Kem Cho, Trump: RecordNumber of People to

Welcome US Presidentin Ahmedabad

www.theindianpanorama.news VOL 14 ISSUE 7 ● NEW YORK / DALLAS ● FEB 14 - 20, 2020 ● ENQUIRIES: 646-247-9458

AAP Makes a Near Clean Sweep winning62 of 70 Assembly Seats in Delhi Elections

# 1 Indian American Weekly: Since 2006

● BJP improves position from 3 in 2015 to 8 in 2020; Congress pushed intooblivion

● Kejriwal to be sworn in as Chief Minister of Delhi for the third consecutiveterm on February 16

● No politicians from other states to be invited for Kejriwal oath ceremony

Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal send kisses to the jubilating party workers after theglorious victory, Feb 11

WASHINGTON (TIP): As PrimeMinister Modi has made it clear that theUS is India's preferred partner for tradeand business,the potential for co-operation, between United States andIndia, is limitless, said India'sAmbassador to the US Taranjit SinghSandhu.

The US-India Strategic PartnershipForum hosted a welcome reception forAmbassador Sandhu on February 7,2020. Ambassador Sandhu addressed thegathering and interacted with industryrepresentatives. Addressing thegathering the Ambassador describedwhen he was here, as a young diplomatin 1997, he always sensed, the potential ofthe US-India partnership, and wonderedhow we could, move forward.

contd on Page 32

UNITED NATIONS (TIP): UnitedNations Secretary-General AntonioGuterres will visit the Gurdwara DarbarSahib, the final resting place of Sikhismfounder Guru Nanak Dev, in Kartarpurduring his visit to Pakistan from Feb 16-18. According to the informationavailable with The Indian Panorama, theUN chief will arrive in Islamabad onSunday, Feb 16 and will hold bilateralmeetings with Pakistan Prime MinisterImran Khan and Foreign Minister ShahMahmood Qureshi on that day and speakat an event on sustainable developmentand climate change.

contd on page 30

I.S. SALUJA

NEW DELHI (TIP): In a massiveshow of approval of AAP governance inthe State of Delhi, Delhites returnedKejriwal government to power, giving italmost a landslide victory with 62Assembly Seats, leaving the BJP with 8Assembly Seats and sending theCongress to oblivion which could notwin even a single seat. Worse, itscandidates lost deposit on 63 seats, ahumiliation which the once ruling partyof Delhi may not have dreamed of.

The people of Delhi indubitablyrewarded the good governance andpublic welfare schemes launched by theAAP government. Voters rejected theCongress completely.

contd on page 32

PM Modi invited President Trump to visitIndia during his U.S. trip in June 2017 withhope to improve bilateral trade relations

with the US (File photo )

WASHINGTON (TIP): At theinvitation of Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, US President DonaldJ. Trump, accompanied by First LadyMelania Trump, will pay a State Visitto India on 24-25 February 2020. Thiswill be the President's first visit toIndia. contd on Page 32

Potential for Co-operation between US andIndia is Limitless, Says Indian Envoy

United Nations Chief Antonio Guterres to VisitGurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan

Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu (Left)with Dr. Mukesh Aghi, President and CEO of

USISPF at the USISPF reception inWashington, February7. Photo / Courtesy

Embassy of India

The Kartarpur Corridor, which links Dera Baba Sahib inGurdaspur in India and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan,

was opened on November 9, 2019

United Nations Secretary-General AntonioGuterres is expected to visit GurdwaraDarbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan on

February 18thPhoto / Courtesy UN

2 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020ADVERTISEMENT

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3THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020 NY/NJ/CT

AAPI Holds Spring Governing Body Meet Dr. Sajani Shah, a second-generation physician of Indian Origin elected Chair of BOT, AAPI for 2020-21LONG ISLAND, NY (TIP): "I am

excited to announce that Dr. Sajani Shah,a second generation physician of IndianOrigin, and the first ever from the YoungPhysicians Section, has been elected asthe Chair of BOT, AAPI for the year 2020-21," Dr. Suresh Reddy, President of AAPIannounced here. "I am so proud that thishistoric milestone by AAPI has occurredduring my Presidency," the young anddynamic President of AAPI declaredhere.

Dr. Sajani Shah was elected Chair ofBoard of Trustees, AAPI during theAAPI Spring Governing Body Meeting

held on Saturday, February 8th, 2020.Organized by the AAPI-QLI Chapter, theGB Meeting was conducted smoothlywith informative reports & healthydiscussions.

Attended by over 150 AAPI Membersand leaders of AAPI from across thecountry, the Executive Team was led byAAPI President, Dr. Suresh Reddy andwas coordinated by Dr. Ravi Kolli, in hiscapacity as the Secretary of AAPI. Dr.Aravind Goyal, a veteran AAPI leaderserved as the Speaker for the GBMeeting, ensuring a smooth flow ofagenda. contd on Page 7

Brooklyn Borough to CelebrateBlack History Month Feb 26

NEW YORK (TIP): BrooklynBorough Prez Eric Adams told TIP thatBrooklyn Borough will host the annualBlack History Month event on Feb 26th.The theme is "Black History's NextChapter." The event, co-sponsored byMetroPlus, JP Morgan Chase, and NYC& Co. Foundation, will feature akeynote speech from Asha Boston,founder and prez of The Dinner Table,a non-profit that provides college andcareer readiness workshops andprogramming for middle school andhigh school aged women of color, aswell as incoming college freshmen.

Photo / Courtesy : Borough of Brooklyn

Anupam Kher Captivates with“Kucch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai ”

NEW YORK CITY (TIP): AnupamKher'ssolo theatre performance KucchBhi Ho Sakta Hai has been performedmany times all over the world stage. Buthis outstanding performance on Feb 8 atBharatiya Vidya Bhavan in New YorkCity to an intimate audience and crèmede la crème invitees set yet another barentirely. Setting the tone of the evening,Anupam Kher forayed into the theatrewith the customary ease of aconsummate performer and mingledwith the audience, cracked jokes, givingcasual shout outs, just shaking hands,engaging them even before theperformance had begun and a fewminutes later stepped onto the stage andthe unforgettable evening began.

Enacting his life story of failures andsuccess with the passion, power andenergy kept the audiences engaged andgave them an intimate glimpse into themaking of Anupam Kher the star, theperson, the performer. They laughedwith him, empathized with every failureand gloried in his victories. The story ofhis birth, his family life growing up inShimla, his yearning to be someonedifferent to make a mark outside hislimited world - made for a mesmerizingtale of how everyone can dare to dreamand should. Weaving the antics of schooldays with his first disastrous forays intoacting, while sharing with the audiencethe nuances of his first kiss, his firstcrush were mesmerizing as they wererelatable. (Read full story on

www.theindianpanorama.news)

The consummate theater artist Anupam Kher in solo performance in "Kucch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai"at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in New York City, Feb 8 Photos / Jay Mandal-On Assignment

Post performance,Anupam Kher thanks God and the audience which included PermanentRepresentative of India to the United Nations Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin and his wife Padma

Akbaruddin, Consul General of India Sandeep Chakravorty and his wife TarunaChakravorty.Photo / Jay Mandal-On Assignment

Lotus ManagementGroup Inc, Hicksville,

NY Ordered to PayWages to ex-Employee

HICKSVILLE, NY (TIP): DistrictCourt of Nassau County 1st DistrictNSC Part has ordered the LotusManagement Group Inc located at 127North Broadway, Hicksville, NY 11801to pay $548.57 to one of its ex-employees for the unpaid wages andinterest thereon.

The Judge Arbitrator BrendanTwomey passed the order February 5,2020 on a petition filed by an ex-employee of Lotus ManagementGroup Inc that her employer had notpaid her wages for the work she haddone for the company.

The Judge Arbitrator,"after trial, oninquest and deliberating thereon" ,decided to award in favor of thepetitioner. The defendant LotusManagement Group Inc has beenordered to pay to the plaintiff a totalof $548.57 which includes Awardamount: $500.00; Interest:$13.57; Costs& Disbs: $35.00. The judgment, whichis a public record, is valid for 20 years.

New York State bans single-use plastic bags, effective March 1 Starting March 1, 2020, single-use plastic bags are

banned, with limited exceptions, in New York State. Inaddition, businesses will begin collecting a five-cent

fee on paper carryout bags in New York City. This feewill not apply to any customers using SNAP or WIC.

4 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020INDIANS ABROAD

Indian Origin RishiSunak Named New

Finance Minister of UK

LONDON (TIP): Rishi Sunak, the son-in-law of Infosys Co-founder NarayanaMurthy, was appointed UK'sNewFinance Minister on Feb 13. He waspreviously Chief Secretary to theTreasury from 24 July 2019 to 13February 2020, and Parliamentary UnderSecretary of State at the Ministry ofHousing, Communities and LocalGovernment from 9 January 2018 to 24July 2019.

Rishi went to Winchester College andstudied Politics, Philosophy andEconomics at Oxford University. He wasalso a Fulbright Scholar at StanfordUniversity (USA) where he studied forhis MBA. Rishi was elected ConservativeMP for Richmond (Yorks) in May 2015and served as a Parliamentary PrivateSecretary at the Department forBusiness, Energy and IndustrialStrategy from June 2017 until hisministerial appointment. Rishi spent hisprofessional career before politics inbusiness and finance, workinginternationally. He co-founded aninvestment firm working withcompanies in multiple geographies. Hethen used that experience to help smalland entrepreneurial British companiesgrow.

Indian American PleadsGuilty to MedicareKickback Scheme

SACRAMENTO, CA (TIP): Jai Vijay,54, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty Feb 6 toconspiring with the owners of homehealth care agencies and a hospiceagency to pay and receive illegalkickbacks in exchange for Medicarebeneficiary referrals. According to courtdocuments, Jai Vijay's wife, Anita Vijay,worked as the social services director ata skilled nursing and assisted livingfacility in Sacramento. In her role, AnitaVijay assisted Medicare beneficiaries inselecting home health care and hospiceagencies following their discharge fromthe facility. Anita Vijay used her positionto steer Medicare beneficiaries to homehealth agencies in Folsom and El DoradoHills and a hospice agency in Folsom. Inexchange for the beneficiary referrals,the agencies' owners paid Jai Vijay andAnita Vijay illegal cash kickbacks. In hisplea agreement, Jai Vijay admitted thatthe agencies' owners paid him and hiswife kickbacks in exchange for thereferral of approximately 60beneficiaries. Medicare paid theagencies approximately $400,000 forservices they purportedly provided tothe beneficiaries. Because the agenciesobtained the beneficiary referrals bypaying kickbacks, they should not havereceived any reimbursement fromMedicare.

Three Indian Americans Elected toNational Academy of Engineering, Two

International Members from IndiaNEW YORK (TIP): Three Indian

Americans have been elected as newmembers of the National Academy ofEngineering (NAE) while two Indiansnamed international members.

Rajeev Gautam, Jayathi Y.Murthy andAmarpreet SinghSawhney are the threenew members from the USA whilePawan K., Goenka andChennupatiJagadish are elected asinternational members.

The National Academy ofEngineering (NAE) has elected 87 newmembers and 18 internationalmembers, announced NAE PresidentJohn L. Anderson. This brings the totalU.S. membership to 2,309 and thenumber of international members to281.

Rajeev Gautam, president and chiefexecutive officer, performancematerials and technologies, Honeywell,Morris Plains, N.J. For business andtechnical leadership in the oil, gas, andpetrochemicals industry.

Jayathi Y.Murthy, Ronald and ValerieSugar Dean and DistinguishedProfessor, Henry Samueli School ofEngineering and Applied Science,University of California, Los Angeles.For the development of unstructuredsolution-adaptive finite volume methodsfor heat, mass, and momentumtransport.

Amarpreet SinghSawhney, chairmanof the board, Ocular Therapeutix Inc.,Bedford, Mass. For development ofinnovative medical devices that haveimpacted millions of patients.

International Members are: Pawan K., Goenka, managing director,

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., Mumbai,India. For leadership and expansion ofMahindra's automotive business inIndia, and for contributions inautomotive engine lubrication.

Chennupati Jagadish, distinguishedprofessor, electronic materialsengineering, Australian NationalUniversity, Canberra. For contributionsto nanotechnology for optoelectronicdevices.

Election to the National Academy ofEngineering is among the highestprofessional distinctions accorded to anengineer. Academy membership honorsthose who have made outstandingcontributions to "engineering research,practice, or education, including, whereappropriate, significant contributions to

the engineering literature" and to "thepioneering of new and developing fieldsof technology, making majoradvancements in traditional fields ofengineering, ordeveloping/implementing innovativeapproaches to engineering education."Election of new NAE members is theculmination of a yearlong process. Theballot is set in December and the finalvote for membership occurs duringJanuary.

Individuals in the newly elected classwill be formally inducted during aceremony at the NAE's annual meetingin Washington, D.C., on Oct. 4. A list ofthe newly elected members andinternational members follows, withtheir primary affiliations at the time ofelection and a brief statement of theirprincipal engineering accomplishments.

Rajeev Gautam, Jayathi Y.Murthy and Amarpreet Singh Sawhney are the three new members fromthe USA while Pawan K., Goenka and ChennupatiJagadish are elected as international members

Sunak, the son-in-law of Infosys

Co-founderNarayana

Murthy, wasappointed

UK'sNew FinanceMinister on Feb

13

Indian Origin Alok Sharma NamedUK's Secretary of State for Business,

Energy and Industrial Strategy LONDON (TIP): Indian Origin Alok

Sharma was appointed Secretary ofState for Business, Energy andIndustrial Strategy on 13 February2020in UK Prime Minister BorisJohnson's Cabinet reshuffle and willtake charge of the crucial summitCOP26' as its former president wasremoved amid controversy just weeksago. Sharma was previously Secretaryof State for International Developmentfrom 24 July 2019 to 13 February 2020,and Minister of State for Employmentat the Department of Work and Pensions from 9 January 2018until 24 July 2019.

Sharma was Minister of State for Housing and Planning, forthe Department for Communities and Local Government from13 June 2017 to 9 January 2018. Alok was Parliamentary UnderSecretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Officefrom 17 July 2016 to 13 June 2017.

He has served as a member of the Commons Treasury selectcommittee, a member of the Commons Science andTechnology select committee, a Parliamentary PrivateSecretary at the Treasury and from 2012 to 2015 as aConservative Party Vice Chairman. Alok was appointed in2016 as the Prime Minister's Infrastructure Envoy to India.

(Read full story on www.theindianpanorama.news)

Indian American Woman to Run forUS Congress from Virginia

WA S H I N G T O N

(TIP): MangaAnantatmula, an Indianorigin Republican hasannounced her bid forUS House ofRepresentatives fromthe 11th CongressionalDistrict ofVirginia.Born in

Andhra Pradesh, she did her schooling from Chennai andgraduated from the Agra University before coming to the US as animmigrant. Anantatmulahelped campaign Virginia Republicancandidates in 2017-2018 and has been since tirelessly helping theGOP. As a professional, Anantatmula worked for federalgovernment agencies, such as Veterans Affairs, Agriculture,Marine, DoD, and DHS as a small business owner and aconsultant, rising to the ranks of defense acquisitions programmanagement. I will be your voice, not a noise, Anantatmula saysin her outreach to Indian American particularly Hinducommunity. In her recent tweets she has supported India's standon Kashmir and recently enacted Citizenship Amendment Actand building the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. "Never imagined thatmy Kickoff will also be my celebratory campaign kickoff as aPRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE!! The battle begins!!! VA11 is turningRED! GOD BLESS AMERICA! My name will be on the ballot inNovember!!' she wrote on social mediaafter formally launchingher Congressional Campaign on Saturday, Feb 8 from Herndon, aVirginia suburb of Washington DC.

Manga Anantatmula launched herCongressional Campaign on Saturday, Feb 8 Alok was Parliamentary

Under Secretary of Stateat the Foreign and

Commonwealth Officefrom 17 July 2016 to 13

June 2017.

5THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020 ADVERTISEMENT

6 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020NY/NJ/CT

Nassau Legislature Minority Leader Kevan M. Abrahams saysNassau County has nothing to do with passing a bail reform

MINEOLA, NY (TIP): "Let's be clear:The Nassau County Legislature hadnothing to do with passing bail reformand has no say or power to change bailreform now. County Executive Curran,District Attorney Singas and Democratsin the Legislature have already clearlyand loudly made known our view thatbail reform needs to be fixed by the NewYork State Legislature", said NassauLegislature Minority Leader Kevan M.Abrahams, in response to RepublicanMajority's Bail Reform Hearing.

Here is the full statement ofAbrahams. "Our caucus proudly standsby its unwavering, consistent support ofthe law enforcement professionals thatserve and protect Nassau residents.However, the primary purpose for theRepublicans to hold a bail reformhearing at the Nassau CountyLegislature was to exploit an issue thatthey can do nothing about - and an issuethat leaders in Albany have alreadycommitted to addressing. This 'hearing'

was designed to be a hatchet job that hadlittle to do with public safety andeverything to do with politics.

"People should never be punisheddisproportionately by the criminaljustice system solely because oftheir inability to pay pre-trial bail.Recent reports in Newsday havehighlighted a proposal by NewYork State Senate Democrats thatwould abolish cash bail whileemphasizing public safety by:

o Ending bail requirements formisdemeanors except for certainhate and sex crimes.

o Increasing judicial authority anddiscretion to remand a suspect orimpose monitoring requirementsbased on guidelines consideringthe suspect's criminal record, flightrisk and history of violence.

o Making any crime involving a

fatality eligible for remand.o Allowing the court to remand or

monitor suspects in felonydomestic violence cases; and

o Monitoring the impact of bailreform by gathering and analyzingdata related to recidivism, thepercentage of suspects beingheld/released and racialdemographics.

The Republican Majority in theLegislature must stop wasting Nassautaxpayers' time and money withfearmongering and politicking. Instead,they should focus their energy onpassing the County Executive'sTaxpayer Protection Plan - somethingthat will save many homeownersmillions of dollars on their propertytaxes this year.

It is time for Republicans to stopplaying politics and start doing thepeople's business."

(Based on a press release)

The Nassau County Legislature had nothingto do with passing bail reform and has no say

or power to change bail reform now, saysNassau Legislature Minority Leader Kevan M.Abrahams Facebook photo

ALBANY, NY (TIP): The New YorkState Department of EnvironmentalConservation (DEC) is now acceptingnominations for the inaugural 2020Stewardship Appreciation Awards,DEC Commissioner Basil Seggosannounced Feb 13.

"Partnerships are invaluable toDEC's efforts to promote outdoorrecreation and provide a positivevisitor experience," said CommissionerSeggos. "This new awards program willrecognize the efforts of volunteers andpartners in improvement, outreach,and stewardship projects on statelands, waters, and at DEC facilities."

DEC manages 4.6 million acres ofpublic lands, including three millionacres in the Adirondack and CatskillForest Preserves, more than 5,000 milesof formal trails, campgrounds, day useareas, and hundreds of trailheads, boatlaunches, and fishing piers. Theselands provide countless outdoorrecreational experiences for the public,while also protecting valuable natural

resources. Volunteers and partnerorganizations are essential to thecontinued stewardship and promotionof these resources.

Not-for-profit organizations,individuals, educationalinstitutions, and municipalitieswith formal agreements withDEC are eligible to apply.Nominees must be in goodstanding with DEC and New YorkState EnvironmentalConservation Law for the pastthree years. Nominees musthave one of the following formalagreements with DEC:● An active Volunteer Stewardship

Agreement (VSA).● A current Memorandum of

Understanding.● A current Use and Occupancy

Agreement; or● Proof of organized volunteer

activities on State lands.● DEC encourages those who meet

the eligibility requirements andare committed to improving lands,waters, and facilities including,but not limited to, forestpreserves, state forests,conservation easements, wildlifemanagement areas, and

environmental education centersto submit a nomination.

● Examples of projects completedby volunteers and partnersinclude:

● Rehabilitation of trails.● Restoration of historic buildings,

structures, or other interpretivestructures related to theconservation of natural resources;and

● Promoting environmentaleducation efforts for the public,for example, Leave No Trace andoutdoor safety principles, naturalresource stewardship efforts, andoutdoor recreationalprogramming.

Completed nominations for the 2020awards must be submitted by Thursday,April 30. Award winners will beannounced in September. Additionalinformation about the award program,including a 2020 nomination form, canbe found on DEC's website. Nominationforms can also be requested via emailto adventureny@dec.ny.gov, or bywriting to the NYS Department ofEnvironmental Conservation,Adventure NY, 625 Broadway, 14thFloor, Albany, New York 12233-1010.

To learn more about DEC's volunteers andpartners, visit DEC's website.

https://www.dec.ny.gov/press/press.html

Nominations Being Accepted for Stewardship Appreciation

Awards through April 30 Not-for-profit organizations, individuals, educational institutions, andmunicipalities with formal agreements with DEC are eligible to apply.

NYS Common RetirementFund Announces $800

Million In RecentClimate-Related And

Sustainable Investments

ALBANY, NY (TIP): New YorkState Comptroller Thomas P.DiNapoli, on Feb 13, announced $800million in recent investmentsthrough the New York State CommonRetirement Fund's (Fund)Sustainable Investments and ClimateSolutions program.

"Climate change is one of thegreatest risks facing investors, butthe worldwide effort to address it hasspurred innovation and change,"DiNapoli said. "New York state'spension fund will continue ourleadership on the issue of climatechange and take advantage of theopportunities created by the globaltransition to a lower carbon,sustainable economy to strengthenthe Fund."

As part of his Climate Action Plan,DiNapoli has committed $20 billion toits Sustainable Investments andClimate Solutions program. To date,the Fund has allocated $8.5 billion ofthat overall commitment. The latest$800 million comprises three separateinvestments.

(Read full story inwww.theindianpanorama.news)

Thomasdi Napoli: "NewYork State's pension

fund will continue ourleadership on the issueof climate change andtake advantage of theopportunities created

by the global transitionto a lower carbon,

sustainable economy tostrengthen the Fund."

7THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020 NY/NJ/CT

AAPI Holds Spring Governing Body Meet contd from page 3

During his inaugural address, Dr. Reddygave an overview of accomplishmentsunder his leadership of AAPI in the past 200days. "As I look back to the past 200 dayssince we assumed office, leading AmericanAssociation of Physicians of Indian Origin(AAPI), representing over 100,000enthusiastic and cohesive group ofPhysicians and Fellows of Indian Origin, Iam extremely happy to state that we haveaccomplished several and are on way tofulfill our promises and commitment to takeAAPI to the next level,"

"In my inaugural address, I had promisedto align all the energies to make AAPI anenormous force, committing to take themore than three decades old organization tothe new heights and bring all the AAPIChapters, Regions, Members of theExecutive Committee and Board ofTrustees to work cohesively and unitedly forthe success of AAPI and the realization ofits noble mission, bringing in increaseddignity, decency, professionalism andeliteness into the organization, and thuselevate the already existing stand," Dr.Reddy reminded AAPI members.

Dr. Reddy highlighted the historic GlobalHealth Care Summit held in Hyderabad,Continuing Medical Education, activeinvolvement/participation of YoungPhysicians, Three highly successful voyagesto Antarctica, Obesity Awareness campaignin India, Argentina and in the US, Share aBlanket program, Leadership Summit inWashington, DC, several new initiatives inIndia in collaboration with the governmentof India, MCI, local NGOs, Tata Trust andApollo Hospital, and the continuedcollaboration and efforts to coordinate andunify the many AAPI Chapters as some ofthe highlights of the AAPI's 200 Days UnderDr. Reddy and Team.

In her remarks, Dr. Seema Arora, currentChair of AAPI's BOT said, "Congratulationsto President Dr. Suresh Reddy for another

successful event of the year and completionof very productive 200 days. It has been agreat journey working together with theactive contribution from Board of Trusteestowards achieving the mission and goals ofthe organization, ensuring financialstability as well as maintaining peace andharmony which is the foundation forprosperity of any institution. I look forwardto an even better rest of the term settingstrong foundation for years to come!"

"Early Bird Registration for the historic38th Annual Convention and ScientificAssembly by the American Association ofPhysicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) to beheld from June 24th to 28th, 2020 at thefamous Donald E Stephens ConventionCenter in Chicago has begun, offeringdiscounted registration rates for the AAPIdelegates," Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalagadda,President-Elect of AAPI, announced.

"For the AAPI members who hadattended the AAPI Spring GBM, a discountof $100 towards the Registration fee," Dr.Ravi Kolli, Secretary of AAPI announced."Also they will have $100 waived towardsregistration for the Cruise On Michigan

Lake planned for the inaugural day of theAAPI Convention."

Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, Vice Presidentof AAPI thanked AAPI-QLI leaders Dr. RajBhayani, Dr. Ajay Lodha, Dr. HimanshuPandya, Dr. Jagdish Gupta, Dr. KrishanKumar, Dr. Sunil Mehra, Dr. Shashi Shah,and the rest of the very efficient anddedicated QLI team for organizing thisawesome event.

Dr. Rajendra Bhayani, President of AAPI-QLI, said, "Thank you all for the love andfriendship which you have shown to all ofus at AAPI-QLI by giving us the opportunityto be the host and welcome you all on LongIsland, New York." A Health Book compiledby Dr. Chander Kapasi, Chair of the AAPICharitable Foundation was released.

The fabulous Evening Gala andValentine's Day Party organized by AAPI-QLI was attended by over 400 AAPImembers and their families. The gala wasenjoyable and the food was extraordinarywith exceptional hospitality of the localChapter. Towards making AAPI financiallystrong, Dr. Reddy urged members tocontribute towards AAPI Endowment

Fund. Dr. Ravi Kolli presented a check for$10,000 while the President of the St. LouisChapter of AAPI, Dr. Raghuveer Kura alongwith Dr. Amit Chakrabarty, BOT Vice Chairdonated a check for $10,000. AAPI-QLIexpressed their intent to contribute towardsthe AAPI Endowment Fund in the future.

Dr. Sajani Shah, the new chair of BOT,AAPI, is a surgeon from Boston, MA whospecializes in minimally invasive BariatricSurgery. She earned her executive MBAfrom Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology. Currently, she is serving as theChief of Minimally InvasiveBariatric/Surgery and is the MedicalDirector of Weight and Wellness, ObesityTreatment Program in New England. Dr.Shah is an Assistant Professor of Surgery atTufts University School of Medicine. Shewas also a President of IMANE, asubchapter of AAPI. She has been servingas a member of BOT, AAPI since 2018. Formore information about AAPI and theupcoming convention, please visitwww.appiusa.org (Based on a Press Release)

Seven Indian Americans Named 2020 Sloan Research Fellows

NEW YORK (TIP): Seven Indian originpersons were among the 126 researchersfrom more than 60 research institutionsin the United States and Canada namedas 2020 Sloan Research Fellows.

They are: Chemistry - Monika Raj, AuburnUniversityComputational and Evolutionary

Molecular Biology - Ami Bhatt,Stanford UniversityComputer Science - Sanjam Gargand Aditya Parameswaran, bothfrom University of California,BerkeleyPhysics - Srabanti Chowdhury andVedika Khemani, both fromStanford University

Mathematics - Ila Varma,University of Toronto

Sloan Research Fellowships are oneof the most competitive andprestigious awards available to earlycareer researchers, often seen as amarker of the quality of aninstitution's science faculty and proofof an institution's success inattracting the most promising juniorresearchers to its ranks.

These 126 early-career scholarsrepresent the most promisingscientific researchers working today.Their achievements and potentialplace them among the next generationof scientific leaders in the U.S. andCanada. Winners receive $75,000,which may be spent over a two-yearterm on any expense supportive oftheir research.

Monika Raj, Ami Bhatt, Sanjam Garg, Aditya Parameswaran, Srabanti Chowdhury, Vedika Khemani and Ila Varma are the seven Indian Americans named 2020 Sloan Research Fellows

Dr. Sajani Shah, a second-generationphysician of Indian Origin elected Chair of

BOT, AAPI for 2020-21

Being both the symbolic space that holds the reins ofpower over the nation-state and a geographicalplace that hosts millions of everyday lives, Delhi is

politically split. Local elections in Delhi are neithersimply provincial nor straightforwardly national. TheSufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya's famous words, "HunoozDilli door ast" (Delhi is distant yet), apply to the city itself.Though they co-exist in the same city, the differentavatars of Delhi can be quite far from each other. Theelections to the Delhi State Assembly have underlined asnever before the vast gulf between the national powercenter and the regional State.

Study in contrastsThe Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) contested the Delhi

election as though it was an extension of the 2019 LokSabha campaign. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) fought theelection as though it was about municipal matters suchas water and electricity and nothing else. The IndianNational Congress (INC) pretended that it was notpretending to fight the election. These contrasting stylesof campaigning point to the larger challenges facing notjust our polity but the very idea of India today. But beforelooking at the reasons why this is so, a quick look at theresult.

AAP won 62 of 70 Assembly seats, with the BJP bagging8, while the INC experienced an even more emphaticwhitewash than in 2015. But do these results support theswift and sure conclusions that are already being drawnby the pundits? Has achieving a second landslide wintruly vindicated the AAP strategy of presenting itself asa non-ideological management consultancy that refusesto engage with the burning political issues of the day?

Does a second successive defeat in its Lok Sabhastronghold - where it won all seven seats in the past twogeneral elections - mean that the BJP's politics of hatehas finally failed? And does a repeat rout in a State that itruled for 15 years imply that the INC must now be issueda political death certificate? Though the details willbecome clear only later, it does look like the immediateanswer to each of these questions must be a qualified no.

Even before the results were declared, it was clear thatthis was an election where the manner in which BJPconducted its campaign was more important - almost -than the outcome. It is hard to come up with another Stateelection where electioneering has been so full of shrill,hate-filled aggression designed to incite violence.

In fact, the BJP tried its hardest to make this electioninto an anti-minority vendetta centered on the protests atShaheen Bagh. Its formidable media resources weredeployed to paint all opposition to the Citizenship(Amendment) Act, 2019, or CAA, 2019, and the NationalRegister of Citizens (NRC) as anti-national, terrorist-

inspired, and based on paid protesters. The publiclanguage of politics was made to plumb new depths assenior leaders repeatedly said and did things thatviolated every norm of basic decency. The eventualoutcome of this contest seemed to pale intoinsignificance in the face of the new norms of politicalengagement that were being enforced. But the defeat ofthe BJP in Delhi does not necessarily mean that thesetactics have backfired, or even that they have failed. Itonly means that they did not succeed in this place at thistime. The big bonus for the BJP is that its strongestopponent did not oppose these tactics. In fact, AAP oftenseemed as if it was playing a different kind of dog whistlepolitics that was saying, in effect, "Don't worry, we haveno problem with communal politics, but please don't askus to say it openly."

Now that it has won big, this policy of non-engagementis being presented as an astute strategy. But its short-term electoral gains need to be compared to its medium-term political costs. The BJP has been so successful inredrawing the terms of political discourse that not onlyAAP but most other political parties have been forced totake a few steps in the same direction to polish theirmajoritarian credentials.

Regional versus nationalThe consequences of this play-it-electorally-safe

strategy are visible in the impasses of a polity splitbetween the regional and national levels. A party withlocal roots strong enough to sweep two Assemblyelections could not even get to second place in theparliamentary elections - AAP placed third in the LokSabha polls, behind the INC. On the other hand, despitehaving lost several State elections, the BJP continues tohave an iron grip on the national polity and enjoys anunchallenged monopoly over agenda-setting at this level.In the past, our psychologist pundits nodded wisely at

this emerging split in our electoral system and told usthat it showed the shrewdness of the Indian voter whowas pursuing different priorities at the two levels. Today,when all our institutions are being undermined and apervasive climate of impunity for bigotry is beingestablished, this interpretation seems not just unhelpfulbut dangerous in its complacency.

The irony is that the last two months have witnessedthe emergence of a remarkable political effervescencethat defies all the usual frameworks of definition. Itcannot be called a movement for that word suggestssomething coordinated and planned. Nor are itsobjectives classifiable in the usual terms. Havingcrystallized around opposition to the CAA and NRC, thisnew energy and socially rooted resolve is visible not onlyin named places such as Shaheen Bagh but also innumerous un-famous locations in campuses,neighborhoods, towns and cities across India. Thisamazing political effervescence is raising questionsabout politics with a capital P, reminding us that thebedrock of citizenship is a shared sovereignty that we allinherit from the founding moment of our republic.Because it has successfully mobilized this hithertountouched yet priceless political capital, this momentdemands engagement in terms far more serious thanthose allowed by pragmatic self-preserving elect oralism.

Congress's optionsThis remarkable moment is also one which ought to

encourage the INC to take more risks, since it is now aparty with little left to lose. Its tale is perhaps withoutprecedent in modern world history - a party which couldeffortlessly command a 25% vote share in the world'slargest electorate, is now on the verge of politicalirrelevance. If it is able to draw energy from this momentto remake itself, it may reclaim its rightful place in ourpolity. If they want to remain relevant in the India oftomorrow, all the non-BJP parties have to remindthemselves that politics has to be about more thanwinning the next election, however important that maybe as an immediate goal. Formulas that win electionsmay not ensure long-term relevance. After all, fascistscan also make trains run on time and provide regularsupplies of water and power. So, as we celebrate the well-deserved victory of the AAP, we must remind ourselvesthat the other Delhi is still far away.

(The author teaches Sociology at Delhi University. The viewsexpressed are personal)

8 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020EDITORIAL

What should worry India is theground reality in Kashmir, not theviews of other countries

The Centre's decision to take anothergroup of envoys on a guided tour ofJammu and Kashmir (J&K), and

the stated hope of the Ministry ofExternal Affairs that these tours willbecome a regular feature, point to a beliefthat these visits have been productive.Clearly, the government, which has beenunder considerable internationalpressure to lift restrictions in the formerState, has managed to arrange these threevisits without any incident. Thedelegations have been taken to meet withlocal groups andshown a glimpse of'normalcy' in the Kashmir Valley, with

shops open, people out on the streets, andboating on the Dal Lake. After these tours,no envoy has come forward with anynegative account, which indicates that atleast for the moment, the government'snarrative has prevailed. U.S. AmbassadorKenneth Juster's trip to J&K paved theway for President Donald Trump'supcoming visit, and the latest visit byEuropean Ambassadors was timed justbefore Foreign Minister S. Jaishankartravels to Brussels to prepare for PrimeMinister Narendra Modi's trip next monthfor the EU-India summit. However, thegovernment must recognize that thesegains in the immediate present aresuperficial in the absence of a change in

the situation in Kashmir. It would not haveescaped anyone's attention that thesetours are tightly controlled, and the peoplemeeting the foreign guests in the confinesof the Raj Bhavan are handpicked by thegovernment. The chimera of 'normalcy'seems patently fragile: the visit had to bepostponed by a day due to a bandh call inthe Valley; and just a day after the visit,the Internet was snapped once again dueto security concerns. It is also puzzlinghow the government, which has repeatedoften that J&K is an "internal affair",squares it up with this new policy ofconducting tours for the internationalcommunity. The truth is, managing India'simage is important, but the government's

primary responsibilities still lie within itsborders - responsibilities to the people ofJ&K, who have yet to see a return tonormalcy; to those detained in and outsideJ&K, including sitting Member ofParliament and octogenarian FarooqAbdullah, against whom little evidence ofwrongdoing has been furnished; and tothe people of India as a whole, who are yetto see a credible path to the peace andprosperity that was promised when themomentous decision on Article 370 wasannounced last August. It is theirlegitimate expectations, not those of theinternational community, that must be apriority for the government.

(The Hindu)

Managing perceptions: On envoys visit to J&K

AS I SEE IT

By Satish Deshpande

GUEST COMMENT

The other Delhi is distant yet If they want to remain relevant in the India of tomorrow, all the non-BJP

parties have to remind themselves that politics has to be about more thanwinning the next election, however important that may be as an immediate

goal. Formulas that win elections may not ensure long-term relevance.

For approximately half the U.S. electorate, anightmare that began with the unlikely election ofDonald Trump to the presidency, is beginning to

look as if it may continue into a second term. The U.S.President's current approval rating (at 49%, in one poll)is the highest it has been since the day he took office.Initial hopes that his evident venality and incompetencemay lead to an early termination of his presidency havegradually given way to a shocked realization that nomatter what he does, says, or tweets, there is nodiminution in his support among those who voted forhim in the 2016 election or in the Republican party.Indeed, as the abortive attempt to impeach himunderlined, his command over the party is strongerthan ever today.

Nothing stunsThe eruption of each outrageous scandal followed by

Mr. Trump's brazen strategy of a scorched-earthcounterattack has led the U.S. to a point where it is nowimpossible to conceive of any scenario that could leadhis supporters to rethink their allegiance. A seeminglyhyperbolic comment made by Mr. Trump way back inJanuary 2016, when he was a complete outsider amongthe aspirants for the Republican nomination ("I couldstand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebodyand I wouldn't lose any voters") is reality today.

This presidency and the scandals of the last threeyears, on both domestic and foreign policy fronts, havegiven new meaning to the term "Americanexceptionalism". Where it once stood for the idea, atleast among the patriotic faithful, that the United Stateswas a beacon for democracy and human rights, a land ofopportunity for all comers, and unvested in the socialhierarchies of Europe, today it signifies a country thatelected, and may re-elect, a bigoted, climate-change-denying carnival barker incapable of distinguishingpublic office from private pelf.

Sanders and the DemocratsIf Mr. Trump and his supporters present a united bloc

impervious to self-doubt, the opposite is true of theDemocrats. A crowded field of contenders caught in a

seemingly endless series of primaries and caucuseswith arcane rules has meant no candidate has reallypulled clear of the pack. More importantly, Democratsare deeply divided in terms of a strategy to defeat Mr.Trump. One of the front runners, Bernie Sanders, isrunning on an explicitly socialist platform that clearlyenergizes racial minorities, youth, poorer sections ofsociety, women, and liberals looking for an alternative toa two-party system bereft of ideas in the face of globalwarming, endless war, and unprecedented polarizationof wealth.

Yet, socialism or anything vaguely associated with theterm has long been anathema for many in the U.S. Mr.Sanders's ideas on socialized medical care, free collegeeducation for everyone, and a more progressive taxstructure evoke incredulity. Similar incredulity,however, is never expressed about the irrationality of atrillion dollar defense budget year after year; nor isthere much recognition that in other industrializeddemocracies, variants on "socialized" medicine vastlyoutperform the U.S., or that college education is highlysubsidized and incomparably cheaper in such countries.

The mainstream media's conviction that thecandidacy of Mr. Sanders will ensure Mr. Trump'svictory - one evidently shared by many in theDemocratic Party leadership - is perplexing. He is theone candidate who seems to genuinely energize thosegroups that were central to Obama's victories in 2008and 2012: racial minorities, youth, and first-time voters.The self-confident pundits who prematurely dismiss Mr.Sanders prospects may do well to remember that even aslate as the evening of November 9, 2016, as the firstresults were coming in, none of them gave DonaldTrump any chance of defeating Hillary Clinton.

Carceral stateIn a form of slow violence that has escaped the

attention of many both domestically and abroad, theU.S., with just 5% of the world's population is now hometo about 25% of the world's prison population (2015data), the overwhelming majority of whom are black orbrown minorities. A criminal justice system thoroughlyvitiated by racism has interacted with a prison-industrial complex to produce a situation in which ayoung black man has a higher chance of ending up inprison than he does in college. In deindustrializingStates across much of the U.S., one of the few growthindustries is prisons staffed by poor whites guardingpoorer blacks and Hispanics.

Recent scholarship and quality investigativejournalism have established beyond doubt that theemergence of the carceral state in the alleged "land ofthe free" was a bipartisan effort. Since the early 1980s,first Republicans and then Democrats competed fiercelyto be seen as the party of "law and order", of being"tough on crime", and backing the relentless pursuit ofthe "war on drugs" - all euphemisms for appealing to theworst instincts, fears, and racism of whites seen as keyto winning elections. At least three importantremaining Democratic aspirants are tainted by theirrole in the creation and maintenance of this carceralstate: Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg and Pete Buttigieg.

Mr. Biden was a high-ranking Senator and Chair ofthe Senate Judiciary committee during the 1980s and1990s, and instrumental in passing legislation thatproduced the carceral state. The billionaire Bloombergis former Republican Mayor of New York City andarchitect of the city police's notorious "stop-and-frisk

program", which racially profiled blacks and LatinAmericans leading to disproportionate levels of arrests,often for trivial degrees of drug possession or pettycrimes, if even that. Mr. Bloomberg has very recently,and unconvincingly, apologized for the disastrousresults of "stop-and-frisk". Mr. Buttigieg pursuedsimilarly "tough" (read racialized) policies during histenure as Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, from 2012-20,and has been unrepentant, even proud, of this aspect ofhis record.

It is hard to see any of these three candidatesenergizing minorities or the young given this trackrecord. Meanwhile conservative whites susceptible tosuch dog-whistle politics may well stay with Mr. Trumpand his unapologetically white supremacist views: whyopt for the ersatz when you already have the real thing?(Mr. Trump's faithful often cite the fact that he "says itlike it is" as their reason for supporting him.)

Besides Mr. Sanders, at this moment the otherseemingly strong and viable candidate in terms ofappealing to the constituencies that could help theDemocrats defeat Mr. Trump is Sen. Elizabeth Warren.Her impressive track record as economic manager (shewas part of the committee that oversaw the post-2008financial crisis recovery programme, and pushed forgreater regulations over banking and finance, and forconsumer protection) and the calm competence sheradiates on matters of public policy could be an idealcomplement to Mr. Sanders.

Trump's cardsBesides the advantages of incumbency, Mr. Trump has

a huge re-election war chest, the largest in U.S. historyas a matter of fact; Republicans (like right-wing partiesall across the world) have a pronounced advantage overDemocrats in manipulating social media in their favorand against opponents; and polls indicate that as muchas 63% of the electorate approves of the way Mr. Trumpis handling the economy.

Those are dispiriting facts. Yet, if the long andunpredictable primary season ends with Mr. Sandersand Ms. Warren (or Ms. Warren and Mr. Sanders) as theDemocratic ticket, they are likely to bring energy, thenewest voters, and alienated minorities into theDemocratic fold in a way that none of the othercandidates is likely to do. All that may not be enough tounseat the current occupant - but at this point in time, itwould appear to be the Democrats' best bet.

(The author teaches politics at the University of Hawaii atManoa in Honolulu, U.S.)

9THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020 PERSPECTIVE

By Sankaran Krishna

Trump's march and the Sanders factor

This presidency and the scandalsof the last three years, on both domestic andforeign policy fronts, have given newmeaning to the term "Americanexceptionalism". Where it once stood for theidea, at least among the patriotic faithful,that the United States was a beacon fordemocracy and human rights, a land ofopportunity for all comers, and unvested inthe social hierarchies of Europe, today itsignifies a country that elected, and may re-elect, a bigoted, climate-change-denyingcarnival barker incapable of distinguishingpublic office from private pelf.

Besides the advantages of incumbency, Mr. Trump has a huge re-election warchest, the largest in U.S. history as a matter of fact; Republicans (like right-

wing parties all across the world) have a pronounced advantage overDemocrats in manipulating social media in their favor and against opponents;and polls indicate that as much as 63% of the electorate approves of the way

Mr. Trump is handling the economy.

The U.S. President's tenure and its baggage have given a newmeaning to the term 'American exceptionalism'

10 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020SOUTH ASIA

Have no fear,Indonesia's Spider-Manwill clean up your trash

PAREPARE, INDONESIA (TIP):

Indonesian cafe worker Rudi Hartonostruggled to persuade residents of hissmall coastal community of Parepareto follow his example and pick uprubbish strewn on the streets andbeaches—until he dressed up asSpider-Man.

