Navrang India

Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica, Cochin, Kerala tourmyindia.com

Santa Cruz Basilica. Cochin, Kerala, .alamy.com

It was in Kerala (SW part of coastal India), Fr. St. Thomas built what is called seven and half churches way back in the 2nd century and since then Christianity has been here. Later, upon the discovery of the first sea route to India by Vasco de Gama, the Portuguese after 1500s began to colonize a part of the coastal Kerala and built many churches, but only two structures are left behind.
Santa Cruz Cathedral of Cochin, one of the eight Basilicas Churches of Kerala, is a heritage site steeped in history. This impressive church built originally by the early Portuguese colonists was elevated to the status of a Cathedral by Pope Paul IV in 1558. During the Dutch rule, the Danes never destroyed this place of worship, however, when this place came under the British control, the cathedral was pulled down and in that place one João Gomes Ferreira commissioned a new building in 1887. Consecration took place only in in 1905 and Santa Cruz in 1984 was proclaimed a Basilica by Pope John Paul II.

Front part. Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica ,Cochin, Kerala,en.wikipedia.org

This Santa Cruz Basilica's origin goes back to the arrival of Portuguese missionaries who accompanied the second Portuguese fleet under Pedro Álvares Cabral on 24 December 1500. The Zamorin ruler of of Calicut who had bitter experience with the first wave of Portuguese led by Vasco de Gama in the later part of 15th century, was quite angry with the ruler of Cochin King Unni Goda Varma Tirumulpadu (Trimumpara Raja) who gave the Europeans a warm reception. He thought that the Portuguese were not trust worthy and they would foment trouble between rulers. A war broke out between Cochin ruler and Zamorin. The former was helped by Portuguese Commander Dom Alfonso de Albuquerque who reached Cochin in 1503. The Zamorin ruler faced defeat and, as a gesture of appreciation, the Cochin king allowed the Portuguese to build a fort in Kochi.

Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica. Cochin, Kerala /www.robertharding.com

As church services were needed by the growing Portuguese community in Cochin and in1505, Dom Francisco de Almeida, the first Portuguese Viceroy upon getting permission from the Hindu ruler, began to construct a church building using stones and mortar. It was on 3 May 1505, the foundation stone of the Santa Cruz church was laid, the feast day of the Invention of the Holy Cross, hence the holy place, when completed, was named Santa Cruz. Located in Children’s Park, Fort Cochin. the basilica hosts a rare Relic of The Holy Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ for a long time.

Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica, Cochin, Kerala.gettyimages.in/

Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica, Cochin, Kerala agefotostock.com

In 1663, unfortunately the catholic building was razed to the ground by the Dutch, but they spared the St. Francis Church and the Cathedral (in 1558 Pope Paul raised its status). The cathedral was converted into an arms storehouse by the Dutch. Later in 1795 when the British gained control they demolished it. You will still find one of the dismantled ornate granite pillars of the Cathedral as a monument at the SE corner of the present Basilica premises.
Erection of the present day Santa Cruz Basilica :

About 100 years later, Bishop João Gomes Ferreira (1887–1897), a missionary and the Bishop of Cochin, took serious steps to have new Cathedral rebuilt, but it was the next Bishop, Mateus de Oliveira Xavier (1897–1908) under whose direction, the new cathedral came up in the old site. On 19 November 1905 Bishop Sebastião José Pereira, Bishop of Damao. did the consecration ceremony. The newly added attractions were fine, decorative columns with frescoes and murals, seven impressive large canvas paintings on the passion and death on the Cross, etc.The structure's artistic grandeur and beauty was enhanced by the painting of the Last Supper, done on the model of the famous painting of Leonardo da Vinci and the beautiful stained glass windows. The paintings on the ceiling were from from the Via Crucis of Christ.

Considering its historical importance, Pope John Paul II through a special Decree "Constat Sane Templum Sanctae Cruci" of 23 August 1984, raised the Santa Cruz Cathedral to the status of Basilica.
The church with two lofty spires has a fine a pastel-colored interior which is designed in Gothic style. The famous Italian painter Fra Antonio Moscheni, S.J., and his disciple De Gama of Mangalore did the decoration of the main altar; the former died here on 15 November 1905, four days before the newly built Church was consecrated.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Cruz_Cathedral_Basilica,_Kochi
https://www.keralatourism.org/kerala-article/santa-cruz-basilica-fort-kochi/421

Idol & art thief Subhash Kapoor,.timesofindia.com

Intl.Indian art & idol smuggler. Subhash Kapoor, now in Puzhal prison in TN. chasingaphrodite.com

On my several posts in my blog, I mentioned about the increasing nefarious activities of some unscrupulous people in the govt. department that manages vast Hindu temples, their age-old valuable metal idols of deities, artifacts, etc., their lands and buildings. They are supposed to be guardians of Hindu places of workshop, but they tuned out to be institutionalized criminals. The govt. is keeping a check on them and take action; but the progress is a slow one. I heard many people say that such dishonest employees are neither god-fearing nor do they respect the sanctity of such holy places or sentiments of devotees coming there for prayer and peace of mind.
Though more than 1200 idol theft cases are pending before the Judiciary courts in Tamil Nadu state less than 60 have been solved so far. The crux of the problem is once the idol is stolen, it keeps changing hands and places. Besides jurisdiction problems, for the tailing cops, the trail is so long, at the fag end they become fatigued and lose the last thread that may lead them to the culprits. So, Countless cases either go cold or remain unsolved due to loss of solid evidence or poor lead. In many cases, the kingpins of such operations remain Scott-free and as the punishment and investigations are not intense...(http://navrang1.rssing.com/chan-58541628/all_p58.html).

Kapoor's loot. bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com

In the last two decades, stealing of temple idols became a big money-spinning business, in particular, in Tamil Nadu. International smuggling groups are responsible for the theft of such Hindu temple antiques, stone images, etc., and they know how to net the govt. employees for a fat price. The TN Govt,'s ''idol wing police '' was after one international Indian idol and art mafia Subhash Chandra Kapoor, who, with his brother, was running an art gallery in New York city. Hailing from a family of Indian art dealers, the smooth-talking, urbane Kapoor, India born but a naturalized American citizen, was the owner of a posh and spendy gallery at 1242 Madison Avenue in Manhattan. It was his front and Kapoor was selling the stolen idols, etc from India through it with falsified documents. This man was so smart that he took the US Customs officials for a ride and had been selling stolen art works for years without raising their suspicion.

Never did Kapoor realize that he had caused irreparable loss of India's cultural and religious legacy and one day he would run low on luck. It was on October 30, 2011, this high-flying Hindu idol thief then 62 years old, was nabbed at Frankfurt international airport, after Interpol issued a red corner alert. His arrest and later arraignment by the cops revealed his dark underworld smuggling activities and his nuances in this risky business of stealing of India's temple idols, etc and exporting to overseas country with a false record/certificate. Kapoor's story and his wheeling and dealing leading to his arrest in Germany has all the ingredients of a soap opera - greed, chasing money, love-affair, retribution, etc all rolled into one.

ICE of the US. chasingaphrodite.com

In was in December 2012, US Federal authorities announced that they had seized an estimated $100 million worth of ancient art linked to Subhash Kapoor, the New York based art dealer currently facing many court cases and trial in India and an arrest warrant in the United States. Reason: For his alleged role in an international smuggling racket stealing antique Hindu idols and artwork from India. The FBI’s art squad had seized a total of $150 million in art from this con man's gallery since its inception in 2004, according to its website.

US Customes officerJames T. Hayes chasingaphrodite.com

Said Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent in Charge James T. Hayes (shown above with the seized objects.) about Subhash Kapoor, “In our view, Mr Kapoor is one of the most prolific commodities smugglers in the world,”....it’s one of our most significant antiquities and artifacts investigations that we’ve conducted in the history of this agency.”. Indeed a great con artist who had hoodwinked the tough US customs for a pretty long time.

The 2012 seizures revealed were valued at $5 million and secured with cooperation from Customs and Border Protection, the Manhattan DA’s (District Administration) office, Interpol and Indian authorities. They include a 14th Century bronze Parvati figure from the Chola dynasty that was surrendered to ICE by an unnamed dealer in Europe. “Even though the statue had been placed on the Interpol Stolen Works of Art Database, the Parvati idol had passed through the hands of six different dealers and been given multiple layers of false provenance (early history) over the past six years,” Officer Hayes said. In addition, four bronze figures were seized in recent months that are believed to have been stolen from temples in Tamil Nadu

Hayes mentioned about the detailed investigation into Kapoor's operations, dubbed Operation Hidden Idol, a history of his 4 decade clandestine artwork smuggling operation as a visible, high-profile Manhattan dealer who sold antiquated objects to museums around the world. Those include a staggering figure -more than 200 objects. The US Customs did not keep quiet and they asked the museums and buyers to contact them if they had bought or had dealings with Kapoor. ''We have already received several calls from law firms representing people who had acquired pieces through Kapoor and were concerned about whether they were in possession of stolen goods.” the officer said. ''Since 2007 about 6,600 artifacts have been returned to 24 countries''. .....“At the end of the day, our primary responsibility is to get stolen property back to its rightful owners.”
Very scant details are available about Subash Kapoor's romantic escapades with his ex-girl friend named Grace Paramaspry Punusamy. She was the daughter of a Tamil father and a Chinese mother and she sold Kapoor's artifacts on consignment basis. They began dating soon after they met in 1997 and later she, having gained his trust, became his business partner and created a chain of dealers and supplier in SE Asia. He began using her as a cover for 'provenance' paperwork. Grace became an adept in creating fake or falsified ownership records for the artifacts to help Kapoor sell them to reputed museums -- paperwork actually signed by Grace for his artifact. For some reasons their relationship in 2008 turned sour over her artwork shop in Singapore and the couple approached the Singapore Court for a settlement. The verdict went against Grace and later her place was taken over by another woman -Selina Mohamed.

Subash Kapoor's ex-girl friend sent him to the slammer. rediff.com

In 2009 when the Brooklyn Museum announced on its website about the new arrival - a fine piece of Chola-era Shiva idol, Grace Punusamy, who knew Kapoor's illegal smuggling activities, indirectly blew the first whistle on him by way of posting messages questioning the place of origin of Shiva' idol. Ever watchful ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement)' officer named Brenton Easter and his team had begun to dig to build a case against Kapoor and his operation.

