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PUNE, AUGUST 22, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com
No city for the disabled If Pune aspires to be a smart city, can it afford to be so myopic and insensitive towards the disabled? See Spotlight, p06 & 07 Aniruddha Rajandekar
BY Ekta Katti PRIYANKKA DESHPANDE RAJIL MENON The Pune Municipal Corporation is sparing no effort to promote Pune among the elite group of 100 to be
included in the smart city initiative of the Union government. In fact, a select number of Pune’s citizens have been roped in to generate concepts and ideas to facilitate the evolution of the city to a ‘smart’ status. The PMC sought
solutions to the gamut of problems pervading Pune, regarding parking spaces, garbage collection/disposal, traffic congestion, the lack of efficient public transport and so on, by means of a contest.
Calm prevails but storm hovers on FTII horizon Situation simmers with tension as ministry panel arrives to hold talks with stakeholders and students’ representatives gargi verma
Gargi Verma @missgverma The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) seemed to be pervaded by calm before the storm, on the 71st day of the students’ strike. On Thursday, 25 alumni arrived at the campus and a students’ panel was expected to meet the ministry delegation that includes SM Khan, Director, RNI, Anshu Sinha, Director, Films and F Naganathan, Joint Secretary, Film. They arrived on Thursday night and are meeting the stakeholders at FTII on Friday, August 21. The students’ panel will include Harishankar Nachimutu, Vikas Urs, Shini JM, Ranjit Nayar, Ajayan Adat and Sachit Choudhary. If more than six students are allowed on the panel, Payal Kapadia and Rahat Jain will be included. The entrance exam of the new academic year is scheduled for August 23. In view of this, the permanent faculty had urged the delegation to come in after August 25. The students on Thursday also made public letters written by 2008 batch cinematography student Arnab
Gyan. The letters, dated August 7 and August 19, were regarding his concerns over the assessment and problems in completion of the course. The salient points of Gyan’s grievances are over the delay in completion of the course, the consequent financial burden, while his pleas include one about permission to shoot his diploma film digitally. The visiting and contractual faculty has also sent a letter to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. Signed by 95 members, including renowned names like Shama Zaidi, Resul Pookutty and Tom Alter, the letter addresses the ministry over the assessment and says that the faculty was not in favour of the assessment of incomplete student projects as it wasn’t just their mistake. On the 69th day of the strike, a police contingent from the Deccan Gymkhana police station had entered the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) campus at 12.30 am, and arrested five students. The warrant the police had was based on an FIR filed by FTII Director Prashant Pathrabe on Tuesday night. The FIR against 17 students was under IPC Sections 353, 143, 147, 149, 323, 341, 506 amounting to charges under rioting, illegal
assembly, obstruction of public duty, voluntarily causing hurt, wrongful restraint, criminal intimidation and destruction of public property. The five students, namely Vikas Urs, Raju Biswas, Himanshu Prajapati, Ameya Gore and Sachit Choudhary went with the police to the Deccan Gymkhana Police Station. Students from the campus followed them along with the faculty. On August 17, a meeting was planned which was to be attended by the students, faculty, Dean (Films), the Registrar and the Director, regarding assessment of the 2008 batch student films. The Director sent an internal memo to the faculty, stating that the assessment needed to begin immediately, which the faculty declined, stating that the ‘timing was not right.’ Contd on p4
However, amid all the furore and brainstorming over the smart city initiative, the district and civic administrations seem to have overlooked a section of the city’s populace, who if, not equal consideration, deserve an even greater focus. The immediate and unavoidable questions then are: Are smart cities only for the able-bodied? Is Pune really a disabled-friendly city? TGS team visited government buildings, movie theatres, roads, footpaths et al, places which citizens have to go to regularly, only to find that no allowances have been made or consideration given to the disabled section of the population, who are left to fend for themselves in whatever way they can. Of the 15 ward offices in the city, eight have neither a ramp nor elevator for the disabled. At a few offices, elevators are being installed. At other ward offices, we were told that
we would have to bring the disabled persons there at our own risk. With such a situation, a trip to the state government’s offices in Central Building, assumes nightmarish proportions for the disabled. Not just officialdom, but even banks, malls, bus stops, movie theatres or other public spots have no special conveniences for the disabled. There are 29.63 lakh disabled people in Maharashtra, of which 22,064 live in Pune district. Making Pune a disabledfriendly destination then seems to pose a towering challenge for the district administration. District Social Welfare officer Sanjay Kadam admitted that government offices that are over a decade old, do not have the infrastructure that caters to the disabled. “Only recent structures such as the new administrative building and the new Zilla Parishad premises in Camp have conveniences for disabled people,” Kadam said.
He said that it is not that the state government has turned down proposals for disabled-friendly facilities at government offices. “It is the responsibility of the concerned authorities at government offices, ward offices, banks etc to seek funds for facilities and infrastructure. If anyone, they are to blame for the lack of such conveniences for the disabled, which also highlights a glaring lack of consideration for the disabled in the district,” Kadam said. But it is only when one steps into the shoes of the disabled that one can gain some perspective into the overwhelming maze of trials and tribulations that any and every disabled person encounters and struggles to overcome on a daily basis. Whether it is the wheelchairbound Trupti Chordia and Guruprasad Rao, the visually impaired Dhananjay Bhole or Suraj Dhumal, their common thread is one of constant trouble and woe.
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 22, 2015
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MUMBAI
“We plan to get the infrastructure subcommittee’s consent for this project. But the ongoing work to prevent rocks from falling on the E-way will continue and will be completed on a war footing.” - Eknath Shinde, Minister, MSRDC
Tannishtha to shine at international film fests Come September and the Bollywood actor is all set to take two of her films to the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival and another to the Venice Film Festival
BY BAPU DEEDWANIA @bapudeedwania
Tannishtha (above) has an Australian film, UnIndian (above right), co-starring former cricketer Brett Lee, scheduled to release in October.
Still soaking in the critical acclaim for her part in the fi lm Gour Hari Dastaan, actor Tannishtha Chatterjee is now prepping to take her fi lms to fi lm festivals across the world. Her fi lms Parched and Angry Indian Goddesses will be shown at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), while Island City will be showcased at the Venice Film festival. Parched, directed by Leena Yadav, will feature in Special Presentations section, considered the most prominent section at the Toronto Film Festival. The Special Presentations list this year includes the world premiere of fi lms like Black Mass, starring Johnny Depp, The Family Fang, starring Nicole Kidman and Jason Bateman, and Into the Forest, starring Ellen Page. Angry Indian Goddess has been
CM asks police to probe octroi evasion
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria to set up a taskforce to probe the alleged octroi evasion at checkpoints due to a nexus between transporters’ agents and Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) officials. “Th is is a very serious matter. The MCGM is losing a lot of money. Constitute a taskforce to investigate the nexus between agents and officials,” Fadnavis said in a letter to Maria. “I had apprised the Chief Minister about news reports that octroi is being evaded at checkpoints. Th is is causing a loss of crores of rupees to the MCGM since octroi is an important source of revenue for the civic corporation. Thus, I had
requested the CM to direct Rakesh Maria to constitute a taskforce to probe the nexus between MCGM officials and agents,” Mumbai BJP leader Ashish Shelar told reporters. Citing news reports, Shelar said that unauthorised agents, transporters of goods and octroi department officials are hand in glove with each other and pay a lesser amount of octroi before bringing their goods into the city. “Along with these people, some political leaders too seem to be involved in the conspiracy and it does not seem that the MCGM has any definite plan to counter this menace. Th is matter is a serious one from the law and order perspective as well,” Shelar said. PTI
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with state BJP president Raosaheb Danve during a press conference in Mumbai
MMRDA directed to expedite rehab of affected slum dwellers Maharshtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to expedite the process of rehabilitation of slum dwellers on the Anik-Panjarpol link road. About 1,800 to 2,000 slum dwellers have reportedly lost their homes due to the Eastern Freeway project that connects South Mumbai to Chembur. Shiv Sena MLA from Anushaktinagar Tukaram Kate along with party’s legislator and spokesperson Neelam Gorhe had met Fadnavis in this regard. Kate told the CM that rehabilitation of slum dwellers affected by the project is being “neglected” by MMRDA. Following this, Fadnavis directed MMRDA commissioner UPS Madan to immediately verify the eligible beneficiaries and expedite the process of their rehabilitation, Kate said.
directed by Pan Nalin. Island City, directed by Ruchika Oberoi, is a three-part fi lm in which Tannishtha plays the lead in the third story. Starring Vinay Pathak, Amruta Subhash along with Tannishtha, the fi lm is produced by the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) and is set in Mumbai. Tannishtha also has an Australian fi lm, UnIndian, co-starring former cricketer Brett Lee, scheduled to release in October. She has completed fi lming for another Hollywood fi lm along with Nicole Kidman, produced by Wienstein Company and the makers of The King’s Speech. “I am looking forward to meeting Nicole again at TIFF,” the actor said. Tannishtha is the only Indian actor whose fi lms were selected in three major international fi lm festivals in 2013. Her fi lm Monsoon Shootout featured in the Cannes Film Festival, whereas her Canadian fi lm, Siddharth,
Maha govt steps up security of Anna Hazare The Maharashtra government has further beefed up the ‘Z’ security cover of social activist Anna Hazare in view of letters threatening him with dire consequences. “Anna Hazare has been accorded ‘Z’ category security from some time now. We have been conducting a security audit of Anna time-to-time and in spite of that he is receiving threat letters. Looking at all these threat letters being received by him, we have provided him two additional escorts and the security in his office and residence has been further heightened,” Minister of State for Home Ram Shinde told PTI. Police have taken cognisance of the latest threat letter received by the Gandhian and an inquiry is being conducted into the matter, he said. “The government will leave no stone unturned to ensure he remains safe,” Shinde said. A threat letter which Hazare received carried the name of one Mahadeo Panchal from Latur district and was posted from Osmanabad. The letter had warned Hazare that he will meet the fate of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, who was killed in Pune two years back. Hazare said that he will not be cowed down by such threats and will carry on his work. PTI
The old and thorny battle with backlogs at FTII
Miraculous revival of the largest sewage treatment plant
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was selected for the Venice Film Festival as well as TIFF. The dusky actor participated in TIFF for the fi rst time in 2005 with her breakthrough German fi lm, Shadows of Time, directed by Academy Award winner Florian Gellenberger. In fact, Gellenberger’s fi lm Colonia, starring Emma Watson and Daniel Bruhl, is also part of the Special Presentations section this year. “I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am about meeting the director who took me to this prestigious festival for the fi rst time. Th is is as good as it gets,” Tannishtha told TGS on Thursday night as she stepped out of the premiere of Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s fi lm Maanzhi in Andheri, Mumbai. “It would be great to catch up with him after so many years,” she added. Tannishtha, born in Pune, has majored in chemistry from Delhi University and is an alumnus of National School of Drama. She made her way to Mumbai in 2003 when she was 21 and since then there has been no looking back. To her credit, a number of her fi lms have been part of A-list fi lm festivals. The actor is best known in the international fi lm circuit for her performance in the British fi lm based on the adaptation of Monica Ali’s best seller Brick Lane. Brick Lane got her a best actress nomination at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) along with Dame Judi Dench and Anne Hathway. “It was a huge moment for me,” she told TGS. Chatterjee has also won the Best Actress Award at the 2006 Osian Film Festival for her Bengali, Bibar. bapudeedwania@gmail.com
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Help pours in for man to bid adieu to his deceased son Many people have come forward to help 68-year-old Mumbai resident who lost his son in the US Worli resident Luis Fernandes’ son Melvin Fernandes (37) allegedly committed suicide in Virginia, US, on August 15, apparently following some personal issues. Luis, after getting the news of Melvin’s demise, had a double whammy as not only his family’s sole bread winner ended his life, but the distraught father could not afford the expenses to bring his son’s mortal remains back home from America. “Melvin’s friend Rakesh, who worked with him in the US, launched an online plea to collect money from people across the world and managed to generate over USD 30,036 (nearly Rs 20 lakh), donated by more than 500 people, in three days. Now my uncle (Luis), who is a retired driver, will be able to get his son’s body back to Mumbai,” Melvin’s cousin Rohan Fernandes said. Melvin’s body is presently kept at a mortuary in the US and if everything goes as per plan, then it would be send to Mumbai in next 24-36 hours, he said. “As of now formalities are in the last leg to dispatch the body. It takes around three to four days to transfer the fund generated through crowd funding which will be over by today or tomorrow. We are expecting the body to arrive here by Sunday,” Rohan said while expressing gratitude towards all their friends and others who steppedin to help. About 20 per cent of the total money collected came from absolute strangers from the US, UK, Australia
Revoke no-detention policy in schools Most states in the country, including Maharashtra, want the Centre to amend the Right to Education Act and revoke its no-detention policy for students of Classes I to VIII, a state minister has said. During a recent meeting held by the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), most states urged the Union government to revoke its nodetention policy as students tend to not take their exams seriously, and thus it becomes difficult for them in Classes IX and X, Maharashtra’s Minister of State for Home Ranjit Patil said. “The CABE had convened a meeting where we discussed the detention of students in the same class. We have very strongly conveyed to the Centre that though this policy makes things easier in the short-term, it makes matters difficult for them in Classes IX and X,” Patil said. “Also, students should inculcate a habit wherein they learn that one does not achieve anything until one works hard for it,” he said. Ministers from maximum states, who were present at the meeting, had the same view, he said, adding that primary, secondary, higher and technical education issues were
among other things discussed at the meeting. “We apprised the Centre with what Maharashtra has done in terms of education, steps taken by us like reducing the weight of school bags. We also said that NCC and NSS can be made elective subjects,” Patil said. The no-detention policy, a key component of the RTE Act, was enforced on April 1, 2010 with an aim to ensure that every child between the age of 6 and 14 studies in school. The idea behind the policy was to minimise the number of students who drop out of the schooling system because of failure and are too embarrassed or demotivated to repeat a year. PTI
Big B celebrates Poet’s day ‘under the shadow of ’ his father
Poetry has been an integral part of megastar Amitabh Bachchan’s life, thanks to his father and eminent poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan. On the occasion of Poet’s Day, the 72-year-old actor paid tribute to the poetry and compared a poet’s vision to that of God’s. “It would be an atrocity of immeasurable proportions to attempt a few words on this Poet’s Day as I labour to fi ll in some respectable words under the shadow of greatness
- my Father!! “Poet’s have the vision of the God’s.. The ability to bring it to expression and... The immense talent to give it form in words...!! They that have dwelled in this their mystique, have tasted and been bathed under the incessant drench of its pouring...,” he wrote on his blog. The “Piku” star, who has given voice to his father’s renowned poem “Madhushala” many a times, said the biggest joy for a poet comes from the
identity he gains through his work. “Very few have asked what the poet went through before he or she wrote what they wrote... Many did disclose their reason and frame... But to me, and from what I did gather from my illustrious Father, the greatest joy and achievement for a poet would not be the sounds of praise at its listening, but in the fi nding an individual identity, in each of his or her works...” he wrote. PTI
Luis Fernandes could not afford the expenses to bring his son’s mortal remains back home from America
and parts of Asia, said Rohan, who works with a bank here. Following completion of his hotel management degree course in Mumbai, Melvin flew to America in 2005 and initially after working as a chef on a cruise liner, he took up job as a manager at his friend’s restaurant. “How could he take such a drastic step and end his life by hanging himself is still shattering us,” said Rohan. Melvin had recently got married and his wife, who is currently in Mumbai, had visited him in the US earlier this month, he added. PTI
Escort agent held in MP’s son robbery Police on Thursday arrested a man in connection with an incident, where the son of a Member of Parliament from Uttar Pradesh was allegedly looted of valuables worth Rs 1.5 lakh at knifepoint by a woman from an escort service. Ashok Prasad, an escort agent, is the “mastermind” of the robbery incident which took place outside a five-star hotel in western suburb of Vakola on Sunday night, police said. “The accused is a resident of Mira Road and was arrested from there,” said M Vavhale, Senior Inspector of Vakola Police Station. However, the woman and her driver, who is also wanted in the case, are absconding and a search is on to trace them, he said. According to police, Prasad is the “mastermind” of the entire episode, as he had sent the woman along with a driver to the MP’s son. The victim, a businessman, visited the city on Sunday and allegedly asked for a female escort from an agency through Prasad, an agent, said Vavhale. The MP’s son was threatened on knife-point by the woman and her driver, who looted valuables worth around Rs 1.5 lakh from the victim and fled, police said. Prasad was produced before a local court, which remanded him in police custody till August 24, they added. PTI
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 22, 2015
India shines on global space research and exploration map
Hope for the helpless
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Elected members have approved a proposal to appoint an NGO to coordinate door-to-door collection with waste-pickers. Citizens will have to pay them directly. The charges will be increased by around Rs 20 per month. - Ashwini Kadam, standing committee chairman
BY GARGI VERMA AND GITESH SHELKE @TGSWeekly There is trouble brewing in the Oxford of the East. Several students are unhappy with their faculty using Marathi as the only medium of instruction and teaching in classes. Quite a few students of courses offered by Social Sciences department of the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) have expressed their displeasure, but in vain. Some are now contemplating to opt out of the courses mid way. Teachers on their part claim that they have little choice, as a majority of students in the classes are from Marathi medium schools. The problem has been in existence for a while but has peaked now, with Marathi becoming the only language of instruction in classes. A post graduate student of the Social Sciences department at the SPPU explained that earlier teachers would use English and only when someone couldn’t understand, an explanation would be given in Marathi. “But now it has become a norm. Entire lectures are in
PIC FOR REPRESENTATION PURPOSE ONLY
Marathi is the unofficial language at Pune University
Students from outside Maharashtra are a frustrated lot as most professors from social sciences department at the university teach in Marathi
Marathi. Since I am not from the state, I have tried reasoning with my faculty, but the situation hasn’t changed at all,” he said. The SPPU has multiple departments, each offering several courses. While everything is fine in the other departments, faculty has started teaching in Marathi at the Mental, Moral and Social Sciences departments. As per rules, students can submit their assignments in English or Marathi, but the language of instruction is English. A student of Masters of Journalism and Mass communication, who hails from Chhattisgarh, explained that when she enrolled for the course she was told that the classes would be in English. “Since I am not from this state, I do not understand Marathi
at all. Most of the professors in our classes teach in Marathi for the benefit of my classmates who are from rural areas. Th is is unfair to those who do not understand the language at all. I am now regretting my decision of quitting my well-paying job in Chhattisgarh and coming to Pune University,” she said, requesting anonymity. Another post graduate student said that he has objected each time the teachers used Marathi,. “I have been raising my hand and even taken up the matter with head of department. But since the students from rural areas in the state outnumber the ones who do not understand the language, the teachers switch to Marathi,” he said. Students point out that the problem is only restricted to courses
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offered by the Pune University and the practice is not prevalent in colleges affi liated to the university. When TGS contacted SPPU Vice Chancellor, Professor WN Gade, he said that he had been told about the problem in the Social Sciences department. He explained that English was the medium of instruction in various departments of the University. Management studies and various science and technology departments follow English as medium of instruction. The departments in the faculty of Arts follow different medium of instructions, namely, English for English language department, Marathi for Marathi language Department and Hindi for Hindi language department. However, the problem lies with the departments teaching different social sciences under the faculty of Mental, Moral and Social Sciences. Here teachers need to impart education in English language but teachers or visiting faculties do not follow the rules. “If students complain about being taught in the Marathi language, I will ensure that such instances are not repeated. I have already passed on instructions to the HoDs. Students can directly approach me with their grievances in this regard,” he said. Foreign students and students from other states face difficulties in understanding the subject, if the faculty teaches in local language, he admitted. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
Girl escapes broad daylight attack
Man attempts to kill the victim with an axe on a busy road TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly
quite a while for the cops to arrive, they visited the spot and scanned the footage recorded by CCTv installed at the jewellery store near the scene. However, they failed to get any concrete leads. Later, the victim was escorted to Vishrambaug police station and her statement was recorded. The attacker has been charged under Section 307 (attempt to murder), Section 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and Section 427 (mischief causing damage) of the Indian Penal Code. While the girl did not recognise her attacker, she claims to have seen two more men who could be the biker’s accomplices. The police are gathering information from onlookers, nearby shopkeepers and CCTv footages. “The investigation is underway and we will crack the case soon,” said Vishrambaug Police Station Senior Police Inspector Hemant V Bhat. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
A 23-year-old girl nearly escaped death when she was attacked by a biker on the crowded Mhatre Bridge on Friday. She was riding from Sambhaji Nagar in Dhankawadi locality to Chatuhshrungi Road. The incident has brought to light the unsafe side of city life even during day time. Arti Ganesh Pathak was riding her bike when she was attacked with an axe by a biker who pulled up near her at the turn towards Indra Dhanush Environmental Education Centre in front of Pravin Jewellers. Arti escaped the attack by the skin of her teeth as the axe hit and broke her bike’s left rear-view mirror. Leaving her bike to the side on the bridge, she fled and caught her breadth only after reaching a place she thought would be safe. The horrified victim narrated the incident to passers-by and cops were alerted. Even though it took
Cops suspect recovered antlers stolen from NDA bungalows PUNE,
F O D R I B
station,” he said, adding that ZSI confirmed that Sambar Deer is not found in and around NDA or nearby hills. Many retired army officers or serving officers generally collect such deer antlers and police believe that the suspects might have stolen it from one of their residences, Nikam said.
