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NEW DELHI: The <keyword id="6354944" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Aam-Aadmi-Party">Aam Aadmi Party</keyword> found itself in an embarrassing position when <keyword id="6408414" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Shazia-Ilmi">Shazia Ilmi</keyword>, its senior member and party candidate from Ghaziabad, was seen in a video telling Muslims that they should stop being “secular” while casting their vote and be “communal” in these elections. 
 “Muslims are too secular. Muslims will have to be communal for the first time. Muslims are not communal, they do not vote for their own. <keyword id="260213" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Arvind-Kejriwal">Arvind Kejriwal</keyword> is our own,” Ilmi is heard telling a group of Muslims in a room. The 79-second clip was ostensibly shot when Shazia was in Mumbai recently. 
 
Faced with a barrage of criticism over Shazia Ilmi’s purported remarks, the Aam Aadmi Party refused to defend her, saying there was no place in the party for such sentiments. 
 Ilmi’s video went viral on Tuesday and the party promptly distanced itself from the comments. An official statement from <keyword id="6356115" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="AAP">AAP</keyword> said that it “does not believe in this kind of politics nor do we endorse it. All our representatives should be careful in their choice of words so that there is no scope for misinterpretation”. 
 
Senior party leader Manish Sisodia tweeted, “I’ve seen Shazia's clip. She should have not said it. AAP does not believe in communal politics. Our politics is to unite all Indians.” 
 In the video, Ilmi is heard saying, “So far we have been making <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> win. Don’t be so secular. Think of your interests this time. Muslims are secular and vote for everyone. Other parties do not do this. They have a set vote bank. Our votes are constantly getting divided. Think of your self this time.” 
 
Individuals in the clip are seen to be nodding at Ilmi’s remarks. One person adds that Muslims are often responsible for turning the tide in an election even though they are victimized. “Dare bhi hum aur jitaye bhi hum lekin malai khaye koi aur (We are used as a vote bank but also forced to live in fear. Meanwhile others reap benefits),” the clip shows him saying. 
 
To this, Ilmi, says that this time they should change their strategy and ‘fight and win’. 
 While Ilmi’s remarks drew sharp and quick reaction on social media, a few said the AAP leader came through as “clueless”. Tweeted <keyword id="55" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="social-activist">social activist</keyword> Kavita Krishnan: “Shazia Ilmi's ‘Muslims shd b communal’ remark isn’t communal. Only shows she hasn’t 1st clue what ‘communal’/‘secular’ mean. #embarrassing (sic).” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		Shazia Ilmi's 'Muslims shd b communal' remark isn't communal. Only shows she hasn't 1st clue what 'communal'/ 'secular' mean. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23embarrassing&amp;src=hash">#embarrassing</a>
	— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) <a href="https://twitter.com/kavita_krishnan/statuses/458603688177573888">April 22, </a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	<a href="https://twitter.com/kavita_krishnan/statuses/458603688177573888">2014</a></blockquote>
Another tweet, attributed to @Vidyut, said: “Shazia Ilmi may not be the brightest bulb in AAP, but she is not malicious, or for that matter COMMUNAL.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		Shazia Ilmi may not be the brightest bulb in AAP, but she is not malicious, or for that matter COMMUNAL.
	— Vidyut 440V (@Vidyut) <a href="https://twitter.com/Vidyut/statuses/458587193544437760">April 22, </a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	<a href="https://twitter.com/Vidyut/statuses/458587193544437760">2014</a></blockquote>
Others were not so charitable. @mojorojo tweeted: “Okay *if* that Shazia Ilmi video is real, it’s inexcusable and she needs to not be allowed to participate.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		Okay *if* that Shazia Ilmi video is real, it's inexcusable and she needs to not be allowed to participate.
	— Rohan Joshi (@mojorojo) <a href="https://twitter.com/mojorojo/statuses/458563029760622593">April 22, </a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	<a href="https://twitter.com/mojorojo/statuses/458563029760622593">2014</a></blockquote>
Composer Vishal Dadlani, an AAP supporter, addressed BJP supporters on the issue. “I don't know if this is the full clip or not. But I will not defend it. In my view, both Hindu and Muslim communalists and fundamentalists are anti-national … However, unlike the RSS or the VHP, parent organizations of the BJP, this speech/instance is an aberration in AAP. Either she has a foolproof explanation, or she will be expelled, I’m sure of that. AAP is full of good, non-communal, non-corrupt people, striving for India. This incident, real or not, can't take away from that,” he said.

