The Observer Volume 20 Issue 01

Telehealth moves to forefront in time of Covid-19 pandemic

By Nidhi Kajaria

A

mid the Covid­19 pandemic, there has been a ten­fold increase in the number users of telehealth and telemedicine. Doctors say online consultation will be a great opportunity for the digital health sector. ”We are constantly providing teleconsultation via call and video conferencing after the lockdown. Most doctors in this hospital are providing aid through video conferencing,”Dr Mukti Prakash, a junior resident in internal medicine at the Banaras Hindu University Trauma Centre, informed The Observer.

Telehealth in India has helped patients to reach out to the doctors at a time when the

pandemic has restricted physical visits to avoid the spread of the coronavirus. It has provided them easy access to healthcare services. India has seen the

emergence of telemedicine companies like Practo, 1mg and Apollo Medicine.

According to a report released

by Practo, 5 crore people accessed

By Dhruv Raghav New Delhi: The Supreme Court order for demolition of 48,000 slum dwellings along 70 km of railway track in Delhi has put lakhs at risk of displacement and contracting Covid­19. ”The question is, where will they go," Dev Pratap Singh, founder and CEO of The Voice of Slum, an NGO, said. ”The poor who have tested positive never got access to hospitals or treatment. No roof would only add to their problems.”

Pappu, a cigarette shop owner who lives in a slum settlement along the railway track of Sarita

Vihar on Mathura Road, informed The Observer: ”My house has been razed. JCBs come here regularly to demolish our houses.” He alleged his family did not receive an eviction notice.

Pappu pointed at a small window on the back of his shop

that opens to the railway tracks.

Debris from the demolition was visible through the window. ”There is nothing left. They ran over our house.”

Pappu, his wife Rani and their three children have been living in their small shop after the illegal

telemedicine in the three months ending May 31. Of these, 80 per cent were first­time users.

Further, 44 per cent were from non­metro cities like Indore and Jaipur. In­person visits to doctors dropped by 67 per cent.

Piyush Jain, who consulted a doctor through the PhonePe app, said:”Due to the pandemic, it was risky to consult a doctor physically. The online method turned out to be flexible, so I opted for it."

Online consultation has helped patients in contacting doctors anywhere in the country.”Telehealth solely benefits patients; we have only one benefit: we can treat patients remotely without having physical contact,” Dr Mukti said.

Pace Hospital, Hyderabad, which went for digitalizing healthcare after the pandemic struck, said it has given online P treatment to more than 2 lakh people. Eighteen of its doctors are available 24/7 for online consultation.

Continued on page 2

settlement was demolished. ”We want either a roof or compensation....

We have nowhere to go.”

In the 'MC Mehta Vs Union of India' case on August 31, an SC bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra said: "No interference, political or otherwise, should be there and no court shall grant any stay concerning the removal of the encroachments in the area in question." It ordered the demolition and rehabilitation to be completed by the end of November.

Dr Sanjoy Kumar Sadhukhan, professor and head of the department of epidemiology at the All­India Institute of Hygiene & Public Health, Kolkata, said rehabilitation is imperative for the people who are about to be displaced.

Continued on page 2

India's recovery rate crosses No. of new cases India has recorded 53,289 new cases in the last 24 hours increasing the total number of cases to 77,09,694 with 704 covid ­19 deaths registered. India’s recovery rate seems to be good with 61,775 recovered patience in the last 24 hours.

Top American officials to visit India soon US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and US Defence Secretary Mark Esper have announced that they will be flying to India on the 25th of October for a 2+2 dialogue. “The visit will focus on the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and expand cooperation to promote stability and prosperity in the Indi­Pacific and the world.” Said US State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus.

After Punjab, Rajasthan opposes Centre's farm laws An amendment bill will be brought in the Rajasthan assembly against the farm's laws passed by the central government. Rajasthan and Punjab, both Congress­ruled states, are against the farm Acts.

India returns soldier who had strayed in China Chinese soldier Wang Ya Long, who was held at Demchok Ladhak on October 18, was handed over to Chinese troops on Wednesday. The soldier was provided with warm clothes, oxygen and nutrition by the Indian Army.

RTOs suspend licences helmetless riders The RTOs of Bengaluru is suspending the licence of riders without helmets for three months. On October 22, 360 cases were registered, with their licences being suspended and a huge penalty levied.

National camp of TTFI to begin soon The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) will begin the National camp on October 28, which has been postponed multiple times due to the pandemic. “All of us have been looking for good practice partners and it is great that we all will be coming under one roof.” Says Sharath Kamal, India’s top paddler.

Indians stuck in Oz sore with embassy

By Mahitha Owk Hyderabad: A few Indians stranded in Australia have been suffering due to a lack of proper communication from the Indian High Commission in Canberra.

“I have called them almost every day, but they haven’t responded even once to my calls or emails,” said Janith Chandra Sai, who is pursuing his masters at Deakin University.

