*CORONAVIRUS - INDIA*

With No Jobs, Money, thousands defy lockdown at Bandra Station in Mumbai, lathicharged by cops after PM extends lockdown till May 3

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/massive-crowd-at-bandra-stand-in-mumbai-as-migrants-defy-lockdown-2211695

Hours after PM Narendra Modi announed extension of the coronavirus-enforced lockdown till May 3, a large number of migrant workers who earn daily wages came out on road in Mumbai today demanding transport arrangements to go back to their native places.Mumbai became the site of a huge protest as hordes of migrant workers gathered outside Bandra station today protesting against the extension of the lockdown. Video footage from the area showed thousands of people jostling, giving a go by to govt warnings about coronavirus and social distancing.Most demanded that they be allowed to go home. Sources said the crowd also had people from the nearby slums, who came in search of food. When crowd ignored several warnings to disperse, batons were used, the police said.The visuals -- reminiscent of the huge migrant exodus outside inter-state bus stations in Delhi after the lockdown was declared for the first time - raised questions about how such a huge crowd gathered despite multiple containment zones in the city.The lockdown, which just completed 3 weeks, has hit migrant workers the worst. Most are daily wage labourers who lost their income and despite govt promises of free food, many have been unable to get two meals a day. The lack of any form of transport meant most of them have not been able to go home to their villages either. Congress's Sanjay Nirupam denied that food was a problem for migrants and blamed lockdown,which has worsened living conditions of workers. Most of these people live in crowded areas where 10 or more people share a room. Lockdown means they have had to stay in such cramped conditions for days.NDTV/PTI

India's lockdown for 1.3 billion people extended until May3

https://time.com/5820481/india-coronavirus-lockdown-extended/

India extends world's biggest lockdown, ignites protest by migrant workers

Mob gathers: Maharashtra says Modi govt responsible as people wanted to go home

https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/coronavirus-in-mumbai-social-distancing-goes-for-a-toss-as-mob-gathers-at-bandra-amid-lockdown

Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Aaditya Thackeray said that the crowd has now been dispersed. He said that they were migrant labourers and wanted to go back home. Environment Minister blamed Central Govt for not being able to take a call on arranging a way back home for migrant labourers. In a series of tweets, Aaditya tweeted, "The current situation at Bandra Station, now dispersed or even the rioting in Surat is a result of Union Govt not being able to take a call on arranging a way back home for migrant labour. They don’t want food or shelter, they want to go back home."He added: “Right from the day the trains have been shut down, the State had requested trains to run for 24 hours more so that migrant labour could go back home. CM Uddhav Thackeray ji raised this issue in PM- CM Video Conf as well requesting a roadmap for migrant labour to reach home A mutual road map set by Union Govt will largely help migrant labour to reach home from one state to another safely and efficiently.”He further wrote: “Time and again this issue has been raised with the centre. The law and order situation in Surat, Gujarat, largely has been seen as a similar situation and the feedback from all migrant labour camps is similar. Many are refusing to eat or stay in. Currently more than 6 lakh people are housed in various shelter camps across Maha.”freepressjournal

 Coronavirus: 16 lakh hawkers in Bengal face uncertain future as lockdown continues

https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/coronavirus-16-lakh-hawkers-in-bengal-face-uncertain-future-as-lockdown-continues-825310.html

Kolkata:The last time Babushona Mondal was able to open his tea shop in Salt Lake on the eastern fringes of Kolkata was on March 21, a day before PM Narendra Modi announced Janata Curfew to tackle coronavirus.Since then he has not been able to run his business for a single day. With the extension of the lockdown till May 3, Mondal and many others like him face an uncertain future.Mondal is one among nearly 16 lakh hawkers in West Bengal who are struggling to earn their livelihood in face of this crisis. Mondal said he is barely able to manage the cost of his disabled father’s medicines. Even after the lokdown is lifted, he does not have any money to restart his business and sustain his family of six.“We are daily wage earners and if the situation prevails we may face starvation. We are totally dependent on state government’s ration and aids given by Hawkers Sangram Committee (one of largest organisations of street vendors in the state),” said Mondal. Leaders of the organisation are apprehensive that if the situation continues, hawkers may be at risk of starvation. According to Saktiman Ghosh, general secretary of the Hawkers Sangram Committee, the street vendors’ hardships may compel them to take law in their own hands.Deccan Herald

 

Coronavirus : Unemployment Surges, Now at 24 Percent

https://www.newsclick.in/coronavirus-live-unemployment-surges-now-24-percent-infections-india-10363

The unemployment rate in the country rose to as high as 24 percent in the week ended April 12, according to Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy.This estimate, which is based on 10,355 responses during the week, is an increase from the last week of March and the first week of coronavirus-induced lockdown in the nation, when unemployment rate had shot up to 23.8%, Business Standard reported. According to CMIE, given how unemployment rate had declined during the last economic shock of demonetisation, the sustained high levels of unemployment in the third week of lockdown are “somewhat surprising.” newsclick

 

Barclays Sees No Growth For India in 2020, Pegs Economic Cost of Lockdown at $234 billion

https://thewire.in/economy/barclays-sees-no-growth-for-india-in-2020-pegs-economic-cost-of-lockdown-at-234-billion

New Delhi: Barclays has pegged the economic cost of the lockdown, which has now been extended till May 3 with caveats, at $234.4 billion (8.1% of GDP, assuming that India will remain under partial lockdown at least till May-end. While India’s coronavirusoutbreak has not officially reached the community transmission stage, analysts at Barclay’s believe the existing restrictions on movement are causing much more economic damage than anticipated.“The negative impact of shutdown measures on the mining, agriculture, manufacturing and utility sectors appears higher than we had expected. Combined with the disruption in several service sectors, we now estimate that the economic loss will be close to $234.4 billion (8.1 per cent of GDP), assuming that India will remain under a partial lockdown at least until the end of May. This is much higher than $120 billion we had estimated earlier for roughly the same time period previously,” wrote Rahul Bajoria, chief India economist at Barclays, in a recent co-authored report with Shreya Sodhani.thewire

