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Retaining some old-world fantasies is a huge challenge when technology is out to provide modern-day comforts at your fingertips. Conservatives would swear by books and would hate to replace them with any convenient gadget as they become ecstatic… feeling the books, leafing through the pages, breathing in the typical smell of the printed pages – be they old or new. Innovations can’t make its way through some innate things and these things only intensify with time. But the pain point is either you are born with some kind of antenna to experience such bounties of life or you are just plain unlucky. Like the intellectualism of the Bengalis and also their <keyword id="2052955" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Love-for-books">love for books</keyword>! How else would you explain the sheer addiction to books, books and more books and yet the event draws more than 2.5 million <keyword id="456096" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Book-lovers">book lovers</keyword> every year? 
 <keyword id="100667" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kolkata-book-fair">Kolkata Book Fair</keyword> is now well into its late 30s (<keyword id="793067" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="KBF">KBF</keyword> celebrated its 38th birthday this year) and witnessed huge crowds milling around the stalls, set up by about 109 publishing houses operating in India. The book fair was a 13-day affair this time – from the inauguration on January 28 to the closing ceremony on February 9. Interestingly, KBF is the world’s <keyword id="2052986" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Largest-non-trade-book-fair">largest non-trade book fair</keyword>, which means it essentially caters to the general public, instead of wholesalers. So it’s no wonder that the who’s who of the Indian and global literati are mostly here at the plenary sessions. <keyword id="6360497" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Peru">Peru</keyword> was the theme country of 2014 but Peruvian poet <keyword id="2052952" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rodolfo-Hinostroza">Rodolfo Hinostroza</keyword> and Peru’s cultural minister <keyword id="2033619" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Patricia-Balbuena-Palacios">Patricia Balbuena Palacios</keyword>, who were to inaugurate the event, could not attend the <keyword id="6363379" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Opening-ceremony">opening ceremony</keyword> following the political situation at home. 
 In actual terms, <keyword id="6357783" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="West-Bengal">West Bengal</keyword> is one of those states in India which has a high concentration of <keyword id="54033" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Scholars">scholars</keyword>, <keyword id="6498302" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Academicians">academicians</keyword> and <keyword id="105357" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Intellectuals">intellectuals</keyword>. As social movements are often fuelled by the litterateurs and <keyword id="60303" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Leftist">Leftist</keyword> overtones exist there among the so-called intellectuals, it could have been the prime reason why <keyword id="6354925" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kolkata">Kolkata</keyword> Book Fair has remained a non-trade affair throughout these years. 
 Organised by <keyword id="2052951" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kolkata-Publishers-and-Booksellers-Guild">Kolkata Publishers and Booksellers Guild</keyword> and largely supported by book lovers, the annual event had some tough times when <keyword id="26497" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="environmental-issues">environmental issues</keyword> compelled it to leave the Maidan greens (near Park Street-Rabindra Sadan) at the centre of the city. The fair was shifted from the Maidan area in 2007 and finally found a home at the <keyword id="532071" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Milan-Mela-ground">Milan Mela ground</keyword> opposite Science City. 
 By now, readers must be feeling curious about the hottest selling books at the event. The 38th edition of the book fair was inaugurated this year by none other than <keyword id="670521" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chief-minister-Mamata-Banerjee">Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee</keyword> and (believe it or not) her books turned out to be best-sellers even this year. A <keyword id="2052958" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="regular-writer-and-a-poet">regular writer and a poet</keyword>, Mamata started writing in 1995 and has penned 45 books so far. Last year, her books worth Rs 10 lakh were sold, earning her a royalty of Rs 1 lakh. This year, the sales are supposed to shoot up even further as new books penned by her had been released on the inauguration day. 
 Yet, all might not be well at this global gathering of great minds. Just as it happened at the Jaipur Literary Festival two years ago, <keyword id="25391" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Salman-Rushdie">Salman Rushdie</keyword> was stopped from participating at the Kolkata Book Fair last year. And do you know the irony of it all? It’s the <keyword id="2052997" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Author-CM">author-CM</keyword> who might have played a key role and stopped the internationally acclaimed but equally controversial Rushdie from coming to the event. 
 