In the mean time Grace, driven by conscience and as a sort of reparation for her association with Kapoor, was aiding the Indian authorities in their pursuit to pin down Kapoor. She kept them posted by sending his photos and travel information. With Interpol in the fray, the cops made a quick move and arrested Kapoor at Flughafen Frankfurt am Main in 2012. (Please refer to S Vijay Kumar's book ''The Idol Thief'' - The True Story Of The Looting Of India's Temples: ; he explains Grace Punusamy' role and her connection with the arrest.
Tit-bits:

2017. idols worth Rs.roo crore unearthed in Chennai, TNtimesofindia.indiatimes.com

The above image: The Tamil Nadu state police made careful efforts last year to track down and seize close to 250 ancient idols some dating back 1,000 years, from thieves with links to illegal art dealers. The estimate is about Rs 200 crore to be sent to museums and individuals in India and abroad. The arresting officer said the idol thief G Deenadayalan, 85 years of age and his gang had links to notorious idol smuggler Subhash Kapoor. The investigators had confiscated the statues and around 90% of the idols police seized were from Deenadayalan.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/rs-200-crore-ancient-idols-seized-from-thieves-rot-at-museum/articleshow/58993548.cms
https://www.rediff.com/news/special/the-woman-who-nailed-the-idol-thief-/20180920.html (updtd Sept 20 2018)
https://chasingaphrodite.com/2012/12/06/feds-subhash-kapoor-one-of-the-most-prolific-commodities-smugglers-in-the-world
http://navrang1.rssing.com/chan-58541628/all_p58.html

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/05/07/the-idol-thief

Janata Curvfew and covid-19. www.quora.com/

Despite the spread of dangerous virus covid-19 across the continents, brave people world over are fighting hard to contain it as the pandemic has caused a trail of anxiety, worries, unemployment, etc., besides deaths wherever it is sweeping in an obscure manner. This sort of bio-war like scenario is much worse than the aftermath of dropping off atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the WWII by Americans because its impact is worldwide, slow, imminent, severe economic down turn, loss of jobs, deaths, severe strains on heath care programs, mental agony and total lock down of a country for a given period. It is much worse than the impact of twisters from the Tornado Alley of the US or from Bangladesh. Chaos and confusion following the disaster may last a few days, but not so in the case of covid-19 for some good reasons:
01. No proper medication is available yet to completely cure it.
02. The virus remains dormant in a host and shows up after a14-day period.
03. Once mutated, it will spread through people who have passing contacts and the multiply from them. The spread of disease and death will show upward mobility as days go by.
04. Affected persons need to be quarantined for sometime to save others.

economictimes.indiatimes.com/

Across India and the world, prominent leaders are overwhelmed by the enormity of medical and economic problems being propped up by covid-19 that originated from the main land China. Political leaders are, on one hand, chalking out various health care programs to keep the people in good nick and safe and on the other working out ways and means to keep the economy afloat in this most difficult and testing time. The strain on the govt. treasury world wide is enormous.

Covid-19 virus. lock-down in India. economictimes.indiatimes.com

To contain corona virusthe 14-hour Janata Curfew that began at 7 am on 22nd March till 9 pm promoted by PM Sri Modiji was a good move in the right direction and I consider it as a precursor to a complete long lock down of many areas of our country in the future prone to covid-19. It is on par with observing blackouts during wartime when enemy war planes raid certain places. On this day, however, essential services such as hospitals, telecom, medical shops, provision stores and establishments engaged in the manufacturing and distribution of essential commodities would be exempt along with skeletal transport services. On Sunday evening (March 22), people across India clapped, rang bells, and blew conch shells in response to PM Modi’s call for thanking those Medical fraternity at the forefront of the fight against the novel coronavirus. Just think about the risks being faced daily by doctors, nurses and other medical professionals who have to be on call for long hours. The PM Modiji's gesture at this right time to salute, encourage and inspire the dedicated Indian Medical Fraternity in the midst of risks being faced by them.

www.narendramodi.in

Across India, countless cities, towns, etc wore a deserted look. No metro services, train services and the bus services. Several states closed down the exit and entry points at state lines. Large swathes of the country will be in lock down mode from Monday following Janata curfew on Sunday. Part of the reason is in the wake of the spike of covid-19 cases on Sunday to 396 from 315 on Saturday, believed to be the biggest jump in a day, the death toll also went to seven from four. State governments do not want to put the lives of their citizens in jeopardy. With increasing corona virus cases, Prime Minister’s Office advised State Governments to issue appropriate orders to allow only essential services to operate in the 75 districts which have reported confirmed cases or casualties relating tocovid-19. The government also announced that passenger train services will remain suspended till March 31 to prevent the spread of the virus. Not just trains, but metro services, inter-state passenger transport has also been shut till March 31 now.

economictimes.indiatimes.com/

In view of this uncertainty many states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand will be shut until March 3. and it is likely more states may follow suite including Tamil Nadu. State borders have been sealed. Globally, deaths from the corona virus stand at more than 13,000 with over 300,000 infected.

We have to agree with what Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot told ET. “Cases are increasing and this won’t stop unless we stop people-to-people contact. Testing facilities are limited and lockdown is in public interest to save lives. Hence we were the first to do it.”
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) director-general Balram clearly stated, lockdown is the most essential thing to break the chain of transmission.” The council asked the States to designate hospitals for dedicated treatment of Covid-19 patients.
The tweet from Tharoor "Be aware that the life of coronavirus isn't 12 hours and clapping does not kill the virus. It's an act of solidarity but at best a prelude to a serious and complete lock down," should be taken into account in the right sense.
Modiji's Janatha curfew highlights the importance of strict social isolation, social distancing, unnecessary social gathering, etc. Further, shutdown of public transport systems, social function for a given period will give the Indian people the needed respite from its vigorous onslaught.
In the tweet, Rahul Gandhi, on the 'Janta Curfew' announced by the Prime Minister for Sunday said that 'clapping' won't help the daily wage workers, small and medium businessmen. Rahul Gandhi called the need for a 'huge economic package' such as cash help, tax breaks, and debt repayment.PM Modi is taking every step to insulate the whole nation from the covid 19 attack, a Herculean task and he has already undertaken in the right earnest.
The Pm move is neither a political gimmick , nor is a nothing more than a “Jumla”. Yo cn not shut up certain bad mouths on the opposition side. If a PM or some body in the ruling part does good, one should accept and support him/her to uphold democratic credentials.

Lockdown is the most essential thing to break the chain of transmission,” said Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) director-general Balram Bhargava. States have been asked to designate hospitals for dedicated treatment of Covid-19 patients, Bhargava said

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/after-janata-curfew-india-gets-ready-for-long-haul/articleshow/74765039.cms

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/clapping-doesnt-kill-virus-shashi-tharoor-about-modis-janata-curfew/articleshow/74758687.cms?from=mdrhttps:

remembering Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, & Rajguru twitter.com

Above image: On this day in 1931, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, & Rajguru were hanged to death in Lahore Jail by the British for their revolutionary activities. 23 March is observed as Martyr’s Day across the country to remember these patriots & their ultimate sacrifice for the nation. They made supreme sacrifice for our freedom..........................................
remembering Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, & Rajguru twitter.com
Though we are busy and preoccupied in the midst of fighting corona virus pandemic that is taking on the world by storm, we should not lose sight one of India's young and courageous freedom fighter Shaheed Bhagat Singh who, on this day (March 23, 1931) was hanged to death in Lahore jail by the British Raj when he was just 23 years old. Reason: Popularly known as Shaheed-e-Azam he was found guilty of killing a British police officer. No doubt he later became a folk hero of the Indian independence movement, a symbol of valor and patriotism. Indeed he is a great martyr and revolutionary freedom fighter and to him ''Revolution is an inalienable right of mankind. Freedom is an imperishable birthright of all.'' No doubt he even today continues to inspire generations of patriotic Indians. The other revolutionaries who died with him were Shivaram Hari Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar on March 23, 1931. Bhagat Singh, through his courageous exploits against the unjust British has found permanent niche in the Indian history of ''freedom struggle''.

/swagcaptions.com

Born on 28 September, 1907 in Banga village of Faisalabad district (previously called Lyallpur) now in Pakistan’s Punjab to a Sikh family, right from his early age Bhagat Singh, had developed strong patriotic zeal and he totally hated the British who squandered India's vast resources for more than two centuries to improve Britain's shattered economy. In that process they pushed a fairly good and surplus country with 23 GDP to a wretched nation with a GDP less than 3 when they left the Indian shores in August, 1947. Their Machiavellian administrative policy of ''divide and rule'' saw the birth of two nations on a sad note (a million plus people were killed on both sides on communal line) - one based on democracy - India and the other based on religion - theocratic Pakistan. The latter whose economy is on the verge of collapse right now is the major exporter of Muslim terrorists and jihadists to other countries to indulge in mayhem and bloodshed and killing.

Jallianwala Bagh's massacre.himalaiiasclasses.com

The Jallianwala Bagh's massacre masterminded by Brig. Gen. Reginald Dyer had a deep impact on his personality at the age of 12 and that made him a revolutionary at a young age. Least interested in school education Bhagat Singh at the age of 13 had overwhelming focus on Indian Independence and was part of many revolutionary groups whose common goal was to free India fromrom the shackles of oppressive foreign rule.

Bhagta Singh, freedom fighteren.wikipedia.org/

In December 1928, Bhagat Singh and an associate, Shivaram Rajguru, after a long plan, fatally shot a 21-year-old British police officer, John Saunders in Lahore, British India. Their target was James Scott. Saunders died on the spot by a single shot from Rajguru, a marksman. He was then shot several times by Bhagat Singh, the postmortem report showing eight bullet wounds. Why did Bhagat choose James Scott? Indian nationalist leader Lala Lajpat Rai was a popular leader across India and when he led the protest march against the Raj, Scott ordered a lathi charge and Rai was seriously injured; two weeks later he died of a heart attack. Saddened by his unexpected death, Bhagat Singh and his associates wanted to shoot Scoot to death, a sort of revenge against him for killing a senior national leader, Rai, a fatherly figure for many. His other associate Chandra Shekhar Azad, shot dead an Indian police constable, Chanan Singh, who was in pursuit of Singh and Rajguru as they fled.

hanged by the Raj: 23 Mar.1931. Bhagat Singh, twitter. com

Bhagat Singh refused to marry and when his parents insisted, he ran away from home to Kanpur. He told his parents that"if I will marry in colonial India, where British Raj is there, then my bride will be my death.'' Bhagat Singh coined a powerful slogan ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ which became the slogan of India’s armed struggle. While in jail, Bhagat Singh had fasted for 116 days, but he struck to his daily chores - singing, reading writing books, visiting court every day. He did not want to be hanged and preferred to be tied before a cannon to be shot. When the noose was put around his neck before hanging there was no semblance of fear or nervelessness. The entire nation mourned his death. However, certain Indian national congress leaders did not approve of the violent path chosen by him to get freedom.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagat_Singh
https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/bhagat-singh-birthday-pm-narendra-modi-bows-to-freedom-fighter-says-his-greatness-inspires-generations-of-indians/873971/
https://dailytimes.com.pk/220377/bhagat-singh-not-a-terrorist-but-a-freedom-fighter-says-acs-punjab/
https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/lesser-known-facts-about-bhagat-singh-1506577168-1

he Pazhassi Raja Museum, Kozhikode, Kerala. tourmyindia.com

The Pazhassi Raja Museum located in Kozhikode, Kerala is being visited by lots of tourists during holidays. The museum houses rare mural paintings, valuable antique bronzes, ancient coins, small models of temples, umbrella stones, burial stuff with capstones, and similar megalithic monuments. Numerous items and and artifacts date back to 1000 BC to 200 AD.
For the lovers of art and historians, it is a heaven for them because on display in the Pazhassi Raja Museum & Art Gallery close to the museum are popular and well-acclaimed oil paintings of Kerala's greatest artist Raja Ravi Varma (1848 - 1906).

