<एक href="https://zeenews.india.com/india/mehul-choksi-could-be-repatriated-to-india-in-next-48-hours-says-antigua-pm-gaston-browne-2364622.html">`मेहुल चोकसी हो सकता है प्रत्यावर्तित करने के लिए भारत में अगले 48 घंटे` कहते हैं, एंटीगुआ प्रधानमंत्री गैस्टन ब्राउन

नई दिल्ली: प्रधानमंत्री एंटीगुआ और बारबुडा के गैस्टन ब्राउन ने कहा है कि मेहुल चोकसी भेजा जा सकता है वापस करने के लिए भारत में अगले 48 घंटे से डोमिनिका जहां वह वर्तमान में मौजूद है. एंटीगुआ से लापता हुए चोकसी को डोमिनिका के अधिकारियों ने हिरासत में ले लिया था, जहां उन्हें भागने की कोशिश में पकड़ा गया था ।

<पी>विशेष रूप से और बड़े पैमाने पर विओन के प्रमुख राजनयिक संवाददाता सिद्धंत सिब्बल से बात करते हुए, पीएम ब्राउन ने कहा,”कोई कानूनी बाधा नहीं मानते हुए, मेरा मानना है कि अगले 48 घंटों के भीतर चोकसी शायद एक निजी जेट में हो सकते हैं, आप जानते हैं, भारत को प्रत्यावर्तित किया गया । “

बोलने के लिए विशेष रूप से WION के @sidhant, प्रधानमंत्री एंटीगुआ और बारबुडा के @gastonbrowne ने कहा है कि #MehulChoksi भेजा जा सकता है वापस करने के लिए भारत में अगले 48 से #डोमिनिका, जहां वह वर्तमान में मौजूद है. <एक href="https://twitter.com/SaroyaHem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SaroyaHem आप कहानी pic.twitter.com/MArfxFW82s

— WION (@WIONews) 27 मई 2021

ब्राउन ने बताया कि वह बात करने के लिए, डोमिनिका के प्रधानमंत्री रूजवेल्ट Skerrit के विकास और उनसे अनुरोध किया “करने के लिए नहीं है, श्री चोकसी के लिए वापसी एंटीगुआ, जहां वह कानूनी और संवैधानिक सुरक्षा” और “उसे वापस भेजने के लिए सीधे भारत.”

भगोड़ा चोकसी 14000 करोड़ रुपये पीएनबी धोखाधड़ी मामले में भारतीय अधिकारियों द्वारा वांछित है और 2018 में भारत उसे प्रत्यर्पित करने की मांग के साथ देश छोड़कर भाग गया था ।  

<मजबूत>WION: यदि आप हमें दे सकते हैं तथ्यों, जहां वह है, जो का हिस्सा डोमिनिका?

चोकसी डोमिनिका में पाए गए थे, उन्हें वर्तमान में हिरासत में लिया गया है और एंटीगुआ की सरकार सचमुच डोमिनिकन और भारतीय सरकारों के साथ प्रयासों का समन्वय कर रही है ताकि यह सुनिश्चित किया जा सके कि श्री चोकसी को डोमिनिका से सीधे भारत वापस भेज दिया गया है । हमने विशेष रूप से प्रधानमंत्री रूजवेल्ट स्केरिट और डोमिनिका में कानून प्रवर्तन से अनुरोध किया है कि श्री चोकसी को एंटीगुआ वापस न किया जाए जहां उनके पास कानूनी और संवैधानिक सुरक्षा है । लेकिन प्रयासों को समन्वित करने और भारत सरकार के साथ सहयोग करने के बजाय, भारतीय कानून प्रवर्तन ने श्री चोकसी को सीधे भारत में प्रत्यावर्तित किया । और डोमिनिका की सरकार सहयोग कर रही है ।

<मजबूत>WION: इसका मतलब है कि, वह सीधे हो सकता है के लिए भेजा है?