It was said at that time that Rushdie himself had decided to stay away from the event. The author, however, had reportedly told he was informed by the government that the protests against him could be ‘dangerous.’ Photos, too, had swarmed the Internet, featuring hundreds of men brandishing placards that said ‘Rushdie Go Back.’ 
 
It’s understood that Mamata, who was touring North Bengal at that time, had told the police commissioner she didn’t want Rushdie to land in the city. And the reason was obvious – she didn’t want to antagonise the minority community if she could help it. 
 
The whole drama of not hosting Rushdie was played out in many shades and across many episodes. When finally it was learnt that Mamata was completely against Rushdie’s participation at the book fair, the grave concerns around his security and the gravity of the situation (with the number of protestors increasing every day) were conveniently played up to persons in charge of Rushdie’s itinerary. Then the easy way rolled out by itself. The statement issued to the media read: The ‘author decided to stay out of the event’ for reasons known to him. And Mamata had won her game. 
 This way, the world’s largest book fair held a mirror to India’s so-called democratic values and assured <keyword id="60937" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Fundamental-rights">fundamental rights</keyword>. But never mind. <keyword id="5258" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="CM">CM</keyword> Mamata’s books have turned her into a literary sensation over the years. And it’s quite an indicator how the scale is tipping in the <keyword id="2053000" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="World-of-literature">world of literature</keyword>. 
 
Image: Thinkstock Photos/Getty Images

Kolkata
Book Fair: Leafing Through The Pages In The Era Of E-readers

Across Indian states, citizens are being picked up by the police for unguarded comments on social media, and the arbitrariness of these arrests has created a climate of anxiety. In most cases to hit the news, those charged have been ordinary people, without the clout to incite mass violence. On November 2 2017, Meerut-based journalist <keyword id="5998011" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="afghan-soni">Afghan Soni</keyword> was charged with defamation and "computer-related offences" (Section 66 of the IT Act) for posting a "derogatory" video of <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> asking a rally about " achhe din ", and getting his response not from a crowd of people, but a herd of goats. Social media arrests are not new, and nor are they a uniquely Indian form of repression. The UPA-era Section 66A of the IT Act, scrapped by the <keyword id="6354977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Supreme-Court">Supreme Court</keyword> in 2015, was broadly worded enough to book you if you caused annoyance, inconvenience, insult or injury online. In 2012 and 2013, a girl from Palghar, Maharashtra was arrested for criticising <keyword id="6371377" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bal-Thackeray">Bal Thackeray</keyword>'s state funeral on <keyword id="6354576" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Facebook">Facebook</keyword>, another girl for merely "liking" that comment; a professor from <keyword id="6354925" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kolkata">Kolkata</keyword> was arrested for forwarding a cartoon about Mamata Banerjee; as was a man who tweeted about <keyword id="497730" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Karthi-Chidambaram">Karthi Chidambaram</keyword>'s disproportionate wealth. But now, even though Section 66A is gone, the muzzling of speech continues unabated. India, like every other country in the world, places reasonable fetters on free expression. These include a threat to public order, dangerously stirring up religious sensitivities, caste slurs, defamation, child pornography, and so on. Other sections of the IT Act, including clauses on obscenity and morphing, are being used to arrest people like in the case of morphing of images, which may be a concern when women are misrepresented, but by itself, a morphed image in a political caricature or piece of satire is not an illegal or criminal act. Similarly, lying and cussing are human activities that also exist online; they do not inherently deserve criminal sanction. Even rumours are not illegal by themselves, the CrPC should kick in only in instances where they might incite violence or have other criminal implications. WhatsApp is where these tensions are strongest. Given that the technology can be used to make trouble on a wide scale, the police has good reason to keep an eye on the platform. But increasingly, WhatsApp administrators have been booked even for harmless remarks. There's a trend of using Section 144 of the CrPC, which applies to unlawful assemblies, to WhatsApp discussions. Curious are the cases of Indore collector who invoked it to deter any conversation about demonetisation, or the Varanasi DM who said that any false content on a WhatsApp group which were treated grounds for arrest. These arrests create a chilling effect on speech and the likelihood of someone, somewhere, taking legal action constrains you to watch your words more than necessary. Rather than a lively, democratic public sphere, we could end up with the hushed, wary conversations of a police state.