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Constable Ramdas Bangar, who had sustained i n t e r n a l injuries during the Bopkhel agitation in May, passed away on Thursday at the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, where he was under medical observation. Bangar’s family, relatives and colleagues from the police force are collecting money to pay off the
man also hit Bangar with a stone. He was immediately shifted to a private hospital where he was kept for six days. He was discharged but was still in pain, and medical investigation revealed that his liver was damaged in the attack. He was re-admitted to hospital. Police Inspector (Crime) A H Bhosale of Bhosari police station said that they were still investigating the case. Post his death, the police will review Bangar’s medical reports, and if need be, add to the list of offences against the village mob. Bangar is survived by his wife and son. The family hail from Ambegaon. His son Vikrant is a computer engineer employed by a private company. “My father died in the line of duty,” Vikrant said, adding that funds should be allotted to policemen who are victims of of such tragedies at the earliest. gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com
igh Flying Hurs on Flavo
ENT E R TA
BY GITESH SHELKE @gitesh.shelke
medical expenses, including liver transplant surgery that cost about Rs 25 lakh. The Director General of Police, Maharashtra, was requested to allot funds for the operation. City Police Commissioner K K Pathak has said that he was making all the efforts to access the funds from the DG Office. Bangar was posted at the Bhosari police station, when the residents of Bopkhel village gathered at the Bopkhel-Dapodi Road, which was closed off by the College of Military Engineering (CME). The villagers’ protest resorted to stone pelting, and consequently, there was a strong contingent of policemen posted at the spot to avert any untoward incident. The police even resorted to a lathicharge to disperse the agitators. Some 22 police personnel and 15 villagers were injured in the clash. Camera footage showed four persons in the mob kicking and beating up Bangar with sticks, and a
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This versatile actor loves doing comedy the most
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p06 & 07
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Coming soon: Honda BR-V SUV
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Crime Branch Unit II. Nikam said that the fathers of these suspects are working as orderlies at NDA. School dropouts and jobless, the suspects were found roaming in the car looking for customers by the police. “An offence has been registered against the trio at the Hinjewadi police
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rest a r e h t f o In search F I NDIA
Bopkhel fracas cop dies Deceased cop’s family struggles to pay for his medical bills
With this issue
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The city crime branch believes that the seized deer antlers estimated at Rs 12.5 lakh, could be stolen by the three suspects from the National Defence Academy (NDA) Khadakwasla premises. Police had confiscated four sets of deer antlers and a car from the suspects identified as Rajendra Premlal Changotra (20), Sonu Indore Solanki (18) and Nihal Pramod Singh (18), all residents of Ekta Vihar, NDA, Khadakwasla. The suspects were arrested at Chandni Chowk on Katraj–Dehu Road bypass on Wednesday after Constable Shailesh Jagtap received a tip-off about the trio’s presence with the prohibited goods in the area. The law authorities reached the conclusion after receiving reports from Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and conducting a field survey. The suspects had confessed to finding the deer antlers on the NDA campus, said Police Inspector Satish Nikam of the
Celeb chat
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THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 22, 2015
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“Fadnavis is a Brahmin, so is Babasaheb Purandare. NCP is a Maratha outfit.Which is why Pawar is deliberately fanning the state award row to dislodge Fadnavis from CMship.” - Raj Thackeray, Chief, MNS
Second Gram Nyayalaya to hear cases from August 23
Lawyers too responsible for filth in trial courts: HC
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Calm prevails but storm hovers on FTII horizon
Timeline of the ruckus June 9 I&B Ministry appoints TV actor Gajendra Chauhan as the chairman of the institute June 12 FTII students go on a strike June 26 Several student bodies in Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Thrissur, Mumbai and Delhi protest in support of FTII students
Situation simmers with tension as ministry panel arrives to hold talks with stakeholders and students’ representatives rahul raut
Contd from p1 The Director then decided to go ahead with the assessment on a prorata basis, which involved counting the previous marks and deciding the grades accordingly, without taking into account the latest exercise of the final year. When the faculty protested, the Director allegedly said, “My hands are tied. These are orders from the Ministry and they need to be followed.” The students learned of the situation and demanded justification. They were told by the Director, “I can, since I have the authority, and thus I shall.” The confrontation turned ugly after the Director stopped media persons from entering the campus. The students who were arguing regarding the assessment decided to gherao the Director. They insisted that they would not leave the room until the ministry responded, or until they got a justification. Registrar UC Bodake said that the police were called as the students were becoming aggressive. The police presence on the campus immediately sparked tension. The police started dragging out students from the narrow doorway and a girl student was allegedly manhandled. The police also roughed up a few others. But later the students were allowed to speak to the Director and Registrar, with the police also being present. The students kept asking Pathrabe questions that he refused to answer. The students then also demanded his resignation since he had no reply. Late that night, the students
June 29 The students receive a letter from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting asking them to come for a meeting. The talks however failed July 13 Bollywood actors Ranbir Kapoor, Kalki Koechelin, Nawazuddin Siddquie, Kiran Rao and others voice their opinions and concerns regarding Chauhan and other committee members’ appointments July 14 FTII Director DJ Narain sends a notice threatening rustication if strike continues July 16 FTII Faculty sends a letter to I&B Ministry stating that they support the students July 17 DJ Narain’s three-year stint at the institute comes to an end. Prashant Pathrabe takes over as director July 31 Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi visits the campus and supports the agitation August 7 Administration decides to get rid of 80 odd students on some pretext or the other Director Prashant Pathrabe issues statement declaring the pro-rata/as is where is assessment of 2008 batch, eviction of over-staying students and dismissal of 82 contractual staffers
August 18 Director registers an FIR against 50 odd students on charges of rioting, assault and obstructing government servant with Deccan Police station. Cops arrive at the FTII campus late in the night to arrest the students. Since most of the names given by director in his FIR were incorrect, cops could pick up only five students. Three female students named in the FIR were not arrested
August 10
demanded that ministry representatives come to the campus to gauge the reality. They also urged Gajendra Chauhan to sort out the mess he had sparked. On Wednesday, Pathrabe issued an official statement blaming the students for the ruckus. “As the Director, I was kept in illegal confinement by the students for 8-10 hours on Monday night. On the agenda of assessment, when I told them my decision, they said they would not allow me to go. Rohan Pawar
Initially I refused to call the police, but 3-4 hours, I had to call the police. They tortured me by using interrogation techniques. They also indulged in disrespectful and insulting behavior,” he said. “In view of the above, I had to take the unfortunate step of filing an FIR with the police. I had no choice as tolerating this kind of lawless behaviour would have emboldened them to do more,” he said. The Academic Council in its decision on April 27, 2014, had decided that ‘as is where is’ or ‘pro rata assessment’ of 2008 batch pending projects should be done if projects are not completed in time. There was an audit objection and they observed that despite the two zero years and extension of the course and projects the students did not complete projects in time. Action had to be initiated and it was decided to start from the oldest batch in the campus. The faculty had agreed with the decision and the Dean Films said that they should go ahead with the assessment but also suggested that after the assessment students should be given an opportunity to complete their projects.
it on pro-rata basis, not taking into account the final project and giving marks based on previous performance 7:15 pm: The students ask to speak to the ministry regarding assessment. Director declines 8:15 pm: The Director relents and gives the Joint Secretary’s numbers. The students call multiple times, but there’s no response. Students ask the Director to give in writing that the assessment will not continue until they have spoken to the Joint Secretary 9:00 pm: The Director sends a text message to the Joint Secretary and then calls him. A brief conversation later, he reports, “The Joint Secretary and the Ministry do not wish to speak to anyone regarding the assessment. The assessment shall continue as planned.” 10:00 pm: The Director gets up to leave and the students block him physically. The Director and Registrar then call the police 10:10 pm: 12 policemen arrive in three vans. They start forcibly evicting students from Director’s office. They hit a few students, the scuffle leads to breaking of the glass door to the Director’s office 10:45 pm: Students allowed to interact with the Director and Registrar under police protection 11:15 pm: The Director is bombarded with questions. He remains silent for most part, but finally says, “Nahi hai jawab mere paas (I don’t have answers).” Students demand his resignation 12:00: The Registrar says that due to ‘verbal violence’ by the students and because they didn’t let them go out of the room, police was called 12:30 am: Director says that the assessment has been postponed till next morning. The meeting ends. As the director leaves, students shout slogans against him.
The next day the faculty expressed reservations on the timing. The following day the Director told them his decision to go ahead. What criterion to use for the assessment was left to the faculty. The assessment decision continues to be on hold.
Director issues notice to the faculty to start assessment, Faculty expresses dissent
About FTII The Film Institute of India was established in 1960 on the erstwhile Prabhat Studio premises in Pune. The institute was renamed ‘The Film and Television Institute of India’ in 1971. The Television Wing, earlier located at the Mandi House, New Delhi was shifted to Pune in the early 70s, bringing together the training in film and television under a common roof. The institute offers several post graduate diploma courses in cinematography, screenplay writing, direction, sound design, video editing, TV direction, among others. The FTII is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India. Its policies are determined by a Governing Council. The latter appoints the director of the institute.
