrabhudeva was obviouslyclear — churn out a sequelthat’s a rerun of the firsttwo films, in terms ofromance, violence,humour and drama ped-

dled. It has to be biggerand glossier, if not as styl-ish.

The Dabangg flicks fol-low a classic narrativestructure of commercialIndian cinema. The hero,an invincible do-gooder,after initial mooning aboutwith the heroine (and apossible minor build-upconflict with the villain),will prepare for a secondhalf that is heavy withaction and retribution.Chulbul’s adventure in thisfilm does not waver.

The film, incidentallywritten by Salman, retainsevery formula, as Chulbul’senmity with bad man BalliSingh (Sudeep) finds itroots in the back story ofthe first half, before beingresolved by the hero withtypical violent elan in theclimax.

Given that most of whathappens just seems to bean amped-up repeat of thepast two films, Salmanmust be hoping the seven-year gap between the lastfilm and this one haswhetted audience appetite— that fans are game towatch familiar ChulbulPandey antics all overagain.

To be fair, Salman is inhis elements, and that’swhat wholly drives thisfilm. If Bollywood everhad a comic action heroworth his smoking barrels,it has to be the maverick

Chulbul Pandey. WithDabangg 3, the superstar isclearly trying to raiseChulbul’s stature as aninvincible superhero a fewnotches higher. He is a nat-ural winner in the fightsequences (personally, Ifelt the action scenes wereChulbul’s highlights in thefilm). He clearly continuesto relish spewing thosewitty oneliners, too. But helooks fatigued in thedrama and romancescenes.

Salman’s flamboyance asChulbul the supercop,however, fails to hide thefact that you are essentiallypaying to watch the samefilm for the third time.Hardcore fans may notcomplain, because ChulbulPandey’s world is stillwoven around their hero.

You feel sorry for poorRajjo, though. In a filmwhere various sharpobjects play a major role inthe killings, the only actionSonakshi Sinha gets with aknife is chopping vegeta-bles in the kitchen.

Dabangg 3:

HAS EVERYTHING HARDCORE CHULBUL FANS WANT

alakrishnahas believedthe magic ofKS RaviKumar yetanother time

with his latest flickRuler. The fans had highexpectations on theNandamuri actor’s latestone as his two-partbiopic on his fathertanked at the box office.With Jaisimha’s hit,Balakrishna gambledbig by giving anotherchance to KSRK.

Trailer of the filmshowing Balayya don-ning multiple get-upshas increased curious-ness among the audi-ence to watch the film.

Did the movie meetthe expectations it cre-ated? Let’s find out

The film begins withSarojini Naidu(Jayasudha) meeting ainjured stranger, whosuffered multiple stabwounds. The nextminute, the two are inthe ICU with Sarojinifacing a serious threatto her life. But whensomeone attempts tokill her, the strangermiraculously wakes upfrom his coma andsaves her. Sarojini is sograteful that she raiseshim as her own son andmakes him the chair-man of her group ofcompanies and thatstranger. Balayya whodoesn’t remember hispast becomes ArjunPrasad, son of multimil-lionaire Sarojini Naiduand has a lavish lifetravelling in choppersand romancing Harika(Sonal Chauhan), thechairman of a rivalcompany. Soon afterArjun remembers hispast that he was a daredevil cop before he losthis memory and he goeson to take revenge fromhis enemies.

Speaking of perfor-mances, Ruler is a one-man show. Balayya useshis standard dialoguedelivery style, cringe-worthy dance moveswith heroines, unpracti-cal action scenes. Oneof the characterBalakrishna dons,Dharma, didn’t at all

suit his personality.Neither the outfits northe make-up went welland Balayya has toreconsider doing suchroles again. There isnothing in the moviefor Vedhika and Sonalperformance-wiseexcept for adding someglamour quotient.

Despite less screentime, Bhoomika has amore powerful role.Prakash Raj and JayaSudha play their roleswith conviction asusual.

KS Ravikumar haschosen a very bad sto-ryline which would’veworked some 15 yearsago. The film has nonovelty or surprisevalue. Although the firsthalf of the film can bewatched once for thesake of Balakrishna, thesecond half puts one tosleep with tried andtested drama scenes,slow narration and cli-

max plays a spoilsport.Music was also drab inthe film that makes youfeel ‘why are we evenwatching this?’ — PNS

VERDICT: Outdatedstoryline, tried andtested drama scenes,slow narration,non-practical actionscenes, unflatteringmakeover ofBalakrishna, andthe list goes on….makes the filmnothing but a hugedisappointment.

