At the heart of No Lights No Lycra (NLNL) is the belief that everyone can dance. This free-form workout in the dark was thought up by Australian dance students Alice Glenn and Heidi Barrett in 2009 in Melbourne as a means to truly let go and express oneself.Creative freelancer and the woman behind the Mumbai chapter, Yooti Bhansali, says, "You can dance like nobody's watching, because nobody can see you and also, they're busy enjoying their new-found freedom. From a small room full of nutty dancers in Melbourne, this community has spread to major cities in Australia, London, Hong Kong, Beijing, New York, and is now Mumbai."

Bhansali heard about NLNL from an Australian friend. Is Mumbai ready for such a thing, we ask. "We've seen music gigs in art galleries, movies in bars and quizzes in microbreweries. So, getting people in a dark room to dance doesn't seem much of a stretch," she says Bhansali has got several queries from people across age groups, who are excited about the prospect of a physical activity that's fun. "It's not a party. It's a place where you dance freely. Of course, you could just dance in the dark in the privacy of your home, but let's be honest — would that be as much fun?"

When: 8am, May 23
Where: The Bandra Base, Baitush Saraf Bldg, TPS III, 29th Off Waterfield Rd, Bandra West
Entry: Rs 399, cash only. Get a friend for free

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Representational picture

New Delhi: Apart from making healthy organic life choices, incorporating a night time skincare regime into our daily lives, will go a long way in keeping the skin looking healthy and glowing. Start your regime by thorough cleansing and do not forget to use a toner, suggest experts. Shankar Prasad, Founder, Plum, and Megha Sabhlok, Brand Director, Just Herbs, have given some inputs:

Cleanse: Going to bed with make-up on is the worst thing you can do to your skin. It leads to chemical accumulation, blocked pores and reduces the ability of skin to absorb nutrients. Make sure that you use a gentle cleanser first to remove make-up and grime. If required, follow up with a foaming face wash.

While the idea of cleansing the grime on your face with castor oil might seem unappealing to you, however, it not only can draw out the dirt from your pores and purge, it also has anti-inflammatory properties. People with all skin types can benefit from this method.

The best natural cleansing technique is to use one-third castor oil mixed with two-thirds of any oil of your choice; almond, sunflower seed, virgin olive or any other natural, organic oil. Massage the oil gently onto your face with firm strokes focusing on your problem areas

Use a soft washcloth soaked in warm water to cover your face. The warmth allows the oiled pores to soften and open up in order to gently release the toxins and impurities.

Gently wipe without scrubbing and repeat again. This should remove the oil along with the dead skin cells, bacteria and impurities from your face leaving you with deeply cleansed glowing skin.

Tone: This helps reduce pore size, balance skin pH and remove any leftover dirt and make-up still left. Toning will further nourish and hydrate your skin leaving it supple and refreshed. Rose water tops the list for its fragrant refreshing appeal and its universality in suiting all skin types.

Refrigerate a good organic brand and apply all over face and neck using a cotton ball. Green Tea with a few drops of tea tree oil makes for an antibacterial toner that especially suits oily skin types.

Anti-ageing serums: Address your anti-ageing concerns with elixir serums as they nourish and restore the natural glow and youthfulness to tired, ageing and pigmented skin. Plant polyphenols, carotenoids and flavonoids present in these serums slow-down skin ageing process. Once applied, let your skin fully absorb the serum for some time while you rest.

Massage with night cream or gel: Begin by spreading it across the forehead, down the nose, across the cheeks, the chin, neck and towards the chest. Gently massage the cream in upward strokes and circular motions by using your fingertips. This helps in evenly distributing the moisture all over your facial skin, increases blood circulation and minimises puffiness.

The facial oil: Facial oils repair and replenish the facial skin while you sleep. Apply 4-5 drops of facial oil on fingertips and gently massage it in circular motions from nose towards ears while applying horizontally, and always against the gravity while applying vertically.

It is usually applied after the gel/cream as it helps seal-in the moisture.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Ajit Dayal on how to walk around with a 56 inch chest in the COVID-19 crisis.... [Read More]

Soon, medical colleges might have to keep one expert from the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) to address cases of medical negligence.

MMC wrote to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) earlier this month, asking them to implement this across the state. "We have written to DMER, asking them to introduce one council member on the expert panel investigating medical negligence cases in medical colleges. This would help in bringing more transparency and better judgment of orders," said Shivkumar Utture, president of MMC.

Dr TP Lahane, director, DMER confirmed receiving the request, "The proposal is extremely welcoming but before coming to a conclusion, we need to discuss it with the council members." So far, around 500 cases of medical negligence or issues regarding treatment are still pending with the council.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

An average 18.39 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the first four hours in Maharashtra's 17 seats on Monday as polling for the fourth and last phase of Lok Sabha elections in the state was underway. Polling began at 7 am and long queues were seen outside many booths, some of which were decorated with balloons and 'rangolis'.

Mumbaikars took to the social media platform and posted their voting experience on Twitter. As many as 3.11 crore voters spread across the Mumbai metropolitan region and northern and western Maharashtra are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 323 candidates in the fray in these 17 seats. Around 40 polling booths in these constituencies, including 26 in suburban Mumbai, are being managed by women.

#VoteKarMumbai
Citizens braving the hot weather and long queues to make their voices count at St Anthony school, Malvani church, Malad (w) pic.twitter.com/u88glP96iD

— Sushant shetty (@The_Outlaw_Poet) April 29, 2019

If you ain't voting then you ain't getting any right to rant about the government.

Use the opportunity to vote rather than enjoying the 'holiday".#VoteKarMumbai #VoteBecauseYouCan #VoteForChange pic.twitter.com/Tj3EkYhi3A

— SA (@Bts_sonia3) April 29, 2019

My first vote as a responsible citizen of India 🇮🇳 @narendramodi @PMOIndia @TanmayNPatel @siddhar98531723 @Republic_Bharat @ECISVEEP I appeal everyone to vote for better 🇮🇳 do your duty as a responsible citizen 🙏🏻 #2019Elections #VoteKarMumbai pic.twitter.com/L4B6rE3RNB

— Chowkidar shraddha shetty (@sssshetty499) April 29, 2019

#VoteKarMumbai Took 2.5 hrs to cast my vote due to EVM failure. Anyway guys use your wisdom before you cast your precious vote. pic.twitter.com/w4FLL8xb5J

— Sibu Varghese (@35ce5c7275f049b) April 29, 2019

#Keep phones at #home when you go to vote #LokSabhaElections2019 #VoteKarMumbai pic.twitter.com/uHKrcFr5Yy

— Richa Pinto (@richapintoTOI) April 28, 2019

I have Done my National Duty.Have You?#VoteKarMumbai #VoteForIndia pic.twitter.com/79i0T77cxh

— Shubham Anil Dhande (@ShubhamADhande) April 29, 2019

Monday done right ✔️✔️ #VoteKarMumbai #MumbaiVotesForNation pic.twitter.com/dAG7atOCCY

— Smita Diwan (@smitadiwan) April 29, 2019

Voting experience for the first time was quite good. All the officers and staff were doing great job and are cooperative with the people. #VoteKarMumbai #VoteIndia #VotingRound4 #UnitedByVote pic.twitter.com/1kosbophnn

— Bhanushali Disha (@dbhanushali01) April 29, 2019

Family trip to the polling booth is more important than a family trip over an extended weekend to a nearby tourist destination.Lonavala,Khandala etc etc will still be there next weekend,the polling booth won't.#LokSabhaElections2019 #VoteKarMumbai #Democracy #Elections2019 pic.twitter.com/uoss2FZsWI

— Rohit D (@rohitd1999) April 29, 2019

#VoteKarIndia #VoteKarMumbai #vote We did, did you? Pls go and vote, make a difference. pic.twitter.com/i1bd6qLF5W

— Prasanna R Coondapur (@prax3) April 29, 2019

Finished voting. Took us about 1.5 hours, but it's worth it if we get our voice heard and get to participate in this democracy. #Elections2019

Also, lots of first time voters! High time, but big ups! Today, I feel hopeful. Sweaty, but hopeful. #VoteKarMumbai pic.twitter.com/OSmCg2ZTtw

— Smriti Sant (@temporarysant) April 29, 2019

Ultra senior citizens with full of energy voted. feeling proud of them as my uncle & aunt!!#MumbaikarVoteKar #IndianElections2019 #Vote4Nation #VoteKarMumbai #VoteKar#DeshKaMahaTyohar@abpmajhatv @zeemarathi @zee24taasnews @ZeeTV @ECISVEEP @narendramodi @narendramodi_in pic.twitter.com/OdDkwToRXp

— Mangirish Herwadkar (@hmangirish) April 29, 2019

My First Vote to strengthen Democracy 👆
I Appeal you all to vote wisely 🙏#VoteForIndia #VoteKarMumbai #LokSabhaElection2019 #VoteBecauseYouCan pic.twitter.com/Pr2HESJiAj

— Prathamesh Thanekar (@One_two_ka_four) April 29, 2019

The voting figures till 11 am in other constituencies are as follows: Dhule- 18.26 per cent, Dindori - 21.06 per cent, Nashik- 17.22 per cent, Palghar- 21.46 per cent, Bhiwandi- 17.25 per cent, Thane-17.43 per cent, Mumbai-North- 19.46 per cent, Mumbai-North West 17.64 per cent, Mumbai-North East-18.39 per cent, Mumbai-North Central- 16.21 per cent, Mumbai-South Central-16.80 per cent, Mumbai- South 15.51 per cent, Maval- 18.23 per cent, Shirur- 18.65 per cent and Shirdi 20.55 per cent.

Watch Video:

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

One of the major issues faced by the voters of the Mumbai North West constituency was that most of their names were missing from the voters' list, and they did not get much guidance at the polling booths. Those who did not find their names on the list, had to return without casting their votes, and they even complained that the officials posted at the polling stations could not address their queries.

The fight in the constituency is between sitting MP and Shiv Sena – BJP candidate Gajanan Kirtikar and Congress NCP candidate Sanjay Nirupam. Due to the scorching summer heat, most people preferred to vote in the early morning and evening hours. Long queues were spotted outside polling stations at Jogeshwari East, Goreagaon, Dindoshi, Andheri East and Versova.

The Pathak family whose names were missing from the list

Missing names

A family of three — senior citizen Parashar Pathak, his wife Anju Pathak and daughter Silky Pathak had landed at the Gyan Kendra School in Andheri West early to cast their votes, however they were shocked to find their names missing from the list. Speaking to mid-day, Silky said, "My mother had a doctor's appointment, so we decided to first cast our votes and then head to the clinic. But we were shocked to see that our names were missing. The officials at the polling station could not help us in any way, and after wasting two hours we left."

Shilpa Ajgaonkar from Goregaon East, who faced the same problem, said, "Though my husband's name was there on the voters' list, my name was missing. I had no option but to return after two hours without voting because even the polling officials could not help." Forty-six-year-old Genevieve Da Silva said that the election officials at the entrance of the St Anthony High School told her that her name was not there on the electoral roll. However, her husband, Clinton, could vote.

Goregaon East resident Shilpa Ajgaonkar's name was missing from the list

Senior citizens enthusiastic

Even though senior citizens of the North West constituency showed a lot of enthusiasm this time, many of them said that the facilities at the polling centres could have been better. A residents' association in Juhu had arranged for a pick-up and drop facility for senior citizens and even wheelchairs were available at polling stations.

Speaking to mid-day, Juhu resident Shankar Adnani, 82, said, "We are happy that adequate arrangements had been made for senior citizens at our centre and we did not face any difficulty in reaching the polling booth." However a youngster, who voted at the Gyan Kendra School polling station in Andheri West, said, "At the Gyan Kendra school, ramps for senior citizens were kept only at one place. Some of them, who had to vote at the adjacent building, were made to sit on chairs, which were then carried to the booth."

First-time voter Devangshi Haria from Four Bungalows

No ink applied

Meanwhile, first-time voter Muskan Gupta, who cast her vote at the Gyan Kendra School, said that an official at the booth forgot to mark her finger with ink. "I have cast my vote but the official in-charge might have forgotten to ink my finger. Even I was not aware of the exact process."

First-time voters
Four Bungalows resident and a first-time voter Devangshi Haria said, "I always wanted to vote and I am happy that I could do it this time. More youngsters should come out and vote because this is the process of nation building." Versova resident Mahesh Babaji Padyal, who is also a first-time voter, said, "I have been waiting to cast my first vote since over a year now and finally I could do it. I feel happy that my vote will play an important role in deciding the fate of the candidate, who will represent us in the Lok Sabha."

First-time voter Mahesh Babaji Padyal from Versova

Kurla resident Rita Vishwakarma was a happy mother on Monday since both her children — 19-year-old son Chandraprakash Vishwakarma and 22-year-old daughter Komal Vishwakarma — voted for the first time. As no one had explained them the voting process, the brother-sister duo said they figured it out themselves.