Muslims Are Too ‘Secular’, Should Be ‘Communal’: Shazia In Video. The Statement Is Not Going Too Well

GURGAON: Tauru, the little town 32km from Gurgaon torn apart by a communal clash on Sunday, remained under curfew a day later amid an uneasy calm. 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/Communal-clash-near-Gurgaon-injures-15/articleshow/36264192.cms">Communal clash near Gurgaon injures 15</a> 
 In the morning, there were reports of a <keyword id="229280" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="local-businessman">local businessman</keyword>'s shop being set on fire. "The local administration officials came soon after and called the fire tender. It seems that through this fire, some elements want to let the communal fire rage for some more time," said Aasim Khan, a <keyword id="279101" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="local-advocate">local advocate</keyword> in Tauru. 
 
But in the three hours that the curfew was lifted on Monday between 4pm and 7pm, there was a hint of normalcy returning to the city as people were seen hanging around on the roads, albeit not in groups, chatting and moving around. 
 A total of 12 FIRs were registered with <keyword id="2315889" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="Tauru-police">Tauru police</keyword> station. The superintendents of police of four districts along with IG Rewari range and CRPF jawans have been deployed in the town. The administration has announced it would bear the treatment costs of people injured in the riots. 
 
 
 "We are holding talks with the representatives of both communities so that the peace is restored and curfew is lifted," said Ramesh Verma , <keyword id="53980" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Deputy-commissioner">deputy commissioner</keyword>. In the evening, the district administration held meetings with local residents, who voiced safety concerns and apprehensions about a recurrence of the violence. But the administration and police tried to convince them that they would ensure the town remained peaceful. "We don't want the curfew to go on for long as it affects the livelihoods of local residents," said Simardeeep Singh, SP (Mewat). 
 
"We have been told that whatever happened till now should be forgotten and what will happen now on will be the administration's responsibility," said Lal Chanderi, a local resident.

Communal clash in Gurgaon: Town under curfew, 12 cases filed

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/okreitz/">@okreitz on Flickr</a></div></div>Communal seating is all the rage in restaurant design. 
The number of communal tables is growing "exponentially," according to <a href="http://nrn.com/service/nancy-kruse-bret-thorn-discuss-communal-seating">Nation's Restaurant News</a>. 
Shared seating was originally popularized by European cafe Le Pain Quotidien. 
Chains like Starbucks and McDonald's have adopted communal seating. So have independent chef restaurants like A-Frame in Los Angeles and The Publican in Chicago, restaurant analyst Nancy Kruse <a href="http://nrn.com/service/nancy-kruse-bret-thorn-discuss-communal-seating">writes for NRN</a>. 
Panera Bread has offered shared tables for years. 
The appeal of communal seating is two-fold, according to Kruse. 
First, it allows restaurants to cram in even more paying customers. It also could make customers feel like they had a more social experience at a restaurant. 
Bret Thorn, NRN's senior food editor, believes that communal seating can only work in certain situations. 
"When does alienating customers for short-term gain ever work?" he asks. 
Thorn notes that communal seating works in certain situations. 
"But there are times and places in which communal seating is part of the experience, such as at Joe's Shanghai in Manhattan's Chinatown, where I go every Black Friday with friends to eat crab and pork soup dumplings," <a href="http://nrn.com/service/nancy-kruse-bret-thorn-discuss-communal-seating">Thorn says</a>.
Communal seating is particularly appealing to millennials to seek social connections while they dine, according to <a href="http://rddmag.com/development/features/105-communal-tables-catch-on-as-a-flexible-seating-option">Restaurant Development + Design Magazine</a>. 
A December opinion piece <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/send-back-restaurant-trends-overdone-article-1.1556530">in The New York Daily News</a> notes the shortfalls of communal tables. 
"Dining out should be a combination of enjoying both the food and the company, not an uncomfortable evening spent making forced conversation - that's what college dining halls and cruise ships are for," the Daily News wrote.