Ruler:STRICTLY FOR FANS

A

B

Rating: 3 stars

CAST; Salman

Khan, Sonakshi

Sinha, Saiee

Manjrekar,

Kichcha Sudeep;

DIRECTION:

Prabhudeva;

CAST;

Balakrishna,

Balakrishna

and more

Balakrishna

Rating: 1.5/5stars

Vijayawada, December 22, 2019

Health remains good but you still need to be vigilant.Maintain a positive mind-set and things will comeeasily to you. In professional life, your talent will helpyou distance yourself from difficulties and you will feelmore optimistic than usual. Work wise, you will obtainthe confidence you have always dreamt of. Newopportunities in terms of a new venture or projects areindicated. For a few of the Arians, you will decide toleave a job that is no longer working for yourbetterment. It is a great time for socialising because ofyour increased popularity and charisma. You are likelyto have an open and honest communication with yourpartner. The discussions you have now will be of aserious nature.

Lucky number 21Lucky colour PeachLucky day Tuesday

ARIES March 21-April 19

This week your health will be at its best. Despite yourbusy schedule, you will take time out to relax andrejuvenate. If suffering from health problems, then it islikely that you will find a way to your recovery. The cardsindicates that the people around you will appreciate youand your efforts, and notice the quality of your work.Keep doing what you are doing as you are on the righttrack. You will have a lot of luck in investments. Propertydealings are likely to be resolved. This week will bringpeace and harmony to your life. This is a great time torelax with loved ones or party with friends. Your lovingmood will make you more attractive than usual. Studiesand exams should go well, especially in technical areaslike the sciences, computers and mathematics.

Lucky number 10Lucky colour Camel brownLucky day Sunday

TAURUS April 20-May 20

Things will get better for those who are facing ailments.On the work front, your innovative spirit will help youexpand your horizons and attain new goals. Later thisweek, you can expect an exciting news. Stimulatingconversations will lead to a business deal. Some of youmay face competition at work. Keep a watchful eye assomeone will try to frame you at work for somethingserious. This is a good time to be with your partner,friends and family. You will have an enjoyable timegoing to parties, places of relaxation, entertainment andamusement. New friendships would be formed or asignificant new romance may begin. Your new charmwill fetch you popularity, and win over dates for you.Romance is in the air.

Lucky number 12Lucky colour WhiteLucky day Monday

GEMINI May 21-June 20

Be careful while exercising as you might suffer aninjury or sprain. At work, you will be professional andfollow the company policies. Travel due to businesscommitments is on the cards. On this trip, you arelikely to make new friends and admirers. You will havea lot of work on your plate. Dedication towards task isimportant, but overstressing yourself may provecounterproductive. Do not hesitate to ask for help, ifneeded. On your personal front, the week indicateslove, harmony and friendship. This is a good time torelax and have fun with loved ones. Your loving andfriendly mood will make you popular. This is anexcellent time for dating because your charm andbeauty will attract genuine, honest love.

Lucky number 22Lucky colour GreyLucky day Friday

CANCER June 21-July 22

After a bad health phase, this week brings you a big reliefin terms of positive health. You will be able to revive theinner child like energy and will be active the entire week.On the professional front, you will be able to fulfill yourlong term ambition this week. Whatever you put yourmind to should lead to a lasting results. People aroundwould look up to you for a sound advice. You need tohave a profound vision and a vigilant analysis of all theplans and strategies which will enable you to movetowards success. Socialising and your love life willbenefit from extra charisma and intellectualattractiveness. You may find yourself taking care offamily matters such as insurances and wills. You can beconfident about making commitments.

Lucky number 13Lucky colour TurquoiseLucky day Friday

VIRGO Aug 23-Sep 22

This week your health will be good. Try not to get into egoconflicts and retreat to a safe place where you can developyour creative, spiritual and generous nature. You will besmart and optimistic at work and accomplish all yourincomplete tasks. You can expect some excitingopportunities coming your way later this week. Wait forsome news on domestic front will make you feelfrustrated. Love life looks satisfying. You will maintainharmony in your relationships and will have a greaterability to express your love and affection towards yourpartner. Travelling to far off destination to meet someone ison the cards. Those who are considering investments,must think and discuss with those close to you beforetaking any action.