A WhatsApp message could get you arrested in India

(Eds: Updating with fresh inputs) Kolkata, Apr 29 () West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday hinted that the ongoing lockdown would continue in the state, saying experts and doctors are of the opinion that the restrictions imposed to check the spread of COVID-19 should remain in force till the end of May.She, however, announced a few relaxations, in accordance with the orders of the central government, such as opening stand-alone shops dealing in non-essential items and resuming bus and taxi services in green zones, following allprecautionary and social distancing measures.Banerjee also said her government has made arrangements to bring back 2,500-3,000 students hailing from the state who are stranded in the coaching hub of Kota in Rajasthan and they are likely to reach in three days.She added the students boarded buses for West Bengal this evening."Nobody can say when this crisis will end. Most of the countries have already announced the lockdown till the end of May and the first week of June. Our experts and doctors believe that the restrictions regarding COVID-19 should continue till the end of May," she said.The graph of infection might go down after that but it might again show an upward trend during the rainy season in July and August, she said."We had announced the lockdown before the Centre did it. Till now the situation has not improved, so it is not possible to revert everything to normal. So, for a few more days, we have to follow the restrictions and continue with thelockdown. It may be 100 per cent in some areas or partial in other areas. My appeal to all of you not to venture out of their homes now," she said.Banerjee announced the lockdown in the state from March 23 evening. Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed it across the country from March 25 to break the chain of coronavirus transmission and it was scheduled to be lifted on April 15. The 21-day measure was later extended for 19 more days till May 3.The chief minister said that from May 4, restrictions will be eased in green and orange zones where stand-alone shops of non-essential items will be opened."But there will be no relaxation for containment areas. The relaxation applies only to stand-alone shops and home delivery of non-essential items, not for market complexes or shopping malls," she said.Stand-alone shops selling electronics goods, stationery items, books, paints, hardware products, laundry, tea, and paan will be allowed to open in green and orange zones, she said. "Police will survey which shops will be opened. Hawkers' markets and shops on footpath won't be opened. Factories can open in green zones but they need to abide by all protocols," she said."We are yet to get clarifications from the Centre regarding its order last week on opening of shops in non-containment zones. Once we get that, we would take steps about extending the relaxation in some other areas," she added.Buses will also ply in green zones but will not carry more than 20 passengers at a time, she said adding that the vehicle should be sterilized at regular intervals. "Taxis also can operate in green zones, but with not more than three passengers," Banerjee said.She said the Economic Task Force has prepared a six-month economic rehabilitation plan.The TMC supremo also alleged that the BJP was indulging in politics at the time of this crisis."There are some people who are trying to spread rumours that there are no beds in hospitals of Kolkata to get admitted. There are still 790 beds ready for COVID-19 patients in Kolkata. We have moved from one COVID lab to 14 labs. Andthe BJP is busy doing politics to malign us. This is not the time for politics," she said."The BJP is making a hue and cry over the attack on policemen in Howrah. What about assault on policemen in BJP-ruled states," she asked.A mob attacked policemen who were enforcing lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus at Tikiapara in Howrah district, a red zone, on Tuesday."What happened in Tikiapara was wrong, it should not have happened and I have asked the police to take stern action. In Bengal, we treat everyone equally irrespective of their caste or religion. But those who are doing politics should come down on the road, clean the roads, stand beside the COVID-19 patients," she said.Referring to the attacks on police personnel in BJP-governed Uttar Pradesh, she threatened to "open the Pandora's Box, if the saffron camp continues to needle the Bengal government". PNT NN ZMN

