OPPOSITION LENDS WEIGHT TO FARMERS' CALL FOR BHARAT BANDH

As many as 15 parties opposed to the BJP, many running state governments,

extended support Sunday to the December 8 Bharat Bandh call given by

protesting farmer groups. This coalition is being seen as a renewed attempt

by the beleaguered political opposition to push the NDA to concede on the

three farm laws it had passed in September ignoring calls for more

discussion and scrutiny.

The support the farmers' agitation and the Bandh call have elicited is

similar to the broad Opposition unity which emerged in 2015 against

amendments to the Land Acquisition Act.

Last year, several Chief Ministers and parties had announced their

opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and a proposed nationwide

National Register of Citizens last year but could not force the government

to scrap the law.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and leaders of 10 parties from Maharashtra,

Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, issued a joint

statement yesterday, supporting the nationwide Bandh call. The statement is

seen as an attempt to broad base the farmers' stir and drive home the point

that the agitation cannot be downplayed as a movement driven only by farmers

from Punjab and Haryana.

"We extend our solidarity with the ongoing massive struggle by the Indian

farmers organised by various kisan organisations from across the country and

extend our support to their call for a Bharat Bandh on December 8 demanding

the withdrawal of these retrograde agri-laws and the Electricity Amendment

Bill," the joint statement by 11 parties said.

Besides Gandhi, the signatories are DMK chief M K Stalin; NCP chief Sharad

Pawar; RJD's Tejashwi Yadav; PAGD president Farooq Abdullah; SP chief

Akhilesh Yadav; CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury; CPI general secretary

D Raja; CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya; Forward Bloc's

Debabrata Biswas and RSP's Manoj Bhattacharya.

"These new agri-laws passed in the Parliament in a brazen anti-democratic

manner preventing a structured discussion and voting, threaten India's food

security, destroy Indian agriculture and our farmers, lay the basis for the

abolishment of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and mort.gage Indian

agriculture and our markets to the caprices of multi-national agri-business

corporates and domestic corporate," they said and argued that the "Central

government must adhere to the democratic processes and norms and meet the

legitimate demands of our Kisans-Annadatas."

The fault lines in the opposition, too, were visible. With Assembly

elections in West Bengal just months away, the Trinamool Congress was not

part of the joint statement but it separately extended support to the

farmers' stir.

The Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi, too, issued a separate appeal in support of

the Bandh. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the Aam Aadmi Party

fully supports the Bandh call given by the farmers. "AAP workers across the

country will peacefully support the Bandh. I appeal to all the people of the

country to support the farmers and take part in the Bandh."

In Hyderabad, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao asked his party

workers to make the Bandh a success in the state.

FARM LAWS WILL NOT BE REPEALED, AMENDMENTS CAN BE MADE, SAYS MINISTER

Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary on Sunday reiterated

that the three laws passed by the government are in favour of the farmers,

and added that laws will not be repealed, but if necessary, the government

will make some amendments to the Acts to acknowledge agitating farmer's

demands.

"These laws passed by the government will give freedom to farmers. We always

said farmers should have the right to sell their crop wherever they want.

Even Swaminathan Commission's report recommends' that. I don't think the

laws should be repealed. If necessary, some amendments to the Acts will be

made to acknowledge agitating farmer's demands.," said Choudhary.

He reassured the farmers that, as the government has said previously, the

minimum support price (MSP) for crops will continue, and the Centre is ready

to give it in writing as well.

"I think the Congress government in different states and also the party in

opposition is trying to instigate farmers. Nation's farmers are in favour of

these laws but some political people are trying to add fuel to the fire,"

said the Minister repeating the ruling BJP's allegation on opposition about

misleading the protesting farmers.

Choudhary again maintained that 'real farmers', who are still working in

their farms are 'not bothered' by the three laws, and alleged that the

agitators are 'lured' for 'political benefits'.

AFTER 3-WEEK PLATEAU, INDIA'S NEW COVID CASES SHOW A DROP

After staying around the same level for three weeks, fresh Covid cases in

India fell this week by around 16% from the previous seven days. With this,

the weekly count is now down by 62% from its peak in September 6-13, with no

signs yet of a second wave of the pandemic in the country.