Lucky number 11Lucky colour PinkLucky day Monday

LIBRA Sep 23-Oct 22

Continue with your daily exercise or yoga routine. If youhave not yet started, then start fresh now. You will feeldriven to succeed at something with your strong senseof purpose and initiative. With the immense amount ofcourage and fighting spirit, you face all the challengeswithout any frown. This week you are able to finish a lotof work in a short period of time. It is a favourable timefor business matters and negotiations. Financialsituations are not good, so avoid spending lavishly. Youmay find yourself to be more emotional and sensitivethan usual. This is a great time to talk about relationshipissues because you will be in touch with your truefeelings. You will know how people are feeling and willbe more sympathetic and nurturing than normal.

Lucky number 10Lucky colour SilverLucky day Saturday

SCORPIO Oct 23-Nov 21

You will enjoy a good health. Continue with yourmeditation and yoga routine, as it will keep youconnected to your soul. Those dealing with healthissues, need to get a bit serious and take propertreatment. Your ability of quick thinking anddetermination will make this week an apt time toprepare long term plan on work front. Networking withsome promising contacts will allow you to make achange. You will have a better mental energy andconcentration, and this will help you succeed in studiesor researches. Do not worry about taking risks, as thisweek, luck is in your favour. You can expect someexciting news in your love life. You are likely postponeyour travel plans to another day.

Lucky number 14Lucky colour BrownLucky day Wednesday

AQUARIUS Jan 20-Feb 18

Your emotional well-being will decide the state of yourhealth. It is important that you assess your feelings.Channelise your energy in the right track and you will findyourself in the pink of health. In your professional life,you are clear about your goals and what you have to doto achieve those goals. A stimulating time, filled withopportunities, puts your determination and ambition anotch higher. Business dealings and negotiations arefavoured, especially for long-term investments and realestate. This is the right time to make long term strategies.The cards indicate a sharp focus on your relationship. Besensitive and passionate towards your partner. A shorttrip will prove beneficial because you will meet a newadmirer, who shares the same mind-set.

Lucky number 28Lucky colour OrangeLucky day Tuesday

PISCES Feb 19-March 20

This week brings quick thinking, decisiveness and ainfluential communication style. It is an apt time fordebates, asking for favours and public speaking. You canexpect positive reactions and valuable assistance to yourpropositions. The forceful nature of your communicationmakes it a perfect time to defend yourself and your lovedones. Those in academics, this is a good time forstudying and appearing for exams. Good concentrationand attention to detail means you will not make mistakes.This is also a good time to make important decisions,conduct negotiations and business dealings. Yourromance appears to be a little disturbed this week. Try tokeep a two-way communication with your partner toavoid any misunderstandings.

Lucky number 30Lucky colour GreenLucky day Thursday

CAPRICORN Dec 22-Jan 19

Health remains good this week. Those of you with apersisting health issue, share your health concerns withothers. You may find some solution to your problem. It isa very positive new beginning, especially, on the workfront. If you have had a difficult time in the recent past,then know that things are likely get better very soon. Thenew possibilities in this week will escalate your chance ofmaking new discoveries and attracting new admirers.Some of you may expect a good news of promotion. Inthe field of romance, you will probably want to nurtureand protect your partner. Most of all you will want to givethem kindness, love and affection. Someone will call youout of the blue or you will plan a reunion with a lover oran admirer.

Lucky number 31Lucky colour RedLucky day Wednesday

LEO July 23-Aug 22

Your health will show improvement. This week you willfind yourself in a more psychic and intuitive phase, so itis important that you trust your instincts. At work, yourmind is likely to be very active. Make sure tocommunicate your thoughts to the others. Fine tune yourgoals and make clear plans and strategies to attain yourobjectives. This is a good time to discuss your plans withthe others, because you will get good feedback andsupport. There is a possibility that you may become avictim of confusion. This might lead to insecurity. Justkeep in mind that the bad time shall pass. Expect a slightdelay in your travel plans. Romance is blooming. You arelikely to take your relationship to the next level. Thosewho are single may have to wait for some more time.

