गिरिडीह: क्या आपको पता है बिहार के तीसरे मुख्यमंत्री के बी सहाय और झारखंड के पहले मुख्यमंत्री बाबूलाल मरांडी में क्या समानता है? के बी सहाय भी गिरिडीह ज़िला के रहने वाले थे और बाबूलाल मरांडी भी हैं।
के बी सहाय जहां 70 के दशक से पहले मुख्यमंत्री बने, बाबूलाल साल 2000 में झारखंड अलग होते ही बन गए। पर जिस ज़िले ने दो मुख्यमंत्री दिये वहाँ की 25 लाख जनता को स्वास्थ्य व्यवस्था के नाम पे कुछ भी नहीं मिला। बाबूलाल के समय गिरिडीह को एक साथ तीन मंत्री भी मिले, पर 2005 में जब इंडिया टुडे मैगज़ीन में पूरे इंडिया के सबसे पिछड़े जिलों की सूची बनी तो भारत में गिरिडीह पांचवें नंबर में था। सर्वे में स्वास्थ्य के कई पैमाने थे और उन सब में ये ज़िला सबसे नीचे रहा था।
अब जब कोरोना वाइरस से लड़ाई से विश्व और देश के साथ गिरिडीह भी जूझ रहा है तो सबसे बड़ी ज़रूरत बेहतर मेडिकल फैसिलिटी (स्वास्थ्य सुविधा) की है। इसलिए जब गिरिडीह से पहली बार विधायक बने सुदिव्य कुमार सोनू ने चेम्बर ऑफ कॉमर्स के सहयोग से चार बेड वाले इंटैन्सिव केयर यूनिट (आईसीयू) का उद्घाटन लॉकडाउन के दौरान सदर अस्पताल में सोमवार को किया तो यही एक बहुत बड़ी उपलब्धि के तौर पे गिरिडीह के जनता के लिए माना जा रहा है!
आईसीयू के अभाव में गिरिडीह ज़िला के ज़्यादा तर क्रिटिकल मरीज़ को दूसरे जिलों में रेफर कर दिया जाता था। इस वजह से ज़िला में एम्ब्युलेन्स ‘सेवा’ भी खूब फल फूल रही है।
जनता के पैसों से बना, जनता को समर्पित
ईन्यूज़रूम से विस्तार से बातचीत में गिरिडीह विधायक सुदिव्य सोनू ने बताया, “मैंने तो विधायक निधि से मार्च में ही 19 लाख रूपयेे आईसीयू में लागने वाले वेंटीलेटर, कार्डियक मशीन– इमप्लांटेबल कार्डियोवर्टर डेफ़िबृल्लटोर (आईसीडी) के लिए एक कंपनी को ऑर्डर दिया था। लेकिन लॉकडाउन के बाद उसने कुछ भी देने में असमर्थता जताया। पर covid-19 से उभरे हालात में अभी ही गिरिडीह ज़िला को आईसीयू की जरूरत थी।”
आईसीयू बनाने में महत्त्वपूर्ण सहयोग करने वालों की सूची
“इसलिए मैंने चेम्बर से सहयोग मांगा और न सिर्फ मुझे उनका सहयोग मिला बल्कि 12 दिनों में गिरिडीह को 25 लाख की लागत का 4 बेड का आईसीयू मिल गया। इसलिए ये जनता के पैसों से बना जनता को समर्पित आईसीयू है,” झारखंड मुक्ति मोर्चा के विधायक ने आगे बताया।
कोरोना से लड़ाई
गिरिडीह विधायक ने ये भी बताया कि आईसीयू, पीपीपी (पब्लिक प्राइवेट पार्टनरशिप) मॉडल पे काम करेगा।
सोनू ने आगे कुछ और बातें बताई, “इसमें कुल लागत 50 लाख तक होगी और एक महीने में 10 बेड का आईसीयू ज़िला को मिलेगा। वैसे जो आईसीयू आज से गिरिडीह सदर अस्पताल में शुरू हुई है वो ज़िला स्तर पे कहीं और नहीं है राज्य में।”
विधायक सुदिव्य सोनू के इलैक्शन मानिफेस्टो में गिरिडीह वासियों के लिए एक मेडिकल कॉलेज की स्थापना का भी वादा है। और उन्होंने सदर अस्पताल में जल्द नेत्र और दंत चिकित्सा विभाग शुरू करने की भी बात कही।
The lockdown edition of Ramadan 2020 in Islamic year of 1441 Hijri offers unique challenges and opportunities. For the first time perhaps, Ramadan in the midst of COVID-19, has a potential of fulfilling many obligations for the faithful – roza [fasting], namaz [praying], Zakat [charity] and jihad [struggle or quest] within a month.