Raja ravi varma, a great painter, kerala, en. wikipedia.org

Raja Ravi varma's oil painting.Damayanthi.pinrest.com

Ravi Varma's stunning and inspiring life-like paintings have got the attention of international critics, collectors and connoisseurs. His paintings of Hindu deities are quite famous across South India, in particular Tamil Nadu. When I was in my early teens, studying in a local school, I used to see those impressive and divine paintings in the Puja rooms of my relatives who lived in places like Chennai, Bangalore, Kumbakonam, etc. As a matter of fact, if you visited any household of a Brahmin family in any Agraharam in Tamil Nadu, positively you could see a few paintings of Hindu deities, etc by Ravi Varma. In those places decades ago, his name was a household name. Such was the reputation and reverence his paintings carried.

Raja Ravi varma's painting. Goddess Saraswathi. amazon.in/64-Arts-

Besides, on festival days one would see Ravi Varma's paintings on Gods and Goddesses in the prayer room often adorned with flowers, etc and the women and girls would be either chanting mantras or singing some divine hymns. Managed by the State Archaeology Department, both the museum and the art gallery are named after the great Pazhassi Raja.

Ruler and freedom fighter. Pazhassi Raja, Keralatwitter.com

Ravi Varma Raja (1745–1793) happened to be a Samantan Kshatriya warrior prince of the Royal House of Zamorins from Calicut of Kerala. His war exploits for two decades against the rulers of Mysore under Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan between 1766–1768 and 1774–1791 who killed countless Hindus and indulged in mass conversion to Islam in Malabar, were an important part of Kerala's history. He successfully blocked all efforts by Hyder and Tipu to subjugate his kingdom and had the rare distinction of being the first Malabar prince to rise up in 1788 against the forced conversions and deportation of Nairs to Seringapatam conducted by Tipu.

The great Pazhassi Rajadiligently tackled the then foreign invader the dishonest East India company in 1793 who had already become a big political entity In India to reckon with at that point of time. The Thirurahgadi battle was a famous one. In 1790, under Colonel Hartley a British army of 2,000 men camped in South Malabar to fight against Mysore army of 9,000 Sepoys and 4,000 Moplays. Ravi Varma sent the additional reinforcement of 5,000 Nairs warriors to aid the English company and his timely interference helped the British win the Third Anglo-Mysore War. After 1792, longstanding military alliance with the British came to an end because the British never restored Calicut and other places to Ravi Varma as a precondition for his help to the British in their battle against Tipu. Quite irritated over this breach of trust, Pazhassi Raja revolted against the English company,

In the famous 'Pazhassi Revolt against the British in the second half of the 1700s Pazhassi Raja used guerrilla warfare in the hills of Wayanad to resist the increasingly intolerable British colonists. In his long drawn struggle against the English company during a skirmish he was shot dead on 30 November 1805.
It is quite befitting the museum and art galley is named after Pazhassi Raja, a great freedom fighter who had spent much of his time relentlessly fighting against two Mysore Muslim rulers and later the invader from Europe. This interesting museum is in East Hill, a serene, picturesque place about 5 km from the Kozhikode town.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravi_Varma_of_Padinjare_Kovilakam

https://www.keralatourism.org/destination/pazhassiraja-museum-art-gallery-kozhikode/258

Corid-19 virus zhi-in.facebook.com

I request the readers of this blog to read this post carefully and give utmost importance to ''social distancing or ''self- imposed curfew''to avoid catching the bug Covid-19. In the USA, recently on the beaches of Florida and California I saw youngsters who never cared about the Fed's warning to stay at home. This is true of many countries including India. Presently, the entire Indian states are under lockdown and the young people and others must obey the warnings given by the governments and stay at home as much as possible. India, being the second most populous country, every citizen has a responsibility to see to it that our country comes out of this most disturbing and agonizing period. We also must take this chance and pray for the welfare of other people across the continents.

Downturn world economy due to conona virus.deccanherald.com

Though scientific research work is going on in many countries to come up with suitable, viable vaccines and treatments for the corona virus, in the present scenario, it may be a long wait - may be a year from now unless a miracle happens in the near future. Covid -19 is spreading much faster than the summer bush fire and dandelions. We need to stop it as much as we can.

Many countries in Europe, Americas Africa and Asia are currently in some degree of “lock down'', as a primary precautionary measure to insulate their people from the active virus. ”Staying at home'' to avoid catching or spreading covid-19, the dreaded virus, that causes respiratory illness; the best way to take on this devil that came out of China recently is to ''avoid contact''. With total closure of restaurants, theaters, department stores, bus stations, railway stations, bars, schools and gyms etc., there will not be any public gathering of people or crowds in urban and semi urban areas, obviously, we deny the opportunities for the viruses to enter hosts.

In the absence of a permanent remedy for this virus, the only available alternative is 'extreme social distancing' or keeping away from social gatherings. This kind of self-imposed intervention
or social curfew will help individuals stay healthy. This way,
we break the chain of transmission among more vulnerable populations and providing them a chance to survive this pandemic.

Unfortunately, in many countries in the early stages of the spread of corona virus, people did not seriously consider self-imposed social distancing   as a way to stop its early transmission and later it resulted in deaths, pain and further spread.   The most important thing is younger and healthier people, who face a lower risk of severe illness, must remain in their homes as much as possible. If they go out and catch a bug outside, back home, the virus will jump on elderly people at home who are prone to risks.

According to a new study from the ''Imperial College of London'', GB ''Covid-19 Response Team' the purpose is to reduce reproduction - to reduce the number of people each confirmed case infects. The goal is to keep reproduction low with each case infecting fewer than one other person, on average. Th study suggests two routes to try to get there:

01. ''Mitigation, “slowing but not necessarily stopping epidemic spread – reducing peak healthcare demand while protecting those most at risk of severe disease from infection.” This is done by isolating suspected cases and their households, and social distancing the elderly and people at highest risk of serious illness''.
02. ''Suppression, or basically, lockdown, which “aims to reverse epidemic growth, reducing case numbers to low levels” by social distancing the entire population “indefinitely” and closing schools and universities''.
This interesting, but simple research has come up with some study models that show lockdown is painful, but for many of us, it works.

weforum.org

What are the repercussions if there are no lockdown or social distancing measures? The answer is: ''We can expect Peak mortality in approximately three months. In this scenario, 81% of the UK and US populations would be infected, with 510,000 dying in the UK and 2.2 million dying in the US''

On the other hand the advantage is: ''isolating confirmed and suspected cases and social distancing the elderly and vulnerable would “reduce peak critical care demand by two-thirds and halve the number of deaths.”

In the light of the research done by the Imperial college of London, PM Sri Modiji's recent order of 14 hour self imposed curfew on March 22 and his later govt. order to state governments to lockdown respective Indian states is the right approach. “A combination of case isolation, social distancing of the entire population and either household quarantine or school and university closure are required."
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/why-lockdowns-work-epidemics-coronavirus-covid19/
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/medicine/sph/ide/gida-fellowships/Imperial-College-COVID19-NPI-modelling-16-03-2020.pdf

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/health-professionals/public-health-measures-mitigate-covid-19.html

panic-buying www.philstar.com

Covid-19 pandemic and panic-shopping. you tube.

The world is in the grip of fear and mental agony as the Covid-19 virus' quick transmission has begun to double in many countries. Consequently, rumors and surmises are making people crazy. In Canada's British Columbia higher health officials are calling for calm after recent episodes of so-called “panic buying” in the province over fears of the quick spread of novel corona virus. Increasing in social-distancing is the only way to curb the pandemic. The officials' message to public not to stockpile food or supplies falls on the deaf ears. They said, ...''the empty shelves in many stores is a result of intense buying, and we are asking people to show moderation.'' If there is a pandemic or a large scale epidemic why there is panic-buying in the public? Why are people stressed if the situation goes out of control? Panic buying implies buying of large quantities of commodities in response to a perceived crisis. It’s a sort of a knee-jerk reaction bordering on fear from people who suddenly become concerned with certain commodities that will become scarce or overpriced as a result of an unexpected turn of event. The govt. civil servants and also health officials need to be extra careful at this juncture to keep a check on the prices because the inevitable corollary of panic-buying is hoarding leading to artificial hiking of prices. At stake will be the survival of millions of people who cannot afford to buy in bulk, and are left high and dry only to panic. Further, in an explosive situation, media people should distance themselves from any sensitive news that may smack of hysteria.
panic-buying. coranavirus. philstar.com

A senior economist at FAO and agricultural analysts said that panic buying could drastically push world food prices even though there are ample supplies of staple grains and oil seeds in key exporting nations, the lock-downs and self-imposed curfew to prevent the spread of covid-19 pandemic are good for our families' welfare in the long run. Increasing cases of virus across Europe
and the United States, with the number of deaths in Italy outstripping those in mainland China are appearing in media. we need to put up certain inconveniences to control the emerging situation; if not, it may spiral out of control With over 270,000 infections and more than 11,000 deaths, the epidemic has tightened the vice-like grip on the world, drawing parallel with WWII and the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic.

US Dept. store, panic-buying. coranavirus. washingtonpost.com

Above image:“It has gotten crazier by the day,” said a Target employee who fulfills online orders at a store in Richmond, Va. “A lot of it is obviously panic-buying, people stocking up on eight gallons of water or 20 kinds of soups. Items are selling out immediately, as soon as they go up on shelves.” (www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/02/grocery-stores-coronavirus-panic-buying). ..............................

Let us take a look at the psychological mechanism behind panic-buying. Driven by anxiety and confusion in the wake of quick spread of covid-19 virus , panic buying has been rife in many countries in Europe, US, Canada and in India too. People are busy stockpiling grocery, hand sanitizer, medicines, toilet paper, etc. In counties like the UK there are restrictions on hygiene products, not to speak of toilet papers According to Paul Marsden, a consumer psychologist at the university of the Arts, London the answer lies in the 'psychology of therapy' - we buy with the main purpose of 'managing our emotional state. ''a sort of taking back control in the world where you feel out of control. Panic buying is related to ''three fundamental psychological needs'' They are: 01. autonomy or need to control, 02. relativity - the question of ''my shopping'' via a-vis ''we shopping'' and 03. competence - ability to achieve. when a successful shopping is done in the middle of competition, The person is overwhelmed by the sense of ''self-pride'' - I am
a successful shopper. Here, the people are pushed to a selfish
mode.
Sander van der Linden, Asst prof. of social psychology at Cambridge univ, GB says here at play are corona-specific as well as generalized factors. In the midst of conflicting messages from the powers that be, for example President Trump's downplaying of
the outbreak of corona virus in the US on Twitter and the reports from the US health department, Americans are confused over next course of action by the Fed. According to CDC - Centers of Disease Control the virus is present in 35 states. So, in the case of panic buying, 'fear contagion'was taking the hold' according to Prof. Linden.
In a scenario like this, the reasoning power of the people is under stress and vague and they feel compelled to look at what other people are doing. If others go on a shopping spree, not out of necessity, but out of fear of shortage of food, etc then others do the same. The empty shelves in the supermarkets in many places send a clear signal to them to follow other buyers: be early before the stores go empty. This kind of mass behavior is equal to a person encountering a poisonous snake. When he jumps to safety on seeing the serpant, people behind him do the same. This kind of jungle behavior is common in a panic situation. A few items like sanitizers or toilet papers may get the icon status of mass panic. In the present context where uncertainty rules the roost, people will get into a "panic zone" which is conducive to neurotic and irrational behavior. Peter Noel Murray of New York based member of the American Psychological Association says if authorities send a positive signal about the virus, they can calm the panic-buying trend. In this situation cognitive factor is cognitive bias that is giving more emphasis on unpalatable stuff triggers the panic button in us. When a plan crashes it does not mean all planes will crash. The terrible thing is categorization.
Take the case of Spanish flue, Murray says that killed 50 million people worldwide in 1918. Our emotional side works overtime leading us to find an answer in "self-affirmation" that we are going to be dead one day and the mind begins to deal with it through the control mode. 'Self-affirmation' normally takes over in a stressed situation. This post is based on an article cited here: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/11/heres-why-people-are-panic-buying-and-stockpiling-toilet-paper.html
Tit-bits:
01. There have been about 436,000 confirmed cases and 19,600 deaths globally. In the United States, there have been about 55,200 confirmed cases and 802 deaths.