Lucky number 20Lucky colour Sky BlueLucky day Friday

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22-Dec 21

YOURWEEK

AHEADMADHU KOTIYA

sundaymagazine

tarot 11EVERYTHING HAS ITS WONDERS,EVEN DARKNESS AND SILENCE, ANDI LEARN, WHATEVER STATE I MAY BE

IN, THEREIN TO BE CONTENT— HELEN KELLER Vijayawada, December 22, 2019

Acouple of months back someonecalled me to check on longevityprospects of one of his friends he

had brought seeking astrological advice.“Why?” I questioned. “His kidney is mal-functioning and has to undergo dialysistwice a week.” He answered.

I immediately recalled that the manin question had come to me a couple ofyears back with two straight questions:“Sir, I am a lawyer by profession. Manyastrologers said that I am a genius. Yet,every now and then, my career goes for atoss. I have heard a lot about you. Kindlyperform a puja that saves me from suchan ordeal and ensures success. Also,some astrologers have warned me that Imay face serious health issues close to 45years of age. Please do conduct puja thatwould help me build my immunity leveland save it from failing ever. Don’t worryabout the cost.”

Well, I agree that you are extraordi-narily intelligent, with very good com-municative skills. But that alone wouldnot suffice. You need to look within, fig-ure out inherent habits and attitudes thatstand in way of your positives fromblooming out in full. Acknowledge andaddress them without further loss of

time. I am afraid, no puja mediated by apundit can penetrate your inner mindspace to let you rise above your limita-tions. Remember, there is no quick fixsolution to problems of mind genesis, ashabits die hard. But you can help yourselfby exercising freewill option, whichenjoins upon you with the capacity toguide your actions by choice and dis-crimination. Instead of expecting exter-nal intervention, better take charge ofyourself, and put in conscious efforts tomake necessary amends. In terms ofyour health, better consult a doctor andhave regular health check-up. Regulateyour food. Do necessary physical exer-cise. Here again, it is difficult to digestthat trying to appease some hypotheticalGod existent in the higher realms of cos-mos, could help change your physiologi-cal conditions.

I could make out that with his hard-ened attitude and delusionary mind, hewon’t easily digest my advisory. Later, Iwas given to understand that he wentafter so called sorcerers and got tantricpujas conducted. He also engaged pun-dits and got many pujas done. But towhat effect? Let us now look at his astro-logical pointers.

Towards the positive, wisdom-orient-ed Jupiter conjunct intellectuallyordained Uranus, extends beneficialaspect to intelligence signifying Mercury.This planetary alignment is indicative ofhis extraordinary talent. He may haveclarity in vision and thought over suchsubjects he pays attention, which hecould present with exactitude because ofhis excellent communicative ability.

All this gets compromised because ofmany negative inherent traits. The firstmarker is his lagna sign Aries. Thatpoints to his aggressive, impulsive, irrita-ble, hot headed, abrasive, intolerant, andimpatient nature. He wishes to live in ademanding mode, often to his whims andfancies. He may jump into action withoutapplying proper forethought, and withobvious consequences. Lagna lord Marsin the 8th house identified with difficul-ties, read together with lagna sub-lordVenus occupying the 12th house, makeshim vulnerable to self-undoing acts. So,he remains susceptible to become a vic-tim of his own making. Lagna lord Mars,identity-signifying the Sun, and mind-signifying Moon, all placed in fixed signsaccounts for his hardened attitude. Lagnalord Mars conjunct Neptune and alsosquare to both the Sun and Moon makeshim temperamental.

Both the luminaries the Sun andMoon locked in adverse formation tomischievous Neptune have him stuck inhis self-delusional beliefs and percep-tions, and not open to listening or coun-sel. The Sun placed adverse to Venusmakes him emotionally too much sensi-tive and touchy. He may get over exer-cised even on trivial issues, over which hemay keep unnecessarily mulling for long.Venus ill-placed to Neptune tempts himto get rich quick even if it means gettinginto murky deals, which may often tellupon his reputation.

In terms of health, the 6th sub-lordSaturn in the 12th occupying the naksha-tra owned by Mercury the 6th lordmakes him vulnerable to long drawnserious health issues, calling for medicalintervention. The Sun distanced fromVenus by 45 degrees made him vulnera-ble to kidney related issues around thatage, and so it happened with him. Butbecause of his delusionary perception, hefailed to take pre-emptive measures. Theresult is there to see.

