Chaos outside malls as visitors struggle with vax certs for entry

Chaos outside malls as visitors struggle with vax certs for entry

Some In Queues Question Mandate, Others Say It Will Ensure Safety

Farheen.Hussain@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:05.12.2021

For many Bengalureans, a favourite weekend activity is hanging out with friends and family members in shopping malls. But several citizens stared at long queues in front of the establishments on Saturday. Reason: Visitors were being checked for double vaccination certificates.

With the state government announcing that entry to malls and theatres should be granted only to double jabbed individuals, malls across the city saw lines of confused visitors struggling to produce their vaccine certificates. In some malls that STOI visited, verbal arguments were witnessed between shoppers and security guards who were stopping the latter to show proof of vaccination.

“Am I travelling internationally? When a majority of the elected representatives are moving around shamelessly with their masks down, why am I being forced to show the certificate? Should we stop coming to malls?” a visitor argued outside a mall while the guard tried to calm him down. He claimed though he had received both shots, it took him time to download the certificate.

The security personnel later told STOI that there are always some visitors who have issues. “It is a government mandate and we are doing it for their own safety. They hold up the queue and make it difficult for others,” the guard said, announcing loudly to people to keep the certificate and an ID ready before their reach the entry. She said the long lines are because of the weekend crowd.

BBMP chief commissioner Gaurav Gupta, while explaining the decision to grant entry to the double vaccinated, stated: “The state government has implemented regulatory measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and its new variant Omicron. We request everyone to follow Covid protocol and safety precautions at all times.”

Several visitors at a mall in Yeshwantpur, who were unaware of the regulatory measure, were surprised but quick to follow it. Krishnaprasad said it took him 15 minutes to download the certificate on his new phone. “This is for our own safety so I stepped aside, downloaded it and rejoined the queue,” he said, adding he will share the details on his social media platforms so that people will know that a vaccine certificate is a must to enter shopping malls.

Confusion will abate; no impact on footfall: Establishments

Shopping malls in the city said that the confusion on the first day will subside as people will get to know about the measure. Manoj Singh, cluster director (Karnataka), Nexus Malls, said it took a little longer on Saturday for customers to enter the mall as they had to produce their vaccination certificates. However, it did not affect footfall as the vaccination rate in Karnataka is high. “Most of the patrons are eligible to gain entry into malls as per the new advisory. We have also realised that people have been very self-aware. Malls are the only places which provide a controlled and hygienic shopping environment,” Singh said.

Sunil Munshi, AVP, operations, Orion Malls by Brigade Group, said: “Since this is the first day, we have faced a few challenges in terms of queues as customers took some time to download the certificates on their mobile phones, but going forward as awareness spreads, we do not see this as a point of concern. We have put up notifications and made announcements at all entry points of our malls to inform our customers on the new Covid directive,” he said explaining there has been no impact on footfall.

ENFORCING NORMS: As per state guidelines, entry to malls should be granted only to double-jabbed individuals

In some malls, verbal arguments were witnessed between shoppers and security guards who were stopping the latter to show proof of vaccination. Many visitors took some time to download their certificates

Why Qutub Minar has been closed for 40 yrs

TOI + EXCLUSIVE

Why Qutub Minar has been closed for 40 yrs

45 Visitors, Many Of Them Students, Died In A Stampede Inside The Minar on Dec 4, 1981

Abhilash.Gaur@timesgroup.com

Years ago, Friday used to be the busiest day of the week at Delhi’s Qutub Minar because entry was free and schools and colleges brought their students to picnic in the morning. On December 4, 1981, a Friday, the Qutub grounds were abuzz with tourists and there was a crowd at the minar door trying to get inside.

While public access to the minar’s top had been stopped in the 1950s, to prevent suicides, tourists were still allowed to go up to the first balcony, which is roughly as high as a 10-storey building.

By 11am busloads of tourists were inside the spiral staircase that leads up to the balcony. Around 11.30am – reports from that day say – the power supply tripped and the lights inside went out. The minar has large vents at regular intervals for air and light, but as scared visitors sought safety close to the staircase wall, they cut out the daylight. Then, as the crowd tried to exit desperately, a stampede occurred. Within minutes, dozens of people lay dead and injured in the darkness.

