Mumbai Weekly Metro Pg 3
Economy
Culture
Sports
Pg 6
Pg 7
Pg 8
Miracle at Mumbra
A baby is pulled out from the rubble at Mumbra, Thane district 29 kilometers off Mumbai on 4 April 2013. Ashish Vaishnav / Mumbai Weekly A seven storey building in Lucky compound collapsed in the evening around 6:30pm on 4 April 2013 in Thaneâ€&#x;s Mumbra region killing 74 and rendering many homeless. According to news reports majority of them were women and children. Thane municipal commissioner R.A.Rajeev claims that most of the buildings in Mumbra are illegal and he has pointed
out to the state government but no action has been taken against errant builders. The police officials blame nexus between builder and the civic authorities for the disaster. Most of the families residing in the building were migrants from lower economic strata of society - doing odd jobs for survival. Firefighters and locals along with cranes rushed imme-
diately to the spot to help remove the people buried underneath the rubble. The rescue operation went on day and night for three days using cranes &gas cutters to remove the bodies of people buried underneath. Locals provided food and water to the rescue team that engaged in the rescue work. The injured and the survivors were rushed to nearby hospitals in Mumbra
and thane in the ambulance. Locals were angry with the government for not providing enough help during the disaster so they took upon themselves to work along firefighters and the national disaster rescue force to remove people buried underneath the rubble. The illegal building came up in a span of three months and was fully occupied in spite of some construction work
still going on; this was because the civic authorities cannot stop the construction work once it is fully occupied. Reports also said that building was constructed on the forest land. Children who survived the collapse are rendered homeless; some of the children as young as one year, losing both or one parent to the tragedy, have no other family member to take care of
Rescue operations at a building collapse site in Mumbra, Thane district off Mumbai on 4 April 2013. Ashish Vaishnav / Mumbai Weekly them. The local mosque committee is willing to take care of children who lost
their parents. them. The government announced an Ex-gratia of Rs 2,00,000 for
the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. (Contd. pg. 5)
Medha Patkar ends hunger fast on ninth day Hu ma n r ig ht s act ivist Med ha P at kar br o ught her nine - da y hu ng er fast t o an end o n 13 Apr i l 2013. T he r easo n fo r her fast unt o deat h was t he de mo lit io n o f 43 s lu ms in t he Go libar ar ea w it ho ut any pr o per do cume nt s or ar r ange me nt s fo r r e shi ft ing. S he was a lso acco mpa nied by ma ny s lu m d we l ler s who had lo st t he ir ho mes ear lier . Chie f Medha Patkar, a human rights activist reacts during her nine day hunger fast at Golibar slum in sub- Mahar a s ht r a M inist er , P r it hvir a j urban Mumbai on 5 April 2013 . Francis Mascarenhas / Mumbai Weekly
Cha va n made a n a ssur ance t hat t her e wo uld be a pr o per inve st ig at io n int o t he de mo lit io n of t he s lu ms w it hin e ig ht da ys. S lu m dwe l ler s ha ve co mme nt ed t hat t he deve lo p er s r espo ns ible fo r t he de mo lit io n ha ve co mm it t ed a fr aud, as t he y d id no t pr o vide t he m w it h va l id do cume nt s befo r e t he de mo lit io n and ar e a l leged l y t r ying t o ext o rt la nd fr o m t he m fo r t he ir
o wn be ne f it . P at kar r ece ived s e ver a l t weet s fr o m fo llo wer s o n T w it t er t o end her fast and lo o k a ft er her hea lt h. Her fo llo wer s a lso war ned t hat if a nyt hing happened t o P at kar , t her e wo uld be a sever e back la s h, as Mu mba i wo uld be ver y a ngr y. Ano t her act ivist , Ar u na Ro y mad e an appea l t o So nia G a ndhi t o int er ve ne in t he mat t er as P at kar â€&#x;s hea lt h wa s det er io r at ing.