Muskan Gupta, whose finger was not inked

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

The art display at the debut edition of the festival

This weekend, if you step into the heritage precinct of the Great Eastern Mills compound in Byculla, you’ll get to feast your eyes on oil and watercolour paintings by 50 artists from across India. The showcase is part of the second edition of Art 35, a three-day carnival that celebrates affordable art. “Though we had a basic festival last year, I have taken it to a bigger scale this year by curating carpet displays, fashion apparel, jewellery and food stalls; paper and origami workshops for children and music performances too,” shares Charu Tewari, CEO of Ficus Fine Living, that’s presenting the festival.

Mooralala Marwada

The performance line-up includes an afternoon of Sufi renditions by Mooralala Marwada, a well-known folk singer from the Janana village in Kutch district of Gujarat. The artiste, who sings in the Kaafi form of music, will regale the audience with poetry of Kabir, Mirabai and Ravidas. Other must-catch acts include a Dastangoi storytelling session with Ankit Chadha and a stand-up comedy show titled Oye... Stand Up by Ankita Shrivastav and Mohit Sharma. The latter will also perform a solo act of Toba Tek Singh. The play based on Saadat Hasan Manto’s famous short story set in the aftermath of Partition will see the actor don 19 characters in 60 minutes.

Mohit Sharma in an earlier performance of Toba Tek Singh

The fest also offers a range of workshops — from one on digital photography by Himanshuu Chandrakant Sheth to tarot card reading by Ruchi Shah, finger painting, fabric painting, mural painting, collage making as well as cupcake decoration with fondants and frostings. Each workshop is curated for specific age groups, including two-year-olds.

What’s a carnival without yum food? Dig into chaat, sandwiches, baos and organic fare from the stalls set up at the fest. These include gourmet lunchboxes for `500 whipped up by Savor, a subscription service launched by the folks behind The Secret Supper Project along with probiotic European fermented milk drink, Kefir, by Moina Oberoi, who runs the city’s first Kefir delivery service. You can also binge on Mutton Kheema Samosas, biryani and other sumptuous fare from a pop-up by The Bohri Kitchen.

If you’re looking for retail therapy, check out faux and semi precious jewellery, fashion apparel by Neelu Oberoi as well as exotic carpets and hides from The Merge Projekt in Bandra.

Key, Chair

As the morning sunlight casts a warm glow on a terrace in Andheri, Yash Soni hands us a small glass bottle with a cork stopper. It fits between our thumb and index finger. Glinting at us from within is a tiny guitar carved out of the nib of a pencil.

Mic and fist, Eiffel Tower

A ‘wow’ escapes our lips as we squint to check out the intricate details — there are strings, tuning pegs, a saddle and Soni’s name carved on the instrument’s body. “It took me four hours to make it,” says the 26-year-old artist, one of the few in the city creating microscopic art out of pencil lead. This weekend, he will present a live carving session at Maker Mela, an event that celebrates art, engineering and science with a DIY mindset, at KJ Somaiya’s Vidyavihar campus.

Watch, Guitar

Russian inspiration
With a professional background in event management, Mumbai-born Soni’s tryst with pencil art began two years back, when he came across the works of experimental Russian artist Salavat Fidai on Instagram. “He carved a heart within a heart on a pencil. I was fascinated. Since art had been a hobby (he has created graffiti and speed painting works), I decided to try this too. I bought a pencil, a five-rupee cutter, and tried to carve a heart in a car, while travelling to Thane, and I was able to do it,” recounts the self-taught artist, who watched Fidai’s art-making videos repeatedly to learn the finger movements. “Now, we correspond too. His advice to me: be gentle and use minimal movements with fingertips,” he says.

Yash Soni with spool-and-needle carved on a pencil tip. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Be patient
Till date, Soni has created over 50 pencil carvings, including a key, a stiletto, a champagne glass, a watch, a chair, the Eiffel Tower, a fist with a detachable mic, a windmill with rotating blades and even a needle and spool, carved entirely out of the wood and lead of the pencil. On his wishlist are a scooter, a neckpiece and Mukesh Ambani’s tower of blocks, Antilla.

Soni’s tool set comprises two scalpels and a needle

“Carving on pencil requires a lot of patience. Since I prefer to focus on the details, it takes about four to five hours to make a piece, though I can make a heart in 20 minutes,” reveals Soni. The artist uses three basic tools — two scalpels with surgical blades and a needle fitted into a pen-like holder. “I start by shaving the wood with the scalpel and then, use a needle to carve the finer shape and details,” he adds. When we ask if he works in a particular kind of light, he confesses, “Initially, I would use a USB LED lamp attached to my laptop as a source of light when I needed to carve at night. My parents were anxious about it affecting my eyesight. Now, I’ve become more careful but I can work from any spot,” he adds.

Pencil matters
Soni uses a range of pencils, from 2B to 8B leads with a shiny finish, graphite pencils featuring matte-finish leads and carpenter pencils with a flatter surface. “Indian pencils aren’t great in quality and often, the lead within the pencil is already broken. The biggest challenge is breakage. 8B leads are thicker which helps me carve more intricately,” says Soni, who preserves the pencils in glass bottles or in customised frames.

Last week, he conducted a workshop-cum-exhibition at IIT-Chennai. Now, he also customises his works and sells them, starting from `4,000. “Most people are dismissive of the art since it’s on a pencil. My aim is to give micro sculpting the credibility it deserves,” he signs off.

Bombay Chamber Orchestra concert

Did you know that world renowned classical composers like Mozart, Beethovan and modern day legends like George Gershwin and Nat King Cole were Freemasons?

Well, they were. Freemasonry is not the shadowy organisation it is made out to be in popular fiction. Freemasons are actually the world's oldest and largest non-religious, non-political and charitable organisation. It also has the honour of being the world’s largest fraternal society.

The first Grand Lodge in England is said to have been formed on June 24, 1717. This means that 2017 is the 300th or Tercentenary Anniversary.

The Freemasons are celebrating the completion of three hundred years of their formation, with a series of events in Mumbai, spread over the two days of January 27 and 28.

Many non-Freemasons, know very little of Freemasonry, and even if they do, consider it a secret society. Even lesser is known about the fact that Western Classical music has been deeply influenced by Freemasonry and many leading composers were Freemasons themselves.

Freemasons, together with the Bombay Chamber Orchestra have invited leading performers from India and abroad, and have put together a once- in-a-life time musical soiree. The event is scheduled to be held on Saturday, January 28 at 6:00pm, Sophia Bhabha Hall, Bhulabhai Desai Road, Mumbai.

ALSO READ: Not such a secret society, after all

Donor passes for the premium segments of Rs 5000 and Rs 1500 have already been sold out. The last few regular seats at Rs 1000 are still available. The funds raised by the event are earmarked towards the cause of dementia.

So you have got to rush and book those passes right now.

For programme details and online donor passes log on to:
http://freemasonryintheeast.dglbombay.org/concert/

South Dandies Swaraj rappers, Tamizh (left) and Sean YKV (centre) who are working on their debut album, recently performed with Kadhal Jack (extreme right) of Kacheri Movement in the city. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

“I say what I want to say and do what I want to do. There’s no in between. People will either love you for it or hate you for it.” Eminem, the global Rap icon, had elucidated the fundamentals of the genre cogently, whose origins are in Africa and Jamaica. Owing to the free flow, it entered India on a blissful note.

Legendary actor Ashok Kumar offered its first glimpse with the song, Rail Gaadi (Aashirwad), in 1968. Within two decades, the genre found allies in AR Rahman and Ilaiyaraaja. South Dandies Swaraj — a Rap duo comprising Suresh Agailan Bose (Sean YKV) and Rahul Prasad (Tamizh) - are taking forward the legacy, albeit in the independent space. The Mumbai-based group raps in four languages, but their highlight is Tamil.

Message in music
Sean, the lead rapper, wants to bring about a change through an album, that’s in the making. “My motto is Rap for change and Hip-Hop for life. I try to convey a message through every song. I am looking for a producer,” says Sean. The name of the band is suggestive of their South Indian roots. Earlier, the group had more members. “We were a Hip-Hop Collective with nine people, including a miniature artiste and a graffiti artiste. We had to bid goodbye to some members,” he shares.

The 28-year-old from Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu) resides in Mahim and believes that rapping in different languages will help him reach out to more people. “It helps me connect to more listeners who understand these languages. We want to take our regional languages abroad,” he adds. Sean also performed alongside Apache Indian and Shankar Mahadevan in his initial days. “I didn’t get any break after those shows. But kids would take my autograph while senior citizens would kiss my hand. They thought my Tamil was retro,” he says.

Society matters
“Our music talks about recycling, rape, terrorism, social media and other social issues,” says Sean, who can also rap in Marathi. His colleague, Tamizh, sticks to Tamil.

One of the singles from the Dandies’ kitty is Idli Vada, the traditional breakfast in South Indian households. “I observed Idli and Vada vendors and wrote a song around their daily struggle, and how they see the society through customers,” explains Sean. The track, Social Kadhal/Pyaar, dwells on the overuse of social networking sites. “The world has become dynamic with Facebook and Twitter. This song is about the youngsters who spend hours on it.” The group also has a track dedicated to the feminists, called Nari Meri Nari.

The Dandies also developed a brother culture, being close to Kacheri Movement, a Rap outfit from Dharavi. They are often seen playing gigs together.

Sean is hopeful about his music’s reach. “I am not a party person. I am interested in the social issues. We know how African Americans changed the face of Hip-Hop when they used music as a vehicle for their struggle. I will try to do the same,” he signs off.

Uncharted has dropped its latest installment and it is significant simply because there is no Nathan Drake, the protagonist of the previous Uncharted games. Instead, this time, you get to play with Chloe Frazer backed with Nadine Ross, who are in India searching for the Tusk of Ganesh. We don't know if Naughty Dog planned this, but a game featuring a Ganesh related artifact releasing just around the time of Ganpati Utsav is pretty good timing.

The game unfolds in the mountains of India during a civil war, with everything you would expect, in an Uncharted game — lots of fast paced gun play, spectacular ancient ruins, overgrown jungles and easy to solve puzzles. It is a formula that has worked well for the series in the past and why would you mess with something that works.

You may find both Chloe and Nadine familiar if you have played Uncharted before, they have appeared in the previous games. Chloe as a sidekick in two games and Nadine as the antagonist of the last Uncharted. To get the artifact that leads to the Tusk of Ganesh, Chloe infiltrates the war-torn city dressed in a kurta, she looks very Indian in the outfit. This is very different from any other Uncharted game because it deals with claustrophobic, garbage-filled city streets instead majestic jungles the game is used to. It's a nice change but a short one, once you manage to find the relic it is straight off to the jungle for you.

The Lost Legacy is a lot like Uncharted 4, it plays almost similar, some of the guards look familiar and even some of the ruins. The game is comfortable with what it is and there aren't any new surprises that push the gameplay forward. What it excels at is the ride and that is an action-packed ride that would put Indiana Jones to shame. What you can do is enhance the experience with their new photo mode, it makes everything a little more fun. The photo mode lets you change the expression of Chloe's face temporarily. This, of course, can be used to take hilarious screengrabs.

The game looks amazing on the PS4 Pro, the jungles and the ruins are grand to say the least, enough to make you want to go a nearby forest in search of ancient picturesque monuments. It's a nice use of local mythology to create a brilliant fantasy world.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is great for newbies. Since it doesn't require you to have previous knowledge of the characters or any hard to play sections, it is pretty much a no-brainer for any gamer.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Rating: 4/5
Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony
Platform: PS4
Price: Rs 2,499

Replicas
U/A: Crime, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Director: Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Thomas Middleditch, Alice Eve, John Ortiz, Emjay Anthony
Rating: 

The bland, expressionless Keanu Reeves as a scientist is a hard sell for even the most gifted filmmaker so one can't understand why he was chosen to lead the cast as an obsessive scientist wanting to clone his family back to life after a drowning accident. And that's not the only bad choice here. The story itself never develops beyond the perfunctory -allowing for quick jump forwards into sci-fi territory that doesn't appear conclusive in the least. The script appears to be written by novices who have little idea about the subject matter. Neither the Director, the tech team nor the cast seem to believe in this story. So they all appear to be playing a game of make-believe that only they enjoy. For the viewer the experience is sheer tedium.

Playing God in a high tech world is not a new concept but the treatment, tone and momentum must be good enough to gain attachment and believability. There's no such thing here. At no point are we ensnared by Will Foster's (Keanu Reeves) need to bring back his family from the dead. Neither his guilt nor his love for them are established here. And his corralling of his lab partner Ed (Thomas Middleditch) for support, is also not believable in the least. The talk of neural maps, synthetic brain, algorithms and consciousness sounds like mumbo-jumbo in such an unbelievable set-up – even when it's done in a futuristic facility called Bionyne.