Anil Kumar, a student of Delhi’s Aurobindo College at the time, was inside the minar with seven of his friends when the stampede occurred. He told TOI they were descending the dark stairs in a single file when they suddenly “found themselves sliding down uncontrollably”. He survived with chest injuries.

Trapped behind jammed doors

The minar gate had heavy steel doors that opened inwards. As the number of people inside swelled, the chowkidar had pulled the doors shut. But when hundreds of people tried to barge outside at once, the doors jammed against the frame. Rescuers couldn’t enter through the gate because of the mass of people behind it.

Luckily, a scaffolding had been built behind the minar to carry out repairs, and local hawkers and tourist guides used it to enter the minar through the vents. They extricated many survivors and bodies over an hour.

By the time police and the fire brigade arrived, the dead had been laid out in the Qutub lawns and the injured rushed to AIIMS and Safdarjung hospitals in the tourist buses that had brought them in the morning.

At 3.30pm, then home minister Giani Zail Singh informed Lok Sabha that 45 persons had been killed and 21 injured.

A team of 12 doctors formed to do the autopsies finished its work around 1.30am on December 5. They said most of the deaths were due to suffocation and trampling, not bleeding. Few bodies had external injuries.

What caused the stampede?

Survivors that day gave different accounts of what had happened. Some said a group of unruly boys had misbehaved with women tourists in the dark, and the stampede started when those women tried to rush downstairs. Others said someone had slipped in the dark and set off a chain reaction while trying to regain balance.

Next day, Delhi Police denied receiving any complaint of molestation, but news reports from the time say two tourists from New Zealand, Jackie and Marie, had alleged they were molested. One of them was seen leaving the Qutub compound wearing a borrowed lungi and shirt. Later, district and sessions judge Jagdish Chandra’s inquiry report in the case also made a mention of their harassment.

Overcrowding was an old problem in the minar, especially on holidays.

There had been another stampede on August 15, 1978 when a man had fainted from suffocation in the packed staircase. Twelve people were injured that day, six of them seriously.

After the December 1981 tragedy, education minister Sheila Kaul told Lok Sabha a system of crowd-control had been in place since the 1950s, when tickets were introduced at the Qutub. There are 155 steps up to the first balcony, so 300 visitors were allowed in at a time. They walked up single-file, looked around from the balcony, which had space for 40-50 persons, and then descended single-file. When 50 visitors exited the tower, 50 more were sent inside.

Ensuring that the tourists ascended and descended the steps – which are about 5 feet wide at the base and narrow to 4 feet at the balcony – in an orderly double spiral was crucial for safety, but on Fridays and other holidays this was impossible. By some accounts, more than 500 people were inside the minar on December 4, 1981.

‘Qutub is falling…’

Just as the police denied reports of molestation, the Delhi municipal corporation at first said there had been no power outage at the minar between 10.50am and 12.30pm on December 4. A truck had dashed against an electricity pole, tripping power at 9.15am, but supply had been restored by 10.50am, it said.

But the Chandra Commission report found power failure to be one of the major causes of the tragedy, and held Delhi Electricity Supply Undertaking responsible for it. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was held equally culpable for the “very bad and dangerous condition” of the steps, which had “dangerous depressions and contours” because they had never been repaired, it said.

The inquiry commission concluded that the stampede had occurred when a girl – not one of the New Zealand tourists – slipped near the minar’s 8th ventilator and some boys raised a false alarm: “Qutub is falling...go down, go down.”

RT-PCR report must for Vaishno Devi visit

RT-PCR report must for Vaishno Devi visit

05.12.2021

Reviewing precautionary measures taken in view of the new Covid-19 variant Omicron, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) has mandated for all visiting devotees to have verifiable RT-PCR reports not older than 72 hours, reports Sanjay Khajuria. Urging those taking up the pilgrimage not to let down their guard in the wake of a recent spike in Covid cases, SMVDSB chief executive officer Ramesh Kumar has appealed to the devotees to adhere to Covid-appropriate behaviour and carry valid RT-PCR reports with them.