02. Covid-19 cases in India rise to 606 as on 25th March, 2020.

03. 2500 people in Kerala have been arrested for violating lockdown orders.

04.71 year old prince Charles tested positive for the novel coronavirus; now he is self isolating.
https://globalnews.ca/news/6679692/coronavirus-panic-buying-warnings-expert/
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/panic-buying-lockdowns-during-this-pandemic-may-drive-world-food-inflation/articleshow/74742932.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cpp


	thriveglobal.com

clipart-library.com

Stress, believe it or not, to a certain extent,is good for all of us because it will give us a push/ a sort of kick start to reach your anticipated goals. However, because of certain reasons over which you have no control, it does cross the threshold, then it will begin to show up on you. You become unmotivated and mentally fatigued. The damage caused by unregulated stress can affect a person physically and emotionally. The causality is a person's efficiency and image that may take a beating. However, the affected person can come out of the closet if the stress levels are at the manageable level. A simple and cheap method is physical exercise for 30 to 40 minutes a day on a regular basis. It will balance your emotional upheavals and get rid of bad stuff in your hormones. Once you have been a regular exerciser, you body system is automatically getting tuned-up to face any stressful situation with considerable ease.
Unlike way past, say three or four decades ago, when people did not experience that much stress, in the last one decade or so no person is free from a stressful life. Part of the reason is competitive job along with lack of job security, traffic jams, environmental degradation, lack of peace in marital life, so on and so forth. Researchers have come up with a different perception with respect to a person's longevity. It is not only influenced by the traditional lifestyle-related risk factors, but also by factors related to a person’s quality of life, such as heavy stress.

The journal BMJ published the study that was based on data gathered from men and women aged 25 to 74 in the Finnish National FINRISK Study. This was done through selected questionnaires and measurements from 1987 to 2007. The workers kept a check on the rate of mortality until the end of 2014. Obviously, the research involved the effects of multiple risk factors, including lifestyle-related ones to the life expectancy of men and women.

This study made a unique approach on life-expectancy. No emphasis is given to conventional parameters - such as
few socio-demographic background or groups, age, sex, and education. Researcher Tommi Harkanen from National Institute for Health and Welfare in Finland mentioned, ''in this study, we wanted to assess the impact of several different factors to a person’s life expectancy, so we could compare their effects.” Only parameters like the BMI, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels were allowed to be changed when the values related to lifestyle factors were changed.
For a 30 year old man the factors that shorten the mortality rate are
smoking and diabetes. The former takes away 6.6 years and the latter 6.5 years out of their life expectancy. The stress factor will further reduce life expectancy by 2.8, according to the findings. In addition to it, the research clearly stated that lack of exercise will cut down mortality by 2.4 years. The positive aspect is consumption of fruits and veg-rich diet may increase life expectancy by 1.4 years and 0.9 years respectively. The findings apply both to men and women.

As for 30-year-old women if she has smoking habit, it will take away 5.5 years of her life expectancy, diabetes 5.3 years, and heavy stress 2.3 years. The effects on the life expectancy of older people were similar but smaller than in younger age groups.
Differences between the life expediencies of men and women are governed by risk factors that can be changed, according to the researchers.
Based on the study it is revealed that the life expectancy of 30-year men and women was based on the same risk factor values; how small the difference in the life expectancy counts more - only 1.6 years,” said study researcher Seppo Koskinen.
The risk factor is also dependent on social position of men and women. The crux of the matter is lots of lifestyle choices are available that may impact mortality; good habits would increase longevity. Bad habits such as smoking, heavy alcohol use, unhealthy diet, and lack of exercise, are most common in the population groups whose social position is the weakest, the study said. In this group at stake is their mortality unless, they change their life style and get into a positive mode.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/more-lifestyle/heavy-stress-may-shorten-our-life-expectancy-here-s-why/story-q3ZSNARBKFTSEsHJ9UBxHJ.html

corona virus pandemic, US gun sales soar..santacruzsentinel.com

Corona virus. US gun sales soar. tasnimnews.com

As the Fed Govt., scrambles to deal with the increasing spread of corona virus across the US, people, driven by fear of social unrest or some other civil problem, are panic buying firearms and it is spreading across the country much faster than the virus itself. The growing lay-off and increasing unemployment problems add additional burden on the confused communities across the country

Gun violence in the US.scottiestoybox.com

In the wake of covid-19 outbreak and increasing cases of infection in the US, the news that sales of guns and ammunition soar due to panic buying is a bit of shocking to people in other countries. What does the mad rush reported at at gun stores across America imply? Right from California to Washington state to North Carolina, people wait in line to lay their hands on guns Americans take refuge in firearms as a form of self-protection and their families in case of any social unrest or riot-like situation. People are concerned about possible if looters if situation goes bad. In this scenario of
uncertainty, anxiety and paranoia Americans are gearing up to protect them and their families.
Larry Hyatt, owner of one of the country’s largest gun shops, Hyatt Guns in Charlotte, North Carolina, told the Guardian that the scenes of mass buying at his store were virtually unprecedented. “This is only the second time in my 61 years of business that we’ve seen anything like this,” he said. Gun sales shot up in the aftermath of mass shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school in Connecticut in 2012.
The panic-buying of gun by Americans for self protection shows they are very much affected by fear psychosis. It is said the gun sales have exploded in the last two weeks with people stocking up on guns and ammunition out of sheer fear. David Stone, owner of Dong's guns, ammunition and reloading in Tulsa, Oklahoma state said,''We have had 800% increase in sales... and I' m getting close to running out''. In the state of Washington, one of the hardest hit by the virus, the owner of Lynnwood Gun (close to Seattle), one Tiffany Teasdale said, ''She has seen a mssive upstick in sales with customers lining up an hour before the store opens for sale''.
What kinds of fire arms are people buying? According to her they go after shotguns, handguns, AR-15 (semi-automatic assault-style rifles), nation wide, there is a greater demand for the latter type.

“Financial meltdown, pandemic, crime, politics, insecure future, etc put the panicked people under one roof, causing hell of a mess and safety. On line sales of firearms show marked upward mobility.
According to well-known American online firearms co - Ammo.com’s marketing manager, Alex Horsman, “....... mostly political events or economic instability when people feel their rights may end up infringed. This is our first experience with a virus leading to such a boost in sales.”

USA gun control. www.usatoday.com

States like North Carolina and Georgia, showed a leap of 179% and 169% respectively. Ammunition shopping surged in Florida, which has over 100 confirmed coronavirus cases, and New York, with over 700 cases of the respiratory illness In states like California and Washington the spike in gun sales is attributed to the lurking fear among Asian Americans who could face xenophobic and racist violence against their families as China happened to the primary source of origin of covid-19. This may be a wrong misconception, but one can not deny the underlying insecurity and fear among them.
In this kind of mad sale of lethal weapons, many Americans with commonsense are quite concerned about the safety of children. Because of lack of safe storage at home, this spike in dangerous weapons could put children at risk.
Tit-bits:

www.usatoday.com

Above image: As of October, 2017 the number of people killed in mass shootings in the US was growing - Texas (26), Las Vegas (59), Orlando (49), Virginia Tech (32), Newtown (26). Every violent incident is followed by renewed, high-spirited debate on the topic of guns and ban on gun ownership, including ownership rates, ease of access, how many people are dying, what needs to be done. But the Fed is yet to put a severe restriction on gun control in the US; thousands of people are sent to the grave each year due to abuse of firearms. Though comparisons to other countries are not a good proposition, the U.S stacks up against other countries are just mind-boggling. Americans own 42% of about 650 million civilian firearms worldwide, according to the Small Arms Survey Big on guns.
A Geneva-based research group,The Small Arms Survey, estimates national gun ownership rates range from a high of 90 firearms per every 100 people in the U.S., to one firearm or less for every 100 residents in South Korea and Ghana. Yemen has the second highest number of firearms per 100 people -55. It is a poor Arab country fighting a bloody civil war. (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/10/03/americans-really-like-their-guns-they-own-42-650-million-civilian-firearms-worldwide/726321001/https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/03/16/coronavirus-people-line-up-gun-stores-stock-up/5054436002/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/16/us-sales-guns-ammunition-soar-amid-coronavirus-panic-buying
The New Indian Express (Tiruchi edition) dated 26 March, 2020;page:10 - ''Americans stocking up on guns for fear of social unrest''.

www.addictionhope.com

eatbeautiful.net

Ibuprofen is a popular and effective pain reliever in the western countries and also in India. But the awareness about this medication's bad side effects among Indian patients is a matter of concern and it is not satisfying. My experience has been that many doctors are not frank with their patients about the lurking ill-effects of Ibuprofen on us. Many of the illiterate patients do not question the doctors about the drugs being taken by them. Nor do the doctors, on their own, come forward and give them the correct information on the medication. It is often reported in many scientific journals that taking too much of it can cause serious side effects. This is true in both the short- and the long-term.

Ibuprofen risk factors. www.dailymail.co.uk

Ibuprofen, a non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) is recommended by physicians to treat pain, fever, and inflammation. Hence, it is believed to be one of the most used medications in the world. A small overdose can cause minor symptoms and in rare cases, overdoses can be fatal. If a person takes too much ibuprofen, he or she should consult the hospital immediately.

Advil and Motrin are the brand names of the drug ibuprofen. Normally, people can buy ibuprofen with lower strengths over the counter, however, medication with high strength is available on prescription. Available in various forms - tablet, caplet, liquid gel, chewable tablet, and liquid suspension or drop formulations, it is also an ingredient in many cold and allergy medicines. The production of Prostaglandins that play an essential role in inflammation when an injury occurs and Ibuprofen works well by controlling it. They cause skin flushing, heat, swelling, and pain. Ibuprofen blocks their action by binding to the COX-1 and COX-2 receptors on an enzyme called prostaglandin synthase.