"At first, I did the same activitywithout wearing this costume and itdid not attract the public's attention inorder for them to join and help pick uptrash," said the 36-year-old Hartono,wearing his red and blue Spider-Mancostume.

"After wearing this costume, it turnsout the public's response wasextraordinary," he added.

Many parts of Indonesia suffer fromhaving little in the way of organisedpublic services to deal with trash, withplastic waste in particular oftenending in rivers or in the oceans.

Indonesia, the world's fourth mostpopulous country, generates 3.2million tonnes a year of waste, withnearly half ending up in the sea, a 2015study in the journal Science showed.

Hartono usually collects waste asSpider-Man before his cafe workbegins at 7 p.m. and his efforts havehelped put a spotlight on the wasteissue nationally. He has beeninterviewed by newspapers andappeared on television chat showsdressed in his Marvel Comics superhero costume to explain hismotivation.

Initially, he admits, he bought theSpider-Man outfit simply to amuse hisnephew, before others in his town tooknotice.

"We need a creative role model tofoster society’s active engagement inprotecting the environment," saidSaiful Bahri, a resident of Parepare insouthwest Sulawesi.

With a population of around 142,000,Parepare produces around 2.7 tonnesof unmanaged waste per day,according to data released in 2018 bythe ministry of environment andforestry. Indonesia, an archipelago ofmore than 17,000 islands, is estimatedto be the world’s second-largestproducer of plastic pollutants in theoceans after China, the study added.Hartono said he hoped the governmentwould throw more weight behindefforts to clean up trash and tightenrules on waste management includingon single-use plastic bags." Reuters

SAEED GETS 11-YR JAIL FOR FINANCING TERROR

LAHORE (TIP): Mumbai attackmastermind and Jamat-ud-Dawa chiefHafiz Saeed was sentenced to 11 years intwo terror financing cases onWednesday, four days ahead of a crucialmeeting of the Financial Action TaskForce in Paris where Pakistan willpresent its case to get itself off grey list.

Saeed, a UN designated terrorist whomthe US has placed a $10 million bountyon, was arrested on July 17 in the terrorfinancing cases. He is lodged at theLahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail in highsecurity.

Anti-terrorism court Judge ArshadHussain Bhutta sentenced Saeed and hisclose aide Zafar Iqbal to five and a halfyears each and imposed a fine of Rs15,000 in each case. A total of 11 yearssentence will run concurrently.

Saeed and Iqbal were sentenced in twocases registered against them in Lahoreand Gujranwala cities on the applicationof the Counter Terrorism Department(CTD) of Punjab police.

“Saeed and Iqblal will have to spendfive and a half years in imprisonment,” adeputy prosecutor general said after theverdict.

Interestingly, the court on Tuesdayaccepted Saeed’s plea to club all sixterror financing cases pending againsthim in the anti-terrorism court Lahoreand announce the verdict on completionof the trial.

The verdict comes four days ahead of acrucial meeting of the FATF in Pariswhere Pakistan will present its case toget itself off grey list.

The FATF in October last decided tokeep Pakistan on its ‘Grey’ list for failureto curb funnelling of funds to terrorgroups Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and others.

If not removed off the list by April,Pakistan may move to a blacklist ofcountries that face severe economicsanctions, such as Iran.

The FATF is backed by the UN Security

Council passed resolutions which madeits recommendations binding and in caseof deficiencies, sanctions could beimposed.

Earlier, the court had reserved theverdict in the two cases against Saeed forFebruary 8 after the completion of thetrial.

“However as the court resumedhearing in four other terror financingcases against Saeed and others onWednesday, Judge Bhutta announced theverdict in the two already completedcases handing down a total 11 yearsimprisonment to Saeed and Iqbal,”deputy prosecutor general Abdul RaufWattoo said.

Saeed will undergo imprisonment atthe Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail where hehas been detained since July last.

The four other terror financing casesare against Saeed, Iqbal, Yahya Aziz,Abdul Rehman Makki.

The anti-terrorism court or ATC hadindicted Saeed and his close aides on

December 11 in the terror financingcases.

On last Saturday, judge Bhuttadeferred the verdict against Saeed in twoterror financing cases till February 11.

In the two cases, the prosecutionproduced some 20 or so witnesses in theATC who testified against Saeed and hisclose aides for their involvement interror financing. Saeed pleaded “notguilty” in both the cases.

The Counter Terrorism Departmenthad registered 23 FIRs against Saeed andhis accomplices on the charges of terrorfinancing in different cities of Punjabprovince.

The cases were registered againstSaeed and others in Lahore, Gujranwalaand Multan for collection of funds forterrorism financing throughassets/properties made and held in thenames of Trusts/Non ProfitOrganisations including Al-AnfaalTrust, Dawatul Irshad Trust, Muaz BinJabal Trust, etc.PTI

India constructs Rs3.9 cr school

building in NepalKATHMANDU (TIP): India has

built a school building in Nepal’sNuwakot district with a grantassistance of Rs 3.9 crore as part ofits its post-earthquakereconstruction initiatives. Thenew building for AiselubhumeSecondary School in Kispang wasinaugurated on Monday by NepalCommunist Party chairman PuspaKamal Dahal Prachanda. PTI

Rememberingvictims

THAILAND (TIP): People placeflowers and write memoirs in frontof Terminal 21 shopping mall aftera shooting that claimed 29 lives inNakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.Reuters

Porn movie shot at holysite outrages MyanmarYANGON (TIP): Outrage is growing

in Myanmar after the emergence of a 12-minute porn video shot in Bagan, thecountry’s best-known tourist hotspotand UNESCO heritage site of thousandsof hallowed Buddhist pagodas.

The video was posted on PornHub byusers “YeeesYeeesYeees”, who describethemselves as a 23-year-old Italiancouple with piercings and tattoos.

According to the site, the pair boastsmore than 81,000 subscribers and over35 million video views since they joined11 months ago.

But the couple’s naked antics againstone of Bagan’s ancient pagodas havebeen less than well-received inMyanmar, with condemnationspreading online.

“Our Bagan pagodas are The HolyLand,” wrote Mg Khin Gyi on Facebookwith multiple angry emojis.PTI

Pakistan Army chief GenBajwa to stay till Nov

2022: GovtISLAMABAD (TIP): General Qamar

Javed Bajwa will remain as the PakistanArmy chief until November 28, 2022,according to a notification by the Ministry ofDefence. The notification was issued onJanuary 28 after the country's Parliamentpassed a law to settle the issue of theextension of army chief's tenure. It said thatthe new tenure of army chief will be “for anadditional tenure of three years, effectivefrom November 29, 2019 to November 28,2022”. Bajwa was to retire on November 29last year at the end of his three-year originalterm but Prime Minister Imran Khan gavethe 59-year-old Army chief anotherextension of same length citing regionalsecurity situation through a notification onAugust 19. However, the Supreme Court onNovember 28 suspended the governmentorder, observing that there is no law to giveextension to the Army chief's tenure. PTI

11THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020 ADVERTISEMENT

12 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020US

American Airlinesannounces flights to IndiaNew nonstop services to Bangalore,

India begin in Oct. 2020

SEATTLE (TIP): American Airlinesannounced , February 13 that it willbegin flying daily to Bangalore, Indiafrom Seattle. This is the first AmericanAirlines service to India since itdiscontinued its Chicago-New Delhiroute in 2012. Service to India will beginin October with tickets on sale later thismonth.

The daily nonstop service toBangalore, India, will be operated usinga Boeing 787-9 aircraft, and will be thelongest service from SEA by distance.The Bangalore service is the 13th newinternational service to be announcedor launched since 2017.

Bangalore, officially known asBengaluru, is the heart of India's ITand technology sector, and this newnonstop flight will be Seattle's longestroute in distance. It will further cementthe deep ties between two of the world'smajor hi-tech centers. Popularly knownas the Garden City for its lush greeneryand pleasant climate, Bangalore isIndia's third-largest city, with apopulation of over 10 million. Despitethe enormous cultural and economicties between the United States andIndia, there are relatively few nonstopflights connecting the two markets.

The daily non-stop service toBangalore will fly a Boeing 787-9

aircraft and will be the longest servicefrom SEA by distance.

Another US city passes resolutionagainst India's citizenship law

After Seattle, resolution by Cambridge city council in Massachusetts asksIndia to repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act.

CAMBRIDGE, MA(TIP): Cambridgein Massachusetts state has become thesecond city in the United States afterSeattle to pass a resolution against acontroversial citizenship law pushed byIndia's Hindu nationalist governmentheaded by Prime Minister NarendraModi.

The Cambridge City Council onTuesday, February 11, passed aunanimous resolution against theCitizenship Amendment Act (CAA),calling upon the Indian Parliament to"uphold" the country's secularconstitution by repealing the law andstopping a proposed National Register ofCitizens (NRC).

The US city houses the world-renowned Harvard University andMassachusetts Institutes of Technology.

"It has come to the attention of the citycouncil that on December 11, 2019, theIndian Parliament passed theCitizenship Amendment Act, which forthe first time uses religion as a criterionfor Indian citizenship," the resolutionsaid.

The CAA fast-tracks Indiannationality for non-Muslim minoritiesfrom Muslim-majority Pakistan,Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who cameto India before 2015. Critics have said itviolates India's secular constitution and

have challenged it in the Supreme Court.The CAA and NRC have triggered fears

of marginalizationanddisenfranchisement among India'sMuslim minority, who form nearly 15percent of the country's 1.3 billionpopulation.

The Cambridge resolution declaredthat "Modi government's racist andrepressive policies" were inconsistentwith the values of the city, "whichwelcomes South Asian communities ofall castes and religions".

The Cambridge city council urged itscongressional delegation to supportlegislation in the US Congress censuringIndia for enacting such policies.

The move came a week after Seattle,one of the most powerful city councils inthe US, passed a similar resolution,urging India to repeal the CAA and stopthe NRC.

The two resolutions came ahead of anupcoming visit of US President DonaldTrump to India.

(SOURCE: AL JAZEERA NEWS)

Cambridge city council resolution came days before US President Donald Trump is scheduled tovisit India Photo / Courtesy Raminder Pal Singh/EPA

IRS Advisory: Avoid the rush after PresidentsDay holiday; Use IRS' online tools to get help

WASHINGTON TIP): With a surge oftax returns expected the two weeksfollowing the Feb. 17 Presidents Dayholiday, the Internal Revenue Service isoffering taxpayers several tips andvarious time-saving resources to getthem the help they need quickly andeasily.

To help avoid this period of hightelephone demand, the IRS encouragestaxpayers and tax preparers to use onlineresources available at IRS.gov. And whenit comes time to file, taxpayers areencouraged to file electronically andchoose direct deposit for faster refunds.Filing electronically reduces tax returnerrors as the tax software does thecalculations, flags common errors andprompts taxpayers for missinginformation.

Here are a few featured tips toavoid the rush.

Use IRS.gov to track refunds. The IRSissues more than nine out of 10 refundsin less than 21 days. IRS customerservice representatives cannot answerrefund questions until it has been 21 daysor more since the taxpayer filedelectronically, or six weeks since theymailed a paper return. But taxpayers cantrack their refund anytime by using the"Where's My Refund?" tool on IRS.govand the IRS2Go app. Taxpayers can alsocall the IRS refund hotline at 800-829-1954.

Taxpayers claiming the Earned IncomeTax Credit or the Additional Child TaxCredit can use the "Where's My Refund?"tool to track refunds too. By law, the IRScannot release refunds that include EITCor the ACTC before February 15. "Where'sMy Refund?" on IRS.gov and the IRS2Goapp will be updated with projected depositdates for most early EITC/ACTC refundfilers by Feb. 22. IRS expects mostEITC/ACTC related refunds to beavailable in taxpayer bank accounts or ondebit cards by the first week of March, if

they chose direct deposit and there are noother issues with their tax return.

Use IRS.gov to find answers to taxquestions. IRS offers a variety of onlinetools to help taxpayers answer commontax questions. For example, taxpayers cansearch the Interactive Tax Assistant, TaxTopics, Frequently Asked Questions, andTax Trails to get faster answers.

Let free tax software or free volunteerassistance do the work. Most taxpayerswho want to prepare their own returnscan file electronically for free with IRSFree File. Alternatively taxpayers whoqualify can get free tax help from trainedvolunteers at community sites around thecountry.

Turn to a trusted tax professional. Tofind more information about choosing atax return preparer, includingunderstanding the differences incredentials and qualifications, visitwww.irs.gov/chooseataxpro.

Use digital payment options ifadditional tax is owed. Some taxpayersmay receive a smaller refund or even owean unexpected tax bill when they file their2019 tax return particularly if they didn'tdo a Paycheck Checkup in 2019. Taxpayers

should use the IRS Tax WithholdingEstimator to make sure they arewithholding enough tax in 2020.

Make an appointment before visitingan IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers.Anyone who needs face-to-face serviceshould make an appointment beforeshowing up. Most TAC visits can beavoided by using online tools available onIRS.gov.

Call the employer first for that missingForm W-2. Those who have not received aForm W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, fromone or more employers should firstcontact the issuer to inform them of themissing form. Those who do not get aresponse must still file on time and mayneed to use Form 4852, Substitute forForm W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, orForm 1099R, Distributions from Pensions,Annuities, Retirement or Profit-SharingPlans and IRA's Insurance Contracts.

Use the IRS Services Guide and the LetUs Help You page on IRS.gov to findadditional ways to get help.

Use the Tax Information for Membersof the Military page on IRS.gov for detailson tax benefits for military members andveterans, filing options and more.

13THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020 US

Cloud over trade talks asU.S. official puts off trip

Hopes fade for deal duringPresident Trump's visit to India.

WASHINGTON / NEW DELHI

(TIP): U.S. Trade Representative(USTR) Robert Lighthizer has put offhis trip to India this week, at least twoofficial sources said, amid signs thatthe India-U.S. trade talks have hit arough patch just ahead of PresidentDonald Trump's visit.

According to the sources, who areaware of the negotiations, no reasonhas been given for the change of plansin the USTR's visit that was expectedon February 13, but that there is still aconsiderable chance that he wouldvisit as a part of Mr. Trump'sentourage to finalize a trade packageor a "mini-trade deal" with hiscounterpart, Commerce and IndustryMinister Piyush Goyal, on items thatthe two sides have been negotiating formore than two years now.

The two chief negotiators have beenspeaking on the phone quite regularly,the sources added.

"If President Trump and PrimeMinister Narendra Modi fail to bringeven a modest agreement forward, itwill be a missed opportunity to makeprogress that can benefit bothcountries and strengthen economicties," said Nisha Biswal, president ofthe U.S.-India Business Council(USIBC) at the U.S. Chambers ofCommerce. She was speaking at aninterview during a visit to India thisweek. However, Ms. Biswal said sheremained "optimistic" that a "limitedtrade deal" would be finalized as partof the visit. Mr. Trump and his wifeMelania are travelling to Delhi andAhmedabad on February 24 and 25and are expected to visit Agra as well.

Informed sources have said thattalks thus far have brought someagreement on contentious issuesincluding medical device price capslevied by India, a rationalization oftariffs levied by both sides, and greatermarket access for U.S. agricultural anddairy products. A full restoration ofGSP (Generalized System ofPreferences) status appears unlikely atpresent, given the USTR's notice thisweek that aims to treat India and anumber of other countries as"developed countries", coupled withPresident Trump's strictures againstgiving those defined as developedcountries any GSP assistance. Instead,the U.S. might offer a partialrestoration of GSP concessions toIndian exporters, but only in sectorswhere U.S. importers are "dependent"on Indian goods, the sources said.

(Read full story onwww.theindianpanorama.news)

Harvard's Annual IndiaConference Set for Feb 15-16

BOSTON (TIP): Harvard BusinessSchool and Harvard Kennedy Schoolare hosting the 17th edition of the IndiaConference at Harvard University on15-16th February 2020. India Conferenceis one of the largest student-ledconferences focusing on India in USA.It is organized by the students ofHarvard.

"At the 17th edition of IndiaConference at Harvard, we aim to bring

together India's thought leaders for aweekend of discussions andbrainstorming sessions to unravelopportunities that lay ahead for ourcountry" according to a statement bythe organizers.

The theme of the conference is -'Foresight 20/20'. Some of the esteemedspeakers this year include Aroon Purie,Anupam Kher, Suresh Prabhu, ArvindSubramanian, Mahua Moitra, Milind

Deora, Ritesh Agarwal, Uday Shankar,Keshav Suri, Kabir Khan and manymore!

The conference has a strong legacy ofbringing together government officials,business leaders, academics, artists,athletes, philanthropists, and manyother leaders to meaningfully discusskey issues, solutions and opportunitiesin the context of India's path to globalleadership.

The conference attracts esteemed speakers and guests from across industrial, entertainment, media, sports, political and other spheres of India

Four Senators write to Mike Pompeoon Kashmir, CAA and NRC

WASHINGTON (TIP): Days beforeU.S. President Donald Trump's visit toIndia, four Senators, who havedescribed themselves as "longtimefriends of India", have written to U.S.Secretary of State Mike Pompeo askingfor an assessment of the situation inKashmir as well as the CitizenshipAmendment Act (CAA) and NationalRegister of Citizenship (NRC).

The letter dated February 12 is co-signed by Democrats Chris Van Hollen(Maryland) and Democratic Whip DickDurbin (Illinois) and Republicans ToddYoung (Indiana) and Trump allyLindsey Graham (South Carolina).

"We write as longtime friends ofIndia regarding some of the troublingactions taken by the currentgovernment," the Senators write. "India

has now imposed the longest-everinternet shut down by a democracy,disrupting access to medical care,business, and education for sevenmillion people. Hundreds of Kashmirisremain in 'preventative detention',including key political figures."

(Read full story onwww.theindianpanorama.news)

The letter dated February 12 is co-signed by Democrats Chris Van Hollen and Democratic Whip Dick Durbin and Republicans Todd Young andTrump ally Lindsey Graham

NEW DELHI (TIP): When ArvindKejriwal first made his mark in India’spublic life, he was seen as a well-intentioned, sincere civil society activist,using the Right to Information Act toempower citizens.

When Kejriwal truly became a visiblepublic figure, as a leader of the IndiaAgainst Corruption (IAC) movement, hewas seen as an angry disruptor. He waschannelling the fury that many felt at theinfirmities and the corruption in thesystem; he was also providing a tangiblesolution by suggesting that having a

strong Lokpal would tackle this systemicissue.

When Kejriwal set up a political party,became chief minister, went on dharna,contested against Narendra Modi inVaranasi, and attempted to expand theparty nationally, he was seen as a bit of ananarchist, whose ambitions faroutstripped his party’s base andexperience. He hunkered down, wentback to the basics, and won Delhi in 2015.

When Kejriwal decided to confront theCentre on governance issues in Delhi,oppose demonetisation, and take on theShiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya JanataParty coalition in Punjab, where hefinished a distant second to the moreestablished Congress, he came across as astrident Modi critic who had slipped awayfrom the focus on governance in the citywhere he was elected.

To his credit, Kejriwal learned from all

these episodes — and the publicperception around it — to evolve. He also,possibly, looked at what other chiefministers who had been successful, andhad retained power, were doing. From2017, his politics has been different. Hisleadership style has both seen elements ofcontinuity, but also a degree of rupture.And this has paid off now, with the DelhiCM re-elected for his third term in office.

What, then, are the components of thisleadership model?

The first is complete control over theparty. The AAP began with Kejriwal asthe face, but also as a political formationthat relied largely on collective decisionmaking, with a set of other prominentleaders such as Prashant Bhushan andYogendra Yadav. But Indian politics islargely driven by personality-basedformations where it is a single leader whodrives decisions.

Be it the current BJP, where NarendraModi or Amit Shah are in the driving seat,or the Congress, which is a party wherethe word of the Gandhi family issupreme, or a range of regional satraps —from Nitish Kumar to Mamata Banerjee,from Stalin to Naveen Patnaik, from theBadals to Sharad Pawar — the party is ofthe leader. The AAP is Kejriwal’s party,and those who have a problem with that,can find other alternatives.

The second element is recognising thepower of the media. Kejriwal was amongthe first leaders, when he was leading theAnna Hazare agitation, to sense both thepower of television and social media. Hiswas the politics of theatre, whichappealed to television audiences. Hisparty, like the BJP, was as active on allsocial media platforms: Twitter,Facebook, WhatsApp.

Source:HT

Deepak Dwivedi NEW DELHI (TIP): After a resounding

victory in the Delhi Assembly election,Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief ArvindKejriwal is set to take oath as the ChiefMinister of Delhi on 16 February, Sunday,according to multiple reports. Like in2015, Kejriwal will take oath for thesecond time at a grand public ceremony atRamlila Maidan in the National Capital.He had invited all Delhi residents to hisswearing-in when he took oath in 2015.

Kejriwal will reportedly retain hiscabinet from 2015 and won't induct newministers.

Kejriwal met Lieutenant Governor AnilBaijal at the Raj Niwas on Wednesday, aday after he scripted a spectacular victorysweeping the Delhi polls. The meetinglasted for around 15 minutes.

Sources said the two discussed the oath-taking ceremony which could take placeover the weekend. As per procedure,Kejriwal is also to tender his resignationto pave the way for his fresh swearing-in.

The AAP chief will also hold a meetingwith the newly-elected Aam Aadmi PartyMLAs. The legislators will then elect himas the leader of the legislature party,following which he will stake claim toform the government.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led party has won62 seats. On the other hand, the BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP) marginally improvedits tally of seats from three to eight. TheAAP, with its vote share of 53.6 percent,fell short of its 2015 Delhi Assembly pollstally (54 percent), while the BJP baggedits second best of 38.5 percent, six percentmore than last time.