Check out the trailer here:

When Will persuades his friend Ed to dispose the bodies of his dead family members it sounds insane and when he pretends to be his kids and responds to text messages from their friends it becomes all the more ridiculous. We never see his grief or experience his pain. And that's also because Keanu Reeves doesn't go beyond harried and lost in terms of expression. Both writer Chad St. John and director Jeffrey Nachmanoff don't appear to have figured out what exactly they wanted to convey here. They just run with the tide and make a mess of it. There's no style or mood to hold this sort of idea through. Nachmanoff hits the bland and straightforward route – on e that leaves the audience totally distended and discontent. This is the kind of hare-brained unbelievable stuff you wouldn't waste your hard-earned money on!

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

The Escape Room

U/A: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Director: Adam Robitel
Cast: Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, Deborah Woll, Jay Ellis, Tyler Labine
Rating: 

These so-called 'live' reality game movies occupy a sub-genre of their own and Hollywood has been churning out quite a few of them following the Young Adult's obsessive fixation with material that encompasses it in entirety. But they are not all as thrilling or compelling as the first few that made it to hit franchise levels.

'Escape Room' is basically a set-up to get rid of six nondescript lone survivors through a series of life-threatening puzzles designed to test their survival instincts. And why pray does that have to happen? There's not much explanation here for that. Just swim with the tide, is all they ask. Unfortunately, it's not that easy for the audience because the viewer has to constantly suppress the disbelief that springs up every time the participants go through haranguing moments that willy-nilly put their lives in peril.

Check out the trailer here:

This is a far more perilous version of the more recent spurt of high-risk Telly games and since we don't get to know or understand the participants' motives (other than the 10,000 dollar prize money) it's difficult to empathize or find a reason to pay attention to their trauma. The writers also use some uninteresting physics theory to justify the random six players' participation in a largely predictable schema of disjointed thrills. They are made to go from intense heat to intense cold, then to a gas chamber, a space crusher and a few more vicarious routines before the winner can be decided.

While the production design is vivid, there's not much holding it together. Nik Dodani as nerd Danny, Jason Ellis as irritating yuppie Jason, Tyler Labine as trucker Mike, Deborah Ann Wolf as the tough, capable war vet Amanda, Logan Miller as a young alcoholic Ben and Taylor Russell as a withdrawn college student Zoey put in imminently indistinct, forgettable performances. The writing is largely formulaic too and the helming lacks serious edge. There's really nothing here to hold your attention for the near 100 min runtime.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga
U/A: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Director: Shelly Chopra Dhar
Cast: Sonam Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Rajkummar Rao
Rating: 

Towards the film’s climax, Rajkummar Rao, who plays playwright Saahil Mirza in the film, tells those watching his play to do so ‘from the heart’. It’s imperative that we follow this instruction, because, like with every Bollywood film, it’s easy to dismiss this one on many technical frailties. But, what you can’t fault, is its intention to depict a love story for what it truly is — a love story. Why does it matter if it is about a woman falling in love with another woman?

Written beautifully by the prolific Gazal Dhaliwal, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga breaks perceptions to introduce to us what normal truly implies — being compassionate about one another’s uniqueness. The point, in this case, isn’t to merely celebrate homosexuality and treat it as the regular. It attempts to reiterate that even personal choices, like those of marriage, career, or love, must be respected. Being rendered claustrophobic shouldn’t be the outcome of accepting an emotion that goes against the tide of societal norms. The narrative’s tapestry is woven with care and compassion; it evidently comes from a personal space, for Dhaliwal.

Watch the trailer here...

The film kicks off with a play about love in the age of Tinder. Leading lady Sonam K Ahuja’s Sweety brutally criticises this as “upar-upar ki love story”. Sweety is forced to live a life of shame. A closeted lesbian, she struggles to come to terms with her own orientation. Her family’s unwillingness to acknowledge it, a brother who pressurises her to ‘fix’ herself, and persistent loneliness, makes her journey cumbersome.

Sonam plays Sweety with charm and earnestness, and is yet uninhibited when she must be fierce. It takes courage to back a script of this nature, and she gets full marks for doing so. Rao’s Saahil shows compassion in his scenes with Sweety. Another cast-member, Anil Kapoor is affable. Given that he is as closeted as his daughter in the film — Anil’s character is a chef at heart who is stuck in a business of garment — the final scene of acceptance seems to come from a place of empathy.

What doesn’t work, however, is director Shelly Chopra Dhar’s constant ploy to whip up mystery around Sweety’s orientation. Her big revelation comes with orchestrated music, a futile attempt given that the title and trailer are revealing of the plot. There is also a latent desire to underplay the theme. Sweety’s partner, Kuhu (played beautifully by Regina Cassandra) gets a mere 15 minutes of screen time. Yet, it doesn’t particularly take away from the final product.

Commendably, Dhar manages to keep the film from becoming preachy. But, what she achieves with this feat, she instantly loses when Sweety says Saahil must be a saviour for others like her. It is offensive, given that it treats heterosexuals as the all-powerful, while the unique as those who need rescuing. Despite the faltering and the flaws, this one is a hit for every romantic. It’s never too late to celebrate love without labels, right?

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

The Least Of These
U/A: Drama
Dir: Aneesh Daniel
Cast: Sharman Joshi, Stephen Baldwin, Shari Rigby
Ratings: 

Aneesh Daniel's attempt to relook at real-life events that triggered the grisly murder of Graham Stuart Staines - Australian born evangelist/poor leprosy patients' caregiver, living and working in the remote regions of Orissa - is a rather tame experience.

It's obvious the filmmakers were eager to avoid any confrontations with right-wing fanatics, who had a major role to play in triggering the gruesome killing of Staines (Stephen Baldwin) and his two sons. Don't know how much of a spoiler the censor board played in this regard, but needless to say, this is a largely sanitised version of the truth and does a great disservice to the lives lost in the throes of a communal crossfire. Defanged of the court ordained facts, including the name of the convicted killer (Dara Singh) and his right-wing Hindu fundamentalist political affiliations, this film merely plays around with the 'conversion' issue.

The narrative device employed here is in itself flawed. It's the late 1990's. Journalist Manav Banerjee (Sharman Joshi) moves with his pregnant wife to a small town in Orissa. The editor (Prakash Belawadi) of the New Orissa Daily treats him like a stringer and expects him to coerce stories about forced conversions from the villagers. Manav, who shuns lepers and is clearly biased against Christian groups, would rather do the exposé without being personally involved. But his editor deems it necessary that Manav himself play victim to the conversion hoax to expose the Australian missionary's so-deemed unlawful activity. With his wife delivering prematurely and costs of hospitalisation mounting by the day, Manav is forced to toe the line.

While forgiveness plays an important part in this misrepresented drama, it doesn't have the effect of a great act here. It is depicted so ineffectually that there is little impact on the viewer. The actors are either over-the-top or inconsistent. Joshi overstates his eagerness by repeating phrases like 'I am a journalist' and 'He is a leper'. Scripting by Andrew E Mathews is so slack that his turnaround defies logic. Even Baldwin and Shari Rigby fail to arouse empathy. Technically too, this film is not upto the mark. The direction, editing and cinematography lack distinctive focus. This unaccomplished production doesn't amount to anything!

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Kalank
U/A: Action, Drama, History
Director: Abhishek Varman
Cast: Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Madhuri Dixit, Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha and Aditya Roy Kapur
Rating: 

Not one to get wooed by the scale and production value of a film, I can't help but be smitten by the sheer beauty of Abhishek Varman's Kalank. In 2019, when Netflix rules our lives, this film is a rare cinematic experience that blends in opulence, glamour with a solid story about a family torn by its own skeletons in the closet. Star crossed pairs, their infidelities and how it destroys the world around them.

Drawn to forbidden pleasures and immoderate love is Roop, played with heft by Alia Bhatt. Varman's vast screenplay primarily plays off the luminous chemistry between Bhatt and co-star Varun Dhawan. There's a tantalising quality about their pairing and Varman uses this element to full effect. But a lot of the emotions drown in its self imposed ornate design of the film, which gives it a synthetic quality.

Watch the trailer of Kalank here:

So when a feisty Rajputana girl (Alia's Roop) is compelled by circumstances to marry a man (Aditya Roy Kapur's Dev) she can't even recognise in broad daylight, you want to discover more about their faulty dynamics. Or even how a well-educated woman like her, who has opinions strong enough to be voiced in front of an all-male team of writers running a flourishing newspaper, would fall for a visibly dubious man (Varun Dhawan's Zafar) with a promiscuous life. All of this and much more about the period's socio-political submerges beneath Binod Pradhan's gorgeous cinematography. It's almost as if there is a barrier between the audience and the characters - a gulf presumably created because of the director's reluctance to delve deeper into the plot.

Kalank movie poster

It's at the casting department, Varman scores big. Raging with simmering pain, Varun's aching performance beautifully transcends from showing him as a bitter man thirsty for revenge to a kind soul softened by love. Aditya's character has little graph but he adds soul to his act, supported adequately by Sonakshi Sinha who keeps her brief role serene all through. The seniors - Madhuri Dixit and Sanjay Dutt bring their effortless experience in a climactic sequence which packs a punch. Kunal Kemmu's grey part is portrayed with flair.

Also Read: Kalank: Here's everything you should know about the multi-starrer film

By no means is Kalank an unbearable film, despite being nearly 2 hours 48 minutes long. But there is a constant tryst to divert our attention from its storyline; Varman distracts us with his suggestive background scores, special numbers and sometimes even the perfectly created Manish Malhotra costumes. It's also equally problematic that a film set in pre-Partition doesn't stir up much political conversations throughout the narrative. There are stray mentions of their noble intentions but it remains largely detached from the divisive politics of the time it is set in. It also pays a tribute to Sanjay Leela Bhansali's school of filmmaking by borrowing a lot of his trademark sequences (especially Alia's entry which reminds one of Aishwarya's first scene in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam). Varman's prism is fresh - his women aren't caricatures, his characters aren't perfect. Roop is innately flawed, her decisions are damaging but she fights back for love with all her might. His men aren't all heroic and larger than life; they stumble, are unforgiving and equally faulty.

Watch the video of the Kalank movie review here:

I was reminded of Deepa Mehta's masterpiece - 1947, Earth, rightly melodramatic, potently emotional which walked the tightrope of a love triangle in stormy times in a balanced way. Kalank doesn't aim for that depth. It's content in being pretty even when it has the potential of so much more.

Kalank screening: Janhvi Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Aditya Roy Kapur attend:

Also Read: Kalank Celeb Review: B-town can't stop praising this period drama

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

No one informed us that my brother had been killed. We heard about his death on news," said Rakesh Tiwari, the brother of Kalpavrishkgiri Chikne Maharaj who was lynched in Palghar earlier this month, from Uttar Pradesh's Bhadohi taluka where the deceased priest's family lives.

On the night of April 16, a frenzied mob of close to 450 tribals lynched 70-year-old Chikne Maharaj, another priest and their driver, suspecting them to be thieves, at Gadchinchale village. While the incident made headlines across the nation, Chikne Maharaj's family learnt about his death only two days later.

Rakesh told mid-day over the phone that neither the police nor the authorities in the state informed them about his demise. We learnt through the news two days later that Kalpavrishkgiri had been brutally murdered in Palghar, he said.

Kalpavrishkgiri had left his home in Uttar Pradesh at the age of nine and was reunited with his family after 20-long years. When Kalpavrishkgiri was nine years old, he left home for Gramsabha Bhusavla school at Bhadohi one day, and never returned. We searched for him across the town but didn't find him." After reuniting with him 26 years later, the family learnt that he had gone to Nashik to become a monk, Rakesh said.

"We found his address when Kalpavrishkgiri was about 35-year-old and learnt that he had become a priest. After leaving UP, he had gone to Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple to become a monk and later moved to Mumbai. He was a priest at Vandevi temple at Jogeshwari East. We accepted him and I used to meet him whenever I visited Mumbai."

Kalpavrishkgiri wanted to attend the last rites of our mother, who died on March 22, said Rakesh, adding that he couldn't make it to Uttar Pradesh due to the lockdown in Mumbai announced by the Maharashtra government in an attempt to contain the spread of the novel Coronavirus.

"On March 22, I called to my brother to inform him about our mother's demise, but due to the restrictions he could not attend her funeral. He was our mother's favourite son," Rakesh told mid-day. Rakesh said, "Our wish was to attend my brother's final rites but we received the information very later and that too from the media."

He also accused the police of failing to save his brothers and the two others with him. The videos clearly show that the police surrendered my brother to the mob, who then brutally thrashed him to death, said Rakesh, adding that the police could have saved Kalpavrishkgiri.

"Not a single police officer informed us about his death," Rakesh told mid-day.