While other concepts are easily understood, jihad needs explanation and emphasis. For a majority of Indian Muslims and clergy, jihad in letter and spirit is a spiritual struggle within oneself against sin, will, circumstances etc. where the fight against adversity may not necessarily be physical. The literal meaning of the Arabic word jihad, is “striving for a worthy and enabling cause” and not the internet-social media induced sense of a ‘holy war’ against non-Muslims.
Centuries long traditions have it that Ramadan is a time for worship, comradeship and relationship. However, if social distancing and lockdown are taken as will of God to save and protect against a Coronavirus spread, avoiding guests at breaking of fast [iftar], community prayers [tarahwih] and Sahri [beginning of the day-long fast] would merit a sense of sacrifice towards the will of God.
However, enforcing a sense of discipline among 170 million Muslims [sharply divided on sectarian, linguistic, socio-economic conditions] spread across the country is not an easy task. Several academic studies have shown that in order to bring about any form of social change, it is imperative to recognise the presence of religious organisations and enter into working partnerships with them. Unfortunately, due to post-2014 political divide, polarization, anti CAA stir etc.., the task of government and a rather tardy bureaucracy in winning hearts and minds has become tougher.
On his part, union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has held several rounds of meetings with Muslim clergy, intellectuals, community leaders and officials of various state waqf boards via video conferencing to work out on Ramadan guidelines. There are over 7,00,000 mosques and Islamic religious and social institutions which fall under state waqf boards and receive financial assistance.
On their own accord, many Muslim scholars and clergy in India have issued appeal that gestures such as avoiding crowd in iftar and prayers would be equivalent to life–after reward for jihad. In fact, for the first time in recent memory, religious heads of all Muslim sects such as Deobandi, Barelvi, Shias, Ahle-hadith, Bohras and seminaries like Darul Uloom, Deoband, Nadwa, Ala Hazrat Academy, and organisations like Jamat-e-Islami, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, Majlis Ahle Hadith etc. have sunk their ideological differences to issue common appeals and fatwas to minimize physical contact.
For instance, just like many other communities in India, shaking hands or hugging is a preferred form of greeting. Muslims have been advised to go back to Ottoman era of placing hand over the heart in order to exhibit affection and warmth.
As per some estimates, Indian Muslims offer Zakat, or charity to the tone of Rs 50,000 crores during Ramadan. Zakat amount, as we understand, is calculated as 2.5% of a person’s annual savings. While Zakat donation can be made in cash or kind any time of the year, but most contributions are made during the Ramadan because most Muslims believe that the after-life rewards of good deeds in this month are far greater. If some iftar party expenses are clubbed to sadqa or voluntary charity, the amount of money for the needy and lesser privileged could easily scale to around 1,00,000 crores. For millions facing starvation and want in the midst of COVID-19 crisis, this amount, if distributed judiciously, has a potential of saving hundreds and thousands of lives due to hunger. For iftar too, Muslims can approach many NGOs and agencies distributing food packets in lieu of the past practice of iftar parties and banquets.
For recitation and listening of Quran during Ramadan known as Tarawih, Muslim community has multiple options of using their smartphones, television, radio or the internet. There are many phone apps offering language translations and real-time telecast or recording of Quran recitation from Makkah, Madina and other established seats.
The Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al al-Sheikh of Saudi Arabia, who enjoys high religious authority among Sunni Muslims, has gone a step further to say that even Eid-ul-Fitr feast should take place at home if the situation doesn’t improve in the coming days. But let us hope and pray that by last week of May 2020, situation in most parts of India would be such as it would allow neighbours of every Muslim household in the country to receive a bowl of ‘sheer’, ‘sewaiyan’ or sher-khurma.
Kolkata: At a time when the world is uniting to face the global pandemic, the Union Government of India and West Bengal State government are engaged in the petty politics of blaming each other.
The allegations and counter allegations began when a group of Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) arrived at Kolkata Airport to inspect Bengal’s implementation of guidelines to combat Covid-19 virus. Three hours later the Union Home Ministry bothered to inform the West Bengal Chief Minister that an IMCT team had reached Bengal for inspection.
Mamata Banerjee immediately wrote to the Centre accusing it of having sent the team without consulting Bengal and that she wouldn’t be cooperating. A couple of hours later she calmed down and fell in line with the orders.
State Vs Centre
The differences between the state and the central governments reflect in the Covid-19 statistics being shared by the two. As per the Centre’s statistics shared via its official link, West Bengal currently has a total of 456 confirmed Covid-19 cases. But in the bulletin shared by the Government of West Bengal there are only 300 confirmed Covid 19 cases.
When eNewsroom contacted Sudeshna Gupta, Special Secretary, Health and Welfare department, GoWB said: “The figures of Covid-19 patients reflected in the bulletin shared by the health department have been prepared by senior doctors based on certain criteria. We stand by it.” When requested to explain the difference between the two, she asked us to call her seniors. eNewsroom tried connecting with Vivek Kumar, Principal Secretary Health and Welfare department, GoWB, but was unable to get a response.