The wwriter iis aan aastrologer, vvastu cconsultantand sspiritual ccounsellor. WWrite tto hhim aat

G-1102, BBharat NNagar, NNew FFriends CColony,New DDelhi-1110 0025

Tel: 991-111-449848475/9818037273Email: bbharatbhushanpadmadeo@gmail.com

ASTROTURFBHARAT BHUSHAN PADMADEO

Madhu Kotiya is a tarot card reader, spiritual healer, and Founder, MShezaim Institute of Tarot and Divination. Contact details: madhu@indiatarot.com, www.indiatarot.com, M: 9873283331

No shortcuts to fixing problems

TEAM AGENDA DESK > NAVNEET MENDIRATTA, CONSULTING EDITOR | H LAYOUT AND DESIGN > SATISH CHANDRA JAKHMOLA, SENIOR EDITOR (CREATIVE)

Now yyou ccan wwrite tto uus aat agendapioneer@gmail.com

Most proud of: Being able to live by my values Best advice for an aspirant: You might not be able to move the earth. Butlittle changes make a lot of difference. Biggest strength: Family support and self-motivation.

Weapon of choice: The Glock pistolFav color: Blue and green

What scares me the most: Cats!Three words that describe me: Innocent, strong will power

and stubborn.Favorite countries traveled so far: Had an amazing

time in Scotland and Netherlands.Last movie watched: Bala

Biggest addiction: In general, I would say musicbut also bags and footwear.

Fav dish: Always maa ke haath ka khana.Comfort food is rajma chawal andchocolates.Things to change about myself: I'm verysensitive and get easily hurt. Want tochange that and also try to stopbothering what others think.The toughest thing about being acop: Keeping your sensitivity andempathy intact while dealing withnegativity day in and out.If given a chance, would like to go to: Would love to see theNorthern Lights and go to Spain. Most illegal thing ever done:Stealing and eating supari when Iwas 10 years old. Most prized possession: My kids. Any regrets: Regret not learning anyartistic skills. What best describes me: I'm adreamer. I firmly believe that if wework towards our dreams, theycome true. Dreams are realities inwaiting.Favorite books: Gone with thewind, Fountainhead, PGWodehouse series and was recentlyintroduced to the Harry Potter series

by my daughter.Cherished time: The time spent at

Forest Academy, Dehradun. It was thefirst time I was out of the nest and found

my wings. Best qualities about myself: Honesty,humility and resilience.

From starting her career in the Indian ForestService and making a quick switch to IPS,Shikha Goel has done many things to move outof her comfort zone. She talks to NAVEENKUMAR about how she joined the police force,being the only lady IPS officer in Jammu andKashmir, fighting Naxalism in the erstwhileunited AP and much more.

VIJAYAWADA | SUNDAY | DECEMBER 22, 2019 vijayawada 12

o r na n dbro-ught

up inDelhi in a sheltered

family, Shikha Goel, whodid her M Phil from Delhi

University, joined the IndianForest Service in 1995, and

moved to the Indian PoliceService three months later.

Moving out of the comfort zone I was known to be an introvert and an

indoor kid throughout my childhood asthe upbringing was quite sheltered. I ini-

tially chose to be in the Indian Forest Serviceas it was more in line with my interests back

then and the fact that I was a Botany student.However, I thought I must get out of my com-fort zone and took up the challenge ofbecoming an IPS officer. It was a very consciousdecision and introduced me to a life I neverimagined.J&K stint boosted my confidence

Post my training in Lal Bahadur ShastriNational Academy of Administration inMussoorie for a foundation course as an IPSofficer, I got Jammu and Kashmir as my firstposting. I chose police as my profession forthe challenges it offered. It was the first timeI moved out of home and the trainingitself made me step outside my comfortzone. It gave me a lot of confidence andtaught me how to make my own deci-sions. Though the two and a halfyears of my tenure there during thelate ’90s was filled with tensemoments, I always cherish how myteam and people made me feelcomfortable.

Dad's words inspiredme to choose IPS

My father, S.K. Goel, was a sci-entist at IARI (Indian

Agricultural ResearchInstitute) and has been

supportive of all mydecisions. I decid-

ed to becomean IPS officer

because ofhim. He

w a s

excited tolearn that I was making

the switch from forestry to polic-ing. ‘You will surely shine, go ahead’ were

his words that helped me make the decision.I have three siblings — brothers, Prachur andPramuch and sister Deepa Rastogi.