However, the rate of reduction in active cases has slowed considerably in

recent weeks, with the count also rising for a few days. It has taken 26

days for active cases to fall from 5 lakh to 4 lakh. By contrast, the drop

from 6 lakh to 5 lakh taken 12 days, and the previous two one-lakh falls had

each happened in a week's time.

The total no. of cases identified country-wide since the start of pandemic

stands at about 96.74 lakhs while the current active cases are at around

3.96 lakhs. The total no. of deaths so far stands at about 1.40 lakhs

The last 7 days have seen an average of about 35,000 new cases a day while

the recoveries have averaged at about 41,694 a day. The deaths by Covid-19

have averaged 488 a day over the last 7 days.

An intensivist from one of Mumbai's teaching hospitals said that ICUs are

now seeing deaths on alternate days. "If patients come to us on time, the

mortality is negligible now. The message for young and old is not delay

seeking medical opinion once they have symptoms," he said.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

======================

UK GEARS UP FOR VACCINATION PLAN WATCHED BY THE WORLD

Final checks were taking place on Sunday on the deliveries of the

coronavirus vaccine developed by American drugmaker Pfizer and Germany's

BioNTech before its rollout to hospitals across the UK in super-cold

containers. Around 800,000 doses of the vaccine are expected to be in place

for the start of the immunisation programme on Tuesday, which will be the

country's biggest ever and which is being closely watched all around the

world. British health secretary Matt Hancock has reportedly dubbed Tuesday

as "V-Day," a nod to triumphs in World War II.

"Despite the huge complexities, hospitals will kickstart the first phase of

the largest scale vaccination campaign in our country's history from

Tuesday," said professor Stephen Powis, NHS England's national medical

director. "The first tranche of vaccine deliveries will be landing at

hospitals by Monday in readiness."

Patients aged 80 and above who are already attending hospitals as

outpatients and those being discharged after a stay in the hospital will be

among the first to receive the jab. Hospitals will also start inviting over

80s in for a vaccine shot and will work with nursing homes to book staff

into vaccination clinics.

The UK has secured 40 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which can cover

20 million people.

'MICROWAVE ATTACK LIKELY MAKING US DIPLOMATS ABROAD ILL'

The most probable cause of a series of mysterious afflictions that have

sickened American spies and diplomats abroad in the past several years was

radio-frequency energy, a type of radiation that includes microwaves, the

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has concluded in a

report.

The conclusion by a committee of 19 experts cited "directed, pulsed

radio-frequency energy" as "the most plausible mechanism" to explain the

illness, known as Havana syndrome, although they said secondary factors may

have contributed, according to a copy of the report.

The strange illness struck scores of government employees, first at the US

embassy in Havana in 2016, and subsequently in China and other countries.

Many of the officers suffered from dizziness, fatigue, headaches and loss of

hearing, memory and balance, and some were forced into permanent retirement.

The new report reveals strong evidence that the incidents were the result of

a malicious attack. It attributes the illnesses to "directed" and "pulsed" -

rather than "continuous" - energy, implying that the victims' exposure was

targeted and deliberate.

The fact that American government employees reported afflictions not only in

Cuba and China but also in Russia and other countries raises questions about

how widespread the incidents may be. The report recommends that the state

department act now to establish plans and protocols so it can immediately

begin an investigation if similar incidents occur in the future.

THE REST

========

290 TAKEN ILL IN AP DUE TO MYSTERIOUS DISEASE

A mysterious disease that began spreading in Eluru in Andhra Pradesh claimed

one life on Sunday even as about 292 fell sick.

More than 140 of the patients have returned home after treatment at hospital

while the condition of others was stable, medical and health officials in

West Godavari district said.

Nothing has yet been established as to what caused the disease that saw

people suddenly falling unconscious after suffering from symptoms of fits

and nausea.

Majority of the people had recovered within a few minutes but at least seven

were shifted to the government hospital on Sunday for better treatment.

Special teams of doctors have been rushed to Eluru to treat the victims

while a house-to-house survey has been undertaken to identify prospective

patients.

Health authorities could not yet establish the cause of the sudden disease,

though blood tests and CT scans were performed. Now culture test results are

awaited.

