Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 8 pm today, this national address comes a day after he held his fifth video interaction with Chief Ministers of all the States and Union territories, after the national lockdown was announced in March. The PM in his address to the nation may share some of the points discussed by the CMs. However, as in the past when such an address is announced speculations start on whether the national lockdown will finally be lifted at the end of the week.

Shri @narendramodi will be addressing the nation at 8 PM this evening.

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) May 12, 2020

In his meeting with the CMs the agenda was mapping the road ahead in India’s ongoing fight against curbing the spread of COVID-19. The PM has said that , “We now have reasonably clear indication as to the geographical spread of the pandemic in India, including the worst affected areas. Moreover, over the past few weeks, officials have understood operating procedures in a time such as this, right up to the District level.”

Had an extensive meeting with CMs. Each CM shared their perspective on battling COVID-19.

We discussed the way ahead in the post-COVID era, the challenges in healthcare, education and other sectors. https://t.co/0SZptVbzAF

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 11, 2020

According to the PM this information will fuel the next phase of the Coronavirus containment plan. “We can now further focus our strategy in this battle against coronavirus,” he said the “twofold challenge – to reduce the transmission rate of the disease, and to increase public activity gradually, while adhering to all the guidelines, and we will have to work towards achieving both these objectives.”  

While these remarks from the PM hint at a gradual opening of more industries, offices, and allowing public movement in some places, speculations are also on about a possible extension of the lockdown in some other places. 

The PM has said that he is “of the firm view that the measures needed in the first phase of lockdown were not needed during the 2nd phase and similarly the measures needed in the 3rd Phase are not needed in the fourth.” This is the hint that has put many on alert. 

Some Chief Ministers may have sought a planned extension, and some others have suggested that the night curfew to curb movement also continue. Even as the Ministry of Railways has started special passenger trains, departing Delhi on return journeys across the country, from today the Prime Minister has said the effort now should be to stop the spread of the COVID-19 to rural areas.  According to information shared by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) the Prime Minister has also said the ‘suggestions made by the States for a roadmap on Economy have been given due consideration’.

Taking a cue from the PM, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal also announced that citizens should send suggestions to him on what they want as relaxations as the lockdown deadline looms this weekend. Delhiites have till 5pm tomorrow to send their suggestions by leaving a message on the toll-free number 1031, or via WhatsApp on 8800007722 or by  emails to delhicm.suggestions@gmail.com to CM Kejriwal.  He has already said  that he wants the 11 COVID-19 Red Zones of Delhi to be redefined so the restrictions are enforced only in containment zones. 

The Chief Ministers of other states have also sought support for MSMEs, Infrastructure projects like power, easing of interest rates on loans and assured market access to agricultural produce, stated PIB. They have also “highlighted the need to strengthen the medical and health infrastructure” and  have also “pointed out that with the return of migrants, there is a need to concentrate on strict implementation of the social distancing guidelines, usage of masks and sanitization in order to curb the spread through fresh infection, especially in rural areas.” 

The PM has said that the nation, must all plan for a new reality, “Even as we look at the gradual withdrawal of the lockdown, we should constantly remember that till we do not find a vaccine or a solution, the biggest weapon with us to fight the virus is social distancing.”

He repeated his mantra of ‘do gaz ki doori’ and shared a new slogan:  “Jan Se lekar Jag Tak”, from an individual to the entire world.

The Prime Minister said, we will need an all-encompassing approach to deal with various challenges that will arise before us.With the onset of Monsoon, there will be proliferation of many non-COVID19 diseases, for which we must prepare and strengthen our medical and health systems.

According to PIB, the PM has  asked the policy makers to also keep in mind how to embrace new models of teaching and learning in the education sector. The Prime Minister also said he saw “potential for domestic tourism but we need to think of the contours of the same”.

He has asked that the Chief Ministers send a lockdown feedback to him by May 15. “A broad strategy on how each one of you would want to deal with the lockdown regime in your particular state. I want states to make a blueprint on how to deal with various nuances during and after the gradual easing of the lockdown”, he is quoted as saying.

The Prime Minister said that we must understand that the World has fundamentally changed post COVID-19: ‘Now the World will be Pre-Corona, Post-Corona just like the case of the World Wars. And this would entail significant changes in how we function.’

Meanwhile, according to the government’s own data in the last 24 hours,  3,604 new  COVID19 cases  have confirmed and 87 people have died of the disease.

#CoronaWatch last 24 hours have seen 87 deaths and 3,604 new confirmed cases of #COVID19. Here is an roundup of the #coronavirus situation in the country till 8 am today pic.twitter.com/AZ7iOu5job

— PIB India #StayHome #StaySafe (@PIB_India) May 12, 2020

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A fiery anonymous open letter by a women resident of Jamia Millia Islamia to the VC on the arbitrary cancellation of late nights in August last year, marks the inception of Pinjra Tod as a movement. It has been an incredible year of reaching out to each other, connecting, discussing and collectivising in Jamia. Overcoming our anxieties of a repressive state machinery intent on criminalising minority voices and institutions, conquering our fear of an administration that has repeatedly targeted students (especially women) for raising their voices, we came together in Jamia last Thursday (17th Nov), drawing confidence from our collective strength, to hold our first ‘public’ event: an exhibition celebrating the struggle of women for education, and a session of poetry, songs and sharing of experiences.

Women students reiterated that the UGC circular issued on 2nd May’16 is being shamelessly flouted by Jamia administration, as in all other Universities and colleges. There are no sexual harassment complaints committee (the program was conducted beneath a huge anti-ragging banner), libraries and other facilities on campus remain inaccessible to women students after 8 PM, random show-cause notices for ‘misconduct’ are a common practice, very little democratic space for women students to organise events/discussions/screenings within hostel spaces and continuous surveillance.

