Tag: India

  • India struggles to breathe

    India struggles to breathe

    A video has been making rounds on social media, where a person can be seen begging and crying for an oxygen cylinder. Like him, millions of Indians are struggling to find oxygen for their loved ones amid a devastating second wave of coronavirus.

    According to report, the second-largest populated country in the world has had 3,498 deaths reported in the last 24 hours.

    The BBC has documented the breaking points of Indian hospitals and crematorium, which has left hospitals in India overwhelmed. Donations have been pouring in to India from all over the world and in different cities, the Indian Army is setting up temporary hospitals and making its medical staff available to fight the deadly Covid 19.

    While talking to CNN, Narendra Taneja, a spokesman for the ruling Indian Party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that, “We are in power, we are the government in India so of course responsibility is first and foremost ours, good or bad, whatever it is. It is our responsibility and we’re trying our very level best.” The BJP came under fire when despite the several warnings, large mass rallies held between March and April ahead of state elections.

    Earlier this week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked US President Joe Biden and President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, for their help and support.

    From Pakistan, in a letter to Indian PM Modi, Managing Trustee of Edhi Foundation Faisal Edhi offered to arrange all the necessary supplies. He stated,” As a neighboring friend, we sympathize with you greatly and during this strenuous time, we would like to extends our help in the form of a fleet of 50 ambulances along with our services to assist you in addressing, and further circumventing the health conditions.”

    The Indian government has advised all its citizens to get vaccinated as soon as possible. According to experts, a double mutant variant is adding fuel to India’s crisis as there are 243 cases every minute.

  • Pakistan exports to neighbouring countries drop by alarming level

    Pakistan exports to neighbouring countries drop by alarming level

    Due to the COVID-19 crises, Pakistan exports in the region have dropped by 5.7 per cent in the nine months of the current fiscal year, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) revealed on Monday.

    Pakistan exported goods and services as little as $2.788 billion to neighbouring countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, India and Iran.

    Data revealed by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)

    The figure is just 14.91 per cent of the total global export of Pakistan, which stood at $18.688 billion in the current fiscal year.

    Pakistan largely exported to China; they are at the top of the list, leaving India and Bangladesh behind.

    In terms of percentage, Pakistan exports to China are 50.46 per cent, and the remaining share is for eight other countries.

    Exports to China also experienced a growth of 8.4 per cent, which is $1.407 billion in FY2021 from 1.298 billion in FY2020.

    Unfortunately, the trade ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan have declined and faced political and policy turmoils. The exports to Afghanistan have fallen by 5.57 per cent that is just $746.328 million in FY2021. In FY2020, the exports between Afghanistan and Pakistan stood at $790,377 million.

    Afghanistan has also been removed as the second biggest trade partner of Pakistan, and Afghanistan replaced India as the most important trade partner.

    Trade ties between Pakistan and India are also topsy turvy. The government has suspended trade with India. Earlier, the Economic Corridor Committee (ECC) approved the import of cotton and yarn from India, but then the decision was reversed for political reasons.

    The exports to Iran jumped 374 per cent to $0.261m in 9MFY21 from $0.055m in 9MFY20. Most of the trade with Tehran is carried out through informal channels in border areas of Balochistan.

    Exports to Bangladesh decreas­­ed by 13.56 per cent that is $438.418m in FY2021. Islam­abad has recently reached out to Dhaka to revive talks to facilitate trade between the two countries.

    Similarly, exports to Sri Lanka dipped by 24.2 per cent to $185.883m from $245.131m in the previous year.

    During Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent visit to Sri Lanka, both countries agreed to exploit the available potential of bilateral trade.

    Exports to Nepal dropped by 82.6 per cent to $3.502m from the previous year while those to the Maldives dipped by 28.96 per cent to $4.044m from $5.693m.

    Exports to Bhutan were recorded at $0.043m as compared to $0.094m over the last year. In March, no exports proceeds were sent to the Maldives.

    On the other hand, the country’s trade deficit with the region narrowed as imports from these countries also dipped.

  • Feroze Khan wants you to remember Kashmir while praying for India

    Feroze Khan wants you to remember Kashmir while praying for India

    As India battles a deadly second wave of COVID-19, Feroze Khan wants you to remember and pray for Kashmir, which has been out of oxygen “since God knows when”.

    “I am sure it’s a tough time in India and I pray for humanity everywhere. But just imagine what Kashmir has been going through and why?” wrote Khan on social media.

    When a user remarked that “this is a very wrong time to tweet this [and] most of the people suffering are innocent”, Feroze said: “What? Kashmir is out of oxygen since God knows when. They just are not nuclear power so we don’t talk much about it.”

    “They’ve been caged and killed dirty. Again I am praying for humanity in India and in Kashmir,” he added.

    When another social media user called out the actor for being “cold-hearted”, Khan said: “I have prayed for humanity there and everywhere but I would still don’t want to be quiet for a few likes and views.”