More Restaurants Are Asking Customers To Sit With Strangers

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Canadian retail brand Aritzia has gained staggering success in recent years.</li><li>It has generated buzz on TikTok via videos that comment on its mirrorless dressing rooms.</li></ul>While the Canadian retailer Aritzia has been around for nearly 40 years, it has only recently become more of a household name, at least among many Gen Zers and millennials. In fact, Gen Zers increased their spending by 27% at Aritzia from January through June this year, <a href="https://www.earnestanalytics.com/gen-z-outspending-older-generations-on-fitness-home-goods/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Earnest Analytics</a>.But as the brand has grown, its critics have, too. It has been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aritzia-workplace-culture-fear-bullying-accusations-brian-hill-2023-7">accused of</a> a lack of size inclusivity and diversity of hires. On social media, though, the biggest issue seems to be the retailer's mirrorless fitting rooms. Customers at one of Aritzia's 118 stores must step out of their dressing rooms and into a communal space to survey their outfits in a mirror. The communal space is staffed with Aritzia's "style advisors," the retailer's term for sales associates, ready to give styling advice and determine sizing. "Hey, babe, can I get a mirrorless fitting room started for you?" the comedian Becca Bastos says in <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@actressbecc/video/7229068969007648043?_r=1&amp;_t=8eH015HA9uM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a TikTok skit</a> where she plays an Aritzia style advisor. In her video, which gained over 1 million views, the Aritzia communal space is rife with eager sales associates and crowded with boyfriends lounging on couches — overall, it's anxiety-inducing.<h2>On TikTok, users describe Aritzia's 'fitting-room trauma' </h2>"It's so easy to make fun of, but it's a very common thing that people who shop at Aritzia say they can't believe there are no mirrors," Bastos, 27, told Insider. "It adds a layer of stress and makes you a little nervous to go into the communal part." One <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@mynamejudi/video/7245454226065788203?_r=1&amp;_t=8eGzdGbrp63" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikToker</a> wrote: "Trying on bodysuits and sports bras at Aritzia in front of all the men waiting and their size 0 girlfriends is not for the weak." A <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Aritzia/comments/13yfslq/comment/jmmnkpz/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web3x&amp;utm_name=web3xcss&amp;utm_term=1&amp;utm_content=share_button" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reddit commenter</a> wrote that Aritzia's changing-room setup meant "you have to come out and air all your body insecurities to everyone."Another <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@cat_turn/video/7196439915914333486?_r=1&amp;_t=8eGztfmHUfi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikToker documented</a> her shopping trip and what she called Aritzia's "fitting-room trauma." But she ends up saying "shout-out to the honest employee" who advised her that a bodysuit was too short on her.There's even advice circulating online on how to avoid the communal room — some <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@kayleebull/video/7175259945779334446?_r=1&amp;_t=8eHokpoZPJ5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTokers suggest using your phone's front camera as a mirror</a>. Even Bastos, who said she was impressed by Aritzia's sales associates, acknowledged using her phone camera as a mirror and said her friends often used this approach as well. <h2>Aritzia's communal fitting rooms are part of the brand's DNA</h2>So why make customers go through this awkwardness?Aritzia's mirrorless approach ultimately speaks to a decision the brand has made for the customers, Manini Madia, an adjunct professor at <a href="https://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/cbs-directory/detail/mm5834" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Columbia Business School</a> and expert in consumer shopper behavior, told Insider. By trading in the personal dressing-room mirrors for a communal mirror, Aritzia is assuming "people don't know what looks good on them and they need the help of an expert," Madia said."Not having the mirrors can be intimidating, especially for a younger shopper," Madia said. "It's on the style advisors to make their shoppers feel comfortable."Aritzia's extra assistance is not unlike the experience shoppers get at higher-fashion retailers. The brand does pride itself on being an affordable luxury retailer, after all. Madia pointed to Bergdorf Goodman, a luxury fashion department store whose in-store experiences are teeming with knowledgeable sales associates, personal shoppers, in-store tailors, and, notably, personal dressing-room mirrors. <div type="image" title="aritzia" height="768" width="1024" msid="102721167" hostid="261"></div>Aritzia's mirrorless fitting rooms go against a growing trend in retail.Many other brands have taken the opposing, hands-off route: Rag &amp; Bone, J.Crew, and Abercrombie &amp; Fitch have enhanced their dressing-room experiences by giving customers more control over their in-store experiences, including the ability to adjust the lighting in the dressing room or flip a switch to call for an associate's help. For Aritzia, mirrorless rooms are part of its DNA."Aritzia's communal fitting room approach has been a core component of the 'Everyday Luxury' experience we've offered to our clients for almost 40 years," an Aritzia spokesperson wrote in a statement. "The communal dressing room mirrors are designed to allow our clients to optimally view and decide on their preferred looks with the assistance of our style advisors. In this communal setting, clients receive helpful insight on our product offerings — including details on fit and styling possibilities."For customers who want additional privacy, all Aritzia stores do have a fitting room with a private mirror upon request, Aritzia said.While Aritzia's mirrorless rooms have seen pushback on social media, "having a trained sales associate who can help a consumer in a store might lead to a bigger sale than a consumer might make on their own in an e-commerce environment," Madia said.Aritzia's <a href="https://investors.aritzia.com/investor-news/press-release-details/2023/Aritzia-Reports-Fourth-Quarter-and-Fiscal-2023-Financial-Results/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in-store sales</a> increased 53% this year, according to the retailer's financial report for fiscal 2023. In-store sales still account for 65% of Aritzia's revenue, compared with e-commerce sales.And with <a href="http://aokcafe.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coffee bars</a> and even the occasional <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/aritzia-is-adding-video-games-to-stores-for-the-holidays/439106" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video-game console</a> to entertain shoppers, the retailer continues to invest in experiential services for its shoppers.Even Bastos, the TikToker who parodied a trip to Aritzia, is still a committed Aritzia shopper."The associates do really hype you up there, and I do feel like it is a boost of confidence when they tell you: 'You look great in those Effortless pants,' or, 'You look great in that corset,' Bastos said. "The fitting-room experience stresses me out still, but I've overlooked it."