Low testing strategy of both State and Centre
The looming health crisis over Bengal is primarily because of low testing facility in the state. As many have pointed out, Bengal has fewer Covid-19 cases than many other states because fewer tests are being conducted. However, many from the medical fraternity believe that low testing is not just the strategy of the WB government but also of the Centre.
Speaking to eNewsroom Dr Mridul Sarkar, Member, Medical Service Centre, a socio-medical voluntary organization said: “Bengal has lower number of Covid-19 positive cases, because of low testing. But then low testing has been the policy adopted by both the central and state governments, right from the start.”
“The first positive case in India was detected on January 13 in Kerala. But neither the states nor the Centre recognized the impending danger. They had ample time to create a parallel infrastructure to tackle the pandemic. But both chose to be sitting ducks. Now healthcare providers are being exposed to the risk of contracting the virus as we treat our patients,” he added.
According to Dr Sarkar, the Centre and State have very categorically emphasized on what needs to be done in the hospitals during the pandemic, but not much has been executed at the ground level. Explaining the lack of facilities he said: “If you visit any government hospital, you will understand the lack of preparedness. There is no proper screening to weed out undetected Covid-19 patients at Emergency. As a consequence, some undetected patients kept in general wards have infected the caregivers, and thus they themselves are now quarantined. Every hospital needs to have this screening section to detect Covid-19 infected patients from those who do not have the virus, following which positive patients need to be segregated on the basis of infection level into four categories – levels 1, 2, 3 and 4. But all that is not happening. All that we can see is the State and Centre blaming each other, when both should be equally blamed.”
Politics over Covid-19
The State may not have liked the intervention, but those who had doubted the data shared by the WB Govt, welcomed it.
“The West Bengal Government was definitely not sharing the exact number of Covid-19 cases in Bengal. After this hide and seek of data was busted, the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases began to increase. If you check the bulletin till April 18, the number of the Covid-19 cases was well below 200. And within a week the number of cases have neared 300, explains it all,” said Biswanath Chakraborty, a Political analyst.
However there are those who feel that Bengal’s cases increased in the last few days because testing also went up during the same period and not because WB government was fudging data.
When asked, what he thinks about IMCT being sent to only to non-BJP-ruled states, excluding Indore in Madhya Pradesh, Chakraborty said: “Well, we can’t deny that politics is being played here. But coming to Bengal, we can’t deny that the number of confirmed cases being revealed by the government was not hundred percent correct.”
Chakraborty maintained that both the Centre and State are trying to use the data for political advantage, given the fact that Bengal be going to the polls next year. “There is politics involved here. Mamata wanted to use this crisis for her political advantage in the Municipal elections. And despite having done a decent job, she made the mistake of not sharing exact details. The Centre got a whiff, from some of her doctors and is now using it to show that Mamata is not doing well in tackling Covid-19 cases,” he said.
However, when eNewsroom tried talking to doctors to ascertain if it was the doctors who alerted the Centre most refrained from making a comment.
Pandemic first, politics later
Members of the medical fraternity believe that the petty politics that the Centre and the State are indulging in should be avoided. “The Centre has the right to inspect, but the way they sent their team could well have been avoided. This is not the time to play petty politics. We need testing kits to weed out Covid-19 positive cases. Visiting hotspots is not the solution. What about areas that are no-risk zones? Once the lockdown is over, these areas will get affected,” said Dr Faruk Hussain Gazi, Medical Officer, Critical Care, Narayana Multispecialty Hospital, Barasat.
“The central government should concentrate on how it can supply proper testing kits and PPE to doctors, while the state should make sure that no one breaks the lockdown rule,” added Gazi.
Adding to that Dr Sarkar said: “A protocol needs to be made and followed while admitting patients to government hospitals. We had even written to the chief minister of Bengal regarding this on April 16”.
Two-sided pressure seemed to have forced Shivraj Singh Chouhan to constitute a five-member cabinet on Tuesday, almost a month after he was sworn in as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. Three members of the cabinet — Narottam Mishra, Kamal Patel, and Meena Singh – were part of the last Chouhan cabinet. The other two, Tulsi Silawat and Govind Singh Rajput, belong to Scindia group and were members of the Kamal Nath cabinet. They will have to get elected to the Assembly within six months.
MLAs (including half a dozen ministers) who went with Jyotiraditya Scindia out of the Congress, resigned from the Assembly and joined the BJP, were getting restive at having been reduced to nonentities. After patiently waiting for quite some time, Scindia met Home Minister Amit Shah to plead for early formation of cabinet in Madhya Pradesh and adjust his supporters as was reportedly promised by the BJP. Shah directed him to BJP President J P Nadda. The BJP President was said to have discussed the matter with Chouhan.