In the case of both children and adults, the right dosage of ibuprofen is crucial and with minimum strength it is a safe medication. Pain medicines are tmost often responsible for overdoses in adults. According to one report, 29% of pain medication overdoses involved ibuprofen, making it the NSAID most commonly linked to overdose. This non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug Ibuprofen can cause heart problem, and increase stroke risk. However, it effects on liver are not well known and a recent study shows that its bad effects on liver are more well-pronounced than previously thought. (vide study published in the Journal of Scientific Research). This study directed by prof. Aldrin Gomes of univ. of California, Davis was based on the the mice that were given a moderate amount of Ibuprofen -roughly equal to an adult taking 400mg of this drug.

It is said that as many as 50 percent of Americans experience difficulty in taking ibuprofen because they experience abdominal pain, diarrhea, or upset stomach. Stomach pain may be the result of internal bleeding of the stomach or intestines, as high levels of ibuprofen (over prolonged periods) can increase acid production within the stomach.
Stomach ulcer: Prolonged use of this drug may increase the risk of developing a stomach ulcer; 15 percent of chronic users will get an ulcer. Unfortunately, many may not be aware of. Bleeding from the bowels is the most common symptom associated with stomach ulcers.
Decreasing Kidney Function : According to the National Kidney Foundation, as many as 3 to 5 percent of new cases of chronic kidney failure each year may be caused by the overuse of ibuprofen and acetaminophen. High dosages may have a harmful effect on kidney tissue and structures. .
Breathing problems: Prolonged use of ibuprofen may cause respiratory depression (slow or difficult breathing) to occur, which may lead to wheezing or coughing.
Drowsiness and Blurred Vision: Too much medication means vision problems, blurred or double vision causes dizziness and can interfere with the ability to walk.

https://www.carewellurgentcare.com/2018/04/19/the-danger-of-taking-too-much-ibuprofen/

The New Indian Express (Tiruchi edition) dated: 16 March, 2020; page: 16 --''Ibuprofen affecta liver enzymes''.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325180#what-is-ibuprofen

Spanish Flu of 1918 bshm.org.uk

An electron micrograph showing recreated 1918 influenza virionsen.wikipedia.org

Barring many facts related to mode of transmission and time of activity, one can see some similarity between the Spanish Flu of 1918 and pandemic Covid-19 that is strangling the countries across the globe right now. Modern analysis of Spanish flu of 1918 has shown that the virus is particularly deadly because it triggers a''cytokine storm''(overreaction of the body's immune system). Because of it 20% died a very unpleasant death and in fast-progressing cases, mortality was caused primarily from pneumonia, by virus-induced lung consolidation. In the case of Covid-19, if the virus, once inside the human body remains there untreated, ultimately it will reduce the efficiency of lungs causing death. It transmits in clusters and the easy targets are people in crowded places.

the Spanish flu, 1918 www.tes.com

The first of two pandemics caused by the H1N1(airborne avian virus) influenza virus, the Spanish flu, the deadly one that was active from January 1918 to December 1920 infected about a quarter of the world's population at that point of time and it left behind a trail of countless deaths, pain and sufferings, and further shattered the world economy. The exact death toll of the Spanish Flu is a subject of debate and it is as low as 17 million people and possibly as high as 50 to may be 100 million. It is one of the deadliest epidemics in human history that turned the world upside down. The second deadliest one was the Swine Flu in 2009. Much deadlier second wave of Spanish Flu - 1918 pandemic had a hold on the world for some time and those most at risk were the sick and elderly; as for younger, healthier people, they recovered easily. Toward 1919, the virus developed less lethal strains and cases dropped slowly.

The Spanish flu .bbc.com

The Spanish flu impacted many parts of the globe and since it happened during WWI, maintaining morale among soldiers in the war front was the first priority of the warring countries. So, World War I censors recommended minimized early reports of illness and mortality in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and the United States. As for the source of the virus, in 1917 itself UK military pathologists concerned about high mortality rate among young adults, postulated that the overcrowded medical camps and hospitals provided ideal sites for transmission of a respiratory virus. The hospital treated soldiers in tens of thousands   during the war every day. The place was home to a piggery, and poultry and the food supplies came from surrounding villages. The British team postulated that a significant ''precursor virus,'' harbored in birds, mutated and then migrated to pigs kept near the front. It is obvious the virus had been around for sometime even before 1918 and the military soldiers had been carrying it without their knowledge. Later, it turned out to be a pandemic. A 2003 American medical report said that 1918 outbreak happened in Haskell County, Kansas. Some reports pointed that the flu first originated in China and later transmitted to other countries like the US. Chinese researchers deny such reports.
Given below are some important facts of Spanish Flu of 1918:
01. The shocking fact is Spanish flu killed more people in 24 weeks than HIV/AIDS killed in 24 years and the black death lasted for a long time.
02. In this pandemic young adults were killed in large number.
03. During the period between 1918–1919, 99% of deaths in the U.S. occurred in people under 65, and nearly half of deaths were in young adults 20 to 40 years old.
04. Like wise death was quite common among pregnant women because the virus could weaken the respiratory system.
05. Yet another noticeable fact is in 1918 adults above 70 had a sort of partial protection against the Spanish flu because of exposure to the Russian flu Pandemic of 1899-90.
06. Another strange fact was this influenza was worse in winter and widespread in the summer and autumn (in the Northern Hemisphere).
07. Higher mortality among the young adults.
08. Over crowding, mass gathering and social contacts accelerated the spread of this influenza.
09. During the war time (WWI), troop movements, mass medical camps further triggered the spread.
10. The 1918 pandemic came to be dubbed the Spanish flu not because it originated there but because ''Spain'' remained neutral in the war and so reported freely on the outbreak.
11. The U.S. and other countries at war did not want the soldiers and others to know about the severity of the disease; reason: it might damage their morale.
12. Some Historians now believe this air-bone avian virus most probably originated near Fort Riley, Kansas, in March 1918. Its place of origin is still debatable.

stengel.mycpanel.princeton.edu/

Above image: A cytokine storm is an ''overproduction of immune cells and their activating compounds (cytokines), which, in a flu infection, is often associated with a surge of activated immune cells into the lungs. The resulting lung inflammation and fluid buildup can lead to respiratory distress and can be contaminated by a secondary bacterial pneumonia -- often enhancing the mortality in patients''..(https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140227142250.html) ..........................................
Normally, most influenza outbreaks disproportionately kill the very young and the very old, with a higher survival rate for those in between, But, the chilling fact about the Spanish flu is it caused higher mortality rate than projected among young adults. Medical researchers came up with possible explanations for the high mortality rate among young adults in the 1918 pandemic. Some were of the view the virus turned deadly because it triggered a cytokine storm. (see the image above).
However, a 2007 analysis of medical reports on the early pandemic published in medical journals from the active period observed that the viral infection was no more aggressive than previous influenza strains.The influencing factors in this case were undernourishment, overcrowded medical camps and hospitals, and poor hygiene. They caused bacterial super infection that resulted in the death of most of the victims, typically after a somewhat prolonged death bed.
In the past decades various studies have been undertaken as to the total death toll of 1918 Spanish flue. A 1991 estimate says the pandemic killed 25–39 million people. However, a 2005 estimate put death toll at probably 50 million (less than 3% of the global population), and possibly as high as 100 million (more than 5%). A clear estimate is not yet available. As for India that was ruled by the Raj 12-17 million people died ( about 5% of the population). The death toll in India's British-ruled districts was 13.88 million About China, the estimates are at variance and on an average it was more than 1.5 million people.

dailyastorian.com

How did the Spanish flu spread? From which country the flu had begun to spread still remains controversial. However, based on data from Austrian archives scientist mentioned that the influenza began to spread from Austria in 1917. The British researchers

believe that it began in the USA in 1918 The transmission of this virus was a quick one. If an infected person sneezes or coughs, more than half a million virus particles are out in the air invisible and can catch those nearby. This dangerous flu became a pandemic soon because of increased mutation, easy transmission through close social contact, mass gathering, massive troop movements of World War I, crowded medical camps, hospitals, etc. The viral became lethal during the war time as the hosts - soldiers, it is speculated, burdened by stress of facing enemy lines and chemical attacks and mal-nourishment. The sustained virus weakened their immunity system and made them susceptible to diseases.Yet another important factor that promoted transmission of virus in many parts of the globe was travel. With better development of modern transportation systems in air, sea land, etc the soldiers, sailors, and civilian had easy access to them and they became carriers of the disease.
The following are the casualty reports in other countries: Iran: High mortality rat; about between 902,400 and 2,431,000, or 8% to 22% of the total population died; Japan: 23 million people were affected, at least 390,000 died; The Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia): about 1.5 million death a population of 30 million people; USA: About 28% of the population of 105 million became infected, and 500,000 to 675,000 died (0.48 to 0.64 percent of the population); death was widespread among native American Indians. Entire Inuit and Alaskan Native village communities died in Alaska; Canada: 50,000 died; Brazil: 300,000 died,
We in India, like other countries, are going through a tough time, a period of uncertainty, anxiety and weakened economy and the present total lock down, it is likely, may go beyond April 14. We, as responsible citizens, must obey the orders of state and central governments and trust the precautionary measures being taken by them. In the present context, with no proper medication available for corona virus, only precaution is social distancing and self-imposed isolation Try to shun lousy politicians who make capital out of Corona virus pandemic for their publicity. Our administrators have to tackle many problems on many fronts. For them and the medical fraternity it is a horrendous time to be on duty beyond their capacity. Let us all pray and follow the govt. regulations with patience to tackle the present emergency. Positively, we will see a silver line in the cloud in the near future.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu

https://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20180922/NEWS/309229988/data-points-1918-spanish-flu-hits-centennial-virus-killed-50-million-worldwide
https://bshm.org.uk/the-spanish-influenza-pandemic-of-1918-19/
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/why-covid-19-is-nothing-like-the-deadly-spanish-flu/articleshow/74623053.cmshttps://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140227142250.htmstengel.mycpanel.princeton.edu/

timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

www.postermywall.com

As of today in India due to coronavirus, there has been 20 deaths, 903 confirmed cases and 83 recovered. Health experts say it will go up as days go by and we have to be more cautious than before. The govt. of India announced total lock down of the country to retard the progress of the virus. Do not ever venture out and get mingled with a large gathering of people. Give priorities to practices as social distancing, hand-washing and proper sanitation, Glad all temples, churches and mosques are closed for public safety. Right now, self isolation is the only solution on hand and we have go a long way to go to get out of this present health crisis that has a tight grip on the world.