Mamata hints at continuing with COVID-19 restrictions in West Bengal

Kolkata: A day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that she would stage a rally demanding that the <keyword id="19896633" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CBI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="CBI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="CBI">CBI</keyword> complete the <keyword id="19913348" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="probe" source="keywords">probe</keyword> into the rape and murder of the junior doctor, the <keyword id="19968095" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Trinamool-Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Trinamool Congress" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Trinamool Congress">Trinamool Congress</keyword> elaborated on the reasons for the CM staging the rally. TMC Rajya Sabha MP <keyword id="19968094" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Derek-OBrien" source="keywords">Derek O'Brien</keyword> said that the deadline given by the CM to <keyword id="20076432" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kolkata-Police" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Kolkata Police" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Kolkata Police">Kolkata Police</keyword> to complete the <keyword id="19919604" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="investigation" source="keywords">investigation</keyword> was August 17 and the same must apply to CBI. In a post on X Derek O'Brien said, "CBI, which is now handling the case, must give daily updates on the investigation. The deadline given by the CM to Kolkata Police to complete the investigation was August 17. The same must apply to CBI. Kolkata Police has arrested one accused. Justice will happen only when CBI nabs all involved and sends the case to a fast-track court." He further said that CBI taking over the case shouldn't lead to it being quietly buried. He further said, "CBI taking over the case shouldn't lead to it being quietly buried. The urgent need of the hour is swift justice and the harshest punishment for the culprits. No one who committed this barbaric act must be spared. Those who attacked and ransacked the hospital also need to be booked. The police have arrested 19 people." He further added that the public outrage is entirely understandable. He added, "It is hard to conceive of a more bestial, heinous crime than the murder and rape of a young woman that took place in Kolkata. The public outrage is entirely understandable. Thoughts and prayers with her family." Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to hold a march from Moulali to Dorina Crossing Esplanade demanding that the CBI nab all involved and send the case to a fast-track court. Meanwhile, in solidarity with the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, doctors and representatives of various medical organisations have announced protests at various locations in the country. Kolkata police on Friday said it has arrested 19 miscreants allegedly involved in the mob violence at the hospital premises. A mob of between 5,000 and 7,000 people, including several individuals invaded RG Kar Hospital, attacked protesting doctors and medical students, and attempted to ransack the premises on the night of August 14. On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, which has led to nationwide strikes and protests by the medical fraternity. (ANI)

Deadline given to Kolkata Police to complete probe was August 17, same must apply to CBI: TMC's Derek O'Brien

Kolkata, Jun 11 () The West Bengal government on Thursday said it will provide students of state-run schools with masks and soaps along with other items as part of the midday meal scheme from July to help them protect themselves from coronavirus. These students are getting rice and potato during the lockdown and from next month they will also receive daal, soybean, mask and soap, Education Minister Partha Chatterjee told reporters. These items will be handed over to guardians of students from their schools. The minister said the government will also provide free text books, exercise books and pencils to students in Amphan-affected areas of the state. Chatterjee also requested private schools not to hike tuition fees in this academic session as people are facing financial hardship because of the lockdown. "Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had yesterday urged you (private schools) not to hike your fees this academic session. I am only repeating what she said," he said. SUS NN NN