Vande Bharat Mission, a repatriation program was launched by the government of India to bring back lakhs of Indians stranded in different countries around the world.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Anurag Srivastava, in the recent weekly virtual meeting, said that as of October 15, 18.3 lakh Indians around the world had been repatriated through different modes of transportation.

Another student, Tanvi Maheshwari, studying at Swinburne University, said the Indian embassy never properly responded to her enquiries and asked her to refer to the official website for updates. She had been calling them to seek information that wasn’t available on the site.

Mahesh Kumar, deputy secretary of the MEA media team, responded to The Observer via email and said that the High Commission has safely repatriated almost 19,000 Indians through 84 flights.

“Every possible measure has been taken by the MEA to

ensure proper information, guidance, and assistance is made available to the needy and the diaspora. The welfare of our nationals and diaspora continues to remain our highest priority.”

Although a few people are suffering due to a lack of proper information, some other people said the commission has done a really good job in guiding them to reach India. . Kankamedala Vardini, who went to Australia to visit her daughter, was stuck there for a while as the flights weren’t operating due to the pandemic.

She said the High commission responded to her very well and

helped her to reach India safely.

“Maybe because I am a senior citizen suffering from health issues, they prioritized me. I am happy to be back home and thankful to the High Commission.”

Sai Kumar, another Indian stuck in Australia, said he contacted various organisations to get information on the Vande Bharat Mission. Most of them tried to cheat him by asking for money.

Finally, when he contacted the embassy, they guided him on the right path by giving him the required information. However, he is still stuck in Australia and waiting

for more flights to start so that he can come back home.

Mahesh Kumar of MEA also said they have established a 24/7 emergency helpline and a chatbox on the website to assist people. They have partnered with diaspora organisations to provide basic needs to Indians stuck in Australia.

However, Janith Chandra Sai said he lost his job due to the four lockdowns in Australia and has run out of money. He is desperately waiting for the Indian High Commission to get him back home. “They need to improve the communication process and quickly respond to queries.”

In the seventh phase of the Vande Bharat Mission, the MEA has scheduled seven more flights from Australia to India with a capacity of 243 passengers per flight. In this phase, some more Indians stranded in Australia are likely to come home. With private airlines still not operating flights, stranded Indians remain dependent on the Vande Bharat Mission. mahitha.o@iijnm.org

Weather

Continued from page 1 Ranjana Agrawal, who booked an appointment on Pace Hospital’s website said: “It was a strange experience, but the doctor made sure I understood everything. I shared the reports on WhatsApp and he prescribed me medicine according to that.”

Her son added:”She was relieved to hear that there wouldn’t be any physical contact with the doctor.”

A report released by Apollo Medicine states that 1 million people registered for teleconsultation in three months. According to a review article by K. Ganapathy, director, Apollo Telemedicine Networking Foundation, there has been a ten­fold increase in telephonic consultation for Covid and non­Covid problems.

In a fast­paced world, where everything has been digitalized and dependent on technology, telehealth is likely to grow in the future. The global telehealth market was valued at US$61,401 million in 2019 and is projected to reach $5,59,518 million in 2027, a growth of more than 800 per cent, according to Fortune Business Insight.

A public health researcher at the All­India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, which is among the top healthcare centres in India, shared: “Telehealth is working well here, and patients prefer this method as they get a chance to consult some reputable doctors. We have seen a surge in TB cases and

neonatorum tetanus cases, a form of generalized tetanus that occurs in newborns, in online consultations.”

But digitalization in the sector has not been user­friendly for most people. But they are willing to give it a try. Dr Devashish Chatterjee, a general physician said: “At first, I was hesitating to use technology for online consultation, but… I got used to it. Physical non­ engagement with patients has reduced the risk of getting infected by the virus.”

Ganesh Kumar, a patient who consulted a doctor through Apollo’s telehealth facility, said he had to cancel his appointment as he was not proficient in online payment.

The next day, after taking a reappointment, he was fully satisfied with the services provided.

Even though the telehealth sector is of great utility in a time of crisis, certain things require changes. “Instead of telephonic conversation, videoconferencing should be given more emphasis because we need to examine the patient before diagnosing a disease,” said Dr Mukti.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, 375 “consults” (single­doctor experiences) were registered within two months.

Telehealth has helped to ‘resolve women’s health problems and issues in pregnancy as well during the pandemic. nidhi.k@iijnm.org

Continued from page 1 Anupradha Singh, a lawyer with the Human Rights Law Network, Delhi, said: "Right to housing is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution. In several legal battles…, it has been established by high courts that rehabilitation, as per the procedures laid down, must be done.”

