-Manohar Yadavatti

When the whole world is embroiled and perplexed with the challenges entangled in combating the deadly China originated Coronavirus pandemic the country is now faced with the woes of relaxing lockdown stipulations. Interestingly these measures are being thought of when there is a gradual surge in the number of infections and fatalities connected with the Covid-19!
Thanks to multidimensional adversities as a result of the lockdown, the Government sources put forth their pathetic plight due to unseen and unheard recession, economic slowdown and shutting down of all manufacturing units paving way to total loss of regular resources while on the other hand exhausting available funds for the welfare of less privileged citizens.

However, this desperate situation on the part of the government leading to relaxation of complete lockdown measures has also given rise to a paradoxical condition which the health experts foresee bound to culminate into a much more worsening state of affairs.
But what one is not able to understand is the reluctance of people who have a travel history of visiting places. The government doesn’t charge any alarming price while by and large it happens to be free or at a meagre rate.
Even assuming that one is symptomatic or found with infections it is again the government which is taking the entire responsibility of taking complete care of the treatment until recovery and till discharge of the said person.
Yet it continues to be a big wonder as to why people are so scared and running away from undergoing these tests and relevant examinations to confirm or nullify the pandemic. But what is worrying and cannot be easily gauzed is the tendency of people by and large least bothered about the lockdown measures and moving around freely as if nothing has happened at all? Perhaps it looks to be an interesting subject for the Psychologists to ponder about.
Dr Ganga Yenagi, Professor at the Department of Psychology, University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) Dharwad is of the opinion that there could be several reasons for such public behaviour. People belonging to different economic strata have multiple explanations to give to the authorities but the real intentions could be something else?
To view it in a different perspective the fact can be interpreted to the overconfidence level of the countrymen. They might be under an impression or illusion that their immunity level is far better than the foreigners who are becoming an easy prey to the Covid-19, she says.
Probably, it is quite possible that the middle class people might have got bored sitting at home for days and weeks continuously which has not been heard or experienced of so far. On the contrary some of them may be moving around to buy essential commodities whereas in the case of less fortunate beings, they might be on the lookout of jobs, she feels.
Dr Anirudha R Podder, Consultant and Head of Gynaec-oncology Mahavir Cancer Sansthan, Patna has a caution on the gradual relaxation of lockdown norms as he says: The third phase of India’s lockdown began on 04 May and will last till coming 17. But already certain restrictions have been eased out during this period and unfortunately in the first six days of this period the number of people with Covid-19 has increased from 40,000 to 60,000. Talking purely from the standpoint of the containment of the disease, what are the concerns as India prepares for the removal of the lockdown in a phased manner, he ponders over.
He deals with the issue in detail: Firstly, there would be spurt in the number of cases, as indicated in the data over the last one week. Lockdown mainly serves the purpose of flattening the curve, which means that it will ensure that there is no sudden spurt, or a deluge in the number of cases being reported, which would make it impossible for the healthcare system to handle the load. One must not forget that there are many asymptomatic carriers who will quietly recover from the infection but might transmit the infection to others…
…Secondly, there are reports of policemen, paramilitary forces, and health care workers who are involved in the imposition of the lockdown and the care of patients themselves testing positive. The (temporary) loss of manpower in these sectors which are paramount in the country’s fight against the pandemic is definitely a matter of great concern…

…Thirdly, for how long can do medical fraternity procrastinate the treatment of other medical conditions like cancers, heart disease, kidney disease, neurological conditions etc. One can postpone surgery for cataracts, joint replacement etc. for couple of months. But it is not possible to postpone procedures like radiation, chemotherapy, dialysis for more than a week or two without disastrous consequences. Deliveries which are due will also have to be conducted as indicated, he points out in defence of his statement.
Dr Anirudha R Podder also warns: Considering all these factors, it is not merely the number of infected persons, or the speed with which the infection is spreading within the community that is to be considered, but how severely affected are the infected persons, and how quickly are the infected persons recovering; and how effectively are the home quarantine measures being implemented. This would hold the key to India’s battle against pandemic.
So should we be lifting the lockdown in the coming days, when we have actually seen the cases surge, seeing record increase in the number of new cases each passing day?
The answer may not be straightforward, not a simple yes or no. Given the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, for which we do not have any past references, any instances of successful or unsuccessful handling of the situation to guide us, the best way forward is to remove the lockdown in small instalments and autocorrect according to the response, he stresses.
We have seen countries like Singapore which had successfully contained the spread of infection now face a second surge. After bringing back stranded workers from abroad, states like Kerala are gearing up for the second wave. As mentioned before, it is not the number of infected persons which should be worrying us. There already might be lakhs of asymptomatic carriers in the community; if the majority of the infected are going to be asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic then this is reassuring. We should be able to identify the vulnerable groups and protect them. 
We should know how to protect healthcare workers, police and the paramilitary forces. They are the last people who can afford to fall sick points out Dr Anirudha R Podder.