Aritzia's mirrorless dressing rooms cause outrage online, but they seem to be a brilliant sales tactic

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I moved to an <keyword id="12715487" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ashram" source="Orion">ashram</keyword> in the Catskills when I was 23 years old. </li><li>We had all vowed to be celibate while we were living there. </li></ul>When I was 23, I moved to <a href="https://www.insider.com/womans-mother-left-her-to-go-live-in-an-ashram-2022-2">an ashram</a> in the Catskills. I'd met a guru who actually made <a href="https://www.insider.com/meditation-definition">meditating</a> — once grueling — seem easy. Feelings of inner tranquility soothed the loneliness and <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-is-depression">depression</a> I had been struggling with since high school. I was driven to master well-being through the practices of selfless service, chanting, and meditation. One morning, after a rigorous 90-minute chant, my inner bliss was interrupted when the guy who ladled out the oatmeal asked, "When do you get a break?" I froze. I didn't want to get involved. I wanted to follow the rules.And the rules were clear: <a href="https://www.insider.com/when-you-dont-have-sex-what-happens-to-your-body-2020-6">No sex on ashram grounds</a>. According to ancient scriptures, orgasm and sexual release diffused the spiritual energy that a seeker, through meditation and other spiritual practices, could cultivate to achieve enlightenment — a permanent state of inner bliss. <h2>By following the rules, I was exacerbating the problem I was there to solve</h2>Ashram life forced me into an age-old battle between spiritual aspirations and carnal desire. I was there to heal, but I didn't know that in depriving myself, I was also creating an <a href="https://www.psypost.org/2018/05/attempts-suppress-sexual-thoughts-result-increase-thoughts-51306">unhealthy mind-body split</a> that increased my shame and exacerbated my loneliness. I fantasized about becoming a monk. The meditation, vegetarian diet, and walking between buildings made me feel lighter and boosted my self-esteem. Maybe it was because sex was forbidden, but I found myself flirting with adorable ashram guys. In addition to the oatmeal guy, there was the strapping, sandy-haired Englishman, who lit up my entire being when we went toe-to-toe in ridiculously flirtatious arguments about spiritual dogma. There was the former graphic designer who often put his meal tray down at my table and who immediately felt like family, probably because he was old enough to be my father. There was the dashing charm of the practically 10-foot tall, ex-model turned massage therapist, with blue eyes and a grin that turned my insides to mush.I tried to shoo away my desire and practice what I was there to learn: being with my Self. But it wasn't easy. And the oatmeal ladler was persistent. "I can tell you're just coming from the morning chant," he said as he plopped oats in my bowl. "You always radiate when you come from chanting."He had a joyful face with almond-shaped eyes that sparkled behind his glasses, but he wasn't my type. He was short with long curly hair. Nevertheless, we started hanging out. And my steady state of mind went up in flames. <h2>I really didn't want to break the rules</h2>Living in the ashram was a fishbowl existence. We all worked, meditated, and dined in the same space. The joke was that if people saw a couple walking or dining together more than three times, they were engaged. People glared as we strolled through the courtyard. I felt ashamed. I was scared the guru would find out; I didn't want to incur bad karma.One day on a walk, he leaned in to kiss me. I pushed him away. I told myself that his hippie-rocker look was reason enough to reject him and was relieved when he backed off. But months later, the relief was replaced by deep loneliness. By then, he was openly dating someone else. I was surprised by how much I missed him.After a year, my fantasies of becoming a monk were slowly being replaced by fantasies of living in the world again. I heard a rumor that the founder of the ashram — my teacher's so-called enlightened and celibate guru — had molested young women. I sensed there was truth in the rumors and felt nauseous for days. I decided to leave. Ashram living had given me community, valuable tools, and self-knowledge. But when the <a href="https://www.salon.com/2010/08/14/eat_pray_love_guru_sex_scandals/">rumors were confirmed</a> in an <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1994/11/14/o-guru-guru-guru">investigative New Yorker piece</a>, I realized that idealizing others, and the notion of enlightenment wielded by this particular ashram, were harmful myths. Self-mastery doesn't come from suppressing desire. It comes from embracing our humanity, in all its contradictions.