2 PEOPLE
MW Mumbai witnesses first ever Catholic Mass Wedding
FRIDAY, 19 APRIL, 2013
April 14 marked a special occasion in the lives of 30 couples as Mumbai witnessed its first ever Catholic mass wedding. The ceremony took place at the St Xavier‟s School ground in Vile Parle and was officiated by Bishop Agnelo Gracias. Organised by the Archdiocese and Bombay Catholic Sabha, an amount of Rs. 8 lakh (15,000 USD) was raised for the event by the means of sponsorships and about 3,000 people attended the ceremony.
A bride yawns during a mass wedding ceremony in suburban Mumbai on 14 April 2013. Biplov Bhuyan / Mumbai Weekly
Out of the 30 couples, seven couples were from Mumbai while others were migrants belonging to economically weaker sections of socie-
ty. According to Gordon D‟Souza, President, Bombay Catholic Sabha, the sole purpose of having the mass wedding was that the migrant couples were finding it difficult to spend a lot of money on a wedding ceremony. The preparations for the wedding started more than a year ago and the participat ing couples aged between 21 years to 45 years, had to submit their documents, which were analyzed thoroughly. After that they went through a three month marriage preparation course which helped them to be ready for the wedding. The wedding saw the Bishop
A groom wipes his face as a bride looks on during a mass wedding in suburban Mumbai on 14 April 2013. Biplov Bhuyan / Mumbai Weekly blessing all the couples and announcing them husband and wife in a tradit ion Catholic manner. There was also a
small choir that sang hymns in Hindi and English during the ceremony. The wedding ended with a tradit ional dance per-
formance by the tribes of Chhota Nagpur and the Bishop giving away gifts to all of the newly wed couples.
A man kisses a bride during a mass wedding in suburban Mumbai on 14 April 2013. Biplov Bhuyan / Mumbai Weekly
4000 more fleet cab permits in May
Mumbai gets first all woman post office
A man sleeps in a cab in South Mumbai on 18 April 2013. Sumedh Sawant / Mumbai Weekly T he st at e t r anspo rt depar t me nt has f ina l l y dec ided t o issue 4, 000 f leet cab per mit s in Ma y fo r cabs in t he c it y. T his w il l t ake t he nu mber o f f leet t axis t o 10, 000, whic h is t he dema nd in t he c it y.
Ac co r ding t o a t r anspo rt m in ist r y so ur ce, T he per mit s w i l l be is sued i n Ma y. T he per mit s w il l be d ist r ibut ed o n a quot a s yst em, w it h ex - ser vic e me n and wo me n be ing enco ur aged t o t ake up t hese jo bs.
I t wil l a lso he lp fleet cab o per at o r s like Mer u, E as yCa bs , T ab Cabs a nd Mega Cabs expa nd o per at io ns in t he c it y. E ach co r po r at io n is t r ying t o pr o cur e ar o und 500 per m it s eac h. Unique t axi s er vic es l ike t he P r iyadar s hini t ax i
ser vic e, a ser vice t hat ha s o nly fe ma le ca bbie s can a lso be ne f it fr o m t his news. TABcab having a fleet of 1,850 taxis, has a surplus of 2,150 permits. The company now plans to launch 950 new cabs this month, which will take its fleet size to 2,800.
Employees work at Mumbai’s first all woman post office in south Mumbai on 13 April 2013 . Jayshree Kewalramani / Mumbai Weekly
3 METRO
MW
FRIDAY, 19 APRIL, 2013
Mumbai welcomes visitor from space
Students display autographed postcards depicting Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams, during her visit to Mumbai on 3 April 2013. Sunita Williams holds the record for longest space flight by a woman. Ashish Vaisnav / Mumbai Weekly
Bollywood to tone down sexuality
Drop in female tourists in the country
Ticket vendors sit at a ticket counter in suburban Mumbai on 12 April 2013. Biplov Bhuyan / Mumbai Weekly
A foreigner shares a moment with a shop keeper at a bazaar in south Mumbai. Mithila Joshi / Mumbai Weekly The last three months have been a dismal for the foreign tourism department in India as media reports indicate that there has been a fall of about 35 per cent of foreign visitors in the country. The
number of foreign tourists, especially women, has seen a sharp fall post the Delhi gang-rape incident. Since then, there have been a couple of incidents where foreign female travellers have
been attacked. Last month a Swiss woman was gang-raped in Madhya Pradesh as she and her husband were camping in a remote village. , A study
last three months nearly 72 per cent of the tour operators in India received cancellations
was conducted recently
of holiday bookings coming mostly from women tourists from countries like England,
which stated that in the
the
USA,
Canada
.
