The Golden Sparrow on Saturday 03/10/2015

PAGES: 16+16 (TGS LIFE) | PRICE: `5

PUNE, OCTOBER 3, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

DDHA ANIRU RAJA AR NDEK

rrow.com

oldenspa

PUNE,

R OCTOBE

3, 2015

.theg | www

TGS LIFE

y cnanoyou sa t s o u J and s

did They

er. ble eith impossi clean. e it’s not easy but the grit to comg away n is not and addictio realisation denial, sweepintask e of ming an able Overco takes is a sens step away frominsurmount to an All it decide seem like Once you it will not a hab

r feast!

Octobe

e p craz Crop to s ue contin

p06

n, for childre By the ren the child

p14

Just say no.They did and so can you

p12

MUMBAI

CITY

HC threatens ban on all constructions P2

Aadhaar reunites missing hearing and speech impaired P5 ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

THE CRADLE OF WRESTLING MANIA The traditional talim has been replaced in the urban culture by the more glamorous gyms and fitness centres, but the wrestling fervour still burns bright among the devout

P

ASHISH PHADNIS @phadnis_ashish

une is known for its rich and age-old tradition of Talim culture just like Kolhapur. But the popularity of talims is now on the wane, as this traditional form of exercising and body-building is now being bypassed in favour of the modern and trendy gym and fitness culture, with all its swanky upmarket establishments with equally impressive gadgets and machines.

But though outdazzled by the state-of-the-art gyms, the talims still exist in the old areas of Pune city, and though they may have lost the sheen and popularity they enjoyed in their heyday, what they still retain is an aura of pride, a clear reminder of the rich legacy of a not-too-ancient past.

One can still see the pailwans as these wrestlers are known, devoutly obeying the instructions of their Wastads or coaches, as they seek to replicate their seniors’ dazzling feats in the kusticha akhada or wrestling ring.

Meanwhile there are others who train at the talims but without an intention of taking it up as a career.

TGS Team visited over-a-century-old talims in Pune city, to discover how the tradition is holding up in the midst of vast and overwhelming change.

Gods worked overtime to get her eyesight back Cop arrested for Nandini’s visually impaired parents had no idea that their daughter was suffering from congenital cataract disease which would have led to permanent blindness soon

BY DNYANESHWAR BHONDE @TGSWeekly O ne -y e a r- old Nandini is too young to realise or appreciate that her godgiven gift of eyesight has been preserved, thanks to the charity and benevolence of some Samaritans who came to her aid in the nick of time.

Nandini’s parents Dilip and Shobha Kamble of Nanded, who are both visually impaired, were unaware that Nandini was born with congenital cataract disease, which is a clouding of the lens of the eye that is present at birth. Nandini’s malady was discovered by Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) programme doctor Abdul Rehman Pathan during a routine health check-up six months ago. Pathan immediately informed Nandini’s parents and also emphasised that unless a surgery was performed on both of the child’s eyes, she was liable to suffer permanent blindness.

Dilip and Shobha were in despair when they realised that the congenital cataract surgery cost Rs 40,00050,000 at a private hospital. “Where am I going to raise such a sum,” thought Dilip, who earns a paltry Rs 100 a day as a train hawker. However, Dr Pathan came to their rescue once more, and told them to take Nandini to Nanded Civil Hospital. But the

Nandini with her mother Shobha at Sassoon Hospital after the surgery

hospital was not equipped to conduct the surgery.

Thereafter, Nanded Medical College Ophthalmology Department Head Dr Vivek Sahastrabuddhe contacted the National Programme for Control of Blindness in Mumbai, but was told that Nandini’s surgery could only be done a month later.

But time was of the essence, and Sahastrabuddhe then contacted the eye surgery department of Pune’s Sassoon General Hospital. They agreed to perform the surgery on Nandini immediately. However, nearly three months had passed since the diagnosis of Nandini’s ailment.