1:30 pm: The Director issues an internal memo to the faculty to start assessment. 2:00 pm: Faculty refuses. Students get to know about this and they express dissent, ask for justification. 3:00 pm: 50 students, HODs, Dean (Films), Registrar meet in the Director’s office. Students ask the Director to justify the assessment at this juncture, to which he replies, ‘these are ministry orders’. 5:00pm: The students gherao the Director and Registrar. The Dean (Films) expresses the official stand of the faculty over the assessment, “Assessment is right, but the timing is wrong. We are unwilling to asses it at the given time and situation.” 5:30pm: The students ask the Director to take his decisions back. The Director refuses. They ask for justifications, he says, “Because I have the authority to, so I will.” 7:00pm: The Director says the Joint Secretary (I&B Ministry) is pushing through for assessment and if the faculty doesn’t chip in, he’ll have to do
August 13-August 14
August 19
Internal meeting between the faculty and dean, and then the Director, the Registrar, the HODs and Dean (Films). No outcome, a meeting with the students called on August 17, 3 pm August 17
Post midnight the arrested students were taken to Deccan Police station. Several other students too marched to the police station and camped outside. The students waited outside hoping that those arrested would be released on bail. Cops, however, told them that while most other charges were bailable at police station, section 353 of IPC for obstructing a government servant was not something they have authority over. The cops produced the students before the court on Wednesday. Advocate Aseem Sarode and Shrikant Shivde, representing the students, told the court that the arrest was unwarranted. They argued that the students did not break any law and that they had been called for a meeting by the Director, hence there was no question of booking them for unlawful assembly. They also showed a video of the scuffle between the police and students. The video showed how most of the damage in the Director’s office was done by the cops and not the students. The court granted bail to the five students August 20 The ministry delegation arrives at the FTII August 21 The delegation to meet stakeholders and the students’ panel
The old and thorny battle with backlogs takes centre stage BY Gargi Verma @missgverma The complex issue of backlogs lies in the eye of the current storm raging at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). Director Prashant Pathrabe claims that the assessment of films of students of the 2008 batch is a bid to clear the backlog. But backlogs has been a perennial issue at the FTII, and no students batch has completed courses within the prescribed three years, except those in the initial years when the institute was far less crowded. What lies behind this sluggish and laggardly performance by students who are the brightest and best from all those aspiring to an education at the country’s premier film institute? The students say that there is not a one-step delay. It’s not just the degree/diploma films that are delayed. The various exercises throughout the years are not on time, even for one batch, leading to delays at every step. TGS sheds light on this chain reaction. Not enough facilities Though FTII is the country’s premier film institute, it has only one shooting
floor for a batch of 45-50 students. A 2007 batch student who passed out in 2012, says that the institute has a dire shortage of equipment. “Only one film can be shot on the campus at a time. There are only three cameras per batch while the exercises happen in the academic year. How does anyone expect everything to happen on time?” he asks. The current students say that the facilities have deteriorated over the years. Lavanya Ramaiah, a 2012 batch student, says, “If equipment stops working, there’s no guarantee when it will be repaired. They have money to put up speakers around the campus to play classical music, but not to upgrade equipment.” The post production facilities are the worst hit. “There’s only one sound mixing studio for the entire institute, for all sound students from all batches. How can work schedules be met?” said a current student. No colour correction lab The institute has no colour correction lab. Colour correction is an important aspect of film-making, and students’ degree/diploma films are sent to Mumbai and elsewhere for colour correction, leading to pendency issues. A 2006 batch student from who graduated in 2012, said, “The institute didn’t have a well-equipped sound console in our times. There was no basic dialogue track for my movie, so sound had to be created, which took time.” Outside technicians are called in if in-house ones are not available or
lack the required skills. “Sometimes the management gives the green signal, or we are told to wait or make do owing to lack of budget. This delays our movies further,” he said. Obsolete methods The institute has not upgraded its technology at all. Movies were produced on films till a couple of years ago, as nothing was digitised. Ranjit Nayar, a 2011 batch student, said, “While the industry has moved on, the institute hasn’t. We were doing our assignments on the film cameras. In our second year, we ran out of film, and since it was outdated technology, there were no manufacturers. So our assignments had to be postponed.” Students’ degree projects have been stalled owing to obsolete technology. “We want our diploma films to be compatible, our experience here should be valid when we want work in the industry. The old technology is of practically useless. The transition we were promised never happened. I had to finish my movie on film,” said a 2007 batch student. Faculty matters Like other media institutes, FTII has a larger visiting faculty than a regular one. A current student, Payal, said, “Teachers can share their experiences of the industry. They are our first contact with the industry.” But the visiting teachers’ schedules disrupt the classes. Some have stopped owing to issues with the management. “The
rahul raut
The issue of backlogs at FTII is familiar and constant one, with none of the recent batches completing the course in the three-year timeframe
2008 batch had no faculty for direction in the first term, so that was delayed by almost six months,” said Ajayan Adat, a 2008 batch student. “They give us assignments and disappear for days on end, stalling our evaluation, causing delays,” he said. With the change in technology, permanent teachers who are not conversant with it have become redundant. Student overload In 2004-05, there eight courses were added to the existing four. The Supreme Court also increased the number of students under reservation quotas. Consequently, the FTII had far more students than it could accommodate. Ranjit said, “The facility is meant for eight students per discipline for four courses. The intake varies from 12 to 14, and even 16 per discipline for 12 courses in some cases. There’s a constant crunch and fight for resources. The 2008 batch had no
accommodation with the 2004 batch occupying rooms. So they slept in shifts. The costly equipment was a far more serious issue.” Bureaucratic delay Bureaucracy and the ensuing delays was a huge but largely ignored issue. A 2010/2011 batch student Yashaswi, said, “We appeared for the exam in May 2010. But, we started classes in September 2011. This made us the 2011 batch. But our fee receipt mentions us as the 2010 batch. We started college nine months later, which resulted in our academic calendar going awry.” Similar delays also delayed the procurement of equipment and the transition. Syllabus Both teachers and students say that the syllabus, with all its exercises and components, cannot be completed in three years, even if everything else goes all right. A faculty member said, “The
course is at best a five to six-and-a-half year course. We have been trying to rework the syllabus. The latest syllabus that the students and the government have compiled is a four-year one. If it was a four-year course, then backlogs would reduce significantly.” If the FTII is straining under such an overload of problems, why are film students still flocking to it? “Other colleges are in even worse conditions or charge too much money. The FTII is the only institute that accommodates students from every strata of society. No other institute provides this calibre of teaching and guidance. The ideological diversity, the varied backgrounds of students who are however, united by their love for cinema is what no other commercial institute can provide,” said Lavanya. How can people label us hooligans? In 2012, three students batches were told to finish their shootings at one time. “There ensued a race between students of 2007, 2008 and 2009 batches to finish their movies. One unit and approximately 30 movies was sheer madness. It resulted in more delays for the 2010 and 2011 batches who couldn’t use the facility for their second year exercises,” said a 2007 batch student. The 2007 batch was making its diploma films till 2013. The 2009 batch finished their work in 2014. The earlier batches were had to leave their movies incomplete, causing a collective angst. gargi.verma@goldensparrow.com
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 22, 2015
Delivering bundles of joy
App for civic problems
We have given the directives to the BRTS cell. It will conduct first a survey of the roads to identify locations for construction of these urinals and lavatories. - Rajeev Jadhav, Municipal commissioner
PUNE
P9
P8
Energy firm duped Miraculous revival of the state of Rs 23 cr duty largest sewage treatment plant Dead rodents had choked sewage water pipes at the Bahiroba Nala pumping station, rendering it non-functional for months Pics by Aniruddha Rajandekar
PRIYANKKA DESHPANDE @journopriyankka Devichand Kevate, a class IV employee of Pune Municipal Corporation, went to the Bahiroba Nala pumping station on August 1. He was shocked to find that the sewage pipes were blocked with dead rodents and such, which had rendered the pipes non-functional for months. Kevate and 15 other PMC workers were assigned to restart the treatment of sewage water at the Bahiroba Nala pumping station. The work had come to a standstill for the first time since the station was set up in 2002, owing to a recalcitrant private contractor assigned for its upkeep. But in wake of the growing demand by farmers
PMC workers come to the rescue of the plant
from nearby villages who depend on purified water from the pumping
station, PMC officials have decided to reopen the plant. With its own staffers handling the work, the PMC has benefited to the tune of Rs 1.80 crore paid to the private contractor annually. “I was an assistant electrician at the Kasba Peth pumping station. But here I have to do all kinds of work, be it removing mud from the sewage water, or cleaning machines,” said Ramdas Vhatkar. They work on sewage water treatment in shifts round the clock. “Unless we work round the clock, we will be unable to supply water to the farmers of Manjri, Sade Satra Nali, Hadapsar and Mundhwa,” said Vhatkar, 57, who
City youth popularise desi dhol-tasha in Ichalkaranji
Pune-based Rhyddhm Evolution, a musical band, is training groups in Ichalkaranji to make Ganapati immersion procession a traditional affair Pics by Sujeet Soman
By Akshay Dixit @TGSWeekly The Ganapati immersion procession is always in the headlines for several reasons. Whether it’s the excessive use of gulal, the extended duration of the procession, or the deafening decibels from the stacks of speakers, the common man always has his list of complaints. But the scenario has been changing and Ganapati mandals in city are now opting for the traditional dhol-tasha groups, instead of the blaring hi-watt sound systems. This trend is seen in other cities of Maharashtra too. Ichalkaranji, a small town on the outskirts of Kolhapur city, which was known for an extravagant immersion procession, is following the trend. A group of youngsters have formed a dholtasha group called Kesari, and have convinced Ganapati mandals to shift
from the sound system. “We have observed the new trend in Pune and decided to adopt the same in our town. We discussed this idea with other members and gathered donations from citizens. Initially we invested in 43 dhols and 10 tashas to start our group. We have taken the money as loan and we will pay back the money after we get paid for our performance,” said Bhushan Phadke, a founder member of the Kesari group. The group got a helping hand from Pune’s Rhyddhm Evolution, a unique musical band, operating since 2013. The group voluntarily makes trips to Ichalkaranji, 240 km away, on their bikes, to groom the Kesari group members in how to play the dhol-tasha. The group started by Sujit Soman, Hrishikesh Apte, Sachin Khedkar, Amit Wagh and Harshwardhan Ranade and a few others have come together
to bring an evolution to the traditional music form. “It’s not just a typical dhol-tasha group like many others in the city. We have included traditional instruments like daff and halgi along with other membrane instruments. This is a kind of new trend and we have gained huge popularity for our unique style,” said Soman. The group has also performed with star percussionist Sivamani and has also featured in the Marathi movies ‘Punha Radhabai Chal’, ‘Awwaj Kunacha’ and ‘SEZ’. Talking about their stint with the Ichalkarnji group, Soman said, “We started with basic taal and soon they picked up the rhythm quite well. We were impressed with their dedication and would like to help them out in every possible way,” Soman said. Phadke also expressed his admiration for the city group, saying, “We were expecting a typical dhol-tasha group, but the way Rhyddhm Evolution has taught us is very unique. We performed our first show on the eve of Independence Day at Gandhi chowk and we received an overwhelming response. The roads were blocked as everyone was eager to listen to our band. We have already started getting contracts from various mandals in town. I believe this is a positive change we have been bringing up in Ichalkaranji.” The Kesari group consists of mainly youth and has a large contingent of girls. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
The Kesari group drummers beat out a rhythm on their dhol-tashas during a practise session
is due to retire from service next year. The workers are all above 40 years of age, but their zeal belies their age. “Our increasing age does not make us incapable of doing such risky work,” said 49-year-old Chabu Kamble, who hauls up bucketloads of mud from the sewage water. “Sewage water produces toxic gas, so we cannot work longer than four hours at a stretch,” Kamble said. He has worked at city pumping plants for 22 years. Sunil Kasbe, 53, is a pump specialist. Since the plant was not functioning for almost three months, removing all the collected mud was a tough task. “I am used to such work at the Naidu pumping station,” said Kasbe. Non-working machines have also been repaired. The plant The Bahiroba Nala pumping station with a 130 Magnetostrictive Level Measurement (MLT) capacity is the biggest sewage water treatment plant in the city. A single cycle of water purification takes five days. Purified water is released in the old Bahiroba Nala station, from where it supplied to farms in the neighbouring villages. The remaining water is released into rivers. The plant gets sewage water from Mundhwa, Ghorpadi, Kondhwa, Wanowrie and the cantonment area. priyankka.deshpande@goldensparrow.com
By Gitesh Shelke @gitesh_shelke
The Chief Controlling Revenue Authority, Maharashtra State has ordered a private energy company to pay Rs 15.90 crore and Rs 7.25 crore, in two separate orders, as the company paid deficit stamp duty to the government. The incident came to light after Member of Legislative Assembly, Amarsinh Pandit, from Beed lodged a complaint with the Inspector General of Revenue (IGR), Stamps, Pune. The IGR initiated an enquiry into the allegations and all the concerned parties were heard. It was alleged that the wind energy company, Mytrah Vayu (Krishna) Private Limited based in Hyderabad had taken a loan of over Rs 500 crore from different banks and had mortgaged a piece of land in Ahmednagar. However, as directed by the Collector of Stamps, Ahmednagar, the company paid and deposited Rs 10 lakh as stamp fees. The Collector of Stamps, Ahmednagar, then endorsed the document in June 2013 against the fees. Pandit realised that the company had taken financial assistance of over Rs 500 crore to install windmills in parts of Maharashtra and other states. The lower authorities of revenue were supposed to impose stamp duty of five per cent on the entire loan. However, the lower authority has the power to impose maximum stamp duty of only Rs 10 lakh, which was imposed. This led to mis-classification of the documents which resulted in short levy of stamp duty which was supposed to be Rs 29.19 crore. But only Rs 10 lakh was paid.
pic for representation purpose only
Private energy firm which paid deficit stamp duty penalised
However, the orders have safeguarded the lower authorities stating that the lower authority limited financial powers and can accept only Rs 10 lakh of stamp duty, which was duly accepted. However the MLC claimed that such miscalculations were adversely affecting the state treasury. He also raised questions on the functioning of the revenue authorities who calculated stamp duty to be levied on the basis of a document which mentioned that the company had mortgage only 130 square metres of land against the loan. gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 22, 2015
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY
PUNE
AUGUST 22, 2015
PUNE
pics by aniruddha rajandekar and rahul raut
It will take ages for our city to become disabled-friendly
S
unil Mankar, 38, uses a walking stick rather than a wheelchair to get around. “It’s easier with a stick as the streets here are not specially-abled friendly,” said Sunil. Sunil was struck down by polio as an infant, which left his right leg paralysed. “I was just a couple of months old then,” he said. The disease also put paid to his ambition. “I wanted to study further. But owing to my family situation and the lack of options and facilities, I only passed my SSC through a village school near Khadakwasla,” he said. He had dreamt of government service, but now earns his living as a tailor. On the city streets TGS team went along with Sunil on his daily rounds. He uses a twowheeler and even public transport. Sunil has learnt to cope with his disability when he is out on the streets. We saw him crossing the street near his house, and signalled
to him to wait, and that we would cross over to his side. He would have none of that and crossed over to our side without a ruffle. He is bothered by the road dividers and thinks that the gaps should be wider. Sunil lives in Upper Indiranagar, and uses the PMPML buses frequently. Getting up to the bus stop on the pavement was tricky however. “I have to lean heavily on my walking stick to get up and it’s still a bit difficult. But then who thinks of people like me? The way things are and the general attitude, I think that it will take ages for our city to become specially-abled friendly,” said Sunil. The bus arrived, and the conductor and driver were considerate and patient enough to allow Sunil to board the bus. “They are very helpful but getting on the bus should be made easier for people like us,” he said. He uses the stairs when he goes
Family fold Sunil is devout father and husband and does all he can to ensure that they are all well provided for. “Both my sons were born healthy,” he says, as he shows us their photos. “My wife is speech-impaired but she is a pillar of strength. I have been getting her treated for her problem and she has regained 20 per cent of her vocal ability,” said Sunil.
If Pune aspires to be a smart city, can it afford to be so myopic and insensitive towards the disabled?
A wheelchair can only go so far...
A
Wheelchair adventure TGS team ventured out into the city with wheelchair-bound Trupti, for a first-hand experience of just what it entails. We took in roads and pavements, and even visited a government office. It all began with getting on to the footpath near Pune-Satara Road, where she lives. The three of us managed to get her wheelchair on to the pavement. “The surface of the footpath is uneven. An inclined access to pavements will make it really convenient for people like us,” Trupti said. There were more obstacles to overcome, however, in the form of a car brazenly parked on the pavement. Besides the lack of other things, such infringements make Trupti’s life even more difficult. And crossing the busy PuneSatara Road is a frightening prospect. “I cannot imagine crossing this road. The government should provide an extra lane for the disabled,” said Trupti. Our next destination was the
dependence on others have not dimmed either her radiant smile or dented her defiant spirit. “I count myself among the luckiest of people, thanks to my family who have always gone out of their way to make me feel normal and accepted totally. My family is my biggest strength,” she said. How intrinsically she is accepted into and is part of the family fold is highlighted by her involvement in the family business. “I help out my dad,” said Trupti, who is trades in shares online. The spirited woman that she is, Trupti had taken to swimming to keep up her fitness level. But even going swimming came with its share of problems, such as the lack of easy access to the pool itself. “Exclusive swimming pools for the speciallyabled would be the right solution,” she said. Trupti has had to give up on her pool outings temporarily owing to some problem, however.
ward office at Bibwewadi. This is an old establishment and has no ramps or elevators to make the life of the specially-abled easier. “How am I expected to get up the stairs in a wheelchair?” Trupti wonders. The outing, however, made her
express sympathy towards the less fortunate specially-abled people, who have no one to accompany them into the world outside. Indomitable spirit Trupti’s disability and
Movie theatres
G
her
School days Enrolling Trupti in school seemed like a big problem for her parents, until she was accepted by the Vidya Niketan High School. She has fond memories of her school days. “The administration and teachers at Vidya Niketan were the sweetest and kindest. They really made me feel at home and even thought of things like ensuring that my classroom was on the ground floor,” said Trupti. She feels that all schools should make allowances for and accommodate specially-abled students.
uruprasad Rao, 40 has been suffering from Friedreich’s Ataxia for 13 years. This Dapodi resident who was employed as accountant in a private company until four years ago, was forced to quit his job when his condition deteriorated, and he had to use a wheelchair to move about. Guruprasad said that was when his bad times started. “When I started using a wheelchair, I was still at work. However, what I experienced was extreme insensitivity from people who refused to help me in my time of need. Moreover, the poor infrastructure of this city impelled me to quit my job as well,” said Guruprasad. A native of Hyderabad, Guruprasad was born and brought up in Pune. He thinks that Hyderabad and Delhi are much better than Pune when it comes to a disabled-friendly environment. “The footpaths are in a pathetic condition which makes it difficult to move about in my wheelchair. With the unreliable and hard to access public transport, I have reduced going out to a minimum,” said Guruprasad who goes out three days in a week. Dining out with family and friends is also rather unpleasant owing to the unaccommodating and unfriendly attitudes at most restaurants and their staff towards him. “None of the restaurants in the city have facilities for the disabled. Most restaurants do not have ramps and the staff is also not helpful,” said Guruprasad, who is 84 per cent disabled. Guruprasad’s 36-year-old brother Vivek also suffers from a similar form of disability. A few years ago, Vivek had gone to enrol himself for an Aadhar card. Imagine his ordeal when he had to literally crawl from the stairs to the centre on the second floor. “I crawled up the stairs to the second floor with my mother’s help, as there was no ramp at the Aadhar centre. Everyone around were just
S
uraj Dhumal is doing his MA in Hindi from Garware College. He is visually impaired but it is only partial and Suraj is capable of managing most things on his own. But he has more than his share of difficulties in going about, from where he lives to college, and also around the city for other purposes. Dhananjay Bhole is the Co-ordinator at the Advanced Technology Blind Students Learning Centre of Savitribai Phule Pune University. TGS team accompanied Bhole and Dhumal on their regular routes. There are street light poles on the pavement around the university which they have to be wary of. The footpaths are uneven which is a source of danger, and the badly placed manhole covers are an obstacle a visually impaired person can stumble or fall over, increasing
silent spectators, but no one came forward to help me. The same thing happened on the voting day when my brother, my mother and I went autorickshaw to the centre which was on the first floor, and there was no ramp facility,” said Vivek, who has decided never to go voting again. Guruprasad who has been to the USA, said that though he was not expecting special facilities
in the US, he thought the people would be helpful. “There are concessions and facilities for senior citizens and for people who fall into other disabled categories. However, our condition is rare and therefore it is not even identified as a serious disability which makes our life tough,” said Guruprasad.
Not enough infrastructure for the specially-abled: Anita Iyer Founder and Managing Tr u s t e e of Punebased NGO E K a n s h Trust, Anita Narayan Iyer, believes that the lack of facilities for specially-abled people renders them partially or completely dependent on others. “Right from education, social interaction, recreation, employment to medical and legal aid, all these aspects of the lives of people with disabilities is impacted by the lack
of accessibility,” she feels. For people fighting their own battles to overcome their disability, making an accessible surrounding is the least of what the government can provide. The Oxford of the East, Pune, fails to offer a convenient and appropriate infrastructure for specially-abled people. “There is not enough infrastructure for the speciallyabled,” says Anita. “Some of them are not even educated enough to know what their basic rights are. They only know their disabilities. So educating them is very important,” she said.