Tilghate was driving Chikne Maharaj and Sushil Giri to Surat where the duo were headed to attend the last rites of a head priest, Ramgiri Maharaj. However, they came across the tribals, who were enraged by the rumours that a gang of child lifters were active in the region. While the police maintain that close to 450 people were part of the mob, a local leader had said as many as 2,500 tribals had gatheredthat night.

16 April
Day the two priests and their driver were lynched

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

The Maharashtra cabinet has reiterated its recommendation, that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray be made a member of the legislative council from the governor's quota, which has two vacancies. The cabinet had requested this to the Raj Bhavan following a decision taken on April 9, but the delay has created a political tussle between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Maha Vikas Aghadi at a time the state needs a stable government.

It is necessary for Thackeray to become a member of either house within six months of taking charge of the CMO (before May 26). The elections to the council were postponed because of the pandemic, and the CM was left with no option but to seek a seat in the governor's quota. The term of the vacant post will end in the first week of June, but that will save the CM's resignation, because he could be in the office without being a member of the either house till he gets elected in the rescheduled upper house polls.

In a stunning statement some days ago, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut had accused the Raj Bhavan of being part of a political conspiracy. In view of the tussle, the cabinet met on Monday under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, to pass a resolution to send Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari the recommendation again. Since Pawar's authority of chairing cabinet meetings in the absence of the CM was challenged before the high court on the ground that the Dy CM position had no constitutional validity, and the CM had not authorised him to conduct the cabinet meeting, Tuesday's reiteration is considered as making the state's case stronger. But a minister said Pawar was authorised by the CM on April 9 and the MVA detractors were making false claims. The cabinet has decided to tell the governor that the state government was fighting the pandemic with all its might and teamwork.

"The pandemic is intensifying and in such a grave health crisis the state needs a stable government," said its statement.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

The Palghar pot is boiling with the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M) saying they are going to file defamation cases against a couple of BJP leaders for defaming CPI-M, by making baseless claims against them for the lynching of the two priests and their driver in Gadchinchale village. Mumbai's Ashok Dhawale, Central Committee member, CPI-M said, "We will file the case shortly. When the CPI-M says something, it always goes ahead and never backwards."

The roots
Dhawale explained that the Communists have had their imprint in the whole of Dahanu and Talasari tehsil. "It has been our base since 1945 when Comrade Godavari Parulekar led the revolt of the tribals against landlordism and bonded labour. This is how deep our roots go into this land. We have the MLA seat in Dahanu, with the dashing Vinod Nikole defeating the BJP sitting MLA in 2019."

Work done
On accusations that it is the Communists and this party that foment violence, leading to mob frenzy and agitation, Dhawale shot back, "We have worked for drinking water and water for irrigation. We drive movements for uplifting the health infrastructure in the region, we have schools, colleges and hostels in Talasari district. We have worked for women's issues, rations..."

Long march
Dhawale added as a Mumbai example, "It was the CPI-M that was at the forefront of the long march of farmers from Nashik to Mumbai in 2018. One of the demands was better implementation of the Forest Rights Act. There was no violence on that march, not a single car window was smashed. It was during this time that a BJP leader spoke about Urban Naxals and that term has stuck."

Bullet train
Another name swirling in the Palghar blame game is that of the Kashtakari Sanghatana. Dhawale said, "The Kashtakari Sanghatana and the CPI-M have had a prickly relationship.

However about three years ago, we came together to galvanise people in the area against the Bullet Train project. We have buried the hatchet so to speak, since."

Parliamentary process
In the end, Dhawale said that the CPI- M was totally against the Maoist violence in fringe pockets, "We have always been part of the Parliamentary process, right from Independence. We have unequivocally condemned the Palghar lynching; for the right wing to link it to us, to defame us, is simply nonsensical."

Go and file
Mumbai's Shriraj Nair, national spokesperson Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), slammed the CPI- M saying, "If any villager is innocent we support him. We are for tracking down the culprits of this crime. For years though, the CPI-M has been brainwashing villagers and conducting anti-Hindu activities. They are also anti-development."

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Nearly three dozen cops, including Assistant Sub Inspectors to constable-rank policemen, attached to Kasa police station in Palghar have been transferred as a result of the Palghar mob-lynching incident.

Sources at the police station told mid-day that 35 policemen have been moved to different police stations in Palghar district, as they failed to gauge the public mood despite repeated offences by local villagers, who had been rearing their heads against the government.

"Just two days before the barbaric killing of three men — saints Chikne Maharaj and Shushil Giri and their driver Nilesh Tilghate, the mob, in a similar manner, had attacked a doctor. The doctor was spared as he too is a tribal," said an officer from Palghar police.

"Kasa police should have taken stern action against the mob as they had injured policemen in the April 14 incident. Had action been taken against the mob then, local villagers would not have mustered the courage to gather at one place and dared to lynch the trio," the officer said.

Two police officers, PSI Sudhir Katare and API Anandrao Kale, have been suspended over 'dereliction of duty'. However, action taken by both on April 16 — the day of the lynching — has been defended by eye-witnesses.

Meanwhile, the sarpanch of Gadchinchale village Chitra Choudhary has been given police protection after she wrote to Kasa police about threats from relatives of the accused. One of the two watchmen of the forest department, Sonudaji Borsa, has registered an NC against the mother of an accused for threatening him but no protection has been given to him so far.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

With more than a month since the lockdown began, a few students from outstation are still stuck in Mumbai University's (MU) hostels. A majority of them managed to head home, but there still are about 20-23 students in the Churchgate and Kalina hostels.

Though their mess provides them with meals, the students still pay for food and need other daily essential items. None of them have any money left and no assurance from home as many come from farmers' families who are already facing a loss due to lockdown.

So these students have requested the varsity to provide them financial aid. "Money is very important when you are staying away from home. Every day each student ends up paying a little over R120 for all three meals at the mess. The university has issued orders that the mess should not charge us, but we know that if we don't pay, the canteen service provider won't be able to buy items," a student at the Churchgate hostel said.

Another student from the Kalina hostel said, "The university has asked the food contractor to not charge but that is not practically possible until they have been provided with groceries etc. If the varsity provides us financial aid, we will be able to ensure our other needs such as soaps, toothpaste etc. are met."

Rohit Dhale from Chatrabharati, who has written a letter to the varsity over the issue, said, "Most of these students are from families which are not financially stable. The students are few and if the varsity decides to help them it won't be a huge amount." MU registrar Ajay Deshmukh said, "We have already ensured that the mess continues to function so that these students do not have a problem with food. We have asked the mess contractor to not make charges mandatory during such difficult times. We have received the letter and it will be discussed with the Vice-Chancellor to decide what can be done."

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

A Bandra court on Tuesday granted bail to Vinay Dubey, accused of inciting migrants to assemble outside Bandra railway station on April 14 in violation of lockdown norms. Dubey was granted bail on a cash surety of Rs 15,000 by metropolitan magistrate JY Ghule, his lawyer Deepak Mishra said.

On April 14, the last day of the first phase of the lockdown, several hundred migrants had assembled on the west side of Bandra railway station, demanding trains take them to their native places, just hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an extension of the lockdown till May 3.

Police claimed Dubey's video and Facebook post incited the migrants, as he was heard stating that the government must run trains by April 18 for migrant labourers, or he would start a rally to get them home.

Dubey was charged under sections 117, 153 A, 188, 269, 270 and 505 (2) of Indian Penal Code on charges of promoting enmity among different groups, abetting the commission of an offence by members of the public, and for negligence that could spread infections, disease etc. He was also charged under the Epidemic Diseases Act.

Advocate blames police
Advocate Mishra claimed the police was wrong in charging Dubey. "Dubey had said in the video that an agitation would start on April 18. However, migrants gathered on April 14 itself. So how can my client be blamed for that?" he said. He also told court that the migrants had been able to gather despite the lockdown because of the failure of the police and state.

Rs 15k
Cash surety against which he was granted bail

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

The nation has come to a standstill as people have been asked to stay at home and observe social distancing to curb the spread of the virus. Motivating people during this tough situation and encouraging them to continue staying indoors, Radio City, India’s leading radio network launches ‘Ghar se na niklenge’ anthem. In addition to staying indoors, the foot tapping anthem urges citizens to come forward and support the nation by donating for the PM Cares Fund.

Radio’s City’s ‘Ghar Se Na Niklenge’ Anthem has been voiced by famous Bollywood singers like Divya Kumar, Benny Dayal, Asees Kaur, Meghna Mishra, and Nakash Aziz. The anthem is being aired across Radio City’s Hindi Speaking markets. Making the audience match steps with their groovy dance moves, the music video of the anthem features Radio City RJ’s along with artists like Sahil Khattar, Sushant Poojary, Paul Marshal, Rahul Shetty, Deepak Singh, Himanshu Parihar, Hiten Shah, Vaibhav G, Manan Sachdeva, Shashank Dogra, Aishwarya Radhakrishnan, Dhruv Dutt, Sonali Kar, Macedon D Mello, Sanam Johar, Abigail Pandey, Raveena Chaudhary, and Sneha Kapoor. The video will be amplified extensively across Radio City’s social media handles, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

Sharing his thoughts on the anthem, Mr. Kartik Kalla, Chief Creative Officer, Radio City, said, "It’s been over a month and a half that we’ve been in lockdown and needless to say, it’s becoming increasingly tough to stay positive and motivated through it all. However, maintaining social distancing and staying at home is critical to flatten the curve. Radio City has always strived to utilise the power and reach of radio to connect with its audience and bring a positive change in the society. The ‘Ghar se na niklenge’ anthem is yet another creative approach from the Radio City’s AudaCITY team to not only entertain our listeners but also create awareness of the importance of staying indoors. We also support our Honourable Prime Minister’s message and through this anthem are encouraging our listeners to donate for the PM cares Fund. I would like to thank all the artists who have come forward and supported us in this initiative."

Speaking about the initiative, Batameez Dil singer, Benny Dayal said, "Amidst such unprecedented times when the world is grappling to fight the Coronavirus pandemic, staying home is the only way to prevent the spread of this deadly virus. Music has the power to bring people together, uplift mood, and provide comfort. A huge shout out to the Radio City team for making me a part of the ‘Ghar se na niklenge’ anthem and spread joy in others’ lives. I humbly request everyone to stay home and stay safe."

Sharing his thoughts on the anthem Actor, Indian Youtuber and Television host, Sahil Khattar said, "It is imperative for people to stay indoors to safeguard themselves and others as well. Radio City’s ‘Ghar se na niklenge’ anthem has brought all of us together to cheer up the audience. We need to understand the gravity of the situation and stay united in making the purpose of this lockdown a success. Let’s stay at home and defeat this pandemic together."

Speaking about the Radio City’s ‘Ghar se na niklenge’ anthem, the Shubharambh singer, Divya Kumar said, "I am elated to lend my voice to the ‘Ghar se na niklenge’ anthem by Radio City. I think it is our collective responsibility as citizens to abide by the rules and stay indoors for our nation. I am certain that this anthem will make you groove to its tune and help spread some positive vibes amidst the tough times."

The second phase of the campaign will be spearheaded by Pepeta choreographer, Rajit Dev, who will launch #RadioCityNamasteChallenge, a digital campaign that will urge viewers and listeners of Radio City to come up with their version of the hook step of the anthem and share it on their social media handles, tagging Radio City.

Radio City’s ‘Ghar Se Na Niklenge’ Anthem, is a collaborative effort of Radio City team and established Bollywood singers, TV personalities, social media influencers, and industry choreographers, who have joined hands to bring a smile to people’s faces and help them understand the importance of not leaving their homes during the lockdown.

You can watch The Radio City’s ‘Ghar Se Na Niklenge’ Anthem here: 

About Radio City:

Radio City, a part of Music Broadcast Limited (MBL) is a subsidiary of Jagran Prakashan Ltd. Being the first FM radio broadcaster in India and with over 17 years of expertise in the radio industry, Radio City has consistently been the number one radio station in Bengaluru and Mumbai with 24.5% and 15.7% average listenership share respectively. (Source: RAM Data, TG: 12+ Period: Week 1, 2013 to Week 21, 2019). Radio City Delhi ranks #2 with 13.4% average listenership share (Source: RAM Data, TG: 12+ Period: Week 1, 2019 to Week 21, 2019).

Music Broadcast Limited currently has 39 stations across 12 states, comprising 62% of the country’s FM population. Radio City reaches out to over 69 million listeners in 34 cities covered by AZ Research 2019 (Source: AZ Research Report). The network provides terrestrial programming along with 18 other web-stations, through its digital interface, www.radiocity.in.

Radio City has spearheaded the evolution of FM radio by offering content that is unique, path-breaking and invokes city passion amongst listeners with its brand philosophy of "Rag Rag Mein Daude City". The network introduced humour and the concept of agony aunt on radio with Babber Sher and Love Guru respectively. It also initiated Radio City Freedom Awards, a platform to recognize independent music and provided a launch pad to budding singers with Radio City Super Singer, the first singing talent hunt on radio.

