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<v Speaker 1>In this episode, we talk about a medication that could

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<v Speaker 1>potentially be a tool in the.

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<v Speaker 2>Fight against cervical cancer. We also talk.

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<v Speaker 1>About Prashantkishore's victory in Bihar's bunky Pur, which ended bgp's

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<v Speaker 1>three decade.

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<v Speaker 2>Long hold over the constituency.

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<v Speaker 1>But first we turned to Indian hockey, where a change

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<v Speaker 1>in the jersey color has triggered a controversy just weeks

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<v Speaker 1>before the World Cup. Hi, I am Aherri Kananda and

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<v Speaker 1>you are listening to three things in an Express News show.

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<v Speaker 1>For decades, India's hockey teams have been associated with blue

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<v Speaker 1>or white at major tournaments.

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<v Speaker 2>But when the men's and women's.

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<v Speaker 1>Teams walk out for the upcoming World Cup in Belgium

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<v Speaker 1>and the Netherlands, instead of the traditional blue, they are

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<v Speaker 1>expected to wear saffron, and since the color is closely

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<v Speaker 1>associated with the RSS and the BJP, many have seen

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<v Speaker 1>this as yet another move towards safroization. Now, Hockey India

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<v Speaker 1>has said that the decision was technical and that saffron

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<v Speaker 1>was chosen after consultations with players and coaches, but The

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<v Speaker 1>Indian Express spoke to members of both the men's and

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<v Speaker 1>women's teams who said they were not consulted, so to

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<v Speaker 1>understand who was involved in that decision and why has

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<v Speaker 1>India changed its hockey jersey color. Michael league Ichasharma is

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<v Speaker 1>joined by The Indian Express's Mihirasaada.

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<v Speaker 3>Here, could you start by telling our listeners a bit

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<v Speaker 3>about how much does a jersey actually become part of

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<v Speaker 3>a team's history and emotional connection with players and fans.

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<v Speaker 4>Like you said, it's more emotional, right, So India started

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<v Speaker 4>playing hockey. In fact, this is the one hundred tier

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<v Speaker 4>of India playing hockey internationally. The first time the team

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<v Speaker 4>went abroad was one hundred years ago in July to

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<v Speaker 4>New Zealand. That was an Indian Army team which then

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<v Speaker 4>went on to be identified as the Indian Teams. So

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<v Speaker 4>we are celebrating the hundredth anniversary of Indian hockey now.

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<v Speaker 4>Since India started playing at the Olympics in hockey in

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<v Speaker 4>nineteen twenty eight, they've almost always played in blue jerseys

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<v Speaker 4>all the major tournaments except one in twenty fourteen, which

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<v Speaker 4>was the the sponsor commitments will come to it later.

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<v Speaker 4>Every time in India have played, it's been in one

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<v Speaker 4>of the shades of blue or the alternate jersey has

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<v Speaker 4>been white. So over a century there has been this

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<v Speaker 4>connection with the color blue. Cricket team we call them

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<v Speaker 4>men in blue, but that's a very recent phenomenon. The

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<v Speaker 4>og team in blue is hockey and that is one

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<v Speaker 4>emotional connect because even before India became an independent country,

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<v Speaker 4>it was through hockey that the country got its identity.

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<v Speaker 4>Was the hockey team that won gold medals at the Olympics.

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<v Speaker 4>It was Dyanchen who in those blue jerseys, literally took

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<v Speaker 4>the world by a storm with his hockey stick, so

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<v Speaker 4>much so that the legend, as the legend goes, of

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<v Speaker 4>Adolf Hitler too being stunned by how good Dyanchen was.

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<v Speaker 4>The first gold medal that India won after it became

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<v Speaker 4>independent in the nineteen forty eight Olympics, also was when

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<v Speaker 4>the team was wearing a blue jersey. So there is

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<v Speaker 4>a lot of historical and emotional significance to this color

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<v Speaker 4>and the jersey.

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<v Speaker 3>And so why this switch from blue to saffron.

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<v Speaker 4>There is one explanation that has come from Hockey India,

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<v Speaker 4>which is the governing body of the sport in the country.

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<v Speaker 4>They say that the blue color blends with the color

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<v Speaker 4>of the turf, which is also blue. So the players

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<v Speaker 4>have found it difficult to identify each other on field

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<v Speaker 4>and the orange contrasts, they say helps them in just

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<v Speaker 4>spotting a team mate better. That is the official explanation.