This virus is not as bad as the Spanish Virus of 1918 that took the entire world by surprise, causing a heavy toll of lives across the world. Covid-19, having been recently declared a pandemic, medical researchers point out that we need to learn a lot from the the deadliest flu that ever stuck the world in 1918 -the Spanish Flu. It is a futile attempt to make a comparison between covid-19 and the Spanish flu because there is a big gulf between their mode of transmission. However, the bewildered and confused research fraternity have rediscovered the Spanish Flu of 1918 in the present covid-19. As mentioned in my previous post on Spanish Flue, the name was a misnomer; Spain had nothing to do with that airborne avian virus that killed 50 to 100 million people world over. India was under the Raj and we lost about 15 million plus people. No specific anti-viral therapies were available during the 1918 flu and it is true today.
Today US President Don Trump has kept calling covid-19 a China virus and blames it on the carelessness of Chinese virus researchers in a Wuhan lab despite protests from the Communist China. Lack of transparency on the part of China, when first reports of deadly virus leak came to light in December, 2019, the arrest of a doctor who who blew the whistle on the leak of the deadly virus, tight-lipped Chinese media, evasive explanation from the Chinese government and most importantly China's refusal to allow US journalists to gather information on the virus leak etc. ,- all these angered the western countries that are presently very much affected by the virus. The world is in a crisis with one in 3 is in self-imposed isolation. In India, the toll is gradually going up and the governments - both Central and State are taking precautions carefully to handle the possible 3rd stage transmission. Already the toll in the USA had gone past 1000 as on March 26. Had the Chinese made the warning before hand in the earliest stages, the countries world over would have taken proper precaution before it was turning into a pandemic.

www.tes.com/lessons/

The viruses that cause the Spanish flu and Covid-19 belong to two different families. Sars-CoV-2 (which causes Covid-19), belong to the coronavirus family. The Spanish Flu spreads through a population at a rapid clip, but corona has a tendency to infect in clusters. According to Laura Spinney in a recent article in The Guardian that corona virus outbreaks can be controlled as we did with SARS (2002 in China) and and MERES provided we take proper precaution before hand. She is of the view that 1918 scenario was different from the present one; it was war time and the main theater was Europe. Yet another underlying fact is 100 years ago, religious heads were powerful and had a tremendous political clout with the powers that be. So people could not go against them. In the Spanish city of Zamora a large no of people died in 1918 - perhaps, highest in Europe., part of the reason was the local bishop never obeyed the health authorities and arranged for evening prayers in honor of St. Rocco on nine consecutive days, providing a suitable site for the Spanish flu to show its demonic impact on the religious gathering. No doubt, “religion, nevertheless, had played a part” in the pandemic.
In the recent covid-19 case, more or less similar scenario prevailed in South Korea where cluster of virus seemed to have spread via churches, particularly through prayer masses. In the case of Iran, that was hard hit by coronavirus, pilgrims defiantly licked the Fatimah Masumeh shrine in Qom.

Spanish virus, 1918. en.wikipedia.org/

In 1918 when India was under the British rule, unfortunately the country was drawn into war as part of the British forces. When the Spanish fly hit India with vengeance, it caused 10 to 20 million deaths. The primary cause was packed crowded cities, social gathering, mass movement of people from one region to other via the railways, etc. The Bombay presidency took the maximum beating in June 1918. The deplorable fact is the British government that got entangled in WWI did not show one tenth of interest in stopping the spread of virus across India as they showed in native Indians' participation in the war and supply of many essential accessories made in India for the military.

Spanish virus, 1918. edition.cnn.com

Since 1918 pandemic we have made big progress and learned a lot about the flu and its impact on the society. Its severity and rapid spread are governed by a collective interplay of viral, host and external factors. The latter include mass gathering, mass transportation and air pollution. The Doherty Institute's Dr. Carolien van de Sandt says,''"Understanding these factors is vital for influenza pandemic preparedness." It is worth noting, according to Sandt, ''Climate changes affect animal reservoirs of influenza viruses and bird migration patterns. This could spread viruses to new locations and across a wider range of bird species," Different age groups, viral and host factors need to given due attention in providing emergency vaccines during future pandemics.
We have no idea when the world will face another flu on a scale like this and it is the responsibility of the health care dept of a country to prepare its people to face an emergency situation with confidence by way of knowing what not to do, what needs to be .

done, etc. Though it is a tough proposition, virologists world over should collectively make efforts to come up with an effective vaccine applicable to any type of future virus(es) primarily to control the new virus' spread and severity initially to buy time to come up with a specific vaccine to kill it based on factors such as transmission, hosts and external factors. If you want to know more about 1918 pandemic, read: Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World. by Laura Spinney (Hardcover, 332 pages Published June 1st 2017 by Jonathan Cape. price: $12.99 Amazon) by Laura Spinney
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-10-lessons-flu-pandemicyears.html
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/why-covid-19-is-nothing-like-the-deadly-spanish-flu/articleshow/74623053.cms

Spread of Spanish Flu, 1918, India. www.youtube.com

caravanmagazine.in

Coronavirus is a global pandemic that we are witnessing to day and we are in a state of shock as we witness the sledge hammer-like impact on the world economy, livelihood of millions of people and total lock down of many countries in the world. This cumulative occurrence of miseries, pain and death is so devastating that it is much worse than dropping off atomic bombs in a place or two.
When India was not a free country under the British Raj in 1918, it faced the worst situation caused by the sweeping of Spanish flu across the globe. It is considered the deadliest in modern history, killing at least 50 million plus people and infecting more than 500 million. The 1918 H1N1 airborne avian virus played a critical role in altering the course of India’s history.

Can you believe the flu that was on during the WWI, caused the largest death in any country in the world about 18 million people in India? Yet another fact is Mahatma Gandhi, who spear-headed India’s independence, also contracted the flu and survived the dreaded flu attack!! When news of his illness and his daily liquid diet spread, a local newspaper took the news to the public by writing: "Gandhi's life does not belong to him - it belongs to India." One positive aspect is this pandemic brought about unity among the natives against the British who had been exploiting the Indians for more than 150 years.

''Between 1918 and 1920, an estimated 18 million Indians lost their lives to influenza or its complications, making India the focal point of the disaster in terms of mortality. .......... but the story of how the disease ravaged the continent is relatively unknown. The 1918 flu pandemic has been called the “forgotten” pandemic, and ironically the continent that seems to have forgotten it most thoroughly is the one that bore the brunt of it''....................Laura Spinney (https://caravanmagazine.in/history/spanish-flu-1918-changed-india)
The Spanish Flu pandemic'' of 1918 in India helped Indians get united to fight for freedom from the British hegemony and the following are interesting facts:
01. Britain forced British India to participate in the WWI and asked the Indians to go the war fronts to fight. Indians supplied many essential accessories, etc to the British military. Part of revenue revenue from India was spent on war efforts, not on the welfare of the natives.

02. During the Spanish flu pandemic, the British had ignored the healthcare in the country and the medical service was in a mess. It implied racial discrimination during a crisis situation. After the pandemic, the British administration earned the ire of the natives. Now, they made up their mind to become untied to fight for the freedom.

03. Laura Spinney, author of Pale Rider: ''The Spanish Flu of 1918 and how it changed the world'' ,in an interview with Patt Morrison of the Los Angeles Times said, “People were dying in droves and in the absence of any British doctors. The British doctors…were very often at the front as well the hole was even more glaring.

04. The massacre of innocent people at Jallianwala Bagh, in the state of Punjab on 13 April 1919 under Brig. Gen. Reginald Dyer shook the conscience of the whole world. For a short period, the news reports were censored by the British, fearing escalation of protests and riots against the British. Military officer Dyer was let off with depromotion and minor punishment.

05. Continuous repressive policies of the British and denial of freedom.

06. The British Govt's failure to honor Indian soldiers and officials' brave participation in the war and the sacrifices made by them in various war theaters.

07. Over one million Indian troops served overseas in many continents under demanding condition; 62,000 died and another 67,000 were wounded. In total at least 74,187 Indian soldiers died during the war. No war memorials in their names or a note of appreciation on the part of Britain.

08. The death of millions of natives, sufferings, pains and misery due to the pandemic flu in 1918 further made the natives furious against the colonial imperialists.

09. More and more people across the country took the cudgels against the unjust misrule by the British and allied themselves behind INC leaders like Gandhi, Patel, and others.

10. Newspapers wrote articles complaining that the British officials in India during the pandemic were relaxing in the resorts on the hill stations thus pushing the administration to leave the fate of the natives "on the hands of providence".

11. Yet another frustration among the Indians was the colonial authorities paid more attention to the WWI than to the health care of the people. This grave negligence of indigenous health had left a bad impression on the colonialist.

12. The hospitals under the British were not well-equipped to deal with an epidemic like situation.

13. India continued to be Britain's cash cow and a large chunk of revenue was sent to the Government coffers in London. A decent amount of money was not spent by the Raj to equip certain important hospitals across India to deal with the disaster or an epidemic.

14. According to Ms. Spinney, ''....there was a shortage of doctors as many were away on the war front." When the pandemic first landed in the Bombay Presidency in June 1918, it stayed there for a while and there itself it could have been contained had the British medical fraternity acted on time. The shortage of doctors further aggravated the distress situation.

15. NGOs, volunteers and right-minded citizens came together and formed anti-influenza committees. They, in large number, helped the poor people in the time of pain, misery and distress.

16. ''Community services'' became a watch word among the educated and more fortunate people in the society. For the first time people in the higher strata of the society came together for a common cause - to help their poorer brethren and give them solace. The powers that be - British Bobs had let down the natives in their time of distress.

17. The medical emergency provided an opportunity for certain militant groups in the north and eastern India to work for India's freedom. They were against Gandhiji's principle of non-violence
for the simple reason the wily British did not take it seriously. So, they took to violence and striking terror to shake the morale of the British officers.
https://gulfnews.com/opinion/op-eds/how-the-spanish-flu-changed-the-course-of-indian-history-1.1584285312898

novel corona virus, 2020 fazilka.nic.in

The entire Indian government administration both at the center and state levels are trying hard to contain the covid -19 outbreak in our country, the second most populous one in the world. This pandemic is responsible for more than 30879 deaths world wide and in India it is 24 out of 1024 confirmed cases. Currently, the USA has become the next corona epicenter with 2227 deaths out of 124388 confirmed cases. The worst hit is Italy where 10234 died out of 92472 confirmed cases. The over all situation across the world is grim and there is no effective vaccine to end this scourge.
A similar outbreak in 1918 -Spanish Flu is an excellent source of many important lessons for us and other countries. Based on the past lessons, the health department can chalk out the ways and means to minimize the impact on the population. The most crucial fact is full cooperation of the public is a necessity to save the country from the mounting crisis. As for politicians, they should put their petty politics behind and cooperate with the struggling leaders in Delhi and in various state capitals and work with them in tandem to care for the needs and healthcare of the bewildered people in this distress situation.