He also says: Places where large number of people congregate- places of worship, malls, parks and gardens, Cinemas should remain closed since there is nothing emergency or ‘essential for life’ about them.
Speaking purely as a medical person, everything else should slowly be reopened with strict monitoring. Medical personnel also have an additional responsibility when it comes to identifying cases. Unexpected deaths are always happening to a variety of reasons ranging from pre-existing conditions like heart disease, diabetes etc. to complications arising due to surgery, he reminds.
He mixes no words in mentioning: It is very important to detect every Covid patient even retrospectively. Convincing public across all communities to overcome their fears about testing and quarantine, and providing guidelines to medical personnel regarding recording and identifying all cases is essential as we prepare to remove the lockdown in a phased manner…
…This is important since new guidelines will have to be prepared and dispatched to all the Healthcare providers depending on the changing trends. One has to balance overreaction and over cautiousness from ‘sleeping over the issue’. No matter how long the lockdown is imposed, there is bound to be a surge when the lockdown is lifted.
In conclusion, strict monitoring and quick identification of any loophole and its rectification is the key as we prepare to come out of the lockdown, he concludes.

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday announced Rs 3 lakh crore collateral free automatic loan for businesses, including MSMEs.

This will benefit 45 lakh small businesses, she said detailing parts of the Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus package.

The loan will have 4 year tenure and will have 12 month moratorium, she said.

Also, Rs 20,000 crore subordinate debt will be provided for stressed MSMEs, she said adding this would benefit 2 lakh such businesses.

New Delhi: Passengers who are disallowed from travelling on trains because of symptoms associated with the novel coronavirus will receive full refund for their tickets, the railways has said.

According to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, all passengers shall be compulsorily screened and only asymptomatic passengers shall be allowed to enter/board trains.

“If, during screening, a passenger has very high temperature/symptoms of COVID-19 etc., he shall not be allowed to travel despite having confirmed tickets. In such case full refund shall be provided to the passenger,” the order stated.

It said that on a group ticket if one passenger is found unfit to travel and all other passengers on the same PNR also do not want to travel, in that case full refund shall be granted for all passengers.

In case of a group ticket if one passenger is found unfit to travel but the other passengers on the same PNR want to travel, full refund of fare shall be granted to the passenger who was not allowed to travel.

“For all the above cases, TTE certificates as per extant practice shall be issued to the passenger at the entry/checking/screening point itself mentioning number of passengers not travelled due to symptoms of COVID-19 in one or more passengers,” it stated.

“Full fare for the part passenger/full who have not travelled shall be refunded by IRCTC in the customer’s account,” it said.

Muzaffarnagar: Six migrant workers, who were walking to their homes in Bihar from Punjab, were killed and five others seriously injured when a speeding bus ran over them on the Delhi-Saharanpur Highway in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district, officials said on Thursday.

The incident took place on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday between Ghalauli check-post and Rohana Toll Plaza, about 20 km from here, Senior Superintendent of Police Abhishek Yadav said.

The bus driver has been arrested, the SSP said. Locals suspect that the driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.

Two of the deceased persons were identified as Bijender, 25, and Harsh, 20. The rest were yet to be identified, police said. The injured — Sushil, Nathu Saini, Pawan Saini, Pramod and Ramji Rai –were rushed to hospital, they said.

New Delhi: Embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who is fighting against his extradition to India, on Thursday asked the government to accept his offer to repay 100 per cent of his loan dues and close case against him.

While congratulating the Indian government over the Rs 20 lakh crore economic package, Mallya lamented that his repeated offers to repay his dues have been ignored.

“Congratulations to the Government for a Covid 19 relief package. They can print as much currency as they want BUT should a small contributor like me who offers 100% payback of State owned Bank loans be constantly ignored?” he said in a tweet.

Mallya, promoter of the defunct Kingfisher Airlines, who is wanted in India over alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to estimated Rs 9,000 crore, added,”Please take my money unconditionally and close.”

Earlier this month, Mallya had filed an appeal in the UK Supreme Court after losing an appeal in the London High Court against an extradition order to India on alleged charges of fraud and money laundering related to unrecovered loans to Kingfisher Airlines.

In the past, Mallya had tweeted that he had offered to pay 100 per cent of the amount borrowed by Kingfisher Airlines to the banks but neither banks were willing to take the money nor the Enforcement Directorate was willing to release his attached assets at the behest of the banks.

According to official data, 55 migrant labourers infected with the COVID-19 have returned from New Delhi between May 4 and May 12 by trains to Bihar.

PATNA: In the past nine days, the number of migrant labourers turning positive for COVID-19 is higher for retuness from New Delhi, Gujarat and Maharashtra in Bihar.