The Kambles arrived in Pune on September 2, with their two daughters and a nephew, on a State Transport bus from Nanded. They had the Rs 1200 required for Nandini’s

surgery. The Sassoon Hospital’s ophthalmologist immediately admitted Nandini, but then an unforeseen delay occurred as the operation theatre equipment was under repairs. The 23 days before the equipment was repaired seemed like an eternity to Nandini’s parents.

The hospital provided food for Nandini and her mother, but father Dilip and his elder daughter Nikita survived on the daily tiffi n provided by the Marwadi Dharmsammelan Ashramshala at Sassoon Hospital.

Nandini underwent surgery on one eye on September 24, which cost Rs 750. The Kambles were then faced with another tall hurdle, of raising the money for surgery on Nandini’s other eye. They asked the Nanded based RBSK doctors for help, who in turn contacted the Pune RBSK

team via their whats app group RBSK Maharashtra.

Dr Pranali Vetal of the Khed taluka RBSK team saw the message from Dr Pathan regarding the funds needed for Nandini’s surgery. “My colleague and I rushed to the Sassoon Hospital, talked to Nandini’s parents and gave then the Rs 500 needed for the surgery on her second eye,” she said. Nandini then underwent surgery on her other eye on September 28.

The surgery was a success and the overjoyed parents left for Nanded on October 1, after Nandini was granted a discharge from Sassoon Hospital.

“Our whats app group was a big boon as it enabled us to learn of Nandini’s plight in time,” said Dr Vetal.

It’s a story with a happy ending and Nandini, the beneficiary of the kindness of others, is still too young to acknowledge the immensity of the gift she has received.

R ASHTRIYA BAL SWASTHYA K ARYAKR AM The Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) is a state government run programme for children from birth to 18 years of age. Th is initiative aims at early identification a n d i n t e r v e n t i o n for diseases like birth defects, deficiencies and other diseases including disability. Nearly 80 teams are working currently under this programme in Pune district. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

employing minor she found at rly stn Instead to taking her to a shelter, RPF constable Indu Kelkar forced the minor to work as a maid at her house RAJIL MENON @Rajilmenon A Railway Protection Force woman constable has been booked under the Child Labour Act for employing a minor as domestic help, on October 1.

An anonymous tip off led the Child Protection Unit of Thane and the Kolsewadi police station to raid her house and rescue the teen.

Indu Vijay Kelkar (34) is a constable with the Railway Protection Force, deployed at Kalyan RPF Thana, Platform 4.

She allegedly found the 14-year-old girl at the station, and employed her as domestic help and nanny for her threeyear-old son.

The Child Protection Unit personnel on receiving the tip off, raided Kelkar’s home at Kaveri Park, Netiwali, Kalyan. District Child Protection Officer Parmeshwar Dhasade said, “The girl hails from Kamlapur in Contd on p2

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 3, 2015

PUNE

MUMBAI Nepal asks cable operators to air Indian TV channels P 13

“State government has taken a decision for welfare of farmers.

Following the hike in taxes, we will be able to raise Rs 1,600 crore.

People of Maharashtra are sensible enough to bear hike for the sake of farmers.” -Sudhir Mungantiwar, Finance minister

HC threatens ban on all constructions State government issued ultimatum over garbage dumping crisis in Mumbai BAPU DEEDWANIA @TGSWeekly The Bombay High Court told the state government on Thursday that unless it came up with a solution to the city’s alarming garbage situation, including a location for a dumping ground that would comply with all disposal rules, it would put a halt to construction across the city.

The HC was hearing a PIL fi led

by Mulund based Sewak Trust, which mentions that the Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been dumping solid waste in the Mulund area in flagrant violation of orders passed by the HC in various petitions fi led from time to time before it, on the issue of using this site as a dumping ground.

The PIL by the trust’s lawyer, Rajesh Vanzara of SK Legal Associates, says that innumerable petitions have been fi led in which the HC has passed orders to the BMC, and its officers have been continuously directed to formulate a systematic plan

and manner in which solid waste is to be dumped/treated by the BMC. Despite this, nothing has been done and no orders have been followed.