Spanish flu, 1918 www.slideshare.net

The most deadly ‘Spanish Influenza’ of 1918 that has many parallels to the current covid-19, was observed in the early stages in military camps during WWI. There was suppression of the outbreak by certain warring countries and it was done to keep the morale of the fighting forces high. However, Spain that remained neutral gave the correct information on the outbreak; hence the flu got its name.
India under the Raj bore a huge burden of death - it lost 6% of its people; the flu killed between 17 and 18 million Indians, more than all the casualties in World War One. One Hindi writer and poet, Suryakant Tripathi (alias Nirala,) who lost his wife and some family members wrote: My family, "disappeared in the blink of an eye" ... the Ganges river was "swollen with dead bodies". There wasn't enough firewood to cremate the piles of dead bodies.
The following are the lessons that may be relevant to the present pandemic:
01. Crowded city: The flu landed in May/June in Bombay city (then the capital of Bombay Presidency) under the direct British crown administration. The deadly flu got into the Bombay dock through a ship of returning soldiers in June 1918. The health inspector JS Turner, said, .......''it came "like a thief in the night, its onset rapid and insidious". In the present situation, according to The Times of India report,"nearly every house in Bombay has some of its inmates down with fever" and it may go up soon.
02. Crowded railways: From Bombay the flu had spread through the railways to other regions in India and the second wave began in September, 1918 in southern India and moved along the coastline.
03. Poor health management: The other factors were negligence on the part of the British officials, poorly equipped hospitals and lack of doctors to handle a large number of infected cases because most of them were in the war fronts. The suffering Indian masses were left in the lurch.
04. Failed monsoon: A failed SW monsoon made the matters worse and created drought and famine-like conditions. Food grains production was affected. With poor agricultural produce, people became underfed, emaciated and weak; huge gathering
in the cities enabled the rapid spread of the disease.
05. Crowded markets, mass-gathering,etc: The source of infection is commonly crowded places. Crowded big Indian cities became main sources of the infection. In the present corvid-19 context, medical researchers have reservation about crowded markets, bazaars, malls, mass transportation like metro, trains, etc.
In February and March 2020 Mumbai (Bombay) has the highest number of covid-19 cases in the country.
06. Return of overseas-employed Indians: In Kerala state, the corona infection cases and deaths are showing upward trend, part of the reason is returning employees from the Gulf countries. Kerala has the largest number of people in the Gulf states. The central govt is also screening people returning from corona-infected countries.
07.Stay at home: The newspapers in 1918 advised people not to spend time outside and stay at home; the same has to be followed.

08. Personal hygiene and social-distancing: TOI says the main remedy "is to go to bed and not worry". People were reminded the disease spread "mainly through human contact by means of infected secretions from the nose and mouths" Social-distancing got the main priority then, hence workers never went to work in offices and factories.
09. Avoid over-crowded places: As suggested by TOI to avoid the flu keep away from congested and overcrowded places: fairs, festivals, theaters, schools, public lecture halls, cinemas, entertainment parties, crowded railway carriages etc; the risk of infection lurks in such places. The Government's lock down
in this regard is the right step and it is essential to follow it.
10. Good sanitation: Indians hereon must give serious consideration to sanitation at home and in public places which
is poor across India; No dumping of trashes in public places.
Poor sanitation may increase the spread of flu and risk f
actors.
Besides above, sleeping in the open rather than in poorly ventilated rooms, and eating nourishing food may help us a lot.The present pandemic is sweeping across the globe with no solution in sight and no scientists can predict when it is going to come down and what will be the death toll. The simple lessons from the Spanish flu of 1918 are Stay home as much as you can and avoid crowded places and most importantly social distancing is a must. It is likely that the lock down period may last beyond April 14. A reliable person deplored the fact, despite lock down, 144 promulgation and strict warnings from the health officials, lots of foolish people still crowded in Fish market in and around Thanjavur city and other places. They not only risk their lives, but also others, their own family members and their own children.

Corona virus precautions, etc:

Spanish flu, 1918 www.slideshare.net

gulfnews.com

https://gulfnews.com/world/flu-vs-coronavirus-which-one-is-more-dangerous-facts-that-will-blow-your-mind-1.1580923658868
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-10-lessons-flu-pandemic-years.html

diabetes and corona virus. www.drwf.org.uk

When the Covid-19 pandemic strikes a population, it does not differentiate between healthy individuals and those with a history of chronic illnesses, medical complications (like diabetes, high blood pressure). Several medical studies put them in a "high-risk" and, in particular, diabetic patients are more prone to developing infection than others and it is important for them to take necessary precaution. In the case of people with diabetes, their blood sugar level gets affected when the insulin production is not good enough to control the blood glucose level. They go for medication, however, the immunity in the body loses its efficiency if the blood sugar level is not controlled.
People with high or unmanageable blood sugar levels experience less than normal blood flow, and it makes it difficult for the body to use nutrients and natural defenses meant to protect the body against several infections and promote healing. People with this body condition take a little longer than usual time to recover as well. People with less efficient immunity due to diabetes may be more be prone to developing infections and chronic risks than those without diabetes. This may lead to longer hospitalization and prolonged recovery.

Keep yourself safe from covid-19 virus. www.youtube.com

It is essential for diabetics to avoid crowded places, mass gatherings and crowded train journey. In a pandemic situation keeping enough distance and avoiding congested and crowded areas would help them a lot. In case diabetics have covid-19 infection, keep the blood sugar level under check because any symptom can possibly flare up blood glucose levels. The extra precaution is a necessity because the body with already compromised immune system is susceptible to viruses to thrive in the body amidst high blood glucose levels. The risk is for people suffering from both Type-1 and Type-2 diabetes. They need to know about foot hygiene, hand hygiene and proper skin care. The latter can help the patients avoid cuts and bleeds, for they if not taken care of, may cause major infections that will impact blood flow. Further, such patients must drink plenty of fluids and prevent dehydration because, if infected, it may impact the immunity. Regular physical exercise and proper diet will keep your immunity in good nick. (For further reading https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about_us/news/coronavirus)

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/coronavirus-and-diabetes-what-you-need-to-know/articleshow/74676011.cms

India, total lockdown.shuttercock com.

Time and karma. thenestofbooksreview.blogspot.com

The PM of India and the CM of respective Indian states have put the entire country under lock-down to retard the progress of Covid-19 infection on a priority basis As you may be aware, the virus spreads in clusters and the crowded places are most vulnerable to infection. People with diabetes or any other medical condition experiencing poor immunity system will be easy targets. These, in turn, will spread the infection among their family members, neighbors and people whom they contact in close proximity. Considering all the pros and cons of virus impact, on the advice of medical experts and past experinces with the Spanish flu of 1918, leaders world over urged their citizens to remain at home and told them in no uncertain term ''Self quarantine is the only way to retard the spread of corona virus'' that progresses exceptionally over a period of time. World over, a section of younger people won't pay serious attention to such warnings.
In this respect, PM Modiji already took the precaution longer before other world leaders and in his address to the nation urged the citizens to follow the government orders. Despite his request and Tamil Nadu CM's stern warning about the impeding danger of the virus in crowded markets, in many pockets of Tamil Nadu foolish people do not care about the warnings. Nor have they understood the aftermath of the present danger that has already shaken the world economy and caused widespread unemployment. What irks me is the remarks on the crowds at the meat shops in many places standing closely and busy buying meat. Their preoccupation is more focused on eating meat to their heart's content in this hour of anxiety, distress and pain than in the interest of their community, their children and most importantly the nation.

Media reports carried news that PM expressed his angst and frustration that in some states like TN and others people are not concerned about the safety of the country, the people around them and their family members. Their unprecedented urge to eat in a time like is quite disgusting. Even in Delhi itself, a section of people never cared about the lockdown.Countries like Italy, Spain, Iran and US are paying the prices now for their past mistakes committed for no faults of their leaders, who patiently kept issuing the warning to them then and there about social-distancing and avoiding crowded gathering. The youngsters. in particular, threw the warning in the air and now they are either in the 14 day quarantine or facing death-like situation. Playing with one's life and that of others is a serious matter.

shut-down across India coronavirus. economictimes.indiatimes.com

On the first day - March 23 of lockdowns imposed across the country, hundreds of people were booked for violating the norms and issued warnings of arrest with jail terms up to a year if the violations continued. The number of states and Union territories that imposed the lockdowns increased to 28 on Monday with Punjab and Maharashtra, the worst-hit state with 71 confirmed Indian cases, imposing curfews.
In states like Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, police warned te people through the media: violators were“against the society as they will not stay at home.” Police confiscated vehicles people found violating the norms in states including Haryana and Rajasthan. Despite the barricades, Police in many states did allow people to leave home for genuine reasons - to visit markets to buy essential goods even as most streets wore a deserted look. The only thing is they should not crowd.

The Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison while announcing on Friday Mar 13, 2020 a ban on all non-essential gatherings of over 500 people starting from Monday and urged citizens to strictly follow the Govt. orders.
"It is a precautionary (measure). It is getting ahead of this to ensure that we can minimize the impact on your health and (so) we can ensure with ..we can minimize the impact on your health and (so) we can ensure with confidence the ability for people to be accessing the health services that they and their families will need," he said.
With a tally just shy of 123000 US has the highest confirmed coronavirus cases globally. It accounted for one third of national death in New York; 700 people died according to the Johns Hopkins university. This was due to partial shut down
https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/scott-morrison-announces-crowd-ban-over-coronavirus-scare-advises-citizens-to-reconsider-foreign-travel-813278.html
https://www.ft.com/content/4ac1266a-436d-3128-b068-2d68ddc1485c

www.google.com

This year World Water Day, an annual UN observance day (22 March), went past us without any major discussion or commitments by the world leaders who are preoccupied with rapidly increasing cases of novel corona-virus infection and for consequent death toll in their countries. The 'WW-day' is earmarked to give due importance to sustainable management of freshwater resources that are depleting for various reasons. The aim is to achieve better results toward sustainable safe water by 2030.

The coming summer happens to be a crucial time for the Asian and other countries that may experience slow decline in the ground water table, particularly, in this time of serious world health crisis due to Covid-19 pandemic that may appear to last through the summer. So, we need to focus on water conservation, clean water, sanitation and hygiene (wash), as part of targets of Sustainable Development Goal 6. The UN World Water Development Report (WWDR) is released each year around World Water Day. Life-Water selects a theme for each year in consultation with UN organizations that share an interest in that year's focus and this year the theme is"Water and Climate Change" and how the two issues are closely linked.

Safe clean water www.york.ca

safe water. www.smarttips.me

Our relationship with the water resources is perennial, for the human body is made of more than 70% of water. Ironically, we are careless about our water resources and climate changes, and in the past one decade or so we are running out of water at a faster rate than we have experienced before. Already, we have made our environment dirty, by causing air pollution and water pollution. Sanitation is a big problem in countries like India where the people pay least attention to the government guide lines. When fighting hard to contain corona-virus, water scarcity and air pollution in the near future will put a big strain on the governments at center and states.

safe water. webstockreview.ne

Mind you, you are living in a world, where the foolish people have taken the Nature's bounty for granted and in the next 40 or 50 years we will come to the fag end with our earth battered by highly polluted air and unsafe water problems. Believe it or not, 1 in 10 people on earth has no access to clean water, that is 748 million people live without basic access to clean water. With safe water available nearby, it’s estimated, that women could feed 150 million of the world’s hungry. Every year there is no point in celebrating World Water Day on March 22. We have to make serious steps to make the water and air clean around us and make progress in this respect. The next task of our world leaders should be in the area of safe water, climate sanitation once we are out of the novel corona-virus crisis situation and its impact of economy. The Life-water is taking efforts in the last few decades to end the water crisis by providing innovative high-quality, lasting safe water sources in the world’s most water-poor communities.