Radio City bagged 73 awards across national and international platforms like Golden Mikes, India Radio Forum, New York awards, ACEF awards etc. in 2018-2019. Radio City has consistently featured for the 7th time in ‘India’s Best Companies to Work For’ study conducted by Great Place to Work Institute. In 2019, Radio City ranked 6th in ‘Best Large Workplaces in Asia’, according to the GPTW survey. Radio City has also been recognized in ‘India’s Best Workplaces for Women – 2019’ and has ranked amongst the Top 75 organizations on the list.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

On April 16, two priests and their young driver travelling in a car from Mumbai to Surat were lynched to death by a frenzied mob in Gadchinchale village, Palghar district. This paper has been closely following the sequence of events, including interviews with the family of the slain, and the political brouhaha that followed.

While it is learnt that the men became the target of an enraged and armed mob, it is clear that they were fuelled by rumours and in some cases by alcohol too. Locals claim talk about child kidnappers and organ sellers was doing the rounds. There were also rumours about outsiders coming into the village and spreading Coronavirus.

We now have to think and put into place some kind of gameplan, so that such incidents do not occur again. Having said that, it is also understood that there is no guarantee, and one acknowledges that it is very difficult to control a mob baying for blood.

This does not mean that we cannot try and learn from some takeaways of this crime. Police and leaders must act proactively the next time any rumours start swirling around. This could be done by putting signboards in areas or making announcements to dispel rumours. The frontline of the tribal community and villagers, those who command respect could be roped in at an early stage by authorities as allies. They could then hold meetings of people dispelling and squashing dangerous, loose talk. An aggressive truth campaign can be started.

Action against culprits stoking irresponsible fires can be part of the rebuff-the-rumour strategy. All this should be driven by those who have won the trust of the people. All easy to say, but worth giving a shot. The key seems to be not to be reactive and try to pacify an already charged, unmanageable group, but, proactive so that there is a strategy in place to scotch lies and wilful attempts to misguide.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Almost two weeks since the lynching of the three men from Mumbai in Palghar, no fresh arrests have been made in the case, as the tribals involved in the crime continue to give the police the slip. The investigating team says a few of them are hiding in the hills and pelt stones at the police whenever they inch closer to them.

Some others, the police say, have taken shelter in the houses of relatives in Jawhar forest division, while some have crossed the border to hide in Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

While the police continue to hunt for the culprits, many of them are a demotivated lot, as three more personnel were suspended for 'dereliction of duty' in the lynching case. Some of them claim police personnel were also beaten up by the mob and are being suspended and transferred for no fault of theirs.

Police on the hunt for the tribals

Fled with food and family
After lynching the trio – Chikne Maharaj, 70, Sushil Giri, 35, and their cab driver Nilesh Tilghate, 30 - on the night of April 16, and before the police crackdown next morning, almost all the inhabitants of Gadchinchale village and nearby hamlets took off with food and family members including kids, said Sonudaji Borsa, a watchman at the forest post and a witness to the barbaric incident.

Helped by other villagers?
Police sources have not ruled out the possibility that residents of other hamlets in the forest supply food and other essentials to the tribals in the night, when the police team scales down the hills. Police sources told mid-day that they have received inputs that a few of the tribals have taken shelter at distant relatives' houses in Jawhar forest division and some went to Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

"The villagers are aware of the geography of the jungle and hilly regions of Palghar and Dahanu. On April 17, most of them managed to run towards the dense forest and climb the hills. Chances are very high that they have crossed the area bordering Dadra and Nagar Haveli as they know the internal jungle routes," said a police officer.

The investigating team under the supervision of Atulchandra Kulkarni, Additional Director General of Police (CID), Maharashtra Police has also retrieved the dumb data (mobile locations etc) of the lynching site to track those who were present at the spot either to instigate the mob, or kill the trio, or out of curiosity. Till now the Palghar police have arrested 110 people including nine juveniles in connection with the mob lynching. A total of three FIRs have been registered at Kasa police station and the complainants are API Anandrao Kale, PSI Sudhir Katare and SDPO Bhagwat Sonawane of Jawhar division.

At least 19 arrests across border
The fourth FIR was registered at Khanvel police station after the reinforcement coming from Talasari via Dadra and Nagar Haveli was stopped by a mob of 250 people and the Additional SP was attacked. The superintendent of police of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Sharad Darade told mid-day that 19 accused have been arrested under sections of IPC, Disaster Management Act and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. "All are residents of Chisda in Khanvel," said Darade, who added that the matter is being investigated considering all the angles including the Maoist link.

Tribals were jobless
The tribals work in the brick factories in Bhiwandi. "The tribals go to Bhiwandi with their wives and children to work there. They remain there for four months and return in June and work for the cultivation of paddy. But due to the lockdown, all the workers in these factories were sent back home in March. Had there been no lockdown, all the people would have been working in the brick factories in Bhiwandi," said a retired police officer.

Three more policemen suspended

Three more policemen have been suspended for 'dereliction of duty' in connection with the mob lynching.

They include Assistant Sub-Inspector Ravindra Salunkhe and Head Constables Santosh Mukane and Naresh Dodi.

"Salunkhe, who is set to retire next year, is the policeman seen in the video with Chikne Maharaj. Those commenting and making decisions based on the video must know that he (Salunkhe) too was beaten and threatened by the mob on April 16," said a Palghar police officer.

"It is really discouraging that the policemen are being suspended and transferred for no fault of theirs. Transfers and suspensions are very easy for senior police officers. But show us the courage to tackle a frenzied mob of 2,500 with a handful of policemen," challenged a policeman.

Earlier PSI Katare and API Kale were suspended and 35 policemen attached to Kasa police station were transferred.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his nomination to the State Legislative Council. According to sources, Thackeray asked for PM Modi's help, saying if it doesn't happen, he will have to resign. The PM said that he would look into the matter and get more details. The Maharashtra Cabinet on April 28 once again asked Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to nominate Chief Minister Thackeray to the State Legislative Council.

Earlier on April 9, the state Cabinet had recommended Thackeray's name for one of the two vacant MLC seats that were to be nominated by Koshyari to the Legislative Council to avoid a constitutional crisis. Thackeray was sworn-in as the Maharashtra Chief Minister on November 28, last year. He is currently not a member of either of the House -- Legislative Assembly or Legislative Council.

According to the Constitution, Thackeray has to be elected to either Assembly or Council within six months in order to continue in his post.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Bombay High Court on Thursday issued notice's to Maharashtra government and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on a petition seeking a CBI probe, a fast track court trial and compensation in the Palghar mob lynching incident. A single-judge bench of Justice Ujjal Bhuyan issued the notices and sought a reply from the respondents on the petition within a period of two weeks.

Plea demanding CBI/SIT probe, trial in fast track court and compensation in Palghar incident: Bombay High Court has admitted the plea for hearing, has issued notices to Maharashtra state and CBI and has asked them to respond on the notices within 2 weeks. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/EmJ5xKRYXV

— ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2020

The petition, filed by Supreme Court lawyer Alakh Alok Srivastava, sought directions to transfer the investigation in the incident from CID-Crime to the Central Bureau of Investigation or alternatively constitute a special investigation team (SIT) monitored by the court to prove the incident.

The petition also sought directions to conduct the trial in the case by a fast track court in an expeditious and time-bound manner, and a compensation of Rs 1 crore to the family of the driver who was killed in the incident. The plea said that there are serious allegations of commission and omission on the part of the local police personnel themselves in the brutal crime and added that it is in the interest of justice to get the investigation of the case done by any independent agency.

"Directions in the nature of Mandamus to the State of Maharashtra to initiate stringent disciplinary action as well as penal action under Indian Penal Code (IPC) by way of registration of FIR, against the concerned policemen, whose acts and omissions led to the aforesaid brutal lynching," the plea said. "The brutal lynching of the old aged spiritual leaders has sent a wrong message to the society at large and thus it is in the interest of justice to direct for speedy and expeditious trial of the instant case," it said.

Two sadhus and their driver, who were travelling from Kandivali in Mumbai to Gujarat, were beaten to death on April 16, allegedly by villagers in Gadchinchle of Palghar, as they suspected them of being thieves.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

At a time when Maharashtra Governor, Bhagat Singh Koshyari is being blamed for delaying granting a legislative council membership to Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray, the former has recommended the Election Commission of India (ECI) to schedule elections to the nine vacant seats of the Council as early as possible.

The request made on Thursday is quite significant because Thackeray must get elected to either house before May 27 if he were to continue in office and give Maharashtra a stable government in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi constituents have also asked the governor and ECI to hold elections if nomination under the governor's quota wasn't possible. The nine seats fell vacant on April 24 but the commission postponed the elections because of the pandemic.

In his letter, the governor has said that the lockdown has been relaxed in many ways and hence the elections to the council seats could be held under certain guidelines.

Welcoming the move, Opposition leader, Devendra Fadnavis said, "This would be constitutional because the members would be elected in due process and it would also adhere to a norm that the governor's nominee should be made a CM or minister."

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Four more cases of Coronavirus were reported from the APMC market — three in the vegetable and one in the grain market — on Thursday, increasing the uncertainty about the operation of the wholesale grain and vegetable market.

The infected include three traders and one purchaser. APMC already has 24 traders and 16 staff, including security guards, NMMC doctors and a pharmacist, in home-quarantine after they came in contact with an infected person. Besides, 14 others from the market are infected. The spike also raises concerns about the steps taken by the APMC committee to combat the spread of the virus at the cost of nearly a crore.

Shivaji Daund, commissioner of the Konkan division, said, "We are awaiting the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation's (NMMC) report on the latest positive cases. Accordingly, we will decide on whether to continue the operations."

A crore spent on precautions

Shashikant Shinde, APMC elected committee member and Mathadi workers union leader said, "Last week, six positive cases were reported at a hotel within APMC premises. It was decided that the market would shut down but due to government pressure, the decision was changed and only the hotel was sealed. Vegetable trucks are directly entering Mumbai. Very few trucks with vegetables, grains, fruits, spices, visit APMC."

Shinde added that according to the government APMC is an essential service and hence cannot be shut down. "I had recently suggested that we keep the market open for just three days of the week. The suggestion was turned down."

Highly placed APMC officials said the committee has spent nearly R1 crore to set up disinfectant spraying machines, a war room, and to get the market cleaned twice a week. Another nearly R50 lakh was spent to make alternative arrangements for 402 stalls for vegetable and fruit vendors in Kharghar, but that won't be utilised as traders feel the market in Vashi is already set.

Market insiders said, "We are using disinfectants and have thermal scanners at the main entrance but nothing can detect asymptomatic false-positive carriers of COVID-19. People coming in contact with such carriers are testing positive. The number will only increase in the coming days."

Another elected member of the APMC committee said, "Another problem is traders placing orders for multiple trucks full of produce.

"We allow only three hundred trucks to enter APMC per day and 300 are parked at the terminal waiting for entry. This shows that some traders are keen on making money during a pandemic."

Security officer infected

Last week, a 50-year-old security officer attached to the Maharashtra Security Board and deployed at APMC, tested positive. Five security guards, three officers, and two clerks attached to the fruit market had come in contact with him and were sent to home-quarantine.

"We were tested two days ago. The report will come in another two days. We are asymptomatic and are in home quarantine. The security officer used to attend meetings and take rounds of the fruit market," said Ishwar Masram, deputy secretary of the fruit market, who is also in home quarantine.

Sources within the market said, "Though it is not clear how the security officer got infected, the buzz in the market is that he attended a meeting organised by a state minister who is recuperating after getting infected. Our concern is that it is practically difficult to trace whom the concerned person came in contact with unless the person has downloaded the government's Ayush application that maps positive patients and their contacts."

"APMC has a staff of 550 people. The concern is that if one tests positive, 10 to 15 people contacts will have to be traced and tested. This means the number of working men will reduce as everyone will have to be quarantined," said Shirish Badgujar, assistant secretary APMC.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

The police remand of the 101 accused arrested in the barbaric killing of two priests and their cab driver in Palghar district last month, was extended for another 14 days on Thursday in connection with the attack on police officers on April 16.

They were produced before the Dahanu Magistrate court in the afternoon as their police remand expired on Thursday. Magistrate O B Kulkarni sent all the accused to additional police remand of 14 days. They have been charged with attempt to murder for attacking the cops while they were headed to the lynching site.

Lawyers headed by advocate Parmanand Ojha appeared before the court on behalf of deceased Chikne Maharaj, 70, Sushil Giri, 35, and driver Nilesh Tilghate, 30.

The police had on April 17 apprehended 110 people and arrested 101 of them, and sent them in police remand in connection with the murder of the three men. The nine other accused are juvenile and currently at Bhiwandi juvenile home. "Since the 14-day police remand ended on Thursday, I requested the court not to grant them bail instead send them into judicial custody," said Ojha.