Lt Governor Anil Baijal had dissolvedthe Delhi Assembly on Tuesday. "LtGovernor Anil Baijal on Tuesdaydissolved the Sixth Legislative Assemblyof the National Capital Territory ofDelhi with effect from 11 February." aRaj Niwas official had confirmed. "Anew order will be issued for theformation of the Seventh LegislativeAssembly after the final results come,"the official added.

14 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020DELHI POLLS

KEJRIWAL TO BE SWORN IN AS DELHICM FOR THIRD TIME ON FEB 16

Kejriwal: From activist to undisputed leader

Cabinet to retain ministersfrom last Assembly

AAP CEMENTS CAPITAL CLOUT

There is a revealing televisioninterview of Arvind Kejriwal aheadof the Delhi elections. The anchor,

towards the end of the conversation, askshim to comment on national politics —and he says that he is committed to Delhi’sdevelopment. The anchors tries again —and Kejriwal repeats himself, with asmile. The crowd laughs and applauds.

In a way, the conversation sums up theAam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Kejriwal’sstrategy for the elections — keep the focussharply local, don’t get distracted, andmaintain your own narrative instead ofgetting trapped in a narrative set byanyone else. It worked. The AAP won 62seats, with 53.6% vote share, not far fromthe share it won in 2015 (and just fourseats less). For context, just rewind to theLok Sabha elections. The AAP won only18% of the votes polled, coming third infive of the seven parliamentaryconstituencies. It has, therefore, seen a 35percentage point jump within ninemonths. This is a remarkable politicalachievement by any standard.

63 CONGRESS CANDIDATESLOSE DEPOSITS

NEW DELHI (TIP): Delhi election results,Congress candidates, Delhi Congress candidatesdeposits, Delhi assembly election results

Congress's performance touched a record low in theDelhi Assembly election as the party bagged less than5% of the total votes polled and 63 of its candidateslost their deposits.

The party, which ruled Delhi for 15 years on the trotunder former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, failed toopen its account for the second consecutive assemblyelection in Delhi.

Only three of its candidates — Arvinder SinghLovely from Gandhi Nagar, Devender Yadav fromBadli and Abhishek Dutt from Kasturba Nagar —managed to save their deposits.

Security deposit of a candidate is forfeited if he/shefails to secure one-sixth of the total valid votes cast ina constituency.

Most of Congress candidates got less than 5% of thetotal votes polled in their respective constituencies.

Things that didn’t work for BJPLACK OF LOCAL LEADERSHIP

The BJP relied heavily on national leaders to drivehome its campaign. At a time when Arvind Kejriwalhas firmly etched himself as the vikas purush ofDelhi, the BJP was unable to find a worthy challenger.The saffron party could neither project a CM face nordent Kejriwal's clean image.

FOCUS ON NATIONAL ISSUESThe BJP focused more on Ram mandir, Article 370,

triple talaq, etc. which failed to resonate with voterselecting leaders on local issues such as health,education, housing and roads, to name a few. The BJPhardly campaigned on what it intends to provide forresidents of Delhi if elected to power. On the otherhand, the AAP sought votes on the basis ofdevelopment

NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNShaheen Bagh dominated the BJP's campaign. With

provocative slogans ringing out from BJP's meetingsand rallies, its campaign was mostly perceived to bebased on communal polarisation. From "goli maaro..."to biryani jibes at Shaheen Bagh protesters andopposition leaders, and calling Kejriwal a terrorist,the BJP's campaign had very little to offer on thedevelopment front. On the contrary, AAP focused onlocal issues and local connect, and refrained fromusing foul language.

15THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020 DELHI POLLS

Mohalla clinics win overAyushman Bharat in Delhi

NEW DELHI (TIP): Healthcarewas a key issue in the Delhiassembly elections, with AamAadmi Party (AAP) using itsmohalla clinics and upcominghospitals as poll pitch and theBharatiya Janata Party (BJP)complaining about non-implementation of its flagshipnational health insurance scheme,Ayushman Bharat.

AAP chief ministerial candidateArvind Kejriwal said on Tuesdayevening, “The people of Delhi havegiven birth to a new kind of politicsin the country; it is called the politicsof work. They have said the voteswould go to the person who getsschools made, who gets mohallaclinics made.”

After coming to power in 2015, theAAP government had promised toset up 1,000 mohalla clinics - one foreach square kilometre of theinhabited area in Delhi - to providefree consultation, medicines, and 212tests.

The AAP government inaugurated450 mohalla clinics till January thisyear, with the tussle with theLieutenant Governor and problemsin acquiring land delayed theproject.

“Healthcare has to follow apyramid structure, with primarycare at the bottom. The pyramid inIndia is inverted, with all the focuson tertiary care, less on secondaryand almost no focus on primarycare,” Delhi’s health ministerSatyendar Jain had told HT beforethe polls.

The clinics have been hailed as astep in the right direction towardsachieving the sustainabledevelopment goal of universalhealth coverage by health experts,including former United NationsSecretaries-General Ban Ki-Moonand Kofi Annan.

“The AAP government’s mohallaclinics have brought healthcareright inside the slums. It hasstrengthened primary healthcare. Itis a low cost and extremely effective.It has also paid a huge politicaldividend for the party,” said formerhealth secretary K Sujatha Rao.

Former director of AIIMS in NewDelhi, Dr MC Mishra, said that thereis a need to invest in primaryhealthcare, no matter which partydoes it.

“The mohalla clinics are a good

concept, but it has to beimplemented properly on ground.There have been several newsreports of deficiencies. One of thekey components of the AyushmanBharat are the wellness centres aswell. There is a need to focus onprimary level preventive healthcare,it is the only way to save on futurehealth problems,” he said.

For tertiary care service, the AAPgovernment started the DelhiArogya Kosh scheme thatreimburses private healthcare forproviding its patients over 1,200medical and surgical procedures andexpensive radiological tests that areeither not offered in Delhigovernment hospital or the waitingperiod is over one month. Thetreatment of accident, fire and acidattack victims is covered underFarishtey scheme.

Work is also ongoing for buildingor revamping 26 hospitals to add15,154 to the existing 11,353.

The BJP, however, has beentargeting the government for notimplementing the central AyushmanBharat insurance scheme.

“What is the fault of the poorDelhiites that they are not gettingthe benefit of free treatment of up toR 5 lakh? If a Delhi resident who is abeneficiary of the scheme who goesto Gwalior, Bhopal, Surat, Nagpur,Hyderabad, or Chennai for somework and falls ill suddenly there.Then, will these mohalla clinics go

there? But, under Ayushman Bharatscheme the person would havereceived free treatment in thehospitals there,” said Modi in a rallyin Delhi.

The government countered sayingthat the scheme would not benefit amajority of Delhiites and does notcover OPD services, which the AAPgovernment provides free toeveryone under their healthcareschemes.

“If we implement AyushmanBharat in Delhi, only about two percent of the 2 crore people will getcovered. What would we do with therest of the 98 per cent? The schemedoes not even cover OPD services. Ifa person is prescribed an MRI, CTscan or lab test in OPD, it will not getcovered. This means you have towait for admission. Why? If you havediabetes or hypertension, treat that.Why do you need to wait till you geta heart attack?” Jain had told HT.

“The scheme in Delhi is universaland also has no cap. I think it isworking well. Why then would thegovernment want to implement thecentral scheme and share credit withthe other government? It is notpossible to confine treatment only topublic hospitals as the demand ishuge and the private sector isnecessary to ensure equitableaccess. The government also has toinvest in its own hospitals so thatthey become quality markers,” saidRao. Source: HT

Delhi Assembly to have 16 first-time MLAs, all from AAPNEW DELHI (TIP): The new Delhi

Legislative Assembly will have 16 first-time MLAs, all from the Aam AadmiParty, including Atishi, Raghav Chadhaand Dilip Pandey.

Atishi, who was fielded from Kalkaji,won the seat by defeating BJP candidateDharambir Singh by a margin of 11,393votes. She unsuccessfully contested theLok Sabha elections last year from theEast Delhi constituency against BJP'sGautam Gambhir.

Chadha, who had also registered

victory from Rajinder Nagar, defeatedhis BJP rival Sardar RP Singh by amargin of 20,058 votes. He too hadcontested from the South Delhi LokSabha seat but lost to BJP's RameshBidhuri.

Pandey, who also unsuccessfullycontested from the Northeast Delhi LokSabha seat in 2019, won the Timarpurseat by a margin of over 24,000 votes. In2017, Pandey had resigned from the postof AAP's Delhi unit convener after theparty's drubbing in the MCD polls.

Former Congress leader RajkumariDhillon, who joined the AAP ahead ofthe Delhi polls, won the Hari Nagar seatand defeated BJP's Tajinder Pal SinghBagga by a margin of over 20,000 votes.

AAP's Preeti Tomar, who contestedfrom the Tri Nagar seat, defeated BJP'sTilak Ram Gupta by a margin of over10,700 votes. Her husband JitenderTomar was the sitting AAP MLA fromTri Nagar. He had won the seat in 2015with a margin of 22,311 votes.

In January this year, the Delhi High

Court had set aside the 2015 election ofher husband, for allegedly giving falsedeclaration regarding his educationalqualification in his nomination papers.Following this, the party decided to fieldPreeti from the constituency.

AAP's Kondli candidate KuldeepKumar defeated his BJP rival Raj Kumarby a margin of 17,907 votes while MukeshKumar Ahlawat of the AAP trumpedBJP's Ram Chander Chawriya fromSultanpur Majra, a reserved seat by amargin of 48,052 votes.

16 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020INDIA

‘WE DID NOT FORGET, WE DIDNOT FORGIVE’: CRPF SALUTESPULWAMA MARTYRS

NEW DELHI (TIP): The Central Reserve PoliceForce (CRPF) posted a remembrance tweet on Friday,a year after 40 of its troopers were killed in a car bombattack in Pulwama.

In the tweet, posted at 12am, the CRPF said that theyhave not forgiven or forgotten the attack.

“The songs of your valour are not lost in the harshnoise/ We were so proud that we didn’t cry for long,”the force tweeted in Hindi.

“WE DID NOT FORGET, WE DID NOT FORGIVE:We salute our brothers who sacrificed their lives inthe service of the nation in Pulwama. Indebted, westand with the families of our valiant martyrs,” itadded in English.

A suicide bomber of Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammad had rammed a vehicle carryingexplosives into the CPRF convoy on February 14, 2019,on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway killing the40 men in Pulwama district.

Tensions flared up between India and Pakistan afterthe convoy of 78 buses, in which around 2500 CRPFpersonnel were travelling from Jammu to Srinagar,came under attack.

“I feel the same fire in my heart that’s raging insideyou,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said onFebruary 17, days after the attack took place.

A day before, he had said that “all tears will beavenged” and the armed forces have been given “fullfreedom to decide the place, time, intensity and natureof the retaliation against the enemy”.

Dehradunam, Rishikeshah: Newnames for railway stations stircontroversy in Uttarakhand

NEW DELHI (TIP): In a bid to promote use ofSanskrit in Uttarakhand, the Railways ministrydecided to rename the name of its stations in the state.The signboards which have names of railway stationswritten in Hindi, English and Urdu will now bewritten in Hindi, English and Sanskrit.

So, Dehradun railway station became Dehradunamand Rishikesh was renamed as Rishikeshah. But thishas led to controversy over getting the names right.

The move to have a Sanskrit name for railwaystations in Uttarakhand started when a local BJPleader wrote to railway officials in January askingwhy the names of the places on railway signboardswere not in Sanskrit as it was mandatory underrailway manual to have names of places on suchboards in the second official language, which inUttarakhand’s case is Sanskrit.

Last week, name of Dehradun railway station waswritten in Sanskrit as Dehradunam, along with Hindiand English, when the station re-opened for publicafter three months. The name for Doiwala railwaystation also in Dehradun has been written ‘Doiwalah’and a new railway station in Rishikesh as ‘Yog NagariRishikeshah’.

Publish details of taintedcandidates: SC to parties

NEW DELHI (TIP): Politicalparties that field candidates withcriminal records must from now ontell the public why they have chosentainted candidates over those withclean records, the Supreme Courtruled on Thursday as it handeddown a series of directions aimed atchecking the criminalization ofpolitics.

The court ruled that it shall bemandatory for political partiesduring central and state elections toput out detailed information aboutcandidates with criminal casespending against them, including thenature of the offences. Parties mustalso list the reasons for selectingsuch candidates and state whyothers without criminalantecedents were not selected.

“The reasons as to selection shallbe with reference to thequalifications, achievements, andmerit of the candidate concerned,and not mere ‘winnability’ at thepolls," it said.

The information should bepublished in one local vernacularnewspaper, a national newspaper,and on the official social mediaplatforms of the political party,including Facebook and Twitter.

The court noted that there hasbeen an alarming increase in thenumber of candidates withcriminal records entering politics.

In 2004, 24% of members ofParliament (MPs) had criminalcases pending against them. In 2009,

that went up to 30%, in 2014 to 34%,and in 2019 as many as 43% of MPshad criminal cases pending againstthem, it said.

The directions are likely to have akey political fallout given that thetwo biggest and politically crucialstates, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, goto polls over the next two years.

A bench headed by JusticeRohinton Fali Nariman alsodirected that these details are to bepublished within 48 hours of theselection of the candidate.

“The political party concernedshall then submit a report ofcompliance with these directionswith the Election Commissionwithin 72 hours of the selection ofthe said candidate. If a political

party fails to submit suchcompliance report with the ElectionCommission, the ElectionCommission shall bring such non-compliance by the political partyconcerned to the notice of theSupreme Court as being in contemptof this court’s orders," the top courtsaid.

The court was passing orders on acontempt petition that raised theissue of criminalization of politicsclaiming that directions given by thecourt in a 2018 order on disclosure ofcriminal antecedents by candidatesare not being followed.

Political parties fieldingcandidates with criminalantecedents has been a key concernin the recent elections.

Statements like ‘golimaro’ should not havebeen made: Amit Shah

NEW DELHI (TIP): Union HomeMinister Amit Shah on Thursdaysaid hate speeches like 'goli maro'and 'Indo-Pak match' should nothave been made by BJP leadersduring the recent Delhi Assemblyelection campaign and that suchremarks may have resulted in theparty's defeat.

Amit Shah, however, said the BJPdoes not fight elections just forvictory or defeat but believes inexpanding its ideology throughpolls.

"Statements like 'goli maro' and'Indo-Pak match' should not havebeen made. Our party has distanceditself from such remarks," AmitShah said at a Delhi event.

Replying to a question, Amit Shahadmitted that the BJP may havesuffered because of the statementsmade by some party leaders in theDelhi polls.

The home minister said hisassessment on Delhi elections wentwrong but asserted that the result ofthe polls was not a mandate on the

Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)and the National Register ofCitizens (NRC).

Shah said anyone who wants todiscuss issues related to CAA withhim can seek time from his office."(We) will give time within threedays," he added.

He blamed the Congress for thePartition on basis of religion.

TERI ex-chief RKPachauri dead

NEW DELHI (TIP):

Environmentalist RK Pachauri, aformer TERI chief under whosechairmanship the UN’sIntergovernmental Panel onClimate Change won the NobelPeace Prize in 2007, passed away onThursday after prolonged cardiacailment. He was 79.

In a statement, his family saidPachauri underwent a major heartsurgery before succumbing to hisdeteriorating health on Thursday.He was admitted to Escorts HeartInstitute on Tuesday. Pachauripassed away at his residence in thenational capital with wife, daughterand son by his side. “His courageousleadership allowed climate changeto be recognised the world over asthe most pressing issue confrontingthe world and launched a new era ofinternational deliberations andactions,” said his family.

17THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020 ADVERTISEMENT

Aditya Roy Kapur and DishaPatani starrer Malang is trendingwell in the weekdays, which is a

good news for the film. The romanticthriller once again remained steady onWednesday as it collected around Rs 3.35crore yesterday at the box office. Thefilm now stands with the grand total ofRs 36.50 crore and is expected to end itsfirst week between Rs 39-40 crore. SinceLove Aaj Kal will hit the screenstomorrow, Malang will face a solidscreen crunch at the ticket windows.

Director Mohit Suri, who is happywith the response for the film, revealedwhy he chose Aditya Roy Kapur as thelead star and said, "Without soundingpompous I'd like to mention that I havenever really cast an actor for hiscommercial viability. As long as he orshe fits my role I cast him. I had casthim in 'Aashqui 2' before which he haddone character roles in a couple offilms but not lead role. When I met himI felt he would be the perfect choice forAashiqui 2. Now for Malang, I felt he iscapable of doing this kind of a rolewhere he will grow up from a hippi toa hero. Also, I come from MaheshBhatt's school, we make films based onwho is right for the role and not

because someone is somebody's son ordaughter."

Mohit Suri films are known for asoundtrack that touches the soul. Hisearlier directorials like "Zeher","Kalyug", "Woh Lamhe", "Awarapan","Aashiqui 2" and "Ek Villain" have allhad blockbuster songs. The filmmakerexplained the music of his latest filmis different from the previous ones."When I started off my career, I did nothave big stars and a big budget to make

films. Our marketing budget used to bevery less. So, our survival strategy wasthat we should focus on music in a waythat it is able to impress people even ina single promo. In 'Aashiqui 2', Iworked on the music first and thenwent on to select the cast," he revealed.

Talking about the soundtrack of"Malang", he added: "I wanted themusic of this film to be different, notthe typical brooding sad songs Inormally use."

MALANG: ADITYA ROY KAPUR,DISHA PATANI’S FILM

CONTINUES TO TREND WELLHAATHI MERE SAATHI:RANA DAGGUBATIPLAYS ANIMALSAVIOUR BALDEV

The teaser of Rana Daggubati starrerHaathi Mere Saathi is out. The 75-second teaser explores the stunning

jungle where the film is set, and we arethen introduced to Rana Daggubati’scharacter, who seems to reside in thejungle.

From the teaser, it appears that HaathiMere Saathi revolves around savingelephants in the jungle and Rana seems tobe the saviour of the animals.

Haathi Mere Saathi borrows its titlefrom the 1971 Rajesh Khanna film, but theplot doesn’t look connected to the originalfilm.

The movie also stars Pulkit Samrat,Vishnu Vishal, Zoya Hussain, ShriyaPilgaonkar. It has been written anddirected by Prabu Solomon.

Haathi Mere Saathi will release inHindi, Tamil and Telugu on April 2.

ANANYA PANDAY SHOOTS 23 HOURSNON-STOP FOR KHAALI PEELI

Without any sleep,actress Ananya Pandayrecently shot for her

upcoming film Khaali Peeli foralmost 23 hours at a stretch.

"Ananya has been jugglingbetween shoots and othercommitments. Recently, duringa schedule of Khaali Peeli, shestarted shooting at 8 o'clock inthe morning and continued toshoot till the next morning. Sheshot for the film for more than23 hours at a stretch," a sourcesaid.

Directed by Parvez Shaikh,Khaali Peeli also featuresIshaan Khatter.

"Ananya has a very tightschedule but even then, none ofher other work commitmentssuffer. She's shooting for a songsequence, attending events,reading scripts and has a line-up of films in 2020, which she isshooting for. She will kick-startthe shoot for some of them bythe end of February itself", thesource said, adding that theactress will begin shooting forher upcoming slate of filmssoon.

The masala entertainer isproduced by Ali Abbas Zafarwith Zee Studios and HimanshuKishan Mehra.

DUS BAHANE 2.0 FROMBAAGHI 3 OUT

Exactly 15 years ago, Dus Bahane from the filmDus, starring Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt,Suneil Shetty, Dia Mirza, Zayed Khan, and others,

was the most-played song of the year. That's howpopular this track from the Anubhav Sinha directorialwas, and still is.

Now, 15 years later, Tiger Shroff and ShraddhaKapoor are seen in a remake of this popular partynumber. The makers of Baaghi 3 just released the newsong, and it is climbing the charts rapidly.

Tiger took to Twitter to share the link of the fullvideo song. He wrote, "Where’s your party at? TheBaaghis are all set to rock your block with the mostbadass song of the year! #DusBahane 2.0 is out now."

The song opens with the very familiar Dus Bahanebeat that will instantly remind you of AbhishekBachchan's swag. Does Tiger manage to match up to it?Well, he isn't trying because he is busy channelling hisinner Hrithik Roshan.

Tiger is seen flaunting his rock-solid abs in severalcombinations of trousers and open sleeveless jackets(even vertically slit ganjis). His look will remind you ofHrithik's from Dhoom 2. Shraddha, on the other hand,is seen in embellished leotards and thigh-high boots,raising temperatures.

18 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020BOLLYWOOD

Actress Pamela Anderson's short-lived marriage with producer JonPeters was ended through a text

message.Just one week after the former

"Baywatch" star announced her separationfrom Peters, reports came out that it washer husband for 12 days that initiated thesurprise split, reports aceshowbiz.com.

Anderson and Peters reportedly spentonly five days together before he sent herthe break-up message. According to UsWeekly, the executive producer of "Man ofSteel" began his text by saying that their"beautiful amazing love fest".

He followed it up with a confession,"This whole marriage thing … has scaredme."

"It made me realize that at 74 I need asimple quiet life and not an internationallove affair," Peters text reportedly read.

The text added: "Therefore, I think thebest thing we can do is that I'm going to goaway for a couple of days and maybe youneed to go back up to Canada we did it. Theworld knows we did it and I think now weneed to go our own separate ways."

Sharing his hope that the 52-year-oldactress can forgive him, Peters noted thathe still wants her to take part in hisupcoming movie "Private Dancer".

He signed off his message with astatement that read, "I love you, Jon. I wantto be in your life forever." Us Weeklyclaimed that she replied by simply statingthat she forgive him.

