The Observer Volume 20 Issue 7

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The Observer An IIJNM publication

Dry Waste Collection workers of J.P. Nagar in distress because of bad working conditions | P2

Vol 20, Issue 7

Website: http://www. theweeklyobserver.in

Residents of Sivananda Circle upset as 50-year-old trees are being chopped | P3

No. of beef shops in Shivajinagar falls to 18 from 56

By Nishita M. Agath

An empty slaughter house at Shivajinagar. | Nishita M. Agath Beef price has increased to Rs 300 a kg from Rs 240.” These factors have made sustaining the business a challenging task.

According to the law, the government is supposed to open “gaushalas” that will be registered with the animal husbandry department.

Dr Thippuswamy, additional director, animal husbandry and veterinary services, said: “At present, there are 159 gaushalas across the state that are owned and managed by private organi-

Epaper:https://issuu.com/ theweeklyobserver/docs

Thursday, February 25, 2021

Cow slaughter law robs income of Bengaluru’s beef traders Bengaluru: Karnataka’s law against cow slaughter has drastically reduced the earnings of beef traders. Some have shut their businesses because they have not earned any money after the law was enacted.

Owing to recurring losses, the number of beef shops in Shivajinagar has declined to 18 from 56.

Khasim Najeeb, a beef trader at Saqib Beef Stores, Shivajinagar, informed The Observer: “Earlier, due to a good demand for beef, I had employed 4-5 people to deliver orders and manage my business. But, now due to decreased orders and a fall in income by 90%, it is difficult to meet daily expenses.”

Mohammed Zaid, another beef trader, said: “After the anti-cow slaughter law, my income has declined by 90%. Beef sales have reduced to 30 kg from 100 kg a day.

@theweeklyobserver

zations or NGOs. There are no government-owned gaushalas.

But the government is planning to build cow shelter houses soon.”

Since 1964, the slaughter of cows, calves and female buffaloes was banned under the Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Preservation of Animals Act. The 2021 law, piloted by the BJP government, bans the slaughter of cows, calves of cows, bulls, bullocks, and male and female buffaloes below the age of 13 years.

Dr. Suresh S., assistant direc-

tor, of the Tannery Road slaughterhouse, said: “The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill has led to a decline in the slaughter of animals from at least 90 animals to less than 25 animals per day.”

Cara beef (buffalo meat) is not in demand in Karnataka, leading to traders facing hardship.

Few restaurants remained closed as a sign of protest against the law.

Jigar Khan, owner of a restaurant, said: “We haven’t earned a profit for the past three months.

The restaurant was shut since one and a half month. After reopening, we are facing a financial crisis. Our sales have declined from 18 kg to less than 10 kg a day, resulting in losses.”

Sanganatha G.R., a police inspector, said: “No case of illegal cow slaughter as been registered this year.”

According to the law, cow slaughter is a cognizable offense.

Violators can be sentenced to an imprisonment of three to seven years and a penalty of Rs 50,000 to Rs 10 lakh. nishita.a@iijnm.org

News Briefs India to begin 2nd phase of Covid vaccination drive The Centre on Wednesday announced that people over 60 years and those above 45 with comorbidities can get COVID-19 vaccine from March 1. As new coronavirus cases crossed the 13,000 mark for the third time in six days on Wednesday, the Centre rushed multi-disciplinary teams to nine states including Karnataka.

RSS worker killed in clash with SDPI members A Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh worker was killed in a clash between two groups in the Alappuzha district of Kerala on Wednesday night, police said on Thursday. At least six SDPI workers have been taken into custody in connection with the killing of the RSS worker.

Courageous judgment: Disha Ravi's bail order A day after a Delhi court granted bail to Bengaluru activist Disha Ravi in the 'toolkit' case, former attorney general Mukul Rohatgi on Wednesday called it a "bold and courageous" judgment while saying that there there was no material to establish the charge of sedition. "Happy that a courageous and bold judgment has come from a district court and not the Supreme Court."

Leopards do not scare these villagers anymore They often see big cats that don’t harm them

By Mahitha Owk

Bengaluru: Residents of Bheemanakuppa village, where a leopard was sighted early in February, say they are not scared of the big cats anymore. They see leopards so often that the animals now have become a part of the village habitat.

“Why would we be scared of leopards? They don’t harm us,” said Venkatappa Nandi, a farmer and cowherd of Bheemanakuppa.

He has lived in the village all his life and often seen leopards. “Not once did the leopards harm my cattle,” he added.

P. Hanumanthaya, another cowherd, said his cattle have never been harmed by leopards.

After a young leopard was sighted in the village, a few dogs and goats went missing. The animal was caught by forest department staff 20 days after its appearance.

The village is near the Bannerghatta forest area, so it is common for the villagers to witness leopards.

Bhanu Begum, a resident of the village, said: “I don’t understand the hype in the media. Early this month, reporters from different channels enquired about leopards. There are so many other issues, not leopards that do not harm people.”

Other villagers feel the same.

They want media to focus on other pressing problems in Bhee-

Like monkeys, leopards are important in Hindu Mythology. | Mahitha Owk

manakuppa and surrounding villages instaed of wasting the time of the villagers.