The recent Delhi gang-rape case which shook t he country left a huge mark among t he hearts of Indians. Wit h a strong flow in t he country regarding women empowerment, t he government has released some measures to keep a
check on negat ive portrayal of Women on television which includes movies, advert isement s and soap operas. Uday Kumar Varma, Secretary of Informat ion and Broadcast ing, recent ly signed a letter to t he Cabinet
Secretary explaining him about t he measures t hat can be t aken to take care of t he issue. He has also asked t he censor board and some industrysponsored selfregulatory panels to review t heir exist ing guidelines on how t hey portray women. Var-
ma also suggested t he minist ry to show short clips for public advisory and should be made mandatory to air on almost all private channels. The minist ry has already warned t he media on t he subject of portraying women in a disrespect ful manner.
City brings in Baisakhi Ba isak hi is a fest iva l ce le br at ed acr o ss t he no r t her n part s o f I nd ia usua l l y on 13 April. I t is o bs er ved a s a t hank sg iving da y by t he far mer s t o go d and pr a yer s ar e a lso o ffer ed fo r goo d har ve st and pro sper it y
fo r t he fut ur e. S ik hs o ffer pr a yer in Gur udwar a ( S ikh t e mp le) in t he mo r ning and t he y t ake o ut process io ns in d iffer e nt par t s o f t he cit y wher e de vo t ees perfo r m t he t r adit io na l
mar t ia l ar t called „Gat ka . I n r ur al par t s o f no r t h I nd ia me n per fo r m t r adit io na l danc e kno wn as ‘ bhangra’ whic h t e lls a st o r y abo ut t he agr icu lt ur a l pr o cess. Ba isak hi is c e le br at edw it h a lo t o f happ i-
ne ss a nd jo y. De vo t ees go t o t he Gur udwar a in t he e ve ning, wher e fo o d is ser ved fr o m t he co mmo n k it che n a nd ever yo ne is fr e e t o be a part o f t he fe st ivit ies, ir r espect ive o f cast e or cr eed.
Left: Sikh followers pray at a Gurudwara (Sikh temple) in central Mumbai on 13 April 2013. Kunal Khullar / Mumbai Weekly
4 EDITORIAL FRIDAY, 19 APRIL, 2013
OPINION: Celebrate with Caution
Jayshree Kewalramani
In what is being hailed as a landmark ruling across the world, the Indian Supreme Court rejected Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis' bid to patent the drug glivec/gleevec (imatinib). According to an Indian news magazine, Glivec, the drug used in the treatment of leukaemia, costs around $2,600 (approximately Rs 1,40,250) a month while Indian generics of the same drug (sold by CIPLA and NATCO) sell for no more than $175 (approximately Rs 9,440) per month. Novartis holds the patent for the drug in over 40 countries, including United States, China and Russia. Health activists have welcomed the judgement, arguing that cheap generics produced in India help save lives across the developing world. Pharma-
MW
ceutical representatives, however, have argued that the case would serve to discourage them from investing in research and development in India. India amended its laws in 2005 when it began granting patents on medicines. Pharmaceutical companies argue that they spend billions of dollars on research - the patent period (usually 20 years), during which no other manufacturer can produce and distribute the same drug allows them to sell the drugs at premium price to recover the cost of research. Many believe that the recent judgement fails to take into account the money spent on research and innovation. The Supreme Court, however, has denied Novartis the patent, citing lack of innovation. Novartis has argued that while the core compound was known earlier, their research helped transform it into a stable form so that it could be used in the treatment of blood cancer. Their innovation is what has changed leukaemia from a deadly to
Sanskar Bhagate, a five year old boy diagnosed with blood cancer looks into the photographer’s camera outside the Tata Cancer Hospital in south Mumbai on 10 April 2013. Jayshree Kewalramani / Mumbai Weekly chronic disease. Before Glivec, patients had to undergo bone marrow transplant, which was not only painful but also posed its own set of risks. Glivec has improved the lives of patients, both in terms of longevity and quality. Most arguments on the verdict have tended to demonise the pharmaceutical giant, stressing the fact that generics offer affordable options to low and
middle-income groups alike. While that is a noble concern in itself, one cannot deny the fact that without innovation there would be no generics and patients mortality would continue to remain high. Pharmaceutical companies are well within their rights to demand patents and seek to reap the benefits of their intellectual property rights. It is dangerous to pit innovation against accessibilit y and see the two entities - drug