PAMELA ANDERSON, JONPETERS END THEIR 12-DAY

MARRIAGE VIA MESSAGEMARGOT ROBBIE ANDCHRISTIAN BALE TOSTAR IN DAVID ORUSSELL’S NEXT

Hollywood star Margot Robbie willco-star Oscar winner ChristianBale in a new film from

filmmaker David O Russell.According to The Hollywood Reporter,

Russell has penned the script for theuntitled film, which hails from NewRegency, and he might direct it if thingsgo as per the plan.

Plot details are being kept underwraps but it is said to be based on anoriginal idea from the director. MatthewBudman of American Hustle fame willproduce.

Bale, 46, previously collaborated within Russell on 2010’s The Fighter, whichearned the actor his maiden Oscar forbest supporting actor, and 2013’sAmerican Hustle.

He most recently starred in JamesMangold’s Ford vs Ferrari, where heportrayed professional racer Ken Milesopposite Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby.

Robbie, 29, was recently nominated atthe Academy Awards for her role inBombshell. She currently features inDC-Warner Bros’ Birds of Prey movie.

Jennifer Aniston celebrated her 51stbirthday on February 11. The actor,who is known for her role as Rachel

Greene in popular TV show Friends,received warm wishes from her friends,co-stars and many others.

Lisa Kudrow, who shared screen spacewith Aniston in Friends, took to herInstagram account and wrote, “Alwaysbeautiful and keeps getting morebeautiful. Happy birthday@jenniferaniston I love you.”

“Happy birthday, Jenny!!!” wroteactor Matthew Perry who made hisInstagram debut earlier this month. Theactor shared screen space with JenniferAniston in Friends.

Aniston’s close friend Courtney Cox,who played Monica Geller in Friends,posted an adorable photo on Instagramwith a caption that read, “No matterhow hard you might try… there’s onlyone Jennifer Aniston. Happy birthdaymy dear friend @jenniferaniston! I loveyou!”

Reese Witherspoon, who sharesscreen space with Jennifer Aniston inApple TV+’s The Morning Show, saidshe could not ask for a better friend. In a

tweet, she mentioned, “Happy BirthdayJen! I couldn’t ask for a better friendand partner to chase my dreams with.Life is way more fun with you in it!!!”

19THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020 HOLLYWOOD

JENNIFER ANISTON TURNS51, FRIENDS ACTOR

RECEIVES WARM WISHES

Elizabeth Hurley spendsweekend with old friendsin Jaisalmer, shares pics

Actor and model Elizabeth Hurleylooked stunning in a sheer dressas she spent the weekend with

some old friends in Rajasthan’sJaisalmer. The 54-year-old dressed inelaborated getup took to Instagram toshare the moments from the night.

“A magical weekend with old friends inJaiselmer. It may take some time torecover Thank you to @tanyadubash and@arvinddubash for being the best hosts#lebaloriental,” the actor captioned thepost alongside a series of pictures.

Elizabeth was decked up in a purpleshade sheer dress and accessorized itwith dramatic jewellery. She completedthe look with a dazzling headpiece andwent for a smoky eye makeup look forthe evening.

Further, the star even thanked thehosts Tanya Dubash and Arvind Dubash,for having her and being the best hosts.The event was a grand birthdaycelebration of Arvind Dubash, who isthe husband of executive director andchief brand officer at the Godrej Group,Tanya Arvind Dubash.

Famous people from the Bollywood

fraternity including Neha Dhupia,Angad Bedi, Amrita Arora, MalaikaArora, Gauri Khan, Karan Johar,Maheep Kapoor, Natasha PoonawallaChunky Pandey, and Rahul Khanna alsoattended the event.

20 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020THEATER

ABOUT LOVE, PlayBy Mabel Pais

Valentine's DayValentine's Day or The FeastDay of Saint Valentine, iscelebrated annually onFebruary 14. Traditionally,people in many countries ofCatholic, Anglican andLutheran faiths, celebratethe day by sending greetingcards and gifts, dating, andattending church services.

It is also a festival ofromantic love and manypeople give cards, letters,flowers or presents to theirspouse or partner. They mayalso arrange a romanticmeal in a restaurant or nightin a hotel. Common symbolsof Valentine's Day arehearts, red roses and Cupid.

It is considered thecelebration of love andaffection. The Day honorsone or two early saintsnamed Valentinus.Valentine's Day isrecognized not only as asignificant cultural,religious event but also acommercial celebration ofromance and romantic lovein many regions around theworld.

There are numerousmartyrdom storiesassociated with variousValentines connected toFebruary 14, including awritten account of SaintValentine of Rome'simprisonment forperforming weddings forsoldiers who were forbiddento marry and for ministeringto Christians persecutedunder the Roman Empire.According to legend, SaintValentine restored sight tothe blind daughter of hisjudge, and he wrote her aletter signed "YourValentine" as a farewellbefore his execution.

".......I read a short story called"First Love" by the Russian writer,Ivan Turgenev. I was drawn to thismaterial because of Turgenev'sexquisite writing and his truth-telling about the humanexperience…that would eventuallybecome the basis for our new playwith music and songs - ABOUTLOVE." - Will Pomerantz,Playwright-Director

"Turgenev's story is so human-each character is so true to lifethat it lives today even though ittakes place 150 years ago. It isuniversal and recognizable in2020, a portrait of the essence ofhuman relationships touching on awide range of emotions- joy andsorrow, humor and humiliation,cruelty and empathy. Turgenevloved his characters." - NancyHarrow, Singer-Songwriter'Culture Project' presents"About Love,"

Music and Lyrics by Jazz Artist NancyHarrow

Script and Direction by Will Pomerantz

Culture Project' presents"AboutLove," a new play with songs andmusic. Music and lyrics are

composed by jazz artist Nancy Harrowand script and direction by WillPomerantz. "About Love" runs February25 through March 22 at The Sheen Centerfor Thought and Culture (18 BleeckerStreet, corner of Elizabeth Street, NYC)in the Black Box Theater.

The cast of "About Love" featuresSilvia Bond ("Things Found on theGround"), HelenCoxe ("Super Regret"),DanDomingues ("The Tempest"at 'ThePublic'), JeffreyKringer ("CruelIntentions: The 90's Musical," NationalTour), TomPatterson ("1984," Broadway)and JeanTafler ("My Witch: TheMargaret Hamilton Stories").

"About Love" features scenic design byBrian Staton, costume design byWhitney Locher, lighting design by AllenHahn, sound design by Connor Brent,musical direction by Misha Josephs,musical arrangements by AlphonsoHorne and Owen Broder, and stagemanagement by Abigail Strange.

"About Love" plays a limited four-weekengagement, February 25 through March22 at 'The Sheen Center for Thought andCulture' (18 Bleecker Street, corner ofElizabeth Street, NYC) in the Black BoxTheater. The official opening isWednesday, March 4 at 7:30PM.

"About Love" is a new play with songsand music, based on the exquisite shortstory, "First Love," by Ivan Turgenev."About Love" is inspired by IvanTurgenev's beautifully crafted shortstory, "First Love," originally publishedin 1860. Turgenev was one of Russia's

first modern writers to achieveinternational acclaim with his novel,"Fathers and Sons," and his play, "AMonth in the Country." "About Love" is afresh re-telling of one of his mostmemorable stories.

"About Love" tells the compelling storyof a young man who expects to spend aquiet summer with his parents in theRussian countryside, but soon discoversthose three months will be the mostconsequential of his life, as he learns thedifference between love and passion, andthe ephemeral nature of life itself.

Featuring a haunting jazz score byNancy Harrow and a versatile cast of sixplaying eighteen characters, all within abold, theatrical staging by WillPomerantz, "About Love" promises to bea unique theatrical event.

To learn about Nancy Harrow, visitnancyharrow.com

To learn about Will Pomerantz, visitwillpomerantz.com

For complete cast and creative teamand to listen to song selections, visitAboutlovetheplay.com

Ivan TurgenevIvan Turgenev, known for his detailed

descriptions of everyday life in 19thcentury Russia, was a novelist, poet andplaywright. His unique qualities as awriter would ensure his lasting place asthe first "modern" writer of Russia, amajor figure of 19th century Russianliterature.

Turgenev's work is distinguished fromthat of his contemporaries by itssophistication, balance, lucidity andurbanity, with his greatest workscelebrating the extreme preciousnessand beauty of life. The elegance hebrought to a love story, as well as thepsychological acuity of his characters,were part of the power of this writer ofgreat charm and wit.

Ivan Turgenev was born October 28,1818, in Russia, and died August 22, 1883,near Paris. His major works include theshort-story collection "A Sportsman'sSketches" (1852), the novel "Fathers andSons" (1862), and the play"A Month in theCountry"(1855), his works offer realistic,

affectionate portrayals of his charactersas they attempt to move Russia into anew age. Turgenev poured into hiswritings not only a deep concern for thefuture of his native land, but also anintegrity of craft that has ensured hisplace in Russian literature.

Turgenev spent many years in westernEurope due to his personal and artisticstand as a liberal against reactionarytsarist rule. He returned home aconfirmed believer in the need for Russiato follow a course of Westernization.During his period of self-exile fromRussia, Turgenev became a sort ofambassador of Russian culture in Paris,and was friendly with the writers GeorgeSand, Gustave Flaubert, the young EmileZola and Henry James. In 1879 he wasawarded an honorary degree by theUniversity of Oxford.

Turgenev's work is distinguished fromthat of his contemporaries by itssophistication, balance, lucidity andurbanity, with his greatest workscelebrating the extreme preciousnessand beauty of life. The elegance hebrought to a love story, as well as thepsychological acuity of his characters,were part of the power of this writer ofgreat charm and wit.

Tickets and ScheduleTickets are available online at

SheenCenter.org, or in-person at TheSheen Center box office or by phone at212-925-2812. Discount-priced Rushtickets are available at the box office 1hour before any performance.

"About Love" plays a limited four-weekengagement, February 25 through March22, Tuesdays to Thursdays, at The SheenCenter (18 Bleecker Street, corner ofElizabeth Street, NYC) in the Black BoxTheater. The official opening isWednesday, March 4 at 7:30PM.

(Mabel Pais writes on the Arts andEntertainment, Spirituality, Social Issues, and

Health & Wellness)

Cast & Creators of "ABOUT LOVE " -clockwise from top left - WILL POMERANTZ ,

JEAN TAFLER, SILVIA BOND, DANDOMINGUES, NANCY HARROW, TOM

PATTERSON, JEFFREY KRINGER, HELEN COX.

About Love" Poster.

Photos / Russ Rowland

There were always good reasons forthe BJP to be defeated in the DelhiAssembly elections. First, the party

is in power in the three municipalcorporations in the Capital that have ashabby record. Indeed, one could say thatthey are a blot on the Swachh Bharatcampaign of Prime Minister NarendraModi. Second, the BJP could offer no localleadership or face to take on Delhi ChiefMinister Arvind Kejriwal, whose approvalratings always remained high. Third, theBJP had no youth alternative to AAPwhose core team is packed with youngfaces. Fourth, large sections of the youthwere, in any case, alienated from the BJPat the spectacle of violence on twouniversities in Delhi, Jamia Millia andJNU, in the weeks preceding the elections(after voting day, came reports of sexualassault on girl students of Gargi College inSouth Delhi by goons shouting Jai ShriRam).

In the end, the AAP moved far moredeftly and creatively than the older party. Itwas light on its feet in evading the BJP'sattempt to make this election about Hinduversus Muslim as opposed to issues oflocal governance. Partly because the BJP

had nothing positive to offer at the locallevel, it decided to make the election aboutits ideological national issues. In theprocess, in full view of the national andinternational media in the Capital, theBJP dropped all pretense at civility inpublic life and ramped up the hate speech.

The desperation to also stick to its CAAagenda in the face of spreading protests inthe Capital and across the country alsodrove the BJP to the point where we canstate that in January 2020, the BJPcompletely abandoned its mukhauta(mask) model that has a place in the party'shistory.

Mukhauta was the phrase that gainedcurrency after a high-ranking RSS-BJPfunctionary described former PM AtalBihari Vajpayee as the mask/plausiblepleasant face who gave cover to anideological agenda. Vajpayee helmed asuccessful coalition in an age wherenumbers demanded moderation.

The BJP has a majority on its own at thenational level but is losing power in statesat a time when the economy is in crisis.There is now a palpable sense of economicdespair in the air. In the week precedingDelhi's February 8 voting day, a diplomatfrom a country with large investments inIndia revealed that their internal politicalassessments show a cycle of endemicsocial unrest leading up to 2024; they do notsee the country as a safe destination toinvest in infrastructure and do not expectthe Indian economy to grow at a healthyrate. They were even factoring in asimulated war with Pakistan!

This shockingly bad economicprojection means that the BJP cannot usetraditional means to engage the young in afuture that has hope. The current BJP andits ideological family have, therefore, madethe shift to invoking enemies here, there,everywhere. In doing so, the BJP givessome youth the pretext to abuse, blameothers for their misfortune and feel a senseof belonging to an ideology, some evenpicked up guns as was witnessed in threecases of shooting that took place in Delhi.In the past, polarization was part of thestrategy; in the future, it seems likely to bethe main plank of the strategy along withthe continued cult of the Great Leader.

The language of urban warfare and civilwar was spoken in Delhi and hate speechesmade by lawmakers without any realapology from the nation's pre-eminentparty. This is because they do not seethemselves as replacing any middleground - as the BJP of the Vajpayee era did

- but in creating an entirely new groundand reality in India.

Besides, there is no one left in thenational BJP who can pull off the kind ofdeft positioning that is required when aparty pushes a hard-ideological agendaand then tries to pass it off as reasonable.In the past year, the more plausiblepleasant faces of the BJP passed away.Sushma Swaraj would have watched herPs and Qs while talking about otherwomen, be they protesters or leaders; sheeven maintained excellent relations withSonia Gandhi although the two hadcontested an election against each other.Manohar Parrikar who managed topeacefully rule Goa with a large Christianpopulation without any social upheaval isgone too. The most significant is thepassing away of Arun Jaitley whodetermined the media spin given to eventsand was brought out as a troubleshooterwhen the script went haywire.

Half the second rung of the BJP haspassed away while the other half has beenrendered powerless. This includes Unionminister Nitin Gadkari, former chiefministers Shivraj Chouhan and RamanSingh, who have all been cut to a size,smaller than their potential. What are leftare the Big Two and yes-men and women,none of whom can muster the courage tospeak up even if they thought errors werebeing made (and some do). And there arenew entrants who are absolutelycommitted to this goli maaro tone andtenor without any pretense of being part ofpolite politics.

There is no turning back from the hard-ideological line for the BJP. It's alsoimportant to understand why Shaheen

Bagh, the anti-CAA protest site in Delhi,that became a template for similar protestsacross the country, was made the mainelection issue by the BJP. It upset thebeliever for a multiplicity of reasons thatlie beyond the Delhi poll. Shaheen Baghmarks the resurrection of the power of thenation's largest minority supported by thelarge percentage of Indians who did notvote for the BJP. The protests have alsobeen the sites of a creative outpouringthrough poetry, song and art. At a deeperpsychological level, this disturbs theideological adherents of the BJP, many ofwhom got a 'feel good' surge from the beliefof having rendered Muslims powerless,from silencing them in Kashmir, toreducing their financial and electoral cloutin other parts.

The political is also the emotional,according to philosopher Martha C.Nussbaum in her wonderful work, TheMonarchy of fear. Briefly, she argues that asense of powerlessness, economicdownturn and fear of change also liesbehind the resentment of others - be theyimmigrants, Muslims or cultural andintellectual elite.

Like most Indians now, the storm-troopers of the Hindu Right do not havegood prospects in this economy. Shoutingout the hate could be a release for them.They will continue to do so even after thedefeat in Delhi and the same rhetoricheard in the Capital will first be taken toBihar - where state polls will take placelater this year - and then to West Bengal in2021 and Uttar Pradesh in 2022. That is nowthe strategy of India's pre-eminent party.

(The author is a senior journalist)

21THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020 COMMENT

BJP had nothing positive to offer at local level

By Saba Naqvi

Half the secondrung of the BJPhas passed awaywhile the otherhalf has been

renderedpowerless. This includes Unionminister Nitin Gadkari, formerchief ministers ShivrajChouhan and Raman Singh,who have all been cut to a size,smaller than their potential.What are left are the Big Twoand yes-men and women, noneof whom can muster thecourage to speak up even ifthey thought errors were beingmade (and some do). And thereare new entrants who areabsolutely committed to thisgoli maaro tone and tenorwithout any pretense of beingpart of polite politics.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah who led the election campaign inDelhi in pensive moments

COMMENTDelhi debacle: BJP'sdivisive agenda rejectedby voters

Aparty that won over 300 LokSabha seats last year used all itsmight to wrest control of a 70-

seat Assembly - but in vain. The BJP'ssecond successive rout in the stateelections of Delhi is a massive rejectionof its divisive campaign that revolvedaround negativity and hatred. The plankof national security had workedwonders for the party in the 2019

parliamentary elections, which tookplace months after the Pulwama terrorattack and the Balakot airstrike. TheBJP unreasonably tried to extrapolatethis template to the state polls, invokingthe abrogation of Article 370 and the'anti-national' protests at Shaheen Bagh,and even dragged Pakistan into thediscourse. One of their candidates, KapilMishra, equated the Assembly electoralbattle with an 'India vs Pakistan' clash.

This desperation betrayed the party'sdisconnect with the people of Delhidespite having swept all Lok Sabha seatsin the Capital last year. The ruling partyat the Centre neither projected a CM face

nor came up with a concrete road map toaddress local issues. The leaders whodelivered incendiary speeches didn'teven get a rap on the knuckles from thetop brass. BJP MP Parvesh Vermadubbed Arvind Kejriwal a terrorist, athrowback to the 'AK-49' label the thenGujarat CM Narendra Modi had given tohis Delhi counterpart ahead of the 2014Lok Sabha elections. Such name-callingwas like water off a duck's back forDelhi's voters, who preferred the basicsto theatrics.

Assembly and parliamentary polls arepoles apart. This electoral truism washammered home by the voters of

Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, MadhyaPradesh and Jharkhand over the pastyear or so, but the BJP didn't bother tolearn any lesson. The behemothmiserably failed to position itself as aviable alternative to the fledgling AamAadmi Party. Its attempts to provokeAAP to take an unambiguous stand onthe CAA-NRC came a cropper asKejriwal astutely stuck to thedevelopment agenda, virtuallyappropriating PM Modi's mantra of'minimum government, maximumgovernance'. With a misplaced Plan Aand no Plan B, the BJP's crushing defeatwas inevitable. (Tribune, India)

22 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020WORLD

Soviet spy hailed byRussia for ‘saving

Krakow’ dies at 103MOSCOW (TIP): Russia on

Thursday announced the death at 103of veteran Soviet spy Alexei Botyan,whom it hailed as a hero for "saving"the Polish city of Krakow from theNazis, although Poland disputesMoscow's version of events. Russia'sSVR military intelligence agency saidBotyan, who lived in Moscow, had diedafter turning 103 on Monday. RussianPresident Vladimir utin expressedcondolences. AFP

Banksy artwork to beauctioned for Aus

bushfire reliefSYDNEY (TIP): An original

artwork by Banksy, the acclaimedanonymous British street artist, willbe auctioned in Australia to raisemoney for bushfire relief, it wasreported on Thursday. As the extensivebushfire recovery effort begins, artcollectors, Sandra Powell and AndrewKing from Melbourne saw theopportunity to put their lifelongpassion for practical good, reportsXinhua news agency. IANS

250-yr-old family-runinn awarded UK’s Pub

of the YearLONDON (TIP): The Bell Inn in the

English village of Aldworth,Berkshire, which has been run by thesame family for 250 years, was namedthe UK's Pub of the Year for a secondtime. The only pub in the county ofBerkshire with an official Grade-IIlisted (buildings that are of specialinterest, warranting every effort topreserve them) interior, the Bell Innwas named the best in the country thistime for its strong community focus,relaxed ambience and great beer. IANS

65 new virus cases onJapanese ship carrying

several IndiansTOKYO (TIP): Passenger tests

aboard the quarantined DiamondPrincess cruise ship in Japanconfirmed at least 65 more cases ofcoronavirus on Monday, as somepassengers took to social media towarn against depression over theirconfinement. The ship, carrying 3,711passengers, has an unspecifiednumber of Indians on board.

The death toll in the coronavirusoutbreak in China has gone up to 908with 97 new fatalities reported mostlyin the worst-affected Hubei provinceand the confirmed cases of infectioncrossing 40,000.

The figure takes the tally on board to135, showing a rapid rise in theoutbreak on the ship docked in the portof Yokohama. The ship arrived at theJapanese coast early last week and wasquarantined after a passenger who de-boarded last month in Hong Kong wasfound to be the carrier of the novelvirus on the ship.

(Reuters)

Death toll in China’s coronavirusnears 1,500 with 5,090 new cases

BEIJING (TIP): The death toll inChina’s novel coronavirus outbreak hasspiked to nearly 1,500 with 121 newfatalities reported mostly from the worst-affected Hubei province while theconfirmed cases of infection jumped tonearly 65,000, health officials said onFriday.

The hard-hit Hubei province, theepicentre of the outbreak, has reported116 new fatalities and reported 4,823 newconfirmed cases on Thursday, theprovincial health commission said onFriday.

The National Health Commission saidthat with 5,090 new cases the totalnumber of confirmed coronavirus casessoared up to 64,894 as of Thursday.

The commission said it receivedreports of 121 deaths on Thursday with5,090 new confirmed cases of novelcoronavirus infection from 31 provincial-level regions.

Among the deaths, 116 were in HubeiProvince, two in Heilongjiang, and onein Anhui, Henan and Chongqingrespectively, the commission said.

The number of new cases in HubeiProvince included 3,095 clinicallydiagnosed cases, which have been seenas confirmed cases. The new deaths alsoinclude eight who were clinicallydiagnosed.