The procedure for slum rehabilitation includes a survey followed by document verification. Then eligibility for rehabilitation is checked and then an alternative dwelling has to be provided. If a family or individual is found ineligible, then they have the option to file an appeal in the court. ”This procedure has not been followed in several cases. States have failed to provide for the people who migrate to cities in search of employment. The state’s failure compels the poor to build shanty houses,” Singh added. ”The notion that these are illegal encroachments is wrong.

It is not the government's land; it is the land which the government holds on behalf of the people,” Singh added.

Dev Pratap Singh said: “Rehabilitation has been done in similar cases like Maadipur Basti and Shakurpur Basti; government quarters have been provided. Considering the size of the population that has to be evicted, the majority of people will not benefit. I know more than 10,000 people living in one slum colony with no identity

proof such as Aadhaar.”

On September 24, more than a hundred slum dwellings were demolished by the DDA. According to a Times of India report, the demolition rendered hundreds homeless and none of the families was rehabilitated.

The National Green Tribunal on October 1, 2018, ordered the railways to raze encroachments in the safety zone. The railways constituted a special task force to overlook the demolition.

The STF, headed by Delhi Development Authority vice­ chairman Anurag Jain, failed to uproot the settlements for two years. In an affidavit submitted to the SC, the railways ascribed the delay to political interference.

Bijay Patel, director of public relations, DDA, refused to comment on the issue of political interference. ”These people will be forced to move to another (railway) station, and from there to another,” said Dev Pratap Singh. ”I have been distributing food in the slums since the lockdown was enforced. The people living in these slums are balloon sellers, toy sellers, and labourers.”

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta informed the court that the railway ministry is yet to decide on the issue. No coercive action can be taken by the railways until it gets a nod, he added.

The livelihood of the dwellers hangs in the balance. dhruv.r@iijnm.org

Temperature: Maximum: 27 degree Celsius Minimum: 20 degree Celsius Precipitation: 100% Wind: 14 km/h Humidity: 77%

Quiz Corner 1. Where does India stand in the Global Hunger index 2020?

2. The centre has increased the election campaign expenditure by how much percent?

3. Which country has approved the second Covid­19 vaccine after the preliminary trials?

4. Which country has been re­ elected as the president of the International Solar Alliance?

5. PM Narendra Modi will be attending 50 years of independence celebrations of which country?

For answers see page 3

Words of the Day Patricide – the crime of killing your own father.

Hellacious – exceptionally powerful or violent, extremely difficult.

Awesomesauce – used to say that something is extremely good, or that you are extremely pleased.

Manspreading – The act of a man sitting, especially on public transport, with his legs spread wide apart, in a way that means that the people next to him have less space.

Adduce – to give reasons why you think something is true.

Psephology – the study of elections and voting statistics

Rajkot restaurants see fall in revenue

By Nishita Agath Rajkot: Most restaurants that have resumed operations after Unlock 4.0 are experiencing losses and showing no signs of revival of business.

“Out of 70% of restaurants earning well before the lockdown, only 30% can run their business after Unlock 4.0; the rest have either shut down or are making losses. In August, restaurants were able to earn better and revive around 60% of their business that existed before the Covid-19 lockdown. But due to the rise in cases in September, they are incurring losses again,” Shekhar Mehta, president, Food and Beverage Association, Rajkot, informed The Observer.

Some restaurants have not yet reopened.

Customers’ apprehensions regarding health and safety measures is not the sole reason for the decline in the restaurant industry’s earnings.

Factors such as operational costs and rents also contribute to the issue.

“Increased rents, employee expenses, reduced number of customers, students going back home and other overhead expenses are some of the reasons contributing to the revenue shortfall. During June, we tied

up with Swiggy and Zomato.

Later, to ensure safety protocols, we developed our own application and appointed separate staff for same,” said Rinkesh Suthar, assistant general manager, Saraza restaurant, Rajkot.

“Saraza takes the responsibility of its 150 employees’ meals, medical needs, accommodation and health security. No employee was laid off due to Covid-19,” he added.

Established restaurants were able to revive their businesses.

But the newly established ones have not gained customers’ trust and hence suffered even more.

“Earlier, a minimum of five to seven families visited the restaurant daily. At present, we have begun our operations but hardly two families have visited daily in the past 15 days,” said Romi Paaji, owner, The Great Punjabi Dhabba.

“One month ago, when the restaurant was about to begin its dine-in services, the employees migrated to their respective hometowns due to which we had

By Abhisek Dutta Bankura: Fewer and cheaper orders this year has upset of Durga idols makers of Bankura.

Due to the pandemic, almost all Puja committees have demanded smaller idols in order to cut their budgets.

Artisans of many villages of Bankura district wait throughout the year for Durga Puja as idolmaking contributes in a big way to their annual income. They receive plenty of orders demanding various sorts of Durga idols – thematic, orthodox, big and small. But this year, all clubs and Puja committees have organised Durga Puja in a simple manner to cope with the deficit of their funds.