manufacturers and patients - as necessarily having a conflict of interest. Having said that, drug manufacturers are a powerful lobby that uses a range of tactics to protect its profit margins. Patents and pricing of drugs are only few of these. One must therefore celebrate the present judgment with some caution. The Supreme Court is, without a doubt,
right to demand that drug manufacturers define efficacy of drugs more unambiguously. We must demand transparency from entities such as Novartis, for they claim that of the 16,000 users of Glivec in the country, a vast majority receive the drug for free. That claim by the company ought to be examined. One must probe as to why the company wishes to dispense drugs for free in a
market where generics sell to about 300,000 patients. Surely, it serves neither the company's nor the patients' interests. If anything, a different pricing policy ought to be in everyone's interests. And if our chief concern is with making drugs affordable then one must not just point fingers drug manufacturers but examine a whole range of policies and practices that put healthcare out of
the reach of poor. For better or for worse, under the prevailing system it is the big companies like Novartis that appear to lead innovation. Without them, alas, diseases such as leukaemia would still be painful and lifethreatening and there would be few or no affordable generics. The above views are personal views expressed by the author.
POINT OF VIEW: Love in a Concrete Jungle
Couples sit behind a bus stop in South Mumbai on 19 March 2013. Ashish Vaishnav / Mumbai Weekly
Ashish Vaishnav
Private space or lack of it is a luxury in metro cities in India. Every person craves for it at some time or the other for different reasons. Some
want to relax after a stressful day, others may like themselves to be cut off from the rest of the world for a time being and want some time to ponder over some personal/ professional things in life. Urbanization and boom in construction leads to land sharks grabbing every piece of land & building homes on it for selfish motives and catering to need of people from dif-
ferent strata of society which in turn has led to smaller and more congested apartments. In today‟s modern scenario it‟s very hard to find private space for many young couples, even in their own home due to lack of space or staying in a joint family. This has led to many couples & also college going youngsters find private space in public places especially in met-
ro cities. If you take a case of Mumbai and happen to pass by or visit prominent beach front in the city, you will come across many young couples, college students enjoying some private moments in the public, fully aware of the people walking past and vehicles passing by and at whatever time of the day it may be. Not only sea fronts, but promenades and parks have become a private space in public for young lovers
but also different mode of transport like bus, auto train ,taxi, or wherever private space is available young lovers would set up shops to trade their wares. The people who play spoilsport with the young lovers are the moral police, beggars, eunuchs who threaten them or ask money till they don‟t get it. Due to lack of privacy many go to extreme length of sharing intimate mo-
ments in places like mangroves, unmindful of the surrounding and the stench. There are makeshift shelters deep inside the mangroves with touts who charge for private spaces. Also many a time couples have lost their lives, unmindful of high tide, busy romancing on the rocks at many prominent sea front in Mumbai, but it has reduced now since police are keeping a tight vigil at such places and also come and warn
the couples or ask them to leave if they are found in isolated places where they become soft targets for thieves and other miscreants. In big cities, due to lack of space it has become a norm of sorts to find couples having some intimate moments in a park or a sea front. Police have gone easy on couples found at many prominent parks & beachfront if they are not engaged in any im-
moral activities, allowing them the much needed space in the concrete jungle of metropolitan cities. In my opinion, everyone is entitled to have their private space and one should respect that. It is fine to share some intimate moments as long as one does not cross the boundaries of decency in public. The above views are personal views expressed by the author.