PROTESTS CAN SPREAD, WARNS SHARAD PAWAR; AKALIS GET SUPPORT OF SHIV SENA

A delegation of the Shiromani Akali Dal, the BJP's ally in Punjab that quit

the alliance protesting the farm Bills, met Maharashtra Chief Minister

Uddhav Thackeray Sunday to secure Shiv Sena's support for the ongoing

farmers' agitation.

The meeting took place at the CM's official bungalow Varsha in Mumbai. The

Akali team was led by its vice president and MP, Prem Singh Chandumajra.

"Uddhav Thackeray has assured us that the Shiv Sena will support all the

programmes pursued in the interest of farmers. The Maharashtra CM also

promised to come to Delhi and attend a coordination committee two weeks

later to draw up a future plan," said Chandumajra.

Before the Sena-Akali meeting, NCP veteran and former Agriculture Minister

Sharad Pawar, accompanied by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and Social Welfare

minister Dhananjay Munde, met Shiv Sena (MP) Sanjay Raut at his Bhandup

residence.

Said Sharad Pawar: "When farmers from Punjab and Haryana take to protest in

the streets, the Centre should have taken it seriously. Unfortunately, it

was not tackled with the required urgency to defuse the protest at the very

beginning," he said, and added: "The role of Punjab and Haryana is immense.

Any unrest in these states does not augur well for nation. As the unrest is

not going to be restricted to Delhi.it has the danger of spilling all over

country."

Maharashtra is among the non BJP-ruled states which has refused to implement

the three Central laws. But its response has been marked by confusion.

In the Lok Sabha, the Sena had supported the Bills but its members expressed

reservations and abstained from voting in Rajya Sabha. Unlike in Punjab and

Haryana, where farmers took to streets backed by political parties including

the Congress and Akali Dal, in Maharashtra leaders have been more cautious.

WAITING FOR DRAFT PEACE RESOLUTION FROM GOVT, SAYS NSCN (I-M)

The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak Muivah) has said they have

made their position "very clear" to the Government of India and are now

waiting for the draft peace resolution.

Negotiations between Naga groups and the Centre have been going on for 23

years now to find a peaceful solution to the vexed issue that has spanned

over six decades.

"We have made our position very clear and the Government of India was to

give their response in writing. I think in the process of formulating that,

maybe they are having second thoughts because they have to be very

cautious," says executive member of the NSCN(I-M)'s steering committee V.

Horam. "We are waiting for the draft resolution," he added.

ASSAM BAJRANG DAL LEADER SAYS WILL STOP HINDUS GOING TO CHURCH ON XMAS

Days after a Bajrang Dal leader in southern Assam's Barak Valley threatened

to beat up Hindus visiting churches on Christmas, he clarified his stance

Sunday, saying the outfit may start "awareness initiatives" to dissuade

people.

"We will not beat them but will definitely stop them. There are ways to

restrict. We might talk to them or start awareness initiatives," says Mithun

Nath, Bajrang Dal's Cachar district general secretary.

At a working committee meeting of the Bajrang Dal in Silchar on 3 December,

Nath had allegedly said, "If Hindus go and visit churches on Christmas day,

they will be taught a lesson.They are locking temples in Shillong and we are

celebrating with them. This can't be allowed." He was referring to the

alleged closure of the Vivekananda Centre, a part of Ramakrishna Mission, by

the Khasi Student's Union (KSU) in Meghalaya's capital Shillong.

AFTER PFIZER, PUNE LAB SEEKS NOD FOR EMERGENCY USE OF ITS OXFORD VACCINE

The Serum Institute of India on Sunday applied to the Drugs Controller

General of India (DCGI) for emergency use authorisation for its Oxford

Covid-19 vaccine in the country, official sources said. The vaccine,

developed by SII with Oxford and AstraZeneca, is the first candidate that's

being tested in India to seek emergency approval.

This comes a day after the Indian arm of US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer

sought a similar approval from India's drug regulator to use its Covid-19

vaccine candidate in India.

Citing the SII application, official sources said the firm has stated that

data from four clinical studies, two in the UK and one each in Brazil and

India, shows that Covishield is highly efficacious against symptomatic and

most importantly against severe COVID-19 infections.

