Mumbai Weekly

Run by the students of Udaan

MumbaiWeekly Volume 01 Issue 07

FRIDAY, 10 FEBUARY 2012

feature

metro

arts

lifestyle

Unusual winter chill freezes city

People warm themselves around a fire in Mumbai 10 February 2012. Temperatures dipped to 8.8C once again this season. Pratham Gokhale / Mumbai Weekly (Report and more images on page2)

Civic poll campaign gains momentum In midst of the high flying campaigns, 2233 candidates will be battling out in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election to be held on 16 February 2012. These candidates will represent the 227 wards in which the city of Mumbai is divided. The results of the polls are scheduled

to be out on 17 February 2012.

The campaigns have seen a wide variety in order to attract the people of the city. Even Facebook has been used as a medium to connect to the youth. Siblings are contesting each other in the ward of Bhandup. The youngest candidate, who is a 21 year old Biotechnol-

ogy Engineering sudent, contests from the Dharavi transit camp with an aim to make the largest slum a cleaner place. Water is a commodity of scarcity, and is one of the prime agendas of most of the campaigners, mainly for the women. The political parties are becoming aware that their agendas

City observes World Cancer Day

should be no longer just ego clashes between two or three parties. Rather, the problems faced by the 'Aam Mumbaikar' (common Mumbai resident) are much more severe and diverse, and are to be addressed to in order to get unanimous support from the residents of the city.

A boy at an event organized by the organization Umang on the occasion of World Cancer Day in Mumbai 4February 2012. Shankar Narayan / Mumbai

On the occasion of

World cancer day in Mumbai Umang a Voluantary organization organized a day of art and craft for children fighting the disease. Children learnt new methods for coloring and folding paper among others. World Cancer Day is an occasion used to unite cancer patients in their fight against the disease and raise public awareness.

Supporters of a political party shout slogans as they campaign for their candidate in Mumbai. Krishanu Nagar / Mumbai Weekly

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FRIDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2012

people

Mumbai Weekly

Mumbai‘s unusual winter chill continues

Shankar Narayan / Mumbai Weekly

Shankar Narayan / Mumbai Weekly

A sudden dip in temperatures saw Mumbai shivering for the second time this season. According to the meteorological department temperatures dropped to 14.2 deg Celsius which is cold for the normally warm tropical climate the city enjoys. The city once again reached for its woolens and little bonfires dotted the streets and saw people huddling around the fire to keep warm. Weathermen have attributed the sudden change in temperature to the cold wave in the North of the country brought down by high speed winds. On the flip side, the sudden fluctuation in temperatures have caused a host of viral and bacterial infections. According to a physician from a government run hospital the number of patients with respiratory problems have seen an increase of 20 percent. Temperatures are ex-pected to stabilize in the next couple of days.

Pratham Gokhale / Mumbai Weekly

Pratham Gokhale / Mumbai Weekly

Shankar Narayan / Mumbai Weekly

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metro

FRIDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2012

Mumbai Weekly

Vintage cars on display at youth festival

Images Clockwise: People stand beside a vintage car on display at a college festival in Mumbai 5 February 2012. (Above left) People walk past the stall displaying vintage cars.(Top) A boy looks at a vehicle on display. (Above right) The cars were displayed as part of Techno Vanza, a college festival at VJTI college of Engineering, Mumbai. Pratham Gokhale / Mumbai Weekly

The vintage car expo was held during the annual festival Techno Vanza of VJTI college in Mumbai on 5 February, 2012. There were several classic vintage cars on display like the Rolls Royce, Mini Cooper, Austin I 1934, Buick, Buick 1947, Aron, Chrysler 52, Rover. The cars were owned by Mr Ruia the Hon secretary and Mr Nitin Dossa the president of the Vintage and Classic Car Club of India (VCCCI).

According to a student from VJTI college, this is the first time ever that any college has exhibited such vintage cars.

These old shiny vintages floored the new generation with their beauty and build to stand the test of time.

Suburban rail halts for major upgrade Mumbai's Suburban Train routes have been experiencing 'Mega Blocks', mainly on Sundays, for the past few months. The blocks have been scheduled in order to convert the existing Direct Current (DC) electric traction to Alternative Current (AC) system, along with regular reparative operations. As a

result of the blocks, commuters have been compelled to use other modes of transport like buses, as well as long distance trains, to travel in the city and the suburbs of Mumbai. Recent blocks have caused inconvinience to more passengers than before as it is a season of festivals and weddings.

People travel on top of a locomotive after train services were hit in Mumbai due to major restoration work on Power lines 5 February 2012 . Pratham Gokhale / Mumbai weekly

On the wings of a paper plane

Pratham Gokhale / Mumbai Weekly

Paper Wings, an unique competition, tested the skills and techniques as well as innovation of youngsters, into creating paper airplanes and flying them. The competition was a part of Paper Wings 2012, in which 81 countries are taking part and only the top three from each country will make it to the world finals in Austria. According to Rohan Vyavaharkar, National Communications manager of Red Bull India, who

are the main sponsors of the event, the competition gave people a chance to exhibit their creativity and skill, and it was held in India only for the second time. Competitors were judged in three categories — maximum height the plane reaches, the distance it flies and the creativity displayed by the participants.