Police search for others involved in the lynching at Gadchinchale village. File pic

The CID officials requested that the accused be sent to police remand for the murder attempt on cops and obstructing the work of police officials. None of the advocates appeared on behalf of the accused.

Advocate Ojha alleged that the trio became victims of a huge conspiracy against them. "There was no rumour before the incident and the priests and the driver were well aware of the internal routes to Gujarat from Mumbai. But their vehicle was turned back at a check post bordering with Dadra and Nagar Haveli," he said.

But crucial eye-witness Sonudaji Borsa told mid-day that a rumour of a child lifting gang was doing the rounds of the village. "Two nights before the incident, people gathered at our forest check post and forced me to step out saying a child lifting gang was active in the area. People often used to shout 'chor ayaa, chor ayaa' unnecessarily to trigger panic among villagers who would gather in large numbers," Borsa said.

Not the first mob attack

Sources said incidents of villagers creating unrest to raise their voice against government officials are very common here. "In December 1998, a mob in Gadchinchale village attacked forest officials and a State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) team acting against timber smugglers. Two men were caught but they screamed for help and a large number of villagers surrounded the forest officials and SRPF personnel," said an officer from Palghar police. The mob assaulted the officials and snatched the rifle of SRPF constable Vikram Valvi.

One of the priests killed in the April 16 incident. File pic

"Regional forest officer Digambar Manohar Dahibhavkar had registered an FIR against the mob at Kasa police station on December 22, 1998. Four people including Lohu Kanoja, Sonu Pilena, Tulja Pilena and Madu Kanoja were named in the FIR," said the officer. After the case was registered, all the villagers abandoned their homes just like they have done now. "The police later managed to arrest five absconders," said the officer. They also recovered the snatched rifle. "The four accused named in the FIR were arrested on August 9, 2012. Several accused are still at large," said the officer, adding that there have many such incidents that reveal the aggressive nature of Gadchinchale residents who have no fear of the law.

"The villagers clearly say 'yaha mehnat karke khana milta hai aur jail me bina mehnat ka' (here, we have to work for food, but in jail it's for free)," said the officer.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Ahead of the crucial Legislative Council election in the state, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday paid a courtesy visit to Raj Bhavan here on the occasion of Maharashtra Day and met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. Their meeting lasted for around 20 minutes. The move comes at a time when the Election Commission of India (ECI) is scheduled to hold a meeting over elections to the Legislative Council in Maharashtra. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9.30 am today. Every year, Governor and Chief Minister meet on Maharashtra Day in a traditional parade at Shivaji Park but this year the celebrations are curtailed due to COVID-19. So, the Chief Minister went to Raj Bhavan to call on the Governor, a CMO official said.

Earlier, Governor Koshyari had requested the ECI for the election to nine seats of the Legislative Council in the state. The Governor has made the request in a letter to the Election Commission, to fill the 9 seats in the legislative council, that has been lying vacant from April 24, "with a view to ending the current uncertainty in the state." He has stated that the Central government has announced many relaxation measures regarding the enforcement of lockdown in the country. As such the elections to the council seats can be held with certain guidelines, said Koshyari.

"Since Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray is not a member of either house of the State Legislature, he needs to get elected to the Council before May 27," he added. Earlier, Election Commission had withheld the election process for these 9 seats in view of the COVID-19 situation in the country. This came after Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his nomination to the State Legislative Council. According to sources, Thackeray sought Prime Minister Modi's help, saying if it doesn't happen, he will have to resign.

Prior to that, the Maharashtra Cabinet had on April 28 once again had asked Governor Koshyari to nominate Chief Minister Thackeray to the State Legislative Council.

Before that on April 9, the state cabinet had recommended Thackeray's name for one of the two vacant MLC seats that were to be nominated by Koshyari to the Legislative Council to avoid a constitutional crisis.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has mandated 100 percent attendance for all its employees in offices and on-field, with some relaxation to people over 55 years of age and people with medical conditions. This comes as the country is under lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which has been found to be more fatal to elderly people and those with existing health complications. "All staff over the age of 55 years are advised to either work from home or work in the office and not go on the field. People in the medical department, including doctors, nursing staff and paramedics over the age of 55 years with co-morbidities are advised to stay home for two weeks," the order issued on Friday said.

The BMC also advised all staff, who live outside its limits like Thane, Navi Mumbai, Mira Bhaynder, or Palghar, etc, to contact the nearest Ward office so they can render their services to the nearest ward office from their residence, instead of their original current posting. Earlier this week, Mumbai Police had asked its personnel who are above 55 years of age to stay at home during the coronavirus lockdown.

According to the Medical Education and Drugs Department of Maharashtra, 7061 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation area while 290 have lost their lives and another 1,180 have recovered after receiving treatment.

Maharashtra, however, remains the worst affected state in the country with at least 10,498 coronavirus cases as on Friday.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Five tribals were arrested late on Thursday in connection with the April 16 mob lynching incident in Palghar district. The group was remanded to police custody till May 13.

"Interrogation of all the accused is underway. They have given some inputs and we are working on them," said Additional Director General (CID), Atulchandra Kulkarni. "We are yet to find the motive behind the killings of the three people."

"Several teams have been formed and we are very close to arresting all the accused who fled to the jungle after lynching the trio," ADG Kulkarni added.

The five have been identified as Vansha Lahanu Gorakhna, 50, Sachin Ramesh Dandekar, 20, Prakash Gajanya Gorakhna, 26, Ranjeet Soban Gorakhna, 33 and Lahanya Ramji Bhaver, 60.

"If they give information on anything that can be recovered or seized, we will take proper action," Kulkarni added. All five accused are residents of Cholherpada of Gadchinchale village.

An enraged mob had killed priests Chikne Maharaj, 70, Sushil Giri, 35 and their driver Nilesh Tilghate, 30 on April 16, thinking they are child-lifters.
"The five people were nabbed when they were sleeping in the forest," said an officer privy to the investigation. This takes the total number of arrests to 115, including nine minors.

Mobile video and CCTV camera footage were examined closely to take grabs of accused. "These grabs were shown to all accused to establish the identities. These are being matched with details retrieved from the dump data of the lynching site," said the officer.

The cyber cell is also zeroing down the locations of cellphones found in the dump data. "Most of the cellphones are switched off," said the officer and added that tracing them is taking time as large patches of Gadchinchale village and nearby areas are 'no network zones'.

Police sources said 10 robust, young officers from each police station in Palghar district are camping near Kasa police station as the investigators have learnt that nearly 200 absconding villages are hiding in one location in the forest bordering Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Revising its attendance circular, the BMC has asked all its employees and medical staff at civic hospitals to report to work. However, it has made an exception for a section of employees – aged 55 years and above with existing ailments, like diabetes, hypertension, kidney problems, etc, and do not hold senior positions. They have been exempted from coming to work for a month.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued the new circular on Thursday, April 30. According to the circular, the civic employees, doctors and medical staffers, who hold senior positions and are aged above 55 with existing ailments, will have to join work. However, they will either be given work from home or office, and will be assigned tasks that do not involve interaction with COVID-19 patients, stated the BMC.

Around 60 per cent of the civic staff in the age group of 55 and above hold senior positions in their respective fields.

The civic body had earlier issued an order for a 50 per cent attendance, which has now been revised in view of the increasing novel Coronavirus cases, said the civic officials. They added that the BMC needs full manpower to prevent the further spread of the virus. Full attendance is needed to increase strength in Ward offices for contact tracing, management of quarantine centre, Containment Zones and COVID Care Centres, and upgrading of municipal hospitals with extra beds and oxygen. Besides, employees are also needed for desilting and pre-monsoon work.

The BMC has also sought monthly report on the employees' assignment from concerned departments. If any employee misses work, the BMC will take appropriate action, it added. Additionally, workers with disability will be allowed to work from home, stated the circular. A daily remuneration of Rs 300 will be given to those working on ground.

"The new circular is superseding the earlier ones, and has now made it mandatory for the employees to be present for work, as now, a larger manpower is needed with the increasing number of cases in the city," a civic official said.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

While the BMC has issued an order for 100 per cent attendance of its employees, municipal corporations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) want its residents to stay away from the city. The corporations are working on a plan to restrict the transmission of COVID-19 through residents who regularly go to Mumbai for essential services.

The plan is still in a primary mode but the corporations are likely ask service providers to make accommodation available for its employees near their respective work areas.

MMR, which includes Thane, Thane rural, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivali, Ulhasnagar, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Mira-Bhayandar, Palghar, Vasai-Virar, and Panvel Corporation, collectively has 1,159 patients, way below that in Mumbai which has close to 7,000.

"Nearly one lakh people travel to Mumbai from MMR every day for their jobs under essential services like banks, hospitals, and BMC. So if these areas maintain minimum contact with Mumbai, the transmission of COVID in MMR will be low," said a bureaucrat from the region.

"The number of positive patients in our area has gone up because of some residents who work at a private hospital in Mumbai. We are going to ask private hospitals to arrange for stay facilities for them," said a commissioner of one of these corporations. The civic body has identified 36 employees who work with the hospital.

The ideal situation is to create accommodation facilities for the employees near the work area. The chances of transmission increase due to travel. We are speaking to BMC," said a civic officer from MMR. Alternatively, he said, respective corporations could prepare Care Centres outside their residential areas for these employees who visit Mumbai daily. The administration is also thinking of a 15-day work, 15-day off policy for these employees.

While the MMR region comes under the red zone, some activities can start here if the number of patients go down. A list of migrants in each district – Thane, Palghar and Raigad — is also being prepared so they can go to their states safely.

Number of patients (as on April 30)

Mumbai – 7,061
Thane rural – 48
Thane – 412
Navi Mumbai – 174
Kalyan-Dombivali – 163
Ulhasnagar – 3
Bhiwandi-Nizampur – 17
Mira-Bhayandar – 126
Palghar – 41
Vasai-Virar – 128
Panvel – 47

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

A 55-year-old man who was one of the 101 people arrested in connection with the Palghar mob-lynching incident has been tested positive for COVID-19. Sources said that 43 others involved in the case would have to be tested for the virus.

It is to be noted that all the 101 people who were arrested on April 17, were produced before a court on Thursday to seek their custody in another case regarding the lynching of three men including Chikne Maharaj, Sushil Giri and their cab driver Nilesh Tilghate in Palghar.

Sources have told mid-day that the person was tested negative on April 28 but 'he developed symptoms of coronavirus and was tested again'.

"The 55-year-old man was kept in lock-up with 20 others arrested in the case at Wada police station. The samples of all accused and police officials are being collected. They will be quarantined," said a senior police officer at Palghar, adding that the officers who have interrogated the person will also be quarantined.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

A 55-year-old man, who was arrested in the Palghar mob lynching case, has tested positive. Highly placed sources in Palghar police told mid-day that four days ago the same accused was tested negative for the virus. The accused was kept in a lockup at Wada police station with 21 other prisoners, who have been quarantined at a hotel. The hotel is being guarded by Palghar police now.

The accused is one among the 110 people who were arrested on April 17 by Palghar police in connection with the mob lynching of three men including two priests Chikne Maharaj (75), Sushil Giri (35) and their cab driver Nilesh Tilghate (30). "His fresh swab sample tested positive and the report was handed over to Palghar police on Friday. All the senior police officers swung into action as the news of him testing positive reached them," said a police officer.

"Since we don't have a district hospital here, we shifted him to Palghar Gramin hospital which is a COVID-19 hospital now," said a health officer at Palghar district.
Besides 21 prisoners, there are 25 others who came in contact with him, and they have been identified. These officers had served them food inside the lock-up, two others are doctors from Wada Gramin hospital. In all, 46 people who came in his contact have been traced and their swabs have been collected and sent for testing. All these 46 people have been quarantined at a hotel in Wada," said the health officer.

As per protocol, all the police personnel at Wada police station were relocated and the entire premises, police vehicles, etc., are being disinfected for two consecutive days.

Sub Divisional Officer, Wada, Archana Kadam, said, "The cops have shared details of those who came in his contact after April 17. We have identified a few, and they are being tested."

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Civil society organisations and independent researchers from all over the country have prepared a report explaining how the lockdown is adversely affecting tribal communities and forest dwellers amid an acute lack of awareness. It will be presented before the central and various state governments this week."

The assessment is prepared by civil society organisations and independent researchers who are working with tribals and forest dwellers. These include Campaign for Survival and Dignity (Chandigarh), Soumitra Ghosh of the All India Forum for Forest Movement (AIFFM), Neema Pathak Broome of Kalpavriksh, Pune, Tushar Dash and Sushmita (independent researchers), among several others. Work on the report has been in the pipeline ever since the enforcement of the lockdown measures on March 24.

Representative image:  tribal villagers in Jharkhand, Picture: Sushmita

Remote location a challenge

According to the report, lack of information among the tribals and forest dwellers about the pandemic and about the required protective measures is a major issue in tribal areas. "Tribal settlements are located remotely, thereby making it particularly difficult for information to reach there," reads the report. "The reverse migration from cities and urban areas also raises concern about spreading of the virus in tribal areas."

