EDITORS' PICK

They have been among the frontline corona virus warriors since March 25th. And also among those badly hit by the virus. With Mumbai in particular showing record daily jumps in positive cases, its policemen have suffered too. Take just one day, March 26th. According to the state health department, Maharashtra had a total of 3,041 new coronavirus patients on that day, of which 1889 were police personnel (207 officers and 1682 other ranks). Also, 20 policemen have died so far from the infection. Yet, they remain on the frontlines, manning high risk spots like containment centres and railway stations. And…

The initial stringent lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 left many stranded far away from their hometowns and families. Those who had moved for work found themselves unable to return home as all forms of transport were suspended. Emergency travel was allowed only for those with pressing reasons and availability of a personal vehicle. With each extension of the lockdown, some relaxations were accorded. Inter-state trains for guest workers were operationalised after a large number of guest workers began travelling by foot to their homes which were hundreds of kilometres away. After more easing of lockdown norms, domestic air…

The once bustling pink city’s bazaars located in the walled city area lie forlorn and quiet today. Before the COVID lockdown, locals and tourists used to throng the famous Jauhari bazaar and Bapu bazaar, drawn to it by the glitter of gems and jewellery, sparkle of embellished lac bangles and colourful bandhej (traditional tie-dye) fabrics. But hopes are high that shops and workers will be able to return, albeit slowly and painfully. The tourists who kept the city’s economy buzzing will probably not return in the foreseeable future. And locals may not have the resources, or the inclination, to spend…

It is always heartbreaking to cancel weddings. The pandemic imposed lockdown has forced hundreds of would-be couples to postpone their big event to some time later next year. At the same time, a significant new trend has also emerged during the crisis -- that of lockdown weddings. Given the uncertainty over when things will be back to normal, many refused to suspend their plans indefinitely and went ahead and took the plunge, although with a downsized wedding that was practically possible and that satisfied social distancing requirements and other norms of the times.  Jagan G and Gowri Gnanasambanthan fell in…

The mobility sector will witness a dramatic change post-lockdown. With physical distancing and cleanliness being emphasised, the number of people opting for personal transport could well go up in Chennai as in other cities.  While we have to learn to live with the virus we also need to ensure safe social distancing; given the likely crowds and surge in use of private vehicles, I wonder if there will be enough space for practising social distancing. The biggest problem post-lockdown is going to be gridlock. Studies in the past have shown that that Indians, on average, spend 7% of their day…

ஆம். இனி கொரோனாத் தடுப்பு என்பது ஒவ்வொரு தனிநபர் கைக்கும் வருகிறது என்ற உண்மையை நாம் ஏற்றுக் கொண்டு தான் ஆகவேண்டியுள்ளது. அதுவும் நோய்த் தொற்று குறிப்பாக சென்னையில் அச்சமூட்டும் வகையில் உச்சநிலையைத் தொட்டு வரும் இந்த சூழலில் இக்கூற்று நம் மூளையை உசுப்புகிறது. மே 25 இல் தொற்று எண்ணிக்கை 11,131 (இது தமிழகத்தின் எண்ணிக்கையான 17,082 இல் பாதிக்கும் மேல்). சென்னையில் மட்டும் தினமும் இப்போது 400, 500 என உயர்ந்து வருவதை இங்கு நினைவில் கொள்ளலாம். ஊரடங்கு 4.0 இல் சென்னை ஏற்கனவே அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ள சிவப்பு மண்டலத்துக்கான சில தளர்வுகளுடன் இயங்கிடுமாறு அறிவுறுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது. இந்நிலையில் தான், நமது உயிரின் பாதுகாப்பு இதோ இப்போது நாம் எடுக்கும் ஒவ்வொரு சின்ன சின்ன முடிவுகளிலும் தான் என்ற நிதர்சனம் நமக்கு மேலும் ஒரு புதிய விழிப்பைத் தருகிறது. வைரஸின் பரவல் வேகமெடுக்கும் ஒரு அபாய தருணத்தில் வருகின்ற இந்தத் தளர்வின்…

Kumari (name changed), a nurse at a reputed government hospital in Chennai has not been able to feed her child for over 10 days now. She had been exclusively breastfeeding her infant boy till weeks back, but these days she has to leave instructions with her husband on what to feed him and the lullabies to sing in her absence. She then leaves for the hospital, only to come home after 14 days.  A lactating mother, Kumari has a tough and choiceless job ahead: 12-hour long shifts for five days at a stretch, attending to COVID-19 positive patients and to…

“Despite best efforts to facilitate the state’s economic revival, the success rate is not beyond 50 per cent,” said Rajinder Guleria, advisor, Baddi-Brotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) Industries Association, “There are issues of logistics, mobility, manpower and enhancing liquidity.” For a hill state mainly dependent on its farm economy, tourism and export oriented pharmaceutical clusters, Himachal Pradesh currently stares at nearly 80 per cent loss of livelihoods, both rural and urban, especially as its mainstay, the tourism industry, is under total lockdown. The Baddi-Brotiwala-Nalagarh industrial belt, Himachal’s largest industrial belt, has an annual turnover worth Rs 45,000 to 50,000 crore, and employs three…

Well known artist Vrindavan Solanki has been able to sell his work online Art, rarely looked at as a necessary economic activity, too is facing uncertain, unsettling and challenging conditions in these pandemic times. Unfortunately, it comes at a time when art had been growing in Ahmedabad in recent years, as a business and investment. Now, as with all other activity, the lockdown has brought to a standstill the world and livelihood of both performing and visual artists. As Gujarat battles to contain the virus, with any kind of normalcy still a long time away, “everything arty will take longer…

Over the last few weeks, the sight of garbage pickers and their trucks plying on empty streets in the early mornings has taught us the value of poor migrant labourers who provide essential services in our metros.  From the relative comfort of middle-class homes, we have learnt about their lives and have been moved by their plight.  But, there is another aspect of their predicament, which became clear to me only when I began supplying essential drugs and food packets to their families.  For some years, my friends and I, as volunteers of the Aam Aadmi Party, had held health…