5 FEATURE FRIDAY, 19 APRIL, 2013
Aftermath of a disaster
MW
Mr Sheikh, an electrician is brought out from the rubble of a building collapse by a team of fire fighters in Mumbra, Thane district off Mumbai on 4 April 2013. Ashish Vaishnav / Mumbai Weekly
Locals offer prayers for the deceased at the building collapse site in Mumbra, Thane district off Mumbai on 6 April 2013. Ashish Vaishnav / Mumbai Weekly
A woman stands on the site of the building collapse in Thane district off Mumbai on 6 April 2013. Ashish Vaishnav / Mumbai Weekly
A survivor is taken to hospital on a stretcher after she was rescued from the building collapse in Thane district off Mumbai on 5 April 2013. Sumedh Sawant / Mumbai Weekly
Bag of deceased girl S.Bano, at a building collapse site in Thane district off Mumbai on 6 April 2013. Ashish Vaishnav / Mumbai Weekly
6 ECONOMY FRIDAY, 19 APRIL, 2013
Dabbawallas demand taxi permits
MW
Dabbawallas (Tiffin delivery men) stand on a bridge in south Mumbai on 15 April 2013. Biplov Bhuyan / Mumbai Weekly Dabbawa l las ha ve de ma nd ed t hat t he y be g ive n t axi per mit s as t he a mo unt t he y make de liver ing lu nc h bo xe s is hig hl y
insu f f ic ie nt . S ubhas hT a lek ar , spo kesper so n of t he Nut an Mu mba i T if f in Bo x S upp lier s As so c iat io n
anno unc ed t o t he med ia, t hat t he daba wa l las wa nt ar o und 10- 15% r eser vat io n o f t he 14, 000 t axi per m it s t hat t he st at e
go ver nme nt p la n t o is sue fo r Mu mba i a nd it ‟ s su bur bs. He c la im s t hat t he dabbawa lla s ha ve bee n ser ving o ver 2,
Gold prices hit two year low
00, 000 peo ple ho t mea ls on t ime s ince t he last 120 year s, wit ho ut any st r ike s o r agit at io ns a bo ut t he ir lo w wages. Ac-
co r ding t o news r epo rt s o n an aver age, a dabbaw a lla make s ar o und Rs 8000– 10, 000 ( ro ughl y $ 1 4 8 - 184) a
mo nt h, whic h dur ing t hese t imes o f in flat io n, is e xt r eme l y les s a nd mak ing e nds meet beco mes a d i ff icu lt t ask. T he
Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association, it is made up of people from the Varkari sect of Hinduism - who absolutely love to serve others.
TVS Capital sells majority of shares in Papa John‟s Pizza
A girl eats a pizza at a restaurant in suburban Mumbai. Sumedh Sawant / Mumbai Weekly P apa Jo hn‟ s P izza, t he wo r ld‟ s t hir d lar ge st piz za cha in is ha ving it s I nd ia o per at io n so ld t o an-
ot her fr a nc his e. Med ia r eport s st at e t hat T VS Cap it a l ha s begu n t o se ll a ma jo r it y
o f t he s har es o f t he co mpa ny. I f so ld t o t he r ig ht o wner s, P apa Jo hn‟ s w ho ar e t hir d a ft er P izza
Hut and Do mino s, can beco me a ver y st ro ng co nt ender in t he p izza mar ket .
Tablets and smartphones affect PC sales
A pedestrian walks past a gold shop in south Mumbai on 15th April 2013. Kunal Khullar / Mumbai Weekly There‟s been a gold rush all over India as buyers take advantage of the two year low dip in gold rates. According to media
reports, physical traders have started bargain buying as well.
ning of the wedding season as well which will go on till June.