With the mass return of migrant workers by the special trains, the health department prepared for data for the period of May 4 to May 12 till 10 am.

The data has been prepared first nine days after the positive cases started getting reported from rural areas in particular w.r.t return of migrant workers by trains.

According to official data, 55 migrant labourers infected with the COVID-19 have returned from New Delhi between May 4 and May 12 by trains to Bihar.

Gujarat followed New Delhi with 46 migrant workers infected positive with COVID-19.

After Gujarat has been followed by Maharashtra from where 44 migrants have returned carrying COVID-19 infection. Out of the 44, two of them, aged about 60 and 45, were among the six positive patients who have died so far in the state.

The neighbouring state West Bengal stands as the fourth state from where 16 migrant labourers have returned carrying infection including a group of six in Samastipur.

Compared to West Bengal, another neighbouring state Uttar Pradesh repatriated only 11 migrant labourers infected with COVID-19 followed by six from Rajasthan,3 from Telangana, 3 from Haryana and 1 from Kerala and 1 from Jharkhand.

Among all the 190 COVID-19 positive cases, infection trails of four migrants are still not being ascertained as to from where or whom they have been infected with.

Among Bihar’s 37 affected districts, Begusarai has witnessed the highest number of 26 COVID- 19 positive migrant labourers followed by 15 in Nalanda, 13 in each Bhagalpur and Munger, 11 in Saharsa, 10 in Khagaria, 8 in Samastipur, 7  each in Sheikhpura, Darbhanga and Madhepura, 6 each in Muzaffarpur and Arwal and rest in other districts.

Principal Secretary of Health Department, Sanjay Kumar said that all these migrants have been placed under institutional quarantine centers across the concerned areas. He said that the total count of Covid-19 positive reached 830 on Tuesday with 52 fresh cases reported positive.

New Delhi: Over 80,000 passengers have booked tickets worth over Rs 16 crore on the special trains so far, the Indian Railways said on Tuesday, hours before the first such train is scheduled to depart from the New Delhi station for Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh.

The bookings for these special trains began at 6 pm on Monday.

So far, 45,533 bookings (PNRs) worth Rs 16.15 crore have been recorded for the special trains for the next seven days, the railways said, adding that around 82,317 passengers will travel against these bookings.

The railways issued guidelines on Monday for 15 special trains, which will be operated from Tuesday, asking the passengers to carry their own food and linen, and arrive at stations at least 90 minutes before departure for a health screening.

On Tuesday, the national transporter said installing the Aarogya Setu mobile application was mandatory for the passengers.

The railways will run eight trains on Tuesday — three from New Delhi terminating at Dibrugarh, Bengaluru and Bilaspur, and one each from Howrah, Rajendra Nagar (Patna), Bengaluru, Mumbai Central and Ahmedabad, which will terminate at Delhi.

These special trains will only have air-conditioned coaches.

Since the trains will be operated amidst the ongoing nationwide lockdown, only the passengers with confirmed e-tickets will be allowed to enter the stations.

The fares of these trains will be equivalent to that of the Rajdhani trains and passengers can book tickets up to seven days in advance. However, no RAC, wait-list ticket or on-board booking by the ticket-checking staff will be permitted, the railways said.

The national transporter had suspended its passenger services in view of the lockdown imposed to check the spread of coronavirus.

Naqvi’s remarks come days after a wave of angry reactions on Twitter by citizens, activists from various Arab countries following allegations that Muslims are being blamed spreading COVID-19 in India.

NEW DELHI” Minorities are “flourishing” in India and have been an equal partner in development without discrimination under the Modi government, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Tuesday, dismissing allegations of Islamophobia as an attempt to defame the country.

The “Narendra Modi phobia club” has been unable to digest the inclusive growth under the prime minister and is engaged in a “nefarious campaign” in India and abroad through fake propaganda alleging “intolerance, communalism and discrimination” against minorities in India, Naqvi said.

In a blog titled “Islamophobia — Bogey of Bogus Bashing Brigade”, the minority affairs minister argued that the “Modi phobia club” is playing the “Islamophobia card” to harm the pluralistic fabric of India, but will not succeed.

Naqvi’s remarks come days after a wave of angry reactions on Twitter by citizens and rights activists from various Arab countries following allegations that Muslims are being blamed for spreading COVID-19 in parts of India.

Also, the 57-member prominent international Mulim grouping, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, recently accused India of “Islamophobia”.

India has dismissed all such allegations.

“Minorities in India are flourishing equally with all the citizens with a sense of equality, security and prosperity.

Misinformation against such a gracious and tolerant country and its effective leadership is nothing but the height of ignorance and mental bankruptcy,” Naqvi said.

He claimed that no riot took place in last 5 years of the Modi government and it was after “nefarious preaching” by those who were irked by this that the Delhi riots happened.