Indian spouses were losing jobs because of H4 delays so we decided to go to court

FOR THE RECORD

Indian spouses were losing jobs because of H4 delays so we decided to go to court

For spouses of H1B visa holders, the American dream wasn’t all rosy. Not only did they need employment authorisation to work in the US, but it had to be renewed every two years with the process taking months or even a year. After a brush with this system, an Indian-origin couple from Canada decided to take the matter to court and won a landmark settlement agreement. Amandeep Shergill, lead plaintiff in the Shergill vs Mayorkas lawsuit, and her husband Ripan Shergill spoke to Sonam Joshi about why they took up this battle

Can you tell us about your journey from Punjab to Canada and now Seattle?

Ripan: I studied at Panjab University and moved to Canada in 2001 as a permanent resident. We got married in 2003 and settled in Toronto. In 2015, we relocated to Seattle as Canadian citizens. US law is brutal and archaic, it only considers your country of birth. So, though we are Canadian citizens, we had to join the Indian immigration queue. We never thought being on H1B would be so stressful. Every three years, you have to renew it. I changed multiple companies and every time, you don’t know who is adjudicating your visa renewal. Someone in a cranky mood could find some technicality to deny your visa. My son is in 12th grade. In the last four years, every time this paperwork renewal came, we’d have a conversation about whether he’d be going to the same school next year, or whether we’d be moving lock stock and barrel. Every Indian American can relate to that situation.

Aman, what were the challenges you faced as a spouse on an H4 visa?

Aman: I have a MSc degree from Punjabi University. In Canada, I was working fulltime as a teacher but here an H1B spouse can only work if the employer sponsors a green card. It was very frustrating to stay at home doing nothing. I had even taken classes and got my license to work as a realtor. It took two years but in 2017, his employer did that and I got the H-4 Employment Authorisation Document (EAD) or work permit. But that wasn’t the end of it.

How did the pandemic impact your EAD?

Aman: The Trump administration had made it harder for immigrants. Then Covid happened, and everything was backlogged. A process that used to take two to four months started taking six to twelve months. So many others too were in the same boat, forced to give up their full-time jobs and stay home. I was upset because I was doing very well and had 20-30 clients that I had to give up because I couldn’t work for 25 days till the EAD came through. It is so unfair because all other visas have automatic extension.

What prompted you to file a lawsuit?

Ripan: For Aman, the EAD delay was only 25 days but we still wanted to proceed, so no one else has to go through this mess. There is no reason for USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) to sit on an application that just takes two minutes to approve. As Canadian citizens, it’s easy for us to renew our H4 visa. All we have to do is drive across the border, make a U-turn to return and get the stamp. That’s not a privilege those holding Indian passports have. In the end, litigation was the only way because you have to fight for your rights.

Who were the other plaintiffs?

Ripan: It was just 15 of us who connected on a WhatsApp group to share our experiences. Around 13 were Indian, one was Polish, and we were Canadian. Some women were on the brink of losing their jobs, some had lost their jobs waiting for the EAD to come through. The case was filed under Aman’s name. When we were told they want to settle, we decided to expand the benefit into a class action that solves a bigger problem for everybody, and gets rid of this nonsense of making people wait, lose their jobs and create upheaval in their lives.

Tell us how this settlement changes lives and the challenges ahead?

Any Indian H4 spouse born in India and applying for a standalone H4 will benefit from this settlement. Apart from H4, many Indian IT companies send their executives on L2 visas. Their spouses are the biggest winners as they are authorised to work from the day they land in the US. Prior to this, they had to apply and wait. But the fight isn’t over for the larger Indian diaspora. Common sense reform needs to happen. When this H4 benefit was initially bestowed in 2015, H4s and H1Bs were adjudicated immediately at the same time. Then came Trump with his hardline approach separating the two applicants. This was just red tape introduced to discourage Indian professionals, because largely H1Bs are from India. Should the Biden Administration go back to adjudicating H4 applications concurrently with H1Bs in a 15-day timeframe — as it was before the Trump administration — it will solve a problem for all Indian H4 spouses.