I moved to an ashram to become enlightened. But suppressing my desire for men led to more of the loneliness I'd come to heal.

New Delhi, May 9 () A bulk of the COVID-19-related fact-checks in April were related to communal rumours, most of which were false allegations against Muslims of purposefully spreading the virus, claimed a report by BOOM Live.BOOM Live, a fact-checking platform that works with social media companies like Facebook, said its study analysed 178 fact-checks on COVID-19 related to misinformation/disinformation around the pandemic from January to May this year."During April, a new trend was observed – communally charged disinformation targeting Muslims became more frequent," the report said.By the end of April, a bulk of BOOM Live's fact-checks (34 unique fact checks) were on communal rumours, it claimed.The report further noted that after several members of the Tablighi Jamaat – an Islamic missionary group – tested positive, "Islamophobic rumours around them purposefully spreading the virus became viral on the internet".Other trends also witnessed in April were: spike in fake news related to politics, more lockdown related misinformation, more misinformation around Italy and rumours related to the economy.The January-February period saw mostly rumours about China, with some false prediction theories and cures/prevention/treatments to COVID-19. March witnessed fake news on Italy and lockdowns, as well as conspiracy theories regarding the virus being a bioweapon going viral.BOOM Live said it did its first COVID-19 fact-check on January 25, while February saw major events and developments like the Delhi elections, Donald Trump's India visit and the Delhi riots."There was a drastic change of topic in March, as more COVID-19 related misinformation went viral online," it said.BOOM Live said while most of the false or misleading claims were circulated with videos (35 per cent), there was also a significant number of text messages (29.4 per cent) being shared with fake cures, treatments or quotes from celebrities, along with images (29.4 per cent) that were either misrepresented or doctored."We also noticed a small number of audio clips (2.2 per cent) going viral with false contexts. A few of our fact-checks were on news reports (4 per cent) by mainstream media organisations. Most of these stories were found to make false claims against a particular community," it added.BOOM Live said it had seen a spike in text-based misinformation in March as false notifications and lockdown guidelines became viral. SR MBI MKJ

Bulk of COVID-19-related fact-checks in Apr related to communal rumours, claims BOOM Live

<ul><li>West Bengal sends 42 members to the Lok Sabha. </li><li>The two major political parties playing big roles this elections in the state are the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamool Congress (TMC). </li><li>However, the state’s election is also marred by communal politics. </li></ul>The state of West Bengal sends 42 members to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Indian Parliament, which has 543 seats. The polling has been spread out through all the seven phases of the ongoing election, not because of the states’ strength in the Parliament, but because the state embodies the country’s polarised and vitiated political environment like few others. The two major political parties playing big roles in this election are the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and both have completely different stance in the state. The fallout of the Congress and CPI(M) alliance further led to the BJP and TMC command authoritative positions in the elections. In its election manifesto, the BJP has once again pushed for the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which will move to grant citizenship to immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and to deport undocumented immigrants, even though Muslim immigrants will not be considered for it. The BJP’s <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/west-bengal/mamata-allying-with-those-who-wish-to-break-country-pm-modi/articleshow/68763916.cms">charge</a> is that the TMC has covertly built a Muslim vote bank for itself by bringing in illegal immigrants from neighbouring countries. The party’s growing <a href="https://www.firstpost.com/politics/bjp-making-inroads-in-bengal-clear-from-crowd-at-modis-kolkata-rally-tmcs-minority-appeasement-policy-a-factor-6384681.html">prominence</a> is a sign that the allegation is being accepted by a part of the state’s hindu population. Meanwhile, the TMC had <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/at-bengal-rally-pm-attacks-mamata-seeks-tmc-support-for-citizenship-bill/story-BOkijM1yoe0xdWBDZAjEvK.html">called</a> the bill “discriminatory” and the state’s muslim minority is backing her despite the annoyance with the government’s performance. A slew of governance issues and <a href="https://theprint.in/theprint-essential/saradha-ponzi-scheme-the-scam-behind-mamatas-dharna-against-cbi/187686/">corruption scandals </a>have marred chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s image. But the minorities back the chief minister, against the BJP, for the fear of vilification if the latter were to gain ground in the state. "Despite having anger against the state government over various issues including several riots that took place in the state, the minorities will vote for TMC in the state to ensure their safety and security," Mohammed Kamruzzaman, General Secretary of All Bengal Minority Youth Federation told PTI in <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/west-bengal/to-stop-bjp-minorities-likely-to-go-with-tmc-in-bengal/articleshow/68450898.cms">March</a>. Bengal used to be the hotbed for communal violence even before independence but communal violence had nearly disappeared by the turn of the previous century. It is making a comeback now. It is because of the heightened tensions that the BJP had even asked the Election Commission to declare West Bengal as a “super sensitive state”. The EC had then deployed 24 police observers in the state. “In every state, police observers are deployed. According to rough estimates of appointment, a police observer will supervise two constituencies. This is not unique to Bengal. In some places, the number of officers can be lesser, depending on the political situation,” a senior EC official had told <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/west-bengal/election-commission-appoints-24-observers-to-scan-west-bengal-police-machinery/articleshow/68624047.cms">ET</a>. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/election-2019-bjp-candidate-list-for-west-bengal/articleshow/68811097.cms">Election 2019: BJP Candidate list for West Bengal</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-election-2019-tmc-candidate-list-for-west-bengal/articleshow/68811351.cms">Lok Sabha Election 2019: TMC Candidate List for West Bengal</a>