India is the world‟s largest buyer of gold, and this is the begin-
The upcoming Akshaya Tritiya festival has also led to a lot
of gold buying. Prices vary from state to state sometimes because some states may charge extra to cover up for the transport costs.
A child uses a smartphone as a man carrying her looks on in south Mumbai on 11 April 2013. Jayshree Kewalramani / Mumbai Weekly According t o report s by Gart ner Inc and I nt er nal Dat a Corp, PC sa les have slu mped t o it ‟s
lowest in t he March quart er. Access t o int er net on t he go fro m anyw her e in t he wor ld has led t o a
mass ive demand in smart pho nes. People are seen spending more t ime on t heir smart pho nes and t ablet s t hen t heir ho me pc.
People are seen spending more t ime on t heir smart pho nes t hen t he ir ho me pc. Many bla me Windows 8 for t he fa ll in P C sales.
Many news report s blame Windows 8 for t he fa ll in P C sales. Access t o int er net on t he go fro m anywhere in t he wor ld has led t o a mass ive demand in smart pho nes.
News r eport s also ment io n t hat t ablet ship ment s ma y exceed t hat of PC‟s and lapt ops put t oget her. T his year could well spell doo msday fo r t he P C.
7 CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT
MW
FRIDAY, 19 APRIL, 2013
Maharashtrians usher in the New Year
Kids dressed as Hindu deities sit on a bike accompanied by a man during Gudi Padwa in South Mumbai on 10 April 2013. Biplov Bhuyan / Mumbai Weekly Gudi Padwa is celebrated in a grand manner in Maharashtra. It‟s a beginning of the New year for Maharashtrians where they put up a „Gudhi‟ (copper vessel mounted on a bamboo stick) outside their home, make rangolis at the doorstep and all the members of family wear new clothes on this auspicious occasion. In villages in Maharashtra, people clean their homes plaster their walls with cow dungs and make it look clean and colorful associating it with spring. A woman talks on the phone dur- In Mumbai and surrounding ing Gudi Padwa festivities in sub- suburbs in Maharashtra, urban Mumbai on 10 April 2013. huge processions are conKunal Khullar / Mumbai Weekly
ducted especially in Maharashtrian dominant localities with men ,women and children dressed traditionally. It is also known as „Shobha Yatra‟(showcasing the tradition)where they have a theme and children also dress according to the theme. Young women ride bikes wearing traditional “navaari”(nine yards)sari and are accompanied by bands with beating drums. At home Maharashtrian‟s make “puris” (Indian bread) and “shrikhand” (flavoured yoghurt)and also “puran poli” (traditional sweet)
A woman beatss a drum during the Gudi Padwa procession at south Mumbai on 10 April 2013. Biplov Bhuyan / Mumbai Weekly
Faces of Bharatnatyam
C.V Chandrashekhar performs at the Mysore Association auditorium at Central Mumbai on 12 April 2013. Jayshree Kewalramani / Mumbai Weekly T he M yso r e Asso c iat io n aud it o r iu m at Cent r al Mu mba i w it ne ssed a mag ica l nig ht o f c las s ica l da nces o n 12 t h Apr i l 2013. T he s ho w feat ur ed exper t s like U ma Do gr a, a kat hak expo ne nt s inc e t he la st 35 ye ar s who
ha s go ne o n t o beco me o ne o f t he mo st co mpe l l ing and r espect ed danc er s o f I nd ia. U ma use s an a ma lga mat io n o f Luckno w and J a ipur Ghar a na in her danc e. U ma has a lso bee n fe lic it at ed w it h t he Ma ha-
Left :Bharatnatyam dancer C.V Chandrashekhar prepares himself before his performance at Mysore Association auditorium at Central Mumbai on 12 April 2013. Jayashree Kewalramani / Mumbai Weekly Right :Uma Dogra performs at the Mysore Association auditorium at Central Mumbai on 12 April 2013. Jayashree Kewalramani / Mumbai Weekly
r asht r a S anskr it i S t at e Awar d by t he go ver nme nt in 2009, and cur r ent ly s har e s her kno w ledge t r a in-
ing ot her s in t he ar t o f kat hak. T he ot her per fo r mer was C. V Cha ndr as hek har , a l iv ing lege nd o f
bhar at nat ya m per fo r ming in his 7 t h decade, and is o ne of t he mo st so ught aft er dancer s / t eacher s o f
danc e a nd c ho r eo gr aphy. H is has a lso been r ewar ded w it h a P ad ma Bus ha n awar d fo r his wo r k.
