No Dahi Handi in Mumbai, BJP cries foul

MUMBAI:  In view of the pandemic and fear of a third wave of Covid-19,  Mumbai’s traditional Dahi Handi celebration will not take place this year. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray called a meeting of Govind Pathaks that erect human pyramids during Dahi Handi — to mark the birth of Lord Krishna — and urged them not to celebrate this year and focus on creating health awareness instead.

Thackeray said the pandemic has forced various restrictions on the daily life of people. He urged Govind Pathaks to take welfare initiatives instead. BJP opposed the move. The party’s state leader Ashish Shelar said this is ‘Taliban mentality’ of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government He said the government is allowing hotels, bars and wine shops to operate, but not Hindu festivals. He said those who have taken both doses of the vaccine should be allowed to organise Dahi Handi without crowding. 

Maharashtra Covid-19 task force chief, Dr Sanjay Oak, who was also present in the virtual meeting, said physical distancing cannot be maintained during Dahi Handi celebrations as people come in very close contact with each other while forming human pyramids.

Virus leads to increase in infant deaths
New Delhi: An estimate by World Bank researchers shows that the economic decline accompanying Covid-19 may have caused over 2,67,000 infant deaths in low and middle-income countries, more than a third of which occurred in India. Researchers estimated 2,67,208 excess infant deaths in 128 countries — a 6.8% increase — and underscored the vulnerability of infants to the negative income shocks. India has the highest annual births (2,42,38,000) and a large projected economic shortfall of −17.3%, said the paper. “While efforts towards prevention and treatment remain paramount, the global community should also strengthen social safety nets and assure continuity of essential health service,” the authors noted.