 

IMF projects India’s growth rate at 1.9% in 2020 due to coronavirus

https://www.hindustantimes.com/business-news/imf-projects-india-s-growth-rate-at-1-9-in-2020-due-to-coronavirus/story-KpKvxeSj9IIwf5kXnr0JcJ.html

IMF on Tuesday projected a GDP growth of 1.9 per cent for India in 2020, as global economy hits the worst recession since Great Depression in 1930s due to raging coronavirus pandemic that has nearly stalled all economic activities across the world.With this subdued forecast, India is likely to record its worst growth performance since 1991 liberalisation.  But IMF, in its latest edition of World Economy report, has placed India as the fastest-growing emerging economies of the world. “We project global growth in 2020 to fall to -3%. This is a downgrade of 6.3 percentage points from Jan.2020, a major revision over a very short period,” -Gita Gopinath, IMF Chief Economist said.HT

 

Separated & restless, Delhi’s lockdown violators being kept in shelters just want to go home

https://theprint.in/india/separated-restless-delhis-lockdown-violators-being-kept-in-shelters-just-want-to-go-home/401500/

New Delhi: Salma, 30, has been lodged at the Delhi government school in Sarai Kale Khan for the past five days. The school is one of the many that has been converted into a shelter home for migrants and the homeless in the city following the imposition of the nationwide lockdown on 24 March.Salma, however, is no migrant nor is she homeless.She used to live with her mother and four children in a small home in Nizamuddin’s Dildar Nagar but was picked up and brought to the school on the evening of 9 April.“I took three of my children out for a walk, the police suddenly caught hold of us and brought us with them,” Salma told ThePrint. While the three children are with Salma, she has been separated from her youngest — a 4-year-old who is back home.“I haven’t seen him in five days; he is with my mother but must be crying endlessly without me,” she added. “I just want to go back.”Like Salma, there are 97 others who have been kept at Govt Boys Secondary School, most of whom are not migrants or homeless people. “I was out with my husband and two-year-old daughter at the Mirza Ghalib park on the night of Shab-e-Barat. Some men came, promised us some ration and brought us here. We have been here for 5 days now,” Afsana Khan told ThePrint.theprint

 

For Bengali Muslim Migrants in Wadala, Discrimination and Hunger Go Hand in Hand

https://thewire.in/rights/bengali-muslim-migrant-workers-lockdown-wadala

Mumbai: “It is a horrible thing to be a daily wage labourer in such times, but even worse is to be a Muslim labourer from (West) Bengal,” says 30-year-old Ershad Hossain, a worker at a local garment shop in Wadala’s National Market.On April 11, Hossain had walked over three kilometres from National Market to the Sewri Bus depot and waited for nearly four hours in a queue hoping to procure some food for himself and 25 others from Murshidabad stuck with him at a local garment workshop.The queue was too long and the food too little. After the 4-hour-long wait under the scorching sun, Hossain had to return empty-handed. Hossain and his co-workers went without any food that day. The next day, on Sunday, Hossain went with two more of his co-workers and queued up much earlier. They managed to get dal and rice that afternoon. That was their first and the last meal of the day. This erratic availability of food has become a regular feature in the lives of Hossain and around 800-1,000 more Muslim labourers from West Bengal who have been surviving at the mercy of local NGOs and some good samaritans. This help, Hossain says, has been sparsely available and they have deprived of food on most days to the point of starvation.thewire

 

Lockdown: Congress, Shiv Sena, NCP attack PM Modi for not announcing welfare measures

https://scroll.in/latest/959139/coronavirus-lockdown-congress-attacks-pm-modi-for-not-announcing-any-welfare-measures-for-ews

Congress on Tuesday criticised Centre for not instituting any welfare measures for the economically weaker sections, including the lack of a financial package, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the lockdown extention till May 3.Congress leader P Chidambaram said the party was aware of the Centre’s compulsion in extending the lockdown. However, he added, the government had ignored the states’ demands to release more money to combat the virus, and accused it of leaving economically weaker sections of the society to fend for themselves.“CMs’ demand for money elicited no response,” Chidambaram tweeted. “Not a rupee has been added to the miserly package of March 25, 2020. From [economists] Raghuram Rajan to Jean Dreze, from Prabhat Patnaik to Abhijit Banerji, their advice has fallen on deaf years [ears].”Chidambaram added that the poor would now have to fend for themselves for 40 days of the lockdown by “soliciting food”. Congress leader and lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi mocked Modi’s address, calling it short on specifics. “Amazing PM address,” he tweeted. “Exhortation, rhetoric, inspiration.....yet hollow on specifics! No financial package, no details, no concrete item. Neither for poor nor middle class nor industry nor businesses. Lockdown is good but cannot be end in itself! Where is single livelihood issue?”Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party also criticised the prime minister’s address. Shiv Sena Spokesperson Manisha Kayande said Modi could have announced extension of the lockdown on Wednesday, along with the new guidelines, instead of announcing them separately, PTI reported.Nationalist Congress Party Spokesperson Nawab Malik said that while Modi talked about helping the poor, he did not announce any financial package. Malik said those working in the unorganised sector have been worst affected by the lockdown.scroll

Lockdown 2: Congress raises 7 questions on Prime Minister’s 7 mantras

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/lockdown-2-congress-raises-7-questions-on-prime-ministers-seven-mantras

Income support? Stimulus package? Hunger? What Modi did not address in his speech extending lockdown

 

Covid-19: ‘States need financial aid, not appreciation,’ Kerala finance minister hits out at Modi

https://scroll.in/latest/959177/covid-19-states-need-financial-aid-not-appreciation-kerala-finance-minister-hits-out-at-modi

Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac on Tuesday castigated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not announcing any additional financial package to help the economy deal with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, PTI reported.scroll

 

No ration, only ‘bhashan’, say observers; Congress criticizes Modi’s speech as directionless

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/no-ration-only-bhashan-say-observers-congress-criticizes-modis-speech-as-directionless