T
he district administration is very prompt in constructing ramps and providing other facilities at polling booths for the disabled during elections. But it is quite another story when it comes to providing elevators or ramps at ward offices, and they are never short of excuses for the oversight. It is the ward offices where one goes for birth certificates or to pay taxes, but none are disabled-friendly. The ward offices at Kothrud, Warje-Karve Nagar and Dhole Patil Road do not even have basic ramps for the wheelchair-bound. TGS team visited the Warje-Karvenagar ward office which houses the key department offices for birth, death and marriage registration. It also issues all types of NOCs and licences. There are ramps on both sides of the entrance, but to our utter surprise, we found that they are just for show, as there is no elevator or ramp facility to go to the first floor, where the important offices are located. An employee told us that there has never been an elevator at the office since it opened in 2002. The Kothrud ward office, in an upmarket area, does not even have ramps at its entrance, nor is there an elevator facility. We asked a staffer about bringing in a disabled person for official work, who said that we would have to do so at our own risk, as there was no facility to take the person to the upper floors. The Dhole Patil Road ward office was set up in 2001, and 14 years on, there is no elevator for the disabled or senior citizens. The Bibwewadi ward office has no ramps to speak of. The staff at the Dhankawadi and Hadapsar ward offices said that they had no facility for the disabled. The Tilak Road ward office is the exception, which not only has a ramp and elevator, but even the staff seemed cordial and helpful.
No city for the disabled clot in her spinal cord has left rendered her legs paralysed below the knees. Trupti Chordia, 28 is a movie buff, and an ardent and devoted fan, who swoons over her screen idol Farhan Akhtar. But alas, a first day, first show big movie screen experience of a new Farhan film is out of reach for Trupti, owing to the disabled-unfriendly environs of movie theatres in the city. Her thrills, consequently, are only small screen size, as she can only watch movies at home on her laptop. “I adore Farhan, and if I had my way, I would watch all of his movies on the big screen,” she said. “But since the multiplexes are not designed to be handicapped-friendly, it involves a monumental effort for me to watch movies in theatres,” Trupti said, with an obvious tinge of regret. There are few or no amenities for the specially-abled at multiplexes, and a wheelchair can only go so far. “It’s almost impossible for me ascend or descend the steps in a movie hall, so it is necessary for someone to help me to my seat,” she said. Trupti is optimistic, however, that multiplexes will cater to her special needs and that she will be able to revel in the big screen movie experience, sooner rather than later.
Ward offices
to a government office, and feels that installing lifts and ramps would make life easier. Sunil is a big movie buff and goes to movie halls regularly. “I love watching movies in a theatre. It is difficult making my way to my seat but I rely on my walking stick,” he said. Why do multiplexes and theatres provide amenities for the disable, he wonders. Sunil uses a modified scooter but he has to keep a very watchful eye on potholes and bad surfaces.
Honour the white cane
There’s danger on every street…
Mission Impossible
People’s participation To equip the city with adequate facilities for the specially-abled, the active participation of people with disabilities can open up a wider horizon. The movement, ‘Nothing about us, without us’, calls for the involvement of specially-abled people in the planning of strategies and regulations for their own betterment. Roads are being widened at the cost of footpaths, which are hardly wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs. With the pavements not being inclined at specific angles, rolling a wheelchair on and off them is difficult.
Symbol of access Proper signboards for the speciallyabled people in public places will certainly make their work easy. “Some places offer ramps for them, but are there any signboards which inform them about it?” Anita said. The biggest hurdle for visually impaired people is navigation on the roads. “It is as if people who are visually impaired are not thought about at all. Where are the tactile markings for them on roads, pavements, public areas, etc?” Anita said. The social worker is of the notion that to make the hearing impaired self-sufficient in their
daily work outside their house, there should be enough signboards for their convenience. “Sadly there aren’t any,” she said. Reforms are now being undertaken by the government to make India accessible for the specially-abled. Anita has been recommended make to the accessibility audit of the government buildings in Maharashtra. With barrier-free architecture being the need of the hour, Anita says, “These days architects are coming up with models of buildings which are more specially-abled friendly.”
the possibility of injury. There are bolts jutting out on the Ganeshkhind Road footpath, which are a threat even to normal pedestrians. They commute by PMPML buses often. But getting on to a bus from the Raj Bhavan Road bus stop involves a fair amount of risk for a visually impaired person, who must be aware of and avoid being run over by a vehicle on the busy road. Their friend, Shantanu Ladkat, 28, who is also visually challenged and a student at the Savitribai Phule Pune University complains that colour contrast for the benefit of the visually impaired, is an aspect that is ignored in buildings. He thinks that the floors, walls and doors of a building should be in contrast to the roughness of the floor surface. “At most government buildings, the ramps are slippery and some places they are followed by steps. How is
one to lift a wheelchair for the first half and then use the ramps for the next half,” wonders Ladkat. “Signages are a great disappointment at public spaces and on public transport. We want Braille signages, bigger fonts and announcements in places our civic chiefs, town planners and architects are either not aware or sensitive to,” he said. “’This is India, not the United states of America. You are expecting a little too much’ is what people say when we tell them our demands for a safe and barrier-free environment. It is clearly because of the lack of awareness that the common people have such an attitude. We don’t blame them, but when they grow old, become handicapped, or have to rely on a crutch, they will realise how important it is to have a barrier-free design, which in fact will be useful for a majority of people in the city. The officials are not implementing the laws related to The Persons with Disabilities Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation, because there seems to be no tooth or claw to the law and nobody is penalised for not adhering to it. People are losing their right to education. Because they are unable to commute and because their offices and other built-up spaces are not barrier-free, they are not able to contribute to the economy,” Ladkat said.
M
ost movie halls and multiplexes in the city also seem to ignore the needs of the specially-abled, with a glaring absence of any conveniences. Inox Fun and Shop in Fatima Nagar offers a staircase and escalator to reach the movie hall. With parking for twowheeler on both sides, there is no room or access for the wheelchairbound to reach the main porch. E-Square has staircases on both sides going up to the Crossword store, food court and the movie halls. But there is no facility for wheelchairs to reach up. An elevator service is only available on the upper floor. Guruprasad Rao, afflicted with Friedreich’s Ataxia, told TGS that he has to rely on friends go up the stairs and to the movie screens. City Pride Mangala’s four screens are on the ground floor, but there are steps to reach there. Big screen movie thrills, are, for the most part, out of access to the disabled in Pune city.
Banks
Commissioner speak The State Commissionerate for Persons with Disabilities (CPD) has already circulated notices to all municipal corporations, schools and universities to make their properties disabled-friendly. CPD Commissioner Narendra Poyam (IAS), said, “I have already given instructions that all public places, government buildings, school and colleges should immediately install ramps, elevators with instructional facilities especially for the visually impaired citizens.” Poyam said that separate funds have not been allotted by the state government for such facilities in public places, government offices or in educational institutions. “It is the responsibility of the respective departments or educational institutions to provide basic facilities of ramps and elevators for disabled visitors and students,” Poyam said. Most schools, including government ones and universities in the district have made arrangements for ramps. “I am sure that the civic administration will follow in the footsteps of these educational institutions,” said Poyam
T
he Navi Peth branch of Bank of Maharashtra has two departments. The cheque and money transaction department is on the ground floor, but the transaction department is reached via a staircase, making it inaccessible to wheelchair-bound people. The department that deals with loan and other transactions is on the first floor, and there is no elevator facility. Private banks are known to be environment- and disabled-friendly. But both the HDFC and ICICI branches on Prabhat Road are exceptions. Both banks have steps with railings, but these are of no use to paralysed or wheelchair-bound people. The ATM of HDFC bank has an iron railing along the steps that is tied with a rope to a nearby tree. The Bank of India branch in Camp near Victory theatre is no different. The entrance has flight of steps and then there is a revolving door. There is no provision or access to the disabled from the rear of the bank either.
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 22, 2015
PUNE
Ankita misses grand finish
“We will recycle about 70 per cent of sewage generated in the city and release the treated water for irrigation. Once farmers start using this water, the city will be able to use dam water reserved for irrigation.” - Kunal Kumar, Pune Municipal Commissioner
Every day is a learning experience
P 14
P 13
App for civic problems BY SALONEE MISTRY @Sal0412
A group of techies working at Decos Software Development Pvt Ltd along with a marketing executive from JCB, a construction equipment and machinery manufacturer, has created an app to help citizens deal with civic problems. The app Fixi lets citizens report problems that they face in their locality. These can be anything from dysfunctional street lights to potholes and even improper solid waste management. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE When JCB marketing executive Nikhil Joshi (26) met with a road accident
because of a pothole, he and his friends went to Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) office to complain about the bad road conditions. It took about two weeks for PMC to acknowledge their complaint, a month to register it and two months to act upon it. The disheartening experience resolved his mind to develop an app along with his fr iends
Apart from the user-friendly app that is operational on iOS and Android, the group also carries out cleanliness drives regularly
Sagar Shinde (24), community manager at Decos; Ravi Langote (25), software developer at Decos; Sunny Kanade (27), product manager at Decos; Amit Hindinkeri (27), software developer at Decos and Sajid Sheikh (29) software developer at Decos. The app, developed a year ago, was initially called ‘Improve My City’. An updated version of the app will be out by month-end. SIMPLE AND HANDY The app is available on both iOS and Android. User has to follow a simple set of instructions to log the complaint. The online exercise takes about 4-5 minutes. Once the complaint has been placed, the app automatically identifies the nearest municipality and forwards the complaint. Once the problem has been solved, the app also allows for municipal authorities to provide a proof of the issue having being resolved to citizens. “We went through many processes and wasted our time to submit a simple problem. We cannot imagine how much time will be taken to address bigger issues. This app will make the process easy,” said Sagar. TOUGH JOURNEY The acceptance of the app was not easy. Developers offered the app during its test period to civic authorities for free, only to face rejection. They were asked
Second Gram Nyayalaya to hear cases from August 23 BY GARGI VERMA @missgverma Many people from villages around Pune avoid going to courts simply because of its cumbersome and delayed processes to even appear before lower courts. For an average villager, court proceedings are time consuming, not to mention costly. The Indian judiciary decided to make courts more reachable for everyone by establishing Gram Nyayalaya in 2008. Almost six years after the fi rst Gram Nyayalaya was established in Pune, its second chapter comes into existence on August 23. The second Gram Nyayalaya, set up at Village Maale, 37 km from Pune will be inaugurated by Chief
Justice of Bombay High Court on August 23. Gram Nyayalayas was formed after the Gram Nyayalayas Act 2008 came into effect. Chaired by a government appointed Nyayadhikari, the Gram Nyayalaya’s main aim is to provide affordable and fast justice over issues faced by villagers. Headquartered at the closest panchayat, Gram Nyayalaya can judge both criminal and civil cases. “While criminal cases are judged almost as they would be in a sessions or district court, for civil cases, a small fee not exceeding Rs 100 is charged. Th is is beneficial for villagers as they do not have to bear travelling and lodging expense,” said officials at the District Judge, Pune. Gram Nyayalayas also work as mediators. “If the Nyayadhikari deems
The judiciary is making courts reachable for everyone
that there can be a peaceful resolution to the dispute presented before him, much like a Lok Adalat, he can ask both the parties to consider settlement and even adjourn the hearing to give them time to think it over,” said officials. According to the official gazette, the Act says to have a Gram Nyayalaya in every Gram Panchayat in a district. Although this is only the second of many more to come, officials deem it a very positive step towards making justice accessible to everyone. “A Gram Nyayalaya is a progressive step towards making justice affordable and in a step’s reach for everybody. It doesn’t just have a lower and affordable fee, it also has the procedure of a mobile court where the Nyayadhikari can decide to organise the Nyayalaya where he deems the people with disputes will have easier access to,” explains officials. The second Nyayalaya will expected to hasten the process of justice delivery. gargi.verma@goldensparrow.com
Around 35 volunteers from different walks of life have joined the group and undertake solid waste management drives at different areas in Pune under the campaign called Spotfix
to apply for the tender as it was the norm. Even after being turned away by PMC, the developers were not ready to give up. They continued running the app, accepting complaints and problems faced by Punekars and took them to the respective municipalities. While the group found Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to be more cooperative, PMC took a longer period to respond. Around 35 volunteers have joined the group to address civic issues themselves. They started a campaign by the name of Spotfix under which they get their hands dirty and clear solid waste management from different areas in Pune. These localities include Sinhagad Fort, Z Bridge at Deccan and Kothrud near Happy Colony. Their next drive will be held at Magarpatta flyover.
INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION Though PMC and PCMC have reservations regarding the app, four municipalities — GoereeOverflakkee, Hollands Kroon, Gementee Weesp and Stichse Vecht from the Netherlands — plan on adding the app as a solution for their civic problems. The app created quite a flutter in Netherlands. With Decos owning and funding the project, the fi rm has tied up with municipality from Amsterdam and Eimdhoven, the municipality located in the province of North Brabant in the south of Netherlands. OFFICIAL SPEAK Pune civic officials
have
a
different take on the working and functioning of the app. “Integrating the app within our system only because they were offering it for free was never an option. We would have most certainly faced integration issues had we decided to use the app. The scale of operation handled by PMC is much bigger population and complexity wise,” said Kiran Kumar, commissioner of PMC. The app would have to be much better and sturdier if we have to accept it as a solution, free or not, he added. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com GET IN TOUCH Sagar Shinde 8698690714
BLAST FROM THE PAST RAHUL RAUT
Designed by six friends, Fixi provides smart solutions to public grievances and eases municipals operations
Reviving memories from the past, Subash Sanas an ardent vintage car collector recently showcased cars from his collection at Phoenix Market City, Viman Nagar. Be it Rajdoot, the yellow scooter driven by Rishi Kapoor in the film ‘Bobby’ or the Chevrolet Impala, 1963 model used by Indira Gandhi, Sanas has them all. In an exhibit of 13 vehicles in total, two of which were scooters, Sanas has managed to capture the true meaning of vintage. Placed right at the entrance of the mall, the exhibit is an eye-pleasing sight. The cars at the exhibit include the Mercedes Benz 190D- 1960, Mercedez Benz 300 CD-1982, London Taxi-2011, Dodge Kingsway Deluxe-1957, Mercedes Benz-1964, Chevrolet Spock-1972, Austin-1934, Dodge SW, Morris Minor 1000 Convertible-1963 and the SL560-1977. Apart from the Rajdoot, the Lambretta was the other scooter at the exhibit
India shines on global space research and exploration map ISRO Chairman AS Kiran Kumar highlights successful missions and tie-ups with international agencies for space exploration projects TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly India is part of an elite club that includes the United States, the Soviet Union and Europe after its successful mission to Mars (Mangalyaan). Addressing a packed house at InterUniversity Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCCA) on Tuesday (August 18), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman AS Kiran Kumar said the data collected by various missions and satellites has immensely benefitted the country. “ISRO’s satellites have played a huge role in transforming the lives of ordinary Indians through contributions in areas such as adult literacy and distance learning programmes,
prediction of weather patterns and natural disasters, and telemedicine,” he said, providing details of each mission. He also spoke on Rohini Satellite series, Chandrayaan and the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM). ACCOMPLISHMENTS Mars orbit is another feather in the cap of country’s space agency. India made history when its Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) successfully entered the Martian orbit. In doing so, it became the fi rst country to enter Mars’ orbit on its fi rst attempt and also the fi rst Asian country to reach the red planet. Launched on November 5, 2013, the MOM is the only satellite that has eyes on the far side of Deimos, the smaller of the two moons of Mars. “Out of the seven other missions exploring Mars by different countries, MOM is the only one capable of sending back photographs. And our satellite is likely to last a long time as there are enough resources aboard,” he said, adding that ISRO will launch India’s fi rst astronomy satellite next month. With last-minute testing
of the Sun. Having survived without communication then, he was certain of MOM being able to overcome any future problems. Mangalyaan will contribute to understanding of the red planet as it is armed with instruments that will search for methane, a key target in the search for life on Mars. ISRO’s achievements in outer space have come largely on its own steam. Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman AS Kiran Kumar gave details on payloads involved along with satellites mission and objectives
underway, the satellite will be launched using a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). Kumar gave details on payloads involved along with satellites mission and objectives. One of the payloads of the satellite, the Ultra Violet Imaging Telescope, has been taken care of by IUCCA. COMMUNICATION, THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE Even as India’s Mars mission is remarkable for its low cost — just $70
million as compared to US Maven Orbiter that cost NASA $671 million, Kumar said that most of challenges are technical. “Communication is our biggest concern. Considering that MOM is almost 400 million kilometres away, it takes 20 minutes for a message to get delivered via satellites, one way,” said Kumar. He also spoke of a period of 15-20 days in June when communication with MOM was completely lost because of the position
OPENING DOORS TO DEVELOPMENT Answering questions on feasibility of bigger missions, Kumar said that India is collaborating with international companies. “As India interacts with international companies, we are hoping of the nation’s involvement in bigger missions. These international collaborations will also open bigger and better doors of opportunities,” said Kumar. These tie-ups will help India achieve more on the space exploration front, and the process will eliminate the need to re-invent the basics. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
REACHING NEW HEIGHTS India’s accomplishments in space had humble beginnings since 1962 when Thumba, a fishing hamlet near Thiruvananthapuram, became the site of its first rocket launch pad. The Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) was later renamed Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. ISRO has a string of achievements to its credit. India is among a handful of countries to have carried out deep space missions, and it was on its first such mission in 2008 that its spacecraft Chandrayaan entered the moon’s orbit. It was on this mission too that water was detected on the lunar surface. It has the biggest remote sensing satellite network in the world. It is also among a select group of countries that provide commercial satellite launch services – putting into space 67 satellites, including 40 foreign satellites from 19 countries. ISRO is earning India revenue too. Its satellite launching services have proved lucrative.