The second was a letter written jointly by lawyers and Members of Rajya Sabha Kapil Sibal and Vivek Tankha to President Ram Nath Kovind drawing his attention to the unconstitutional manner in which the Madhya Pradesh government was functioning. The letter said: “We wish to bring to your attention Article 163 of the Constitution which mandates a Council of Ministers to aid and advise the Governor in the exercise of his functions. The Governor cannot act without the advice of the Council of Minister headed by the Chief Minister. Additionally, the proviso to Article 164(A) provides for the minimum strength of the Council of Ministers to be not less than twelve including the Chief Minister. Here the Council is missing, only the head exists. The Governor has, therefore without jurisdiction acting on the advice of Shivraj Singh Chouhan alone, promulgated two Ordinances.” These were Madhya Pradesh Finance Ordinance and Madhya Pradesh Appropriation Ordinance.
The letter said that these Ordinances authorised the State government to burden the State with an additional loan of Rs 4,443 crore, and also allowed the government the withdrawal of over one Rs 1.66 lakh crore from the Consolidated Fund of the State for the finance year 2020-21. The Congress leaders said that this was an unconstitutional act. The letter said that it was a matter of constitutional shame that Madhya Pradesh holds the dubious record of a Chief Minister functioning without a government — that too, for the longest period in the country’s constitutional history.
The letter also referred to the BJP Task Force and observed: “This Task Force, led by the State BJP President, is set up ostensibly to advise the State government in tackling Covid-19 pandemic. The Task Force has no sanctity in law, cannot be held accountable, and yet controls the functioning of the one-man non-government show, the death knell of democracy. The blatant exercise of such undemocratic decision-making cannot be countenanced”.
Constitution of a notional cabinet only created problems for the BJP, more particularly for Chouhan. As the talks about cabinet formation were going on for some days, several BJP aspirants had assembled in Bhopal and it was left mainly to Chouhan to assuage their hurt. Gopal Bhargava, who was a senior minister in the last Chouhan government and Leader of the Opposition during the Congress government of Kamal Nath, was said to have conveyed his displeasure at having been left out to BJP President Nadda. Scindia was also said to be unhappy because he wanted all six of his supporters, who were ministers in the Kamal Nath government, to be included in the cabinet. There are others like Bisahulal Singh who had no love for Scindia but had gone with him because Kamal Nath had ignored his seniority by not making him a minister.
Chouhan’s helplessness can be gauged from the fact that he had not been able to distribute portfolios even 24 hours after the ministers were administered the oath but, in a farcical move, had given the ministers charge of different divisions and asked them to supervise the government measures to contain coronavirus.
Kolkata: About 40 healthcare workers, including interns, were exposed to a suspected Covid-19 patient in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department but the head of the department allegedly refused to follow guidelines and agreed to run tests only after three days. The woman was admitted in the hospital on April 8 and started showing symptoms the next day. She was tested positive on April 12.
The interns protested till April 15 after which swabs were collected on April 16-17. The test results came on Monday.
“Though the Medicine Department arranged for immediate quarantine of the staff exposed to the patient, it was the gynaecology department that did not follow guidelines,” said an intern on condition of anonymity.
“He told us ‘not everyone needs to go for test and you can go into home quarantine. There will not be any separate quarantine facility for you. If you get symptoms then inform us and we will run the test. Not all who were exposed (to the infected patient) need to go for test’,” the intern quoted the senior doctor, Dr Partha Mukherjee, as saying.
It took Mukherjee days of protests and pressure from the interns to change his mind.
The incident has not only enraged the young doctors but also made them apprehensive about the working conditions in the hospital.
In a press statement on Monday, the MBBS interns expressed their grievances and listed their demands. “Three shifts of healthcare workers, including interns, were exposed to a COVID suspect patient without any adequate protection (i.e. N95 masks, as per guidelines) in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Following this exposure, the authority denied quarantine facilities and testing of these contacts by framing medically incorrect case and primary contact definitions,” the statement pointed out.
“On the contrary the authority asked the above mentioned contacts to resume work which facilitated the secondary exposure of interns in the hostel and family members of the health workers commuting from home. Labour room and other contaminated areas of Eden Hospital were not properly fumigated as per guidelines and were functional that added to the spread of infection. The above incident was falsely reported by local media where in it was quoted that 50 health workers have been quarantined,” it said, adding that after a delay of one week, it was agreed that the primary contacts would be tested and quarantined.
However, the interns alleged that the quarantine facilities are not as per the guidelines and four contacts were isolated in a room with a common toilet, “thus defeating the entire purpose of this exercise”.
Some interns chose self-quarantine in their hostel rooms, which “Was shown in a different light in the media because the authority wanted to conceal its mistake”.
“Some of these interns have already tested positive and many others are to be retested in lieu of inconclusive reports. Overall throughout the departments in Medical College, Kolkata, there have been multiple incidents where the authority has caused bureaucratic delays in testing of suspects and at times non testing of suspects leading to exposure of a large number of interns and health workers. This breach in the national protocols in dealing with the COVID suspects has lead to the fear of local spread among the health workers of the college,” the interns said.