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<v Speaker 4>So Hawk India said it was the players and coaches

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<v Speaker 4>that came up with this recommendation and they were presented

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<v Speaker 4>with a couple of colors orange and yellow. They prefer orange.

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<v Speaker 4>They have put it on the players, right, And perhaps the.

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<v Speaker 3>Most concerning bit even for the authorities isn't Saffron itself,

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<v Speaker 3>but the decision making process. So could you tell us

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<v Speaker 3>who actually approved this decision?

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<v Speaker 4>That's where things get interesting because Hockey India put it

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<v Speaker 4>on the players and coaches. And when we reached out

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<v Speaker 4>to the team members and we go beyond the players

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<v Speaker 4>and we speak to the wider group and the coaches,

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<v Speaker 4>support staff and everyone, and five of them told us

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<v Speaker 4>across men's and women's team, they told us that they

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<v Speaker 4>were never consulted about this. It was only when they

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<v Speaker 4>were shown the orange jersey did they get to know

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<v Speaker 4>that this will be something that they'll be wearing at

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<v Speaker 4>the World Cup which begins next week. So the process,

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<v Speaker 4>we don't know how transparent it was. And this became

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<v Speaker 4>apparent in the days that followed because it turns out

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<v Speaker 4>that the Hockey India did not even consult its executive body.

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<v Speaker 4>Forget the executive body. Even the Hockey India President, the

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<v Speaker 4>Lip Turkey, who is a former India hockey captain or

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<v Speaker 4>was not aware of this decision. So it begs a

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<v Speaker 4>question of who took this decision. So the Key in

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<v Speaker 4>his email to Hockey India Executive Board eluded that it

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<v Speaker 4>was the Secretary General and the Executive Director of Hockey

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<v Speaker 4>India who took this decision. He asked them why these

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<v Speaker 4>decisions were taken and wet to hear exactly the sequence

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<v Speaker 4>of events that led them to changing the color of

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<v Speaker 4>the jersey.

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<v Speaker 3>I me here, how common is it for national teams

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<v Speaker 3>around the world to change colors that have defined them

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<v Speaker 3>for decades.

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<v Speaker 4>So it's not uncommon, I'll put it that way. It's

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<v Speaker 4>not something that happens very frequently. But say, for example,

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<v Speaker 4>in badminton, when the players are traveling the world and

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<v Speaker 4>they're competing in a tournament week in and week out,

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<v Speaker 4>you've seen PV. Sindhu, for example, playing multiple colors over

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<v Speaker 4>the years. Same with Satwik Sairadi in Chirakshaiti. You've seen

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<v Speaker 4>them play in all shades nearly. So it isn't as

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<v Speaker 4>if that there is one color code that defines all

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<v Speaker 4>Indian teams. But if there's one color that's associated with

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<v Speaker 4>Indian sport, it is blue because all the big moments

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<v Speaker 4>when India goes out and competes in multi discipline games

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<v Speaker 4>with the Olympics, the Commonweal Games. We just concluded on Sunday,

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<v Speaker 4>all the Asian Games which will begin next month, it

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<v Speaker 4>will be blue that the teams will be wearing. That

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<v Speaker 4>the players will be wearing. A cricket team. Like we said,

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<v Speaker 4>they called men in blue and women in blue because

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<v Speaker 4>they wear those blue jerseys which have been around for

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<v Speaker 4>the last thirty to forty years. So it isn't changed frequently,

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<v Speaker 4>but whenever there has been a change, it has been

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<v Speaker 4>met with some backlash. I mentioned hockey playing a tournament

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<v Speaker 4>in yellow. Now, the only two instances on record of

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<v Speaker 4>hockey deviating from its blue was when in nineteen ninety

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<v Speaker 4>four ninety five hockey sittin Kiyarumukam told us painting team

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<v Speaker 4>kept on changing their patterns of t shirts although it

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<v Speaker 4>remained some shade of blue, but still that was met

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<v Speaker 4>with a rough backlash because it kept on changing. And

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<v Speaker 4>then in the year twenty fourteen, the World Cup was

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<v Speaker 4>played wearing yellow jerseys on both occasions. The decision driven

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<v Speaker 4>by sponsors. They for their visibility and brand endorsements they

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<v Speaker 4>made the team were a particular color, and swiftly the

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<v Speaker 4>Federation had to revert to blue because of the backlash.

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<v Speaker 3>Right and with the color switch, political interpretations seem almost inevitable.