The administration should realise that the university continues to reproduce patriarchal and casteist structures for women and marginalised students. Despite increasing entry of women into universities, these institutions are not spaces that truly belong to them, especially for muslim, dalit, bahujan, adivasi, working class or queer women, who still constitute only a small percentage of women students in universities. Our struggle for building the university as a space of liberation and learning is not over, it continues in rage and hope, drawing inspiration and energy from the struggle that began with Savitri Bai Phule and Fatima Sheikh more than a century ago.

sabhi pinjron ko todenge, itihas ki dhara modenge! #pinjratod
Face Book page https://www.facebook.com/pinjratod/

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एक पखवाड़े पूर्व अचानक देशवासियों को यह फ़रमान सुनाया गया कि चार घण्टे बाद देश की 86% मुद्रा सिर्फ़ कागज़ का टुकडा रह जायेगी। यह तुग़लकी फ़रमान था, कहावत के रूप में भी, भावात्मक रूप में भी और वास्तविक रूप में भी। आप विश्व के सबसे बड़े लोकतंत्र के, आप ही के शब्दों में, प्रधान 'सेवक' हैं। आपने कैसे इतना बड़ा कदम बिना सोचे विचारे देश की जनता पर थोप दिया?

हम काले धन के सख़्त विरोधी हैं। पर इसके नाम पर आप पूंजीपतियों की गोद में बैठकर आम लोगों को परेशान नहीं कर सकते। जिनके पास सचमुच काला धन है, उनको दबोचने में प्रधानमंत्री क्यों हिचकिचा, सकुचा रहा है? जिस व्यक्ति के एक निर्णय पर करोड़ों लोगों का जीवन टिका हो, क्या उसे बिना आव-ताव देखे, आवेश में आकर, मुखपृष्ठों पर छाने के लिए अनाप-शनाप निर्णय लेने का अधिकार है? मोदी जी आपसे कुछ सवाल है, जनता
 जबाब चाहती है।

√ आज देश का किसान त्राहिमाम कर रहा है। उसकी दोनों फसलें बर्बाद होने के कगार पर है। किसानों ने तुम्हारा क्या बिगाड़ा था? किसानों से किस बात का बदला लिया जा रहा है? देश का किसान निर्धन सही, किन्तु निर्बल नहीं है। देश का किसान मोदी को माफ़ नहीं करेगा।

√ देश के भूखे, निर्धन, वंचित को सताने में प्रधानमंत्री को कौन सा नैसर्गिक सुख प्राप्त हो रहा है? तुमने जो हंगामा खड़ा किया है, उसके शोर शराबे में करोडों लोगों के भूख और पीड़ा से कराहने की आवाज दब रही है, पर समझ लो हमेशा नहीं दबेगी।

√ प्रधानमंत्री बताये कि नोटबन्दी के बाद FDI का कितना बिलियन डॉलर देश के बाहर जा चूका है? इस कदम से भारतीय अर्थव्यवस्था में अव्यवस्था की छवि वाला जो नकारात्मक सन्देश पूरे विश्व में गया है, उससे उबर पाने में कितने प्रगतिशील सालों की बलि चढ़ेगी?

√ प्रधानमंत्री बताये कि रुपये की कमजोरी और बदतर हालात का ज़िम्मेवार कौन है?

√ प्रधानमंत्री बताये कि इस कदम से GDP ग्रोथ रेट जो गोते खाएगी, उसकी भरपाई में कितने वर्ष लगेंगे? विकास दर में गिरावट की ज़िम्मेवारी प्रधानमंत्री लेगा या बलि का बकरा ढूँढा जाएगा?

√ नोटबन्दी के कारण अबतक 75 से अधिक लोग मर चुके हैं। इनकी हत्या का दोषी कौन है? PM बताये कि पीड़ित परिवारों को मुआवज़ा दिया जायेगा कि नहीं?

√ प्रधानमंत्री बताए कि छोटे व्यापारियों को हुए नुकसान की भरपाई कौन करेगा? असंगठित क्षेत्र के लोगों को हुई असुविधा और नुकसान का हर्ज़ाना कौन भरेगा?

√ प्रधानमंत्री के इस निर्णय में क्या कैबिनेट की सहमति थी? अगर सचमुच थी, तो इस निर्णय में कौन कौन लोग भागीदार थे। क्योंकि जनता जानना चाहती है कि उसकी इस दुर्दशा के लिए कौन-कौन जिम्मेदार हैं?

√ क्या आरएसएस को लोगों की पीड़ा का आनंद आ रहा है? कहीं ऐसा तो नहीं, संघ के आदेश पर ही यह नोटबन्दी का स्वांग रचा गया? मोहन भागवत चुप क्यों है?

√ मोदी बताये कि अबतक देश को कितने manhours और प्रोडक्शन का नुकसान हुआ है? उसकी भरपाई कैसे होगी?

√ प्रधानमंत्री सीमा निर्धारित करके बताएँ कि उनके वादानुसार लोगों के खाते में 15-15 लाख रुपये कब जमा होंगे?

√ क्या प्रधानमंत्री पूरी तरह आश्वस्त है कि बचे हुए 35 दिन में वो सभी समस्याओं का निदान कर देंगे? नहीं तो बतावें कि कितने दिन और जनता को तड़पायेंगे?

जनता को आपके जबाबों का इंतज़ार है।
 

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