Transgender people clean up Delhi’s Jamuna Bank
Instead of being busy in their traditional activities, a number of transgender the other day descended on the bank of the Jamuna near Delhi’s ITO bridge to clean the holy river. Wearing shining sarees and carrying handbags, transgender with brooms and shovels collected the garbage. They were motivated for this “holy cause” by a team of doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), who have been doing a study on their bone density. Under the study, the transgender have been regularly undergoing bone-density tests which measure the strength of bones. Many people get a bone-density test every few years to find and treat serious bone loss, called osteoporosis, and prevent fractures and disability. The AIIMS wants to determine whether transgender have a different kind of bone density because of their unique body structure, traditional activities and lifestyle. The AIIMS doctors had roped in a noted NGO, Aarohan, which has been working for transgender’ welfare for long. Aarohan’s director Shashi Sahai (a well-known photographer) told The Sunday Guardian that “this was the first time transgender had come forward for the Jamuna cleaning campaign.” The AIIMS’ noted orthopaedics scientist, Dr Vivek Dixit, with his team, and Dr Saurabh Bhayana from Safdarjung Hospital and a team of the ‘Swachh Yamuna Abhiyaan’ and students rubbed shoulders with transgender in cleaning the river bank. Aarohan president Rani Patel said,“If we inculcate these values at an early stage among our younger ones, it will be a lifetime learning.”
Kejriwal’s Close Advocate Friend Dead
Delhi High Court’s legal fraternity some days ago lost a dear member Raman Duggal (68). Soft-spoken and always smiling Duggal with over 40 years’ practise was also a close friend of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for over two decades. Duggal was the first Standing Counsel (Civil) chosen for the HC when Kejriwal for the first time picked up his own trusted legal team in 2015. A product of Kurukshetra law faculty, Duggal was suffering from mouth cancer for about a year. “He was not a smoker and never consumed tobacco products,” wife Anita told The Sunday Guardian. “Last November, cancer was detected following something had gone wrong during his dental treatment.” Kejriwal attended Duggal’s ‘chautha’ at Defence Colony gurdwara. “Raman was a dear friend for over 22 years. We worked together. Raman used to quietly help poor people in many ways and never charged fee from such litigants. His death is a personal loss to me,” the CM said addressing a big gathering of relations, friends and lawyers. Duggal’s daughter Suroor said her father had got associated with Kejriwal’s NGO and both had worked together for the Right to Information law.
The Aam Aadmi Party government in May 2015 had gone in for a major overhaul of its legal team, bringing in fresh faces following a transparent procedure of public advertisement, applications and interviews. Earlier, the chief ministers used to pick up the legal teams for civil and criminal matters in the high court. Duggal was assisted by a new team of eight additional standing counsel. Duggal, who had represented the Municipal Corporation of Delhi earlier, was chosen “due to his clean image”, a law department official said. Son of an army officer, Duggal’s family roots were from Wazirabad (now in Pakistan). His grandfather had come to India on 15 August 1947 in an army train and seen Lahore burning on the way.
rs outreach to To People Has Increased Manifold
A workaholic, M.Venkaiah Naidu (72) has completed four years in office as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Under his guidance, the House of Elders has recorded a manifold increase in public communication through media to keep the people aware of its functioning and important decisions taken. Since becoming the Chairman in August 2017, about 491 Press releases/communication products have been issued on various aspects of the functioning of the House and the Secretariat. This comes to an unprecedented more than two such releases (2.36) per week. While the Secretariat’s Media Unit put out 263 releases, the Chairman’s office circulated 228 during the last four years. This order of communication output per week is four and a half times that of the preceding five years. During 2012-17, a total of 135 media communication products were issued which comes to two releases per week (0.519 per week).
Happy Reunion
Finally, Romina and Vivaan arrived in New Delhi from Tehran in the Iranian flagship Mahan’s flight on Friday at 10.30 pm. It was an emotional reunion of Ved with his wife and the baby. “We thank all the beautiful Indian people, especially Jolly Saheb, who helped us to unite our family. God bless them,” Ved and Romina told this writer.