    “The drama could fail too and I would still not want innocent to be killed, suppressed and caged. Praying for everyone everywhere,” he continued.

    Responding to yet another user, Feroze said that he loves his fans “but if I bring them no real image what’s the point of this media handle?”

    Later, Feroze Khan also shared some statistics regarding the healthcare situation in Kashmir, asserting that he stands with Kashmir but is praying for everyone everywhere.

    Meanwhile, India’s healthcare system is on the verge of collapse with doctors predicting that the worse is yet to come.

    “The situation is critical right now. This pandemic is the worst we have ever seen until now. The next two weeks are going to be hell for us,” Dr Shaarang Sachdev from the Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital told Sky News.

    In some of the worst-hit cities, including the capital Delhi, bodies were being burnt in makeshift facilities offering mass services.

    Twitter in Pakistan has been trending with hashtags showing solidarity with India. Prime Minister Imran Khan and other cabinet members also extended their prayers for India while Faisal Edhi wrote a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offering help in tackling COVID-19 in India.

  • Saudi Arabia to introduce Hindi scripture, yoga in school curriculum

    Saudi Arabia is planning to add two Hindu scriptures Ramayana and Mahabharata to the national school curriculum.

    As per details, the objective is to revamp the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) image according to Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman’s (MBS) Vision 2030.

    Crown prince MBS wants to make Saudi Arabia culturally and religiously more dynamic and tolerant to fit in the global economy and to reduce its dependency on oil. It is an imperative initiative that is much needed to bring foreign investment to Saudi Arabia.

    The report further stated that other cultural elements like yoga and Ayurveda will also be included in the school curriculum.

    Besides literature from Hinduism, the curriculum will now involve the history and culture of other countries as well. The government has taken majors steps to overhaul the orthodoxy and bring cultural innovation after MBS took control in KSA.

    A Saudi yogi, Nouf Almarwaai even tweeted screenshots of her son’s social studies exam with questions about Hinduism, Buddhism, and Hindu epics the Ramayana and Mahabharata. She is also dubbed Saudi’s first Yogiacharya and has even been awarded a Padma Shri by India.

  • Indian actor thanks Pakistan for ‘bada dill’ amid COVID

    Swara Bhasker has thanked Pakistan for showing kindness to India “during this devastating times”.

    “Heartening to see Pakistani civil society and social media reach out in solidarity and kindness to India, during this devastating time,” wrote the actor on social media.

    She continued: “This despite the fact that our media and mainstream public discourse have consistently mocked and vilified Pakistanis.”

    “Thank you for your bada bada dil padosi,” she added.

    Twitter in Pakistan trended with hashtags showing solidarity to India, which also melted Kangana Ranaut’s heart, prompting her to thank Pakistan for extending prayers.

    Prime Minister Imran Khan and other cabinet members also extended their prayers for India and Faisal Edhi had also written a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offering help in tackling COVID-19 in India.

    Atif Aslam also extended his prayers for the neighbouring country.

    India recorded over 350,000 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours ending 8 am Monday, taking the country’s total infections to over 1.73 crores. Of these, over 28 lakh cases are currently active while 1.43 crore people have recovered after testing positive. With 2,812 new fatalities, the death toll is now over 1.95 lakh, The Indian Express has reported.

    As per Indian media reports, from the first wave of COVID-19, the demand for medical oxygen had increased from 700 metric tonnes per day to 2,800 metric tonnes per day. However, in the past few days, the demand has reached nearly 5,000 metric tonnes per day.

  • Rich Indians reportedly fleeing to UAE on private jets, paying fare as high as $38,000

    Rich Indians reportedly fleeing to UAE on private jets, paying fare as high as $38,000

    Rich and affluent Indians are reportedly fleeing India to escape the COVID-19 pandemic, and the demand for private jets and fares has increased drastically.

    United Arab Emirates (UAE) decided to suspend flights from India and people had time till Sunday to travel back to UAE.

    Online price for one way fare has increased almost ten times. Flights from Mumbai to Dubai would cost as much as 80,000 Indian Rupees ($1,400).

    Tickets for the New Delhi to Dubai route were going for more than 50,000 rupees, five times more than the average rate. Moreover, no tickets were on offer from Sunday when the 10-day flight suspension comes into force.

    For private jets, the fare is ridiculously high. The spokesperson for a charter company total that
    “We have requested more aircraft from abroad to meet the demand. It costs $38,000 to $50,000 to hire a 13-seater jet from Mumbai to Dubai, and US$31,000 to hire a six-seater aircraft.”

    “People are making groups and arranging to share our jets to get a seat. We’ve had some queries for Thailand but the demand is for Dubai,” he maintained.

    According to the latest figures, UAE is home to around 3.3 million Indians which accounts to a third of Dubai’s total population.

    The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority has ordered that those who are coming from India must stay in 14 days quarantine.