Bengal government to add mask, soap to mid-day meal items in COVID-19 time

A Durga Puja organisers' forum in Kolkata has recommended certain safety measures to be taken during the festivities. The Forum for Dugotsab, an association of 350 Durga Puja committees in the city, said it will submit its list of recommendations to the office of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, an office-bearer of the body said on Sunday. The forum has recommended measures like <keyword id="8604865" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="thermal-screening">thermal screening</keyword> of visitors, making the wearing of masks mandatory for everyone, allowing only 25 people inside a marquee at a time and regular sanitisation of the structures, he said. It has also called for keeping the marquees open from the front so that visitors can see the idols without having to enter the structures, the forum's office-bearer said. "After Mamata Banerjee said in state secretariat Nabanna that everyone should be careful about their health so that they can celebrate Durga Puja in a grand way, we are hopeful of celebrating the festival this year with all safety measures in place. "We have distributed a list of guidelines among members of the forum. We will submit the same to the Chief Minister's Office," he told . Durga Puja organisers across Kolkata are hopeful they will be able to celebrate the festival this year, albeit in a scaled-down manner and by taking safety measures. "We will celebrate Durga Puja by following the guidelines as the livelihood of thousands are attached to it. But maybe, we will not be able to celebrate the festival the way we had initially planned," Somen Dutta of Kasi Bose Puja Committee in north Kolkata said. Partha Ghosh of Shiv Mandir Puja Committee in south Kolkata said the festival will be a low-key affair for them this year and safety measures will be taken. "The celebration will be scaled down this year while retaining our artistic hallmark. We will have a grand theme- based celebration next year," he said. Debashis Kumar, former mayor-in-council of <keyword id="1601986" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-Kolkata-Municipal-Corporation">the Kolkata Municipal Corporation</keyword> and one of the key persons of <keyword id="9602194" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-tridhara-sammilani-puja-committee">the Tridhara Sammilani Puja Committee</keyword> in Ballygunge, said they are waiting for safety guidelines from the administration. "We haven't started our preparations yet for this year's Durga Puja. We haven't even booked any idol. Unlike some Durga Puja organisers, we don't believe in using thermal devices to screen revellers. Unless we get clear guidelines from the administration on how to go about with the celebrations, we will not take any decision," he said. Subhendu Ghosh of <keyword id="9602195" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="kasba-talbagan-puja-committee">Kasba Talbagan Puja Committee</keyword> said they will scale down the celebrations. "Our decorator has tested positive for COVID-19. We will decide accordingly," he said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/weekend-lockdown-imposed-in-karnatakas-covid-hit-kodagu-district/articleshow/77046035.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Weekend lockdown imposed in Karnataka's Covid-hit Kodagu district</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/heavy-rain-lashes-several-parts-of-delhi-on-sunday-morning-imd-says-thundershowers-likely-to-continue-for-next-few-hours/articleshow/77046201.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Heavy rain lashes several parts of Delhi on Sunday morning, IMD says thundershowers likely to continue for next few hours</a>

Durga Puja organisers in Kolkata frame norms on how to hold week-long festival amid coronavirus

Kolkata, Apr 13 () Over two lakh Hindu priests inWest Bengal have become jobless as various social functions,rituals and religious festivities have either been cancelledor postponed to prevent public gatherings in the wake of thecoronavirus outbreak, a pandits' organisation spokespersonsaid on Monday.They are in distress with no earnings as ritualsusually organised at home have been cancelled while weddingsand other social programmes postponed, he said, adding thatseveral devotees are not visiting temples during the ongoinglockdown."If there are no pujas and other religious functionsin the next few months to prevent gatherings, how the priestswill survive," the spokesman of the Paschim Bango SanatanBrahman Trust, an organisation of Hindu priests in the state,said.The coronavirus-triggered lockdown has left over twolakh priests across districts jobless, the spokesman said.The organisation has planned to write a letter toChief Minister Mamata Banerjee to seek help from thegovernment, he said.Many priests don't have any other steady income andtheir families solely depend on their earnings from ritualslike pujas, and weddings, he said.Anindyo Mitra, father of a software engineerPrithviraj Mitra, said his son's wedding reception wasscheduled to be held in mid May, which has been cancelled forthe time being."Our family priest requested us to go ahead with thescheduled ceremony on a smaller scale. But we have cancelledit for the time being. We are hopeful about organising thereception by November this year."Our family priest has lost many other contracts inthis season," Mitra said.Sharing his experience during the lockdown, PrashantaChakraborty, a priest in Agarpara area of North 24 Parganas,said three household 'Annapurna' pujas in Sodepur andBelgharia localities, had been cancelled at the last moment inMarch end, and that was the beginning.Many shopkeepers, traders and businessmen, who usuallyobserve the "haal khata" ceremony -- opening of new books ofaccounts on the occasion of 'Bangla Nabobarsho', new Bengaliyear,-- are also cancelling their programmes to avoidgatherings, he said.This year, 'Bangla Nabobarsho', is scheduled onTuesday."I used to earn around Rs 4,000 in total on 'PoilaBoisakh' (the first day of the first month of a Bengali year).I would have earned around Rs 2,000-2,200 from 'Annapurna'pujas... Hopefully, things will not be that bad during DurgaPuja and Kali Puja to be held later this year."If the situation during that time remains as it istoday, we will die," Chakraborty, who has a 10-year-olddaughter and wife, said.Upen Mukherjee, an elderly priest in Tollygunje areaof the city, said he joined the profession seven years agoafter his retirement.The last function that he had managed was a 'grihoprobesh' (puja to mark entering a new house) on February 24,Mukherjee said. SUSBDC BDC