The division bench of Justice Abhay Oak and Justice Vijay Achliya came down heavily on the state and the BMC, observing that the sites at Mulund and Deonar are not in conformity with Management of Solid Waste (MSW) rules. The bench said that there is no action plan by the Chief Engineer of BMC and there is complete non-compliance by the BMC in this regard of the HC’s earlier orders and rules laid down for disposal of solid waste.

The BMC, represented by senior counsel SU Kamdar, said that till such time the state provides them another space for dumping as a site, their hands are tied. However, the HC expressed displeasure and said that both the state and BMC are responsible for creating serious health hazards for the public by not solving this issue. The court also pointed out that the BMC’s affidavit itself mentions that they are dumping more waste than the permissible limit per day at these sites.

Justice Oak observed, “It will have to be considered if the city’s dumping grounds are not in conformity with the

Facts about dumping waste in Mumbai

• Mumbai produces over 10,000 metric tonnes of waste daily • Kanjurmarg dumping ground can take only 3,000 metric tonnes of waste daily for treatment • Approximately 7,000 metric tonnes is being dumped on sites that do not comply with rules • In April 2013, the HC had ordered that all dumping grounds across the state that do not meet the municipal solid waste rules or have exceeded their capacity would have to be shut down • A report by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board found that at both Deonar as well as Mulund composting of waste was not being carried out and all dumping was taking place in an unscientific manner waste disposal rules, should such large number of residential and commercial projects be allowed? The state will have to consider this and find a solution, else the court will be constrained to order a ban on permissions for construction in the city. Judicial notice has to be taken of the proposal by adopting cluster development and other methods. As of now creating processing facilities as per MSW rules appears to be a dream.”

The court gave direction to the Chief Secretary to fi le an affidavit stating in detail whether the state

wants generation of solid waste in the city by continuing more development in the city. The court made it clear that the State has to fi le this affidavit before October 23, or else further development and construction will be stopped by HC. FACTS FROM THE PIL More than 2,000 tonnes of waste is dumped on the Mulund dumping ground every day. Th is ground is the second oldest landfi ll in the city.

Residents of Hari Om Nagar, situated less than a kilometre away, complain

Cop arrested for employing minor she found at railway station Contd from p1 Gulbarga district of Karnataka and had come to Kalyan almost four months ago. She apparently told Kelkar that she had run away from home and didn’t want to go back.”

Kelkar in her defense, said that she had kept the minor girl at her home but planned to rehabilitate her. But even after four months she had done nothing to

rehabilitate the teen. Dhasade said, “Instead of informing authorities like NGOs and Child Protection Units about the runaway girl, Kelkar chose to make her work at her home, which is against all rules.”

Kelkar has been booked under sections 23, 26 and 32 of Juvenile Justice Care and Protection Act 2000 amounting to cruelty and exploitation of a juvenile, and sections 3 and 14 of the Child Labour Prohibition act, 1986, for employing a minor. “As a constable, Kelkar is aware of the laws and rules and therefore, she has knowingly flouted the rules.

We are

Parmeshwar Dhasade, complainant

making an example of her, to dissuade police force staff from knowingly flouting the rules,” Dhasade said, who believes that more stringent sections could have applied for a more severe sentencing.

Thane RPF Senior Police Inspector Ranvir Singh said that he knew about the girl being kept as domestic help and had dissuaded Kelkar from doing so. “If she continued it was not my responsibility to monitor her personal details,” Singh said.

PRESSURE TO REDUCE CHARGES Being a case involving a police staffer, there was pressure on the Child Protection Unit for leniency towards Kelkar. Dhasade said, “Kelkar even went to the extent of saying that she was following her senior’s orders and Kolsewadi police staffers urged me not to be too harsh as she was one of our own.” There was also political pressure. “The Shiv Sena Shakha Pramukh of the area ordered me to not lodge a complaint against Kelkar and then to levy a lesser charge,” he said.

