Home Blog Page 4427

Actor Madhavan to soon release movie on Nambi Narayanan, a scientist who was hounded and persecuted by Congress: Watch trailer

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Actor Madhavan to soon release movie on Nambi Narayanan, a scientist who was hounded and persecuted by Congress: Watch trailer

The much-awaited trailer of Rocketry-The Nambi Effect starring actor R Madhavan was unveiled on Thursday. The movie stars versatile actor R Madhavan playing the character of Nambi Narayanan, a former scientist and aerospace engineer of the Indian Space Research Organisation, who was hounded and persecuted by the Congress government.

Rocketry-The Nambi Effect is shot in three languages—Tamil, Hindi and English—and is the directorial debut of actor R Madhavan. The movie is set to release later this year. Here’s the trailer of the movie:-

Source: YouTube

The trailer captures the real-life story of former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan, his professional success and events that led to his imprisonment and police cases against him by the then governments. Many scenes in the trailer are hard-hitting and reminiscent of the forgotten pain of one of India’s most decorated and criticised scientist.

How Congress hounded India’s most celebrated rocket scientist Nambi Narayanan

It is pertinent to note that scientist Nambi Narayan was a victim of persecution by the Congress party. The political rivalry between the two factions of the Kerala Congress party led to the arrest of Narayanan, along with two other scientists D Sasikumaran and K Chandrasekhar in November 1994. The Kerala police had levelled charges of espionage under sections 3,4 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act against the scientists.

Apart from these three scientists SK Sharma, an Indian representative of the Russian Space Agency, a labour contractor and a man named Fauzia Hassan were also arrested. Narayanan was then heading the cryogenics division at the ISRO. All of them were accused of giving secret information about ISRO’s rocket engine to Pakistan.

The backstory of this arrest is rather interesting and a scathing indictment of how the quest for power with the Congress party led to the wrongful arrest of Nambi Narayanan and his associates.

Earlier in 1991, Kerala Congress was divided into two faction—one led by AK Antony and the other led by chief minister K Karunakaran. A coalition government headed by Congress leader PV Narasimha Rao was ruling the Centre, while K Karunakaran was the Chief Minister of Kerala. AK Antony, along with the future Chief Minister of the state, Oommen Chandy was waiting for an opportunity to undermine the K Karunakaran government.

However, they got an opportunity when Mariam Rashida was arrested in October 1994, on the charges of overstaying her visa. Reportedly, S Vijayan, a Kerala Police Inspector had arrested Rashida on false espionage charges after she had rejected Vijayan’s offer to indulge in sexual activities.

In the meantime, a plot was designed to embarrass K Karunakaran. AK Antony and Oommen Chandy, along with few aspirational police officers used the opportunity of Rashida’s arrest to target the senior police officer Raman Srivastava, who was close to the Chief Minister Karunakaran then. Within a month of Rashida’s arrest, the case was given a sinister twist by the few senior officers, when Nambi Narayanan’s deputy D. Sasikumaran and three others were arrested. Two weeks later, on November 30, 1994, Narayanan was also arrested.

After his arrest, he was remanded in police custody for a period of 50 days during which he was harassed and tortured by officials of Kerala police and the Indian intelligence bureau.

CBI found allegations of spying against Nambi Narayanan to be false

However, after an investigation by the CBI, the allegations on him were found to be false and in 1998, the Supreme Court upheld the findings by the CBI and had asked the Kerala government to pay Rs 1 lakh in compensation to Narayanan and others. However, Dr Narayanan had approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)seeking justice for the harassment and agony meted out to him. In 2001, the NHRC had awarded a compensation of Rs 10 lakhs to him.

The Supreme Court also awarded former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan a compensation of Rs 50 lakhs in September 2018, for his wrongful arrest and harassment by the Kerala Police in the 1994 ISRO spy case. The apex court had also ordered a probe into the role of the police officers involved in Narayanan’s arrest and alleged harassment in custody. The three-member probe panel was headed by former judge DK Jain.

In 2019, the Union government led by Narendra Modi finally awarded prestigious Padma Bhushan to Nambi Narayanan on the occasion of 70th Republic Day in 2019.

Later in December 2019, the Kerala government approved to provide compensation of Rs 1.3 crore to former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan for his wrongful arrest and harassment by the Kerala Police in the 1994 spying case.

Bengal elections: BJP’s Diamond Harbour candidate Dipak Halder brutally thrashed as attacks against party’s candidates continue unabated

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Bengal elections: BJP’s Diamond Harbour candidate Dipak Halder brutally thrashed as attacks against party’s candidates continue unabated

BJP candidate from Dipak Halder was attacked, allegedly by TMC goons, while he was campaigning for the West Bengal Assembly Elections in Haridebpur. Dipal Halder and his supporters were thrashed with sticks following which he was grievously injured. He has been rushed to the hospital.

BJP MP from Barrackpore, Arjun Singh, has condemned the attack in a statement on social media. Dipak Halder is currently receiving treatment for his injuries.

Diamond Harbour is the bastion of Mamata Banerjee’s ‘Bhaipo’ (nephew) Abhishek Banerjee, who is the sitting MP from the constituency. Arjun Singh alleged that the TMC goons were patronised by Abhishek Banerjee himself. Halder was a member of the Trinamool Congress itself but had quit recently to join the BJP.

There have been multiple attacks on BJP candidates during the run up to polls. Senior Bengal BJP leader Locket Chatterjee was attacked, former cricketer Ashok Dinda suffered injuries during an attack and Suvendu Adhikari’s convoy was attacked as well.

Lawyer claiming to represent Times Group threatens Twitter user with legal action for a joke on MD Vineet Jain: Here’s what happened

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Lawyer claiming to represent Times Group threatens Twitter user with legal action for a joke on MD Vineet Jain: Here’s what happened

A lawyer has threatened a popular Twitter user for an apparently funny tweet on Times Group MD Vineet Jain. The lawyer, claiming to represent Bennett Coleman & Company Limited whose d/b/a is The Times Group, accused Twitter user @BefittingFacts of making a “malicious statement” that has harmed BCCL/MD greatly.

The DM @BefittingFacts received as claimed by him

The direct message (DM) was allegedly received by @BefittingFacts due to a tweet he made in response to Times of India’s nonsensical virtue-signaling on the occasion of Holi. The tweet, made in jest, showed Vineet Jain celebrating Holi in full fervour.

He asked Times of India to confirm if it was indeed their lawyer who was threatening him or if it were someone using their name.

It is not clear what is precisely defamatory about the tweet in question. The photographs contained there in are available on their website and if they are defamatory in themselves, then the group ought to remove them from their website first.

Furthermore, the TOI Holi Party is quite famous and there is extensive media coverage of the annual event. This year, people on social media voiced their outrage against the clockwork seasonal propaganda against Hindu festivals where brands engage in virtue-signaling and demonize the festival.

Holi has been targeted branding it a festival of molestation, which people on social media did not take kindly to. The user who has been threatened with legal action made the tweet to mock TOI for their propaganda campaign.

Charity fighting ‘Islamophobia’ kept Meghan Markle’s donation secret because they feared it might hurt their reputation: Read why

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Charity fighting ‘Islamophobia’ kept Meghan Markle’s donation secret because they feared it might hurt their reputation: Read why

A Charity in the United Kingdom has revealed that it initially kept a dination from Meghan Markle, wife to Prince Harry, a secret because they feared it would damage their reputation. The charity in question, Himmah, deals with racism, poverty, Islamophobia and social exclusion.

“The reason we didn’t go public is the trustees took a view that she was like Marmite and there could be reputational issues – people not liking our charity because they don’t like her – so we decided to keep the donation secret,” its director Sajid Mohammad told BBC News.

Mohammad said that he felt the necessity of showing ‘solidarity’ towards the couple after their controversial interview with Oprah Winfrey aired on CBS in March. The donation of $13,000 (£10,000) was received in August through The Royal Foundation, a charity the Sussexes shared earlier with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

“After the interview we realized we’re a poverty and race organization” and “that we needed to show solidarity,” Sajid Mohammad said. He revealed that he initially thought it was an “elaborate hoax” and cried when he realised it was real.

Mohammad further said that the volunteers and trustees of Himmah were “completely moved by the very kind and generous and gracious words of the duchess.” The Oprah interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry triggered a great controversy after the couple accused the British Royal Family of being racists.

Meghan told Oprah that when she was pregnant, there were a lot of ‘conversations’ in the royal family sphere about how baby of Meghan and Prince Harry, formerly the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, may not be given any royal title, and their child may not be given the title of a prince.

Following the interview, the British Royal Family issued a statement saying that the matter raised by Meghan Markle was concerning.

Assam: Mystery of EVM in the car of BJP leader solved, EC suspends poll officials who had taken a ride in the car, orders repoll

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Assam: Mystery of EVM in the car of BJP leader solved, EC suspends poll officials who had taken a ride in the car, orders repoll

On Thursday, a video had emerged where a private car was seen ferrying an Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) in Assam. It emerged that the vehicle belonged to BJP’s Patharkandi MLA Krishnendu Paul. The vehicle was intercepted by ‘locals’ and thrashed the polling officials travelling in it, alleging that the EVM was being transported in a vehicle owned by a BJP leader to tamper with the votes stored in it. The vehicle was also badly damaged in the attack.

The incident came to light during the 2nd phase of polling for Assam State Legislative elections. Soon after the video went viral on social media, Congress started alleging that BJP is tampering with the EVMs in the ongoing elections. Now the Election Commission has come up with a detailed explanation of the events. The Commission has also suspended the officers involved in the case, and ordered a repoll for the concerned polling booth.

As per reports, the car was intercepted and then stopped by locals in Karimganj. In the video shared on social media, a man in the background could be heard saying, “Oi dekhun Krishnendu Pal er gadit Evm paowa gesa (Look EVMs have been found in the car of Krishnendu Paul)”. The passengers of the car were forced to get down.

When they tried to enter their vehicle, they were physically stopped by the locals. “Gaadi jaigat thakto (The car will stay in its place), warned one local to the passengers. The car bearing the number plate of AS10B0022 is registered in the name of Madhumita Paul, the wife of the BJP MLA.

After the video went viral on social media, Congress scion Priyanka Gandhi took to Twitter on Friday to cast aspersions about the credibility of the Election Commission (EC) and reignite the propaganda around ‘EVM tampering.’

In a tweet, she wrote, “Every time there is an election video of private vehicles caught transporting EVM’s show up. Unsurprisingly they have the following things in common: 1. The vehicles usually belong to BJP candidates or their associates. 2. The videos are taken as one off incidents and dismissed as aberrations. 3. The BJP uses its media machinery to accuse those who exposed the videos as sore losers.”

Screengrab of the tweet by Priyanka Gandhi

Priyanka Gandhi further added, “The fact is that too many such incidents are being reported and nothing is being done about them. The EC needs to start acting decisively on these complaints and a serious re-evaluation of the use of EVM’s needs to be carried out by all national parties.”

Screengrab of the tweet by Priyanka Gandhi

The Election Commission explanation

Following the series of allegations, the Election Commission issued a factual report on Friday. In its report, the EC clarified that a polling party comprising of a Presiding Officer and three polling personnel were returning in a convoy after the completion of polling at the polling booth at No 149- Indira MV School under the Ratabari constituency. They were being escorted by a constable and a homeguard. Since it was raining heavily, the roads had become muddy. Around 1300 vehicles were returning via National Highway (NHH)-8 after completion of the elections and it led to unprecedented traffic congestion.

In a sudden turn of events, the EC vehicle carrying the polling party from booth number 149 broke down while it was approaching Nilam Bazaar at around 9:00 pm in the night. “Due to the traffic congestion and the prevailing weather condition, the party became detached from its convoy. The party alighted from the vehicle and called the Sector Officer Sri Ajoy Sutradhar on his mobile and informed him. While the sector officer was arranging for an alternate vehicle, the polling party decided to arrange a vehicle of its own so as to reach the Material Receipt Centre faster since they were in custody of polled EVMs,” the Election Commission emphasised.

The EC stated that the polling party then hailed and boarded a passing vehicle along without the polled EVMs, without verifying the ownership details of the car. They then reached Kanaishil in Karimganj at around 10 pm but had to slow down due to the traffic jam. Suddenly, they were ambushed and attacked by a mob of 50 people. The miscreants pelted stones, hurled abuses and stopped the vehicle from passing.

“When they asked the leader of the mob, he replied that it was the vehicle of Sri Krishnendu Paul who is a contesting candidate of a neighbouring constituency (Patharkandi LAC-2) and he levelled allegations that the EVM was being taken to be tampered with. It was only then that they realised that something was amiss and alerted the Sector Officer,” the nodal election body added. It said that by then, a larger mob had gathered and accused them of tampering with the EVMs.

On receiving information, the Data Entry Operator (DEO) of Karimganj reached the spot along with the Superintendent of Police (SP). The EC noted, “On arrival at the spot, it was observed that the crowd was pulling out the polling party and were about to assault them. The mob had turned violent and had damaged the glass of the vehicle by stone-pelting. During the course of the stone pelting, SP Karimganj sustained minor injuries on his collarbone and blank firing had to be resorted to disperse the mob. The first pollingofficer was found missing in the commotion, the EVM’s and the remaining polling party along were safely escorted from the area and taken into the control of the DEO at 2220 hrs.”

EVMs have not been tampered with

The EC examined the polled EVMs and found that the seals of VVPAT, BU and CU were intact. All the items were then deposited in a strong room. Meanwhile, a search operation was conducted to trace the first polling officer who had been hiding ever since the incident. He was traced on Friday (April 2) morning. The EC issued a show-cause notice to the Presiding Officer for violating the election body’s transport protocol.

Officials suspended, re-polling to take place in the concerned polling booth

The Election Commission has ordered the suspension of the four officials involved in the incidence for violating the transport protocol by travelling in an unauthorised vehicle. The poll panel has also announced repolling for the polling booth number 149, even though the EVMs were found no tampered with.

“Thereafter, the PO & 3 other officials have been placed under suspension. Although the seals of the EVM were found intact, it has nevertheless been decided to do a re-poll at No. 149- Indira M.V. School of LAC 1 Ratabari (SC) as added precaution. A report has also been sought from the Special Observer,” the EC statement said.

The four officials who have been suspended for violating the transport protocol of the EC are, Presiding Officer Sahab Uddin Talukdar, and Polling Officers Saurav Acharjee, Abdul Mumit Choudhury and Sahab Uddin Tapadar. Choudhury is a teacher at an Islamic elementary school, while the rest three are teachers at different schools.

5 incidents recently when cooks were arrested after their videos of spitting on food went viral: Read details

OpIndia Staff
-
0
5 incidents recently when cooks were arrested after their videos of spitting on food went viral: Read details

In the last few weeks, there have been an increasing number of instances when cooks have been caught spitting on the dough while preparing rotis. The viral videos of their acts were invariably caught on camera and released on the internet, attracting widespread criticism from people who demanded police to bring to book such vile offenders.

Due to the gross nature of the incidents and the ongoing pandemic situation, the police have initiated deeper investigations into the case to see if these are isolated incidents or if there is a bigger nexus at play that indulge in such activities.

Here are 4 incidents from the recent past when cooks were arrested by the police after videos of them spitting on rotis had gone viral on social media websites:-

Mohsin, arrested for spitting on rotis, confesses he has been spitting in functions of non-Muslims from the last 5 years

In March 2021, the Ghaziabad police arrested one Mohammad Mohsin after a video of him making rotis while spitting on them at an engagement ceremony went viral on the microblogging site. The incident purportedly took place on March 11 in the Bhojpur area of Ghaziabad district. The cook identified as Mohammad Mohsin in seen making rotis and spitting on them.

According to media reports, the incident happened during the engagement ceremony of the nephew of one Shivkumar on Thursday, in one educational institute premises near Dausa Banjarpur falling under the Bhojpur police station limits. Mohammad Mohsin was making rotis at this engagement ceremony when he was caught red-handed spitting on the dough prepared for the rotis before putting it in the tandoor. He was also secretly filmed doing the same. The video of the incident went viral the next day.

On Friday, when Mohsin realised that the video of the incident has gone viral on social media, he fled from his village along with his family members.

After watching the viral video, Ghaziabad police sprang into action. The police approached Shivkumar to confirm whether the video was genuine. After verifying they spoke to the catering company which had hired Mohsin, to know his whereabouts.

On learning that Mohsin was a resident of Sahbiswa in Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, the police reached his house to arrest him but Mohsin had fled by then. The police immediately launched a manhunt and arrested the accused. Mohsin has been slapped with relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, along with sections under the Epidemic Act.

In his interrogation with the police, the accused Mohsin confessed to committing such acts for the last five years. He informed the police that he moonlighted as a painter, besides preparing rotis/naan at functions and events. However, one of the shocking revelations Mohsin made in his interview was that he spat on the dough only in events organised by non-Muslims. Never for once has he spat on rotis/naan at Muslim festivals.

Mohammad Khalik arrested from Delhi after video of him spitting on rotis goes viral

On the last week of March, another man named Mohammad Khalik was arrested from the national capital after a video of him spitting on the dough while preparing rotis in a tandoor had gone viral on the internet. The Delhi Police took cognisance of the viral video and arrested the cook named Mohammad Khalik.

Investigation revealed that it was from Madeena hotel in North East Delhi’s Bhajanpura area. In the video, the cook was seen spitting on rotis before putting them in the tandoor. The police registered a case against the culprit under sections 269, 270, 272 of the IPC and the Pandemic Act. Khalik had reportedly come to Delhi from his native village about 9-10 years ago in a search for a job. He got a job at the Dhaba in Bhajanpura and has been working there since then.

Delhi Police arrest Mohammad Ibrahim and Anwar after social media was abuzz with a video of them spitting on rotis

In yet another case of a cook spitting on rotis, Delhi Police arrested two persons named Mohammad Ibrahim and Anwar after a video of them spitting on rotis had gone viral on the internet. In the video that had gone viral, one of the two men was seen spitting on the rotis before putting them in a tandoor. It was then reported that the video was from a hotel in Seelampur in Delhi.

Apparently, the video was shot by a customer who had caught the duo spitting on rotis. The customer had also recorded the video and later uploaded it on the internet. The police took cognisance of the video and arrested the two men. An FIR was filed against the accused under IPC sections 269, 270, 272, 273 and 34 at Khayala Police Station, New Delhi.

Naushad alias Sohail caught spitting on rotis in Meerut in February

On February 20, Meerut Police arrested one Naushad alias Suhail for spitting on the food while working as a cook at a wedding. On February 18, a video started to go viral on social media platforms in which a man was seen spitting on uncooked roti before putting it in tandoor. The video was shared by several netizens.

The location was identified as Aroma Garden, Meerut. Sachin Sirohi of Hindu Jagran Manch registered an FIR against the person who was identified as Naushad.

As per the Meerut Police statement, a case under several sections, including 269, 270, 188 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3 of Epidemic Disease Act, was registered against Naushad.

During interrogation, it was reportedly revealed that Naushad worked as a cook in wedding ceremonies for the last 15 years. A video had surfaced in which he allegedly confessed to spitting on food for at least ten years.

Similar incident happens in Shamli in Uttar Pradesh, police takes accused into custody

Another video went viral on the internet that shows a man spitting on the dough as he prepares to make Rotis at Shamli in Uttar Pradesh. Shamli Police said on Twitter that the accused has been taken into custody and appropriate action under the ambit of the law will be taken. Although the accused were not named, all the men working in the kitchen can be wearing skullcaps.

The Wire, Scroll contributor blames ‘Hindutva paranoia’ for IMA President’s wish to convert patients to Christianity, uses anti-Hindu slur in the process

Jinit Jain
-
0
The Wire, Scroll contributor blames ‘Hindutva paranoia’ for IMA President’s wish to convert patients to Christianity, uses anti-Hindu slur in the process

Kiran Kumbhar, a writer for leftist online rags The Wire, Scroll, spoke in the language of Islamic terrorists to defend Dr JA Jayalal’s proselytising proclivities and understate his penchant for converting people into Christianity. This comes days after OpIndia highlighted the problematic utterances of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) President Dr JA Jayalal regarding the use of hospitals as a springboard to convert people into Christianity,

In a string of tweets, Kumbhar normalised IMA president Dr JA Jayalal’s extremely problematic opinions and his wish to convert doctors, students and patients to Christianity. Instead, he blamed “Hindutva paranoia” for faulting the IMA president of harbouring missionary zeal to convert people into Christianity.

Source: Twitter

Though Kumbhar stated that he did not agree with Dr Jayalal’s interviews, he also mentioned that he did not get the impression that the IMA president was endorsing conversion of medicos to Christianity. Instead, he downplayed the view that Dr Jayalal was supporting conversions as a mere “hallucination”.

If this was not enough, Kumbhar then went on to share a list of people who have served as IMA presidents in 90 years to allege that the medical council body was an “out-an-out” Hindu dominated organisation. He then alleged that the concerns regarding the religiosity of Dr Jayalal are misguided as the IMA is largely a Hindu-dominated association, in a Hindu majority country.

Source: Twitter

These are straw man arguments raised by Kiran Kumbhar to undercut Dr JA Jayalal’s overt endorsement for Christian proselytisation. According to Kumbhar’s absurd logic, since the Indian Medical Association comprises mostly Hindu doctors and had largely Hindu presidents in the past, having a Christian who wishes to lure people into his faith is completely acceptable.

What Kumbhar conveniently fails to mention here is that the Hindu doctors in the organisation and Hindus who served as chiefs of the organisation in the past 90 years did not share the same zeal in converting non-Hindus to the Hindu fold as displayed by Dr Jayalal in converting non-believers into Christianity.

This spurious defence that Hindus are in majority and therefore do not face any threat of conversion is often peddled by Islamists and their sympathisers to term the concerns raised by Hindus as unfounded and blown out of proportion while refusing to acknowledge the alarming radicalisation among them and their singular zeal to either convert or destroy the non-believers.

The point here is that Hindus do not fetishise religious conversions as demonstrated by the dogmatic believers of the Abrahamic faith, who consider it as their religious duty to bring non-believers into their fold. Therefore, Kumbhar’s defence that the IMA is predominantly a Hindu organisation and is insulated from Christian proselytisation is a shallow argument, made with the express purpose of defending Dr JA Jayalal’s problematic assertions.

The Wire writer also claimed that the IMA president was targeted not for his inclination to spread Christianity but for his critical views on Ayurveda. Here, Kumbhar tried to whitewash Dr Jayalal’s passion for Christian evangelism by falsely asserting that he is being targeted because of his public opposition to Ayurveda.

Quite clearly, Kumbhar here is gaslighting Hindus all the while as he uses vile Hinduphobic slurs such as ‘cowdung cake’. He is using the language of Islamic terrorists in order to absolve the IMA President of his sins.

He blames Hindus for correctly interpreting what the IMA President himself wished to convey. His usage of the ‘cowdung’ slur makes it evident that his whitewashing of the statements is a consequence of the deep seated anti-Hindu bigotry in his heart.

Dr Jayalal’s desire for using Hospitals to spread Christianity

In his recent interviews, Dr Jayalal expressed his desire to use his professional qualifications and his recently acquired position as the head of the Indian Medical Association to further Christian evangelism that is carried out by Christian missionaries. Dr Jayalal said that the coronavirus outbreak is an opportunity that can be leveraged to convert medical students, patients and fellow doctors into Christianity.

Dr Jayalal regards the platform of the Indian Medical Association as a springboard for him to share the “love of Jesus Christ” and be a “living witness to God and encourage young medical students and doctors to receive Jesus as their personal saviour”.

According to Dr Jayalal, it was “Christian compassion” and Christian doctors and churches who relieved the world from lethal maladies such as leprosy, cholera and other pandemics in the past. He believes the coronavirus pandemic has provided “the urgent need of the proclamation of the Gospel to people who are suffering from the virus has allowed us to share the Gospel even in secular institutions”.

In his presidential address after being anointed as the chief of the Indian Medical Association, Dr Jayalal did not flinch from expressing his Christian evangelism and hailing controversial characters such as Mother Teresa, regarded by many as a predatory Christian proselytiser responsible for industrial-scale conversions of the indigenous people to Christianity.

Dr Jayalal not only promoted Christianity in his capacity as the President of the Indian Medical Association, but he also criticised the ancient Indian traditions and Ayurvedic medicine. Elaborating on his critique that “the Hindu Nationalist government wants to destroy modern medicine saying it is ‘western medicine’,” Dr Jayalal said that the government has faith in Ayurveda because of their cultural value and traditional belief in the Hindutva.

While he dismissed Ayurveda and other Vedic medical treatments as “quackery”, Dr Jayalal was unabashed enough to claim that Christian doctors are blessed with a special ability to provide “holistic healing”, which includes spiritual, mental and social healing.

Gujarat: Newborn twins test positive for COVID-19 after parents also test positive for the infection, babies stable

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Gujarat: Newborn twins test positive for COVID-19 after parents also test positive for the infection, babies stable

The Wuhan coronavirus has been impacting the well-being and health of families across the country for more than a year now. Today it was reported how a set of newborn twins have been infected with the infection in Vadodara, Gujarat. The babies were brought back to the hospital, 15 days after being discharged, with severe diarrhoea and dehydration. On being tested, they turned out to be COVID-19 positive.

“The babies were brought back to the hospital after 15 days of being discharged with severe diarrhoea and dehydration. We initially looked for all the normal causes of infections, but later when we got them tested for Covid-19 infection, and their reports came positive,” senior doctor Sheel Iyer said on Thursday.

Both parents of the twins tested positive for COVID-19: Gujarat doctor

She further informed that the newborn twins to the Gujarat couple are currently stable. They are being given supportive treatment in the hospital. Doctor Iyer also confirmed that both parents of the newborns had also been tested positive for the coronavirus infection and were being treated for the same.

“Both their caregivers also tested positive for Covid-19. Now both babies are stable. We are giving supportive treatment for the babies,” Dr Iyer said.

COVID-19 in neonates and infants

So far the research studies suggest that all age groups are susceptible to the Chinese virus, but people with comorbidities or the elderly are more likely to develop a severe form of the disease. Although children seem to have less severe clinical symptoms when infected, the potential harm of this novel disease remains largely unknown in neonates.

Current evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 infections in neonates are uncommon. If neonates do become infected, the majority have either asymptomatic infections or mild disease. Severe illness in neonates, including illness requiring mechanical ventilation, has been reported but appears to be rare. The recovery rate in neonates is also reported to be far better thus far.

Reported signs among neonates with SARS-CoV-2 infection include fever, lethargy, rhinorrhea, cough, tachypnea, increased work of breathing, vomiting, diarrhoea, and poor feeding.

As per studies, the incubation period for children is the same as in adults. The time between exposure to COVID-19 and when symptoms start is commonly around 5 to 6 days, and ranges from 1 to 14 days.

Saudi media report praises the Indian government’s development and public welfare programmes in Jammu and Kashmir

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Saudi media report praises the Indian government’s development and public welfare programmes in Jammu and Kashmir

Taking note of the positive initiatives taken by the Modi government in Jammu and Kashmir, the Saudi Gazette, a newspaper based out of Saudi Arabia, had praised the Indian government for carrying out various development activities and public welfare initiatives, in the wake of the abrogation of Article 370.

The Saudi daily stated that the youth in Kashmir have positively reacted to the decisive steps taken by the Modi government and have expressed the desire to become a part of the progress of the country. It also noted that terrorists who were earlier disenchanted by the central government have given up their arms after 5 August 2019 and have become a part of the national mainstream.

It said the local leaders of Kashmir who harped on the state’s separate status and alleged that no one in the Valley would be holding the tricolour following the abrogation have been proven wrong.

The Saudi newspaper highlighted how the Centre’s scholarship schemes for Jammu and Kashmir students had helped people from poor background to get admission to top colleges across the country.

“Many of the students have completed their graduation and taken up jobs with big corporate firms within and outside the country. The Indian government has remained steadfast in its decisions to ensure that the region is pulled from the quagmire of uncertainty,” the Saudi Gazette said.

“The government departments were asked to ensure that the benefits of the centrally sponsored schemes trickle down to youth so that they are enabled to choose a progressive path in life. In addition to the great scope being offered by the high potential tourism industry in the region, many Kashmiri youths have been imparted training under the “Himmayat” scheme and have been benefitted in terms of getting jobs in companies across the country,” the daily read.

The newspaper also pointed out the decline in the number of youth taking part in stone-pelting mobs because of an increase in new employment and earning opputunities.

“In the past one and half year, hundreds of youth have been placed and they are living decent lives. Recruiting agencies that had almost become defunct in Jammu and Kashmir advertised posts for the unemployed educated youth and the process to employ them was expedited,” the Gazette said.

The daily said that government initiatives have provided a new life to Kashmiri youth, who during the last three decades were being misguided by “evil forces to take up arms in a proxy war against a welfare state”.

Maharashtra: Critical Covid patient protests at Nashik Municipal Corporation office over lack of beds, dies same day

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Maharashtra: Critical Covid patient protests at Nashik Municipal Corporation office over lack of beds, dies same day

Distressing news has come to the fore from Nashik, Maharashtra, which is currently grappling with a resurgence of coronavirus cases in the state. According to reports, a 38-year-old critical COVID patient succumbed to the infection while protesting outside the Nashik Municipal Corporation on Thursday night. The man identified as Babasaheb Kole had reached the corporation office with his oxygen mask on after he was refused admission by multiple hospitals in Nashik. 

He sat on a dharna outside the municipal office, with a mask and his oxygen cylinder, to protest against the pandemic apathy of the Maharashtra government. An hour later, he was taken to a municipal hospital by the corporation officials, where he breathed his last at 1 AM on April 1. Kole’s family claimed his oxygen level dropped to 40 per cent from a normal level of 95 per cent or higher around midnight.

Patient was denied bed at multiple hospitals, says family

Speaking about what provoked the patient to sit outside the municipal building in protest, his wife said: “Two-three days back he was taken to a Bytco hospital. From there, he went to another hospital, from there to the government medical college. Medical College said it has no bed. We then went to other hospitals. Nobody admitted him. Then we came back to civil (hospital) and got oxygen for him and put him on it. Nobody heard us.”

The Maharashtra police and the civic body has said that they have launched an investigation to find out who “instigated” the patient to picket the municipal building.

Sadly, just when India breathed a sigh of relief that the pandemic curve has finally flattened, Coronavirus in Maharashtra witnessed a sudden spike in daily cases. Maharashtra has once again become the worst-hit state in the country, reporting nearly 40,000 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday.

Last month, Aaditya Thackeray, son of Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray was found Covid-19 positive. Two days after, his mother Rashmi and wife of CM Uddhav Thackeray was also tested positive for the Chinese coronavirus.

Amidst the surging cases of Covid-19, it was being speculated that a statewide lockdown may be announced by the Maharashtra Chief Minister. However, instead of going for a lockdown, Uddhav Thackeray was to release a standard operating procedure (SOP) on April 1. The new SOPs are expected to impose more restrictions and guidelines for the people of the state and curb public movement.

1...4,4264,4274,428...7,656Page 4,427 of 7,656