COVID-19 pandemic hits Hindu priests hard in Bengal, over 2 lakh lose jobs

(Eds: Combining related stories) New Delhi, May 11 () Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called for a "balanced strategy" to tackle the COVID-19 crisis as he sought inputs from states on the way forward in fighting the pandemic, while many more tested positive for the deadly virus and pushed the nationwide tally above the 70,000 mark. The death toll also crossed 2,200 with more people succumbing to COVID-19 at various places including in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. Interacting with chief ministers in a video conference, Modi flagged that problems have increased wherever social distancing norms were not followed or there has been laxity in implementation of the lockdown guidelines. He also said the biggest challenge will be to ensure that the infection does not spread to villages, sources said. The new cases detected in the past few days include migrant workers who have returned to their native places from big urban clusters, many after being rendered jobless and homeless, as also some airlifted from abroad under a massive evacuation plan undertaken by the government for Indians and expatriates stranded in various countries. In its daily update, the Union Health Ministry said the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased to 67,152, after a record number of 4,213 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours till Monday 8 AM, while the death toll rose by 97 to 2,206. More than 20,000 people have recovered also so far. However, a tally of figures reported by different states and union territories, as of 9.10 PM, put the nationwide tally of confirmed cases much higher at 70,480, showing an increase of more than 6,000 cases since Sunday morning. It showed 2,217 deaths and more than 22,000 recoveries so far. Maharashtra reported 1,230 new cases, taking the state tally to 23,401, while its death toll rose to 868 after 36 more fatalities. Tamil Nadu reported 798 new cases and six more deaths on Monday. Gujarat saw 347 fresh cases and 20 more fatalities, including 268 cases and 19 deaths in Ahmedabad itself. In the national capital also, more than 300 new cases were detected. Fresh cases were reported from various other states as well including Punjab, Haryana, Kerala, Jammu &amp; Kashmir, Karnataka, Bihar and Odisha. During a press briefing on the COVID-19 situation, Union Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said some relatively large outbreaks have been noticed in particular locations and it is important to focus on containment efforts to ensure that the country does not reach the community transmission stage. He also said that people who develop coronavirus symptoms should not go into hiding and come forward to report so that they get timely treatment and also do not spread the infection to their family members and others. Asserting that the virus outbreak has nothing to do with race, religion and area and the government's focus is on identifying pockets which have been reporting a larger number of cases for implementing strong containment measures. During their interaction with the prime minister, some chief ministers also sought measures to expand the testing infrastructure, while many of them also demanded fiscal support for the states due to the pandemic having hit hard various revenue-generating economic activities. Sources said Modi told the chief ministers that a "balanced strategy will have to be adopted for the road ahead", as he sought their suggestions on the way forward. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is said to have favoured allowing all economic activities, barring in the identified containment zones. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the Centre wanted a strict lockdown enforcement on one hand, but was resuming train services on the other. Chief ministers of Tamil Nadu and Telangana opposed resumption of passenger train services, which are scheduled to begin on Tuesday with select special trains for taking the stranded migrant workers to their native places. The Home Ministry said only asymptomatic people with confirmed tickets will be allowed to travel in 15 trains to be operational from Tuesday. Online bookings began for these trains on Monday evening, after some delay due to a technical glitch, and some routes got fully booked within ten minutes. The Railways have been running 'migrant special' trains for ferrying migrant workers since May 1, but this will be the first time in nearly 50 days that the general public can also undertake train journeys even though flight and inter-state bus services remain suspended as of now till May 17, when the third phase of the lockdown is scheduled to end. The first phase of the nationwide lockdown began on March 25, which was supposed to be of 21 days, but it got extended later till May 3 and then further till May 17 with some relaxations. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray asked Modi to show "specific and concrete direction" on the ongoing lockdown and said the states would implement the same. He also requested the prime minister to start local trains in Mumbai for essential services staff working in the city. Mumbai's coronavirus tally has reached 14,355 with 791 new cases detected on Monday, while its death toll is 528 now with 20 more fatalities. At least 57 new cases were reported from the city's Dharavi slums. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh favoured extending the lockdown in view of the rising number of cases, but with a carefully crafted exit strategy backed by economic empowerment of states to save lives and secure livelihood. Some chief ministers also suggested that the states should be allowed to decide declaring red, orange or green zones after taking into account the ground realities. There are already concerns about re-emergence of the virus in some other countries, including in China, Germany and South Korea, after easing of lockdown restrictions and greater movement of people being allowed. Since its emergence in China last December, the deadly virus has infected more than 41 lakh people worldwide and over 2.8 lakh have lost their lives. More than 14 lakh people have recovered so far. NAB MPB PYK PLB ASK MPB ACB SKL SLB VSD CHS ASG VGN SA ND VT PM BJBJ