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 22, 2015
“There are three colours in our national flag and a dharma chakra. This chakra tells us that we all should live for the enforcement of religion in our country and that we have to bring back the lost religion in the world.” - Mohan Bhagwat, RSS Chief
“Over the years, the Parsi community of India has immensely enriched the country and contributed enormously to its prosperity and welfare.” — Pranab Mukherjee, President
Collared up for safety
Hope for the helpless VOLUNTEERS
jeans and neon strips. The cloth ensured that the collar was comfortable enough for the dog. The neon strip made the dog visible in the dark. Through the campaign, Touch Heart has managed to collar close to 950 dogs, including 650 from Pune city alone. Apart from Pune, they also have volunteers in Jammu and Bengaluru and might soon start the campaign in Chandigarh as well. The team moves around the city once every month collaring street dogs. The campaign for this month was held on August 15 and have laid plans for next week. Punekars can also contact Touch Heart and inform them about the number of strays in their neighbourhood that need to be collared. As the team started the mission in a planned manner, its members were prepared to face any eventuality. “We anticipated and were prepared for any
trouble that the dogs might create. While recruiting volunteers we made sure that they loved animals and could handle street dogs. These animals never caused any trouble,” said Shantanu. THE TEAM The 15-member Touch Heart crew is diverse and versatile. Founder Shantanu is a design engineer at Tata Elxsi. For the Motopaws campaign, Touch Heart collaborated with AadiVenoo KTM bike showroom at Nal Stop. The idea was to involve bikers too so awareness was a by-product. A donation box for used jeans is also kept at this showroom. While the fi rst drive was funded by AadiVenoo KTM showroom, the second was self-funded by the 15 members of Touch Heart. Get in Touch: 7030547865 salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
Mrinmayi Dalvi, 20, Bharti Vidyapeeth student Being an animal lover, this was the perfect o p p o r t u n it y for me to invest my energy and resources to do something for animals. Even though we faced a little bit of a problem with some of the dogs who were not used to people, it was an amazing experience. Locals were also helpful.”
Delivering bundles of joy
Get your voice heard on NetaG P6
GRANDCHILDREN SUE THE COMPLETE MAN
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PUNE, MARCH 14, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com
Dr Vijaypat Singhania’s grandchildren from his estranged son Madhupati have moved Bombay High Court seeking their share in ancestral property. They have filed a suit against their grandfather, father, mother and Raymond Limited. Detailed story on p7 TGS LIFE
When hunger strikes past midnight
NATION
CITY
Bakery worker’s daughter gets her wings P 12
Why are traffic cops taking selfies these days? P3
DITCH THE
AUTO,
HAIL A
CAB
GAUTAM SINGHANIA
or long distances (depending on their mood), overcharge or ask for obnoxious fares, often refuse to ply by meter – the list is endless. TGS Team members decided to give the ‘victimised’ autorickshaw drivers a chance. Five members of the team tried hiring rickshaws for distances ranging between 1.5 and 20 kms. All the members came back irked and disgruntled. The autorickshaw community let us down badly, as they do with
Intentions of Dr Singhania were ‘malafide and illegal’ with a motive to grab the share of Madhupati and Anuradha as well as grandchildren and to achieve the same he directed that his son and daughter-inlaw move to another country ‘instead of Collectively Pune Municipal continuing to stay in India with the family.
DEHU
6
Corporation, PimpriChinchwad Municipal Corporation and Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited have spent `1,816 crores on constructing dedicated corridors and flyovers along major routes, erecting bus shelters, and buying buses. Despite this not a single route is operational or has succeeded in years. Citizens residing in twin cities continue to cry foul over pathetic public transport system. And from the looks of it nothing is going to change in near future. See Spotlight on p8&9
Spotlight Pg 8 and 9
CHINCHWAD BHOSARI
4 THERGAON HINJEWADI VILLAGE
KALEWADI FATA
WAKAD
DIGHI
NASHIK PHATA
5
LOHEGAON
DAPODI 50
PIMPLE GURAV
WAGHOLI
3 4 BANER
VISHRANT VIMAN WADI NAGAR YERWADA
AUNDH
2
SANGAMWADI PASHAN
AH47
WADGAON SHERI
MUNDHWA
SHIVAJI NAGAR
GHORPADI
9
BAVDHAN
CAMP
HADAPSAR
KOTHRUD
SWARGATE PARVATI
WANOWRIE
1
NANDED AMBEGAON BUDRUK
KONDHWA
UNDRI
KATRAJ
4
Had it not been for a Pune-based activist everybody had forgotten about a film on Lokmanya Tilak commissioned in 2001 by Central Government at the cost of 2.5 crores. Three years after Vishnu Kamalapurkar raised questions about the film,
said director of the school, who
fi led the FIR and kept in touch with “We are feeling the investigating officer and public prosecutor The director is let down by the PUNE, MARCH 14, 2015throughout. | www.thegoldensparrow.com yet to get a copy of the order. prosecution The case dates back to February 2013 when some of the students and the system. studying in class five walked up to their class teacher and alleged that It is upsetting their creative writing sir had touched because we do them inappropriately. The class teacher in turn informed the principal and not how to face management. School authorities spoke to several other students and the parents and found that 22 girls in all had levelled similar allegations. Director of the students who school approached Chaturshrungi came forward police station and lodged an FIR under the Protection of Children from to give their Sexual Offences Act (POCSOA). The investigation was carried out by statements.” DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL
ALANDI
AKURDI
RAVET
Sab golmal hai...
The creative writing teacher from a reputed school in Baner was booked and arrested in February 2013. A special court acquitted him on the grounds that police bungled up in collecting evidence
RITU GOYAL HARISH
CHIKHALI
KIWALENIGDI
~ Suit filed by the siblings
Precious man hours are lost every day at Hinjewadi just because Then we tried our luck with private cabforgot operators, to whomake were planners more entry and exit points. Over a decade more than were willing to oblige after saying is true. But what they andHinjewadi take us wherever we was wanted planned to house country’s best IT firms and are not telling us or willing to to go, for a price of course. talent, planners concede is that their enemy lies In some cases, the have cab fare finally woken up to the plight of citizens. within. Their enemy number one worked out cheaper than what They have now planned five alternative roads. But the authorities is not private cabs but members the auto drivers were asking us of their own ilk – many of whom are in no hurry to complete them. See spotlight on p8 & 9 are rude, refuse to ply short
The case created ripples across the city. A teacher was accused of sexually abusing 22 students all from fi fth standard of a reputed school in Baner. In February 2013, Chaturshrungi police registered a case of sexual abuse against the creative writing teacher and arrested him immediately. Two years after the cops went all out to claim that they had a watertight case, the teacher has been acquitted by a Special Court. The court ruled that the prosecution made out a weak case. The management of the school and parents of students are not only disappointed but also irked with the outcome. “We are feeling let down by the prosecution and the system. It is upsetting because we do not how to face the parents and students who came forward to give their statements. We believe we were on the right,”
Parents teach them more than exams do P 10
`1,816 1,816 crores spent on BRTS,
~ Suit filed by the siblings
What a mess!
Teacher booked for sexually abusing 22 students acquitted
COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS
CITY
Truly, a tree lady P4
And yet no respite for commuters
DR VIJAYPAT SINGHANIA
Madhupati Singhania (57) and his wife Anuradha (54) with their children Ananya (29), Rasaalika (26), Tarini (20) and Raivathari (18)
Rickshaw unions across the city want us to believe that private cab service providers or radio cab operators, as they are popularly known as, are villains. Around 12,000 radio cabs have made their lives miserable for 50,000-odd autorickshaw drivers in twin cities of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. The auto drivers want us to believe that corporate houses with deep pockets behind the cab services are eating into their share. Essentially poor rickshaw drivers are getting poorer because of stiff competition from private cab operators.
While Gautam Singhania ‘in a span of 14 years as CMD of Raymond Limited has built a personal net worth of `1.4 billion, Madhupati belonging to the same family was struggling to settle down in a new country, educate his children and make a new life.’ Gautam and his family led a luxurious life ‘with fancy cars, private jets, yachts and expensive holidays.’
PICS ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR
THE MIDDLE MAN These are just a few of the numerous experiences that RHA volunteers have
NATION
CITY
No damaged goods please P3
RAHUL RAUT
FROM THE RICH TO THE POOR The youngest member of RHA Pune Chapter is Shubham Naik (20), an engineering student of International Institute of Information Technology, Hinjewadi. When asked to describe how he felt when he was out distributing food for the very fi rst time, he was at a loss of words. “I cannot simply explain it to you how I felt. You have to experience it yourself. I remember we were out distributing cookies and dairy milks that day and the joy on the faces of little kids was contagious. I too was feeling happy just by looking at them. We might not value or think highly of someone who gifts us a Rs 10 chocolate, but for those kids that day we were angels and we could not ask for anything more,” he said. “It was only last Sunday that a
MISSION 100K Celebrating Independence Day 2015, RHA embarked upon a 100K mission where the target was to feed 1,00,000 less fortunate people on both sides of the Indian border. Alongside 13 other cities in India, RHA is also operational in the capital city of Lahore and Karachi. Th is has made the 100K mission a one-of-its-kind initiative. RHA had tied up with transportation network companies Uber to provide logistical support and ScoopWhoop to spread the message. The team had also put together a DIY kit, which guides students on how they can be a part of this movement. “As the youth of Pakistan and India, we believe the biggest act of freedom is serving your own countrymen, especially those who need it most. The aim is to guide students - who are the future of the country, to actively bridge these inequalities,” said Sarah Afridi and Sarfaraz Abid, who set up RHA in Pakistan. The Robin Hood Army fed 1,000 people in Pune on August 15. They covered 23 cities and fed over 78, 500 people in a single day. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
TGS LIFE
Run for... yourself
ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR
Following in the footsteps of the valiant outlaw of English folklore ‘Robin Hood’, a group of Punekars who are part of Robin Hood Army (RHA) Pune Chapter have set out to make a difference. Taking from the rich and giving to the poor, these youngsters collect the leftovers from restaurants and deliver it to those living on the streets.
small boy walked up to me and smiled meekly asking for food. He told me that his mother was out begging and that he was dying of hunger. I placed a small amount of food in his hand. His eyes lit up, lips spread to a smile and he ran away yelling, thank you didi,” said Hena Chandan (27), a volunteer with the Robin Hood Army. Hena, a home-baker and content writer by profession, initially joined RHA as a vendor, giving cupcakes to be distributed by volunteers. “On one Sunday, however, when she did actually go out to distribute food she could not help but love every minute of those few hours. One day a week and a few hours in the evening is all one needs to dedicate to make the difference,” she said. Saloni Sharma (24) of Wanowrie is a Company Secretary at MKV Associates and assures an experience and satisfaction at the end of the distribution drive like no other. “It started off with me wanting to donate a few of my clothes and that’s when I heard about RHA. They were not operational in Pune back then. The concept was so intriguing that when they did actually start a Pune Chapter I immediately joined and have been a part of it ever since.”
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ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR
BY TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly
REACH OUT Sparsh Balgram 8, Jasraj Complex, 2nd floor Near Khadki Station, Bopodi, Pune-411003 Phone no.: 020 25823700 / 7620040230
ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR
The Robin Hood Army had fed over 1,000 people in Pune on August 15
celebrating birthdays and festivals which is a memorable occasion. They take part in diya painting and summer camps with equal enthusiasm. “My dream is to give them good education, so that they can lead a successful life. We plan to open an old age home also,” Sujata said. The couple has developed a routine that covers the children’s medical and nutrition needs. Individual attention is always given. “A city-based hotel provides us with monthly groceries. Even though many people refuse to extend help, Good Samaritans provide us funds and help run the centre,” she said.
THANK GOD IT’S S AT U R D AY
Youngsters of Robin Hood Army distribute food to pavement dwellers every Sunday every Sunday. In collaboration with restaurants like Foodies at NIBM, Terttulia at Koregaon Park and High Spirits among many others, RHA volunteers deliver food to those living on the streets. The volunteers can generally be found near Pune station, Koregaon Park and some other slums spread across the city. RHA is wellknown among beneficiaries and volunteers are called as ‘didi and bhaiya in green clothes’ by the poor children. With a strength of about 25 volunteers in the city, RHA has been operational in Pune since March 2015. The founders of this initiative, Neel Ghose (27), who handles the international operations for Zomato and Anand Sinha (27), CEO of PressPlay, had a simple objective in mind when they started off. The duo wanted to eliminate hunger besides reducing the amount of food wasted. Collaborating their two aims, they started RHA in Delhi in August 2014.
Mahesh and Sujata Yadav make it a point to celebrate kids’ birthday in style
advance, and second instalment was to be released after completion of certain formalities. The very next year second instalment was also disbursed. Cut to October 2012 – Kamalapurkar fi led an RTI with chief public information officer (CPIO) of Ministry of Culture seeking information about the fi lm on Tilak. The CPIO was clueless about the project and sought information from
ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR
COLLARING DOGS The main idea was to make sure that dogs were visible to riders and drivers. If this could be achieved it would drastically lower dog deaths by roadkills. Keeping this in mind, Shantanu and his team decided to make collars made out of
The members of Motopaws campaign have helped save lives of many stray dogs
The boundary walls of Jasraj Complex, a red chawl-like structure in Bopodi, hardly provide a clue to the activity carried within one of its 2BHK apartment. Sparsh Balgram is home for 17 HIV and AIDS affl icted orphan children. Mahesh Yadav, 37, and his wife Sujata, 28, founded the orphanage in 2008. “I married Sujata, who lost her parents to AIDS, in 2008. We lived in Satara during the earlier months. As villagers thought that the disease that claimed her parents’ lives was contagious and would affect them, they humiliated her as an orphan and threw us out of the village. This ostracisation built our resolve to open a shelter and rehabilitation centre for HIV/AIDS infected children,” said Mahesh, who left his banker job to concentrate full time on running the orphanage. The children, aged between five and 15 years, go to school and learn arts and craft skills during their free time at the orphanage. “We try to engage them in activities that take care of their mental, physical and emotional needs,” Mahesh said, feeling at ease inside the room fi lled with cheerful noises of children. “We do run short of funds sometimes but manage to cover the basic needs to these children. Benefactors do extend financial assistance after seeing our work. We have a responsibility of looking after these beautiful children,” said Sujata, who is fondly called ‘Aai’ by the children. Children look forward to
Kalyani Bapat, 20, Fergusson College student “It is sad that bikers and drivers run over dogs and don’t bother about it. It should in fact be considered as equal to running over a human being. However, it is difficult to get people to change the way they think. Motopaws campaign is a different way of approaching the problem. Only a few dogs resisted our move to collar them.”
ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR
Most of us are animal lovers and often buy biscuits and pet strays we find on streets. Shantanu Naidu (23) is an exception. About four years back, the design engineer decided to do his bit for society and environment, including rescuing stray dogs. His NGO Touch Heart also made music videos on child labour, the Delhi rape case and blue-collar heroes. With support from friends, Shantanu came up with a simple and sound way to reduce the number of dogkills by road accidents. And their ‘Motopaws’ dog save mission is two months old now. INSPIRATION Motopaws campaign is nothing short of a brilliant idea. The common sight of dogs as roadkill on busy streets shocked and miffed Shantanu, and he decided to find a solution. “When I fi rst thought about it, I realised that creating awareness or trying to change the way motorists and bikers drive would not be so effective. And yet something had to be done. So, I decided to find a solution where I could involve dogs who were much more cooperative than humans,” said Shantanu. Touch Heart was already involved in helping stray dogs and this was just taking it a step ahead.
BY ZAINAB KANTAWALA @kantawalazainab
RAHUL RAUT
Mahesh and Sujata Yadav have extended their family to include 17 HIV-infected children
A group of youngsters in Pune has found an innovative way to prevent dog deaths in road accidents BY SALONEE MISTRY @Sal0412
PUNE
PUNE, MARCH 21, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com
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Supriya Bhoite from Chaturshrungi police station.