“Usually, I get at least 8-10 orders in a normal year which give me Rs 80,000 to Rs 1 lakh, but this year I made only five idols and earned less than Rs 50,000” said Ramkrishna Mandal, an artisan from the Indpur block. Though he got five orders, all of them were for small idols, so the prices were less than those last year, he added.

Prashanta Pal, who runs a house of idol makers called Shilpa Kendra, said: “Our full strength

is 13, but only eight people worked this year. We did not call the rest as we received 40 per cent less orders than the last year.

Some of my regular customers, who use to take idols of Rs 30,000, requested me to make idols worth Rs 6,000.”

Veteran idol maker Shukdeb Pal, who is famous for making theme idols, said: “Last year, I made six thematic idols, but this year all clubs refused to order thematic idols. All of them asked for orthodox ekchala (chala is the

structure of an idol, made of bamboo and canvas, that works as the background) idols.” Last year he made a thematic idol for Agami Din club for which he got Rs 50,000, but this year they asked for a Rs 15,000 idol.

Arabinda Acharya, a member of the Agami Din club working committee, said: “Last year we had the theme of ‘Save Water, Save Earth’ where Mahishashura was asking for water from Maa Durga dropping down the armaments. But this

to appoint new staff. Moreover, during the lockdown, only 50% payment was granted to staff,” said Balli Paaji, partner, The Great Punjabi Dhabba, which opened in February, a month before the lockdown.

However, a few firmly established restaurants have been able to revive their businesses.

Raj Kukadiya, owner of La Pino’z Pizza, said: “We are neither experiencing a revenue fallback nor a decline in customer visits since the day we reopened the restaurant.

On the first Wednesday, after we restarted dine-in services, the day’s earnings were Rs 2 lakh. There is not any major difference from pre-Covid days.”

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs first allowed takeaway services and then full-fledged dine-in services.

Crispy Buns owner Jenil Lakhani, who has shut down his eatery, said: “I tried to reopen my restaurant but was unable to do so because of the heavy losses and high rental charges. I cannot commit a mistake by reopening in such a situation.”

“Due to the rise in demand of employees and shortage of labour as most of them migrated back to their hometowns, the salary paid to us is 10% more than it was

year we have shifted to an orthodox form of Maa Durga.”

Chinmay Patra, secretary of Nabarun Sangha Puja committee, said: “First, we thought not to organise Puja this year. Finally, it is happening but obviously in a simpler way. We have wrapped up the idol part within Rs 12,000.”

Chitta Pal, who runs a shop of daak (crowns, ornaments and other products to decorate idols), said: “Our major demands were for smaller idols. I brought three daaks for bigger idols, but all of them are unsold.”

Shukdeb Pal said he earned Rs 3 lakh last year, but this year he faced a loss of at least Rs 1.5 lakh, while Ramkrishna Mandal suffered a loss of Rs 50,000.

But another artisan, Hiralal Pal, said: “I make idols mainly for family pujas. They can’t skip the puja so there is no big change in my earning this year.”

A group of artisans of Brahmandiha village in Bankura are hoping that the situation will improve by Saraswati Puja in February. abhisek.d@iijnm.org

paid earlier,” said Raman Paaji, employee, The Great Punjabi Dhabba.

V Mehta, an employee at a café, said: “The café earned zero income in the past one and half months. Due to this, it has been sold. Out of the ten employees, seven employees laid off.”

According to a TOI report, in Rajkot, deliveries have come down from 50,000 a day to 5,000.

People are reluctant to visit restaurants, leading to the closure of eateries that have a star rating of less than three.

People have stopped visiting cafés and street food vendors too.

Harsh Tilva, a diner at Saraza, shared: “During pre-Covid times, we used to visit a restaurant thrice a week. Now, we are unable to visit the restaurant due to safety concerns. This is the first time after six months I have visited a restaurant, and opted for a four-star restaurant.”

Dilip Bhutiya, a customer at Let’s Eat Restaurant, said: “I visited the restaurant last in February. Even though there are no Covid cases in our area, I am not comfortable with the new normal. I don’t trust the safety measures taken by restaurants.”

With people reluctant to eat out, the future looks bleak for the restaurant industry.

International Conference on Recent advancement in Medical education, Nursing and Health science Date and Time – 24th October, 09:00 AM to 6:00 PM Registration link: https://10times.com/icramnhludhiana International Conference on Environment, Food, Agriculture and BioTechnology Date and Time – 23rd October, 09:00 AM to 06:00 PM Registration link: https://10times.com/icefabtvaranasi Grace Hopper Celebration India Date and Time – 28 to 30 October, 07:30 AM to 08:30 PM Registration link: https://10times.com/gracehopper exhange4media Mobile Conference & Awards Date and Time – 23 October, 11:00 AM to 09:00 PM Registration link https://10times.com/exchangemedia-mobile-conferenceawards Answers to the Quiz on page 2: 1. 94 among 107 countries 2. 10 percent 3. Russia 4. India 5. Bangladesh

Going to college for online classes puts teachers at risk

Odisha institutions find it difficult to maintain safety norms

By Ashutosh Acharya Rourkela: The Odisha government’s decision to make it mandatory for teachers to go to colleges to hold online classes has led to an increase in the number of positive cases among teachers.