Elections 2019: Voting begins in West Bengal amid simmering communal tensions that have polarised the state’s population

New Delhi, Apr 21 () Cautioning people against giving communal colour to the coronavirus pandemic, former Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan has said such behaviour could explode and make it much harder for different communities to get along. Rajan's comments come in the wake allegations that Tabligh-e-Jamat members violated social distancing guidelines and ignored all instructions by organising a massive gathering last month at their centre in Nizamuddin area of Delhi. The gathering is believed to have emerged as a super-spreader of coronavirus with thousands of cases across the country linked to Jamat members. So far, coronavirus has infected around 19,000 people and took over 600 lives in the country. "We see in India that some allegation that this was a Muslim plot. I mean, that kind of behaviour can explode and make much harder for her communities to get together within her country," Rajan said while speaking at the University of Chicago's virtual Harper Lecture series. Rajan along with 11 others has recently been appointed to an external advisory group of IMF MD Kristalina Georgieva to provide perspectives from around the globe on key developments and policy issues, including responses to the exceptional challenges the world now faces due to the coronavirus pandemic. Rajan, 57, who headed RBI for three years until September 2016, said nationalism that was already pretty strong before the virus is getting accentuated by the effects of COVID-19. Citing an example, he said, "China points finger at the US and says that was US intelligence plot and the US points finger at China and says that this was concocted by China." Rajan, who is currently working as a professor at the prestigious University of Chicago, said no part of the world is immune to COVID-19. "Everywhere in world is going to be affected, (and) global supply chain has been disrupted for some time. In the second quarter of calendar year 2020, we can see decline in GDP by 30-40 per cent," he said. Despite rebound in economic activities in the second half of 2020, global economic growth will still be negative for the year, he said. "I see (global) economic recovery underway a year from now," he noted. BKS CS MKJ

Raghuram Rajan cautions against giving communal colour to coronavirus

<ul class="summary-list"><li>My parents moved from New York City to a <keyword id="13037324" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="kibbutz" source="Orion">kibbutz</keyword> in Israel. </li><li>There I was placed in a children's group and only saw my parents a few hours a day. </li></ul>I was a mother myself before I thought about — really thought about — how spending my first years on a <a href="https://archive.jewishagency.org/first-home-homeland/program/16766">kibbutz in Israel</a> affected my whole life.These days many kibbutzim have been privatized, but back when I was growing up, they were intentional, socialist communities often based on agriculture like Kibbutz Lahav, the one where I lived. My father and mother were New Yorkers by birth but wanted fresh starts for themselves far away from their childhoods in the Bronx and Brooklyn respectively.On our kibbutz in the Negev desert, my father worked the fields planting wheat, and my mother was in charge of the kitchen that served three meals a day to the 200 plus-person community.When they had me, my mother was 24, my father was 26, and they were still a safe handful of years away from the move, divorce, and <a href="https://www.insider.com/i-grew-up-in-a-cult-and-i-can-tell-you-why-normal-people-join-them-2018-3">cult</a> that would lead to the <a href="https://www.insider.com/why-people-join-cults-according-to-therapist-who-treats-survivors-2020-9">breakup of my family</a>. <h2>The kibbutz was my safe place when I was young</h2>Before I understood or even had an inkling that people leave — even people who are supposed to take care of you, the kibbutz was my Eden.My father brought me out for walks on his shoulders, and we visited the kibbutz horses in the farm area, and I got to pet geese and hold downy newborn goats, their velvet ears flopping around their dazed faces. I walked the paved sunlit paths in any direction I chose — often by myself because I was safe alone.And every afternoon I joined my parents on the lawn in front of our home to sit with our friends and have cookies, fruit, and tea while a gentle breeze blew across the hillside, even in the summer. Afternoons on the lawn were my favorite time, near my mother who chatted happily with the other women while I played with my friends. <h2>I saw my parents only a couple of hours a day</h2>On the kibbutz in those days, babies spent the first six weeks in their parents' flat and were then moved to the Beit Tinokot, the children's house. The kibbutz children's house system was part of an early-20th-century model designed to enable women to be equal partners with men, to liberate them from having to stay home doing domestic chores.Kibbutz life was designed to maximize productivity in its working adults during the day and give parents plenty of time off from child-rearing in the evenings when they gathered together, unencumbered. Apart from the few hours a day we kids spent with our parents, we were in the children's house in sleeping rooms with children our age with whom we shared meals, clothing, nap times, and toys. We traveled as a group, like a litter of pups, and kibbutz women assigned to our group, not our moms and dads, took care of us. <keyword id="11910745" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="parenting" source="Orion">Parenting</keyword> within a short window of time has to be less frustrating for the adults than navigating their kids' wants and moods and desires, minute after minute, day after day. In a way, it protected all of us from needing one another too much. With so many people to support you, you might not ever have to know how you felt about your marriage, the fact that you were a parent, or even yourself. During my earliest years, being apart from my parents was natural, and I didn't have a chance to fully attach the way small children usually do. Maybe if we had stayed on the kibbutz, my parents might not have gotten divorced, my mother might not have left to follow a guru. Maybe had I not been raised communally, each of my parents would have understood how much I needed them — not just anyone, them — and they would have stayed.As someone who has fought hard to understand attachment and build connection, especially in my own life now that I'm a mother, I don't think anything can ever replace the love and nurturing all children want from their parents, to feel they are the center of their caregiver's world.In my experience, that part can never be replaced by communal life.This <keyword id="11898458" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="essay" source="Orion">essay</keyword> is partially excerpted from Ronit Plank's memoir "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/When-She-Comes-Back-Memoir-ebook/dp/B08FCWNZLW">When She Comes Back</a>"