Hum
Fourteen years later, there is no sign of the fi lm. Vishnu Kamalapurkar, Pune-based activist, sought details of the project in 2012 from the Central Government only to be told that they had no records left, the concerned ministry had been wound up, and that fi lm-maker could not be traced. Essentially, the government acceded that it had been duped of `2.5 crores, the sum that was transferred to the fi lm-maker. It has taken Kamalapurkar three years since he sought details about the fi lm under Right to Information Act to get the government to launch a fullfledged investigation. Dhumale has
light only after receiving his RTI finally been traced by the government with the help of police and claims that the fi lm will be released in “next two to four months”. He still hasn’t answered several questions raised by the government about the script and the star cast. It all started in December 2001, when Commemoration Bureau under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture commissioned a fi lm on Lokmanya Tilak. A sum of Rs 1.25 crores was paid to Dhumale immediately as an
Saath Saath
When
HUNGER STRIKES past midnight
A family that prays together stays together. Pune’s joint families on why they agree to disagree
TGS takes a night trail around the city to look for places that will silence a grumbling tummy in the dark of night
The Kamdars
Run for…
yourself
Puneites are running to fight depression, lethargy, even physical disadvantage. Marathoners are taking over the street and making the city fitter than it has ever been
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THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 22, 2015
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“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Rs.1.25 lakh crore special package for the state is its right and not a favour. I just want to say if I have to go to someone’s door as a beggar for Bihar and people of Bihar, I have no hesitation.” - Nitish Kumar, Bihar Chief Minister
AP govt orders ‘yagnas’ in temples to propitiate rain gods Yagnas were performed for the general welfare of society, to increase fertility of soil, to invite rains welcome peace and health for society HYDERABAD: With about 40 per cent deficit rainfall during the monsoon season in parts of the state and shrinkage in sowing area, the Andhra Pradesh government has directed the Tirumala Tirupati Devastanam (TTD) to “perform Yagnas” in temples to propitiate the rain God. Citing ancient “Sastras”, the government said these yagnas were performed for the general welfare of society, to increase fertility of soil, to invite rains, welcome peace and health for society. “Keeping this in view, the EO (executive officer), TTD is directed to perform Yagnas and Yagams, Abhishekams etc for the purpose of receiving bountiful rains every year at the time of onset of monsoon season and also at various other times as is necessary to ensure various benefits to society,” a Government Order said. According to state government officials, Nellore and four districts of Rayalaseema region -- Kurnool, Kadapa, Chitoor and Anantapur -- have received 39.2 per cent less rainfall during the current southwest monsoon. The government’s move has evoked criticism from a section of environmentalists who termed it
The government’s move to direct Tirumala Tirupati Devastanam (TTD) to “perform Yagnas” in temples to propitiate the rain God has evoked criticism from a section of environmentalists who termed it “laughable”
“laughable”. “In today’s day and age, isn’t that laughable? Weather phenomena like rainfall and drought are affected by climate change as well as other factors, and there are perfectly rational scientific explanations for why that is happening,” a spokesperson of
Mobile towers on govt buildings
It will boost the coverage and capacity of service providers and help counter call drop problem PATNA: The central government has written to chief ministers of all states to allow mobile towers on government buildings within their jurisdiction to check the problem of ‘call drop’ plaguing mobile communication networks, Union Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said. “Our ministry has written to all chief ministers to allow mobile towers on state government buildings. It will boost the coverage and capacity of service providers and help counter call drop problem,” Prasad told reporters here. Referring to certain protests against construction of mobile towers in residential areas at many places citing harmful effects of radiation emanated by them to human beings, animals and birds, Prasad said, “Such campaigns against mobile phone towers are basically wrong. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has conducted deep study on the issue and has declared that the notion of radiation harm by mobile towers is wrong.” He said such campaigns had hindered installation of new towers in several parts of the country, hence plans have been made to use government buildings to install them. Prasad also asserted that despite
the government initiative, private telecom companies also were needed to reinforce their systems and optimise them to check call drop. “The private telecom companies need to understand now that they’ll have to work for the people, not just for themselves. They need to invest to bolster their infrastructure and technology,” he added. The union minister added that state telecom operator BSNL was also paying attention to address the problem that has been plaguing mobile users for several months now. PTI
Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment said in an e-mail reply. As environmentalists, we have also pointed out time and again where we have slipped in our management of water resources and agriculture. Instead of looking at real solutions, why is the state indulging in exercises
Guj Govt spent Rs 50 lakh on ‘snoopgate’ probe commission GANDHINAGAR: The Gujarat government said it had spent Rs 50.7 lakh on the Justice Sugnya Bhatt commission which was formed to probe the alleged snooping on a Bangalore-based woman architect and later scrapped upon a High Court order. The government’s reply came to a question asked by Congress MLA Tajashreeben Patel who had asked on the last day of the Assembly session in March. The reply was tabled in the Assembly on March 31 but it was not distributed to the MLAs at that time, and it was made available today. The state spent Rs 50.7 lakh on the panel during this period, the reply said. The commission was formed in November 2013 and dissolved in October last year. The government formed the twomember commission to probe the scandal where it was alleged that the state police mounted surveillance on a young woman on the instruction of BJP president Amit Shah (then minister of state for home in Gujarat), at the behest of one “Saheb”. The other member of the panel was former IAS officer K C Kapoor. In October the High Court, in response to a petition filed by the woman’s father, set aside the notification under which the commission had been formed. PTI
such as this? the spokesperson asked. . However, justifying the order, the government said Vedic rituals are an important part of the temple culture and since times immemorial, Indians have been performing Yagnas and Yagams every year to propitiate deities like Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, Varuna, Agni and Indra. A senior official from agriculture department said the four districts of Rayalaseema are “reeling under draught like situation” after receiving significantly lesser rainfall. The sowing area during the kharif season has shrunk by nearly 40 per cent to 8.77 lakh hectares against the normal 13.68 lakh ha in the four districts, as per official figures. “Though it was not officially declared as draught like situation in Rayalseema, our department (agriculture) is gearing up to support the farmers with supply of seeds for contingency crops. Also, 1.39 lakh quintals of different seeds like cow pea, horse gram, raagi and pulses are kept ready to be supplied to farmers,” the official told PTI. The rainfall across the state was over 10 per cent less than normal during the current monsoon season, while the sowing area shrunk by over 6.5 lakh hectares. PTI
Flyers have to declare over Rs 25k in customs form P 12
Teachings of Chanakya in modern fiction format NEW DELHI: Teachings of Chanakya, the ancient Indian teacher, philosopher and political scientist has been contemporarised to deal with modern day problems and challenges. ‘Chanakya In You’, a new book follows the adventures of a modernday kingmaker through a journey of a young boy who aims to become the world’s richest person. The man realises his dream by following ‘Arthashastra’, the timetested treatise by the grand old 4th century strategist who is also known as Kautilya. The fiction is the first solo attempt by Radhakrishnan Pillai, who has previously authored bestsellers like ‘Corporate Chanakya’ and ‘Chanakya’s 7 Secrets of Leadership’ along with former DGP of Maharashtra D Sivanandan. While his earlier body of work focused on how Chanakya’s teachings can help modern day business and management professionals, the new book, says Pillai focuses on “living” the same by imbibing them into oneself. It is a story of success, so much so, that to someone who hasn’t read Pillai’s previous books, it might seem a story of sheer luck. But he defies it through
his frequent assertion that it is God’s grace, dwelling on spirituality as a base of not just human life but also, material wealth. The fact that he spiritualises money rather than demonising it, is interesting and counters the oldfashioned question: Why should one run after money? All through, the Arthashastra remains his guide. The book brings out the traditions of Gurukul and the GuruShishya relationship. The protagonist portrays the piety and discipline associated with them quite convincingly as he uses these methods to excel. The book is an inspiring account of a aspiring businessman’s constant efforts towards achieving wealth, success, relationships and spiritual fulfillment. Such a journey might not look so easy and the author doesn’t go deep into the wrongs if there were any. Instead, he explains how the study of Arthashastra and its application starting from a young age, helps him nail all he wants. The book is written in a semi-autobiographical manner with Pillai giving an account of himself led by his grandfather, on a quest of wisdom. PTI
The tale of a boy who wants to become the world’s richest person
Lawyers too responsible for filth in trial courts: HC
Observation made after perusing pictures placed before it with regard to lack of cleanliness as well as bad state of toilets in various trial court premises NEW DELHI: Taking lawyers to task on cleanliness, Delhi High Court said they were also responsible for the “filth” generated in trial court complexes and asked them to be “more proactive” in keeping their workplaces clean. A bench of justices BD Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva made the observation after perusing pictures placed before it with regard to lack of cleanliness as well as bad state of toilets in various trial court premises here. “Lawyers are also responsible. What nonsense is this? Why do lawyers create so much filth? Lawyers and litigants. Lawyers should take an oath not to litter. They themselves have to clean their house,” the bench said. It also said that the court was willing to help to maintain cleanliness. But “lawyers must also help and contribute. You have to be more proactive. Don’t just look for votes. We are only asking you to keep it (court premises) clean,” it said in an oblique reference to elections to the lawyers’ bodies. The bench asked the government what it would do with regard to the issue as it had launched the Swachh Bharat campaign. As no report with regard to building of a fountain in Tis Hazari court complex was filed by the Public
A bench of justices BD Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva of Delhi High Court said that lawyers should take an oath not to litter the court premises
Works Department (PWD) despite the court’s direction, the bench listed the matter for hearing on August 26. PWD was also directed to submit its report on next date. The court was hearing a PIL filed by a journalist, Pankaj Yadav, seeking a stay on the construction of the fountain on the ground that money being used for that be used to improve civic amenities in trial court complexes as well as making them disabled-friendly. The court had earlier asked the authorities and the Delhi Bar Association to ensure that facilities are improved. The bar association had told the
court that work was being undertaken to give a face-lift to the 50-year-old Tis Hazari complex. It had also said that the cost of the work was about Rs 15 lakh and not Rs 50 lakh or Rs one crore, as was being claimed by petitioner Pankaj Yadav. Yadav has moved the PIL seeking a stay on construction of a water fountain at Tis Hazari court and instead utilise the money towards providing basic amenities like water and toilets in district courts and make them disabled-friendly. He has also sought an order “cancelling the sanction of the water fountain at Tis Hazari courts”. PTI
A century of photo-chronicling India Vol-II* lssue No.: 10 Editor: Yogesh Sadhwani (Responsible for the selection of news under the PRB Act, 1867) Printed and Published by: Shrikant Honnavarkar on behalf of Golden Sparrow Publishing Pvt. Ltd. CIN:U22200PN2014PTC151382 and printed at PRI – Media Services Private Limited CIN: U22222MH2012PTC232006 at Plot No. EL-201, TTC Industrial Area, MIDC, Mahape, Navi Mumbai. Golden Sparrow Publishing Pvt. Ltd. 1641, Madhav Heritage, Tilak Road, Pune-411 030, Tel: 020-2432 4332/33.
NEW DELHI: In an age of ‘soft copies’ where a visit to a photo studio is highly unlikely unless one needs a passport-sized photograph for an official document, ‘Mahatta & Co’ have survived the test of time for 100 years exactly!. The studio, which completes a century of substantial existence since its establishment in 1915 in Srinagar by Amar Nath Mehta, continues to function today from Connaught Place here. The celebration was marked by an exhibition “Picturing a Century:
Mahatta Studio and history of Photography in India, 1915-2015”, which was inaugurated last evening here at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, on the occasion of World Photography Day. A 200-page book by the same name published by Authors Upfront was also launched. “Today as less people are printing (photographs), although more people are taking up photography, I would like to state that the importance of physical images is absolutely imperative. This book and exhibition is a tribute to the
art of photography which has evolved greatly over the last 100 years,” says Pavan Mehta, who now runs the shop with his brother. Divided into sections depicting different forms of photography, the show is a visual tour of the history of what has now developed as an art form in India. Owing to its place of origin, the collection is replete with pictures of the city of Kashmir by the river Jhelum taken throughout the decade from 1925 to 1935. The historical photographs
inadvertently set forth a poignant comparison of the beautiful valley before the 1947 Indo-Pak war and in its aftermath with broken bridges and fallen houses. While tracing the evolution of photography, the showcase also implies the development of technology and its impact. “The maximum amount of change in technology has been witnessed in the last century. I have tried to bring out the brief change in technology along with the history of photography,” says Mehta. PTI
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 22, 2015
PUNE
“The US owes a huge debt to Cuba, including damages reaching millions of dollars due to the trade embargo, which his country has made clear with irrefutable proof during appeals to the United Nations.” — Fidel Castro, Cuban leader
Madhura claims title P 14
Lanka prez Sirisena opts for national unity govt COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena’s party said it will join a national unity government with the UNP after his rival and predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa failed in his bid to become prime minister. Rajapaksa’s United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) lost the parliamentary elections, coming second as it secured 95 seats in Monday’s poll won by incumbent Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP) with 106 seats, shattering the former president’s hopes of staging a political comeback. Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s central committee decided to join a national government with prime minister-elect Wickremesinghe’s UNP for a period of two years, SLFP general secretary Duminda Dissanayake said. A five-member committee has also been appointed to work out the modalities, he added.
This would enable the UNP’s broader front - the United National Front for Good Governance - to form a government with a working majority. The UNP finished seven seats short of the 113 working majority in the 225-member assembly in the polls. Both Sirisena and Wickremesinghe have been pledging a national government with the participation of the two main political forces during the run-up to the August 17 election. In the SLFP’s UPFA coalition, loyalists of Rajapaksa form a larger part of the 95-member strong parliamentary group. Rajapaksa ran in the election on a pledge not to enter a national unity government with the UNP. In the January 8 presidential poll, Rajapaksa was routed by his former health minister Sirisena. He was eyeing a political revival seeking to become prime minister by contesting in Monday’s polls. Sirisena and Rajapaksa are bitter rivals despite being in the same party after Sirisena in November last year broke ranks within the SLFP and joined the then opposition UNP to challenge Rajapaksa and then defeated him.
But Sirisena was not able to withstand pressure from Rajapaksa’s loyalists and had to give him a party ticket to contest the polls. Rajapaksa was himself elected as an MP with a massive personal preference vote of over 400,000. Wick remesinghe is expected to take oath later today as prime minister after finalisation of Election Commission formalities.
AP/PTI
Freedom Party’s central committee decided to join a national government with Wickremesinghe’s UNP
“I accept with humility the result of the election.”
Sri Lanka’s prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his wife Maithree pose for photographs at their official residence in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Wickremesinghe defeated the country’s former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa in parliamentary elections
Omar’s death creates Taliban crisis The announcement of Mullah Omar’s death has created a leadership crisis, giving rise to uncertainties regarding the fate of the Afghan Taliban with Afghan National Security Forces increasing its military pressure in the area By Subhashis Mittra Mullah Omar is dead. Once again. This is probably the third time in the last five years that news of the Taliban supremo’s death surfaced in the media. The announcement of Mullah Omar’s death has created a leadership crisis, giving rise to uncertainties regarding the fate of the Afghan Taliban and prospects of peace in Afghanistan. Taliban in Quetta moved with remarkable speed to announce that they had appointed a successor, before most members of the movement had even absorbed the news of Omar’s death. Senior members of the movement, including Hassan Rahmani and Mohamamd Rasool have publicly denounced the elevation of Mullah Mansoor to the position of Ameer. A power struggle in the Taliban is now in the open. Keeping Mullah Omar’s death a secret was a deliberate move on the part of Mansoor to maintain his grip on the Taliban and prevent the possibility of dissensions in the second tier leadership at a critical time. It also reflected lack of confidence on the part of Mansoor, who presumed that orders issued on behalf of Mullah Omar would be complied with and will not be challenged. The news of Mullah Omar’s death has come at a time when the second round peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban were
about to begin. They have promptly been postponed sine die. The question of leadership acquires greater significance in the backdrop of the peace negotiations. Unless Mullah Mansoor is legally authorised by the Taliban’s political council, he will carry no clout or authority and may be treated as a lackey of the Pakistani security apparatus by his detractors, especially since the general impression is that the Taliban nominees for the dialogue were close to Pakistan. It is not surprising that concerns are being raised that the delegation that engaged in earlier talks with the Afghan government did not truly represent the Taliban and did not have the approval of its political council. On the other hand, the insurgency in Afghanistan has entered a critical and violent phase, especially with the Taliban losing ground to fighters loyal to the Islamic State (formerly known as ISIS and ISIL). Mullah Omar’s death may end up creating space for the IS. Many Taliban militants may get absorbed into it. Analysts and even some politicians believe that the unexpected growth of IS in Northern Afghanistan is a bigger threat than Taliban. Far from a
incumbent Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s United National Front (UNF) with 106 seats. The 69-year-old two-time president, elected from Kurunegala province to the 225-member National Assembly, said, “I accept with humility, the result of the parliamentary election that just concluded and I thank the voters who placed their confidence in our party despite the unprecedented obstacles that we had to face. Rajapaksa vows “I also wish to extend to serve my heartfelt thanks to Meanwhile, Former all the activists and the Sri Lankan President people?s representatives - RAJAPAKSA Mahinda Rajapaksa of our party who declared that he will not worked indefatigably in retire from politics and the election campaign. will serve the nation as an MP, a day I will continue to engage in politics after his party lost the parliamentary in keeping with the people’s mandate elections, shattering his hopes of and function within Parliament staging a political comeback as the to safeguard the nation and the new Prime Minister. democratic system,” Rajapaksa said. Rajapaksa’s United People’s In the January presidential poll, Freedom Alliance (UPFA) came Rajapaksa was routed by former second, securing 95 seats in Monday’s Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena. parliamentary elections, won by PTI
localised phenomenon, it seems to be a project to destabilise the whole region from Middle East to Central Asia and even beyond. The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) have never been under such military pressure in the last 14 years. The southern and northern provinces are under serious threat from IS-led terrorist groups, which are waving their black flags in the areas that lie beyond the government’s writ. The Taliban had always been reluctant to talk to the regime in Kabul, calling it a western puppet created by the US to undermine Islamic values. But after the end of the international military mission in December 2014, the buzz about a negotiation gained momentum. A major question for Kabul was whom it should talk to. There have been many Taliban groups fighting in various parts of Afghanistan having no coordination with each other. But even then, all the groups broadly accepted Mullah Omar’s leadership. His name at least had a symbolic importance which helped keep the Taliban united. He wasn’t just a mere commander leading a campaign against Kabul, but the Amir-ulMomineen (leader of the faithful).
The Afghan Taliban leader was such a venerable figure and held in such high esteem that he was considered infallible. A certain mythical aura surrounded his personality and being a recluse, it was easy to hide the news of his death. This ruse helped Mullah Mansoor retain control over various factions of the Afghan Taliban, and the Pakistani security establishment, being supportive of his leadership, helped maintain the secret. With the secret now out, Mullah Mansoor faces a serious challenge of establishing himself as the legitimate leader of the Afghan Taliban. Moreover, he will need to put forward some explanations as to why he kept Mullah Omar’s death a secret for so long. Many feel the news of Omar’s death will have a negative impact on the peace talks. Some in the Afghan regime even say that it could be a trick to sabotage the negotiations. What will be the political and military impact on the Taliban of the loss of Omar? Will they be able to participate in the peace talks with the necessary legitimacy? Will Kabul be confident enough to continue with result-oriented negotiations? And if, after the talks, the National Unity government of Afghanistan has to share power, which faction of the Taliban will be part of it? These are some vexed issues that have cropped up suddenly. - PTI Feature
Taliban had always been reluctant to talk to the regime in Kabul
AP/PTI
PUTin TAKES THE PLUNgE!