No ration, only bhashan…PM Modi’s third address to the nation amid lockdown lacked vision, compassion and forward planning, feel political observers.People were expecting that the PM would announce a relief package or financial support package to the SMEs or he say some words of sympathy for the suffering poor and farmers but he disappointed on this count, said a Delhi watcher on condition on anonymity.According to political observers and analysts, PM, in carefully crafted words, threw all the burden of the fight against the corona pandemic on states and recused himself from responsibilities.“If states have to do everything, then what is the role of the Central government in a federal structure. What have you been then elected for?” said a senior journalist while commenting on PM’s address.nationalheraldindia

 

Delhi CM backs PM’s nationwide lockdown extension to May 3

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/delhi-cm-backs-pms-nationwide-lockdown-extension-to-may-3/article31340328.ece

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday came in full support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to extend the nationwide lockdown up to May 3.This step was a necessary one, otherwise coronavirus will spread even further, Kejriwal told a press conference in the capital. Earlier in the day, Kejriwal had tweeted that Delhi will fully implement PM’s lockdown measures.thehindubusinessline

 

 

Naqvi appeals to Muslims to adhere to lockdown, social distancing guidelines during Ramzan

https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/naqvi-appeals-to-muslims-to-adhere-to-lockdown-social-distancing-guidelines-during-ramzan/articleshow/75119441.cms    

New Delhi:Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Monday appealed to Muslims to strictly follow social distancing and lockdown guidelines during the holy month of Ramzan starting later this month in the wake of COVID-19.He urged them to offer prayers and perform other religious rituals like the "iftar (breaking of fast) staying inside their homes during the month of Ramzan, which will begin from April 24 or April 25.Naqvi's appeal came after he spoke with various religious leaders, representatives of social and religious organisations, officials and other office-bearers of state waqf boards, asking them to ensure implementation of lockdown and social distancing guidelines during Ramzan.The minister also held meetings in this regard at ministry on Monday.Naqvi, who is also Chairman of Central Waqf Council, said over 7 lakh registered mosques, eidgahs, imambadas, dargahs and other religious institutions come under state waqf boards across the country.The state waqf boards, through Central Waqf Council, have been directed to ensure that the people do not gather at religious and other places under any circumstances during Ramzan, NAQVI said.He said that in view of the challenges posed by COVID-19, cooperation of Muslims in implementation of the guidelines of lockdown and social distancing on Shab-e-Barat has been laudable.PTI

 

Coronavirus lockdown: Railways, airlines extend suspension of all services till May 3

https://scroll.in/latest/959136/coronavirus-lockdown-railways-airlines-extend-suspension-of-all-services-till-may-3

Centre on Tuesday extended the suspension of all railway services, except those carrying essential goods, until May 3. “We have taken the decision keeping in view the extended lockdown period,” an Indian Railways official said according to PTI. “More updates will be available shortly.”Ministry of Civil Aviation, meanwhile, said that all national and international flight operations shall remain suspended until 11.59 pm on May 3. scroll

Rlys set to cancel around 39 lakh tickets booked for Apr 15-May 3 due to lockdown extension

https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/rlys-set-to-cancel-around-39-lakh-tickets-booked-for-apr-15-may-3-due-to-lockdown-extension/articleshow/75143583.cms

 

 

Coronavirus: At least 27 policemen injured in clashes with locals in Asansol village

https://scroll.in/latest/959154/coronavirus-at-least-27-policemen-injured-in-clashes-with-locals-in-asansol-village

Violence broke out in Asansol in West Bengal on Tuesday over the quarantining of residents amid the coronavirus pandemic, Times Now reported. At least 27 police personnel and local residents were injured due to the violence, and the police resorted to firing tear gas to disperse them.The incident occurred at Asansol’s Churulia village under the jurisdiction of Jamuria Police Station. The police had reached Churulia village to quarantine five to six people at a quarantine centre established in the area, the news channel reported. However, the residents of the village began to protest, hurling crude bombs and pelting stones at the officers.scroll

 

 

Covid-19: India’s total count rises to 10,815, Maharashtra worst-hit with 2,377 patients

https://scroll.in/latest/959179/covid-19-indias-total-count-rises-to-10815-maharashtra-worst-hit-with-2377-patients

The number of coronavirus cases in India has risen to 10,815, including 353 deaths, according to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s update on Tuesday evening. With 2,377 Covid-19 cases and 160 deaths, Maharashtra is the worst-hit state in India. Delhi has 1,510 cases of coronavirus and 28 deaths. More than 1,100 cases have been reported from Tamil Nadu, while Rajasthan has reported 879 cases. Madhya Pradesh has 730 cases of coronavirus.scroll

 

 

Aaj Tak faces social media roasting for ‘mischief’; Jamia Millia Islamia’s photo used in story related to arrest of drug peddlers 30 kms away

http://www.jantakareporter.com/entertainment/aaj-tak-faces-social-media-roasting-for-mischief-jamia-millia-islamia-univeristys-photo-used-in-story-related-to-arrest-of-drug-peddlers-30-kms-away/287624/?fbclid=IwAR0AWQE51DkAsMwyxlDoEmvCzmb9PPZAS4LAm704T38PJLDK35WPMA0a_YU

Hindi TV channel Aaj Tak is facing intense social media roasting after many including journalists alleged that it had indulged in ‘mischief’ by using a photo of Jamia Millia Islamia in an unrelated story. The story in question was about the arrest of 2 foreign nationals being arrested for their alleged involvement in drug peddling in Delhi’s Mohan Garden area, which is 30.9 kms away from Jamia Millia. Jamia, a Muslim majority educational institution, was at the centre of the anti-CAA protests. This prompted many to conclude that it wasn’t an oversight by the Hindi TV channel from India Today Group to use a photo of Jamia Millia in an unrelated story on drug peddling. According to Google map, the distance between Jamia and Mohan Garden is 30.9 kms. The photo used by Aaj Tak was of Babe-e Maulana Abul Kalam Azad of Jamia. The photo was last used by Outlook with the following caption, “Police and paramilitary personnel clear the site of protest at Jamia College in New Delhi. Protestors against the citizenship law at Shaheen Bagh were vacated by Delhi Police amid coronavirus outbreak.” jantakareporter

 

People try to create rift between Hindus and Muslims:Kejriwal

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-coronavirus-lockdown-april-14-2020-live-updates/article31336184.ece?homepage=true

In a daily briefing to press, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said "It is very saddening that some people are trying to create a rift between Hindus and Muslims at this time when we are all going through a pandemic. Nature will never forgive such people who are trying to spread hatred."Mr. Kejriwal said "Coronavirus cases in Delhi have increased every day over the last few days. This is worrying not just for me but for all of us."