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<v Speaker 3>So what kinds of political debates have emerged since this change?

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, so immediately this issue was picked up by Congress

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<v Speaker 4>MP Priyanka Gandhi. She spoke about it outside the parliament

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<v Speaker 4>when she was interacting with the reporters, and then it

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<v Speaker 4>ballooned into something which Hawkina did not anticipate would become

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<v Speaker 4>a big issue. Of course, Saffron is a color linked

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<v Speaker 4>to the RSS organization, and the critics in this case

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<v Speaker 4>of the Jersey change said that this was an attempt

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<v Speaker 4>to kind of change the identity and link it to

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<v Speaker 4>political affiliated organizations, and that's one of the key reasons

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<v Speaker 4>why there was an The demand was at least what

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<v Speaker 4>the critics said, was to not mix sport and politics

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<v Speaker 4>and to add to that, when the Hockey India President,

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<v Speaker 4>the Lip Turkey wrote the email to his executive board

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<v Speaker 4>last Friday, he did mention that the government of Orissa

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<v Speaker 4>had questioned him. And now the Orisa government has been

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<v Speaker 4>one of long standing sponsors principal sponsors of the Indian

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<v Speaker 4>hockey team. So the BJP government there looks like they

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<v Speaker 4>were concerned by the backlash that this decision received when

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<v Speaker 4>they too were kept in the dark. Going by what

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<v Speaker 4>the Lift Turkey mentioned in this letter, he did say

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<v Speaker 4>that the Orisa government was questioning him on this decision,

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<v Speaker 4>and I mean Buttnight, the former Orissa Chief Minister, the

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<v Speaker 4>person who started the connection between Orissa and Hockey, put

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<v Speaker 4>the blame fair and square on the current BJP government

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<v Speaker 4>of the state and said that it was their attempt

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<v Speaker 4>to change the color of the jerseys, although we haven't

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<v Speaker 4>had any independent confirmation of that happening, right and me,

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<v Speaker 4>here you.

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<v Speaker 3>Spoke of a couple of stakeholders like players, sponsors. So

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<v Speaker 3>normally who has the authority to approve something as significant

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<v Speaker 3>as national team's jersey.

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<v Speaker 4>So it's not a one person decision nor a one

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<v Speaker 4>federation decision. Of course, if there's something as massive as

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<v Speaker 4>this happening. And you know, I asked one of the

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<v Speaker 4>former India players, Ajit Pulsing, who was the captain of

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<v Speaker 4>the only side that has won the World Cup for

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<v Speaker 4>India in nineteen seventy five. I asked him, you know

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<v Speaker 4>a lot of people do have this question in mind.

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<v Speaker 4>What bigger difference does a color make? If you're wearing

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<v Speaker 4>orange or blue? How does it make any difference? And

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<v Speaker 4>his simple reply was that if it doesn't make any difference,

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<v Speaker 4>then why do you change from orange to blue? Then

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<v Speaker 4>let it be blue. So that is one thing that

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<v Speaker 4>the players feel. And if a decision as big as

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<v Speaker 4>this has to be made, then it is fair that

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<v Speaker 4>everyone involved in the process be the players, the former players,

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<v Speaker 4>the federation and to a certain extend also the fans

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<v Speaker 4>because they are the ultimate stakeholders of this sport. It

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<v Speaker 4>should be a proper consulted decision and not one or

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<v Speaker 4>two people inside of federation.

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<v Speaker 3>And they here with the World Cup just days away?

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<v Speaker 3>Could this controversy become a distraction for the players, Like

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<v Speaker 3>could Hockey India still revisit the decision?

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<v Speaker 4>They won't be able to change it now because unless

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<v Speaker 4>they've done that already, but the deadline to submit the

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<v Speaker 4>colors that your team will play in has passed. I

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<v Speaker 4>think it was last Friday or Saturday. So unless the

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<v Speaker 4>Indian team made those changes beforehand, and that's something that

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<v Speaker 4>we don't think it has happened. India will play this

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<v Speaker 4>World Cup in the Orange Jersey. And this was one

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<v Speaker 4>of those controversies which is rather needless and could have

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<v Speaker 4>easily been avoided. The team has had a rocky build

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<v Speaker 4>up to the World Cup anyway, this only adds to

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<v Speaker 4>the distraction just ten days or to twelve days before

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<v Speaker 4>the World Cup for them. So yeah, it's a thing

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<v Speaker 4>that was completely avoidable and we'll see if it really

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<v Speaker 4>has any impact on the way they play.