<मजबूत>गैस्टन ब्राउन: बिल्कुल. वास्तव में, उन्होंने एक स्मारकीय त्रुटि की क्योंकि उन्होंने माना कि मेरी सरकार और मेरा प्रशासन उनकी नागरिकता को रद्द करने और उन्हें प्रत्यर्पित करने के बारे में था, इसलिए ऐसा प्रतीत होता है कि उन्होंने पड़ोसी द्वीप की यात्रा करने की मांग की होगी, इस उम्मीद के साथ कि वह किसी का ध्यान नहीं जा सकता था । हमने इंटरपोल लापता कर्मियों को नोटिस दिया था । और वह वास्तव में डोमिनिका में कब्जा कर लिया गया था, लेकिन उसके पास संवैधानिक और कानूनी संरक्षण नहीं है जो उसे एंटीगुआ और बारबुडा में एक नागरिक के रूप में प्राप्त है । इसलिए श्री चोकसी ने सचमुच खुद को पीछे छोड़ दिया ।

<मजबूत>WION: किसी भी समय की अवधि के लिए आप दे सकते हैं, जब तक वह कर सकते हैं भारत भेजा जाए?

<मजबूत>गैस्टन ब्राउन: मुमकिन है, यह सोचते हैं वहाँ रहे हैं <एक href="http://zeenews.india.com/india/have-informed-india-information-being-shared-with-interpol-says-antigua-pm-on-mehul-choksi-2364394.html" लक्ष्य="_blank">कोई कानूनी बाधाओं और भारत सरकार को प्राप्त करने में सक्षम है कानून प्रवर्तन करने के लिए यात्रा करने के लिए डोमिनिका अगले 48 घंटों के भीतर, मुझे विश्वास है कि वे किया जाना चाहिए एक मजबूत स्थिति में उसे पास करने के लिए प्रत्यावर्तित.

<मजबूत>WION: शायद, द्वारा सप्ताह के अंत में?

वास्तव में, कोई कानूनी बाधा नहीं मानते हुए, मेरा मानना है कि अगले 48 घंटों के भीतर चोकसी शायद एक निजी जेट में हो सकते हैं, आप जानते हैं, भारत को प्रत्यावर्तित किया गया ।  

<मजबूत>WION: कैसे किया था वह देश छोड़ दें?

<मजबूत>गैस्टन ब्राउन: हम की जरूरत नहीं है विवरण अभी तक, लेकिन हम मानते हैं कि वह द्वीप छोड़ दिया से नहीं चल पाता । लेकिन कानून प्रवर्तन ने बहुत तेज़ी से काम किया और इंटरपोल ग्रीन नोटिस लगाने में सक्षम थे और इन छोटे द्वीपों में, अजनबियों की पहचान करना मुश्किल है । इसलिए, उन्होंने वहां एक बड़ी त्रुटि की, और जाहिर है, वह एंटीगुआ और बारबुडा के नागरिक के रूप में यहां कानूनी और संवैधानिक संरक्षण का आनंद नहीं लेंगे । यह मानते हुए कि वह डोमिनिका का नागरिक नहीं है और उसके पास कोई सबूत नहीं है, तो डोमिनिकन सरकार उसे गैर-व्यक्ति बना सकती है और उसे सीधे भारत वापस भेज सकती है । इसलिए यह एक दिलचस्प विकास है और मेरी समझ से यह भारत सरकार के लिए एक सफलता हो सकती है और हम सचमुच यह सुनिश्चित करने की कोशिश कर रहे हैं कि श्री चोकसी को न्याय दिलाया जाए ।

<मजबूत>WION: किस तरह की बातचीत क्या आप के साथ अपने भारतीय समकक्ष? क्या आपने भारतीय उच्चायुक्त को सूचित किया है?

<मजबूत>गैस्टन ब्राउन: हाँ, मुझे है, और मैं बात करने के लिए प्रधानमंत्री रूजवेल्ट Skerrit डोमिनिका के रूप में अच्छी तरह से और पूछा कि उसके सहयोग के लिए. इस समय सबसे महत्वपूर्ण मुद्दा उनके लिए एंटीगुआ में प्रत्यावर्तित नहीं होना है क्योंकि वह एंटीगुआन नागरिक हैं । और मुझे लगता है कि चोकसी के वकील, वे चाहते हैं कि उन्हें एंटीगुआ और बारबुडा में प्रत्यावर्तित किया जाए ताकि वह कानूनी और संवैधानिक सुरक्षा का आनंद लेते रहें । इसलिए हमने डोमिनिकन सरकार से भारत सरकार के साथ सहयोग करने को कहा है और उसे सीधे भारत में प्रत्यावर्तित किया है । यह जानकारी गुयाना में तैनात एंटीगुआ और बारबुडा के भारतीय उच्चायुक्त को दी गई है, जो सीधे बात करते हैं । और अब हम उम्मीद करते हैं कि दोनों सरकारें, भारत और डोमिनिकन सरकार श्री चोकसी को प्रत्यावर्तित करने में सहयोग करेंगी ।  

<मजबूत>WION: जब तुम्हें पता था कि श्री चोकसी है एक अलग देश में? 