I grew up in a kibbutz in Israel, and I only got to see my parents a few hours a day. I wish they understood how much I needed them around.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Gym-goers are seeking extra protection as they try to return to normal life amid the pandemic.</li><li>KleenWraps says it has a solution to this problem: microbial wraps that can be used on dumbbells, bar weights, and other gym equipment to prevent surface transmission of COVID-19.</li><li>The wraps are waterproof, have silicon grips, and can also be used for shopping carts, subway poles, and railings in communal buildings like senior homes.</li><li>KleenWraps has also launched a facemask with designer Chris Gelinas for performance athletes, and is considering developing microbial seat covers and yoga mats.</li></ul>Like so many areas of commerce, <keyword id="6830387" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Gyms">gyms</keyword> have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. After <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/massachusetts-gym-has-water-electricity-cut-for-ignoring-lockdown-2020-6">being forced to shut during lockdowns</a>, they are now trying to encourage safety-conscious patrons to maintain their memberships.Although many Americans have turned to <keyword id="18974" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="fitness">fitness</keyword> during the pandemic as a way to stay both healthy and entertained, causing sales to boom for the likes of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/peloton-sales-surge-coronavirus-keeps-consumers-working-out-at-home-2020-5">Peloton</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lululemon-sales-soar-at-home-fitness-boom-pandemic-mirror-2020-9">Lululemon</a>, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-strava-became-the-fastest-growing-fitness-app-in-america-2020-9">Strava</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/restaurants-and-gyms-were-spring-covid-19-hotspots-cellphone-data-2020-11">gym-goers are seeking extra protection</a>. Some feel that mask mandates and distancing guidelines might still not be enough to protect them. One company thinks it has come up with a solution to this uncertainty: <a href="https://www.kleenwraps.com/">KleenWraps</a>. The brand's patented microbial wraps can be used on dumbbells, bar weights, and other gym equipment to prevent surface transmission of COVID-19 and other germs.The wraps are made from waterproof neoprene and medical grade iHeir-333 antimicrobial technology. They have velcro to attach them, and silicon dots for grip.<div type="image" title="Kleenwraps" height="1816" width="2422" msid="79354125" hostid="261"></div>The design means that users only have to touch the outside of the wrap. The inside of the wrap is the only part that touches shared surfaces, meaning the germs stay on the inside.Despite the current need for their products, KleenWraps wasn't actually set up during the COVID-19 pandemic.Mother and son team Elizabeth Silver and Russell Silver-Fagan produced their first batch of the product in 2018. The pair shared an elliptical, but this would become sweaty after each use. Silver-Fagan tried using a beer koozie at first, before they decided to develop their own solution for the problem – a waterproof wrap that could be used for non-open-ended products like dumbbells, too.Demand wasn't huge at first, the pair told Business Insider. Gyms didn't like the idea of the product as it would make them look unclean.But some individual gym-goers liked the product because although visitors have to clean down <keyword id="6358589" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="exercise">exercise</keyword> machines, such as treadmills, after use, very few cleaned the barbells and dumbbells.During the pandemic, sales for the product have rocketed as people increasingly take personal responsibility for their hygiene in communal settings like gyms. The wraps are ideal for use there, because they also repel sweat and are quick drying.But the wraps aren't just for use in gyms, Silver and Silver-Fagan explained. People have been using them in everyday situations, such as on shopping carts, bike handlebars, and subway poles, and senior homes in Florida have also ordered the wraps to use on communal surfaces like railings.