Dr Vidya Athreya, a scientist at the Wildlife Conservation Society, said: “Media unnecessarily dramatize the issue if a single incident happens somewhere. They scare people.” Instead of scaring people, media should create awareness on how leopards don’t kill humans until they feel threatened, she added.

Vidya shares her experience saying,“In Somanhalli near Maramma temple, a leopard killed a monkey and the villagers arranged a funeral as they believe that monkeys are sacred.

Even leopards have a lot of importance in Hindu mythology. “What is the problem if humans and animals live together?”

Continued on Page 2

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The Observer Thursday, February 25, 2021

Salary delays worry workers of dry waste collection centres No protective gear, place to sleep for them

By Dhruv Raghav Bengaluru:: Adverse working conditions at Dry Waste Collection Centres (DWCCs) in JP Nagar have made workers vulnerable to infectious diseases. Delays in payment of salaries and lack of awareness about protective gear have added to their woes.

“The BBMP has not helped us.

Everything from masks to soaps and ration comes from Hasiru Dala (an NGO),” said Ismail Pasha, an operator at a DWCC in ward 178. “There are eight people working here: Two drivers, two cleaners and four labourers. We don’t have water to clean our hands or even a functional toilet.

The toilet is clogged for several days now and we have to sleep under a makeshift tent beside the garbage.”

Pasha lost his left thumb because an infected needle pricked it while he was working without gloves. “The infection had spread to the entire thumb, so they had to cut it. If I would have been late, the doctors would have had to cut my hand,” he added.

Hasir Dala has been helping operators of the DWCCs to fil

What leopards? I’ve never seen any, says a villager Continued from page 1 choolchildren of Bheemanakuppa say that they never saw a leopard but have heard a lot about them, and saw CCTV footage of these wild cats.

“The moment we see traces of the animals, we inform forest department officials,” said Chandrappa V, vice-president of the panchayat. These leopards mostly come at night and prey on dogs and goats, not humans.

Excited residents of the village showed CCTV videos of the leopard preying on a dog in the backyard of a resident.

“What leopards? I have never seen any,” said Naseema Begum, another villager.

Vidya said: “Instead of saying that leopards are eating goats and dogs, the government should build a proper shelter for these animals. We are the ones intruding into their homes.”

A study conducted by the Bengaluru-based Centre for Wildlife Studies and Dehradun’s Wildlife Institute of India showed that the population of leopards in India has declined 75-90% in the past 120 -200 years. The reason men for this is human intervention. mahitha.o@iijnm.org

S

The workers started wearing masks as The Observer started clicking pictures | Dhruv Raghav payment receipts and get government subsidies. The NGO has been handing out soap, masks, gloves and other protective gear.

Indha Mahoor, Program Manager at Hasiru Dala, informed The Observer: “The only support we need from the BBMP is operational support, regular clearance of payment and upgradation of infrastructure. If these centres get this support, they will be able to work three times more efficiently.”

Pasha said he and his workers have not been paid in the past 10

months; they have only been able to survive on whatever support they get from Hasiru Dala.

“I don’t know anything about workers not being paid; the bills have been cleared,” said Narsaram Rao, Superintending Engineer, Solid Waste Management Cell, BBMP South Zone.

Dr Akshita Prasad, Head of Community Health Facilitator Program, said: “The pattern we have noticed is that they face more cardiovascular problems and are prone to contracting skin diseases, eczema being one of the common ones. Other than this,

they also suffer from alcoholism and depression. These days, even young workers have depression problems.”

WHO Health, Safety and Dignity of Sanitation Workers assessment report has laid down safety guidelines for garbage-collection workers. According to it, “Occupational and environmental health and safety are important because sanitation workers are exposed to multiple occupational and environmental hazards.

Weak legal protection results from working informally, lack of occupational and health standards, and weak agency to demand their rights. Financial insecurity is a great concern because typically, informal and temporary sanitation workers are poorly paid, and income can be unpredictable. Social stigma and discrimination exist, and in some cases, are experienced as total and intergenerational exclusion.”

“The working conditions are to be blamed. Awareness campaigns and proper attention need to be given to the workers,” Dr Prasad added.

Narsaram Rao said: “The BBMP has already conducted several seminars with these workers to make them aware.

The renovation work of these Dry Waste Collection Centers is underway and will be completed soon.” dhruv.r@iijnm.org

Quiz Corner 1. A massive forest fire recently occurred at the Dzukou Valley, located at the border of which two Indian states?

2. Which artist's portrait “Young Man Holding a Roundel” recently sold for $92.2 million at a Sotheby's auction?

3. What's the name of the Declaration on Seafarer Wellbeing and Crew Change', recently released by the global maritime industry?

4. After Whom Is The Lifetime Achievement Award Given By BCCI Named?

5.Afghanistan and India Play Their 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying Match at?

6. Which Journalist Recently Resigned from his post Of DDCA president?

7. Rahul Khullar who passed away was the former chairman of which organization?

For answers see page 4

Twitterati Talk Narendra Modi @ PMOIndia For the poll bound Puducherry: The people of Puducherry are talented. This land is beautiful.I am here to personally assure all possible support from my Government for the development of Puducherry:

Weather Temperature Maximum - 33 degree celsius Minimum - 18 degree celsius Precipitation - 0% Humidity - 29% Wind - 2km/h

It’s not a sweet time for the bakery industry Hiring of interns frozen; kitchens are understaffed

By Nidhi Kajaria Bengaluru: The bakery industry in Bengaluru is struggling to get back to the pre-Covid level of production and hiring.