  • Indian woman gets married to COVID positive man in PPE kit

    Indian woman gets married to COVID positive man in PPE kit

    An Indian couple recently tied the knot inside a coronavirus ward at the Alappuzha Media College in Kerala. Sarath Mon and Abhirami got married inside the Covid ward after the groom tested COVID-19 positive a few days back. The bride showed up at the hospital in a PPE kit.

    According to details, Sarath, who was working abroad, had tested positive during the arrangements of his wedding. Later, his mother was also tested positive for the virus. Both Sarath and his mother Jijimol were admitted to the Covid ward.

    After taking necessary permissions from the District Collector and other concerned authorities, the marriage was held inside the ward. The bride and a relative entered inside the Covid ward in a PPE.

    The family and relatives decided to hold the marriage on the fixed date on April 25 instead of delaying it further.

    Read more – ‘Distance makes the heart grow fonder’: Mumbai Police tells man wanting to see girlfriend amid lockdown

    The groom’s mother handed over the garlands to the couple and they tied the knot.

  • In a first, Kangana thanks Pakistan for extending prayers

    Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut has made headlines every now and then. Apart from her argument on nepotism, the actress has also been very vocal about her dislike of Pakistan. However, as Twitter in Pakistan trends with hashtags showing solidarity to India, Kangana’s heart, too, turned soft. But she was still misinformed about one detail.

    Taking to Twitter, Kangana wrote: “Heartwarming to see top trend from Pakistan #PakistanstandswithIndia. Narendra Modi provided the country with the vaccine. Nice to see them appreciate his kindness and reciprocate with love. We too acknowledge their empathy in these testing times.” But the actress was misinformed about the vaccine available in Pakistan.

    Pakistan is currently administering Sinopharm and Sputnik, which have been sent from China and Russia, respectively. Some users also clarified that the vaccines in Pakistan were not supplied to them by India.

    https://twitter.com/Little_knightss/status/1385846303574269953?s=19
    https://twitter.com/talkingcurves/status/1385834239837540352?s=19

    As of Saturday, the coronavirus death toll in India stood at 1,66,10,481 with 2,624 fatalities reported in 24 hours, out of which Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (773) followed by Delhi with 348 daily deaths, reported the Hindustan Times.

    People across the country are scrambling for life-saving oxygen supplies, while patients lay dying outside hospitals. There is a shortage of life-saving medicines and hospital beds too.

    Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan has also expressed solidarity for the people of India in the current wave of COVID-19.

  • Prayers for India: PM Imran, cabinet ministers tweet in solidarity

    On Saturday, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan tweeted:

    “I want to express our solidarity with the people of India as they battle a dangerous wave of COVID-19. Our prayers for a speedy recovery go to all those suffering from the pandemic in our neighbourhood & the world. We must fight this global challenge confronting humanity together.”

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry tweeted that in these difficult times, “our prayers are with people of India”.

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi expressed support for the people of India in the current wave of COVID-19.

    Apart from PM Imran and cabinet ministers, Pakistanis also expressed their solidarity with India. #PakistanStandsWithIndia trended as number 1 on Twitter.

    Yesterday, Faisal Edhi wrote to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offering help in tackling COVID-19 in India.

    According to BBC, India has recorded nearly a million infections in three days, with 346,786 new cases overnight into Saturday. [hyperlink

  • VIDEO: Indian police officer requests Muslims to pray for coronavirus pandemic to end

    VIDEO: Indian police officer requests Muslims to pray for coronavirus pandemic to end

    A video of a police officer in Mumbai requesting the Muslim community to pray for the coronavirus pandemic to end during Ramzan on a loudspeaker has gone viral on social media.

    “Main ne suna hai kay taraweeh ki namaz mein bohat jaldi suni jati hai to aap namaz me yahi mangna ke COVID hamare shehar se, hamare daish se jaldi chala jae (I have heard that Taraweeh prayers are heard, so please that COVID leaves our city and the country soon), the policeman can be heard saying in the video.

    Meanwhile, Pakistanis are extended their prayers for residents of it’s neighbouring country as India fights a deadly second wave.

    Prime Minister Imran Khan, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry and Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi also extended their prayers for India.

    #PakistanstandswithIndia and #IndiaNeedOxygen were some of the top trends on the microblogging website.

    Farhan Saeed, Shaan and Shoaib Akhtar were also among those who prayed for those suffering in India.

    Earlier on Friday, the Managing Trustee of Edhi Foundation Faisal Edhi wrote a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and offered help to manage the deadly second wave of coronavirus in India.

    India posted a record tally of 346,786 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, while daily deaths from COVID-19 also jumped by a record, government data released on Saturday showed.

    As per Indian media outlets, from the first wave of COVID-19, the demand for medical oxygen had increased from 700 metric tonnes per day to 2,800 metric tonnes per day. However, in the past few days, the demand has reached nearly 5,000 metric tonnes per day.