The healthcare staff are already exposed to the virus in absence of N95 masks and the lackadaisical approach to a serious crisis is only making it worse for the frontline workers.
When contacted Mukherjee said he has nothing to say about it and the medical superintendent is the right person for all information.
The interns are now demanding trying of all health workers, both primary and secondary contacts, and irrespective of symptoms or travel history because the eight doctors from Medical College who have tested positive are asymptomatic.
The interns also want proper quarantine with one room and one toilet per person, proper care of all positive cases of healthcare workers, testing of all suspected patients, N95 masks for all health workers, accommodation of all healthcare workers within or near campus to avoid spread in family and community, and last and most importantly, assurance of the authority concerned to act fast and with compassion instead of unnecessary delay in handling Covid-19 suspect cases.
The hospital’s medical superintendent, Dr Jayanta Biswas, said there was no delay in quarantining the staff. “There are so many patients. Even I have the maximum exposure. There are guidelines which we have to follow. Those who worked for 15 minutes at 1 m distance they were first quarantined.”
He explained that not all patients are admitted with infection and some may show symptoms after a few days. “In that case we have to run tests and then shift the patient,” he added.
When asked how many staffs have been quarantined currently, Biswas said there are many and tests are being conducted in phases.
Meanwhile, a meeting was held on Tuesday involving the members of the college council and DME where it was decided that the intern doctor who is in general isolation in MR Bangur will be shifted to a cabin in IDBG Hospital. It was also decided that all quarantine centres will have one person per room with attached toilet and all interns quarantined in Ananda Bhavan Hotel will be shifted to rooms with the necessary facilities.
“All primary and secondary contacts of previous positive cases are being actively traced and quarantined and will be tested. Henceforth, disease control team will be set up to control such future outbreaks,” were among the other decisions.
The meeting also concluded that Eden Hospital took all measures and ensured proper fumigation.
Kolkata: A team from Right to Food Campaign, Jharkhand Chapter met Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Food Minister Rameshwar Uraon to alert them of the imminent danger of hunger and starvation in the state due to the on-going lockdown.
After meeting CM Soren, the team comprising prominent economist Jean Dreze, Asharfi Nand Prasad, Balram, Siraj Dutta, Sunil Minz and Varsha Poddar, shared the letter with the chief minister, which claimed that the government’s plan to universalise public distribution system (PDS), was not happening in the state.
Claims of universalizing the public distribution system
The letter clearly stated, “We are writing to alert you about the imminent danger of hunger and starvation in Jharkhand in the absence of any effective provision for the delivery of food rations to households without ration cards.”
It added, “Jharkhand government’s claim to “universalize” the public distribution system, is not happening.”
The letter to CM also pointed out the weak provision of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), “A weak provision does exist for delivering 10 kg of foodgrain per month (for two months) to NFSA-eligible households that do not have a ration card. However, the application process is complicated and most people are not aware of it. Numerous field reports suggest that this provision covers just a small fraction of households without ration card.”
Emergency Ration Card
According to the activists, about 8 lakh households in Jharkhand have applied for a ration card and most of them are likely to be poor households. In this crisis, there is no time to verify each applicant’s eligibility under NFSA (and the fact that it has not been done earlier is the government’s responsibility).
Therefore, they urged the government to provide emergency ration cards to the 8 lakh households without further delay, for an initial period of at least one year.
They maintained that to make this plan work, even if the government needed to purchase rice from the Food Cooperation of India (FCI) at Rs 22 per Kg, then it should go ahead with it, as it would cost only Rs 44 crore per month to provide 25 kg of free food grain to these 8 lakh households on an average.
“We would also suggest the government to extend same provision to other households that do not have a ration card, based on self-declaration of eligibility under Jharkhand’s NFSA eligibility criteria,” added the letter.
Special foodgrain allocation to Jharkhand
They further advised the Jhkarkhand government to prevail on the central government to provide a special food grain allocation to Jharkhand, free of cost, so that the PDS can be universalized in rural areas and urban slums, as per NFSA entitlements, for at least a year.
While meeting the Food Minister, the team also gave a five-point suggestion regarding providing food grain to all the needful households in Jharkhand. At the end of the meeting they expressed happiness over Jharkhand government’s decision to issue of 10 lakh additional ration cards. However, the team stressed on the fact that this initiative should be executed as soon as possible.
Kolkata: Bobita Gogoi (name change on request), a twenty-four-year-old working mother used to work as a domestic help in Guwahati, prior to the lockdown doesn’t know how to provide for herself and her three children. Her chronic alcoholic husband has snatched all her savings to meet his drinking expenses.
“I am worried. I am at home, thanks to the lockdown. My savings have been snatched by my husband. With no money, I don’t know how I will pay my rent or buy the essentials for my household,” complained Gogoi.