Investigation is thrillingThe beauty of this job is that, unlike in other

professions, nobody and nothing can prepareyou for what’s coming. Each step teaches yousomething new and pushes you to take a call onyour own. Policing is a lot about common senseand I love the investigative part of the job as it’sthrilling. Also, that is the core of the job. Wederive most of the power and zeal from theinvestigation. It was thrilling to be in differentunimaginable situations. Be it bandobast, reg-ular crime, team management, or dealing withstaff to keep them motivated, it’s always a chal-lenge.Marrying college sweetheart

My husband, Vijay Kumar, who is currentlywith the Intelligence Bureau, and I studiedtogether at Delhi University. Ours was a lovemarriage. He first asked me out and I obvious-ly said ‘no’. But he was persistent and I accept-ed his proposal eventually. We dated for a whilebefore telling our parents about us. My side ofthe family had an issue with the relationship, buteventually accepted him. We got married in 1997and are blessed with a son and daughter,

Tavashya andYu t i k a .

M yson just got

into the NationalLaw University and my daughter is in Class 7.It is too early to speak about their dreams andaspirations as kids these days have a clear ideaabout what they want to do. However, I wouldlike it if either of them joins the force. My hus-band and I ensure that the atmosphere at homeis completely normal. We do sometimes discussimportant work-related matters, but decisionsare absolutely personal. As time is a constraint,

we try to make the best use of whatever lit-tle time is available. There is absolute-

ly no competition between usand we are proud of

e a c hother’s achievements. Webelieve in collaborative partner-ship rather than a competitive one.

If not IPS, I would've chosenteaching

We can achieve anything provided we set ourmind on it. All you need is willpower and per-severance to go ahead. I believe that good edu-cation and financial independence are a mustfor every girl, no matter what financial back-ground they come from. You don’t know whatlife has in store for you and these two things willboost your confidence and change your person-ality. It is also important to have a Plan-B in life,just in case. For me, the Plan-B would be to getinto teaching and put my Master’s degree togood use.

Arresting my senior officerWhile I was stationed in Jammu and Kashmir,

I had to arrest my senior and he ended up get-ting a life term. Cases like these taught me to pushmy boundaries. Only when one is put in a challenging spot do they push their boundariesand discover their true potential. Another impor-tant case was when I was the DCP, North Zone,and diamonds worth several crores were recov-ered. It was the doing of an inter-state gang andthe property was distributed at various places. A lot of planning and strategising went into their recovery. In my earlierdays, I had even roughed upan eve-teaser with a lathi,which is probably one ofthe few times I beatsomeone up.

Winningbestcontingentprize

Patriotism is not some-thing you carry on yoursleeve, it’s a discipline. If youfollow the rules and regula-tions, abide by the law of the landand maintain self-discipline, thesense of responsibility you have foreverything you do qualifies as patri-otism. In 2016, while I was on deputa-tion with the Central Industrial SecurityForce (CISF), I oversaw the training of itscontingent that took part in the RepublicDay parade. That year, we won a prize forbeing the best contingent among all. As soonas the boys marched, I knew we were goingto win. I was sitting amongst the audiencewhen the march began and it was simplyinspiring to receive the accolades that followedimmediately. It made me nostalgic about thefirst time I went to see the parade at Rajpathin Delhi. I was about 11-years-old and theweather was bad that day — extremely cold andrain. But seeing the contingents march, we com-pletely forgot aboutthe weath-er.

B

Alwaysneed musicaround me

My biggest stress-buster would be hugging mychildren before going to bed. The other things I doto unwind include reading, listening to music andwatching movies. I tend to select light-heartedcomedy movies over the strong, suspense/

crime thrillers since it is in contrast with myprofession. Also, I always need music

around me whether I'm in the caror at home.

RAPID-FIRE

With one of her school friends (left) With parents

I chose police as my profession as it wasin sync with the life I had lived until thenand for the challenge it offered. It was thefirst time I moved out of home and thetraining itself made me step outside mycomfort zone. It gave me a lot ofconfidence and taught me how to makemy own decisions

With husband Vijay Kumar, son Tavashya and daughter Yutika

Three-year-oldShikha