“Three teachers have tested positive for Covid­19 after they came to college,” said Dr Pradip Kumar Samantray, the head of the English department at Prananath Autonomous College, Khordha.

Saswat Mishra, commissioner­ cum­secretary, higher education department, issued a notification saying: “Given the Covid­19 pandemic, the government of Odisha has instructed all universities and colleges to remain closed for teaching till 31st August. This will result in a loss of teaching days and may completely disrupt the academic calendar. Therefore, all degree colleges are to start online teaching as per the following modalities, so that there will not be any disruption in learning during this period.”

Dr Samantray said: “We have been provided with sanitizers in college, but as many people use the same sanitizer, it is safer to carry your own sanitizer.”

The washrooms and common staff rooms are well sanitized, but not the classrooms. Physical distancing was initially followed, but with the ongoing +2 and +3 admissions, many students from all over the state come to the college with their parents, making it impossible to maintain distancing. “It is not possible for so many people to be tested for Covid­19. We do not have adequate equipment to do so.” Dr Samantray said regular Covid­19 testing was done during the evaluation of answer scripts of +2 students, but distancing was an issue.

By Mahitha Owk Hyderabad: Hawkers in weekly markets in Hyderabad’s Allapur division are eagerly waiting for them – the source of their livelihood – to reopen.

“We sold our gold to pay rent,” Satyanarayana and his wife Nagalakshmi, who sell snacks at a weekly market, informed The Observer.

The weekly Raythu Bazaars were started in 2015 to facilitate people to buy basic commodities near their homes.

The markets have been of great benefit to the public, who buy grocery at reasonable prices, and

Teachers at Prananath College (Autonomous), Khurda have been overburdened because of the 50% staff limit. | Ashutosh Acharya Dr Manoranjan Senapati, principal of Prananath Autonomous College, said: “We are following the government’s guidelines. The government has told us to work with 50% of staff each day.”Teachers can hold classes from their homes if they find it difficult to come to the college.

“The common rooms and the premises are sanitized daily, but we are facing problems in maintaining safety guidelines during the admission procedure.”

Dr Senapati added that 10­20% of the teachers do not come to college, so other teachers are overburdened.

“We held a meeting on maintaining safety measures for

to sellers, who can avoid middlemen.

Pilli Lavanya, who regularly buys from these markets, said she is forced to buy household commodities for a higher price because the Raythu Bazaars are not open. Her husband, who worked as a clerk, lost his job, making their life difficult.

The president of the Gayathri Nagar Colony committee, Badhipudi Ramulu, said they are not permitting the markets to reopen as hundreds of people visit them, making them unsafe in the Covid­19 situation. “I am answerable to the people if the virus spreads through the

the evaluation of the +3 final year answer script on October 8,” Dr. Senapati said. “The results of the exams will be out by October 31.The +3 final year exams were held online this year. Evaluation work will also be held online with maximum safety precautions.”

Ms Madhusmita Pattanaik, a teacher in the Government(SSD) Higher Education School, Bhubaneswar, a school for tribal students, added that during the lockdown, the e­SuVidya app was used to teach the students.

After the lockdown was lifted, teachers had to travel to slums to teach students there.

“The students think this is some

Daggupati Anitha now sells vegetables and fruits for her livelihood.| Mahitha Owk markets.”

Nagabushan, an ex­supervisor of the markets, echoed Ramulu’s

kind of fun,” she shared. “Most of the students focus on the meal that is served after classes, not on their studies. Now that no food is served, we are witnessing a steady decline in the number of students.”

Pattanaik teaches in a community hall in the slum where the students live. “Each teacher has been assigned to a slum. A single teacher has to take care of students of different classes which disrupts proper teaching.”

Basic equipment like blackboards and books are not available in many halls. Physical distancing is maintained and the wearing of masks has been made compulsory.

“Even though the hall is sanitized properly before and after classes, the government should take care of the home environment, and encourage not only the students but also their families to send their kids to schools and to take proper safety measures,” Pattanaik said.

Dr Mihir Kumar Das, officer­in­ charge, higher education ministry, said the detailed guidelines had been put up on the department’s website. He refused to make any comment.

Some of the guidelines are: • Teachers shall form WhatsApp or/and email groups of students not exceeding 32 in one group.

• Teachers shall provide a soft copy of notes/ textbooks/ reference books / good PPTs to students either through WhatsApp or email to study at home.