“The overall production has come down to 60-65% as the demand is very low in cafes,” said Prashanth Shadakshari, executive chef and co-owner at Amande Patisserie.

There are 365 cafes under the Bengaluru Hotel Association out of which several cafes and bakeries have shut down. This has impacted the demand for bakery items and the number of staff in the kitchen.

Not only cafes and bakeries, even institutions teaching pastry and bakery art have also been affected and are struggling to cope up with the bad market condition.

Anurag Barthwal, chief of skills and Innovations at Lavonne Academy of Baking Science and Pastry Arts, said: “We haven’t seen a downfall in the number of students this year but faced problems in teaching such courses on-

Karachi Bakery outlet at Indiranagar searching for staff at the sales department | Nidhi Kajaria line.”The academy recently started offline sessions and workshops and is trying to cope with the situation.

Due to the low demand in the market, patisseries and bakeries have stopped hiring new interns.

“We hire according to the need in the kitchen. As the production is low, we have decreased the number of interns. We used to hire around 40 new interns which has now come down to 20,” said chef

Prashanth.

Prachi Tibrewal, a pastry chef and intern at Amande Patisseries, Jayanagar, said: “50% of the employees have lost their jobs. The industry is not hiring people from outside; some of the properties still have a hiring freeze.

However, chef Barthwal at Lavonne, said that the academy will try its best to make sure that every student gets an intern-

ship/placement by the end of the course.

“There might be some issues, but if students are eligible and fulfil all the criteria of internships and placements, the academy will make sure they get hired.”

Apart from cafes, local sweets and bakery shops have also faced issues of understaffed kitchens.

Sharad Kumar, an employee at Asha Sweets, Indiranagar, said: “Our kitchen is nearly 5 km away from here and we have a shortage of staff in the kitchen.”

People working in the kitchen are under great pressure as it is difficult for them to manage production for all outlets in the area.

According to a report by the Bonn Group of Industries, a food company based in Ludhiana,Punjab, the sale of biscuits has risen after the pandemic.

An employee of Karachi Bakery said that their sales have been affected as there are few employees in the sales department.

Kanhaiya Kumar, a sales representative at Karachi Bakery, Defence Colony, said that “We are still looking for retail sales executives and restaurant service staff; this is with most of the outlets here, we need more staff to run our businees” nidhi.k@iijnm.org

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CITY

The Observer Thursday, February 25, 2021

Chopping of trees at Sivananda Circle leaves residents, shop owners fuming Some insist that a flyover is not needed there

By Abhisek Dutta Bengaluru: Residents, shop owners and visitors are disappointed and angry as trees almost 50 years old have been cut down to make way for a steel flyover at Sivananda Circle.

BP Suresh, the owner of Sivananda General Stores, informed The Observer about the protests held by them since 2017 against the chopping of trees. “We couldn’t stop the BBMP. They did whatever they wanted to do. They didn’t listen to us.”

Last month, the BBMP allowed the cutting down of 22 trees and transplantation of another 12 trees at Sivananda Circle to facilitate the flyover. The task began on the midnight of February 11.

Kumaraswami N, a 40-year-old street vendor, has been selling books and magazines under a chopped tree on Kumarakrupa Road. Braving the sun and hold-

Transplantation process of a tree in progress for the construction of a steel flyover at Kumarakrupa Road | Credits: Abhisek Dutta ing magazines, he informed The Observer: “This tree saw my jump from a bicycle to a scooter.

Now I have to search a new place; the sun will be unbearable this summer.”

The 493-meter-long flyover will end just before the railway track underpass on Kumarakrupa Road. Residents of the area say the underpass needs to be expanded. “A flyover is unnecessary here,” said Taj AP, a shop owner,

pointing at the narrow underpass.

A 50-year-old chopped tree fell outside the entrance of Hotel Rajkamal. Its branches were piled up on the opposite side of the road. Komala S, owner of the hotel, said: “I was very sad. These trees were plants when we purchased this plot in the 1970s.”

A tree was being transplanted when The Observer visited the area. Three men were digging

around a tree. Babu A, who sold clothes under the tree for nine years, rued: “I will come under the sun after the transplantation.”

About the transplantation of trees, Suresh bemoaned: “We will not get back those age-old trees.”

Vijay Nishanth, known as a “tree doctor”, expressed grief at the goings-on, but said infrastructure is important for a city. That’s why “transplantation is an advantage; we can save some trees through this process”. If a proper methodology is followed, 50-60% of transplanted trees will again start giving oxygen.

The BBMP’s forest department is also laying stress on tree transplantation as a way to save some trees instead of chopping them down.

Ranganatha Swami, Deputy Conservator of Forests, said that trees of Kumarakrupa Road are being transplanted to Rajarajeshwarinagar. “We have not decided yet where to plant new trees for those chopped off.

We will think of it.”

The construction has turned the nearly 100 feet wide road into a congested 40-feet road. abhisek.d@iijnm.org

We have families, don’t cut fees, say teachers Tell govt they are surviving on half salary

By Ashutosh Acharya Bengaluru: Teachers and school management staff of Karnataka are unhappy with the state government’s decision to cut 30% of the annual fees for students.