<मजबूत>गैस्टन ब्राउन: इससे पहले आज, लेकिन हम करने के लिए किया था सत्यापित करें कि यह सही व्यक्ति है । यह सत्यापित करने के बाद कि यह स्वयं श्री चोकसी था, जब हमने यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए फोन कॉल करना शुरू किया कि वह दूर नहीं है, कि हम अनजाने में उसे एक विमान पर नहीं डालते हैं और उसे एंटीगुआ वापस भेज दिया है, यह एक त्रासदी होगी । हमने जोर देकर कहा कि उसे यहां वापस नहीं भेजा जाना चाहिए और हम उसे स्वीकार नहीं करेंगे । हालांकि हमें उसे स्वीकार करना होगा क्योंकि वह एक नागरिक है । निश्चित रूप से उसे एंटीगुआ वापस न भेजें, उसे अपने जन्म के देश में वापस भेजें । उसे सीधे भारत भेज दें ।  

<मजबूत>WION: क्या किया गया है की प्रतिक्रिया में भारतीय पक्ष?

<मजबूत>गैस्टन ब्राउन: मैं मतलब है कि वे बहुत खुश हैं और वे समझते है कि सरकार का एंटीगुआ और बारबुडा प्रदान नहीं किया था के लिए एक सुरक्षित बंदरगाह के लिए चोकसी. वह असहज महसूस करता था कि उसने द्वीप को फरार करने और छोड़ने की कोशिश की और दूसरे द्वीप पर पहुंच गया । दुर्भाग्य से उनकी पहचान भगोड़े के रूप में हुई है, अब उन्हें पकड़ा जा रहा है और इसका मतलब है कि चोकसी को भारत की अदालतों का सामना करना पड़ेगा । मुझे यकीन है कि सरकारी अधिकारी विकास से खुश हैं।

<मजबूत>WION: और क्या किया गया है के बारे में सोचा प्रक्रिया की डोमिनिका की सरकार?

<मजबूत>गैस्टन ब्राउन: वे सहयोग कर रहे हैं पूरी तरह से, वास्तव में, Pएम स्केरिट और मैं बहुत करीबी सहयोगी हैं और हम कई मुद्दों पर सहयोग करते हैं और उन्हें यह समझाने में कोई मुश्किल नहीं थी कि उन्हें एंटीगुआन और भारत की सरकारों के साथ सहयोग करने की जरूरत है । इसके लिए सरकार की प्रतिबद्धता का प्रदर्शन किया जा रहा है ताकि चोकसी को न्याय मिल सके ।   

<एक href="https://zeenews.india.com/live-tv"><मजबूत>टीवी जीना

पर प्रकाशित किया

<एक href="https://zeenews.india.com/education/covid-19-haryana-schools-likely-to-reopen-for-classes-9-to-12-from-june-1-2364699.html">हरियाणा के स्कूलों में होने की संभावना फिर से खोलने के लिए कक्षाओं के लिए 9 से 12 जून से 1

नई दिल्ली: हरियाणा सरकार की संभावना है फिर से खोलने के लिए स्कूलों से 1 जून के बीच दूसरी लहर के COVID-19 महामारी. 

मीडिया रिपोर्ट्स के अनुसार, गर्मी की छुट्टियों की समाप्ति के बाद कक्षा 9 से 12 के छात्रों के लिए स्कूल फिर से शुरू होंगे । स्कूलों, कर रहे हैं, जो की संभावना को खोलने के लिए जून से शुरू होगा, सभी का पालन करें <एक href="https://zeenews.india.com/india/covid-19-lockdown-in-haryana-extended-some-restrictions-eased-read-details-here-2363874.html" लक्ष्य="_blank">COVID-19 से संबंधित दिशा-निर्देशों ।  

स्कूलों को फिर से खोलने के निर्देश राज्य भर के जिला शिक्षा कार्यालयों को शिक्षा निदेशालय को भेज दिए गए हैं । उन्हें जागरण की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार स्कूल में बेंच की संख्या सहित छात्रों की मूलभूत सुविधाओं का ब्यौरा भेजने के निर्देश दिए गए हैं । केवल एक छात्र को एक सीट पर कब्जा करने की अनुमति होगी ।  

सख्त कार्यान्वयन के COVID-19 मानदंडों के रूप में इस तरह के मास्क पहने हुए, सामाजिक दूर और नियमित रूप से हाथ sanitizing सुनिश्चित किया जाएगा स्कूलों में, रिपोर्ट जोड़ा. 