The story of a Kolkata-based professional is no less grim than that of Gagoi. For forty-four-year-old Alankrita Mondal’s (name changed on request), an HR professional, things are not that smooth at her home. Mondal lives with her husband, in-laws and two teenage children, who refuse to help her in the daily household chores. “Now that the maid is not available round the clock, all household chores are to be done by me. Neither my husband nor my children help me in the daily chore. If anything goes wrong, they all collectively abuse me,” said Mondal, a resident of Sinthi More, Kolkata.
The abuse is not just limited to mental or physical domestic violence but also sexual violence. Julie Banerjee (name changed on request), a business woman living in a posh apartment in South Kolkata, is finding it increasingly difficult to protect herself from her husband’s sexual advances. “He is forcing me to get into frequent sexual contact with him. The mental trauma is increasing as lockdown is progressing,” said an anguished Banerjee.
And, mind it, this rise in domestic violence is not just limited to India. It’s on the rise, globally/Covid-19 Pandemic or ‘Shadow Pandemic’ as UN women term it, has led to an increase in domestic violence (verbal, physical, mental, sexual and economic) perpetrated by intimate marital partners. The lockdown has provided a strong platform for the abuser to practice intimate terrorism, as now the victim is helplessly trapped with the confines of her home.
Ashraful Amin Samrat, a social activist working with Bangla Sanskriti Mancha, pointed out that there has been a manifold increase in the number of domestic violence, both among rural and urban population of Bengal. “There have been fourteen cases of domestic violence that we have received through our helpline numbers and yes, the number is growing. These fourteen SOS calls have been received during the lockdown period”, said Samrat.
While, the state director of North East Network, Anurita Pathak Hazarika pointed out that the lockdown has definitely aggravated domestic violence. “We work with rural women of Assam. We have received six cases during lockdown so far, all related to domestic violence. We are offering psycho social care and counselling to such women. We have submitted our memorandum to the social welfare department to recognise our work as essential service,” said Hazarika over the phone to eNewsroom.
While, Shyamoli Das, counselor associated with Swayam of Kolkata, maintained, “Women belonging to the age group (15 to 50 years) are the worst hit. Even elderly women are facing the wrath.” Single unmarried women too, living at their natal homes are not being taken care of by their immediate family members are facing physical, ment al and economic trauma.
Nandita Deka of Human Rights Law Network (HRLN), Guwahati chapter added, “Most of the women belonging to lower rung of the society have chronic alcoholic husbands who run away with their partner’s hard earned money,” said Deka over phone from Guwahati. She added that there are many women who have not been able to call the organisation’s helpline number and inform them about their plights. “Many women don’t have the money to recharge their phone and call us. The limited or no movement outside home is another reason as they are locked up with their abusive partner who is hovering over their head 24×7. Even if their phone is recharged, how can they call us?” questioned Deka.
“In many cases, family intervention is made as mental health intervention is a necessity. Now that we cannot visit the survivor’s natal or marital home, we make conference calls where we talk to other family members,” informed Chandana Baksi, a psycho therapist associated with Swayam. In cases where the women are abused by her family members despite interventions by the NGO’s, police help is sought. The district protection officer is alerted as well.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has received complaints of domestic violence from across the country, and has recorded a sharp increase in gender based violence during. Nationwide lockdown. As per NCW’s report, between March 23 and April 10, a total of 370 complaints related to women issues have been received by the panel. Of the 370 complaints, the highest 123 were of domestic violence. NCW has even launched a WhatsApp number 7217735372 to report cases of domestic violence. Kerala Government too has launched a WhatsApp number to report cases of domestic violence. The 24 hours helpline has been started by the Directorate of Women and Child Development.
Consultant Psychiatrist of NHS United Kingdom, Dr Baidyanath Ghosh Dastidar explained, “Though both men and women are affected by the economic slowdown, there is enough evidence from history that violence against women spikes during season of high unemployment. So during lockdown both men and women are suffering from immense stress and anxiety, as their future seems unsure. Fear of death too affects individuals. To combat all this in a healthy way, we need to include things that keep us busy and happy. Spend time reading, cooking or gardening. Even talking to kids is a very good stress buster. Exercises regularly at home. Follow all safety rules. If you feel stressed don’t watch any Covid-19 related news. And lastly talk to a psycho therapist or psychiatrist for help if you feel like abusing or exploiting others.”
Kolkata: A CBSE-affiliated school in south Kolkata has hiked its fees for the academic session 2020-21.
DAV Public School in Taratala has hiked admission fees for all classes. A notice in this regard was circulating in a WhatsApp group a day after the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry asked private schools not to hike fees owing to the ongoing lockdown and the prevailing health crisis in the country.
The notice, dated April 14, says the first bimonthly fees for the new session should be paid online by April 30. However, there was no signature of the principal on the notice that was uploaded on the school’s website on April 14.