• Teachers shall conduct online classes with students for at least 2 to 3 hours per day for three days a week. They can use Google Meet/ Zoom/Skype or other digital platforms. The online classes must be conducted from the college premises.

ashutosh.a@iijnm.org

view. He said the markets should be closed until a Covid­19 vaccine is available. Even the committee lost money because the sellers are unable to pay the Rs 30­ 50 they used to pay as development charge.

Daggupati Anitha who lost her job as a maid, said she and her husband – who earlier sold at Raythu Bazaars – now sell vegetables but are unable to earn enough.

Nagalakshmi said the division committee members should consider the sellers’ problems.

The markets should be reopened by insisting on safety measures like social distancing, wearing

Citizens' Voice 9­day hypocrisy program The Patriarchy that avails every trivial opportunity to detract, abuse, and traumatize women every single day, takes a small detour for nine days to celebrate Navarathri. During these seldom aided days, the irony is upheld by worshiping the goddess, Durga.

Padmini Dhruvaraj

LGBTQI+ rights "Delhi High Court's plea to Supreme Court to include same­ sex marriages under the Foreign Marriage Act and Special Marriage Act is a bold move and one that cannot be contested. It is a step towards an inclusive future yet one that sticks to the heteronormative norms of a marriage institution.

Nonetheless, a step forward."

Aayushi Parekh

Bihar assembly elections In the forthecoming Bihar elections. At one side you have the BJP and their NDA, the big daddies. On the other there's the underdog, LJP taking their aim solely on Nitish's JD(U).

In the third corner, a whimpering Congress and Tejaswi's RJD, looking to make their mark.

If that wasn't enough, you also have Owasi's AIMIM, BSP looking to woo the Muslim voter who feels alienated from the central government.

Jaskiran Singh

Team Observer Editor: Nishita A. Copy Editors: Nishita A., Dhruv R., Mahitha O., Nidhi K., Ashutosh A., Abhisek D. Photo Editors: Dhruv R., Ashutosh A. Page Layout: Nishita A., Dhruv R., Nidhi K., Ashutosh A., Abhisek D. Reporters: Nishita A., Dhruv R., Mahitha O., Nidhi K., Ashutosh A., Abhisek D. Supplements: Nishita A.

masks and using sanitizers.

Allapur division president Nandu Pushpa Reddy said that to help the sellers, the committee, with the help of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, is granting Rs 10,000 loans at low interest rates to eligible candidates. But the sellers said they don’t want to take these loans as it isn’t possible for them to pay back anytime soon.

Although many people will benefit by reopening the markets, they are likely to remain closed for some time. All stakeholders await opening up.

mahitha.o@iijnm.org

Urdu has seen a welcome though unexpected revival following the anti­CAA protests, writes

L

ast December at the Shaheen Bagh protests, Urdu poetry seemed to gain a new lease of life.

Revolutionary rhymes in Urdu conveyed the hope, resentment and anger of a people aroused.

Some wrote couplets on posters and banners while others sang verses as a dirge for democracy.

Urdu, once again, had become the language of defiance.

Faiz Ahmed Faiz's Hum Dekhenge seemed to be on everyone’s lips. Soon after the announcement of Citizenship Act Amendment and the National Registry of Citizens, people across the country were squatting in the streets in protest. “Hum dekhenge became synonymous with the CAA­NRC protests,” said Riya Bagariya, a student from Mumbai who made a documentary about the CAA­ NRC protests. “An anthem is associated with dissent, highlighting so much that has gone wrong.”

While protestors spoke and shouted slogans in a multitude of languages, Urdu poetry best captured the spirit of the times

and gave the movement its distinctive voice. From JNU to Shaheen Bagh, people rallied to the powerful verses of Habib Jalib's Dastoor. As a vocalist sang, “Kyun daraate ho zindaan ki deewar se? Zulm ki baat ko, jehl ki raat ko. Main nahi maanta, main nahi jaanta (Why do you threaten me with prison walls? This act of cruelty, this night of ignorance. I refuse to accept; I refuse to acknowledge it).”

And not merely the voices, but banners, posters and walls were covered with verse. The words they carried, the emotions they evoked, like Inquilaab (revolution), zulm (oppression) and taanashah (dictator) resonated with common people suddenly threatened with the loss of their homes, their country, their identity. Jamia Millia University and Shaheen Bagh became centres of resistance and Urdu was the language of the moment.

One of the reasons why Urdu found such wide appeal is because it’s the voice of the oppressed. “I think Hindi and

Urdu together is the culture of Jamia, so the same was reflected in this movement. Jamia has a strong voice of dissent which follows the ganga­jamni tehzeeb which is of brotherhood and unity in diversity,” said Naila Asim, a student protestor from Jamia.

Young poets were inspired to step up and recite new verse. One such poet was Aamir Aziz, who held the nation in thrall with his Sab Yaad Rakha Jaega (Everything shall

be remembered).