<पी>यह निर्णय हरियाणा में नए कोरोनावायरस मामलों में गिरावट के मद्देनजर आया है । राज्य स्वास्थ्य बुलेटिन ने कहा कि बुधवार (26 मई) को, 3,183 नए कोविद -19 मामले दर्ज किए गए, जिन्होंने इसकी संख्या 7,47,740 तक ले ली, जबकि 106 अधिक मौतों ने मरने वालों की संख्या को 7,841 तक पहुंचा दिया ।  

<पी>राज्य में कुल सक्रिय कोविद -19 संक्रमण 31,644 रहा, जबकि संचयी सकारात्मकता दर बुधवार को 8.51 प्रतिशत तक पहुंच गई ।  

<पी>इससे पहले, हरियाणा सरकार ने राज्य में कोविद -5 की स्थिति को देखते हुए 31 मई को 19 बजे तक लॉकडाउन को एक सप्ताह तक बढ़ा दिया था ।

<मजबूत>के साथ(इनपुट एजेंसियों से)

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Video of young girl brutally tortured by five men goes viral, Assam Police releases images of culprits

NEW DELHI: A video of a young girl being brutally tortured by five men in Assam has gone viral on social media. The video shows five unidentified men thrashing and torturing a young girl 

However, the time or place of this incident is not clear. In view of the viral video, the Assam Police has released the images of the five suspected culprits and sought more information from the public leading to their arrest.

It has also announced a reward for those who have any information about these culprits.   

“These images are of 5 culprits who are seen brutally torturing & violating a young girl in a viral video. The time or place of this incident is not clear. 
Anyone with information regarding this crime or the criminals may please contact us. They will be rewarded handsomely,” the Assam Police said in its Twitter handle.

These images are of 5 culprits who are seen brutally torturing & violating a young girl in a viral video.

The time or place of this incident is not clear.

Anyone with information regarding this crime or the criminals may please contact us. They will be rewarded handsomely. pic.twitter.com/ZnNjtK1jr6

— Assam Police (@assampolice) May 26, 2021

In the viral video, the culprits can be seen slapping the girl, believed to be from the northeast, and also hitting the victim’s face before stripping her naked.
 
Special Commissioner of Delhi Police, Robin Hibu said that police are trying to ascertain the identities of the criminals. “We are trying to identify the culprits. Police are on the job,” Robin Hibu said. 

Hibu clarified that this video has nothing to do with the late Lovikali Sumi, a Nagaland resident who had committed suicide in Jodhpur, Rajasthan where she worked.

He, however, said that a probe is underway.

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Tamil Nadu: CM Stalin starts fulfilling pre-poll promises; takes steps to combat Covid

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Tamil Nadu: CM Stalin starts fulfilling pre-poll promises; takes steps to combat Covid
Published at Fri, 14 May 2021 10:46:55 +0000

Un-bee-lievable and Fanta-stic: Two bees work in tandem to open soda bottle, internet goes crazy

New Delhi: The social media is abuzz with a new video which shows two bees working together in synchronisation to lift open the cap of a soda bottle. The internet cannot get over how hardworking and inventive the bees are.

The video was captured in São Paulo, Brazil, and posted on Twitter Sander from the Netherlands. His profile says that he re-posts positive videos and stories of Twitter. 

Watch video here:

Two bees opening a soda bottle together.. pic.twitter.com/SFjV2wb14I

— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden_) May 25, 2021

In the 10-second video, the two bees are seen positioning themselves on either side of the bottle and then they use their legs to push the cap up. After a few twists and turns at the cap, the bees manage to lift the top off the soda bottle as it falls on the ground.

While the users cannot get over how smart the bees are and some wondered the true meaning of team effort as displayed by the bees.

ANOTHER example of animals showing us the way. Teamwork makes the dream work. And I bet there was nary a thought in either brain as to what was in it for them. They just knew they had to work together for a COMMON goal. And we call animals (insects, etc.) dumb?