The latest report brought the totalconfirmed cases in Hubei province to51,986, state-run Xinhua news agency

reported.The World Health Organisation on

Thursday said a sharp rise of 254 cases ofCOVID-19 (official name for coronavirus)cases in China, due to a change incounting methods, did not represent abig shift in the epidemic.

Of the 254, Hubei and its provincialcapital Wuhan reported 242 deaths, thesingle highest in a day so far.

“This does not represent a significantchange in the trajectory of theoutbreak,” Michael Ryan, head ofWHO’s health emergencies programme,

told a press conference in Geneva.“We’re not dealing, from what we

understand, with a spike in cases of14,000 on one day,” he said.

“This increase that you’ve all seen inthe last 24 hours is largely, in part, downto a change in how the cases are beingreported.”

Ryan also said he expected members ofa WHO-led international mission toChina to arrive over the weekend.

Already 15-member advance WHOteam has arrived in China on Monday.PTI

PM begins to reshape post-Brexit UK Govt

LONDON (TIP): Prime Minister BorisJohnson began reshaping his governmenton Thursday, tightening his grip on powerby sacking some senior ministers to makeway for a team he hopes will deliver hisvision for Britain beyond Brexit.

The reshuffle was not shaping up to be asexplosive as some commentators hadsuggested, based on his senior adviserDominic Cummings' well-publicised desireto see a radical reorganisation ofgovernment to fit Johnson's agenda.

Instead, Johnson's team signalled that hewas keen to foster new talent, particularlyamong women, in the junior ranks ofgovernment while also rewarding loyalsupporters who helped him win a largemajority in December's election.

With most of his biggest-hittingministers, such as those for foreign andhome affairs, expected to stay in place,Johnson drew criticism for sackingNorthern Ireland minister Julian Smith,who only a month ago had helped brokerthe restoration of a government in theBritish province. Smith, who had been incharge of parliamentary discipline forJohnson's predecessor, Theresa May, wasthe first minister to be sacked. He wasjoined by business minister AndreaLeadsom and environment minister

Theresa Villiers."The Prime Pinister wants this reshuffle

to set the foundations for government nowand in the future," sources in his DowningStreet office said.

"He wants to promote a generation oftalent that will be promoted further in thecoming years. He will reward those MPs(members of parliament) who have workedhard to deliver on this government'spriorities to level up the whole country anddeliver the change people voted for lastyear,” said the sources. — Reuters

Iran unveils ballisticmissile, ‘new

generation’ enginesTEHRAN (TIP): Iran's

Revolutionary Guards unveiledSunday a short-range ballisticmissile that they said can bepowered by a "new generation" ofengines designed to put satellitesinto orbit.

The Guards' Sepahnews websitesaid the Raad-500 missile wasequipped with new Zoheir enginesmade of composite materialslighter than on earlier steelmodels.

It also unveiled Salman enginesmade of the same materials butwith a "movable nozzle" for thedelivery of satellites into space.

The Raad was "a new generationmissile that has half the weight ofa Fateh-110 missile but with 200kilometres more range," it added.The Fateh-110 is a ballistic ground-to-ground missile first unveiled in2002. Its latest generation has arange of 300 kilometres (186miles).

Islamic Revolutionary GuardCorps commander Major GeneralHossein Salami unveiled themissile and engines alongsideIRGC aerospace chief BrigadierGeneral Amirali Hajizadeh.

23THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020 WORLD

Israeli jets bomb Gaza,none hurt

GAZA (TIP): Israeli war jetsbombed Gaza Strip on Monday as anEgyptian security delegation arrivedin the Palestinian enclave for itsceasefire with Israel, security sourcessaid.

Israeli war jets struck several sitesbelonging to the al-Qassam Brigades,the armed wing of Hamas, in southernGaza, Xinhua quoted Palestiniansecurity sources. No injury wasreported.

Meanwhile, Israeli armyspokesperson Avichay Adraee said in apress statement that Israeli war jetstargeted Hamas facilities including a“military training facility” insouthern Gaza. Hamas should “bearresponsibility for the terrorist actsagainst Israelis,” Adraee added.

Israeli public radio reported thataround 20 rockets had been launchedfrom Gaza toward Israel since January15. Israeli PM has already said thenation is ready to wage a war againstterrorists. — IANS

Four survive 32 daysadrift in Pacific that

killed 8 othersWELLINGTON (TIP): Four people

who survived a month adrift in thePacific were recovering in theSolomon Islands Wednesday after anordeal that claimed the lives of eight oftheir companions, including a baby,reports said.

The group, from Papua NewGuinea’s Bougainville province, saidthey survived by eating coconuts foundfloating in the sea and collectedrainwater in a bowl during their 32days adrift.

The Solomon Star News reported thegroup set off from Bougainville onDecember 22, intending to celebrateChristmas in the Carteret Islands,about 100 kilometres (62 miles) away.

But survivor Dominic Stally saidtheir small boat capsized and anumber of the group drowned.

The rest managed to right the vesselbut there were further fatalities asthey floated in the remote waters at themercy of powerful ocean currents.

“We could do nothing with theirdead bodies, we just have to let go ofthem at sea,” he told the newspaper.

“A couple have died and left behindtheir baby and I am the one who heldonto the baby and later the baby diedas well.”

Stally said a number of fishingvessels passed nearby without noticingthem until they were finally picked upon January 23 off New Caledonia afterdrifting some 2,000 kilometres.

The Star News said the survivorscomprised two men, a woman and agirl aged about 12.

They were dropped off in Honiaralast Saturday and were discharged intothe care of PNG High CommissionerJohn Balavu after receiving treatmentfor dehydration. Epic tales of survivalare not uncommon in the Pacific,where tiny islands are separated byvast expanses of ocean. AFP

Queen’s eldest grandson, wife to file for divorce

LONDON (TIP): Queen ElizabethII’s oldest grandson Peter Phillips onTuesday announced that he and hisCanadian wife Autumn have separatedand will file for divorce.

Phillips, 42, the son of the Queen’sdaughter Princess Anne, confirmed theseparation from his wife and that theywill share custody of their childrenSavannah, nine, and Isla, seven.

“They had reached the conclusionthat this was the best course of actionfor their two children and ongoingfriendship. The decision to divorce andshare custody came about after manymonths of discussions and althoughsad, is an amicable one,” their jointstatement read.

“Peter and Autumn have requestedprivacy and compassion for theirchildren while the family continues toadapt to these changes,” it said.

Phillips met Canadian managementconsultant Autumn Kelly, 41, at theCanadian Grand Prix in Montreal in2003, while he was working for FormulaOne. Some reports suggest Kelly mightintend to move back to Canada after thedivorce.

The couple told the Queen and otherroyal family members about theirdecision to separate last year and bothof their families were said to be “sad”but “fully supportive” of the decisionto “co-parent”, the statement added.

It would make Phillips, the Queen’sfirst grandchild to divorce. While he isa member of the royal family, he is nota working royal and does not have aroyal title because he is descendedfrom the female line. He refused theoffer of an Earldom when he marriedso his children do not have courtesytitles.

The couple married in 2008 in St

George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle –where Prince Harry and MeghanMarkle’s wedding would take place 10years later – and brought up theirchildren in Gloucestershire.

Before the wedding, Autumn Phillipsgave up her Catholic faith, a movewhich allowed Peter Phillips to retainhis right to the throne under the rulesof the UK’s succession rules. — PTI

Australia admits ‘national shame’ offailing to help Aboriginals

SYDNEY (TIP): A pledge to closethe health and wellbeing gap betweenAboriginal and other Australians isfailing, the government admittedWednesday, describing the situationas a source of “national shame”.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison saidjust two of seven key targets toimprove the lives of Australia’sindigenous people were on track—unchanged from last year.

More Aboriginal children wereenrolled in early education andgraduating from high school than everbefore, he said, but attendance rateswere still lagging behind othergroups.

Other targets to halve the gap inchild mortality, literacy, lifeexpectancy, and unemployment rateswere not being met.

Morrison called the failure to giveindigenous children equalopportunities to other Australian kids“a national truth and a nationalshame”.

The admission comes 250 yearssince Captain James Cook’s firstvoyage to the vast continent, ajourney that led to Britishcolonisation and upended indigenouscommunities.

The life expectancy for AboriginalAustralians is about eight years lowerthan the national average.

Indigenous children are twice aslikely to die before their fifth birthdayand 25 times more likely to beincarcerated than the rest of thepopulation, according to officialstatistics.

The report marks 12 years since

former Prime Minister Kevin Ruddmade a historic apology to Aboriginalpeople for centuries of injustice andlaunched the “Closing the Gap”initiative.“Over decades, our top-down, government-knows-bestapproach has not delivered theimprovements we all need,” Morrisonsaid.“The results are not goodenough.” — AFP

Many things cause our skin to age.Some things we cannot doanything about; others we can

influence.One thing that we cannot change is the

natural aging process. It plays a key role.With time, we all get visible lines on ourface. It is natural for our face to lose someof its youthful fullness. We notice ourskin becoming thinner and drier. Ourgenes largely control when these changesoccur. The medical term for this type ofaging is “intrinsic aging.”

We can influence another type of agingthat affects our skin. Our environmentand lifestyle choices can cause our skin toage prematurely. The medical term forthis type of aging is “extrinsic aging.” Bytaking some preventive actions, we canslow the effects that this type of aging hason our skin.

The sun plays a major role inprematurely aging our skin. Other thingsthat we do also can age our skin morequickly than it naturally would. To helptheir patients prevent premature skin

aging, dermatologists offer their patientsthe following tips. Protect your skin from the sun every

day. Whether spending a day at thebeach or running errands, sunprotection is essential. You canprotect your skin by seeking shade,covering up with clothing, and usingsunscreen that is broad-spectrum,SPF 30 (or higher), and water-resistant. You should applysunscreen every day to all skin thatis not covered by clothing.

Apply self-tanner rather than get atan. Every time you get a tan, youprematurely age your skin. Thisholds true if you get a tan from thesun, a tanning bed, or other indoortanning equipment. All emitharmful UV rays that accelerate howquickly your skin ages.

If you smoke, stop. Smoking greatlyspeeds up how quickly skin ages. It

causes wrinkles and a dull, sallowcomplexion.

Avoid repetitive facial expressions.When you make a facial expression,you contract the underlyingmuscles. If you repeatedly contractthe same muscles for many years,these lines become permanent.Wearing sunglasses can help reducelines caused by squinting.

Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.Findings from a few studies suggestthat eating plenty of fresh fruits and

vegetables may help prevent damagethat leads to premature skin aging.Findings from research studies alsosuggest that a diet containing lots ofsugar or other refined carbohydratescan accelerate aging.

Drink less alcohol. Alcohol is roughon the skin. It dehydrates the skin,and in time, damages the skin. Thiscan make us look older.

Exercise most days of the week.Findings from a few studies suggestthat moderate exercise can improvecirculation and boost the immunesystem. This, in turn, may give theskin a more-youthful appearance.

Cleanse your skin gently. Scrubbingyour skin clean can irritate yourskin. Irritating your skin acceleratesskin aging. Gentle washing helps toremove pollution, makeup, and othersubstances without irritating yourskin.

24 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020WOMEN

WAYS TO REDUCE PREMATURE SKIN AGING

BENGALI FISH FINGERS

Apopular and easy to make Bengali styleappetizer/snack. These fish fingers are well suitedfor any occasion, party or can also be served as an

evening snack.

IngredientsWhite Fish Fillets - 300 gms, skinless, bonelessEggs - 2Fennel Seeds - 1 tspCumin Seeds - 1 tspMustard Seeds - 1 tspNigella Seeds - 1 tspFenugreek Seeds (Methi) - 1/2 tspMaida - 1 1/2 tblspBesan Flour - 1/2 tblspRed Chilli Powder - 1 tspGarlic - 3 cloves, crushedGinger - 1 inch piece, gratedOil as requiredBreadcrumbs - 1 to 2 cupsCoriander Leaves - handful, choppedSalt as per taste

MethodCombine the cumin seeds, fennel seeds, mustardseeds, nigella seeds and methi in a mixer jar.Grind them together and transfer to a bowl.Add the maida, besan, red chilli powder, garlic,coriander leaves, ginger and enough salt.Mix well.Beat the eggs in a bowl and add to the flour.Gently whisk until combined.Chop the fish fillets into small bite-sized pieces orstrips.Heat oil in a deep frying pan.Dip the fish fillets into the batter and remove.Allow any excess to drip off and dredge it in thebreadcrumbs, coating it fully.Gently slide them into the hot oil and fry untilcooked through or crisp and golden brown.Remove and drain excess oil.Serve with chutney or sauce of choice.

THINGS THAT HAPPENTO LONG-TERM COUPLECouples in a long-term

relationship often end upresembling each other in

one way or another. After all, ifyou're spending all of your sparetime with one person, it'sinevitable that you will pick up afew of their mannerisms, startwearing similar clothes or sharethe same interests. But did youknow that there are fivescientifically proven things thathappen when two people staytogether for a long time? Chancesare, if you've been in arelationship for more than a year,you can relate to at least one of thefive points below.

You start to look alikeIf you’re in a long-term

relationship you may find that youand your partner have begun tomorph into one person - whetheryou subconsciously wear matchingoutfits or share similarmannerisms. But according toscience, this isn't just superficial.Convergence In The PhysicalAppearance Of Spouses claims thatcouples who have spent over 25years in a relationship will begin tonoticeably resemble one another.Why? Because constantlymimicking each others emotionsresults in 'vascular changes' to theface.

You start to sound alikeIf you're in a long-term

relationship you may have foundthat you and your partner havedeveloped an intimate way ofspeaking that's exclusive to just youtwo. You'll have an abundance ofinside jokes that only you findfunny, plus embarrassingnicknames for each other that havebecome a part of your dailydialogue. Therefore it's no shockthat long-term couples begin tomirror each other's speechpatterns), from accent to intonation.

Your needs and desires change

It’s commonly acknowledged thatwhen two people have been in arelationship for a long time theirbehaviour towards each otherchanges, and so do their needs.What Characteristics Do Men andWomen Desire In Their Short-TermAnd Long-Term Romantic Partnersshows that both sexes desirecharacteristics such as intelligence,honesty and warmth in long-termrelationships, as opposed tophysical attractiveness and sexdrive in short-term relationships.

When a couple has been togetherfor a long time the element ofobsession – which is more commonduring the early stages of arelationship – is lost, according toDoes A Long-Term Relationship KillRomantic Love? Without theobsession element couples can oftenfall out of sync sexually andintimacy is lost. Interestingly,Exploring Relationships AmongCommunication, SexualSatisfaction, and MaritalSatisfaction explains how sexualsatisfaction can compensate forpoor communication, but good

communication and poor sexualsatisfaction still results in a less-satisfying relationship. So, althoughyour priorities may pivot as yougrow comfortable with a partner,sex and intimacy should not beneglected.

Your sleep cycles syncYou may have been polite about

each other's sleeping habits at thebeginning of your relationship, butif you’ve been with your partner fora while you will have no problemtelling them off for snoring orkicking you in the middle of thenight.

Unsurprisingly, the quality of oursleep depends largely on who wesleep next to on a regular basis. Thestudy Sex: Sleeping Together showsthat long-term couples’ sleep tendsto sync, and if one partner isstruggling to sleep, the other's sleepsuffers too. Interestingly, AmericanAcademy of Sleep Medicine saysthat between husbands and wives,the wife is more likely to dictate thesleeping syncrony, as when she isexperiencing marital satisfaction itdirectly correlates to the husbandhaving good quality sleep.

FOOD CORNER

Lemon water. This bright,citrusy drink is often pairedwith far-reaching promises,

with companies and health gurusclaiming it can do everything fromturn back the clock on aging to aidweight loss efforts.

It’s not all hype, though. There arecertainly some health benefits toadding lemon juice to your water.“The best thing about lemon juice isthe antioxidants it contains,” saysKristin Kirkpatrick, R.D., aregistered dietitian and manager ofnutrition services at ClevelandClinic’s Wellness Institute. “The highvitamin C content may help boostyour immunity, enhance ironabsorption, and help reduce the riskof certain cancers.”

But can sipping on lemon waterreally help you lose weight, detoxyour system, and fire up yourmetabolism? We asked registereddietitians for the facts.

So, can drinking lemon wateractually help you lose weight?

Some animal studies do suggestthat lemon compounds might helpwith weight loss, but the research isstill too preliminary to know howlemon water affects humans andweight.

Because lemons contain pectin, thesame satiating fiber found in apples,some people claim the juice will fillyou up and in turn, help you shedpounds. But there’s only a traceamount of that fiber (if any) stillpresent in the juice by the time yousqueeze it into your water.

“Fiber, in general, is key when itcomes to slowing down yourdigestion, and helping the entiredigestive process work,” says MaggieMichalczyk, R.D., a registereddietitian based in Chicago.“Unfortunately, none of this fiber isin the actual lemon juice itself.”

As for boosting your metabolism?Unfortunately, experts can’t back thisone up either. “I’ve never seen thatassociation,” says Kirkpatrick.

“Some foods, like cayenne pepper,temporarily speed up metabolismthrough the thermic effect of food,but I have not seen any studies wherelemons do the same.”

However, if adding lemon to yourwater helps you to drink more thanyou usually would, that may providea benefit. “It can help, but thatbenefit is coming more from theactual water rather than the lemonyou’re squeezing into it,” saysMichalczyk. “Your metabolismthrives off of water to maintain itsfunctions. Think of it as a mean,lean, calorie-burning machine, andwater is the gas in the tank.”

And as much as we love to believethat lemon water serves as theperfect “detox,” research doesn’tstand behind this claim, either. “Thisis a popular theory, but again, otherthan the high vitamin C content,which is also found in other foods,there’s little scientific evidence tosupport that lemon juice detoxesyour system better than water,” saysKirkpatrick. In fact, your bodydoesn’t need to be “cleansed” at all,despite what diet detoxes or liquid

cleanses might tell you. “Our kidneysand liver do all the detoxifying weneed,” says Michalczyk.

The best way to add lemon waterinto your weight loss plan

You’re better off including high-fiber foods like oats, beans, andlegumes in your diet as part of asatisfying meal. Otherwise, lemonjuice may serve best as a replacementtool for weight loss (say, drinking it inplace of soda or other sugarydrinks), rather than a magicbullet.“Since it’s low in calories, itmay help with overall calorierestriction for weight loss. But that’sthe only impact it would have,” saysJason Ewoldt, R.D.N., L.D., a wellnessdietitian at the Mayo Clinic HealthyLiving Program.

Just be cautious of the side effects.“Strong acids like lemon juice canerode tooth enamel if in contact on aregular basis,” says Libby Parker,R.D., a registered dietitian in SanLuis Obispo, Calif. “If you aredrinking lemon juice, be careful notto brush your teeth right after. Justswish plain water around in yourmouth.”

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PPAAGGEE SSPPOONNSSOORREEDD BBYY

WASH HANDS CORRECTLY TOLIMIT SPREAD OF DISEASE

As coronavirus, now known as covid-19,continues to spread, health organisations areurging people to engage in basic protective

measures to curb the spread of the deadly disease.While it may seem obvious, one of the easiest and

most foolproof methods for limiting the spread ofcoronavirus and other diseases is by washing yourhands, according to the World Health Organisation(WHO) and the Centres for Disease Control andPrevention (CDC).

But that doesn’t mean a simple rinse in the sink issufficient, as the agencies' guidelines state that youmust wash your hands for “at least 20 seconds” for thepreventative action to be effective.

According to the CDC, you should wash your handsoften with soap and water for at least 20 seconds,“especially after going to the bathroom; before eating;and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing”.

The agency also encourages people to wash theirhands “before, during and after preparing food, beforeeating, before and after caring for someone who is sickwith vomiting or diarrhoea, before and after treating acut or wound, after changing diapers, after touchingan animal, animal feed or animal waste, after handlingpet food or pet treats, and after touching garbage”.

To wash your hands correctly, the CDC suggestsfollowing these five steps: wet, lather, scrub, rinse, dry.

First, you should wet your hands with clean,running water, before turning off the tap and applyingsoap. The next step consists of lathering your handsby rubbing them together with the soap. During thisstep, you should lather the backs of your hands,between your fingers, and under your nails.

After lathering up, you should then scrub yourhands for at least 20 seconds, or roughly the length oftime it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice,according to the CDC.

Once you’ve finished scrubbing, you should rinseyour hands well under clean water, before drying yourhands using a clean towel or by air-drying them.

While washing your hands with soap and water isthe most effective method for killing germs, if youcannot access either, the CDC suggests using analcohol-based hand sanitiser that contains “at least 60per cent alcohol”.

To effectively use hand sanitiser, the CDC says youshould apply the product to the palm of one hand andrub your hands together. You should then rub the gelall over the surfaces of your hands until your handsare dry, a process that should take around 20 seconds.

LEMON WATER’S HEALTHY,BUT IT’S NOT A MIRACLE

WEIGHT LOSS DRINK

25THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020 HEALTH

SMART INSULIN PATCH TO HELP MONITOR GLUCOSE LEVELS

Researchers have developed acoin-sized insulin-deliverypatch, an advance that may

help people with diabetes monitorand manage their blood glucoselevels, and deliver the necessarymedical dose of insulin they need.

According to the study, publishedin the journal Nature BiomedicalEngineering, the adhesive patch isabout the size of a small coin, issimple to manufacture, and intendedfor once-a-day use.

The researchers, including thosefrom the University of NorthCarolina (UNC) in the US, said thehormone insulin is naturallyproduced in the pancreas, and helpsthe body regulate glucose—the mainenergy-providing chemical from

food. In type 1 diabetes, a person’sbody does not naturally produceinsulin, while in type 2 diabetes itdoes not efficiently use the insulinfrom pancreas, and together bothtypes affect more than 400 millionpeople worldwide, they said.

“Our main goal is to enhancehealth and improve the quality of lifefor people who have diabetes,” saidZhen Gu, study co-author and aformer professor at UNC.

“This smart patch takes away theneed to constantly check one’s bloodsugar and then inject insulin if andwhen it’s needed. It mimics theregulatory function of the pancreasbut in a way that’s easy to use,” Gusaid. According to the researchers,the patch monitors blood sugar, orglucose, and has doses of insulin pre-loaded in very tiny microneedles,less than one-millimetre in lengththat deliver medicine quickly whenthe blood sugar levels reach a certainthreshold. When blood sugar returnsto normal, they said, the patch’sinsulin delivery also slows down—anadvantage since this may helpprevent overdosing of insulin, whichcan lead to low glucose levels,seizures, coma, or even death.

SCIENTISTS DIVE INTO‘MIDNIGHT ZONE’ TO STUDYDARK OCEAN

Ateam of scientists is preparing to dive deep intothe depths of the Indian Ocean—into a“Midnight Zone” where light barely reaches but

life still thrives.Scientists from the British-led Nekton Mission plan

to survey wildlife and gauge the effects of climatechange in the unexplored area.

Working with the Seychelles and Maldivesgovernments, the five-week expedition is targetingseamounts—vast underwater mountains that risethousands of meters from the sea floor.

To explore such inhospitable depths, Nektonscientists will board one of the world's most advancedsubmersibles, called “Limiting Factor."

"What we do know is that beneath 1,000 meters (3,280feet), there's no light down there, but a lot of animals… are bioluminescent. It's life that glows," says Nektonmission director Oliver Steeds.

"The area that we're going to be researching, it's oneof the most bio-diverse parts of the world's oceans. Sowhat we're going to find there is unknown," Steedsrecently told The Associated Press in Barcelona,Spain, before sea trials for the submersible and itsmother ship.

The AP will be covering the expedition exclusivelyfrom start to finish.

Last August, the "Limiting Factor" completed theFive Deeps Expedition, diving to the deepest point ineach of the world's five oceans.

SCIENTISTS TRACK ORIGINOF MYSTERIOUS SIGNAL

COMING FROM DEEP SPACEDetectors on Earth have been picking up strange,

sometimes-repeating signals from space for along time. After being received, these radio

bursts disappear in a flash for forever, remaining one ofthe universe’s great mysteries. However, in a recentdevelopment, a Canadian-based telescope found asource of radio bursts from space that repeat every 16days.

According to the study, this is the first time inrecorded science history that radio bursts have beenpicked that repeat with such regular radiofrequency.Known as fast radio bursts (FRB), these signals comefrom deep space. Scientists discovered the first radioburst in 2001 and have found more of these signalsevents ever since with the help of Canadian HydrogenIntensity Mapping Experiment Fast Radio Burst(CHIME/FRB) Project.

What is CHIME?The CHIME is a huge ground-based radio telescope

made of four cylinders. It is located in BritishColumbia, Canada and functions like fixed antennae tomap the sky. The instrument is designed to map theemission from hydrogen atoms, and it uses a very widefield-of-view to capture a broad range ofelectromagnetic radiation frequencies. CHIME is ableto hunt FRBs as it scans 1,024 points in the sky at 16,000different frequencies– 1,000 times per second.

Newly found repeating radio burstsScientists have found repeating signals in the past as

well but the newly found burst, which has been namedas FRB 180916.J0158+65, is one of its kind. Aninternational team of scientists led by the CanadianInstitute for Theoretical Astrophysics graduate studentDongzi Li observed that these radio bursts repeat every16 days. The European Very-long-baseline-

interferometry Network (EVN) of telescopes alsoconfirmed the Canadian findings.

What’s the source of these FRB?The FRB 180916.J0158+65 was itself first discovered

in 2018 and pinpointed to a spiral galaxy approximately500 million light-years away. It was examined over aperiod of 13 months and found to repeat with a highlyregular rhythm– the first instance of these signalshaving such a fixed frequency.

Also, sorry to break it to you but these signals do notcome from aliens. According to the researchers, thecause for these radio bursts could be a binary star (asystem of two stars) accompanied by a third celestialbody like a planet. The data doesn’t explicitly confirmor deny this hypothesis, and there’s a possibility thatthe source could be a magnetar– a compact, magnetizedneutron star.

26 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020SCIENCE & TECH

Arctic ice melt disrupting oceancurrent, may alter Europe’s climateResearchers have unravelled how

an ocean water current, whichplays a key role in keeping

Western Europe warm, could bealtered by an influx of unprecedentedamounts of cold, fresh water frommelting ice in the Arctic.

According to the scientists,including those from NASA's JetPropulsion Laboratory in the US, anseawater current called the BeaufortGyre keeps the polar environment inbalance by storing fresh water nearthe surface of the Arctic ocean.

Wind blows the gyre in a clockwisedirection around the western ArcticOcean, north of Canada, where itnaturally collects fresh water from themelting of glaciers, and river runoff,the study, published in the journalNature Communications, noted.

The researchers said this freshwater is important in the Arctic sinceit floats above the warmer, salty water,and helps protect the sea ice frommelting -- in turn regulating theEarth's climate.

As the fresh water is slowly releasedby the gyre into the Atlantic Oceanover a period of decades, it allows theAtlantic Ocean currents to carry itaway in small amounts.

However, since the 1990s, theresearchers said, the gyre hasaccumulated a large amount of freshwater -- 8,000 cubic kilometres — oralmost twice the volume of LakeMichigan in the US.

According to the new study, thecause of this gain in freshwaterconcentration is the loss of sea ice insummer and autumn.

"If the Beaufort Gyre were to releasethe excess fresh water into the

Atlantic Ocean, it could potentiallyslow down its circulation. And thatwould have hemisphere-wideimplications for the climate, especiallyin Western Europe," said TomArmitage, lead author of the studyfrom NASA's Jet PropulsionLaboratory.

The release of fresh water from theArctic Ocean to the North Atlantic canchange the density of surface waters,the study warned.

NASA’s Mars 2020rover leaves its ‘home’

to prep for launchLast year in December, NASA’s Mars 2020

rover had passed its first driving test at thespace agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory

(JPL) in Pasadena, California. The rover “earnedits driver’s license” and now it has beentransported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre inFlorida to begin the final preparations for itslaunch to the Red Planet in July this year.

Two Air Force C-17 Globemaster cargo planescarried the Mars 2020 rover along with the cruisestage, descent stage, and Mars Helicopter to thespace agency’s Kennedy Space Center, Floridacompleting a 3,700-kilometer trip from the JPL,California, NASA said in a statement.

“Our rover has left the only home it has everknown,” said John McNamee, Mars 2020 projectmanager. “The 2020 family here at JPL is a littlesad to see it go, but we’re even more proudknowing that the next time our rover takes to theskies, it will be headed to Mars.” The rover, cruisestage, descent stage and other mission supportequipment were transported in four police-escorted trucks to the US Air Force’s March AirReserve Base on February 11, where they wereloaded aboard the two waiting C-17s to reachKennedy. The rover’s protective covering for thetrip to the Red Planet — also known as aeroshell— arrived at Kennedy in December 2019.

Within hours of arriving at the Shuttle LandingFacility, the 11 pallets of spacecraft will betransported to the same spacecraft processingfacility that in 2011 handled NASA’s Curiosityrover.

ALMOST 93,000: HALF ATBSNL, 80% EMPLOYEES ATMTNL OPT FOR VRS

NEW DELHI (TIP): In the largest mass retirementof employees in the country, nearly 93,000 staffers ofstate-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) andMahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) haveopted for the voluntary retirement scheme (VRS)offered by the central government.

The move, which comes as part of a governmentscheme to restructure the loss-laden companies, willsubstantially reduce the wage bills of these utilitiesand free up real estate that has a potential formonetisation in the future.

Significantly, of the 1,53,000 employees working forBSNL when the VRS scheme was approved in October2019, over half — 78,569 employees in all — have optedto retire.

At MTNL, which had an employee strength of over18,000, nearly 80 per cent — 14,400 employees — haveopted for the VRS.

Most of the employees of BSNL who have opted forthe VRS are learnt to be in the non-executive categoryand in the age group of 55-60 years, officials said.

“About 93,000 people have opted for VRS. What issignificant is there is not a single court case. BSNL’swage bill will reduce by about 50 per cent, while MTNLwage expenses will come down by about 75 per centafter the process is completed. Their annualexpenditure on employees, which was about Rs 1,300crore, will come down to Rs 650 crore,” a seniorDepartment of Telecommunications (DoT) officialtold The Indian Express.

RAJIV BANSAL APPOINTED AIR INDIA CHIEF

NEW DELHI (TIP): Senior bureaucrat Rajiv Bansalwas on Thursday appointed as the chairman andmanaging director (CMD) of Air India, according to aPersonnel Ministry order.

Bansal, a 1988-batch IAS officer of Nagaland cadre,is at present additional secretary in the ministry ofpetroleum and natural gas.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet hasapproved his appointment as chairman & managingdirector, Air India in the rank and pay of additionalsecretary, the order said, without mentioning furtherdetails.

The post became vacant after incumbent AshwaniLohani completed his tenure.

27THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020 BIZ & FINANCE

Indian economic environmentweaker than forecast, urgent

reforms needed: IMFWASHINGTON (TIP): India

urgently needs more ambitiousstructural and financial sectorreform measures and a medium-term fiscal consolidation strategydue to the rising debt levels whileensuring a more accommodativefiscal stance in the budget, theIMF has said.

Responding to a question on thebudget presented by Unionfinance minister NirmalaSitharaman, InternationalMonetary Fund (IMF)spokesperson Gerry Rice said theeconomic environment in India isweaker than what theorganisation had forecast earlier.

“While the budget touches onongoing sectoral efforts, thereremains an urgent need for moreambitious structural andfinancial sector reform measuresand a medium-term fiscalconsolidation strategy, anchoredin tangible revenue andexpenditure measures, especiallygiven rising debt levels,” Rice toldreporters.

“The environment is weakerthan what we had forecast earlier,that a more accommodative fiscalstance, this year, is appropriate, sothat more accommodative fiscalstance in the budget, we think, isappropriate,” he said.

“But, over the medium term, tobe looking at a fiscalconsolidation strategy,” Rice said.

The IMF in January loweredIndia’s economic growth estimatefor the current fiscal to 4.8 percent.

Inflation rises to 7.6%,Index of IndustrialProduction shrinks

NEW DELHI (TIP): The Indianeconomy was showing signs ofrecovery after gross domesticproduct (GDP) growth plummetedto a 26-quarter low of 4.5% in thethree months ended September2019. Various high-frequencyindicators (data released more oftenthan a quarter) such as thePurchasing Managers’ Index (PMI)continue to suggest this. TheComposite PMI index was 56.3 inJanuary 2020, the highest sinceJune 2018, indicating rise ineconomic activity in manufacturingand services. On Tuesday, financeminister Nirmala Sitharaman saidin Parliament that “green shoots”were visible. “There are sevenimportant indicators which showthat there are green shoots in theeconomy... economy is not in

trouble,” she said while replying toa debate on the Union budget in LokSabha.

Two data points released by theNational Statistical Office (NSO) onWednesday are bound to dampensuch hopes. One, retail inflation,measured by the Consumer PriceIndex (CPI), increased further froma 65-month high of 7.35% inDecember 2019 to 7.59% in January.This was expected.

Two, industry growth, asmeasured by the Index of IndustrialProduction (IIP), slipped intocontraction mode in December 2019.It declined by 0.3% in December onan annual basis.

Both these numbers are moreadverse than what analysts hadexpected. A Reuters poll ofeconomists estimated the CPI toquicken 7.4% in January andanother Reuters poll of analystsprojected IIP growth in December torise by 1.8% .

‘RBI’S ASSET RECOGNITIONNORMS FOR REALTY SECTORCREDIT NEGATIVE FOR BANKS’

NEW DELHI (TIP):

Ratings agency Moody’sThursday said the ReserveBank of India’s (RBI)move to revise assetrecognition norms forbank loans to real estatesector is credit negativefor lenders as it woulddefer the recognition ofsuch loans.

The RBI on February 7allowed banks to notclassify real estate loansas restructured for oneyear if the project isdelayed for reasonsbeyond the control of realestate developers. “Whilethis will alleviate near-term asset quality risk tothe banks from the realestate sector, it will notaddress the credit issuesfacing real estatedevelopers,” the ratingsfirm said.

The real estate sectorhas been facing challengesas NBFCs, the key lendersto the sector, are alsounder stress. Further,stagnating property saleshave resulted in a largestock of unsold inventory.“Tight funding conditionsare straining developers’ability to completeprojects, and by extension,their solvency,” Moody’ssaid.

Under the newguideline, banks canextend the principalrepayment period by oneyear if the project isdelayed because ofreasons beyond thedeveloper’s control.Typically, the principalrepayment on loans toproperty developers startstwo-three years after thedisbursement.

UN WILL NOT BE ABLE TOACHIEVE SUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENT GOALS BY 2030

ROME, ITALY (TIP): The United Nations willmiss its target of achieving 17 SustainableDevelopment Goals by 2030, a senior UNrepresentative has said in Rome.

"We are not going to achieve the goals by the nextdecade. We are all lagging far behind," said HansHoogeveen, permanent representative of theKingdom of the Netherlands to the UN's Food andAgriculture Organization.

Hoogeveen was delivering the welcome address atthe 43rd session of the governing council, thedecision-making body of the International Fund forAgricultural Development (IFAD). Hoogeveen is theoutgoing chair of the council.

Set in 2015 by the UN General Assembly, the selfdevelopment goals (SDGs) are the “blueprint toachieve a better and more sustainable future for all”,intended to be achieved by 2030. The goals includezero poverty, zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, quality education, gender equality, cleanwater and sanitation, clean and affordable energy,sustainable cities and communities, and climateaction.

IFAD, a UN financial institution that offers grantsand low-interest loans to projects that help reducepoverty and increase food security, is particularlyinterested in fighting hunger.

Mohini is introduced in the Hindulegends of the narrative epic ofMahabharata. She appears as a

form of Vishnu, who acquires the pot ofAmrita from Asuras(demons) and gives itback to the devas (gods) helping themretain their immortality. She is the onlyfemale avatar of the lord Vishnu. Mohiniis also known as enchantress because sheis supernaturally beautiful and feminineby nature.

Etymology of the NameMohini means ‘erotic magic or spell’.

The name has its origin in the word‘moha’ which means ‘delusionpersonified’ or to enchant, perplex or todelude. Therefore, moha is the quality ofdesire after which the Mohini has beennamed. In Sanskrit, Mohini simplymeans Enchantress. The name also hasan implied connotation of “the essence offemale beauty and allurement”.

Historical BackgroundShe was first introduced in the

Mahabharata. Mohini, who was the onlyfemale Avatar of Vishnu, became animportant part of the ‘Samudra Manthan’in which she acquires ‘Amrita’ fromAsuras (demons) and gives it to the Devasto make them immortal. In original texts,Mohini is referred simply as anenchanting, female form of Vishnu. Butin the later versions, Mohini is describedas Maya (illusion) of Vishnu.

Once the Mohini legend becomespopular, it was expanded, retold and re-written in several texts. The tales ofMohini-Vishnu gradually increasedamong various other religions. Thesimilar type of Mahabharata version ofthe story is expanded in the BhagwatPurana in the 10th century CE whereMohini becomes formal Avatar ofVishnu.

Relationship with ShivaThe most famous and prominent tale of

her life is her union with Shiva. Theconnection of Shiva with Mohini becamepopular everywhere. According toBhagwat Purana, after Vishnu deceives

the demons by his Maya, the female form,Shiva wanted to meet her again. Everygod started praising Lord Vishnu and thebeauty of Mohini. This incidentoverwhelmed Lord Shiva so much that heimmediately visited Vishnu along withhis wife Parvati.

In the Bhramanda Purana, when sageNarada tells Shiva about Vishnu’s Mohiniform that deluded the demons, Shivadismisses him. Shiva, along with Parvatigo to Vishnu’s home and asked him totake the form of Mohini again. Vishnustarted to meditate on the Goddess, and inplace of Vishnu stands the gorgeousMohini.

When Vishnu turned himself into abeautiful and seductive lady, Lord Shivafell for her. Overcome by lust, Lord Shivaran behind the gorgeous Mohini andgrabbed her arms and embraced her butshe escaped. During her violent coupling,

Shiva’s seed fell on the ground and thatled to the birth of another God known asAyyappa.

Son of Shiva and VishnuAccording to various texts and

Puranas, Shiva and Mohini have a unionwhich led to the birth of their sonAyyappa. He is known by different namesin different parts of the country. Ayyappais also called as Mahashasta, Sastava,Manikandan who is believed to be anincarnation of Dharma Sasta, theoffspring of Shiva and Vishnu. He isgenerally depicted in a yoga posture,wearing a jewel around his neck, hencenamed as Manikandan which literallymeans “with a bell around the neck”.

Appearance of MohiniAccording to mythologist Puttanaik,

the appearance of Mohini is just adisguise to delude the demonBhasmasura, rather than a sexualtransformation. Mohini wasreincarnated or transferred from

Vishnu’s physical body to a beautiful‘apsara’. Westerners may interpret theShiva-Mohini union as homosexual, buttraditional Hindus do not agree with thisinterpretation. Similarly, Shiva’s unioncannot be considered as homosexual as itwas done with Mohini (the avatar) notwith Lord Vishnu himself. Mohini doesnot have an independent existence, sheexists only as a temporary form and istransformed back into Vishnu afterserving her purpose.

Temples of Devi MohiniAmong various temples of Mohini,

there is Jagan Mohini Keshava SwamiTemple of Mohini Devi in AndhraPradesh East Godavari district of Rayali,India. There is also one of Mahasalawhich is located in Nevasa, Maharashtra,India. Similarly, Harikanyaka Temple isalso one of the ancient Hindu templenamed after Mohini which is situatednear Guruvayur. Similarly, Ryali JaganMohini Temple is another holy templewhich is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

MOHINI – THE ONLY FEMALEAVATAR OF LORD VISHNU

ARISH K. SAHANI SSeerrvviinngg SSiinnccee 11997722

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““IIff HHiinndduuss ddoonn’’tt mmaaiinnttaaiinn HHiinndduuiissmm,, wwhhoo sshhaallll ssaavvee iitt??””

““IIff IInnddiiaa’’ss oowwnn cchhiillddrreenn ddoonn''tt cclliinngg ttoo tthheeiirr ffaaiitthh,, wwhhoo sshhaallll gguuaarrdd iitt??””

““IInnddiiaannss aalloonnee ccaann ssaavvee IInnddiiaa,, aanndd IInnddiiaa aanndd HHiinndduuiissmm aarree oonnee..””

28THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020 SPIRITUALITY

29THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020 ASTROLOGY

ARIES: Ganesha says you are on the top ofthe world and have the confidence to handlejust about anything that is thrown at you. Youhave taken on a lot and it all depends on howyou delegate and manage time to accomplish itall. But it is better to be busy than have nothingto do. You are also restless and go hunting foreven bigger projects. You will have tomicromanage it all but you do it well.

TAURUS: There will be new areas of studyand accomplishment. You expand, grow andreach the moon. Ganesha smiles in approval.The period is coming to an end and a lot hasbeen accomplished. You could be tired anddiscouraged as your vital energies are low. Youare pushing away at executing your plans butthere could be unwarranted opposition tothem.

GEMINI: You may feel physically distressedas if the burdens of your life are too much tohandle. There may be a feeling of world-weariness and it may be a good time to go for amedical check-up as it is in your interest toconserve your energies. There are severalinhibiting factors at work and you will have toplough through them, which you will withGanesha's help. There could be maritaltroubles and you may have to terminate a longassociation.

CANCER: There will be new beginnings andmany new opportunities as you climb newpeaks of achievement. Life is never stagnant;every moment differs from the next. Life has anatural cycle and it is best to go with the flow.This can be marvellous period and you feelgood. Your health is fine, you are optimisticand all your plans are falling into place.

LEO: This is the time to enjoy the rewards ofsustained and hard labour. You are on a growthtrajectory and your life is bullish. It is the time toinitiate new projects, expand your activities andbroaden your perspective. You realise your fullpotential as a human being. There is travel and newcontacts as you soar ahead into the stratosphere.You look at new areas of study and try to raise yourconsciousness and expand your world view.

VIRGO: All new associations will influence youpositively and there will be freedom andsubstantial growth. Ganesha is happy for you. Youare joyous, energetic and exuberant and want tooverdo or overreach yourself. It will be good toexercise a certain amount of restraint. You mayalso be in spending frenzy. Be careful with yourpurse strings if you are a sole proprietor as youmight leave yourself vulnerable to the moredifficult times that will eventually come.

LIBRA: Ganesha says make sure that allexpansion is carefully planned and that you havebuilt safeguards against future times of difficulty.You also crave more recognition and may feelcheated. But, away from all this, are gloriousmoments with the family and a home away fromhome. There may be travel, even an overseasholiday. There are many tasty dishes on yourplate, assures Ganesha. Get hungry for them.

SCORPIO: You end the period on an upbeatnote. This is an exuberant time, with highenergies at play. You feel physically strong and fitand you manage to accomplish more than usual.Almost anything that you direct your energies to,will lead to success. The only real danger is thatyou overwork and push yourself over the hill.This is a good time to begin a new project, as longas you know your limits.

SAGITTARIUS: You have great intuitiveand can accomplish a great deal by yourself;your pace will be scorching and others will notbe able to match you. You will display amagnificent sense of timing or planning. Allprojects begun now will pay great dividends inthe future. Ganesha watches over you. This is aperiod of power plus work and pleasure. Youbegin the period well and this is a fiery start tothe period.

CAPRICORN: You will be moving fast andgetting things done in a trice. You also have aspiritual bent of mind and Ganesha will protectyou no matter what happens. As the periodmoves on, emotions will boil over. Watch out forimpulsive actions and rash decisions that mayhave sudden, unexpected consequences andundesirable results. You may also get intodisputes with colleagues over trifles.

AQUARIUS: Authority figures, who limityour freedom of movement and self-expression, are likely targets for yourrebellion. But there are many beautifulmoments with close family and friends in thisperiod. As the period ends, there are inflatedexpectations, excessive and impracticalidealism and sudden disappointments. Youneed to make a concerted effort to keep yourfeet on the ground.

PISCES: You are looking for profoundanswers to life's disturbing questions. Ganeshasays there could be tough times. Health needsextra safeguards. This is a good time to enternew relationships, strengthen existing ties andreach out afresh. There are many expenses andtravel is also on the cards. Your heartstringsare also pulled.

Shree Ganeshaya Namah

Bejan Daruwalla is world's most famousastrologertoday. He appears regularly onworld wide TV shows. Bejan who has been aprofessor in English, hasauthored a numberof books on astrology. India'sPrime MinisterNarendra Modi , on March 29, 2012,lunchedone of Bejan's books, '2012- End oftheWorld? Bejan contributes to a number ofjournals andnewspapers in many parts of theworld which includeBerkley Communications(London) Times of India(Delhi, Mumbai,Kolkata, Chennai) and The IndianPanorama (New York and Texas). Bejan'spredictionshave mostly been correct andpeople the world overrely on his predictions.

Bejan Daruwalla is available for astrological

consultations. He can be reached at

info@bejandaruwalla.com and on phone

011-91-8141234275www.bejandaruwalla.com

FEB 17: Ganesha says a relationship problemcan set off resistance, jealousy, or frustration,but don't forget the power of understandingand a little bit of charm.

FEB 18: The love might be coming from yourprofessional zone, which could make a closercompanion feel neglected or get a little crankyabout it.

FEB 19:A.M. moods may be too aggressiveuntil a late-morning surprise turns things

around. Tonight, a friend may supply warmunderstanding.

FEB 20: Whatever resonated between you andanother yesterday reheats to a perfect slimmertoday. Catch the waves as early this A.M. asyou can.

FEB 21: A private lunchtime talk can bringmutual understanding and agreement butwatch for late-afternoon gloominess. Look forways to cheer!

FEB 22: You have practical skills and knowhow things work, so your efforts bring bigimprovements. If you're in a competition,you've got the physical prowess to endure in acontest toward the victory line.

FEB 23: Come mid-morning you feel warmeremotions starting to fill the room. But there'sthe urge to take a chance, too. Don't risk toomuch. Results can bring lucky returns as wellas a big loss.

Weekly Horoscope February 17 - February 23, 2020

The Indian Panorama brings you Weekly and Birthday Horoscope from the World's mosttrusted astrologer Bejan Daruwalla. Latest correct prediction: Modi's historic victory

Birthday Horoscope February 17 - February 23, 2020

30 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020PHOTO FEATURE

contd from page 1Mr Guterres will "travel to Kartarpur

to visit a holy site, Gurdwara KartarpurSahib", on Tuesday, Feb 18, beforereturning to New York on the 19th,deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq toldreporters here , Monday, Feb 10.

The founder and the first Master of theSikhs, Guru Nanak Dev spent the last 18years of his life in Kartarpur Sahib.

On February 17, Mr Guterres will alsospeak at the International Conference on40 Years of Hosting Afghan Refugees inPakistan, which is being organized bythe Pakistan government and the UNRefugee Agency (UNHCR), along withHigh Commissioner for Refugees FilippoGrandi.

He will participate in a high-level

panel discussion and other events at theconference.

Mr Guterres will also meet PakistanPresident Arif Alvi.

The Secretary-General will be inLahore on February 18, where he willmeet students and attend an event onPakistan's polio vaccination campaign.He will also be visiting Kartarpur Sahibon Feb 18th.

In November last year, the UN Chiefwelcomed the opening of the KartarpurCorridor between India and Pakistan,saying it paved the way for interfaithharmony and understanding.

"We welcome #Pakistan and #Indiaopening #KartarpurCorridor todayconnecting two key Sikh pilgrimagesites, paving way for interfaith harmony

and understanding by facilitating visa-free cross border visits by pilgrims toholy shrines," spokesperson for theSecretary-General had tweeted.

Kartarpur Corridor links Dera BabaSahib in Gurdaspur in India andGurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan.It was opened on November 9 in ahistoric people-to-people initiativebetween the two countries.

Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib is locatedacross the Ravi river in Pakistan and isabout 3 miles from Dera Baba Nanakshrine in Gurdaspur district of Punjab.

According to the agreement betweenPakistan and India, 5,000 pilgrims fromIndia can visit the shrine daily and thenumber can be increased in future.

(With inputs from PTI)

Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur Sahib,Pakistan. The Indian Panorama editor Prof.

Indrajit S Saluja (left) and his Ludhianabased lawyer friend Arminderjit Singh Arora

who visited the shrine in January 2020 areseen in the foreground.

United Nations Chief Antonio Guterres to Visit GurdwaraDarbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan

United Nations 2019 through the Lens of Jay Mandal -on Assignment

US President Donald Trump at the United Nations

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi at the United Nations

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan atthe United Nations

31THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020 CLASSIFIEDS

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TURN PAGE

contd from page 1AAP Makes a Near CleanSweep winning 62 of 70Assembly Seats in Delhi

ElectionsThe BJP, which was claiming that it will form the

government, with its leaders from Home MinisterAmit Shah to Delhi BJP President Manoj Tiwarioptimistically repeating that the BJP will getanywhere from 45 to 48 seats, enough to form thegovernment, were shellshocked at their humiliatingdefeat. However, their only satisfaction was animprovement from 3 in 2015 to 8 seats in 2020.

While the Congress has probably reconciled to itsfate over the loss in Delhi, BJP leaders are simplyconfounded over the results. There have been allkinds of explanations, the latest coming from AmitShah who has said that certain utterances by BJPleaders did a lot of damage to party prospects.

Commenting on why the BJP lost, he said onThursday, February 13 that he disapproved ofstatements like 'goli maro' and 'Indo-Pak match' by afew BJP leaders during the Delhi assembly pollcampaign and said these remarks may have been one

of the possible reasons for the party's defeat."Such statements should not have been made. Our

party has distanced itself from such remarks," hetold at a Times Now program.

Shah was asked a question about a few BJP leadersraising slogans like 'goli maro' and talking about the'Indo-Pak match' during the Delhi electionscampaigning.

He admitted that the BJP may have suffered in thepolls because of the statements made by some of itsleaders.

"It is possible that our performance may havesuffered because of this," he said.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal who will be sworn in as ChiefMinister of Delhi for the third consecutive term atRam Leela Maidan where he leant the first lessons inpolitics under the benign eye of Anna Hazare, onFebruary 16t, h profusely thanked the voters ofDelhi for reposing their trust in "your son" andpromised to create better living conditions for themand make Delhi a truly world class city.

No political leaders from other States are beinginvited to the oath taking ceremony. Kejriwal willtake oath as chief minister for a third term in a"Delhi-specific" ceremony, AAP's Delhi unitconvener Gopal Rai said.

"No chief minister or political leader from otherstates will be invited for the ceremony that is goingto be specific to Delhi," he said.

Kejriwal would take oath with the people of Delhiwho had reposed their faith in his leadership, headded.

It is learnt that all those who held cabinetpositions in the last Kejriwal government will beretained.

Already, Delhi model of governance is catchingthe attention of leaders in other states. Recently,Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said hewill replicate the model in his state.

The tremendous success of AAP in Delhi hassurely made political leaders look closely into theAAP governance model.

All eyes are on Delhi and Kejriwal who will beunder scrutiny and pressure to meet the ever -increasing expectations of Delhites.

Kem Cho, Trump: RecordNumber of People to Welcome

US President in AhmedabadDuring the visit, President Trump and the First

Lady will attend official engagements in New Delhiand Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and interact with a widecross-section of Indian society.

The public show, 'Kem Cho Trump' has beenplanned in Ahmedabad along the lines of the'Howdy, Modi' event that saw Modi addressing theIndian diaspora in Houston last year. ReportedlyTrump will address a gathering of about 125,000people at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium inMotera.

"The President and The First Lady will travel toNew Delhi and Ahmedabad, which is in PrimeMinister Modi's home state of Gujarat and playedsuch an important role in Mahatma Gandhi's lifeand leadership of the Indian independencemovement. During a phone call over the weekend,President Trump and Prime Minister Modi agreedthe trip will further strengthen the United States-India strategic partnership and highlight the strongand enduring bonds between the American andIndian people", The White House said in a statement.

Extremely delighted that @POTUS@realDonaldTrumpand @FLOTUSwill visit India on 24th and 25thFebruary. India will accord amemorable welcome to our esteemedguests. This visit is a very special oneand it will go a long way in furthercementing India-USA friendship.Tweeted Modi.Thank you @narendramodifor the kind invitation. Looking forwardto visiting Ahmedabad & New Delhilater this month. @POTUS& I are excited for the trip & tocelebrate the close ties between the#USA&#India., Melania Trump tweetedthanking Modi for invitation.

"The global strategic partnership between India andthe U.S. is based on trust, shared values, mutual respectand understanding, and marked by warmth andfriendship between the peoples of the two countries.The relationship has further evolved under theleadership of Prime Minister Modi and PresidentTrump, with significant progress in all areas includingtrade, defense, counterterrorism, energy, coordinationon regional and global issues as well as people-to-peopleties. The visit will provide an opportunity for the twoleaders to review progress in bilateral ties and furtherstrengthen our strategic partnership", the Ministry ofExternal Affairs said in a statement.

Potential for Co-operationbetween US and India is

Limitless, Says Indian Envoy"We are both vibrant democracies; open and multi-

cultural societies, based on the rule of law. Ourpartnership today, is as natural as, it is seamless, basedon the strong people-to-people connections. We havebecome, global strategic partners, and ourcollaboration, cuts across spheres of activity, whichwas unimaginable two decades ago."

"The potential for co-operation, between UnitedStates and India, is limitless. The relations between ourgovernments has found a new momentum, getting itsenergy, from the warm friendship, between our leaders"he said

"More than 2000 US companies have a presence inIndia. Over 200 Indian Companies, have invested US$18billion in the US, creating more than, 100,000 direct jobs.Two-way investment, between India and US reached, US$ 60 billion in 2018. Bilateral trade is growing at 10 percent, on a year-to-year basis, and reached, $ 160 billionin 2019" he pointed out.

"This makes me, bullish about our relationship. Thebest is yet to come. When US capital, and expertisemeets the Indian market, and Indian mind, we shouldaim, for nothing less, but the sky. I look forward toworking with, USISPF and each one of you, in thisendeavor of taking our relationship, to new heights", hefurther added.

Arvind Kejriwal and senior AAP leaders celebrating theirvictory, February 11.

Ecstatic AAP Supporters celebrating AAP victory

Ever since the Beatles visited theashram of the Maharishi MaheshYogi in the late '60s, Rishikesh has

been a magnet for spiritual seekers.Today it styles itself as the ‘Yoga Capitalof the World’, with masses of ashramsand all kinds of yoga and meditationclasses. The action is mostly north of themain town, where the exquisite settingon the fast-flowing Ganges River,surrounded by forested hills, isconducive to meditation and mindexpansion. In the evening, an almostsupernatural breeze blows down thevalley, setting temple bells ringing assadhus ('holy' men), pilgrims andtourists prepare for the nightly gangaaarti (river worship ceremony). You canlearn to play the sitar or tabla; try Hasyayoga (laughter therapy), practisemeditation or take a punt on crystalhealing.

Rishikesh is not all spirituality andcontorted limbs, it's also a popular white-water rafting centre, backpacker hang-out and Himalayan-trekking gateway.

NEELKANTH TEMPLENeelkanth temple is one of the most

sacred places of worship for Hindus. It issituated on a hill above Swargashramand located at a distance of 32 km fromRishikhesh. Neelkanth temple isconsidered to be an apt example ofcomplete natural hill heaven that liesadjacent to mountain ranges of Nar-Narayan. Owing to its raw beauty &religious significance, both the devoteesand nature lovers visit the place roundthe year. The way to the temple is quiteexhilarating. There are steep & narrowroads taking above the hill, which willadd the extra spice of adventure amidstthe beauty. There is river flowing on oneside and mountain terrain is on the otherside. Road is very curvy and narrow withsteep slopes.

TREKKING Trekking is all about reconnecting

yourself with nature and exploring thewonders of the Himalayas. Foradventure enthusiasts, it is a muchsought after option to escape the dailymundane life to find themselves in thelap of nature. Walking through verdantlandscape, lush greenery and waterfall,and breathing in fresh air really prove tobe a refreshing experience. Located inthe lap of the Shivalik Himalayas, thepicturesque town of Rishikhesh offers ahost of scenic locales for trekkers. Itgives the trekker a chance to witness theoutstanding scenery of flowery greenmeadows, dense forests, fascinating localcommunities and astounding landscapeof the eastern part of the GarhwalHimalayan ranges. There are all sorts oftreks available near Rishikhesh, whichcan be categorised into easy, moderateand hard treks. Small treks can be donein the adjoining villages and waterfallswhile longer treks can be taken in near-by mountains. Few famous treks whichcan be taken near Rishikhesh are NeerGarh waterfall trek, Kunjapuri trek,Neelkanth Temple Trek, and JhilmilGufa Trek. Longer treks which serveroute from Rishikhesh are Gomukh(Gaumukh) Trek, Valley of flower Trek,Tungnath-Chandrasheela Trek, DeoriaTaal Trek, Hemkund sahib trek, KuariPass Trek and Roop Kund Trek.

DEVPRAYAGIn Sanskrit, prayag means 'confluence'

and Devprayag stands for 'holyconfluence'. Devprayag is the confluenceof two holy rivers Alaknanda andBhagirathi to form Ganga. According toreligious scriptures, Devprayag is one of

the five important holy confluences.Rivers like Bhagirathi, Alaknanda & themythological river Saraswati (flowingunderground) meet to from the RiverGanga. River Bhagirathi originates fromGangotri and Alaknanda originates fromBadrinath, both of which are consideredsacred destinations for Hindus acrossthe world. Devprayag is the last prayag ofRiver Alaknanda.

Religiously, the site is very sacred andholds immense significance among theHindu followers. It is believed that LordRama and the King Dushratha didpenance here. There is an ancient templeof Raghunathji built above theconfluence with massive rocks. It isbelieved that the temple was built morethan ten thousand years ago. There is asmall water spring called Baitalshila,which is believed to have powers to cureleprosy. Devprayag is also hugely blessedwith divine natural beauty and showerstourists with its serenity. The place isaccessible throughout the year and canbe visited anytime.

Try avoiding Devprayag duringmonsoons, when the water level risesand there are chances of roads gettingblocked due to landslides. Devprayag is asmall town situated in Tehri Garhwaldistrict in the state of Uttarakhand,located on the Rishikhesh-Badrinathhighway.

RAJAJI NATIONAL PARKRajaji National Park is known for its

pristine scenic beauty and rich bio-diversity. A paradise for nature loversand wildlife enthusiasts, Rajaji NationalPark or Chilla Park is just 25 km awayfrom Rishikhesh. A normal safari byjeep usually takes 3 to 4 hours tocomplete the 36 km stretch of safari

range and costs around Rs. 1200-1500 perperson. It is carried out twice in a day; at7 am in the morning and around 2 pm inthe afternoon. Rajaji National Park ishome to Asian elephants, deers, birds,tigers (only few), and antelopes such asthe Nilgai, langoors etc. This park is thefirst staging ground for the migratorybirds when they cross Himalayas toenter India. The Himalayan piedkingfisher, fire tailed sunbird & great

pied hornbill can be spotted here. Thesafari in the park is organisedthroughout the year, adding its touch ofspecial essence every season. Don’t missout on an early morning drive along theriver stream which connects to PowerHouse in Chilla. In addition there aremany hotels and tourist complexesavailable around Rajaji National Park atHaridwar and Rishikhesh, which makesit even more convenient to visit the park.

RISHIKESH: GATEWAYTO THE GANGES

33THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020 TRAVEL

‘There is no fight’: Shubman Gillon competition with Prithvi

Shaw for opener’s slotNEW DELHI (TIP): Young India

batsman Shubman Gill insists thereis no fight for the opener’s slot withfellow youngster Prithvi Shaw inthe upcoming two-match Test seriesagainst New Zealand startingFebruary 21. In the absence ofinjured Rohit Sharma and with KLRahul not included in the 15-member squad, there is a spot openat the top along side MayankAgarwal.

Shubman believes whoever getthe opportunity will try to make themost of it and there is no fightbetween him and Shaw as it is theteam management’s headache todecided the playing XI.

“Obviously, our careers started atthe same time but there is no fightas such,” Gill told reporters aheadof the practice match against NewZealand XI. “Both of us have donewell in our positions. It’s up to theteam management, who they willplay. It’s not as if there is a fight.Whoever gets the chance will try tomake the most of the opportunityand not let it go waste,” he added.

Earlier, out-of-favour Indiaspinner Harbhajan Singh hadopined that Gill should open theinnings in place of Shaw as he wasincluded in the team as a reserveopener.

Shubman is also going through arich vein of form as he recentlyscored 83 and 204 for India A whileplaying in the middle order in the

first unofficial Test against NewZealand A. He then slammed acentury while opening the inningsin the next match.

“Shubman should get his chancesince he has been part of the team(as reserve opener) for quite a whilewithout playing any Test match,”Harbhajan was quoted as saying byPTI. While Shaw is a natural opener,Gill is looking to adapt to theposition. But the batsman says thatit isn’t very challenging and he cando the job.

“It was nothing new to me when Iwas asked to open the innings.When you go at No. 4, already, youare two wickets down. That’s a

different scenario, a differentpressure game. When you areopening the innings, you have to setthe game for the whole team. That’sa different thing. And when you areopening the innings, you have to setthe base for the other batsmencoming in so that it will be easy forthem,” he said.

Gill pointed that even as a middle-order batsman, one needs to becareful about the second new ball.“...because you are playing at acertain flow and the ball isn’tswinging that much. When theytake the new ball, you have to be alittle more cautious than you werebefore,” he said.

BUMRAH LOSES TOPSPOT, JADEJA IS 7TH INICC ODI RANKINGS

DUBAI (TIP): India speedster Jasprit Bumrah lostthe top spot but all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja climbedthree rungs to grab the seventh position in the latestICC ODI rankings released on Wednesday.

Bumrah, who went wicketless in India’s 0-3 loss toNew Zealand in the just-concluded three-matchseries, was placed at the second position with 719points in the bowling chart.

Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who snapped sixwickets in the series, jumped to 13th spot even aschinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav slipped to the 16thplace.

Kiwi pacer Trent Boult, despite missing the limitedover series against India due to a broken hand,moved to the top of the bowling chart after Bumrahslipped.

Jadeja, who took two wickets and scored 63 runs inthe series against New Zealand, moved to the seventhspot with 246 points in the all-rounders’ list whichsaw Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi emerge as thenew world number one.

In the batting chart, India skipper Virat Kohli andhis deputy Rohit Sharma continued to hold on to thetop two positions respectively.

‘It wasn’t that bad’: Kohli on firstwhitewash in 22 years

MT. MAUNGANUI (TIP): India captain ViratKohli came down on his bowlers for their mediocreperformance as he tried to explain the team’s firstODI series whitewash in 22 years, saying that thevisitors lacked composure all through.

“The games were not as bad as the scorelinesuggests. It boils down to those chances that we didn’tgrab. I don’t think it was enough to win games ininternational cricket,” Kohli said.

“With the ball, we were not able to getbreakthroughs, we were not at all good on the field.We haven’t played so badly but when you don’t grabthose chances, you don’t deserve to win,” he added.“Batsmen coming back from tough situations was apositive sign for us, but the way we fielded andbowled, the composure wasn’t enough to win games.”

The ineffectiveness of Indian bowlers can begauged from the fact that the team’s pace spearheadJasprit Bumrah finished the series without a wicketand the attack couldn’t dismiss the complete rivalline-up even once.

34 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020SPORTS

Manpreet Singh creates history, becomes firstIndian to win FIH Men’s Player of the Year

NEW DELHI (TIP): ManpreetSingh created history on Thursdayas the halfback became the firstIndian hockey team player to winthe FIH Men’s Player of the Yearawards since its inception in 1999.Manpreet won the award ahead ofBelgium’s Arthur van Doren andLucas Vila of Argentina, whofinished second and thirdrespectively. The Indian hockeyteam skipper has enjoyed a longcareer in the national squad sincehe made his debut in 2011. Withmore than 260 appearances, he hasbeen a huge asset for the team andhe will lead the team in the FIHHockey Pro League.

In 2019, as captain, ManpreetSingh led his team to victory in theFIH Olympic Qualifiers, thussecuring a spot at the OlympicGames Tokyo 2020. Manpreetrepresented India at London 2012and Rio 2016.

Talking about the 2019 season,Manpreet said: “If you look at ouryear, we did well in everytournament we participated in. Beit the FIH Series Finals in June orthe test series in Belgium where weplayed the hosts as well as Spain

and beat them. “Our biggest goal in2019 was to book our berth at theOlympics.” The team achieved thatgoal in style, beating Russia in theOlympic Qualifiers over two legs –4-2 and 7-2.

“We have plenty of youngsters inthe side who will be flying as part ofthe team for the Olympics and it isimportant they are ready for it.”

FIH Chief Executive OfficerThierry Weil reacted to the playerswho won the awards.

“On behalf of FIH, I would like toextend heartfelt congratulations

from the whole hockey communityto all winners of the 2019 FIH StarsAwards and also to all nominees.Thanks to their skills andperformances, as well as theirteammates, they invite fans all overthe world to experience greatemotions. We are very grateful tothem. Athletes, as well as coaches,are the best ambassadors of oursport. I wish all of them everysuccess, in particular those who areinvolved in the FIH Hockey ProLeague and/or the Olympic GamesTokyo 2020.”

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