 

 

'Hope This Nonsense of Communalising Virus Stops': Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra

https://thewire.in/film/hope-this-nonsense-of-communalising-virus-stops-filmmaker-sudhir-mishra

Mumbai: Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra says it’s about time people keep their politics aside while dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and stop “communalising” the situation.“I hope this nonsense of communalising the virus stops. I hope we realise we are all one. We have to keep our politics and our different opinions on the political structure of the country apart when things like this happen,” the filmmaker told reporters over a Zoom call.PTI

 

US Body Condemns Anti Muslim Campaign in India During COVID 19 Outbreak

http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/us-body-condemns-anti-muslim-campaign-in-india-during-covid-19-outbreak-

US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on Tuesday condemned the continued scapegoating and attacks of Muslims in India due to false rumours over the spread of coronavirus, often accompanied by dangerous rhetoric by politicians. A tweet from the official twitter handle on Tuesday said: "This stigmatization can breed further discrimination and violence." In a press release on Wednesday, the Commission expressed its concern over reports that religious minority groups from around the world have faced discrimination because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Religious communities have been harassed and accused of bringing COVID-19 to their countries.“COVID-19 does not discriminate based on religion or creed,” noted USCIRF Chair Tony Perkins. In many countries, governments have failed to protect vulnerable religious communities. In particular, Muslims in India and Cambodia, as well as Shi’a Muslims in Pakistan, have faced increased stigmatization in recent weeks because some of the earliest patients to test positive for COVID-19 in those countries came from these communities.indiatomorrow

 

 

No data to link Tablighi Jamaat to COVID-19 spread:Experts

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/-no-data-to-link-tablighi-jamaat-to-covid-19-spread-/1803064?fbclid=IwAR0cEyuV9FtbfeWmeyUfnvW7cAGrF6GEY85yPioWcjQkRzw6PvEK4AcT1p4#

3 days after Shivraj Singh Chouhan, chief minister of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh blamed Tablighi Jamaat congregation for a spike in cases of coronavirus or COVID-19 in his state, officials and experts on Monday disputed his claim.The state has emerged as one of the hotspots in India, reporting 564 cases with over 50 deaths so far. The twin historic cities of Indore and provincial capital Bhopal have recorded 281 and 131 positive cases respectively. As many as 30 people have died in Indore and three in Bhopal. The government officials and experts, however, said that it was yet to be convincingly proved if attendees of Tablighi Jamaat event were responsible for transmission of virus in Bhopal and Indore. Rahul Rokade of MGM Medical College in Indore said they have no data to link the spread of the pandemic in Bhopal and Indore to Tablighi Jamaat. “We cannot say that members from Jamaat led to a spike in corona cases in MP,” he said.Local media reports blamed three senior government officials for spreading the virus, by attending meetings and avoiding social distancing despite showing symptoms of the disease.Principal Secretary(Health) Pallavi Jain Govil, Additional Director Veena Sinha and Deputy Director Virendra Kumar Chaudhary tested positive for the virus on April 4. Reports said that sons of both Govil and Sinha had returned from US Some media reports suggested that they did not reveal their travel history to authorities.Both the senior officials are believed to have contracted virus from their sons. Govil continued attending official meetings even those chaired by CM, despite showing COVID-19 symptoms. Anadolu Agency

 

 

'Communalising Corona' : Plea In SC Seeks Direction To Remove Communal Hashtags Like #CoronaJihad,#TablighiJamatVirus Etc. From Social Media

https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/communalising-corona-plea-in-sc-seeks-direction-to-remove-communal-hashtags-like-coronajihadtablighijamatvirus-etc-from-social-media-155209

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against 'hashtags' trending on Twitter communalising Tablighi Jamaat meeting in Delhi's Nizamuddin, which demonise and blame the entire Muslim community of deliberately spreading coronavirus across the country. Petitioner-advocate Khaja Aijazuddin has averred that these trends, styled as #Islamiccoronavirusjihad, #Coronajihad, #Nizamuddinidiots, #TablighiJamatVirus, etc, are "attaching the religion to the pandemic disease which is contrary to the Guidelines or advisory Dated 18.03.2020 issued by the World Health Organization". Besides, "it is contrary to the laws prevailing in the territorial Jurisdiction of India, calling for invocation of Penal Laws for manifestly insulting the religion, hurting the feelings of the community and disturbing the communal harmony of the Country".The Petitioner, an advocate practicing at the Telangana High Court, submits that a Religious Congregation was conducted from 13th March 2020 to 15th March 2020 at Delhi, organised by Tablighi Jamat at Nizamuddin, Delhi where Scholars and attendees had arrived from across the World and from different states of India and the Organisers had housed them by providing necessary day to day facilities.