US returnee flees with swab from airport in Jharkhand

US returnee flees with swab from airport in Jharkhand

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Jamshedpur:05.12.2021

A 28-year-old man who flew into Jharkhand’s Jamshedpur from the US on Friday created ruckus at the airport Covid test centre and eventually fled with his swab sample. Health department authorities got in touch with him over the phone on Saturday and requested him to come for the test, additional chief medical officer Sahir Pall said.

Not just this man, several other foreign returnees to Jamshedpur and the rest of East Singhbhum are not cooperating with health officials when it comes to Covid tests, sources said. Health officials have sought police help in making sure that the US returnee comes to a Covid test centre. Some returnees are switching off their phones soon after leaving the airport. Some others are sharing their international numbers with the authorities, sources said.

Heavy rain likely in 4 WB coastal districts

Heavy rain likely in 4 WB coastal districts

Prithvijit.Mitra@timesgroup.com

Kolkata:05.12.2021

Cyclone Jawad lost strength and weakened into a deep depression on Saturday even as it approached the Odisha coast and is set to recurve near Puri on Sunday afternoon and move towards Bengal coast, losing further strength. It may reach Bengal as a low-pressure or a cyclonic circulation on Sunday that will curb its impact a great deal, though heavy rain has still been predicted in some areas of the four coastal districts of the state. Kolkata could receive just light to moderate showers on Sunday.

Three factors led to Jawad losing its strength, said weather experts. First, the lack of a uniform ‘wind shear’ that was needed to keep the cyclone intact and make it move towards the coast. Secondly, north Bay of Bengal — over which the system is now hovering turns cool in December which cuts off the supply of moisture to cyclonic systems, rendering them weaker. Finally, cool winds have been blowing into the sea from the land which is making the system disintegrate.

“A cyclone is a mammoth system which needs to be pushed by a uniform wind speed which is now lacking. Disparate wind currents tend to break the system and leave it weaker, which has happened to Jawad. Due to low temperatures and cool winds, which now prevail over Bay of Bengal, cyclones are rare in December,” said Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) director GK Das.

With Jawad fizzling out as a cyclone, Kolkata is now set to receive just light to moderate rain on Sunday, instead of the very heavy showers that had been earlier predicted.

Full report on www.toi.in

Will India see Omicron wave? ‘It will be clear in 6 to 8 weeks’

Will India see Omicron wave? ‘It will be clear in 6 to 8 weeks’

Doctor: Have To Study If Omicron Displaces Delta As Dominant Variant

Malathy Iyer TNN

Mumbai  05.12.2021

: While Maharashtra’s first Omicron case has been detected in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, experts said it would take another six to eight weeks for an “Omicron wave”, if at all, to become apparent.

The state health machinery is going to use the time to focus on vaccination. State additional chief secretary (health) Dr Pradeep Vyas said, “We will focus on quickly completing the vaccination process and ensuring that people follow Covid-appropriate behavior, particularly proper wearing of face mask.”

Dr Shashank Joshi, a member of the state government’s Covid task force, said, “There are too many unknowns with the Omicron variant at the moment. We shouldn’t panic, but maintain a vigil. We have to study if Omicron in the next few weeks displaces the Delta variant (which caused the second wave in India) as the dominant variant in circulation.”

He said the next six to eight weeks are crucial to see how the Omicron variant behaves in India which has seen a wide exposure to the Delta variant. “Most Omicron cases are related to travel. We have to study clusters of cases in countries other than South Africa that may have developed after the first travel-related case. It will help us prepare,” added Dr Joshi.

Full report on www.toi.in

JABBED: A health worker administers a dose of Covid-19 vaccine to a beneficiary at a vaccination centre in Patna on Saturday

RT-PCR report must for Vaishno Devi visit

Reviewing precautionary measures taken in view of the new Covid-19 variant Omicron, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) has mandated for all visiting devotees to have verifiable RT-PCR reports not older than 72 hours, reports Sanjay Khajuria. Urging those taking up the pilgrimage not to let down their guard in the wake of a recent spike in Covid cases, SMVDSB chief executive officer Ramesh Kumar has appealed to the devotees to adhere to Covidappropriate behaviour and carry valid RT-PCR reports with them.