Other notices on the website concerning decisions taken by the school have the principal’s signature. Some of the concerned guardians tried to contact the school for clarification and sent a mail to the official email ID a few days back but there has been no reply so far. A student said the mail was probably sent on April 16 “but I am not sure and I came to know from a friend in another section”.
An aggrieved parent said he paid Rs 12,560 in the last academic session but “this time, it has been raised to Rs 16,010”.
“How can the school do that when there is a government directive? Also, now that the school is closed some of the maintenance charges should be waived off. Then why this extra charge? Many guardians will have problem in paying but no one wants to take up the issue for obvious reasons. Those parents whose wards are admitted to Class X do not want to take the risk fearing backlash. There is no clarity on the matter,” said the parent, who did not want to be named.
The guardian said he was so confused with the notice and shocked at the fee amount that he called up a state government helpline. The person who took the call said he would get back.
Sources said the school is likely to come up with another notice on April 27 but this could not be verified separately.
The HRD Ministry on Friday urged schools across the country not to hike fees and not to charge three months’ fees after several parents took up the issue with the ministry. It also hoped that state education departments must be considering the demands in coordination with guardians and school managements.
Parents across the country were worried about paying fees as the economy of the country is adversely hit by the crisis and small businesses are grappling to stay afloat. This prompted some states to notify schools not to take fees for more than a month. In some places like Lucknow, the local administration has asked schools not to put pressure on parents for fees at all. Despite this, there were reports of insensitivity on the part of schools.
Dr Ehtesham Waquarib has donned many a hat in his career. The 34-year-old Indian Police Officer (IPS), before donning his olive uniform used to work as a doctor in Community Medicine with the World Health Organization (WHO). At a time when India is facing the challenge to combat Covid-19 like the rest of the world, IPS Dr Waquarib has come forward with a 60-day plan for his district – East Singhbhum to take on the highly contagious coronavirus in Jharkhand’s most industrialized belt. The 2015 batch IPS, an AMU alumni took out time from his busy schedule as the SP Jamshedpur (GRP) to answer some pertinent questions for our readers, in an email interview with eNewsroom:
Q: What’s the master plan designed by you? How will it help to fight Corona Virus threat?
A: I am leading the containment-cum-surveillance team of East Singbhum. I meet doctors, magistrates and police officials of this area, with the intention of bettering the coordination among them, to tackle Covid-19 pandemic in a better way.
The team comprising over 1000 members, does not only work for the containment and surveillance of Covid-19. They have also been taught and counselled on a daily basis to increase public participation.
In the past, I have worked as a doctor in Community Medicine. This experience, has helped me in preparing a road map of next 60 days. My study of MBBS and MD has helped me in understanding the epidemiology of Covid-19.
We have applied this knowledge to procure items to well equip East Singhbhum’s Sadar hospitals, Community Health Center (CHC)s and Primary Health Center (PHC)s. We have also roped in private hospitals to ease the pressure on government hospitals.
Even minor details like – preparing duty rosters for doctors for better efficiency, making arrangements for more beds, assessing the number of ICU and ventilators that will be needed, is being noted. A detailed report on the number of Viral Transmission Media (VTM)s, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)s, gloves masks, pulse and oximeters among others will be needed, is being prepared.
We are facilitating training of healthcare professionals and technicians so that they can protect themselves when treating patients with Covid-19. It is our top most priority, as we are seeing that healers are the most affected by the contagious virus.
We are using Telemedicine to reach remote areas of Jharkhand, thereby enabling people to directly interact with doctors as well as specialists. This has cut down unnecessary visits to medical centres in the time of social distancing which lessen the burden on doctors and patients too. We have also introduced a helpline number for psychological counseling.
Disinfection chambers have also been set up at hospitals for medical staffs and for other essential services staffs.
Mobile sample collection booths have been initiated to reach far-flung areas. It will decrease risk posed to both health care persons and public at large.
We are also isolating districts to map the possible hotspots. My active surveillance team members are conducting door-to-door screening. We have also begun an aggressive contact tracing campaign to identify those affected and have them sent to the quarantine centre.
Q: Who will be covered in this plan?
A: I lead the containment-cum-surveillance team of district East Singhbhum (Jamshedpur) of Jharkhand which has a 23 lakh population- roughly the size of Australia. This population comprises both urban and rural folks. It’s one of the most industrialised area of Jharkhand.
IPS Dr Ehtesham (second from right) while a volunteer work as a doctor in Nagpur (file picture)
Q: How you are implementing these plans? Are you satisfied from the plan?
A: I am taking regular meetings with the members to daily monitor surveillance teams.
The teams under SP Jamshedpur (GRP) consists of mainly ADM Law & Order, Civil Surgeon and District Surveillance Officer and all administrative officers (BDO, CO, Ex-Magistrate and Medical officers) are by default working for this.