Naqvi said the women who sat on protests at Shaheen Bagh cannot be termed “anti-nationals” but they had been “misguided by the bogus bashing brigade”.

This brigade pushed these women on a path which had an “entry gate” but no “exit gate”, the minister said.

This was a “calculated conspiracy” by the brigade that wants to defame and disgrace Modi and India, Naqvi said.

He also argued that for the “first time since Independence”, India has forged close and strong ties with nearly all Islamic nations and countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Afghanistan, Russia, Palestine, Mauritius and the Maldives have conferred Modi with their highest civilian awards.

“The United Nations has also conferred Narendra Modi with the prestigious ‘Champions of the Earth Award’.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s global acceptance and popularity doesn’t need any certificate,” Naqvi said.

The Modi government never planned development on the basis of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians or on region and caste, and its priority has been the poor and deprived, Naqvi said, adding that still some people with a “prejudiced mindset” are trying to defame India by raising the bogey of Islamophobia.

There is not a single incident of discrimination against any section of the society, including minorities under the Modi government, the minister asserted.

All sections, including minorities, are strongly moving forward on the path of “development with dignity” under the Modi government, he said.

When the challenges due to the coronavirus were in initial stages across the world in early January and several countries, including Pakistan, had not taken care of their people abroad, it was the Modi government that brought back thousands of Indians stranded in Wuhan (China), Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and other countries, Naqvi said, adding that a majority of these people were Muslims.

In the recent Vande Bharat Mission also, the Indian government is bringing back thousands of Indians from countries such as the Maldives, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar and other countries which include a large number of Muslims, he pointed out.

“Strong eternal commitment of my country will defeat and demolish the fake and fabricated Islamophobia card of the ‘India bashing brigade’,” Naqvi said in his blog.

The 87-year-old Congress leader was discharged around 12:30 pm, hospital sources said. Singh was shifted to a private ward in the Cardio-Neuro tower on Monday night.

NEW DELHI: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh, who was admitted to the AIIMS here after suffering reaction to a new medication, was discharged on Tuesday.

The 87-year-old Congress leader was discharged around 12:30 pm, hospital sources said.

Singh was shifted to a private ward in the Cardio-Neuro tower on Monday night.

He was also tested for COVID-19 and his results had come out negative, the sources said.The Congress leader was admitted to the hospital on Sunday evening after he complained of uneasiness.

The sources said that Singh had developed a reaction to a new medication and was admitted to AIIMS  for observation and investigation.

Singh is currently a Member of Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan.

He was the prime minister between 2004 and 2014.

In 2009, Singh underwent a successful coronary bypass surgery at the AIIMS.

PM Modi had hinted in yesterday’s meeting that the lockdown would continue, but with far less restrictions.

PM Modi has asked states to send in suggestions for changes to the current rules by May 15

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 8 pm today, a day after his six-hour meeting with Chief Ministers on the road ahead after May 17, when the nationwide coronavirus lockdown is due to end. This will be his third such address since he announced the lockdown in late March to slow the spread of the highly infectious COVID-19.

The Prime Minister may speak on the crisis of thousands of migrants on the move, desperate to reach home after losing their jobs during the lockdown. Walking, cycling, hitching rides on trucks or even riding autorickshaws, many have lost their lives in accidents or because of hunger and exhaustion.

Yesterday, in his online meeting with Chief Ministers, the PM had said while their movement would impact states, if they were determined, they should be able to return home in the next 10 days. “It is human nature to want to go home,” he had said.

“We know that this will lead to a spike in infections, but this will help free the country from coronavirus,” he added, urging states to prepare a plan for the migrants and to boost economic activity.

PM Modi had also hinted in the meeting that the lockdown – extended twice – would continue, but with far less restrictions.

“I am of the firm view that the measures needed in the first phase of lockdown were not needed during the second phase and similarly the measures needed in the third phase are not needed in the fourth,” the Prime Minister said, according to a statement released after the meeting.

Restrictions like a night curfew and limited public transport may continue in areas worst affected by COVID-19, sources said.

All Chief Ministers spoke at the meeting and while some favoured continuing the tough restrictions, many talked about easing restrictions significantly except in the red zones, or those with maximum infections. Transport, shops and other economic activity should be reopened gradually in zones designated green or orange, with relatively less virus cases, the Chief Ministers said.

PM Modi has asked states to share by May 15 (Friday) a broad strategy on how they would want to deal with the lockdown regime. “I want states to make a blue print on how to deal with various nuances during and after the gradual easing of the lockdown”, he said.

After his last meeting with Chief Ministers in April, the government had relaxed the rules for businesses and ctransport.

Coronavirus cases in India crossed 70,000 today.

The lockdown, the world’s biggest, was enforced on March 25, with the government asking people to go out only for food and medicines.