 

 

Give district-wise details of Jamaat attendees: Chhattisgarh HC to govt

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/give-district-wise-details-of-jamaat-attendees-chhattisgah-hc-to-govt/story-6eeutDWpAtKbBW9Fsj1x8K.html

Raipur: Chhattisgarh high court on Monday ordered the state government to file an affidavit furnishing district-wise data of the people who had attended the international congregation organised by Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin in Delhi held between March 13 and 15, and also of those came in contact with the attendees.HT

 

Blaming a community for coronavirus spread faulted:Writers, civil rights activists

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/blaming-a-community-for-coronavirus-spread-faulted/article31340108.ece

HYDERABAD :A group of over 130 writers, intellectuals and human rights activists have in a joint statement condemned the vicious campaign by some elements that Tabligh Jamaat and the entire Muslim community was responsible for the spread of coronavirus in India.The propaganda was aimed at terrorising ordinary people into thinking that Muslims have resorted to a major subversion. The electronic and social media were forcefully orchestrating their agenda. By the campaign, some people were attempting to stoke communal hatred by misrepresenting Muslim community, the statement released by human rights activist S. Jeevan Kumar, poetess Vimala and writer Shader Moinuddin said.the hindu

 

Volunteers Distributing Free Food in Nizamuddin Beaten up by Cops For Not Having Passes, Ex-Delhi Mayor Farhad Suri Meets DM

14 Apr 2020 06:04 PM, IST

 

 

Volunteers Distributing Free Food in Nizamuddin Beaten up by Cops For Not Having Passes, Ex-Delhi Mayor Farhad Suri Meets DM

http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/volunteers-distributing-free-food-in-nizamuddin-beaten-up-by-cops-for-not-having-passes-ex-delhi-mayor-farhad-suri-meets-dm

NEW DELHI:Some local volunteers who have been distributing free food among hundreds of poor residents of Nizamuddin area for past three weeks were allegedly beaten up by cops as they had not got passes to move out in the lockdown. Senior Congress leader and former Mayor of Delhi Farhad Suri met the District Magistrate on Tuesday and sought passes for the volunteers. Since after the tragedy of Nizamuddin Markaz of Tablighi Jamaat, earlier this month, the entire area has been sealed and cordoned off. “A team of volunteers cook food and prepare 700-800 packets and distribute among the local poor people. Some food items are cooked at Nizamuddin Dargah Sharif and some at the historic Langar Khana. The owner of the Langar Khan has died long ago but his grandson Shaikh Jilani has taken control of the Langar Khana. He is a good social worker. He along with some youths of the locality are doing this work. Rich people of the area are supporting them,” a local resident said.India Tomorrow

 

COVID-19: Delhi Riot Survivors Manufacture PPE Kits for Frontline Corona Warriors 

https://www.newsclick.in/node/25869?fbclid=IwAR3_4b4BtkxlidxG-l75l2VnK4gGH6QxBjDPlPLmlfEvf6rtpB117KBEaDo

New Delhi: 2 women, who were forced to flee their homes in search of safety during the communal violence in northeast Delhi only a couple of months ago, have voluntarily come forward to stitch Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits for medical staff fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, presenting an example of how things can change if given a chance. These women were provided with electronic stitching machines by a group of IITians after the riots ruined their small business. They want these PPE kits to be given to doctors, paramedics, ambulance drivers, sanitation workers who face potential threat from the ongoing pandemic. The women were provided with sewing machines by an organisation called Miles2Smile led by IIT Delhi research scholar Aasif Mujtaba. He, along with his team, has been engaged in relief and rehabilitation of the riots survivors. “When we started relief work in worst-hit Shiv Vihar, we were approached by these 2 women who requested for sewing machines so that they could restart earning a living. It made us happy because we, too, are working on financial rehabilitation of people so that they can lead a dignified life. We arranged 2 automatic sewing machines for them and also gave them Rs 20,000 for raw material they needed,” Mujtaba said. NewsClick.

 

Shah Rukh Khan provides 25,000 PPE kits to Maharashtra

https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/shah-rukh-khan-provides-25000-ppe-kits-to-maharashtra-6361602/?fbclid=IwAR2mtyphZFKOkBVF_iBDs9ekF--faBY16oissdiKuuCp6TxZP5oGv9kMTT0

Mumbai:Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Monday provided 25,000 PPE kits to the frontline medical staff in Maharashtra fighting to contain the coronavirus pandemic in the state. Rajesh Tope, Minister of Public Health and Family Welfare of Maharashtra, said the Fan actor’s contribution will help the healthcare workers immensely.“Many thanks Mr Shah Rukh Khan for your kind contribution of 25,000 PPE kits. This will go a long way in supporting our fight against COVID19 & protecting our frontline medical care team @iamsrk @MeerFoundation @CMOMaharashtra,” Tope tweeted.PTI

 

 

Kerala mosques give COVID-19 awareness messages 5 times a day, after each Adhan

https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/kerala-mosques-give-covid-19-awareness-messages-5-times-day-after-each-adhan-121690

Even before the lockdown many mosques in Kerala had amended Adhan (Muslim call for prayer) by adding the words that all should pray in their homes. But after the nationwide lockdown was implemented two mosques of Malappuram district have started announcing coronavirus awareness messages after every Adhan 5 times a day."We closed the mosque by mid March even before other mosques closed. It was after lockdown that we decided to announce the awareness messages. The messages last for 2 or 3 minutes. It will be played after every Adhan. Apart from that, based on revised regulations and rules of district administration we keep updating our message," says Shahjahan, the committee member of the Pulikkal Masjidu-Thaqwa mosque, where the announcements were made.thenewsminute

 

2 Karnataka cops face probe for arresting BJP man for controversial social media post

https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/2-karnataka-cops-face-probe-arresting-bjp-man-controversial-social-media-post-122507

2 police officers in Karnataka’s Hassan district have landed in trouble for taking action against Tej Kumar Shetty, a BJP activist, who posted a controversial social media post, suggesting a link between Tablighi Jamaat event and the spread of coronavirus.  2 police officers — Belur circle inspector Siddarameshwara and Arehalli sub-inspector Balu— are facing an inquiry by the jurisdictional SP Srinivasa Gowda. However, SP added that the two officers have not been suspended. The disciplinary action was initiated after Tourism Minister CT Ravi raised the issue with Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Twitter on Sunday. The Hassan police on Saturday had arrested Tej Kumar Shetty, who had shared the social media post, in which he was mockingly suggested that the coronavirus was weaker than the organiser of the event —  Maulana Muhammad Saad, head of Tablighi Jamaat (TJ).the news minute

 

Kashmiri Muslim Labourers Attacked in Himachal, Six Injured

http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/kashmiri-muslim-labourers-attacked-in-himachal-six-injured