BY Aditi Khanna LONDON: The Taj Mahal has made it to the top five of a prestigious new list of the world’s best tourist attractions. Lonely Planet’s “Ultimate Travelist” ranks the historic mausoleum built in Agra by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as the fifth most attractive travel hotspot in the world and describes it as a “magnificent Mughal masterpiece”. According to the list, the architectural perfection is reached beginning with “acres of shimmering white marble. Add a few thousand semi-precious stones, carved and inlaid in intricate Islamic patterns. Take a sublime setting by a sacred river, in jewel-like formal gardens. Apply a little perfect symmetry, and tie up the whole package in an outlandish story of timeless love. And there you have the Taj Mahal”.
It notes that there’s no other building in India that so perfectly encapsulates the attitudes and atmosphere of its era. The Temples of Angkor, a UNESCO World Heritage site in northern Cambodia, tops the list as a complex of more than 1,000 temples, shrines and tombs which attracts more than 2 million visitors annually. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia comes in at number two, the Inca city of Machu Picchu in Peru at number three, and the Great Wall of China at four. Travel writers and Lonely Planet staff were invited to submit ideas before voting on their favourites. Voters were asked to consider which sights enthused, inspired, and excited them the most. The one UK entry was the British Museum, which came in 15th on the wish list. PTI
Indian man’s death ‘the saddest story’: Aus official BY Natasha Chaku
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, sits on board a bathyscaphe as it plunges into the Black Sea along the coast of Sevastopol, Crimea, Tuesday, August 18. President Vladimir Putin plunged into the Black Sea to see the wreckage of a sunk ancient merchant ship which was found in the end of May
Taj, world’s top 5 travel hotspots
MELBOURNE: The death of a 33-year-old Indian man, who worked under appalling conditions in Australia and died of tuberculosis, was “the saddest story” and will be reported to the country’s immigration department, a top Australian official said. Manjit Singh, who came to Australia in 2006 and worked on a 457 visa (temporary work visa), was a victim of exploitation and died at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney on August 26, 2011. “It is one of the saddest stories that I have encountered in nearly eight years as a coroner,” said New South Wales Deputy State Coroner Hugh Dillon
while announcing his findings into the death. According to media reports, Dillon will write to the Minister for Immigration about Singh’s case. The inquest heard that when Singh migrated on a 457 visa in February 2006, he believed he was going to be paid USD 43,000 per year working at an Indian restaurant. Singh later described the conditions he lived in as slave-like to the Australian Federal Police. According to his statement to officers, he was required to work from 8 am until midnight, seven days a week. He slept in the restaurant’s storeroom at night, had limited food to eat, no mobile or internet access and had no shower or bath, the report said.
Singh also allegedly transferred USD 12,000 from a loan his father took out into his new boss’s bank account, after he was told he had not passed the medical, it said. Singh stopped working at the Indian out in 2008 but in 2009 he was malnourished, folate deficient and had severe vitamin D deficiency. By August 2011 his once-latent tuberculosis had flared up and part of his right lung was described as “unsalvageable” and removed. He died as a result of surgery. Dillon said it was put to him by counsel for Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) that the current system is “not broken, so there is no need to fix it”. PTI
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 22, 2015
PUNE
MONEY MATT ER S
“We are in the process of talking to various companies to launch the mobile wallet. Within three to six months, we will roll out the mobile wallet.” — Sushil Muhnot, Chairman, Bank of Maharashtra
“Most of the venture money is coming into e-commerce sector, but not in sectors like manufacturing, biotech and solar which can solve India’s problems. We need foreign funds in these sectors.” — Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Finance
Is policy paralysis back in telecom sector?
Signpost
The delay in various sector-related issues, specially spectrum trading and sharing policy questioned by former Trai chairman Khullar BY PRASOON SRIVASTAVA
All women bank branch opened in Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki inaugurated the first ever all women bank branch in the state, at Naharlagun, near here. The fully computerised branch - after the all women police station at Itanagar - will be run by women staff only. Besides other banking facilities like NEFT, RTGS, etc, the women branch of Arunachal Pradesh State Cooperative Apex Bank would also offer lockers to women customers. Congratulating the Apex Bank, the state’s lone public sector bank, the Chief Minister termed it as another stepping stone towards emancipation of women of the state. He called upon the officers and staff of the bank to ensure good, efficient and friendly customer services. Describing it as ‘People’s Bank’, he advised the bank to establish more women branches and extend loans to women. PTI
In a strong criticism, former chairman of telecom regulator Trai, Rahul Khullar, said policy paralysis is lingering on and alleged that DoT is working at the behest of Finance Ministry. “The problem is Sanchar Bhawan (which houses telecom department) wakes up when North Block wakes up. When Finance Ministry needs money, then DoT wakes up and it comes to the regulator and asks Mr Regulator please fi x a price,” Khullar said while speaking at the Brookings India event here. Khullar retired as Trai chairman in May 2015. “The DoT and Sanchar Bhawan has been through hell and that in 2008, and then there is natural reluctance to take decision and that reluctance has lingered down and still exists. In seven years, it is too longer time in sector which is changing dramatically if you stop making decisions, it is not sustainable,” he said. Khullar said that the term policy paralysis was coined at the time of UPA government “that haunted the previous government to its demise”. During the previous UPA government’s tenure, leading industrialists such as IT czar Narayana Murthy and Wipro Chairman Azim Premji had alleged that there was policy paralysis in the country in wake of scams in sectors like telecom and coal. Khullar questioned the delay in various sector-related issues, specially spectrum trading and sharing policy, on which the regulator gave its recommendations in September 2013. “Every day we hear that spectrum trading and sharing is going to happen. If we are in serious crisis of spectrum why are we not pushing it fast? Why is it taken two years?” he asked. Trai has recommended sharing of all categories of airwaves held by operators, including spectrum allocated at old price of Rs 1,658 crore or assigned without auction. The regulator also recommended allowing trading of spectrum. Spectrum sharing guidelines will
Former chairman of telecom regulator Trai Rahul Khullar has criticised the DoT’s logic of equating availability of spectrum with unsold airwaves in March 2015 auctions
allow telecom companies to share their un-utilised airwaves with other service providers in the same telecom circle. The regulator also recommended to allow trading of spectrum. As of now, only government is allowed to allocate spectrum to telecom fi rms through auctions. Once the trading is allowed, it is expected to increase efficient use of radiowaves by enabling telecom operators, who have a lower subscriber base or un-utilised spectrum, to trade in it. “For any observer it would appear that policy paralysis still rules in Sanchar Bhawan because if all that I have said before is not been done, what do I say? Draw your own conclusion whether it is policy paralysis or indecision,” Khullar said. He said that the government collects USO Fund to invest in telecom infrastructure but alleged that the fund is being used to finance budget. “We need to ask question what is the purpose of USO Fund?” he asked. Service providers install mobile towers at different locations based on economic viability. In addition Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) supports establishment of towers in rural and remote areas through the levy collected from service providers. The Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Act, 2003 lays down that “the sums of money received towards the Universal Service
Obligation under section 4 shall fi rst be credited to the Consolidated Fund of India, and the Central Government may, if Parliament by appropriation made by law in this behalf so provides, credit such proceeds to the fund from time to time for being utilised exclusively for meeting the Universal Service Obligation”. The quantum of revenue share received as licence fees depends upon the percentage of adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) as defined in Licence Agreements. An apportionment of licence fee is made by classifying 5 per cent of adjusted Gross Revenue as Universal Access Levy and remaining is effected as license fee. Universal Access Levy and Licence Fee are classified under different account heads by the Controller of Communication Accounts offices. Khullar also criticised the DoT’s logic of equating availability of spectrum with unsold airwaves in March 2015 auctions. About 11 per cent of spectrum that was put on auction in March this year remained unsold. Of 470.75 MHz of spectrum put on auction, 418.05 MHz frequencies were sold. Government sold spectrum in March at about 68 per cent premium, at Rs 1,09,874.91 crore. At the base price fi xed by the government, its value was Rs 65,463.40 crore. The former regulator also said that government needed to change existing policies. PTI
FINANCIAL CORNER
Beware of crafty ‘successful’ brokers BY SARANSH DEY @Casaransh
This week I will share the story of a magic well. The well’s owner claimed that dropping a dollar in the well will automatica l ly earn a dollar in your wallet and he took a nominal fee of 25 cents. Those who failed to get the dollar could always take it back from the owner. Even the King dropped a dollar in the well and waited till next morning. No surprise, he did not become richer by a dollar and tried the owner for cheating. The owner humbly said, “O Wise King! I haven’t done anything wrong. If you did not get a dollar, you have to just dive in the well to get it back.” The King had no choice but to let him go. Everyone seems to be falling prey to these kinds of guaranteed return scheme from brokers. Claims of 100 per cent security of principal invested, being registered broker and such other claims are made to lure investors. They fall prey to these schemes only to regret later. One such incident turned up at our desk recently. Amit Aherwar saw an advertisement on goods selling portal providing service with a registered stockbroker, one per cent gain per day and guaranteed safety for principal invested. Money back guarantee with only a five-day trial was promised orally. Amit invested Rs 2 lakhs. Soon he started receiving calls for demands of money unpaid on his account. The amount started with Rs 13,000 and touched Rs 2,40,000, more than the principal invested, within a few months. Amit’s repeated calls, even threat to go to court, to the firm was futile. The firm replied that it was discharging duty as per the law. The mistakes that Amit committed are many and there is a lot to learn from this situation. The
Govt approves pact Flyers have to declare over with Seychelles to Rs 25k in customs form curb black money
Duty free allowance on cigarettes, cigars and tobacco has been reduced by 50 per cent
To check black money generation, the government on Thursday approved signing and ratification of the agreement between India and Seychelles for exchange of information with respect to taxes. The agreement will stimulate the information exchange between India and Seychelles for tax purposes, which will help curb tax evasion and avoidance, an official statement said. The decision was taken in the Cabinet meeting headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The agreement will enable the competent authorities of India and Seychelles to provide assistance through the exchange of information that is foreseeably relevant to the administration and enforcement of the domestic laws of two countries concerning taxes, it said. Information received under the agreement shall be treated as confidential and may be disclosed only to persons or authorities (including courts or administrative bodies) concerned with assessment, collection, enforcement, prosecution or determination of appeals,
in relation to taxes covered under the agreement, it said. Information may be disclosed to any other person or entity or authority or jurisdiction with the prior written consent of the country sending the information, it added. The agreement also provides for a Mutual Agreement Procedure for resolving any difference or for agreeing on procedures. As such, it said, the agreement does not have any financial implications. “Only in the event of extraordinary costs exceeding USD 500, the Government of India will bear the same, as per Article 9 of the agreement. India has similar provisions in other such tax information exchange agreements,” it said. India has signed similar bilateral agreements for Exchange of Tax Information with Argentina, Bahamas, Bahrain, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Macao, Monaco and San Marino. PTI
The pact will help curb tax evasion and avoidance
BY ASHWINI SHRIVASTAVA
Passengers entering India will now have to declare Indian currency exceeding Rs 25,000 and LCD, LED or Plasma televisions being brought by them in the new customs declaration forms. According to the new rules, the duty free allowance on cigarettes, cigars and tobacco has been reduced reduced by 50 per cent. Also, passengers of Indian origin and foreigners of over 10 years of age residing in India and coming from any country other than China, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar can bring goods worth Rs 45,000 along with them. Earlier, this limit was Rs 35,000. All flyers coming to India will need to declare Indian currency exceeding Rs 25,000, said the Customs Baggage Declaration (Amendment) Regulations, 2015, notified on Tuesday by the Finance Ministry. Earlier, they were supposed to declare any amount exceeding Rs 10,000 being brought by them. An additional field has also been inserted in the ‘Indian Customs Declaration Form’, which needs to be mandatorily fi lled by all passengers entering India, to declare any flat panel (LCD, LED or Plasma) televisions
being brought by them. The form presently has fields for declaration of dutiable and prohibited goods, gold jewellery and bullion (over free allowance), satellite phone and foreign currency notes exceeding USD 5,000 or equivalent. The passengers also need to mention about meat, meat products, fish, dairy and poultry products, seeds, plants, fruits, flowers, other planting material and aggregate value of foreign exchange including currency
exceeding USD 10,000 or equivalent in the existing customs form. Further, they had to report to ‘Red Channel’ for payment of duty if they were carrying any such items. . The new rules have also reduced by 50 per cent the duty free allowance of cigarettes to 100 sticks, 25 cigars and 150 gms of tobacco being brought by the flyers. At present, a passenger can bring 200 number of cigarettes, 50 cigars and 250 gms of tobacco. The passengers of Indian origin and foreigners of over 10 years of age residing in India and coming from China, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar can bring in duty-free goods worth Rs 6,000 only. However, they get duty free allowance of Rs 35,000 if they are coming from other than these four countries. Th is limit has been increased to Rs 45,000, the new rules said. As per the modified immigration and customs rules, an Indian citizen needs to fi ll up the immigration form only when he or she goes out of the country. They do not need to fi ll in immigration form while returning from abroad. All passengers coming to India need to fi ll up a separate Indian Customs Declaration Form. A passenger also requires to give details of the countries being visited. PTI
fi rst golden rule is to know your investment. Amit signed various forms and disclaimers of which he has no clue. The disclaimer “Please read the offer document carefully before investing” has to be read carefully. Second rule is to know brokerage. A two lakh rupee investment traded with a margin of Rs two lakhs four times daily will bring the brokerage at 0.05 per cent to Rs 20,000 per month. Imagine the broker doing pointless deals every day and earning commission on your investment irrespective of you making profits or not. A broker can within his approved limits extend margins to you. Margin is the credit that can be extended for dealing on stocks. Brokerage is the right of the broker and can be recovered from your personal assets too. Simply put, one can end up paying more to the agency after losing principal also. Th ird rule is categorisation of investment. Dealing intraday and commodity, futures and options is risky and avoidable. Dealing in equity but investing in penny stocks can also cause investments to evaporate. You need to know the type of investment your broker will undertake on your behalf. Fourth rule is to have an authorisation structure. Never waive the right to authorise a transaction by signing blindly on any form. You must ask your broker to have a monitoring module in place like a web portal or an app or email service that can tell you the transaction details. Last golden rule is to withdraw. The fi rst time when Amit got a demand call of Rs 13,000 he should have withdrawn all his money, waited for things to be cleared and then reinvest if genuine returns were generated. I still maintain that stock markets are the best investment anyone can make with limited resources. However, always go for established brokers and invest intelligently. saransh.goldensparrow.com
Govt introduces composite cap in FDI policy BY RAJESH RAI India needs foreign investments in every sector in order to boost infrastructure and get state-of-theart technologies to push economic growth and create jobs. In line with this objective, the government is taking steps to simplify the foreign investment norms. Taking a step further, the government has introduced a concept of “composite cap” for all kinds of overseas inflows including through FDI, FII and NRI routes. Sectors which will be benefited from this decision include insurance, pension, retail, brownfield pharmaceuticals, multibrand retail, single brand retail, scientific journals, facsimile edition of foreign news papers, tea plantation and mining & mineral separation of titanium, commodity exchanges, credit information companies, infrastructure companies in securities market and power exchanges. In all these sectors, foreign portfolio investors can invest up to 49 per cent under automatic route. The decision is aimed at simplification of FDI policy with a view to attracting foreign investments and also improving ease of doing business in India. Under the existing policy, there are different caps for separate investment categories like FDI, FII and NRIs. PTI
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 22, 2015
When Chavan was chief minister he failed to solve the issues concerning the city. He is now targeting Fadnavis, who, in the last 10 months has decided to take over the city’s development plan, and forwarded the metro proposal. — Girish Bapat, guardian minister
PUNE
The Union and state government have aimed to make cities more public friendly . Comprehensive development of the cities will be done through the mission. — Medha Kulkarni, MLA, BJP
‘C’ for Camp, or Congestion? No one seems to be aware of, or observes the one-way traffic regulations on the narrow streets of Pune Camp in and around the market area The heart of Pune Camp area is made up of really narrow lanes and streets, Centre Street, Dastur Meher Road and Taboot Street, to name a few. All these three roads have been turned into one-way traffic zones long ago. The traffic Rutuja Awhad police, however, have turned a completely blind eye to its enforcement. The result is utter chaos and congestion, especially in the peak rush hours of the evening. All it takes is a biggish vehicle like a Mercedes-Benz sedan or Toyota Innova driving in the wrong way for a bottleneck situation, which sometimes takes an hour to
defuse, as traffic piles up on both ends of the jam, with literally not an inch to maneuver. And these are not stray incidents but an almost daily affair. There seem to be no parking regulations on these streets either. As a result, the already narrow thoroughfares have a narrow strip in the centre for vehicles to pass. The road leading from MG Road or Main Street to Bhopla chowk and Babajan dargah is strewn with all kinds of shops, tea and food stalls, and besides the parked vehicles on both sides of the road, some people brazenly double-park their cars, without a thought for the hold-up they cause to countless other road-users. With Shivaji market nestled in the eye of this traffic- and peoplecongestion, going to or from the place becomes truly nerve-wracking for vehicle users, even two-wheeler riders. In fact, it has become such an ordeal, that any person in their right mind should not venture into the mess between 6 pm and 9 pm. I don’t, unless I am forced to. What is remarkable is the complete absence of the traffic police. Have they been told
specifically to leave the Camp residents to deal with this daily nightmare on their own, even if it comes to frayed tempers and road rage that could lead to violence? I live on General Bhagat Marg and I must say that the six-way intersection near the St Mary’s Church ground is scary at the least, and even life-threatening at its worst. Though there is an unbroken white strip painted across the centre of the road, vehicle users coming from Bishop’s School towards the chowk occupy the wrong or right side of the road, leaving little or no room for vehicles going in the opposite direction. It makes me wonder if drivers/riders are aware that an unbroken white strip in the centre of a road is not to be crossed, except in emergencies. Then there are the two-wheeler riders going from Pool Gate bus stand to Hadapsar, Wanowrie etc, who freely use the pavement alongside my house, leaving no room for pedestrians. Is anyone ever going to resolve all these issues, and make living in Camp peaceful, as it used to be, ages ago?