The report highlights how a lack of proper healthcare facilities and low testing numbers of tribal populations increases the risk of infection and how the lockdown has affected collection, use and sale of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) by tribals and forest dwellers. It also includes recommendations to the Centre on how to combat the issue and help the communities in need.

Representative image:  tribal villagers in Jharkhand, Picture: Sushmita

Speaking with mid-day, independent researcher Sushmita said: "COVID-19 impacts people with compromised health conditions and low immunity. This increases risks of infection amid the tribal populations living in deprivation. Testing and monitoring of the disease is inadequate and is mostly limited to urban areas. Providing testing facilities in tribal areas is a major challenge."

According to independent researcher Tushar Das, "The lockdown has affected collection, use and sale of MFP by tribals and forest dwellers. An estimated 100 million forest dwellers depend on MFP for food, shelter, medicines and cash income. The MFP collection season from April to June provides major income support to tribals (almost 60 per cent of the annual collection takes place during this period) and, unfortunately, it coincides with the lockdown. The trading and value chain of Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFPs) has been completely disrupted under the lockdown as traders are not willing to buy NTFPs in the current situation."

The report recommends
According to both, Sushmita and Tushar, the Central government is yet to come up with a comprehensive COVID-19 response programme for tribal communities. The report recommends the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) set up a COVID-19 response cell and give specific guidelines to address the problems of tribals and forest dwellers. "The MoTA should also ensure that district and sub-district level officers are well informed about all relevant guidelines and orders related to COVID-19 regularly and ensure that these are complied with," Sushmita said.

"The Centre should coordinate with the state governments to provide immediate relief to the tribal communities by ensuring information and awareness, providing health care and testing facilities in the tribal areas, support for MFP collection and sale," Tushar added.

100
Approx. no. of forest dwellers, in millions, depending on Minor Forest Produce

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

The Shiv Sneh Co-operative Housing Society in Pratiksha Nagar, Sion, has been dealt another blow as the much-needed building repair work has come to a halt twice in past few months. The repairs initially came to a halt last September, when the Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank (PMC) found itself in trouble. The society had R85 lakh in its Sion branch, which they haven't received yet. In March, when the society once again started the repair work using funds from their other bank account, it had to be stopped due to the lockdown over the COVID-19 spread as Pratiksha Nagar is in the red zone. Now with the work pending, the residents are worried about their fate this monsoon.

Kashinath Rokade, secretary of the society said, "We have been told that pre-monsoon work can be started, but are awaiting for the lockdown to be called off after May 17, and the contractor has assured us he will get the waterproofing done within two to three weeks, with some interior work. The painting of exterior building can be done post monsoon."

The 166 (flat and commercial shop) owners attached to the four wings (A,B,C,D) of the building were all set to abide by the structural consultants audit report and promptly floated bids calling in for tenders, which took almost four to five months of hard work starting February 2019. Finally they zeroed in on the contractor, M/s Viswakarma Civil Constructions, Kalwa, Thane and selected them to carry out repairs, civil work including waterproofing and painting work for a total consideration of approximately R52 lakh, as per their tender, explained society chairman Mahesh Adate.

Rokade showing the state of the repairs in October 2019

Repairs were on
Adate added, "The building was to undergo repairs for the first time since it was handed over to the society by MHADA in 2008 and since then office bearers were collecting repair funds under monthly maintenance of approximately R1,800 from members. A huge corpus of nearly R85 lakh, in the form of Fixed Deposits and other savings, were in the society's name with the PMC, Sion branch."

The society had even issued work order to M/s Viswakarma paying an advance of R5 lakh, as against the contract signed. Since August 15, the scaffoldings were put across the building structures, and work of removing old plaster was in process. As per the contract the entire work was to be completed within four months time period.

Adate added, "Most of the occupants in the building (nearly 80 percent) are working class people which include senior citizens, who have been residing her for over a decade."

According to Adate, MHADA had issued a lottery for this MIG (Middle Income Group) way back in 2005 for a consideration of R10 lakh - R11 lakh including stamp duty and registration, where each flat is around 450 sq feet carpet and commercial outlets allotted admeasuring 150-160 sq feet (Carpet). In 2008, MHADA handed over the building to the society and since then the society has been collecting funds for repairs.

PMC scam shocking
Adate said, "We were taken by surprise, when we learnt about the abrupt directives from RBI putting restrictions on PMC bank. We had to arrange for funds, as the contractor had already sent a letter seeking clearance of additional fund for carrying out the work, and we were left in the lurch."

When asked why the society does not have any other bank account, besides the one with PMC bank and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank, the society office bearers said, "We have always been told that under the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act, housing societies should mandatorily have accounts only with co-operative banks, hence we abided by the rules. Also our society accountant had no problem banking with PMC, everything was going on smoothly, till last week."

When informed that society accounts can be opened in nationalised banks too, they said, "We are ready to open a new account with a nationalised bank, provided PMC transfers all our society funds there."

When asked how they will finish the remaining payment, Adate added, "We will have to start taking contributions from members. Also we have not got any response to the legal notice issued to PMC Bank on behalf of our society. We may contemplate taking the matter to the consumer court against PMC Bank."

He said that nearly 25 societies in Pratiksha Nagar have deposited money with PMC bank and the whole figure may be in crores of rupees.

Expert speak
Senior property lawyer Vinod Sampat said, "The Reserve Bank of India has been forced to take drastic action against PMC bank, this will result in a financial cut to be taken by each of the societies who had deposited their funds. As far as legal action by the affected cooperative society against PMC bank goes, I am afraid that the provisions of the banking regulation act will supersede it and the financial losses, being caused to it (the society)."

"The need of the day is that harsh laws be framed, whereby doing a wrongful act is made as a deterrent to persons who fail to perform their duty with criminal intent. Punishment should be awarded by courts in a short span of time in such financial frauds, so that a strong message is sent out. The law should not remain a paper tiger," he added.

Rs 85 lakh
What the society's account in PMC Bank holds

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Trains that are scheduled to take migrants to their native places have been lined up at various railway stations across the state but a delay in receiving clearances from other states have started to affect the entire process.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior railway official said, "On Monday, two trains had been lined up. One was to travel from Akola to Lucknow, while the other from Bhiwandi to Jaipur, but the problem is that they are confirmed at the last moment." While the Akola-Lucknow train left at 6 pm on Monday with 1,200 passengers, the Bhiwandi-Jaipur one will leave late in the night.

The official further said, "The train from Vasai that left early Sunday morning was originally scheduled to leave at 12.30 pm the previous day. Due to delayed permissions and procedure, the train finally left at 4 am on Sunday."

While so far six trains have left from the Central Railway section, 16 have left from the Western Railway segment. Senior officials said that the arrival of a large number of migrants at the same time is leading to problems in receiving states. This is because on arrival, state government officials receive them and make arrangements of their stay at isolation centres before sending them to their respective districts, and at many places these arrangements take a lot of time. Also, if two trains arrive at the same time, it becomes difficult for the receiving state to manage, hence delaying the entire process.

The journey so far...

From MMR region
Bhiwandi-Gorakhpur train 1,104 migrants
Vasai-Gorakhpur train 1,200 migrants
Bhiwandi-Jaipur Lined up tonight

Other trains
Nashik-Bhopal train 314 migrants
Nashik-Lucknow train 847 migrants
Nagpur-Lucknow train 977 migrants
Akola-Jaipur train 1,200 migrants

Besides this, 15 other trains have left from the WR segment with 1,200 migrants each.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

With the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak prompting governments to impose lockdowns in different parts of the world, officials have been coming up with creative ways to spread awareness and make people stay at home. From cops dressed as Yamraj, the god of death, to some cops wearing helmets with spikes that resemble that of the virus, the internet has seen it all.

Now, a lawyer dressed as the omen of death, ‘Grim Reaper’ has taken it upon himself to make sure people of Florida maintain social distance. Daniel Uhlfelder has been dressing up as the Grim Reaper and taking strolls of the Florida beach, that has been opened to public to ensure people maintain the advised distance from each other, that has also make netizens sit up and take notice of him.

Wearing a black ragged robe, a mask and carrying a long-handled scythe, Uhlfelder has posted photos of himself advising people not only to maintain social distance but also stay at home till the situation improves.

Stay home Florida pic.twitter.com/MV4fyAXvwu

— Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) May 1, 2020

Busy day pic.twitter.com/uBmjaHmp2r

— Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) May 1, 2020

Uhlfelder also announced on his Twitter account that he will be touring the beaches of Florida from May 1 to spread awareness about importance of social distancing, wearing the garb of the Grim Reaper. He has also sharing his experiences, especially his frequent run-ins with the police, while on tour.

Someone called the cops on my Grim Reaper tour pic.twitter.com/wTP1pPymm2

— Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) May 4, 2020

His pictures donning the scary garb has garnered more than 13,000 likes on Twitter. The Twitterati has been showering him with praises and support in the comments.

pic.twitter.com/YFkuhCqVZI

— Adrian Steel🕵🏻ðŸÂŒ (@montana_steel) May 3, 2020

My family and I fully support you while we continue staying at home.

— Kenneth Sikora (@KennethSikora) May 1, 2020

pic.twitter.com/5gzfQDYJEP

— Laura Apollo (@lauraapollo) May 1, 2020

What do you think about the posts?

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

The Centre and state governments' relief plan for migrants involving transportation home seems to have failed to convince migrants who are continuing to set out with their kids and meagre belongings for their hometowns in the scorching heat. Daily wagers are facing all kinds of hardships ranging from lack of food and footwear, to carrying heavy loads over hundreds of kilometres.

Between Bhiwandi and Vasai was where mid-day met these workers, some of who are taking the assistance of Google Maps for shortest routes, on Tuesday morning.

Migrants spend all night walking and the sweltering days under the shade of trees lining the highways on their way to their hometowns. Pics/Hanif Patel

A group of migrants, who used to work at a brick kiln in Vasai, began their journey in the wee hours of Monday, claiming that they were not approached by any government authority for transport back home, nor are they allowed to get tested for COVID-19.

"All the doctors are scared to touch us. They think we might be COVID-19 positive. Also, we were told that we will have to pay for the train journey to Prayagraj. How can we pay the government if we don't have a single penny in our pocket?" said Rajkumar, who worked in a brick kiln in Gorai pada, Vasai with his family members.

The distance between Mumbai and Prayagraj is 1,387 kilometres.

No work here
"We all were patiently waiting for the lockdown to end on May 3, but it was extended again. People have been saying that Coronavirus cases are increasing rapidly in Mumbai and Vasai-Virar area. I am worried about the well-being of my family. What will we do if we continue to stay in Vasai? There is no work," said Rajkumar, who has been walking on foot with his family members including women and toddlers who are barefoot.

They only have a few packets of biscuits and a water jar and are depending completely on help from Good Samaritans en route.

"We will starve here, and we will starve in our village too. Better that we die in our village," said Rajkumar.

Kids ask for food
"Children ask for food. Also, they can't walk for long distances. We have to carry them and our belongings," said Ashok, who has been leading his family and other migrant workers using Google Maps for the shortest possible route to Prayagraj.

And if the network becomes poor, Ashok said, "I will ask local people to suggest the best route."

A 10-year-old boy from a different family walking to Prayagraj was seen carrying a pressure cooker on his head. Lalman, the boy's relative, said, "The government has not done anything for us. Doctors pe helicopter se phool barasaye jaa rahe hain, aur hum logon ko khana bhi naseeb me nahin hai."

Another family, which was working as construction labourers in Vasai, told mid-day that they had been living in makeshift tents in an open field. "The rainy season is about to come. How and where will we take shelter during monsoon? Our tents will be inundated. So, it is wise to reach our village in Jalna district before the rainy season starts," said Gajanand.

Migrant worker Ramlal twisted his foot while walking. "It has been paining a lot but there is no other option than to walk home. We labourers mean nothing to the government. Otherwise, we too would have been showered with flower petals from a helicopter. We are paying for being poor," said Ramlal, who walks for a few metres and then stops to rest his foot.

1,387
Distance in km between Vasai and Prayagraj in UP

1,387km
Distance between Vasai and Prayagraj

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Maharashtra government's offices located in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), in areas of municipal corporations of Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Malegaon in Nashik district will function with five per cent attendance during the lockdown period till May 17 to contain spread of coronavirus. The MMR and areas under PMC, PCMC and Malegaon Municipal Corporation (MMC) have emerged as the coronavirus hotspots. In a statement on Tuesday, the government also said that in the rest of Maharashtra, the attendance of officials of the rank of deputy secretary and above will be 100 per cent, while that of the other officials and staffers will be 33 per cent as per the requirement.