We have also engaged professors and students of XLRI Jamshedpur to train our surveillance workers. They are of really great help in our endeavour.
There is also a reward system for the better performing teams.
All the travelers from other Indian states using station footfalls in last few days before lockdown were made to undergo institutional quarantine or home quarantine on the basis of thermal scanner and checklists put at railway stations. Regular follow up is being done by making phone calls twice a day. In case of any SOS our medical team immediately rushes to the spot.
Data of foreign travelers in the last 3 months is being scrutinized, house to house tracing, advising home quarantine, isolating and sampling of those who are fulfilling ICMR guideline.
Thousands of ground workers are working on the field, doing active surveillance and 100 lab technicians are ready to collect samples throughout the district.
Our borders are perfectly sealed and police is continuously keeping a tab on people coming in or going out of Jharkhand. All medical emergency and essential items have been provided for the border area.
Models and dashboards have been made to track the work done as well performance of such a large army of ground workers.
Till April 18, we have collected and tested over 400 samples as per ICMR guidelines. The results were negative.
No positive case in East Singhbhum in last 28 days. On the way to be declared ‘Green Zone’.
I am very much satisfied with our team work.
Q: Is it funded by Railway or in association with state and central government?
A: No it’s not funded by the railway. I am voluntarily giving my service to my place of positing and my home state Jharkhand. But whatever, I am doing is in association with the state government.
Q: Do you have any specific plan to deal with migrant workers?
A: The issue of migrant workers is being looked after by district administration itself.
Q: Apart from Railway coaches prepared as quarantine centre in what other ways do you think Railway can help to fight from the Corona threat?
A: Railways is successfully providing movement of essential goods throughout the country when all mode of transport have completely come to a halt, it’s truly the lifeline of our country.
Birbhum/Kolkata: With Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s orders that the lockdown in Bengal will be strict but humane, the state’s police force has the task of not only enforcing the law but also educating the public on the importance of social distancing and preventing the spread of the corona virus.
Keeping this in mind Birbhum Police has taken some unique measures to make people understand the seriousness of the corona virus and following the rules of the lockdown.
Earlier, Kolkata Police formed a musical group and performed at major city intersections as part of an awareness drive. Traffic cops in Hyderabad and Chennai Police wore Corona virus shaped helmets to send their message across.
Birbhum Police have gone a step further. They are not only helming street art, they are also taking the help of Bauls to hammer the message across. And if this is not enough, they are also using theatre artists who wear Corona costumes on the streets of villages and towns and tell the public about the dangers of the deadly virus.
In the initial days the cops began with a poster campaign and making people understand through the public address system. Then came street plays which also involved children explaining the importance of personal hygiene. Campaigns on social media followed where folk songs in Baul and Tusu were played. Constantly evolving newer ways to teach people, cops also sang songs about the dos and don’ts of the Corona virus.
Watch Bengal police’s work in a minute
Cop speak
A local police officer, who is in the thick of things said: “We realized that just stopping people on the streets and sending them back home is not effective. They again come out once the cops are gone. Also our Baul and Tusu songs were a hit with the villagers. We involved local artists to draw on the streets the dangers of COVID-19 virus attack. Many village elders too joined us in drawing their own things on the streets. People are still not serious about the issue and so we have to maintain our guard”.
On the various measures Birbhum SP Shyam Singh said: “We have undertaken lots of programmes. We have seen globally how not being serious about the virus has cost lives. Even though people were not very serious on following the lockdown rules initially, they are now. We are under the process of implementing new initiatives and we will keep you posted.”
Art as a tool against Corona
A street art to aware people to maintain hygiene at the time of coronavirus pandemic I Credit: Indrajit Roy
Goutam Das Baul, who has been performing at many of the town vantage points said: “I have been singing songs on Coronavirus. People are stopping and listening to what I sing. So that way the response has been good.” Songs like ‘Kotoi virus dekhibhai re, keutholi hate hairojbajare jai re’ (This is an unusual virus and people should refrain from going to the market daily) are proving effective”.
Theatre artist Abhishek Dutta who dons a Corona costume and covers 2-3 spots daily in and around Santiniketan is also working in tandem with the Santiniketan OC on the theme.
“We have four Corona costumes with us. I’m the only one who is donning it currently. If we have four people at four different spots it will be better. People are scared. Many in the villages think that if one has fever it must be Corona and that they should not approach the doctor fearing social boycott. We are educating people on this.We also tell them not to fear the police but fear the virus”.
Kingshuk Sarkar, who is drawing Corona themes on the streets as wide as 50-70 ft feels street art is proving effective with the local population. “Till now, I along with my wife Roshni Bagchi Sarkar have covered 8 places. A few of the Kala Bhavan students are also assisting us. We are mostly moving in villages which are vulnerable. We have also done artworks within Visva-Bharati campus and at Shyambati Bazar in Bolpur town,” he said.