.clearbrook.net

The following are important facts related to water crisis:
01. More than twice the population of the United States have no direct access to clean and safe water.
02. Unsafe water causes most deaths - more than the total number of death from all forms of violence, including war.
03. About 1 in 4, lacks access to a toilet or latrine. They can not attend the nature's call in privacy. Two billion people face this basic necessity.
04. Diarrhea related diseases pose health problems for them and kill one child every 60 seconds. Such diseases cause more deaths than malaria, AIDS and measles put together.
05. Unsafe water is a major headache in poorly developed Countries (about a quarter (22%)
06. In the arid and sub arid sub-Saharan Africa, women and girls, the UN reports say, spend most time - an estimated 40 billions hours a year collecting water for cooking purpose, etc.
07. It is said, as far as children are concerned, they lose an estimated 400 million school days, besides loss of 272 million each year due to water-related diseases and diarrhea alone.
08. In the case of many developing countries, gathering water is a big chore for the women who significantly lose their farming time in an agricultural space. Their farming productivity is at a loss.
09. Yet another interesting information is if $1is invested in safe water and sanitation, it will yield economic activities worth $5 to $28 USD leading to reduce health care costs.

To keep the economy of any country in good health, the foremost need is access to safe water that will promote a healthy population and sustainable strong economy and overall progress. On hand we have a huge safe-water problem that can be solved with meticulous care and planning.
Life-water donors have helped millions of people get access to safe water and practice life-saving healthy habits. Though the water crisis is showing signs of decline, it is a long way to go. The main target is irrespective of regions, no child should go without safe and potable water. Our posterity ought to be healthy to keep the world going on a safe path. (this post is based on the article mentioned here-under)

Tit-bits:
''Water is a life.” Not only the human being but also for the entire ecosystem water is precious. Water is transparent but it takes the shape of anything when we put it, it’s a pure thing.71 percent of the land is covered by the water on the earth. In which 97 percent of the water is covered by the ocean and only 3 percent of water is in use for drinking and many purposes. It is important to save the water for us and for our future because we totally depend on the water in our Daily Life.''
https://www.smarttips.me/2019/09/save-water-save-life-importance-of.html
https://lifewater.org/blog/world-water-day-2020/
https://www.york.ca/wps/wcm/connect/yr_content/yorkconstituent/allmediareleases/meetingandexceeding,yorkregioncontinuestodelivercleansafedrinkingwater

Avoid crowded places. www.al.com/news

There are numerous media reports on the carelessness and irresponsible attitude of certain foolish people regarding Govt. guidelines in this period of lock-down to control the spread of novel coronavirus. The cases in point are mass movements of migrant workers to their respective native places from other states, gathering of people in market areas in some cities and towns to buy groceries, meat, etc and the recent outing of lots of people in the town of Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu.

w.hindustantimes.com

On top of these stray incidents across India, the central and govt health officials are now seriously concerned about the recent religious meeting in the Nizamuddin area of Delhi in the first week of March in which more than 2000 participants took part, including many people from Indonesia and other countries. No body can judge its impact on the people associated with them. Some reports say that foreigners came here on tourist visa and now the question is: how come they were part of the organization of a large religious event in the center of Delhi? The unknown fact is many foreign participants landed here with hidden symptoms of corona. and the airport health officials could not pick up the hidden virus symptoms. The infection might have flared up subsequently. Now these foreign people have put the lives of lot of participating Indian Muslims in the jamat in danger of getting infection from them. Further, they stayed in crowded mosques in Delhi. Imagine how many people they would have contacted during their stay.

Health officials launched recently a nationwide search for participants of the south Delhi's Nizamuddin gathering. This place is home to a famous Dargah, which has become the new epicenter of the deadly virus pandemic amid fears that thousands who attended it could have carried the infection across India. Now they are back to their respective states - virtually a large part of India, in particular, south India; they form the potential sources of infections. Efforts are being made to quarantine them to avoid the spread of the virus.
Many of these states have reported COVID-19 cases linked to the Delhi congregation. The unfortunate thing is some reports say the gathering took place despite lock-down in Delhi - blatant breach of government guidelines. The scary thing is the emerging fresh cases of infection from Delhi, Maharashtra, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir and Bihar, among other places, taking the nationwide tally past 1,400 with at least 45 deaths, as per figures announced by government officials in different states. Already six deaths were reported by the Telangana government recently, all of whom had attended the Nizamuddin congregation. According to the TN government, the aggregate number is at 124, with at least 77 of them having links to the Tablighi Jamaat.

economictimes.indiatimes.com

According to the union govt. 2,100 foreigners visited India for 'tabligh' activities this year, including those from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Kyrgyzstan. All state police have been asked to locate Indian Tabligh Jamaat workers from local coordinators, followed by their medical screening and quarantine. The Delhi police are instructed to take immediate action against people, including foreign nationals, who stayed in 16 mosques in the national capital after participating in the meet at Nizamuddin, said officials. they put tens of thousands of peoples' lives in danger. Delhi police recently booked the cleric who led a huge religious gathering in Nizamuddin West for violating government orders.

Many residents of the center Nizamuddin, Delhi started showing symptoms for coronavirus infection and police and paramilitary officials locked down the area but authorities fear a spread of the virus.
In such a scenario no social distancing is possible and it may cause grave danger to public health as a whole the main objective of containing COVID-19 is negated.
In the next one month or so, such mistakes should not be repeated and if we are careful we can certainly reduce the toll considerably.
https://www.news18.com/news/india/coronavirus-live-updates-delhi-nizammudin-telangana-markaz-tabligh-e-jamaat-mumbai-kerala-death-us-2557841.html
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/maulana-who-led-nizamuddin-gathering-booked-for-violating-govt-orders/story-RBxXbZcInrWNocjhoaHbDK.html
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/in-times-of-coronavirus-heres-differentiating-between-social-distancing-quarantine-isolation-lockdown-curfew-and-social-distancing/social-distancing/slideshow/74787175.cms

t.

Joy of weight lifting. //75dm.com

weight-lifting www.shutterstock.com

World over in many countries, people are presently experiencing long lock-down of cities, towns and districts to control the spread of Covid-19 virus. Once we successfully pass through this crucial stage in the next one month or so, it is likely, the impact of this scourge that originated from China on the death toll will be far less than what medical experts have projected.
I have heard many people complain in the media that they feel bored/dejected and depressed being at home continuously for days together. It is true that the tedium and ennui will take away the joys of your life, staying within the confines of four walls with no fresh air. We have to presume that it is only a temporary phase as the whole world is experiencing the pandemic. To keep your self engaged, spend some time on prayers if you are religious, on writing if you are a writer, on painting if you are good at it. You have many options, depending on your interest. Whatever you do, do it with joy.

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As for physical activity to keep you mind active, try it as much as you can within in your living space. What about weight lifting? We are aware that regular aerobic exercise is good for you health because it can improve blood circulation and reduce blood pressure. If you are hypertensive, though medical reports come up with different results, it is a good idea if you will just be content with aerobic exercise like skipping at home. What about middle-aged people who go for weight-lifting? For years doctors warned BP patients against weight lifting because BP will spike during strenuous lifting. However, recent studies - called meta-analysis have shown that weight lifting reduces resting blood pressure, because with stronger muscles, there is less demand on the heart during everyday activities. In a study published in the journal hypertension based on 11 clinical trials with 182 adults who lifted weights several times a week and 138 who did not it was found that weight training lowered resting systolic blood pressure (the top number in a pressure reading) by 2 percent, and diastolic pressure by about 4 percent small gains that can greatly improve cardiovascular health.

Some doctors say that people above 45 must consult a doctor if they engage in weight-lifting as part of their physical exercise regimen. In countries like India, hypertensive people are discouraged to involve in weight-lifting.
Let us see why doctors are against the lifting of weights by hypertensive people. Weight-lifting or isotonic exercises are high intensity activities for a short duration. The contracting muscles exert pressure on the arterioles causing increased peripheral vascular resistance . In this situation, the heart will pump more forcefully to get the blood moving. Both increased vascular resistance and contractility of the heart muscle will increase the blood pressure. Middle aged people, it is said, must avoid isometric contractions (where muscle tension increases without any movement).

jogging in a park. www.freepik.com

Regular aerobic exercises reduce BP and cardiac function. Such exercises remain sustained for a long time and this causes dilation of the arterioles in the muscles in order to supply more blood to the exercising muscles. By increasing the venous blood flow from the legs to the heart and by reducing the resistance in the arterioles, the heart is able to pump blood with considerable ease.
In a reduced space under total-lock down situation, simple skipping is a good bet for people above the middle age.

https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/health/21real.html
https://www.medicinenet.com/lift_weights_high_blood_pressure/ask.html

India: The Epidemic Disease Act of 1897 byjus.com

The Covid-19 outbreak in India has made the Indian administrators to go back on the early colonial period under the British Crown when part of the globe was experiencing the 3rd plague pandemic that affected many countries in 1896-97. Pune and Bombay cities in Maharastra state (then Bombay Presidency) were struck by bubonic plague and the casualty was a huge one running into one million plus.

The Modi Govt in the present corona crisis relied on the century-old, Colonial Era law that gives state-level governing bodies extraordinary powers to control the disease, if it is a contagious and dangerous one. Such stringent laws are rooted in the Epidemic Disease Act of 1897 hurriedly drafted and introduced by the British during the Bombay plague. The law allows state govt. to take special and essential measures in case it is ''threatened with the outbreak of any dangerous epidemic disease.' The plague, first detected in Bombay, later spread to places like Punjab, Bengal, the United Province (now UP) and then to Burma. The western and eastern India experienced the worst and in 1901, the toll was 400000 and in 1905, it moved above one million people. About 2500000 people died in Pune due to Plague, almost 300 to 400 daily. It was tough job to cremate the bodies. The damage continued for four more years. This act became a necessity for the British to control the spread of plague as India happened to be a multi-cultural conservative society with many languages, various customs and beliefs. At one stage the British soldiers in the name of searching for symptoms of plague commuted excesses that angered the people and the national leaders.
The Act has been routinely used by the Central government to contain various diseases in India such as swine flu, cholera, malaria and dengue. Earlier in 2018, the Act was enforced as cholera began to spread in a region of Gujarat. In 2015, it was used to deal with dengue and malaria in Chandigarh and in 2009 it was invoked in Pune to combat swine flu. At present, this act is enforced to contain Covid-19.

India: The Epidemic Disease Act of 1897 www.slideshare.net

As per the act, 'any person disobeying any regulation or order made under this Act shall be deemed to have committed an offense punishable under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860). No suit or other legal proceeding shall lie against any person for anything done or in good faith intended to be done under this Act'.
'Under the Act, a nominated officer was empowered to take any decision to control the epidemic. His powers included taking possession of suspected patient, controlling places of crowd and examining any individual or any place without permission from a legal authority'.
The Act also had a provision to send those opposing the examination to jail for up to six months.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/112-yr-old-act-brings-back-nightmares-for-pune/story-a071LT1DVhdks45oSnK7tJ.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidemic_Diseases_Act,_1897

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