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<v Speaker 1>And next we talk about a major development that could

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<v Speaker 1>change how we prevent and treat cervical cancer.

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<v Speaker 2>Cervical cancer is.

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<v Speaker 1>The second most common cancer among women in India, which

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<v Speaker 1>in up to eighty five percent of the cases, is

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<v Speaker 1>caused by the persistent human pepelloma virus or HPV infection.

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<v Speaker 1>According to the Global Cancer Observatory, nearly seventy nine thousand

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<v Speaker 1>women in India were diagnosed with cervical cancer in twenty

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<v Speaker 1>twenty four, and the disease also claimed over thirty six thousand.

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<v Speaker 2>Lives that year.

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<v Speaker 1>Now, cervical cancer is one of the few cancers caused

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<v Speaker 1>by an infection, which means it can largely be prevented

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<v Speaker 1>through vaccination. But now researchers are looking at another potential

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<v Speaker 1>tool in the fight against the disease, a new.

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<v Speaker 2>Drug called shat A two.

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<v Speaker 1>The drug has shown potential to block the cancer causing

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<v Speaker 1>proteins produced by HPV, which could prevent the development of

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<v Speaker 1>precancerous and cancerous lesions. So how does this drug work

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<v Speaker 1>and how significant could it be in reducing cervical cancer cases.

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<v Speaker 1>To understand this better, we speak to the internet, expresses Annoda,

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<v Speaker 1>who writes on health for the paper. So, Anona tell

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<v Speaker 1>us about this medication, shad A two, and how exactly

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<v Speaker 1>does it work.

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<v Speaker 5>So this particular pill is under development. It's an oral

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<v Speaker 5>therapy to prevent human papilloma virus, not the infection, but

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<v Speaker 5>the cancer that it can cause. Basically, it is a

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<v Speaker 5>small molecule therapy, which means that it is a small

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<v Speaker 5>molecule that can be ingested. And what it does is

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<v Speaker 5>basically it targets certain proteins in the human body which

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<v Speaker 5>make it a good environment for the oncoproteins.

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<v Speaker 6>In the virus to thrives.

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<v Speaker 5>So the HPV virus actually has certain proteins like X

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<v Speaker 5>and E seven, which are called onco proteins, and they

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<v Speaker 5>are the ones that on persistent infection lead to cancers.

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<v Speaker 6>So what happens is when these human proteins are.

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<v Speaker 5>Active, they create a space for this onco proteins to

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<v Speaker 5>thrive without the body's immune system detecting them, and therefore

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<v Speaker 5>it can lead to these pre cancerous lesions and of

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<v Speaker 5>course cervical cancer as well. And this particular pill works

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<v Speaker 5>by switching off these human proteins which protect the onco proteins,

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<v Speaker 5>and thereby it prevents the HPV infection even if you

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<v Speaker 5>get it, it prevents it from developing into the pre

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<v Speaker 5>cancerous lesions and a full blown cancer.

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<v Speaker 1>Right, So when should on individual take this medication, like,

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<v Speaker 1>at what stage and in what form?

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<v Speaker 5>So right now, testing that has been done, it has

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<v Speaker 5>been in a capsule form, and this is essentially meant

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<v Speaker 5>for people who are in the early stages of developing

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<v Speaker 5>cancer because of HPV infection, So it would be someone

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<v Speaker 5>who has pre cancerous lesions, but also people who have developed,

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<v Speaker 5>the cancer can take this therapy and it can help

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<v Speaker 5>in stopping the growth of the cancer and thereby treating it.

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<v Speaker 1>And Anona, can you tell us about the origins of

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<v Speaker 1>this medication, how was it identified and what stage of

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<v Speaker 1>development is it currently at.

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<v Speaker 5>So, like I mentioned, this is right now in the

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<v Speaker 5>very early stages of development. This molecule was discovered by

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<v Speaker 5>an institute in US which then partnered with the Indian

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<v Speaker 5>Council of Medical Research to conduct the basic pre clinical

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<v Speaker 5>studies which essentially demonstrates that this molecule can work and

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<v Speaker 5>the mechanism of its actions. So they have verified the

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<v Speaker 5>mechanism of action as well, and now the technology has

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<v Speaker 5>been transfer to a company m Cure. So now it

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<v Speaker 5>is on this company to take the trial forward. Now

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<v Speaker 5>it has to be a human trial first to of

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<v Speaker 5>course look at whether it can cause any toxic impact

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<v Speaker 5>or there could be any negative side effects of the medicine.

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<v Speaker 5>Then with a slightly larger number of people to check

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<v Speaker 5>the efficacy of the pill, and then of course a

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<v Speaker 5>larger phase three clinical trial would be required to see

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<v Speaker 5>how at a population level the drug is able to

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<v Speaker 5>impact treatment of survival cancer.

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<v Speaker 1>Right, So, since the process is at such an early stage,

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<v Speaker 1>when can we expect it to be available in India?

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<v Speaker 1>And do we have any idea of how much it

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<v Speaker 1>will cost.

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<v Speaker 5>So it is unlikely to become available for at least

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<v Speaker 5>a few years I think I was told or the

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<v Speaker 5>trials would take about five years or so, so the

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<v Speaker 5>therapy would of course become available only after all of

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<v Speaker 5>this trial is complete and it has been proven to

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<v Speaker 5>be effective, you know, in the large population in the

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<v Speaker 5>phase three trial. Right now, it is not available because

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<v Speaker 5>it is a small molecule. Like I mentioned, the manufacturing

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<v Speaker 5>of it becomes very easy. So right now, for you

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<v Speaker 5>know HPV, one way is to prevent it by getting

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<v Speaker 5>children vaccinated at the beginning of you know, before they

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<v Speaker 5>are sexually active. The second way is of course to

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<v Speaker 5>detect the cancer early and treat it, and that would

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<v Speaker 5>of course include you know, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, et cetera.

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<v Speaker 6>This is an additional way to treat the cancer, not.

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<v Speaker 5>To prevent it from happening, but halt it once it

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<v Speaker 5>has happened. And of course once it becomes available, it

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<v Speaker 5>would become a part of the treatment protocol.

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<v Speaker 6>But because it is easy.

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<v Speaker 5>To manufacture, unlike say an immunotherapy drug which requires a

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<v Speaker 5>lot of you know, specialized manufacturing units and labs. A

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<v Speaker 5>small molecule is much easier to make and cheaper to

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<v Speaker 5>make and quicker. So all of this would add to

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<v Speaker 5>the drug being actually you know, towards the lower end

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<v Speaker 5>of the spectrum, and it would likely bring down the

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<v Speaker 5>treatment of cervical cancer.

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<v Speaker 1>And Anona, you mentioned the HPV vaccine which is a

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<v Speaker 1>preventative measure against cervical cancer. So when shad A two

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<v Speaker 1>is introduced, will the vaccine still be just as important.

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<v Speaker 6>Yes, definitely. So these are all interventions at different stages.

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<v Speaker 5>HPV vaccine, like I mentioned, is the most effective when

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<v Speaker 5>you give it to say about twelve to fourteen years

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<v Speaker 5>old children.

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<v Speaker 6>Especially women.

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<v Speaker 5>That's because this is when the immune response from the

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<v Speaker 5>vaccine is the highest. Also, these children have not had

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<v Speaker 5>sexual experience, which means that they are unlikely to have

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<v Speaker 5>the HPV infection itself. So a shot given at that

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<v Speaker 5>age can prevent the person from getting the HPV infection

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<v Speaker 5>at all. And once you don't get the infection, you

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<v Speaker 5>don't get the cancer. So it happens only when there

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<v Speaker 5>is a persistent infection, and there is data from several

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<v Speaker 5>countries like the UK, the Australia where there have been

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<v Speaker 5>you know, mass vaccination campaigns where there has been a

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<v Speaker 5>crash in the rate of cervical cancers.

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<v Speaker 6>So HPV shot would.

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<v Speaker 5>Still be very important and it will prevent people from

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<v Speaker 5>getting the cancer itself.

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<v Speaker 6>Over the say next decade or so, we will see.

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<v Speaker 5>The impact of the vaccination the cancer rates would drop.

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<v Speaker 2>And what about diagnostic tests like perpsmere.

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<v Speaker 5>So when we talk about you know, diagnostic tests such

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<v Speaker 5>as PAP smear or you know, an easier way to

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<v Speaker 5>detect cervical cancer allegiance which is the visual inspection with

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<v Speaker 5>acetic acid. So the tests are then at the secondary

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<v Speaker 5>level where if you get the.

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<v Speaker 6>Cancer, you can detect it early.