CITIZEN JOURNALIST
Every day is a learning experience Pune is a great city to go exploring about in Two years of living in Pune has helped me shed my small town outlook and acquire a more cosmopolitan consciousness and attitude
W
hen I moved to Pune from Indore three years ago, I was not sure about what to expect. I had got admission to the Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts. I was escorted around the city by my friends and I must say that the heritage structures like Shaniwarwada were the highlight of my fi rst glimpses of Pune. Shreshtha Chatterjee Initially my campus was on SB Road, and the NCC Canteen next door, and the Deccan area and FC Road were places I became familiar with in a jiff y. It was upsetting then when my campus moved to Viman Nagar. But over time I got used to this area as well and I quite like it now. I am quite a foodie and Cafe Milano in Viman Nagar is my favourite, where their momos are my usual choice. I have also come to appreciate the temperate climate of Pune, and except for the summers when things get quite hot and humid, living here is most pleasant. Pune is far more developed and cosmopolitan compared to my hometown, so I am sure that it has helped me acquire a more global outlook. But along with the buzz of a big city, I have also been able to live in peace and quiet when I need to. The huge population of students gives Pune an exciting and youthful quality. It
LETTERS TO THE
EDITOR
From feeling like an alien, I have been able to fit into the style of life here without too much of a strain
is a privilege to meet people from all over the word, share and exchange experiences, which has been almost as important as the quality education that I have been getting. No matter what the colour of their skin, people everywhere live by the same common values and aspire to similar goals and ambitions. All the friends I have made have taught me something or the other, not to mention given me lessons in living that are not taught in a classroom. Of course, being an outsider and a student, I have had to struggle to find suitable accommodation. Renting apartments or finding a paying guest facility is easier said than done, as most housing societies or flat owners seem averse to accommodate students. Living in the
college hostel seems the easy way out but if an institution does not have a hostel, students must fend for themselves. Pune is a city where traffic jams are commonplace and getting around can often prove to be quite a chore. Along with the big city aura, there are big city problems as well, such as uncleared garbage. The greenery and trees in the city are a positive factor as far as the environment is concerned, and I hope that rampant urbanisation does not take its toll on them. I still have two years more of living here to look forward to, before I complete my course and have to leave. It makes me think that leaving is going to be much harder than coming to Pune.
NON-NATIVE
PAROLE
FROM FOREIGN
SHORES
A big cheer for the environment-caring Puneites violence that women go through. It is laudable that Vimmi has had the strength and grit to stand up for herself. Though the male may be the head of the family, it does not give him license to mistreat a woman, especially the one he is married to. —Mahesh Bhopode
Leaders with a purpose Pune is a city that is known for its environment and climate. With rampant construction, the city is losing its charm, with pollution just like in the bigger metros. It is therefore a big relief that the government has ruled in favour of the biodiversity park. The credit for this goes mostly to the environment-caring citizens of Pune. It is such citizens’ efforts that will help in preserving nature from the all-round assault of modernisation and concretisation that threatens Pune today. —Leena Rawke
I have been living in Pune for the past six years. Initially it was all very different for me, the culture, people and the spicy food. So I used to stock up on packaged food. Not knowing the local languages, I had problems communicating with the people I came into contact with. Even my neighbours hesitated talking to me because of the language barrier. But as time passed, I got used to the differences and settled in. With my accommodation in the Camp area, I soon found all the gardens and parks, which my daughter and I are extremely fond of. The shopping malls are another attraction which we are never able to resist. There are many good malls nearby the area where I reside. The many markets in Pune have taught me the art of bargaining. I have been to Tulshibaug and Laxmi Road. You really get good stuff at cheap pricing there. The weather in Pune too is really pleasant. During weekends, I have the time to explore the city and every street I have been to seems to have a character and charm of its own. There are old wadas and dilapidated biuldings that need repairings. I feel that is one area that the authorities should focus on. Now that I know my way around town, I truly appreciate all the variety of cuisines on offer. There are many good restaurants in the Koregaon Park and Kalyani Nagar area. The nightlife in Pune is pretty vibrant. There are many good clubs and pubs in town, and many international musicians come down to perform on
weekends. One thing that needs to change is the lack of cleanliness and hygiene. There are dustbins which seem to be ignored or overflowing, and people also dump trash on the roadsides. Why can’t people have more civic sense? There should be stingent laws to stop Anna Shaikh people from littering on the streets. People who are seen throwing garbage should be fined. Another aspect that bothers me is all the people in rags and children who beg for alms at intersections. Why can’t the government provide them food, shelter and education?. They should be employed so that they don’t have to depend on other people for the daily survival. Traffic has increased and how. The numbers of vehicles have increased causing an alarming rise in pollution. Pune has always been a place with great weather so we should be able to maintain that. But I must say that the population is generally very accommodating and helpful. The city has also become the melting pot of different cultures. It is quite amazing to see people of different cultures and traditions living here in peace. There are a thousands of expats who move to Pune for their work and studies every year. Th is has added to the beauty of the city. I am also happy that the city offers most of the pleasures of the modern developed society, being at par with any developing nations. The city offers the best IT jobs to young aspirants. I am glad to learn that even today the city is revered as the ‘Oxford of the east.’
Men must play fair with the fair sex A UK national duped by her Indian husband is a deplorable incident. I feel sorry for the victim and hope that the guilty person is brought to book. He should be made to return all the money that he has duped the woman of. It is time we realise that this is not just Vimmi Malhotra’s problem, as there are many other women who face similar problems, regarding the form dowry or demands for money. These things are at the root or domestic
With the netas going beyond their call of duty there is hope that we can look forward to good governance. It may not be much, but it is commendable that some of our leaders are going out of their way to do things for the overall benefit of society. It may be too much to expect all our politicians to be so good-hearted. But even a few can make a world of a difference to the lives of the common man. Our leaders have the resources and the powers at their disposal to achieve a lot in their allotted terms. We must of course, give praise where it is due and the leaders mentioned in your article must be appreciated and encouraged to do good on a larger scale. —Sugandha Rajade
There is still hope for justice The state of affairs with reference to our judicial system is a sorry one. They hasten the process and put behind bars those who have legitimate demands, while those actually at fault
go scot free. Given the awful condition sex workers are forced to live in, those responsible should be put behind bars. With the Bombay High Court taking a commendable stand, maybe there is a silver lining to the dark cloud after all. But until actual progress and headway is made, we cannot be sure. Let us hope for the best. — Ritu Hafrez
Going an extra mile to be eco-friendly
The world is so technologically driven today that living it is impossible to function without a cellphone. I can’t imagine an hour, let alone a day without a phone. I use it to keep in touch with friends and family, networking, and for a variety of other things like photos and music. Living without its convenience is unthinkable. So the people who choose not to use a phone are remarkable, in my view. They really seem to be of a different breed, to forfeit the immense convenience that a mobile phone offers. Kudos to all those who make do without this indispensable device. —Soham Shuka
Citizen Involvement is the answer The Smart City Project competition held by the Pune Municipal Corporation was indeed a smart idea. It gives the citizens a chance to contribute meaningfully. It is only when one actually faces a problem does he or she know or feels the need to change the circumstances. The citizens have come up with excellent ideas that are not only manageable but those that also would be worth all the effort, money and time invested in them. The competition also provided a perfect platform for citizens to let the PMC know about the problems they are facing and how they can be solved. —Sakhi Shevalke
Write to Us Letters to the Editor may be emailed to editor_tgs@goldensparrow.com, editor_tgs@gmail.com or mailed to The Editor, Golden Sparrow Publishing Pvt Ltd, 1641 Madhav Heritage, Tilak Road, Pune-411030.
SPORTS
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 22, 2015
PUNE
“I want to be remembered as just who I was, how I played and how I interacted with the team in the dressing room.” — Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka batsman
“I would rather have the team perform well and win the games than get frustrated that as a batsman I am getting runs but not getting the results.” —Virat Kohli, India skipper
Same old sob story for Puneri Paltan
The team repeats last year’s debacle by finishing at the bottom of the table in the second edition of the Pro Kabaddi League
The German connection Kabaddi is popular in Asian countries like Japan and South Korea. But now even European countries seem to be attracted to this actionpacked sport. During the Pro Kabaddi league, a German television crew headed by Maik Franz was capturing the action. Franz, a former professional football player, travelled to India for Sky TV to document the local enthusiasm for kabaddi. He said, “We have been told that kabaddi is getting popular in Asian countries and our viewers were interested in this sport. We are very fascinated with the speed and action and want to give German sports enthusiasts a glimpse of this sport.” Asked if any German traditional sport is like this Indian origin sport, Franz said, “No, these is no similar game in Germany, but it’s thrilling as it involves strength, agility and skill. It makes the sport television-friendly.” Franz was part of German under-21 football team in 2002-04 and was part of senior team in 2006. However, a knee injury in 2008 put him out of action. He then turned to television.
BY ASHISH PHADNIS @phadnis_ashish
team is still in its learning phase and will bounce back next season. “Our overall performance was Puneri Paltan were considered strong good. We had fielded a young team and contenders for title in the first edition we can’t expect much from them,” said of Pro Kabaddi League. But despite the Shinde. services of top Indian coach Ramphal Like last season, the team’s key Kaushik, Paltan failed miserably, players Wajir Singh and Pravin Niwale finishing last, with just two wins from bore the brunt of the responsibility, 14 games. but they both were brought down It was a wake-up call for the team with injuries. Skipper Wajir played management, owned by Mumbai-based his key role with 48 successful raids, Insurekot Sports. They sacked the coach while Pravin lent credible support with and brought in Arjuna awardee Ashok 30 scoring raids. However, the team Shinde in his place. faltered in their absence This time around and were unable to cope the team was well with the pressure. prepared with quality But the coach support staff, bolstered defended his team, by a number of talented saying that the team players from all over work had improved this country. They even time and that lady luck sourced talent from let them down in crucial Raigad, Sindhudurg and moments. Marathwada, through a “Though Wajir talent hunt. and Pravin were the - Ashok Shinde But none of these torchbearers for the measures seem to have team, the others also worked and the team again faced the contributed. We lost most matches embarrassment of a bottom finish. by narrow margins. That’s because Ironically, they again managed to pull our youngsters were unable to handle out just two wins from 14 games, and pressure situations in the closing stages were thrown out of contention way of matches. If we had converted the before the end of the league matches. close calls, the picture would have been The only teams they beat were Bengal very different,” he said. Warriors and Delhi Dabang, while Pravin seconded his coach, claiming sharing points with Telugu Titans in that the team lacked experience. Hyderabad. “The raiders were doing their job However, coach Shinde was not at well. Wajir and I put in our best efforts all disheartened and believes that the and got injured in the process. But the
“We lost most matches by narrow margins.”
Signposts Hockey coaching clinic today Hockey Maharashtra will be conducting a coaching and umpiring clinic at Shiv Chhatrapati sports complex in Balewadi from today (August 22). This clinic is part of the Director of Sports Government of Maharashtra’s project ‘Mission 2020’. MK Kaushik, manager, high performance department of Hockey India, Shakeel Qureshi, manager umpires department, Hockey India, along with Clarence Lobo and former international goalkeeper Diago D’Souza will be present at the clinic, said Hockey Maharashtra secretary Manoj Bhore.
Pune girls win under-19 cricket Pune District Cricket Association (PDCA) girls defeated South Zone by 36 runs in the Maharashtra Cricket Association’s women’s invitational under-19 league final match at Dhule recently. In a low scoring match, PDCA girls posted 113 runs, thanks to Tejal Hasabnis (32) and Nikita Aage (29). In reply, South Zone managed to score just 77 runs in 40 overs. Rama Kasande and Nikita were instrumental in this win by picking three wickets each. Manasi Jadhav fought a lone battle for South Zone, scoring 22 runs.
Workshop on sports parenting today The Pune Metropolitan District Tennis Association (PMDTA), in collaboration with PYC Hindu Gymkhana and Maharashtra State Lawn tennis Association will be conducting a free workshop on sports parenting and sports psychology for coaches, parents and players at PYC Gymkhana on Saturday (August 22). The workshop will be addressed by Dr Vece Paes, renowned sports medicine doctor and Olympian, Dr Bhishmaraj Bam, a leading motivator and a renowned sports psychologist, former Davis Cupper Nandan Bal and ITF level III coach and Hemant Bendrey
Puneri Paltan players performed impressively but failed to acquire results in the end
youngsters failed to defend well and we lost valuable points. In some games, we just gave away the position after a hardfought first half. I am hopeful they have learnt from the mistakes and perform well next year,” said the raider. WHAT NEXT The coach is already planning for the next season, and said that they would eliminate the mistakes. “This time we didn’t use our bench strength. These players were quite inexperienced and if they had failed, it would have dented their morale. We applied the same strategy with our foreign players. They have observed and learnt and could play a big role next
Ankita misses grand finish
Paddler wins three district ranking table tennis titles but loses in championship
Ankita Patwardhan
TGS NEWS NETWORK @TGSWeekly City paddler Ankita Patwardhan missed a grand finish when she went down to Eesha Parande in the quarterfinals of under-15 girls in the District Table Tennis Championship tournament at Royal Connaught Boat Club (RCBC). Ankita has dominated the district ranking tournaments, and won three titles. But the top seed couldn’t replicate her earlier performances in the championship, going down to Eesha 5-11, 10-12, 4-11 without putting up much of a fight.
DOUBLE FOR PRUTHA Meanwhile, 9-year-old paddler Prutha Vartikar, who has won five of six district ranking tournaments, claimed a double crown in district championship. Prutha comfortably won the under-10 (midget) title by beating Sharvari Sumant 11-1, 11-2, 11-7, and went on to beat defending champion Aneeha D’Souza in the girls’ under-12 final. Prutha, who was rated the best upcoming player of the season, was at her best when she tactfully kept Aneeha from bouncing back. Prutha’s coach Madhukar Lonare had predicted that his ward had the potential to become number one in district. Last year Prutha finished third, but now with five district ranking titles, two in the district championship along with a state under-10 title in her kitty, she has made a clean sweep this season. “She played according to plan and we are satisfied with her performance. There are some points where an improvement is needed, but she is too small to undergo intense training period,” says Lonare.
Madhura claims title TGS NEWS NETWORK @TGSWeekly Madhura Patwardhan garnered the title in the girls’ under-13 category, prevailing over Ishita Chaphekar 21-18 21-8, in the Rock 72 District Badminton Tournament at Gultekdi in the past week. Meanwhile, Eesha Jagtap won a double crown in the girls’ under-17 category. In the singles final, Eesha defeated Vaishanvi Sangve 21-11, 1421, 21-14, and paired with Unnati Munot to beat Shivani Chordiya and Sanyukta Rawat 21-17 21-19. Earlier, the duo had beaten Jai Ranade and Ruchika Shirodkar in the semi-finals. Unnati also bagged a double
Madhura Patwardhan
crown. After her title in the under-17 girls doubles, she played with Mayur Toshniwal in the mixed doubles to defeat the pair of Yash Choudhari and Neha Kamat 21-11, 21-14 in the final. Toshniwal missed his double crown. He and Tanmay Bhave entered the mens’ doubles, but went down to Tushar Balapure and Ruturaj Naik.
time,” he said. It is speculated that next season the Amateur Kabaddi Federation Of India (AKFI) will hold two seasons of Pro Kabaddi in a year. But coach Shinde feels that it won’t serve the purpose. “This game is such that injuries are a constant hazard and the tight schedule leaves no time for injured players to recover. Most teams suffer on this count. Instead of two seasons, the season should be stretched over a longer duration, to allow for rest days and recovery time,” he said. NIWALE SHINES AGAIN Though Puneri Paltan finished at the bottom of the league standings, veteran
player Pravin Niwale again impressed with his acrobatic moves and swift raids. He was ruled out due to a thigh injury as in the first edition, but the raider with the number 10 jersey played a key role for the team. His stats say it all. This season, he had 30 successful raids, and 42 raid points to his credit. His average score per match was 3.75. He has garnered 61 raid points from 111 raids in two seasons,. A resident of Chikhali, Newale started playing kabaddi at the age of 12, with Brahma Vishnu Mahesh Kabaddi Sangh. He represented the state in the under-17 team for the school nationals in 2005. He was a
member of the state squad that won a gold medal in the senior nationals at Amravati in 2008. It was a historic event for the state, as they had won the gold after a gap of 28 years and Niwale was the best player of the tournament. In 2010, he played a key role for India in the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games at Dhaka, Bangladesh and returned with a gold medal. However, to everyone’s surprise, he was dropped from the probables for the Asian Games. However, that wasn’t the end, and to groom a new generation of players, he launched his Om Sai Kabaddi Club in Chikhali. ashish.phadnis@goldensparrow.com