Modi calls for 'balanced strategy' to fight COVID-19; Nationwide tally crosses 70k

<ul><li>The exit polls for Lok Sabha 2019 predict Narendra Modi's return as the country's Prime Minister.</li><li>The Bharatiya Janata Party's strategic outreach and focus on West Bengal and Odisha seems to have paid off.</li><li>The gains in the eastern part of the country make up for the losses in other states, especially Uttar Pradesh.</li></ul>Narendra Modi may return as India's Prime Minister for the next five years, according to the exit polls at the end of the final phase of polling. The Bharatiya Janata Party, unsurprisingly, credited it to another 'Modi wave'. However, a deeper dive into the numbers show the so-called Modi wave is still not a national phenomenon. But to its credit, the party has managed to retain some of its strongholds in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, and Haryana. The party has clearly managed to overcome any anti-incumbency in these states. The opposition's hopes of gains after the upswing in the recent state assembly elections did not materialise. The signal here is that the people in these states were angry with the BJP's state unit but that did not reflect on the national leadership, definitely not on Modi. <table style="width: 279pt;"> </colgroup> <tbody><tr> <td colspan="4" class="xl66" style="border-right:1.0pt solid black; height:15.0pt;width:279pt">BJP retained its hold on some key states</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl68" style="height:15.0pt">State </td> <td class="xl65">2014 tally</td> <td class="xl65">Avg of 2019 Exit polls</td> <td class="xl69">Change</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl68" style="height:15.0pt">Delhi</td> <td class="xl65">7</td> <td class="xl65">6</td> <td class="xl70">-1</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl68" style="height:15.0pt">Rajasthan</td> <td class="xl65">25</td> <td class="xl65">23</td> <td class="xl70">-2</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl68" style="height:15.0pt">Madhya Pradesh</td> <td class="xl65">26</td> <td class="xl65">26</td> <td class="xl70">0</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl68" style="height:15.0pt">Haryana</td> <td class="xl65">7</td> <td class="xl65">9</td> <td class="xl70">+2</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl71" style="height:15.75pt">Gujarat</td> <td class="xl72">26</td> <td class="xl72">24</td> <td class="xl73">-2</td> </tr></tbody></table> However, in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi, the party had swept nearly all seats in even in 2014, leaving little room for gains. On the other hand, BJP is likely to lose a significant number of seats in Uttar Pradesh, as expected by many pundits even in the run up to these elections. Further, the BJP is likely to be a net loser in the four states compared to its tally in 2014. The average of polls predict that BJP may clock over 20 seats less in the state compared to five years ago. There may be some gain in Karnataka-- the poll of polls suggest a gain of less than five seats -- but the loss of an ally in Chandrababu Naidu's (Telugu Desam Party) would take away the 16 seats he brought to the table five years ago. The poll of polls predict a small loss of three seats for BJP and its ally in Maharashtra. The net loss of seats at this stage of this narrative, compared to the 2014 count, is over 40 seats in about five states, with no gains in other states where the NDA already had nearly all seats. <table style="width: 347pt;"> </colgroup> <tbody><tr> <td colspan="4" class="xl71" style="border-right:1.0pt solid black; height:15.0pt;width:347pt">BJP and allies may form the government but it has lost seats in south India</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl67" style="height: 15pt; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none;">State </td> <td class="xl66" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">2014 tally</td> <td class="xl66" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">Avg of 2019 Exit polls</td> <td class="xl68" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">Change</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl67" style="height: 15pt; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none;">Karnataka</td> <td class="xl66" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">17</td> <td class="xl66" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">21</td> <td class="xl74" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">+4</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl67" style="height: 15pt; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none;">Tamil Nadu</td> <td class="xl66" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">1</td> <td class="xl66" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">8</td> <td class="xl74" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">+7</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl67" style="height: 15pt; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none;">Kerala</td> <td class="xl66" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">0</td> <td class="xl66" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">1</td> <td class="xl74" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">+1</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl67" style="height: 15pt; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none;">Andhra Pradesh</td> <td class="xl66" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">17</td> <td class="xl66" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">0</td> <td class="xl74" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">-17</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl69" style="height: 15.75pt; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none;">Telangana</td> <td class="xl70" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">1</td> <td class="xl70" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">2</td> <td class="xl75" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">+1</td> </tr></tbody></table> The swing However, there was a big swing in favour of the BJP in two places-- West Bengal and Odisha. The two states may have given BJP 21 more seats this time around, helping the party offset the losses in other parts of the country like the Uttar Pradesh and in the southern states. The BJP also had made dedicated efforts towards these states and it paid off. To understand how important Bengal was for Modi, this was the state where he addressed the <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/india/pms-marathon-51-day-campaign-sees-142-rallies-1/3rd-of-them-in-up-and-west-bengal/articleshow/69376507.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">most number of rallies</a> after Uttar Pradesh. After all, he was faced off with the regional powerhouse, Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC). BJP has still come second in the state but the TMC has ceded more ground that it wanted to. <table style="width: 347pt;"> </colgroup> <tbody><tr> <td class="xl69" style="height:15.0pt;width:95pt">State </td> <td class="xl67" style="border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none; width: 64pt;">2014 tally</td> <td class="xl67" style="border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none; width: 72pt;">Avg of 2019 Exit polls</td> <td class="xl70" style="border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none; width: 116pt;">Change</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl68" style="height: 15pt; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none;">West Bengal</td> <td class="xl68" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">2</td> <td class="xl68" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">13</td> <td class="xl65" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">11</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl68" style="height: 15pt; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none;">Odisha</td> <td class="xl68" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">1</td> <td class="xl68" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">11</td> <td class="xl65" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">10</td> </tr></tbody></table> Margin for error However, it is important to mention that exit polls in India try to play it safe. While they have predicted that winner right more often than not but they underestimate the number of seats that the winning side may garner. The average under-estimation of the winning party by pollsters in Parliamentary election is about 8%, according to veteran psephologists Dr Prannoy Roy and Dorab Sopariwala in their recent book, The Verdict. These results can, at best, be described as Modi holding his ground. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/exit-polls-2019-no-modi-wave-in-tamil-nadu-karnataka-kerala/articleshow/69402617.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">God did not deliver south India for BJP while a lost friend cost them dear</a>

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