After days of protests by the parents, the government passed an order on January 30, stating that the parents will pay only 70% of the fees, and the schools can charge no extra fees for this academic year.

“When we didn’t stop their studies, why are they doing so?” said Meenakshi Shekri, a teacher at The Oxford Senior Secondary School, JP Nagar. “We celebrated all festivals, and conducted all activities online.”

Neelam Gupta, another teacher from the same school agreed with Shekri: “We agree there may be some genuine cases where the parents are unable to pay fees.

Something can be done about it.

But it shouldn’t be the case with everyone; they should understand that we also have families.

How are we going to survive?”

Most private school teachers are surviving on almost half of their salary since the lockdown was imposed in March 2020. If parents pay only 70% of the fees, as per government’s decision, it will directly affect the salary of teachers.

The government relaunched the Vidyagama programme for

Thousands of private school teachers, staff held a massive protest against the 30 percent fee cut | Credits: Ashutosh Acharya the students. Under it, students can attend offline classes for half a day with consent from their parents. The school will provide sanitizers and hand washes. The students should carry a negative RT-PCR test certificate to attend the offline classes. It is not compulsory for everyone to attend offline classes; students can opt for the online option too. Teachers can also make videos of their classes and provide the links to students who opted for the online option.

On February 23, the Karnataka Private School Managements, Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff Coordination Committee (KPMTCC) called a protest at Freedom Park. Around 25,000 private school teachers and non-teaching staff from all over the state participated in the protest.

Devkant, a teacher from Balak Public School, Yeshwantpur, the sole breadwinner in his family,

participated in the protest. Holding his placard high, he informed The Observer: “The situation is more or less the same all over India. We appeal to the government to consider our problems before taking any decisions. We are not only teachers; we also have families.”

“We should also have our dignity. If we accept defeat, what will we teach the kids? So we appeal to the government to take our families into consideration before announcing decisions,” Devkant added.

Nandini Chauhan, a teacher at St. Mary’s High Schoool, Garvebhavipalya, said: “Petrol price has skyrocketed, and hence the rate of other essentials has also gone up. How will we manage with this salary? Every school is not charging high annual fees. What about the schools that charges a low fee? The government has put all the schools under the same criteria.”

Shashi Kumar, secretary of the Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka (KAMS), said in his speech at the protest: “We have to pay insurance. If we don't pay, our vehicles are seized. What about people working as security guards and drivers? Every person will be affected if you bring down the fee. We understand that parents are affected, but what about us? Please don't put us out of jobs.”

Kumar added: “We are not asking for food kits, but please give us our money, nothing else. The education minister should make sure teachers’ children are protected, provided for and educated well.”

S. Suresh Kumar, minister for primary & secondary education and Sakala, said in his speech: “The schools say all teachers are paid, but according to data, 50% are not paid. Keeping teachers and parents in mind, if you (KAMS) come up with something, we're ready for that.”

Hanumaraju, the father of Vishruta H, who studies in Vidya Vardhaka English School, Udupi, said fee should be reduced as the parents are affected by the pandemic. Private schools won’t be affected much by a fee cut as they have enough money to pay their teachers for a year.

Vishruta, who studies in class 10, said: “Offline classes are better than the online classes. There were a lot of network issues, I couldn't hear and concentrate properly. We couldn't ask any questions or raise doubts; there was a barrier.” ashutosh.a@iijnm.org

Citizen’s voice Motera name change disrespects Sardar

The hypocrisy is never hidden.

First you build a 182-metre-tall statue in Sardar Patel’s name and a few years later rename a stadium named after him. The renaming of Motera’s cricket stadium after Narendra Modi disrespects Patel. The timing of the name change was so uncertain.

But wait. Isn’t this the same government that loves to drop bombshells like demonetisation and nationwide lockdown?

Viransh Shah

BJP continues a Congress legacy

Wow! Motera stadium has been renamed Narendra Modi Stadium. BJP is continuing the legacy of Congress: Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Indira Gandhi Stadium (Alwar), Indira Gandhi Stadium (Solapur), Indira Gandhi Stadium (Una), Indira Gandhi Stadium (Vijayawada) and many more.

Abhisek Dutta

Activists raise their voice for us

Activists like Disha Ravi, Shantanu and Nikita Jacob give up their personal comforts to raise awareness about climate change and social justice. They raise their voice for us against an exploitation-based system.

Tasmia Ansari

Allowing people into stadia is foolish

At a time when several states are witnessing a surge in daily Covid19 cases, allowing spectators in stadiums for the India vs England series is a foolish decision. It might cost alot to the country.

Abhishek Saini

Around the city International conference on Business Management and Social Innovation (ICBMSI) Date and Time: February 26, 9:00 AM to 6:00 pm Registration link: https://10times.com/international-conference-on-businessmanagement-ba International Society of Gene & Cell Therapy Conference (ISGCT) Date and Time: February 26, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM Registrationlink:https://10times.c om/isgct-conference

Words of the day Fathom: to make a searching exploratory investigation: probe Habeas-corpus: the right of a citizen to obtain a writ of habeas corpus as a protection against illegal imprisonment Retarget: to direct (something) toward a different target Cognoscente: a person who has expert knowledge in a subject Perdure: to continue to exist Anodyne: serving to alleviate pain Perseverance: doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

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The Observer Thursday, February 25, 2021

‘Minorities not slaves of secular parties’

AIMIM MLC Jafri says it’s a case of sour grapes for those who accuse Majlis of being BJP’s B team Syed Amin-ul-Hasan Jafri is an All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen MLC from Telangana. He plays a prominent role in the party’s decision-making process.

The Observer interviewed him via email to know his thoughts about the political scenario. Excerpts: Why did you leave journalism and join politics. Why AIMIM? I never left journalism. I am still a journalist. I write columns every now and then. Joining politics was a choice I made after I got an offer from AIMIM one fine morning in 2010 to contest for the Legislative Council from Hyder-

Observer Interview abad Local Authorities Constituency…. I felt it would be a new experience to be a participant in the state capital’s development as an elected representative. Prior to this, I had no inclination towards politics. As a journalist, I covered all parties maintaining objectivity.

Who do you think is an alternative to Modi?

Our country is much bigger than political parties or personalities. Nehru ruled India for 17 years. But now people ask: Nehru, who? Modi is just two years into his second term. There are three more years for this debate to start again. See what happened in 2014. The UPA was embroiled in scams and contro-

versies, and there was no alternative in sight. But then the people gave an opportunity to a BJP-led coalition under Modi. In 2019, there was talk of the Congress as alternative. In several states, alliances were formed to take on the BJP. And what happened?

Modi came back with a good majority for the BJP. It is the people who decide who to bring to power — not you or me. Earlier, who had thought that Sonia Gandhi would be given the opportunity to usher in UPA rule for 10 years under Dr Manmohan Singh?

How do you see the expansion of AIMIM? The expansion has started and the party is spreading its footprint to various States. The party has its presence in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, besides Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. AIMIM never aspired to wrest power from the Congress or BJP or any regional party. Whoever be in the government, we just want the voice of disadvantaged sections to be heard. We work not only for minorities but also for dalits, adivasis and Other Backward Classes.

That’s our objective behind expansion to other states.

Amit Shah, in a recent speech in West Bengal, said that as soon as the Covid-19 vaccine distribution is done, they will implement CAA. What do you have to say?

The distribution of the Covid vaccine is under way. It has to

AIMIM legislator Syed Amin-ulHasan Jafri cover all the 130 crore Indians... so there is still a lot of time. People will see when it happens.

You must know that the court had acquitted all the 32 accused, including LK Advani, Uma Bharti, Murli Manohar Joshi, Kalyan Singh and Vinay Katiyar, in the Babri Masjid demolition case, claiming that the demolition happened at the spur of the moment. The whole world had seen what happened on December 6, 1992. That is why the AIMIM president pointed out that the CBI court verdict contradicted the Supreme Court’s observations in its judgement in the title suit appeal on November 9, 2019, that the demolition of the Babri Masjid was a calculated act of destroying a public place of worship and a violation of rule of law.

Every Indian knows the truth, whatever the verdicts.

Often, AIMIM is accused of being a B team of the BJP. Those who are making this baseless allegation against AIMIM must answer two things: Why are they losing in States and Delhi, where the AIMIM did not contest polls? Also, they must explain why large sections of electors from the majority community are deserting these parties. In any case, the minorities are not the slaves of the so-called secular parties, which are too often ready to play soft Hindutva politics.

Our country is much bigger than political parties or personalities.

Nehru ruled India for 17 years. But now people ask: Nehru, who?

Asaduddin Owaisi, referring to Lucknow Special CBI Court’s verdict on criminal cases relating to the Babri Masjid demolition, said the judgment was obnoxious.

What is your take?

An RJD leader recently said that AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi is single-handedly responsible for the defeat of the Grand Alliance in Bihar. He also said, “Have you ever heard the BJP-RSS calling

Improper footpaths irritate Bengalureans Some say they prefer to walk on the road

By Mahitha Owk Bengaluru: Lack of proper footpaths in the city is inconveniencing citizens.

What particularly galls them is that, in some places, drain covers are used as footpaths. The covers are broken in many places.

“Some time ago, I almost fell in a gap in a footpath,” Mahesh Sharma, a pedestrian, informed The Observer. He does not trust civic agencies anymore, he added.

Because makeshift footpaths have cracked at many places, pedestrians are forced to walk on roads, reducing space for vehicles.

According to data collected by the Footpath Initiative, an NGO, 44% of deaths related to road accidents are associated with pedestrians.

Sri Pradeep Karanpatti, a software engineer, said: “Cracks in footpaths suck. I am afraid people might fall into them. I have seen this for long, but there has been

A nine-year old girl fell into a gap in a footpath and died during heavy rain | Mahitha Owk no improvement.”

According to Indian Road Congress guidelines, footpaths should be wide enough, provide space for street vending activities and also have bollards to prevent vehicle parking. These guidelines are barely followed in the city.

However, Reshma P, an assis-

tant professor at the Global Academy of Technology who has researched pedestrian safety, said footpaths are getting better under the TenderSure project. “If you look at M.G. Road, Commercial Street, Richmond Road and many other parts…, the footpaths are really good. All this happened

under the TenderSure project.”

Under the project, the Karnataka government has allotted Rs 17,802 crore for road development and promised pedestrianfriendly footpaths. The BBMP has so far spent Rs 200 crore to build footpaths. The four-phase project is in its second phase now.

Loose slabs on footpaths cause a threat to pedestrians, especially, during the rainy season. In the past, a nine-year-old child fell into a gap in a footpath during heavy rain and died.

“I remember how that small girl fell into a gap in a footpath. It is so scary,” shared Madesha A, a pedestrian. He sometimes prefers to walk on roads.

Sundhar Babu, another pedestrian, said: “When there are no footpaths, we walk on roads.

What other option do we have?”

Footpaths are for pedestrians, not for any commercial purpose, he added.

Reshma said: “In India, problems related to road safety are not considered major problems.

That is where the issue lies.” People will get to walk on proper footpaths, but it will take time in a country like India. mahitha.o@iijnm.org

Owaisi a traitor or anti-national?”

It is a case of sour grapes for the RJD-Congress alliance. The Congress proved to be a very weak partner for the RJD. Also, the Lok Janashakti Party of Chirag Paswan played spoilsport for the JD(U)-BJP alliance by contesting separately. Had LJP been together with BJP and JD(U), the RJD-Congress alliance would have been reduced to double digits. It also shows how weak the so-called secular parties are in retaining their hold on sections of the majority community while treating the minorities as their captive vote banks.

What are your party’s plans to expand in Telangana and become a ruling party?

Becoming the ruling party is never on our agenda. That has never been our plan. AIMIM works for the underprivileged section — minorities, Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs. We want to increase the representation of these sections of people in politics so that their woes are heard and they also enjoy political power on par with the privileged sections and upper castes. We would like to have a footprint in all major states. Today, AIMIM is the national face for minorities and other disadvantaged sections. We want to maintain and strengthen this image. We have two MPs and 16 legislators in Telangana, Maharashtra and Bihar. And now, we are contesting in West Bengal and Gujarat also. We hope to win some seats. Let us see. mahitha.o@iijnm.org

Quiz Answers 1: Nagaland-Manipur 2: Sandro Botticelli 3: Neptune Declaration 4: C. K. Nayudu 5: Dushanbe 6: Rajat Sharma 7: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India

By Mahitha Owk

Team Observer Editor: Dhruv Raghav Copy Editors: Dhruv Raghav, Mahitha Owk, Nidhi Kajaria, Nishita M. Agath, Abhisek Dutta, Ashutosh Acharya Page Editors: Dhruv Raghav, Mahitha Owk, Nishita Agath, Abhisek Dutta Reporters: Dhruv Raghav, Mahitha Owk, Nidhi Kajaria, Nishita M. Agath, Abhisek Dutta, Ashutosh Acharya Photo Editors: Nidhi Kajaria, Ashutosh Acharya, Abhisek Dutta Supplements: Ashutosh Acharya

SKILLING

The Observer Thursday, February 25, 2021

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The Home as Office

Working from home will change our working lives and create opportunities for millions of home-based workers, writes Abhishek Saini

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he Covid pandemic has ravaged businesses across the world, and India’s $150 billion a year information technology sector is no exception. Since last March, bustling office corridors and cubicles have gone silent, conference rooms were replaced by zoom calls, and IT parks across the country looked as if they’d been abandoned altogether. Simply because IT employees were asked to work from home (WFH).

The concept of WFH is not entirely new but had been largely limited to the US and Europe.

Though flexible, the model was thought to hamper productivity and only work for smaller organizations. For Indian IT firms, however, implementing a WFH culture presented a different set of challenges.

A study by Scikey Mindmatch, an AI-enabled jobs platform, conducted before the pandemic revealed that 99.8% of India’s IT workforce was ill-equipped to work remotely. This owed to a number of factors including resistance to learning new software, lack of practical communication skills, planning and execution abilities.

The work from home has been pretty smooth, but it is the netwconnetivity which becomes a hurdle at times | Credit: DNA India But over the last eight months, what India’s IT sector has witnessed is a synchronized revamp of its work patterns. This process of acclimatization was largely successful due to the steady penetration of the Internet in Indian households over the last decade.

The two major challenges were establishing effective lines of communication and ensuring remote working did not compromise productivity. This gap was bridged with the help of propri-

etary applications like Slack, Lax, and InfyMe. These apps streamlined internal communication and kept a tab on employee productivity. Then there are learning platforms like Yorbit, which were used for skill enhancement by assigning training modules to employees. Says Harsh Panchamiya, a software engineer working in Saint Gobain in Bangalore, “We use MS teams, it has all functions like calls, webinars and presentations. This has al-

lowed a smooth communication.”

The WFH model offered another vital benefit to firms, cost control. Allowing employees to work remotely meant the companies were able to reduce expenditure on real estate, infrastructure and travel expenses.

However, Knight Frank, an international real-estate consultancy firm, in a recent report pointed out that the reduction in expenses like office rent and travel allowances was offset by costs incurred to equip employees to work remotely. These included acquiring laptops, reimbursing employees for increased internet charges, and acquiring licensing for proprietary apps. As a result, companies could manage net cost savings of only 1%, it concluded.

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evertheless, WFH has allowed companies to tap diverse geographies and wider talent pools. Last November, the ministry of electronics and information technology reduced the legal compliances required to hire employees on a WFH basis for IT and business process management companies.

IT industry association NASSCOM welcomed the move saying,

“The new guidelines will reduce the compliance burden on the industry. Allowing remote working will expand access to talent and create new jobs.”

But WFH has problems too.

Providing a stable internet connection to employees is first on that list. Says Jay Kamdar, an analyst working for Quantiphi, an IT firm in Mumbai, “The work has been pretty smooth, but it is the network connectivity which becomes a hurdle at times.” Another concern is data security, as working on laptops at home increases the risk of information leaks.

Despite its teething problems and the difficulties of rolling out a completely new way of work in the midst of a pandemic, WFH has proved to be viable and has gained wide acceptance. More importantly, it has created new opportunities for women who earlier had to choose between the demands of a profession and the responsibility of keeping home.

What began as a burden has now become a boon, as WFH helps expand the workforce, employ large numbers of educated home-based workers and enhance their professional skills.

A Bridge Too Far

Getting rid of the MPhil programme could prove costly to higher education, says Nishant Kumar

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he MPhil, a two-year advanced postgraduate programme, has long been a vital step on the road to developing the research and analytical skills required to write a doctoral dissertation and earn a PhD. That invaluable learning experience could now be history.

The National Education Policy (NEP), announced by the union ministry of education in July 2020,called for the discontinuation of the MPhil programme and recommended that universities allow candidates to enrol for a PhD after a four-year graduation course. Students and teachers alike are aghast.

Harsh Vardhan, a PhD candidate at JNU in Delhi, “The MPhil provided valuable training in academic writing, a skill that takes a long time to master and is essential for a doctoral degree.

There was no focus on research in our master’s programme. MPhil has given me some time to think about how to explore my area of interest in research.”He now wonders whether his MPhil degree will even be valid after the discontinuation of the programme.

Sheema Aleem, an associate

ture some of the higher education courses.

The undergraduate degree will be of either a three or four-year duration. The four-year course will be not mandatory for the degree.

A research component will be introduced in the fourth year of graduation and that will make a student eligible to pursue research. The government claimed it was done to align the Indian education system with Western models.

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The MPhil degree offered in some of the premier universities in India can be traced back to the early 70s | Credit: Harsh Vardhan professor in the department of psychology at Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi points out that some students pursue a PhD without an MPhil. But she says an MPhil makes a “huge difference” in developing their understanding for research. “The main reason why we recommend an MPhil before a PhD is because it helps students understand the research methodologies well. It is

like a stepping stone towards a PhD,” she explains.

But the fact is, the MPhil is steadily losing popularity. According to data from the education ministry, the number of MPhil students dropped from 43,267 in 2016-17 to 34,109 in 2017-18 to just 30,692 in 2018-19.

So the government proposes to introduce a research component in graduation itself and to restruc-

he MPhil degree offered in some of the premier universities in India can be traced back to the early 70s. Currently, universities in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand offer MPhil as a part of a PhDprogramme. It is essentially a first step in research methodology, especially in the design of field studies and empirical work. It helps expose students to data gathering, preparing questionnaires and surveys and gives them hands-on experience as opposed to having only theoretical knowledge.

But as Malabika Sarkar,vicechancellor of Ashoka University, SonepattoldHindustan Times in

an interview,the MPhil does not hold significance internationally.

“Pursuing a PhD after completion of a master’s degree is better. It should be mandatory for students to complete a mini-thesis within five years of their undergraduate and postgraduate programmes before pursuing a PhD,” she said.

Even before the NEP, MPhil was not a mandatory requirement for students to pursue PhD. For many, It helped in securing teaching jobs in universities.But for most students, the MPhil is their first brush with the requirements of serious research that helps them decide if they wish to pursue the subject further.

The NEP has been described as visionary by the Indian Government, as it seeks to replace the 34-year-old National Policy on Education framed in 1986. It envisions increasing public investment in education to 6% of GDP from the current 4.6%, using the mother tongue as the initial medium of instruction and creating a unified body to regulate higher education.But in the absence of a culture of research in Indian education, ending the MPhil might prove short-sighted.

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The Observer Thursday, February 25, 2021

FOOD A Flavoursome Relic

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In the bylanes of central Kolkata,Tunir Biswas discovers a remnant of the city’s culinary heritage

“The beauty of this shop is that they provide food at cheap rates. | Credit: Rahmanastoryteller

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little way down the road from the KC Das sweet shop, I found my way into James Hickey Sarani, also known as Dacres Lane. A dusty oldKolkata street with rows of eateries. There are shops that sell fast food and there are shops selling food that take a little time.

You might lose your way as you

begin to flirt with the aromas wafting from these joints. All your cravings might be met atthe first stall, but if you can control them for a few seconds and walk a little further, you will come across a culinary gem.

Chitto Babur Dokan is a nifty little place situated right in the heart of Dacres Lane. It’s a busy

outlet, with at least three men working inside and two men sitting on tools outside taking orders from customers.

A blue tin signboard with its name is the only concession it makes to convention. The staple dish is the mutton stew served with two pieces of bread. The gravy is rich. The pieces of mutton are juicy. With every bite you regret not wearing a napkin tucked into your shirt.

Chitto Babur Dokan, like many legacy restaurants, leaves a mark, literal and figurative.

Their appetizers like the Chicken Kabiraji and the fish fry are proven crowd favourites. The food isn’t as oily as most places on the street and the meat is tender.

They don’t precook and store their dishes. Every order is made on the spot, fresh off the stove.

This place does not boast much online presence.

Their profile on applications like Zomato and Swiggy are minimal. You hear about the restaurant mostly through word of mouth, like a folktale. You arrive here, take a bite and become a part of the folklore.

Says Sanjeev, who has been frequenting Chitto Babur Dokan for over four decades, “The beauty of this shop is that they provide food at cheap rates. I don’t think you will find such prices anywhere else in Kolkata or I will say even in Bombay or Delhi as I have been all over the place.”

If there are old-timers like Sanjeev visiting here, there are also people like Shatrugan Mohanty, a cab driver who spends his afternoon here.

“There is popular saying that if you were to visit Esplanade or the Dalhousie area, then you must have ghugni served with bread at

Chitto Babur Dokan,” says Mohanty.

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hitto Babur Dokan is stepping into its seventies.

Chitto Babu’s father Sirish Chandra Ray had established this joint and used to run it before his sons Chittaranjan Ray (Chitto Babu) and Narayan Chandra Ray relived him of the responsibility.

This restaurant has been run by one family over generations.

Even after Chitto Babu’s passing, the place is run the same way. They haven’t tried to bring any change to the system. “You know in the Bengali language, the word Chitto signifies the heart, and in our heart resides our Chitto Da. That is why his vision has never been tampered with and the delight he felt with serving his food resonates with us all,” says Bubai, a middle-aged man who has been working in this place for 15 odd years.

Throughout history, we have learnt that the main men don’t live to tell the tale. It’s the guys who flit on the sidelines, the ones who are at the outside looking in, who survive to tell their tale.

Chitto Babur Dokan is one such survivor in the long history of post-colonial Kolkata. And what a tale it tells!

A Feast for the Senses

Khasi cuisine is distinct, rooted in the traditions of Meghalaya and delicious, writes Queeneerich Kharmawlong

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he Khasis are the dominant tribe of Meghalaya and have a small presence in neighbouring Assam and Bangladesh too. But their cuisine is barely known outside Meghalaya and is quite distinct from the others major flavour palettes of the state or even the northeast.

It’s rich in texture and taste but not particularly spicy.

It’s a food culture centred on pork and fermented beans, but the main diet of the Khasi people consists of boiled rice with meat, either smoked or boiled, mixed with green and ground vegetables.

Khasi recipes range from pork with black sesame seeds, varieties of salads, fermented fish chutney, smoked pork and beef, pork or beef salad, wild vegetables and some medicinal plants A typical Khasi meal consists of jadoh (red rice cooked with pork, that are used to flavour food like beef, chicken or fish) and smoked dried beef, pork, fish, or chicken. . | jamyrdoh or Houttuynia Cordata Credit: Indiamike or jajew (Begonia Josephii).

Every Khasi dish has a story or dried beef, pork, fish, or chicken. to creating the flavours in Khasi folktale behind it, how it was dis- Tungtap, a very spicy and pun- food and they centre around the covered, consumed, cooked or gent chutney of dried fish, green lavish use of onions, garlic and how the recipes were invented. A chillies, onions and jaiur (type of ginger and chillies. Khasi snacks, typical Khasi meal consists of red chilli), is a common accompa- usually eaten at teatime, offer jadoh (red rice cooked with pork, niment. whole different universe of taste. beef, chicken or fish) and smoked Traditional ingredients are key Duh who makes Khasi snacks

at Mawlai, a locality in Shillong, says she and her family members primarily bake three local snacks: Pu-maloi, a steamed rice cake made of ground red rice which has a hint of dryness, Pudoh, a steamed rice cake made of red rice and pork strips and Putharo, a steamed white rice cake.

“We still use the traditional way to cook the snacks, which can be tiring at times as we do not use any machine to grind the rice. Crushing the rice can take up a lot of energy and stamina, but it is worth it at the end in order to get the perfect flavour for the snack,” says Duh. Most Khasi snacks are bland, but one can taste their subtle flavours once you get to savour them. They are extremely healthy good recommended for diabetic patients.

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he pandemic has taken its toll on Duh’s small business, with sales having drastically fallen this past year, she says. “It is a family business and almost every one of us relies on the income from the business for our daily sustenance,” she says.

L Warjri has been selling

Khasi ingredients for almost 25 years. Her shop, which she runs with her sister ,sells almost all the Khasi food staples like jadoh, jastem (rice cooked with ground paste of ginger & onion in cooking oil or animal fats), tungrymbai (a paste of fermented soyabean), tungtap, smoked, fried, and roasted pork and beef, salad and phan stieh (fried potato). She says running the shop requires a lot of dedication and hard work.

She loves to cook and running this shop is what she loves most in the world. “Khasi food is not like any other cuisine, it is very different as we don’t use spices mostly used in north India. It takes times for someone who has not eaten Khasi food to familiarise themselves with the flavours,” she says.

Red tea is a common drink and Kwai (areca nuts wrapped in betel leaves) is a common treat eaten by the locals after every meal and often shared among friends as a social lubricant and energy booster.