8 SPORTS
MW
FRIDAY, 19 APRIL, 2013
Youngsters display their prowess at National junior Hockey Championship
Aarti Singh from team Bhopal reacts after being struck by a hockey stick by a player from the Maharashtra team at the Mahindra Hockey stadium in south Mumbai on 13 April 2013. Bhopal lost the game 8-0. Sumedh Sawant / Mumbai Weekly
Mumbaikars roughen it out at Rugby Sevens Tournament
Above: Players from Magicians (blue) battle for the ball with Cockies (yellow and black) during the Rugby Sevens match in south Mumbai on 13 April 2013. Sumedh Sawant / Mumbai Weekly Right: Player from Hammers (orange and black) runs past a Magicians players during the Rugby Seven’s match in South Mumbai on 13 April 2013. Sumedh Sawant / Mumbai Weekly
T he Mu mba i Car n iva l S e ve n's S er ie s i s Mu m ba i 's pr e mie r c lu b R ug b y S e ve n's t o ur name nt . I t co ns ist s of f iv e t o ur na me nt s he ld i n Mu mba i. C lu b S e ve ns
t ea ms co mp et e fo r S er ie s po int s at eac h r o und, w it h w inne r s in t he Cup, P lat e, a nd Bo w l cr o w ne d at eac h ser ie s t o ur na me nt . An o ver a l l S e ve ns S er ie s
c ha mp io n is cr o wned at t he e nd o f t he se aso n ba s ed o n po int s ac cu mu lat e d t hr o ug ho ut t he f iv e e ve nt s. T her e ar e s i x 'co r e ' t ea m s w ho par t ic ip at e at eac h r o und o f
t he S er ie s, st ar t ing fr o m Ja nuar y 201 3. Rug b y is no t ver y po pu la r i n I nd ia but it is so o n gat her in g i nt er est a s ma n y I nd ia n c lu bs ar e st ar t ing t o e mbr ac e t he ga me .
Kho-Kho Premier League kicks off T he inaugur a l Kho - Kho P r emier League ( KKP L) bega n o n T hur sda y at S hiva ji P ar k, Cent r al Mu mba i. 72 'A' gr ade p la yer s fr o m s ix t eams - Mumba i Ra id er s, S ubur ba n Yo ddha s, T ha ne T hu nder er s, P une F ig ht er s, S ang li S mas her s a nd Ahmed nag ar Her o es gr aced t he t o urna me nt .
E ach t ea m was ma nag ed by e m ine nt co aches fr o m Ma har as ht r a. Kho Kho o r ig inat ed in I nd ia a nd ha sa hist o r y o f o ver 70 year s. I t is a t r ad it io na l ga me o f t ag, but us ing co mp l icat ed st r at egie s a nd is p la yed in co unt r ies like I nd ia, P ak ist an, Ba ng lades h and S o ut h Afr ic a.
Left: Nachiket Jadhav (second from right) of Subarban Yoddha tries to make contact with Amit Parab of Sangli Smashers (first from right) during their Kho Kho Premier league match at Central Mumbai on 12 April 2013. Sumedh Sawant / Mumbai Weekly Published by: Udaan School of Photography | Editor-in-Chief: Francis Mascarenhas | Photo Editor: Ashish Vaishnav | Chief Photographer: Kunal Khullar | http://www.facebook.com/Mumbai.Weekly | Email: editor.mumbaiweekly@gmail.com