The results are in line with findings from trials of other anti-coronavirus

vaccines, the firm is learnt to have said while citing the huge disease

burden to say Covishield is well placed to alleviate Covid-19 mortality and

morbidity.

MINISTER VIJ ENDORSES VACCINE BHARAT BIOTECH ASSERTION

Haryana Home and Health Minister Anil Vij on Sunday said the doctors had

informed him before giving Covaxine shot that a second dose would be given

after 28 days and that he would develop antibodies 14 days after the second

dose.

In a tweet on Sunday, Vij said despite taking precautions, he got infected

with COVID-19. He is being treated in Civil Hospital, Ambala and was feeling

better now.

Vij was administered COVID-19 vaccine on November 20. He was given a shot of

Bharat Biotech's vaccine Covaxin as a volunteer and the second dose was to

be given on December 18.

The Union Health Ministry and Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, which is

developing Covaxin in collaboration with the ICMR, said Vij testing positive

was not a marker of the vaccine's efficacy. They said Covaxin, one of

India's two indigenous COVID-19 vaccines, was a two-dose regimen and Vij had

received only one shot so far as a trial participant in Haryana.

WILL RETURN SPORTS AWARD IF FARM LAWS NOT WITHDRAWN, SAYS VIJENDER SINGH

Olympic winning boxer Vijender Singh has said he would return the Rajiv

Gandhi Khel Ratna Award - India's highest sporting honour - if the centre

does not repeal the three contentious farm laws.

"If the government doesn't withdraw the black laws, I will return my Rajiv

Gandhi Khel Ratna Award," said the boxer, who won the first ever Olympic

medal for India in the sport in 2008.

Vijender said this while addressing a gathering of farmers at Haryana's

border with Delhi at Singhu.

Vijender Singh is the latest in the line of sportsmen, artistes and

activists from across the country - majorly from the key protesting states

of Punjab and Haryana - to have thrown their weight behind the "Delhi Chalo"

protest, which entered its 11th day on Sunday.

FOREIGN FUNDS COLONISING INDIAN STARTUPS: NAUKRI.COM FOUNDER BIKHCHANDANI

In perhaps the first red flag by a significant start-up curator against

'flipping', a Naukri.com and Zomato investor has said foreign funds are the

new East India Company that are colonising successful start-ups in India by

transferring ownership overseas to skip Indian regulations and taxes.

Internet entrepreneur Sanjeev Bikhchandani says an estimated Rs 17 trillion

of market cap has been transferred abroad after young Indian start-ups were

forced to shift their company domicile overseas by foreign investors

promising the funds they need for growth.

"Shades of the East India Company type of situation here - Indian market,

Indian customers, Indian developers, Indian workforce. However 100% foreign

ownership, foreign investors. IP and data transferred overseas. Transfer

pricing issues foggy," he tweeted.

"Basically institutionalised transfer of wealth away from India while living

off the Indian market and Indian labour somewhat like the days of the

Company rule."

Profits from such "global exploitation" of intellectual property (IP)

created in India by Indians retained overseas. "Tax to Indian govt on such

profits??? Indian investors shut out," he tweeted.

The investors, he said, want access to Indian market and customers, but not

the Indian government, regulators or tax authorities.

INDIA BEAT AUSTRALIA BY 6 WICKETS IN 2ND T20I, CLINCH SERIES

India sealed the T20 International series against Australia with a game to

spare after a swashbuckling Hardik Pandya finished what Shikhar Dhawan had

set out to achieve with a scintillating 36-ball 52 in the second and

penultimate match here on Sunday.

The visitors chased down a challenging 195-run target set by the home side.

India had won the T20i opener in Canberra by 11 runs on Friday. This was

India's 10th successive win away from home in T20 Internationals.

Needing 25 of the final 12 balls after fetching 12 in the 18th over, Pandya

brought the equation down to 14 in the last over. The all-rounder then hit

two sixes to seal the match with 2 balls to spare. He remained unbeaten on

42 off 22 balls.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing. - Elbert Hubbard

OFF TRACK

A blonde was driving across several states to go visit her family. She was

five hours late and her family was getting worried. When she finally got

there she explained that she had seen 10 signs that said "CLEAN RESTROOMS

AHEAD..."