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<v Speaker 5>So you have HPV DNA test, PAP smear test, you

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<v Speaker 5>have like I mentioned, the basic where you know, you

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<v Speaker 5>apply the acetic acid and you just see the lesions.

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<v Speaker 6>You know, the lesions.

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<v Speaker 5>Become white when you apply acetic acid and you can

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<v Speaker 5>see whether a person has it or not. So all

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<v Speaker 5>of these tests would still be necessary to detect the

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<v Speaker 5>survival cancer cases. And if and when this pill becomes available,

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<v Speaker 5>that would be in the third level where once you've

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<v Speaker 5>been detected to have these lesions or have cancer.

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<v Speaker 6>Then you take this pill for the treatment.

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<v Speaker 2>And in the end we talk about the results of

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<v Speaker 2>the bipole.

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<v Speaker 1>In Bihar's bunky Pour, yesterday, Jan Suraj founder Prashant Kishoor

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<v Speaker 1>landed a decisive victory in the bunky Pour by elections.

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<v Speaker 1>The final numbers gave Kishor a winning margin of nineteen

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<v Speaker 1>three and twenty four votes, breaking the bgp's three decade

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<v Speaker 1>hold on this urban seat. He defeated BJP's niros Kumar

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<v Speaker 1>Sinha and RJD's Reika Kumarigupta. The Indian Expresses Himanshu Hurst

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<v Speaker 1>reported that post the announcement of the results, Kishore said

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<v Speaker 1>the verdict was aimed at sending a larger political message

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<v Speaker 1>to the bgp's central leadership rather than merely electing an MLAM.

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<v Speaker 1>Calling the result a victory of the people of Bunkypour,

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<v Speaker 1>Kishore said that victory and defeat are a part of

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<v Speaker 1>the process and that he would work equally for those

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<v Speaker 1>who voted for him and those who did not. Kishore

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<v Speaker 1>argued that the BGP, which enjoys a comfortable majority in

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<v Speaker 1>the Assembly, bears the responsibility of choosing leadership capable of

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<v Speaker 1>improving governance, reducing corruption and creating jobs. He stressed that

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<v Speaker 1>his opposition was not directed at any individual, but at

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<v Speaker 1>the idea of interesting Bihar's leadership to a person with

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<v Speaker 1>a criminal.

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<v Speaker 2>Background or questionable character.

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<v Speaker 1>He said that the verdict reflected growing public aspirations that

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<v Speaker 1>politics in Bihar should move beyond caste, religion and welfare

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<v Speaker 1>schemes alone and instead focus on education, industrialization, health care

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<v Speaker 1>and employment. Referring to the bgp's electoral success in previous

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<v Speaker 1>assembly and looks of high elections, Kishore said that the

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<v Speaker 1>state its people had stood firmly behind Prime Minister Modi

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<v Speaker 1>and therefore deserved.

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<v Speaker 2>Equal attention from the center.

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<v Speaker 1>Expressing hope that the bgp's central leadership would take the

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<v Speaker 1>verdict seriously, Kishore said he expected concrete steps for Biha's

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<v Speaker 1>development before the next looks of by elections.

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<v Speaker 2>Jimnchurrites that as.

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<v Speaker 1>The newly elected Emila Kishort said he would focus on

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<v Speaker 1>visible improvements in Bunkipour over the next two to three months.

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<v Speaker 1>While cautioning against unrealistic expectations, He reiterated that Jansuraj has

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<v Speaker 1>entered the contest not to secure power or patronage, but

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<v Speaker 1>to push for broader improvement in Bihar's governance and development.

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<v Speaker 2>Kishore maintained that the Bipole.

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<v Speaker 1>Was never about local civic issues alone, but about Bihar's

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<v Speaker 1>political future, adding that quote the thirty year fortress has

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<v Speaker 1>collapsed in just thirty days quote because people no longer

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<v Speaker 1>wanted votes to be sought solely in the name of caste,

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<v Speaker 1>religion or free Russian, but on education, health care, jobs

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<v Speaker 1>and development. You were listening to Three Things by the

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<v Speaker 1>Indian Express. Today's episode was edited and mixed by Suraish

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<v Speaker 1>Babar and produced by Ichas Sharma.

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<v Speaker 2>And me Nihari Kananda.

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<v Speaker 1>If you like the show, then do subscribe to us

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<v Speaker 1>show to someone you think we'll like it, share it

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<v Speaker 1>to us at podcasts at Indianexpress dot com.