— Toni Lee (@emmaskid) May 25, 2021

This user wonders if they put the cap back on.

And… did the bees close the bottle after drinking?

— Senfda Tzu (@SenfdaTzu) May 26, 2021

While some users reminded the soda company that they have an advertising campaign ready for them.

Fanta – you have a new advertising campaign!

— Qetral (@qetral) May 25, 2021

Team work makes the dream work. Fanta’s new campaign ad

— Irene Kouros (@igkouros) May 25, 2021

The video has gone viral with over 3 million views, and Twitter users are more than impressed with this super teamwork.

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Ignored Congressman to Assam's CM: Sarma’s time to rule

On the night of March 19, in a government guest house in Sadiya, a town in Assam’s Tinsukia district, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and All India Congress Committee general secretary in-charge of Assam, Jitendra Singh, were engaged in a strategic discussion over the party’s campaign for the ongoing assembly election in the state. Later that night, Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was leading the BJP’s campaign, sat listening to the 30-minute-long conversation playing on a cell phone of one of his aides. A local Congress leader present at the guest house had secretly recorded the conversation. This incident reflects to what extent Sarma went to ensure a victory for the BJP, a party he joined after quitting the Congress in 2015. Rahul Gandhi had declined to make Sarma chief minister of Assam in place of the incumbent Tarun Gogoi at the time.

Six years after leaving the Congress, Sarma took oath as the 15th chief minister of Assam after delivering a second consecutive victory for the BJP in the state’s assembly poll. While a two-decade-long commitment to the Congress could not convince the party brass of his eligibility to helm the state, the BJP wised up to Sarma’s abilities within six years. More significantly, the BJP replaced the incumbent chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, even though the party returned to power based on the performance of his government. This unprecedented move demonstrates the importance of Sarma not only in the politics of Assam and the Northeast, but also in the larger game plan of the BJP and its ‘ideological fountainhead’, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

The party realised that more than the Sonowal government’s performance, the driving force behind the BJP’s electoral victory was Sarma’s track record of almost 20 years as an efficient minister both in the Congress and BJP governments, along with his mastery at winning elections and in crisis management. As the health minister, he not only ramped up health infrastructure in the state by adding three new medical college hospitals—four more, including an AIIMS, are under construction—but also brought in several people-friendly measures, like making it mandatory for medical graduates to serve one year in rural areas for admission in PG courses. As education minister, Sarma introduced a transparent common written test in 2011 to recruit over 200,000 teachers.

But his superb management of the first wave of Covid last year gained him unparalleled popularity among the masses. He not only visited ICUs, crematoriums and quarantine centres across the state, but monitored every development and personally responded to every call for help through social media or over the phone. During the election campaign, people jostled to get a glimpse of Sarma, to touch him or take a selfie with him. And after a young girl wrote an emotional poem dedicated to him, in which she referred to him as “mama”, Sarma became the universal “mama” to Assam’s younger generation.

The shrewd political leader, though, understands that such popularity can be short-lived. “If I make a mistake tomorrow, people will forget the past,” says Sarma. However, his political network and the loyalty of his followers within the party are secure. He may have been in the BJP for just six years, but his grip on the party organisation and personal equation with the RSS, which was initially wary of his style of functioning, is unmatched. He came to the BJP with 10 Congress MLAs, but on May 9, 45 of the 60 BJP MLAs in the state backed him for chief minister in place of Sonowal. “It’s because he believes in winning friends. He helps even those who have plotted against him. And for his loyalists, he can go to any extent to protect them, even at the cost of his own career,” says Pijush Hazarika, a minister in Sarma’s cabinet and his most trusted lieutenant for two decades.

Sarma also entered the RSS’s good books by showing unwavering commitment to its ideology. From being the most vocal supporter of the RSS-backed CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act), which provoked massive popular protest from Assamese citizens, to shutting down government-sponsored madrassas and taking a public stand against Miya poetry (written in a dialect spoken by immigrant Muslims), he did everything to impress the RSS brass. “He doesn’t take a personal stand. Whatever is the party position, Sarma remains committed to taking it to its logical conclusion. Besides, he is always accessible to every member and cadre of the BJP and RSS, even at odd hours,” says RSS leader Ram Madhav, who was instrumental in bringing Sarma to the BJP. Few are aware of the Sarma family’s long-time association with the RSS. As a teenager, he regularly visited RSS shakhas, while his elder brother’s education was supported by them. Unsurprisingly, right after taking oath as chief minister, Sarma visited the RSS office in Guwahati and held a meeting with the senior RSS leaders in the state.