S

aid Diya Bachchani, a member of a documentary collective called Voice of Art, “I remember I went to Delhi for a college project and spoke to students of Jamia. One of them quoted some beautiful Urdu lines from Kaifi Azmi’s Aurat which hit me so hard. “Qadr ab tak teri taarikh ne jaani hi nahi, teri hasti bhi hai ek chiz jawani hi nahi (History has still not

acknowledged your worth, your existence too is as real as your youth).”

These protests somehow brought back the essence of Urdu, a language that is sadly dying in India. The wealth of ideas on display wasn’t confined to the issues that provoked the protests. A couplet by Allama Iqbal, featured prominently on banners, extolled the worth of women: Tu Shaheen hai, parwaaz hai kaam tera (You are an eagle, flight is your vocation).

That was apt, as women provided much of the leadership in the protests.

Also, websites like Ishq Urdu and Rekhta were quick to grab the attention of youngsters by posting couplets written by a range of poets and translated into English, which allowed even non­Urdu speakers to comprehend and share their sentiments. Thus overnight, Urdu became a common language among people from all walks of life, crystallising the essence of the protestors collective feelings and acting as a catalyst for the movement.

A harrowing tale of the ghosts of our pasts, reviewed by Kohli), housekeeper Hannah Grose (T’Nia Miller) and groundskeeper Jamie (Amelia Eve) — are as welcoming as anyone could expect. Nothing is amiss at first glance. Except for the creepy faceless doll in Flora’s bedroom; and Dani’s past that she carries with her, a reflection of a dark shadow with hollow white eyes. As the story progresses, we see how each character is dealing with loss.

Each one of them haunted with guilt, trying to move on and failing.

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ike Flanagan’s retelling of Henry James’ novella The Turn of the Screw in a new series for Netflix, The Haunting of Bly Manor, adds more depth to the characters as a tragic story of love and loss unfolds.

“It’s me. It’s you. It’s us.”

These words connect the characters and themes of the Bly

Manor across time and space. We meet Danielle (Victoria Pedretti) in London 1987, being interviewed for the position of a full­time au pair (governess) for bereaved siblings Flora (Amelie Bea Smith) and Miles (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), who live in a beautiful country manor. But there is a twist, as Dani soon discovers. The children are not

only dealing with the immense grief of their parents loss but also the suicide of their previous governess Rebecca Jessel (Tahirah Sharif).

The children are “perfectly splendid” and welcoming. Flora is curiously cheerful and Miles eerily sophisticated. The other members of the staff at the Manor — cook Owen (Rahul

erhaps the most destructive of all is the story of sisters Viola (Kate Siegel) and Perdita (Katie Parker) in the 17th century whose tale of love and jealousy have cast an eternal curse on the Bly Manor. The curse of never moving on. The horrors of Bly Manor, as is revealed, are not shadows lurking in hallways but a much more sinister fear of fading away into oblivion.

Without love. If one looks closely, we see that the Haunting of Bly Manor wants us to be bold and vulnerable in love. It puts the characters through a range of emotions that mixes melancholy with foreboding, keeping the viewers entangled with human frailties rather than the ghosts.

The show uses a narrator’s voice, to help create distance from the goings on at Bly Manor.

She begins to tell a ghost story to a group of guests at a wedding in California in 2007. It’s only at the end of the season that it becomes clear what her voice represents; but, as a narrative device, she explains away motivations that might otherwise have added depth to the darkness. The writers ultimately win not in the portrayal of dark corners and scary dolls but the feeling of love the story generates. The warmth the characters create with their love makes the loss that much more painful, of loss not only in death but also in memory.

“We lay my love and I beneath the weeping willow. But now alone I lie and weep beside thetree. Singing, oh willow waly, till my lover return to me.” These words are maybe the best way to express the loneliness the show captures and, that is the real horror many of us experience. In the end, Bly Manor is much more about the horror of accepting loss in real life; of accepting the truth that awaits us all in death. It reminds us that while death awaits, the solace of companionship is what we can look for so that they can remember us when we are gone.

Sexual violence against women in film is a reflection of reality but is increasingly becoming a cause for concern, writes

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he final episode of the much­awaited Amazon Prime series Mirzapur scheduled for release this month shows a wheelchair­bound man forcing his daughter­in­law at gunpoint to sexually gratify another man.

Outside the constraints of box­office collections and film certification, streaming platforms have created an unimagined space in India for both the consumers and creators of entertainment.

Stories from the Hindi­ heartland that were rendered invisible in the mainstream have found their place here.

At the heart of any trending Indian television show lies a handful of genres; crime, money, sex and a heavy dose of Hindi cuss words. And what happens when a group of men sit down and create a film that combines these elements to construct their idea of the real world? Women get hurt.