<div type="image" title="KleenWraps3" height="716" width="954" msid="79354128" hostid="261"></div>And because of their versatility, the directors aren't worried about sales tanking during <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-covid-state-rules-restrictions-california-philadelphia-washington-new-jersey-2020-11">state lockdowns, which have risen over the course of November</a> as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-third-coronavirus-surge-is-tsunami-comparison-spring-summer-2020-11">COVID-19 cases across the US continue to rise</a>. Even if gyms shut, people will still need the protection for other shared surfaces, they explained.The duo are predominantly selling the wraps directly to consumers via their website, although gyms in New York, Oregon, and California have placed orders. There has been interest from potential distributors and third-party sellers, the directors explained to Business Insider, but the brand wants to maintain control and oversight of the product for the time being.<div type="image" title="Kleenwraps" height="1538" width="3076" msid="79354130" hostid="261"></div>Similar products have popped up over the pandemic, Silver and Silver-Fagan explained, but KleenWraps isn't worried about any potential competition. The product is protected by a patent, they explained, and already has a loyal customer base.Some companies have launched antimicrobial gloves, but these aren't as hygienic, the pair said. Many people will transfer germs between different communal surfaces while wearing the gloves, they explained, and may also spread them to their phones.<h2>The brand launched a facemask with designer Chris Gelinas</h2>As the pandemic strengthened demand for <keyword id="2493103" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="personal-protective-equipment">personal protective equipment</keyword>, the duo noticed a gap in the market. Most brands offering stylish face masks were lifestyle or fashion brands, they found. KleenWraps wanted to launch an alternative that would balance comfort, style, and safety.The company spent almost four months developing the masks with product and apparel designer Chris Gelinas, who has previously worked with Marc Jacobs, Balenciaga, and Lady Gaga.Though Silver and Silver-Fagan had performance athletes in mind, they were quick to add that masks are designed for everyday use, and described it as "the most comfortable mask on the market."<div type="image" title="KleenWraps1" height="960" width="960" msid="79354133" hostid="261"></div>The masks are aligned vertically, not horizontally, meaning they are less likely to fall off the wearer's nose. They also have a fitted nose guard, which stops glasses from fogging up. The masks are also quick drying and have a two-way stretch which makes them breathable, and the antimicrobial covering is guaranteed for the masks' lifetime.Like the wraps, KleenWraps has seen huge demand for its mask too, in part due to a partnership with Crunch Fitness. The first pre-orders for the masks sold out within a week.The brand currently offers masks and wraps, but it plans to diversify to larger products in the future. When states start to open up again, people will return to more communal activities, such as public transport and exercise classes. KleenWraps plans on exploring options like microbial seat covers for traveling and yoga mats, Silver and Silver-Fagan explained, as people continue to embrace the new normal.

In the age of COVID-19, gym-goers are looking for safer ways to work out. KleenWraps says its microbial wraps are the solution

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>Millennials will go to great lengths to live in San Francisco to pursue their careers. Some have even gone so far as to live in boats, tiny homes, or even <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-millennials-live-in-san-francisco-2017-2">inside homemade wooden crates</a>. With the <a href="http://sf.curbed.com/2017/3/15/14936700/san-francisco-new-york-rent-2017">second-highest</a> median rent in the US, the city has some new graduates spending up to 79% of their salary solely on rent. It's no surprise that residents are coming up with unique living situations in order to stay.One such place is The Negev, a communal living space aimed towards those working in tech. One of The Negev's San Francisco homes houses 40 residents, many of whom sleep in bunk beds and pay $1,900 a month to stay there. Ahead, take a look inside that particular outpost of The Negev.

You Searched For "Communalism" and got 11 results

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Elections 2019: Voting begins in West Bengal amid simmering communal tensions that have polarised the state’s population

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I grew up in a kibbutz in Israel, and I only got to see my parents a few hours a day. I wish they understood how much I needed them around.

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In the age of COVID-19, gym-goers are looking for safer ways to work out. KleenWraps says its microbial wraps are the solution

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