These categories were separate and one could choose to compete in either one or all three together.

People sit near a participant at a paper plane flying competition in Mumbai on 9 February 2012. Pratham Gokhale / Mumbai Weekly

Pratham Gokhale / Mumbai Weekly

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EDITORIAL

FRIDAY 3 FEBRUARY 2012

Mumbai Weekly

POINT OF VIEW Overworking and Underpaid

Above: A women carries a vegetable bag on a foot-over-bridge in Mumbai. Pratham Gokhale/ Mumbai

When you climb the overhead foot bridge of Mumbai‘s Dadar train stations, little do you expect to find a busy vegetable market with people rushing around at four in the morning.

People come from places far and wide, to sell their products to consumers. In the process of trying to eke out a living for themselves, they have to toil for hours, carry goods that weigh more than themselves. It is a tough way to earn a livelihood. For a few rupees one earns everyday - the loss of health and time is irreplaceable and irreversible.

Life in Mumbai is tough. And we see it every day.

But companies sell their wares to customers in plush show-rooms and at fancy -prices.

But often, you see these goods being brought into the city carried manually, in trains , carts and even on shoulders.

Walk though the lanes at Mumbai‘s famous and crowded Crawford market.

You will find people pushing hand-carts and taking products into these markets.

For a country that sees automobile sales increase steadily at sometimes and zoom at other times – to use cheap labour to carry goods to the market is unacceptable.

And the key reason for this is because the labour comes cheap. More often, migrant in nature, labourers are seen as a cheaper option for shop-keepers, unwilling to invest in transportation. While it would be faster and more efficient to use machines for the same but manual labour is opted for in a country where labour is dirt cheap and abundantly found.

However, if the city directly bans the use of hand-carts pulled by humans and animals, it will have to think of methods to empower them. Maybe support them, so they can run automated rickshaws, for

instance, or improvised vehicles to carry goods to the small traders. It‘s the lack of dignity of human life that separates the third world from its more developed counterpart.

The increase in cost of labour can be passed on to the trader, who in turn can pass it on to the consumer. Surely, if one can buy expensive luxury items in flashy show-rooms, the consumer can surely pay a small additional price that would, hopefully, trickle back to the person driving the cart.

CLARIFICATION: In the Mumbai Weekly issue dated 3 February 2012, 2nd image on the left most column of 1st page, of a boy standing on a girl, is photographed by Arkadripta Chakraborty instead of Gitartha Goswami.

The computer mouse and human foot image on 4th page is by Pratham Gokhale. We regret the error.

Krishanu Nagar / Mumbai Weekly

OPINION : Water, water, everywhere; not a drop to drink Water, one of the fundamental necessities of life, on which life initially evolved, is now a commodity of scarcity.

Proper water supply is one of the main agendas of various contestants at the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections. I overheard one of my friends complaining that if water is fundamental, then why do the legal residents pay for it. Negating with him, I somehow connect strongly to the words of a Paani Hakk Sammitti (Water Rights Association) member– ―Denying a human of water amounts to denial of life and dignity.‖ It is a fact that water is as essential for life as air. Then why can't water supply be made free to all? Water security to citizens can be one of the greatest motivations possible, especially to the likes of those who search for a ruptured pipeline to meet their family's daily water needs. The parties can make this issue as their agenda for elections. And I also hope that immediate measures are taken by the winners of these polls. But a permanent solution, at a national level, is the need of the hour, not just mere words or even stop-gap measure that ‗might‘ be put into action for just five years or less.

A man takes a bath near a leaking water pipeline in Mumbai Gitartha Goswami / Mumbai Weekly

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FRIDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2012

feature Reality Television : Lights, Camera, Action!

Today‘s youth of India is growing up on an overdose of cable television. And what mostly engrossed the youth are the multitude of reality shows in Indian broadcast media.

Although there are various kinds of shows for all the age groups, the most popular ones are those targeted for the youth. Millions of youngsters stay glued to the programmes across the country. The increasing popularity of these shows has also increased the curiosity to know what happens behind the celluloid curtains. Is the world of reality shows as glamorous as it seems? Are they spontaneous or are all of them scripted? What do the participants do when the television camera is not on recording mode? Mumbai Weekly photographer Krishanu Nagar sneaks his camera into one of these shows to find out the reality of reality shows

Mumbai Weekly

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FRIDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2012

economy

Mumbai Weekly

Passenger car sales first plunge for the first time in 10 years

A woman stands near a parked vehicle at the parking lot of a mall in Mumbai on 9 February 2012. The annual car sales in India is projected to drop for the first time since 2002 at the end of the fiscal year in March, after the sales of January fell short of expectations. Indian car sales have been rising every year since the end of March 2002 fiscal year, according to Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) data. In other areas of the vehicles sector, motorcycle sales rose 10.51 percent and sale of trucks and buses rose by 13.5 percent in January 2012. Twisha / Mumbai Weekly

Bharti Airtel Q3 net profit slumps

Mahindra bids for Swedish auto company Saab

India's largest telecom company by subscribers and revenues, Bharti Airtel Limited, reported a net profit of Rs1,011 crore ($205 thousand) for the third quarter of the financial year 2011-12, down 22% over the same quarter last year. The drop is claimed to be a result of the 32.5% tax rate during the quarter. Bharti, controlled by billionaire Sunil Mittal and also nearly a third owned by Southeast Asia's biggest phone firm SingTel, said consolidated net profit fell to the new figures from Rs 1303 crore ($263 thousand) in 2011. The results were based on international accounting standards. (Source: livemint.com) Twisha / Mumbai Weekly

Mahindra and Mahindra seems to be on an acquisition spree, and the latest in the line of auto manufacturers to come under the Mahindra scanner is the now-bankrupt Swedish automobile company Saab. The Indian manufacturer has signed a confidentiality clause with Saab to take forward the process of finalising its bid. Sources say that M&M is likely to make its offer within the next fortnight. Kotak Mahindra may be part of the deal as well. . Saarthak Aurora / Mumbai Weekly

Thomas Cook to quit India

Pratham Gokhale / Mumbai Weekly Debt-ridden UK-based travel conglomerate Thomas Cook announced on 8 February 2012 that it has invited formal bids for its 77.1 per cent shareholding in the India business. The profitable and high-growth Indian centre is reported to be shut down in order to reduce debts, as a part of a disposal programme for the non-core assets of the the company.

Shankar Narayan / Mumbai Weekly

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FRIDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2012

Arts and entertainment

An acrobat performs at the Kala Ghoda Festival, an annual festival highlighting art, culture and entertainment in Mumbai 6 February 2012.

Saarthak Aurora / Mumbai Weekly

Art & Entertainment on the Streets The most eagerly awaited Kala Ghoda (Black Horse) Arts Festival just kick started on 4 February 2012 in Mumbai.It is a festival to celebrate India‘s performing, literary and visual arts. The festival is named after the statue of a black horse, belonging to King Edward VIII, which is located at the venue in South Mumbai. The open festival makes way through alleys of street installations, food stalls leading to a main stage for music and dance performances. And unlike many other cultural festivals, the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival is free and open to everyone.

The venue is constantly flooded by art and music en-

Varsha Lahrani / Mumbai Weekly

Saarthak Aurora / Mumbai Weekly

thusiasts. And even by common Mumbaikers, who seem to enjoy the leisurely stroll down the lane of the art festival. On weekends, the crowds at the festival reach dizzying proportions. From serious artists and musicians to families, children and youngsters with cameras around their neck make up for the large motley gathering. The mood is always upbeat and inspiring with aspiring writers rushing to register for the limited spots at fiction workshops, women gathering at the handloom fabrics and tribal jewelry on sale and the curious onlookers looking at the various art installations with awe.

Saarthak Aurora / Mumbai Weekly

Saarthak Aurora / Mumbai Weekly

Shankar Narayan / Mumbai Weekly

Mumbai Weekly

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lifestyle

FRIDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2012

Mumbai Weekly

Glitz, Glamour and Galloping Horses at the Mumbai Derby

Shailesh Andrade / Mumbai Weekly

The most passionate of horse racing followers and betters were a part of a two-day grand event on February 4th and 5th at the Mahalaxmi Race Course in Mumbai. Along with the eyecatching horses and jockeys, other attractions of the event were stage performers, bands, scissor-skilled fashion designers, acrobatic dance groups and exotic food with a flavour of Rajasthan in Mumbai. The venue witnessed both people for whom horse racing is a seduction, as well as the high society of Mumbai. Women were dressed in their best sporting hats which is a tradition like all Derby events around the world.

The 2012 McDowell Signature Premier Indian Derby winner was 'In The Spotlight', trained by S Padmanabhan recieved a highly lavish record sum of Rs.15,696,000/- ($ 30000) and an exquisite Gold Trophy valued at about Rs.1,25,000/-.($2500).

Shailesh Andrade / Mumbai Weekly

Shailesh Andrade / Mumbai Weekly

Shailesh Andrade / Mumbai Weekly

Saarthak Aurora / Mumbai Weekly

Shailesh Andrade / Mumbai Weekly

Saarthak Aurora / Mumbai Weekly

Published by: Udaan School of Photography. Editor: Shailesh Andrade Photo editor: Gitartha Goswami Chief Photographer: Krishanu Nagar Email: editor.mumbaiweekly@gmail.com