Sarma also enjoys a large following among the non-political and non-aligned, particularly those who were influenced by him during his three terms as general secretary of the students’ union of Cotton College, Assam’s most prestigious educational institution and the alma mater of seven earlier chief ministers. These former students, who are influencers in their respective professional arenas, have an emotional attachment to their “dada” .

Besides Assam, Sarma’s personal relationships across party lines have been instrumental in the BJP’s expansion in the Northeast. From engineering Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu’s defection to the BJP and running the campaign in Manipur and Tripura, to stitching winning alliances in Meghalaya and Nagaland, Sarma helped the party grab power in a region where the demography was not organically suited to its Hindutva politics. Nationalist People’s Party chief and Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K. Sangma openly acknowledges Sarma’s role in his own political journey. “He is an elder brother to me and has guided me politically and personally. His ability to understand a complex situation and then always find a solution amazes me,” says Sangma.

What has also worked in Sarma’s favour is the party’s debacle in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, which simultaneously went to polls. He shone in contrast. Also, the public outrage against the Modi government’s failure to anticipate the Covid second wave and its harrowing ongoing consequences made the BJP leadership wary of any turmoil within. More importantly, even the Congress had sent out feelers saying it was ready to make Sarma chief minister if he defected from the BJP with the required number of MLAs. “He is a political animal. Only power matters to him. I think the BJP realised this when they dumped Sonowal,” says Digvijaya Singh, one of Sarma’s mentors in the Congress.

Sarma’s anointment on May 10 has been the culmination of a four-decade-long political journey that he began in the 1980s as something of a ‘boy wonder’, taking active part in the Assam agitation against illegal infiltrators. As a teenager, he learnt his first political lessons by shadowing Prafulla Mahanta and Bhrigu Phukan, two towering AASU leaders who later went on to become chief minister and home minister, respectively. In 1994, he joined the Congress and made his mark as an able administrator and electoral strategist under the patronage of two chief ministers—Hiteswar Saikia and Tarun Gogoi.

Now, as chief minister, Sarma doesn’t want to leave any room for dissent. Three Sonowal loyalists have found place in his cabinet. In contrast, just one of the 10 MLAs who had switched with him from the Congress to BJP has been given a ministry. He is also making symbolic statements—he visited Sonowal with all his cabinet members on May 12 and appointed a woman finance minister.

With the state in the grip of a raging pandemic, Sarma doesn’t have the luxury of a honeymoon period. His immediate priority is to save lives. However, his long-term priority seems to be to bring in a permanent solution to Assam’s perennial flood problem. That’s why the ministry of water resources has gone to his man Friday, Pijush Hazarika. Sarma also has to pay attention to the financial crunch the state faces and the party’s electoral promises—like waiving the Rs 12,000 microfinance loans taken by poor women in self-help groups and providing 100,000 government jobs by 2022. Sarma has already formed cabinet committees to implement these promises. “To those worried about the treasury, let me say we are in sound fiscal health,” Sarma says with his usual nonchalance.

Such bravado, however, has landed him in trouble on occasion. For instance, while campaigning, he declared that there was no need for masks because there was no corona in the state. It was meant to assure prospective voters that there would be no restrictive measures during Bihu celebrations following the election. It may have earned him political dividends, but the statement, coming from a health minister, was highly irresponsible and went viral on social media. “I admit Ma Saraswati takes leave of me at times,” says Sarma.

Such slips may prove costly for the new chief minister. Given his performance record, people’s expectations from him are high. There will be little margin for error.

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Published at Fri, 14 May 2021 11:04:52 +0000

Health worker vaccinates 6,000 people in Jammu and Kashmir`s Pulwama

New Delhi: A health worker alone has vaccinated almost six thousand people in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. There is a health worker in the district hospital of Pulwama, who has taken responsibility for getting everyone vaccinated in his area. Since the commencement of the vaccination campaign, she has till now alone vaccinated almost 6000 people of area and achieved the 100 per cent target. 