The government, however, said that offices of departments such as health and family welfare, police, jail, fire brigade and emergency services, disaster management, Food Corporation of India, Nehru Yuva Kendra, municipal services and others will remain functional with complete attendance. The statement also said that the government officials and staffers should download the 'Aarogya Setu' application on their smartphones and work according to the guidelines issued by the Centre.

The statement reiterated that those attending offices should take precautionary measures and maintain proper hygiene during the period to keep the novel coronavirus at bay.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

The fact that food delivery has been classified as an essential service seems to have escaped some Mumbai Police personnel. Restaurateur Saransh Goila found this out the hard way after three separate instances of a cop entering the Andheri West outlet of his franchise, Goila's Butter Chicken, and beating up the workers there even though they were within their rights to keep the eatery functional.

The latest instance took place at 9 pm on Wednesday, when — according to Goila — an officer hit his workers with a lathi on their legs and shoulders, telling them to shut shop around 9 pm. "I had reached out to the DN Nagar police around 10 days ago [after the first two incidents] and was told that the situation wouldn't arise again since we are allowed to operate our business. So, it's unfortunate that it's been repeated. The incident occurred at 9 pm. That's not an ungodly hour, and as an essential service, we are anyway allowed to function beyond the curfew [of 7 pm]. The fact that they entered the store and beat up my guys has scared them," Goila said.

He added that he'd prefer it if the police made their stand clear. "They should just tell us straight up if they don't want us to operate and we will leave quietly," he said, voicing a thought that National Restaurants Association of India president Anurag Katriar echoed in a tweet after Wednesday's incident.

It read, "Dear @MumbaiPolice — We request u to kindly clarify if the home delivery is permitted or not? If yes, a sincere request to sensitise ur on-ground forces better & if not, do let us know. We will comply as law-abiding citizens. We have utmost respect for u. Thank u [sic]!"

In response, Senior Inspector Parmeshwar Gamne of DN Nagar Police Station said: "There are several restaurants around Golia's Butter Chicken restaurant. Not just their delivery boys, but even customers who come by to pick their orders, don't maintain social distancing rules. The crowding certainly calls for strictest action, considering the threat it poses for spread of the Coronavirus. Similarly on Wednesday, we had to take action and shut the restaurants after they refused to abide to the precautions. Social distancing cannot be compromised on."

With inputs from Shirish Vaktania

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Encouraging everyone around him to stay indoors, Mayur Jadhav himself has been visiting various containment zones in Lokhandwala and Oshiwara wearing a PPE suit for three to four hours daily. A frontline worker, Jadhav does the risky job of collecting bio-medical waste from residential buildings and COVID-19 quarantines.

Amid the Coronavirus-caused lockdown, people are asked to put household waste in black bags and bio-medical waste — gloves, masks and items touched by COVID-19 patients, staffers at a quarantine facility — in yellow bags.

Like Jadhav, conservancy workers dealing with bio-medical waste are trained for the task. Jadhav, 30, resides at Durgadevi Chawl, Vakola and after weeks of practice, he is comfortable with the job. "Initially, I was worried as I had heard many were getting sick. But once we get the hang of it, we do the work without problems. Every day, we put sanitiser and spray disinfectant on the yellow bag and wait for five minutes before loading it on the vehicle meant only for yellow bags," he said. In K West ward, there are over 650 COVID-19 cases and over 300 containment zones.

'Made wife understand'

Rishikesh Dhotre, 43, is among the workers residing far from his workplace and spends over 10 hours outdoors. He leaves his Nalasopara residence 4:45 am for Worli and returns home around 3:30 pm. "I was nervous as we were visiting places everyone was asked to avoid. My wife would fight and ask why I am the one to go. But gradually, I understood the precautions we have to take and explained them to my wife. She is worried but understands the importance of the job," Dhotre said.

While Dhotre is glad to have access to fresh PPE kits every day, he also has to contend with how hot it gets during the three-hour collection.

Worried about family

Conservancy workers constantly worry about their family members, especially senior citizens at a higher risk of infection. Sarthak Chandramani, 29, works in G North ward comprising Dharavi. He takes extra precautions once he reaches home as he has a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter and 63-year-old father.

"I don't touch my phone after wearing the PPE and I call my family before I reach home. They have strict instructions to leave the house and keep a bucket of hot water and soap near the door. They are only allowed to enter after I have soaked my clothes in the bucket and gone for a bath," he said.

Chandramani often picks up medical waste falling out of the garbage bags with his hands. "People often overstuff garbage bags and then they can't be tied. Waste falls out from overflowing bags and we have to disinfect it, put back in the bag and disinfect the bag again," he said. Chandramani lives in BDD chawl, another high-risk area.

After the recent death of a civic official on food-distribution duty in Dharavi due to COVID-19, the BMC is screening all staffers. Kiran Dighavkar, assistant municipal commissioner, G North ward, said, "We have around 900 labourers collecting waste and there are 200 containment zones in this ward. We conduct screening once a week and check for fever with infrared thermometers. We have also counselled staffers to immediately report symptoms," he said.

Where is biomedical waste taken?

Medical waste is taken to a biomedical facility managed by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board at Deonar. Amar Supate, principal scientific officer with MPCB said that since March 29, the facility has processed 11 tonnes of COVID-19 waste from Containment Zones and other biomedical waste.
"The yellow bags are directly put into the incinerator. Other kinds of plastic waste, glass vials, injections or syringes and scalpels are sterilised with sodium hypochlorite and then shredded for recycling," Supate said.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Forced to agree to discounts due to the aggressive policies of delivery platforms, the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) and its member had started the #Logout campaign last August in protest. While the campaign turned out to be successful to an extent with aggregator platforms forced to change their predatory pricing policies, the NRAI decided to put a definitive plan into action to find a way out. The association has now announced plans to launch an alternative discovery and delivery platform, which will come into force by August-September.

"We realised that this is the new way of doing business [online aggregators] and we cannot ignore it, so let's make it better for us. With this platform, the customer data will be ours, discounts will be decided by the restaurants, and services will be unbundled. Every individual restaurant that gets the order will own the data; NRAI is not the owner of the data. Existing aggregators had become digital landlords. We are not saying that the app will replace the current players overnight, it's just another choice which will be available," says Anurag Katriar, president of NRAI; CEO and executive director of deGustibus Hospitality Pvt Ltd.

The project had been in the works months before COVID-19 hit the industry and all members were of the opinion that a marketplace cannot decide what the buyer and seller should do about the price. The high rate of commission is another concern. Restaurants are also forced to compulsorily buy the full bouquet of services by the platform, for example restaurants cannot use their own delivery fleet despite having one. One of the biggest issues for restaurateurs is that the customer and transaction data is the sole property of the aggregator, something that platforms started utilising to launch and promote their own properties.

Gauri Devidayal, restaurateur

Members of the F&B industry feel positive about the move. "These aggregators have used every situation to their advantage. Even now these guys are trying to raise the commission at a very high percentage. We are more than happy that the organisation is launching this platform which will help us work on a lower commission and reduce our expenses, especially now," said Ryan Tham, owner, The Good Wife, Koko, Foo.

Gauri Devidayal, Co-founder The Table, Magzine Street Kitchen, Iktara, Mei13, Mag St. Bread Co, saod , "The commissions and discounts offered by them were not at all viable for restaurants. This platform will also smoothen the ordering process and remove the need for us to organise a rider when delivering out of our radius."

Meanwhile, NRAI has already collaborated with a tech company to work on this platform, and the money for the platform is also being pumped in by the company; Katriar is tightlipped about the name for now.

Ryan Tham and Avik Chatterjee

Avik Chaterjee, founder, Hoppipola, Episode One, admits that everyone in the industry is in survival mode during lockdown: "Anything that will make us bear lower expenditure will be the best service for us. NRAI is not putting in money in this; this may change in the future. This hasn't been done to spite anyone, it is to protect what's best for our trade and take control of our own business decisions," he says.

Smaller restaurants will benefit the most from this as the platform will allow the owners to accept orders as small as R20 and use their salaried employee for delivery. NRAI is also working on two other tech projects, a loyalty programme, and a platform for transactions which might run parallel to the aggregator platform.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Taking serious note of the report in mid-day about a green activist writing to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray regarding illegal chopping of trees and encroachments in Aarey Colony, the CEO office of Aarey visited the spot and began the procedure of filing an FIR against the culprits.

On May 7, mid-day had reported how a environmentalist Stalin D wrote to Uddhav requesting the forest department and Thane forest circle to monitor Aarey Colony against encroachers during the lockdown.

In his letter to Thackeray, Stalin D also highlighted the fact that on an average, at least 30 trees were being chopped down daily inside Aarey.

"Slum-dwellers are expanding encroachments, building illegal temples, clearing the vegetation regularly ever since the lockdown was imposed. We have time and again raised the alarm and intimated the authorities concerned.

But, the Aarey police have not acted on any of the complaints and instead have chosen to beat up citizens who send them proof of tree chopping and expanding encroachments," the letter stated.

Stalin D told mid-day that he also received a response to the email from Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's office stating that he letter had been sent to the department concerned to take necessary action.

CEO of Aarey Milk Colony Nathu Rathod told mid-day, "We have taken serious note of the illegal encroachments and alleged cutting of trees in Aarey and will be taking the help of the police to book those responsible. Our teams have visited the spot and the procedure of filing the FIR is in progress."

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Dear Diana,
I have been with this girl for over three years now. Things are going fine, except the fact that her sister influences her a lot. She is older to my girlfriend and ever since their mother passed away when they were young, her elder sister has been a mother figure to her. I detest her sister as she keeps telling her stuff about me. According to my girlfriend, she is cautioning her, but I feel this is interference. Last week, she told her that she had seen me with a girl on the seafront. This was wrong information as I was out with some relatives who had come down from Ranchi and were keen to visit the beach. Whatever her sister tells her, she blindly believes. How do I tell her not to believe every word she tells her? My girlfriend is 24, but can't think for herself.
— Jason

Illustration/Uday Mohite

Dear Jason,
Your girlfriend considers her elder sister as a mother figure. As her mom passed away when she was young, her sister has taken care of her. At the same time, now that she is 24, it is time she had a mind of her own. Her sister is being extra protective of her and that is understandable. If you are serious about her and are planning a future together, you need to sit down and talk to both of them. Tell them exactly how you feel. It is better to be honest and forthright. Perhaps your girl is not even realising how she is allowing herself to be influenced by her elder sister. She feels this is the done thing. At the same time, do not antagonise the sister or things might work against you and ruin your love life.

Dear Diana,
My boyfriend and I stay in the same residential complex. We have been neighbours for over a decade. Our friendship blossomed into love and we have been going steady for the last three years. Four months ago, a new family moved into the building. They have a beautiful and young daughter who wants to be a model. All the building guys have taken a fancy to her, including my guy. I detest when he talks about her. He keeps saying how beautiful she is. This is causing a rift between us. I feel he is falling for this other woman. Last week, we had a showdown and he told me that I was an insecure woman. I cannot take the constant attention he showers on her. What do I do? He has already told another resident of the building to introduce her to him. I am sure that he wants to have an affair with her. How do I stop him from going overboard with this new girl?
— Vedika

Illustration/Uday Mohite

Dear Vedika,
He is right in calling you an insecure woman. You have known him for years and the mere presence of a new girl in the neighbourhood is giving you sleepless nights — you need to learn to trust him. This new girl is young and pretty and all the guys in the housing complex have taken a fancy to her. You need to understand that he is not having an affair with her, he is just trying to get her attention like the rest of the guys in the building. He does not even know her, so how can he have an affair with her? She might have a guy on her scene. You do not know if she is single or committed. So stop spinning an imaginary web where you see her as a threat to your love life. You need to take a chill pill.

Retired track star Usain Bolt showed he's still a few steps ahead when he posted an AFP picture of him outstripping his rivals at the Beijing Olympics with the cheeky caption: "social distancing". Bolt's post, featuring a picture by AFP photographer Nicolas Asfouri of the 2008 Olympics 100m final, blew up on social media, drawing more than half a million likes and 90,000 retweets.

It showed the Jamaican crossing the finish line at the Bird's Nest stadium in a then-world record time of 9.69sec, glancing round from lane four as his despairing competitors trail two paces behind. "Savage", commented one Twitter user, while New York Times journalist Christopher Clarey posted another picture of Bolt out in front on his own, captioned "self isolation".

Bolt's chest-thumping celebration in Beijing added to a legend that grew further when he won the 200m in another world-record time. He retired in 2017 with eight Olympic gold medals and the current 100m mark of 9.58sec, set in 2009. Bolt, 33, has been encouraging Jamaicans to self-isolate during the coronavirus pandemic, posting videos of himself exercising at home and juggling footballs with a friend.

He also helped promote a major fundraiser, Telethon Jamaica. After retiring from athletics, Bolt, a Manchester United fan, attempted to launch a career in football, and had a trial with Australia's Central Coast Mariners before contract talks failed.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever