Kerala couple braves flood, sails in a cooking vessel to get hitched
Alappuzha (Ker)(PTI): Love knows no bounds, not even nature's fury. Sailing along in a large cooking vessel through the flooded streets, a health worker couple from the district beat all odds to exchange their wedding vows on Monday here, keen not to miss the special occasion to usher in a new chapter in their life.
The couple's love story came as a pleasant news for the rain-battered Kerala, which has seen tragedy unfold in the last two days that was marked by the despair of death, with bodies being found following the heavy downpour and landslides.
For the newlyweds-- Akash and Aishwarya-- a large aluminium vessel doubled up as some kind of a boat to transport them to the venue where the wedding was slated to take place.
Entering wedlock in a flooded hall at Thalavady here adjacent to a nearby temple, where they were scheduled to get married initially and which too was filled with water, the couple were joined by a small group of relatives.
The couple told reporters -- who were covering the rising water levels in the district and had arrived at the hall after hearing about the nuptials -- that due to Covid-19 they had kept the invitees to the minimum.
They said since they had scheduled the wedding for Monday, they decided to go ahead with it as it was an auspicious event and did not want to delay it any further.
When they arrived at the temple a few days ago, there was no water, but it was flooded following the heavy rains in the last two days. The couple are health workers working at a hospital in Chengannur here.
A couple from Kerala's Alappuzha district use a huge cooking vessel as a makeshift boat to sail through flooded roads and reach their wedding venue. pic.twitter.com/JJ1ncnSDFY
— NDTV (@ndtv) October 18, 2021
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
SC notice to Centre on plea to include ayurveda, yoga in Ayushman Bharat
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court sought the Centre's response on a plea seeking inclusion of ayurveda, yoga, and naturopathy in the national Ayushman Bharat scheme.
A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra issued the notice to the Centre and others on the petition filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.
The plea, which sought inclusion of the practices in PM-JAY, also known as Ayushman Bharat, said the inclusion would allow a significant portion of the country's population to avail affordable healthcare benefits and wellness in various serious diseases, apart from providing employment to many working in the field of Ayurveda.
Ayushman Bharat, which was launched in 2018, has two main components -- PM-JAY and Health and Wellness Centres.
The former provides for a cashless health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per BPL family every year.
The petitioner sought the scheme to be implemented in all states and the Indian healthcare systems.
"PM-JAY, that is, Ayushman Bharat predominantly covers and is limited to allopathic hospitals and dispensaries, while India boasts various indigenous medical systems, including ayurveda, yoga, naturopathy, siddha, unani, homeopathy, which are rooted in India's rich traditions and are highly effective in addressing the healthcare needs of the present time," it said.
The plea claimed due to various "policies created by foreign rulers" and "individuals with a colonial mindset" India's cultural and intellectual knowledge, besides scientific heritage, had systematically eroded.
"These foreigners, motivated by a profit-oriented approach, have thoughtfully implemented many laws and schemes during the time of our country's independence that have slowly undermined our rich heritage and history," it alleged.