30-year-old Tabasum Ara is posted as ‘Immunization Officer’ at district Hospital in Pulwama has taken oath to get everyone vaccinated so that they can get the protection from this deadly coronavirus. When the vaccination drive started after the first wave of coronavirus, Tabassum hold the forte in his area. 

In the last five months, Tabassum has done coronavirus vaccine to more than 6,000 people in Pulwama district alone, since January 16, 2021, when coronavirus vaccination program has started in the country, she has been continuously performing her duty. Tabassum hasn’t missed a single since day of office since January.

Tabassum Ara, a resident of Pair village in Pulwama, about 3 km away from the main city, comes to Hospital by foot amid lockdown every day and vaccinates more than 300 people daily. Not only she do vaccine but also inspires dozens of people to take the vaccine. During the initial phase, everyone was hesitating but she has inspired hundreds of healthcare workers and front line workers, along with the general public, to get vaccinated.

Tabassum Ara says, “First our health workers and front line workers got vaccinated. I made them understand the benefits of vaccine and we achieved 100 target of them,  then there was some difficulty in the common people, in this we had to do a lot of hectic job there were many bad rumours and people were scared. But we made them aware of it and people started coming to vaccination Center.”

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Mamata Banerjee's rainbow cabinet

One of the dominant themes of Mamata Banerjee’s assembly election campaign was the idea of an inclusive West Bengal that had something to offer to all its citizens, cutting across religion, caste, gender and social status. Public endorsement of it came as her party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), won the election with a handsome 213 of the total 294 seats. ‘Inclusive Bengal’ now finds reflection in Mamata’s 43-member cabinet that took the oath of office on May 10. The team consists of nine women, seven Muslims, eight SC/ST MLAs and professionals from diverse fields—an actor, a cricketer, a theatre personality, a singer and two doctors. In all, there are 15 new faces.

Of the eight SC/ST ministers, four are from Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram and West Midnapore districts. In the 2019 general election, these areas had voted in favour of the BJP, which won five of the six Lok Sabha seats in these four districts. In terms of legislative assembly strength, this should have meant 32 seats for the saffron party. In this election, the TMC breached the BJP turf, winning 26 of the 40 seats in these districts. The BJP’s attempts at Hindu consolidation did not pay off. Tribal voters felt the BJP’s aggressive Hindutva campaign threatened to overrun their own sacred altars of worship. Adivasi boys—with saffron uttariya around their necks and red tilak on foreheads— campaigning for the BJP did not go down well with the tribal people.

Tribal identity

Recognising the contribution of STs, especially adivasi women, in her victory, Mamata has given cabinet berths to three ‘daughters of the soil’ from the remote villages of Jhargram, Bankura and Purulia—Santhali film star and Jhargram MLA Birbaha Hansda, Jyotsna Mandi and Sandhya Rani Tudu.

Hansda has been appointed junior minister of forests. This seems an appropriate assignment as she represents the tribal people of Jangalmahal who depend heavily on forest land and produce for their daily needs. Hansda is the daughter of tribal politicians Naren Hansda and Chunibala Hansda. The Santhali panchi sari she wore for the oath-taking ceremony at Raj Bhawan was an assertion of her tribal identity, culture and customs.

Jyotsna Mandi, who represents the Ranibandh seat in Bankura district and has been appointed junior minister for food and supplies, elaborated on why she thinks women voters had braved the summer heat and the pandemic to queue up at polling booths and vote for the TMC. “The women in our area say they are indebted [to Mamata] for ensuring that their families are well fed and looked after. They talk of the [free] ration, bicycles for their [schoolgoing] daughters and the [election] promise of a monthly stipend(Rs 500-1,000) for women,” said Mandi. Topping her priorities are containing the spread of Covid in her constituency and ramping up the Khatra sub-divisional hospital so that patients do not have to travel to the Bankura district hospital some 50 km away.

Minority report

In her post-victory speeches, Mamata has repeatedly thanked Bengal’s women as well as Muslims for re-electing her. Among the key Muslim faces in the cabinet is Siddiqullah Chowdhury, who retains the mass education extension and library services portfolio. Chowdhury says Mamata has kept her word on seven cabinet berths for Muslims.

Sabina Yeasmin, who had defected to the TMC from the Congress in 2018, has been made minister of state (MoS) for irrigation & waterways and North Bengal development. It is seen as a recognition of her efforts to help the TMC bag eight of the 12 seats in Malda, once a bastion of the Congress and its heavyweight A.B.A Ghani Khan Choudhury.