SRINAGAR;Six labourers from the Chenab Valley were seriously injured when a group of youth stormed their residential quarters and attacked them with iron rods and sticks at Pundo-Barote in Himachal Pradesh.The incident occurred at 10.30 pm on Sunday when nine labourers, working with a tower transmission company, were retiring for the day. Three people barged into the quarter and segregated young and elderly laborers.   Sources said they first thrashed youth and then targeted the older ones.Three labourers suffered fractures while three others escaped with wounds. Some of the injured labourers were identified as Mohammad Akram, Mohammad Idrees, and Mohammad Rafiq.India Tomorrow

 

 

 

13 patients discharged from hospital in Kashmir after recovering from Covid-19

https://theprint.in/india/13-patients-discharged-from-hospital-in-kashmir-after-recovering-from-covid-19/401558/

Srinagar: Doctors on Tuesday discharged 13 COVID-19 patients from a hospital here following their successful recovery, officials said here.“More Positive Developments: 13 more COVID +Ve patients discharged from CD (Chest Diseases) Hospital Srinagar after treatment/recovery. Good Job everyone,” Government spokesman Rohit Kansal said in a tweet.Leading pulmonologist of Kashmir Dr Naveed Shah, who is heading the COVID team at Chest Disease Hospital, said while it was a satisfying moment, there should be no lowering of guard.PTI

 

Bihar govt bans spitting at public places, punishable with fine of Rs 200 or six months imprisonment

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/bihar-govt-bans-spitting-at-public-places-punishable-with-fine-of-rs-200-or-six-months-imprisonment-6361489/

Bihar health department on Monday issued orders banning spitting at public places in view of infections and other health hazards, esoecially in view of current Corona crsis. The violation of the government order is punishable with Rs 200 fine or six months imprisonment under Indian Penal Code provisions. The ban is invoked under provisions of Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.indianexpress

 

 

‘It was least we could do’: When Muslims shouldered a Hindu neighbour’s bier in Jaipur

https://theprint.in/india/it-was-the-least-we-could-do-when-muslims-shouldered-a-hindu-neighbours-bier-in-jaipur/401182/?fbclid=IwAR1-HME9odIaQ5JW63EcUmSUEVnECKbEV1EtvedeZ2ajuzoXn4OHlw0JsR0

Jaipur: When 36-year-old Rajendra Bagari died at sunset Sunday, his cousin Anju did not know what to do with the body. Apart from his younger brother and an uncle, there were no men around to carry the bier to the cremation ground 4 km from his house in Jaipur’s Shastri Nagar. “When he died Sunday evening, several people came to our home as we grieved. We are the only Hindu family in the area we live in, and our Muslim neighbours came to comfort us at the time,” Anju, a rag-picker, told ThePrint.Bagari had been suffering from cancer of the throat for two and a half months. His Muslim neighbours then stepped in and decided to help. On Monday, they did everything — from chanting ‘Ram naam satya hai’ to carrying the ‘arthi handi’, traditionally done by the eldest son in the family.“It was the least we could do,” Mohamed Faheem Qureishi, Bagari’s neighbour told ThePrint.theprint

 

Parents Start Online Petition to HRD Ministry After Schools Announce Fee Hike

https://thewire.in/education/parents-start-online-petition-to-hrd-ministry-after-schools-announce-fee-hike

New Delhi: While parents are waiting for a school fee waiver during the lockdown due to coronavirus outbreak in the country, several schools have announced a fee hike adding to their woes.Parents have started an online petition to the HRD Ministry demanding a directive to schools to not implement a fee hike this academic session at least till schools reopen.While the Gujarat government had on Monday announced that private schools will not hike fees for a year, the West Bengal government had appealed schools to refrain from hiking fees. However, no clear instructions have been issued on fee hike in Delhi-NCR.thewire

 

Coronvirus: In relief for stranded Indians, US allows H-1B visa extension

https://indianexpress.com/article/coronavirus/covid-19-us-allows-h-1b-visa-extension-relief-for-stranded-indians-6362425/

New Delhi :COVID-19 outbreak: In a major relief to thousands of stranded Indian professionals in America due to the coronavirus pandemic, US government has decided to allow applications by H-1B visa holders for an extended stay in the country, reported PTI.indianexpress

 

Covid-19: India’s order of rapid testing kits from Chinese companies delayed once again

https://scroll.in/latest/959123/covid-19-indias-order-of-rapid-testing-kits-from-chinese-companies-delayed-once-again

Indian Council of Medical Research on Monday said the order for 5 lakh coronavirus rapid testing kits from Chinese companies has been delayed again. As many as 2.5 lakh of the total number of kits were to be delivered by April 5, and then April 8 or April 9, but now those may arrive on April 15.India has reportedly ordered 5 lakh rapid testing kits from Chinese manufacturers on March 30. Several states have also been waiting to receive the kits so that they could start testing. The states have also been allowed to procure kits on their own. Meanwhile, the government-owned HLL Lifecare is expected to start production of 20,000 rapid testing kits a day at its Manesar factory this week.scroll

 

Mass testing key to fighting COVID-19, India nowhere in the game: Rahul Gandhi

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/mass-testing-key-to-fighting-covid-19-india-nowhere-in-the-game-rahul-gandhi-6362187/

 Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said mass testing for coronavirus was key to fighting its spread but the country was currently “nowhere in the game”.Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India is in a much better position than many other nations in COVID-19 fight, Rahul said India was currently in the company of countries like Laos, Niger and Honduras due to low level of testing for COVID-19.indianexpress

 

Cop shoots self in Bhopal, was stressed over duty amid coronavirus pandemic

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/cop-shoots-self-in-bhopal-was-stressed-over-duty-amid-coronavirus-pandemic-1666935-2020-04-14

Bhopal:Apolice constable, 36, reportedly under stress owing to duty during the coronavirus pandemic shot himself with his service weapon in Bhopal on Tuesday afternoon.The constable is said to be out of danger and is admitted at a hospital in Bhopal.Constable Chetan Singh had been posted at the Ratibarh police station on the outskirts of Bhopal city and had been assigned to a motorcycle borne unit.

 

 

*CORONAVIRUS – WORLD*

 

Global economy to suffer worst blow since the 1930s, warns IMF

https://www.ft.com/content/e626cc6f-5aa9-4dae-b6a0-175b92aa126d

The coronavirus crisis will leave lasting scars on the global economy and most countries should expect their economies to be 5 per cent smaller than planned even after a sharp recovery in 2021, the IMF said on Tuesday.Forecasting that this year would be the worst global economic contraction since the Great Depression of the 1930s, Gita Gopinath, the fund’s chief economist, said the world outlook had “changed dramatically” since January with output losses that would “dwarf” the global financial crisis 12 years ago.“A partial recovery is projected for 2021, with above-trend growth rates, but the level of GDP will remain below the pre-virus trend, with considerable uncertainty about the strength of the rebound,” she said. If extensive lockdowns have to be extended beyond the second quarter of the year and Covid-19 returns in a milder outbreak in 2021, the overall economic hit would be twice as large, the IMF estimated.ft

 

 

Trump blames Obama for lack of coronavirus tests: ‘I don’t take responsibility at all’

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/13/coronavirus-trump-says-i-dont-take-responsibility-at-all-for-lack-of-tests.html?__source=sharebar&fbclid=IwAR38JYjTzXf6jaUs1iDzpvQA40m9m07rPzNSzThgcGvtPnCIP2BoB2_vHlQ

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump refused to accept any responsibility for the slow rate of coronavirus testing in the United States, saying on Friday that he was “given a set of circumstances” that wasn’t meant for the high numbers of potential COVID-19 infections.“What we’ve done, and one of the reasons people are respecting what we’ve done, is we’ve gotten it done very early, and we’ve also kept a lot of people out,” Trump said during a press conference in the Rose Garden.During the briefing, NBC’s Kristen Welker asked Trump whether he took responsibility for the testing lag, which one member of his own task force called “a failing.”cnbc

 

 

*OTHERS*

 

I earnestly hope that you will speak out before your turn comes:Teltumbde tells people before surrendering to NIA

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/day-before-surrendering-to-nia-anand-teltumbde-writes-to-the-people-of-india/article31335762.ece?fbclid=IwAR0kbwtL9Fb7dxGrRxBuouNZglnF7Uq_dVX_ZB95rlfxdycMsgatsnbj-0I

MUMBAI:Professor Anand Teltumbde, an engineer and IIM graduate who used to teach at IIT(Kharagpur), wrote an open letter ‘to people of India’ a day before he surrenders to NIA after the Supreme Court denied him any relief.“I am aware this may be completely drowned in the motivated cacophony of BJP-RSS combine and the subservient media but I still think it may be worth talking to you as I do not know whether I would get another opportunity,”  Teltumbde noted in his 3-page letter.He said his ‘world turned completely topsy-turvy’ in August 2018 when a team of policemen raided his house in the faculty housing complex of Goa Institute of Management and accused of him having a connection with Bhima-Koregaon violence.The police team which raided the institute forcibly got a duplicate key from the security guard, and took videos of his house, claimed  Teltumbde.The professor said the form and content of the letters has been trashed by experts and even a justice of the Supreme Court, the only one in the entire judiciary who went into the nature of the evidence. Additionally, the content does not refer to anything that could be remotely construed as even a simple crime, he claims. “But taking shelter under the draconian provisions of UAPA, that renders a person defenseless, I am being jailed,”  Teltumbde said, adding, “And this can happen literally to ANYONE.”thehindu

Dr Ambedkar’s grandson in law Anand Teltumbde surrenders, arrested by NIA on 129th Ambedkar Jayanti

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/dr-ambedkars-grandson-in-law-anand-teltumbde-surrenders-arrested-by-nia-on-129th-ambedkar-jayanti

 

Activist Gautam Navlakha before surrender: Accused guilty unless proven innocent is new norm

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/activist-gautam-navlakha-criticises-uapa-in-open-letter-before-surrender-6362016/

In an open letter before his surrender on Tuesday, activist Gautam Navlakha assailed UAPA under which he was charged by Pune Police for their alleged Maoist links and other charges following the violence at Bhima Koregaon village near Pune on January 1, 2018.“Such Acts turn the normal jurisprudence upside down. No longer is it the axiom that ‘a person is innocent unless proven guilty’. In fact, under such Acts, ‘an accused is guilty unless proven innocent’,” he wrote.He also criticised the manner in which evidence is gathered and submitted, saying the “draconian” provisions of UAPA are not accompanied by stricter procedures.“Under this double whammy, jail becomes the norm, and bail an exception,” he added.indianexpress

'My Hope Rests on a Speedy and Fair Trial': Gautam Navlakha Before His Surrender

https://thewire.in/rights/gautam-navlakha-bhima-koregaon-nia-surrender

 

 

 

Coronavirus: J&K administration releases 16 PSA detenues, five convicts

https://scroll.in/latest/959126/coronavirus-j-k-administration-releases-16-psa-detenues-five-convicts

Jammu and Kashmir administration released 16 people detained under Public Safety Act, and five convicts, from Srinagar Central Jail on Monday, Greater Kashmir reported.The move is an effort to stop the coronavirus from spreading inside prisons in the Union Territory. There have been 270 cases of Covid-19 in Jammu and Kashmir so far, including four deaths, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The officials said that there were 110 Public Safety Act detenues in Srinagar Central Jail. With the release of 16 of them, 94 are still locked up. Under Public Safety Act, a person may be detained without trial for three to six years.scroll

 

Governor’s power not intended to displace democratically elected government, says SC

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/governors-power-not-intended-to-displace-democratically-elected-government-says-sc

In its judgment upholding the order of the Madhya Pradesh Governor who had ordered a floor test while the house was in session, the Supreme Court made some important observations about the scope and limits of powers of the Governor."The authority of the Governor is not one to be exercised in aid of a political dispensation which considers an elected government of the day to be a political opponent," the court held, reported legal news website LiveLaw.in.The court said that a Governor's power is not intended to destabilise or displace a democratically elected government accountable to the legislative assembly and collectively responsible to it. It observed that a Governor, being an appointee of the President, does not represent either a political ideology or a political view, and he/she ought not to exercise his authority in aid of a political dispensation.nationalheraldindia

 

Kolkata wife of Sheikh Mujib’s assassin knew him only as a pious teacher and an introvert

https://theprint.in/india/kolkata-wife-of-sheikh-mujibs-assassin-knew-him-only-as-a-pious-teacher-and-an-introvert/401606/

Kolkata: On 8 April, the world came crashing down on 40-year-old Zareena. Her 73-year-old husband Ahmed Ali was arrested in Bangladesh’s Mirpur the previous day by the country’s police, and he actually turned out to be Capt. Abdul Majed, a former Bangladesh army man and one of the assassins of the country’s founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He was executed on a long-standing death sentence on 12 April.For more than two decades, Majed/Ali had lived in Kolkata and different districts of West Bengal as a humble, pious teacher, complete with a passport and Aadhaar card confirming his assumed identity.Even Zareena, who had been married to him for nearly a decade, only found out that he was a most-wanted assassin through the local papers after his arrest. She had filed a ‘missing person’ complaint with the local police on 22 February, a day after he disappeared from their home in Kolkata, but once the truth was revealed to her, Zareena went into shock.theprint

 

 

*WORLD*

 

 

Haftar forces suffer string of defeats in battle for Tripoli

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/haftar-forces-suffer-string-defeats-battle-tripoli-200414094036899.html

Libya's internationally recognised government has made significant gains, capturing seven towns from renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar's control in the past two days.Sabratha, Surman, al-Ajaylat, Regdalin, al-Jumayl, Zelten and al-Essa, located northwest to the capital Tripoli, are now under the control of forces loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA), according to Al Jazeera sources.GNA said on Monday its troops had seized control of three strategic coastal cities - Sabratha, Surman, al-Ajaylat - located between Tripoli and the Tunisian border.aljazeera

 

Hamas demands release 250 prisoners in exchange for information on missing Israelis

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200414-hamas-demands-release-250-prisoners-in-exchange-for-information-on-missing-israelis/

Hamas has demanded Israel release 250 Palestinian prisoners in return for confidential information about four Israeli prisoners of war held in Gaza.According to the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar today, Hamas officials held in Israeli jails have produced a list of 250 Palestinian prisoners they demand be freed as part of the first stage of negotiations, and sent the list to the movement’s leadership represented by Yahya Al-Sinwar in the Gaza Strip.In exchange for the prisoners’ release, Hamas has offered to provide information regarding the bodies of two deceased Israeli soldiers Lieutenant Hadar Goldin and Sergeant Oron Shaul, as well as the alleged civilians Avera Mengistu and Hisham Al-Sayed who Hamas says are also soldiers.

 

 

Saudi Aramco’s share continues decline despite historic OPEC+ deal

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200414-saudi-aramcos-share-continues-decline-despite-historic-opec-deal/

Saudi Aramco’s shares continued to decline during trading yesterday, despite Sunday’s historic agreement to reduce oil production that was reached by OPEC and the major oil producers in the world.Aramco shares were down 1.7 per cent by the end of trading yesterday having dropped 1.25 per cent on Sunday.The decline in the leading shares in the Saudi Stock Exchange to decline for the second session in a row, amid fears that the agreed upon global production cuts will not be sufficient to reduce the glut in light of the decline in demand for crude due to coronavirus.

*views, Articles, FEATURES*

 

Revisiting Ambedkar on Epidemics, Treatment Bias and Hindu Raj:S.N. Sahu

https://www.newsclick.in/Revisiting-Ambedkar-on-Epidemics-Treatment-Bias-and-Hindu-Raj?fbclid=IwAR3a1siqiA1ZJLOkAhi8EWRo-BoeHX5ho_5PaBIiIM-rzW4jARG9PZSJoh0

Why Is Anand Teltumbde So Dangerous for Modi Govt?Jignesh Mevani and Meena Kandasamy

https://thewire.in/rights/anand-teltumbde-arrest-narendra-modi

Revisiting Ambedkar on Epidemics, Treatment Bias and Hindu Raj:S.N. Sahu

https://www.newsclick.in/Revisiting-Ambedkar-on-Epidemics-Treatment-Bias-and-Hindu-Raj

The pandemic is killing truth, too:Jackson Diehl, washingtonpost

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/truth-is-the-first-casualty-in-war-including-this-one/2020/04/12/44c5ea44-7a88-11ea-b6ff-597f170df8f8_story.html?fbclid=IwAR1mlXqUvV2VGR9O_K5RWc1kQeUbvzWQGWZOrBAUKZ3GGxbCV_9WGWNacoM

Economists expect RBI will print money as India battles Covid-19: What it means?

https://theprint.in/theprint-essential/economists-expect-rbi-will-print-money-as-india-battles-covid-19-heres-what-it-means/401493/

Covid-19: Unemployment rate rises to 24% amid nationwide lockdown: Mahesh Vyas

https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/employment-rate-down-10-percentage-points-120041300850_1.html

Lifting Lockdown: How Many Manufacturing-Centric Sectors Can Work at 25% Capacity?Surajeet Das Gupta, Avishek Rakshit Amritha Pillay and T.E. Narasimhan

https://thewire.in/business/lifting-the-lockdown-how-many-manufacturing-centric-sectors-can-work-at-25-capacity

What Dr Ambedkar’s 'Who Were Shudras?' Tells Us About Sacred Books of Hinduism:Umang Kumar

https://thewire.in/caste/dr-ambedkar-who-were-the-shudras-hinduism

Kejriwal is not BJP’s alternative in Delhi. He has let Muslims down who voted AAP en masse:ZAINAB SIKANDER

https://theprint.in/opinion/kejriwal-not-bjp-alternative-he-has-let-down-muslims-who-voted-aap/374102/?fbclid=IwAR0Q6HARzmKhzlCBBgf2l3wf0PZIeXkulUlMegIQbUNruPgRKqwSepqUMCk

Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:56 PM).