If you had to recall the last three Indian web shows that you watched and remember how

University, Delhi. “Cinema is not creating it but is merely capturing it. Hathras did not happen because someone made a film, it’s the other way around.”

Pallavi Paul, a PhD student at the Centre for Arts and Aesthetics, JNU, says that the real question that we must ask is, “whether they (creators) are merely reproducing the world or is it aimed at actually creating a world for us to discuss and debate”.

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many of those had at least one scene of sexual violence against women, you shouldn’t be surprised.

Asks Journalist Karishma Upadhyay, the author of Parveen Babi: A Life and a current writer at Firstpost, “In the name of realism, how much is too much? Because after a point, it loses its impact. It just becomes another scene. By the

third time, I am not flinching that a woman has been raped,” she says.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau, an average of 87 rape cases were registered in India every day in 2019. “There is already sexual violence in the society”, says Krishna Menon, Dean of humanities at Ambedkar

he cites an example of the much­contested episode of Pataal Lok, titled ‘A History of Violence” to add, “While all of these are rapes, the circumstances of these rapes are not elided over. A woman is not shown as a monolithic abstraction, she also has a caste identity and cultural rooting.”

Riddhima Kapoor, a BA (Hons) student of JNU, couldn’t sleep for three nights after watching the episode.

She can’t

understand how anyone can believe a man can rape a woman and just walk away, free of taint or consequence.

“Pataal Lok is a great example because it is a well­made show and it tells the story of people we don’t necessarily know. But a lot of sexual violence in the show is used as a backstory to tell why men turn to a life of crime,” explains Upadhyay. “Most of the writing crew on these shows are men, which is why in a show like Made in Heaven, written and directed by women, there are consequences” for heinous acts.

Mirzapur and Pataal Lok list no women directors or writers in their teams. But as Dean Menon points out, women can also internalize the “male­gaze” and end up producing the same kind of degrading cinema. Thus, there comes a need to stop looking at it as a male versus female and instead see the issue in the context of the role of cinema in society. If these scenes can provoke a dialogue on sexual violence, then all would not be lost.

Our legal notions of sexual predation are outdated, writes

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he Constitution of India states upholds equality before the law and says no one will be discriminated against based on gender, caste, religion, etc. But, rape laws in India favour women over men. As Meedini Kode, a student at Padala Rama Reddi Law College in Hyderabad points out, “The judicial system should recognise that men also can be raped and sexually assaulted.”

Section 375 of the India Penal

Court define rape as, intercourse with a woman against her will, without her consent, by coercion, misrepresentation or fraud, when she has been intoxicated or duped or is of unsound mental health and in any case if she is under 18 years of age. So, by definition, the law holds that rapists are men and their victims are women.

The world over men are raped or sexually assaulted, whether in prison or the armed forces. An

article in the European Journal of International Law points out that cases of sexual assault against men during war are rarely highlighted as with cases of violence against women. The article lists rape, enforced sterilization, genital mutilation, enforced nudity, enforced masturbation and dominance as instances of violence against men.

Rahul (not his real name), 25, who is pursuing his masters in information technology in Hyderabad, was a victim of sexual assault. He says he was too young to even realise what was happening to him when his neighbour would take him to a construction site and sexually assault him.

“I was scared to even go out because I was scared to encounter him,” he recollects. As a kid, he thought that it was all very normal.

Adds Kode, “Boys are the most vulnerable as they don’t even know what is happening with them.”

Data on sexual crimes against men in India is sketchy. Most people

don’t even realise the law is lopsided, because the media does not focus on the issue as much as it does when it involves women.

Sonali Sudhakar, a homemaker in Hyderabad, says that she was not aware of the issue until very recently as she never heard or saw it discussed on TV channels while she’s constantly reminded of violence against women.

“The very fact when we speak of gender equality, equal rights for both genders should be passed with the right steps and provisions without having to ignore the aspects that can exploit any of the genders,” she believes.

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or several reasons, male victims of sexual violence rarely admit to having been assaulted, let alone complain to the police or publicly demand justice. Firstly, due to the stereotype that men are stronger than women, their misplaced sense of masculinity makes them hesitant to ask for help. Secondly, our society looks down on a man who has been sexually assaulted, perceiving him as weak. Thirdly, they are scared that people might perceive them as homosexuals, who consent to sex with other men but suffer assault instead.

Finally, they don’t know who to

approach and what to do as laws are ambivalent.

Santosh Patel, a member of Purush Adhikar Sangh, an NGO working for the rights of men in Hyderabad, says that men know very little about their rights saying, “The public should fight to bring balance when it comes to rights for men.” He says that people complain about the ills of dowry and how brides are tortured for money, but very few are aware of reverse dowry where men pay dowries to women. Mehr in Islamic law is a mandatory bride price that every groom must pay.

The UK, the US, Canada, and Australia have made their criminal and civil laws gender­ neutral. It’s time India did the same.