Former IPS officer Humayun Kabir, who defeated another former IPS officer, Bharati Ghosh of the BJP, has been made MoS (independent charge) for technical education, training and skill development.

Two ministers have been picked from the erstwhile Congress stronghold of Murshidabad, where the TMC bagged 18 of 20 seats. For the first time, Mamata has appointed a full-time minister, Md Ghulam Rabbani, for minority affairs and madrassa education. In her previous term, Didi handled this portfolio herself, assisted by a junior minister.

North Bengal, comprising North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri and Malda districts, is represented in the cabinet by as many as five ministers. The aim is to give a tough competition to the seven BJP MPs in this region. In 2019, the TMC drew a blank in the eight Lok Sabha seats of North Bengal, which cover some 54 assembly seats. This time, the party has made some headway, winning 16 assembly seats. The remaining 38 went to the BJP.

One of the reasons behind the BJP’s waning popularity in North Bengal may be the public perception that the party’s MPs have a lackadaisical attitude. That Nisith Pramanik, the BJP’s Coochbehar MP who was made to contest the assembly election from Dinhata, won the seat by a margin of just 50-odd votes shows the scale of public dissatisfaction. BJP MPs Locket Chatterjee, Swapan Dasgupta and Babul Supriyo also got a drubbing.

Old and new

While Mamata has picked 15 new faces in her cabinet, she continues to rely heavily on TMC veterans to handle most of the key portfolios. Former finance minister Amit Mitra, who did not contest the assembly election due to ill health, has been brought back to handle the state’s finances—a key responsibility in these times of the pandemic. Mitra, though, has been relieved of the commerce and industry department, which he held in the first two terms along with finance.

The likes of Partha Chatterjee, Subrata Mukherjee, Firhad Hakim, Shashi Panja and Chandrima Bhattacharya have been allotted key portfolios. Chatterjee, who was education minister in the previous term, has been given charge of industry, commerce and enterprise; IT and electronics; and parliamentary affairs. Mukherjee continues to hold the panchayat and rural development portfolio along with the additional charge of public enterprises and industrial reconstruction. Hakim is the minister for transport and housing while Bhattacharya will handle urban development and municipal affairs. Panja retains women and child development and social welfare.

Allegations of corruption have prompted some pruning as well. The foods and supplies portfolio was taken away from Jyotipriyo Mullick over alleged corruption in food distribution during the previous term. The public works department, earlier with Arup Biswas, has gone to Moloy Ghatak. Insiders say Mamata was annoyed with Biswas over reports of deep-seated corruption in the department. Manturam Pakhira lost the Sundarbans affairs department to Mamata loyalist Bankim Hazra, who belongs to Sagar Island, the southernmost tip of Bengal. The reason for this shuffle is allegations of nepotism in Cyclone Amphan relief.

Some portfolio allocations have raised eyebrows, such as that of TMC veteran Sovondeb Chattopadhyay and controversial leader Becharam Manna. Chattopadhyay, known for his big footprint in trade union politics, has been given charge of agriculture while Manna, a farmer turned politician, has got the labour department.

Mamata has made it clear that ministers will need to vet all major decisions taken by their departments. Two committees have been formed—a core committee on industries with Mamata as the head and another under the chief secretary to take policy decisions and review development work. Didi appears more eager than ever to ensure a new chapter in Bengal’s development.

Some of the prominent new faces in Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet

Birbaha Hansda (Santhali film star)- MoS for forests

“I will go door to door, as promised, and cover all 334 booths in my constituency within a year”

Humayun Kabir (Former IPS officer) – MoS (independent charge) for technical education, training and skill development

“As a minister, I shall remain responsible and duty-bound. Law and order was my forte, but this (technical education) could pose new challenges.”

Jyotsna Mandi (MLA from Ranibandh) – MoS for food and supplies

“Women voted for a woman who empowered them. They queued up since early morning, without doing cooking or household chores, to vote for Mamata Banerjee.”

Manoj Tiwary (Cricketer-turned-politician) – MoS for sports and youth affairs

“I am a huge fan of Didi and know her as a warm person since my KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders) days.”

Sabina Yeasmin (MLA from Motabhari) MoS for irrigation & waterways

“In a Congress stronghold, people accepted me and my party, rewriting Malda’s political script.”

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Published at Fri, 14 May 2021 11:43:37 +0000