Kelkar however, has not been arrested yet. Dhasade said, “I am surprised that the woman has not been arrested. I think this is because of the Shiv Sena influence and I won’t be surprised if the police just bury the case.”

On one hand, the government is trying to eliminate child labour, which makes this case of a police constable employing a minor as housemaid even more shocking. It remains to be seen whether the guilty woman constable is dealt with according to the law, or if the politicos and police force shield her from any severe chastisement. rajil.menon@goldensparrow.com

of the stench. They say they have to keep their windows shut all the time and when the waste is burnt the stench is unbearable.

The petition also mentions that the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) issued a prosecution notice to BMC for violating solid waste rules and flouting environmental norms at its dumping grounds in the city. The notice was issued after a series of visits by MPCB officials to the Mulund and Deonar dumping grounds revealed that waste was being dumped in an unscientific way, leading to air and water pollution. The MPCB has invoked various sections of the air and water pollution control Act and the environmental protection Act and has also pulled up the BMC for noncompliance of the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000.

Waste is being dumped unscientifically at the 25-year-old site, foul smell was evident and work

on a bio-methanisation plant had also not begun. There was no provision to collect leachate (slurry) at the ground, due to which surrounding areas and ground water levels were getting contaminated.

The dumping site is located in close proximity to residential buildings and societies.

The hazardous substances being dumped at the site are a cause of diseases and ailments infecting residents near the site, including diseases of the lungs, eyes and stomach. The unhygenic conditions of the dumping ground and areas surrounding are affecting the residents adversely as they are unable to keep the windows of their homes open due to the foul odour and infestation of housefl ies.

The illegal dumping has reached epidemic proportions, to the extent that leachate are seeping into the ground and killing the mangroves in the area. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

As of now creating processing facilities as per MSW rules appears to be a dream

Maharashtra secretariat to have room for breast-feeding

Mumbai, Oct 1: To make breastfeeding easier for government employees, Maharashtra government has decided to construct a separate room and a cradle for children at the state secretariat and other government offices.

“I have directed the concerned departments to ensure there are separate rooms constructed in state secretariat and all other large government offices that can be used by breast-feeding women to feed their children without any disturbance,” State Women and Child Welfare minister Pankaja Munde told reporters here today.

Munde said she has instructed

officials from her department, General Administration department and Public Works department (PWD) in writing to construct breastfeeding rooms at the earliest.

“It is very important for a child’s health to receive her mother’s milk.

Thus it is necessary for all government and private offices to have a separate room and cradles for breastfeeding women,” Munde said.

“Even previously, the state government had directed officials to construct such rooms. But work was not done then.

Separate rooms will now be constructed at the earliest,” she added.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 3, 2015

PUNE

“By approving the widening of roads and adding tunnels, flyovers, new roads even on the hills and river bed, the planners have sent a message that the city will continue to promote growth of personal vehicles.”

— Sujit Patwardhan, Environmentalist

Living in intolerant times P12

Divorces on the rise in the city

The rapidly changing lifestyles and work schedules of the young urban population are the catalyst for growing marital discord

BY Gargi Verma @missgverma Bollywood movies may be full of serenades to the glory and magic of love, but more and more marriages are on the rocks than ever before in Pune, if the official statistics regarding divorces are anything to go by. The statistics for the past four years show that the number of applications filed for divorce in the Pune Family Court have increased by a whopping 25 per cent.

People in the know attribute the spiraling divorce rates to the rapidly changing urban scenario, where the nature of and the working hours for jobs, especially in the IT industry have undergone a sea change. Family Court Bar Council President, Advocate Ganesh Kawade said, “The city has undergone a rapid and overwhelming change in recent times, and consequently age-old values and traditions have been replaced by more global, cosmopolitan attitudes.

And with more and more women entering the modern workforce, their new-found economic independence

has made the conventional gender roles completely redundant.”

Kawade believes that the odd working hours in the IT industry is a key reason for the marriage breakups. No less than 30-40 per cent

Advocate Ganesh Kawade

of divorce cases in the family court involve IT employees. “If both the man and woman are employed in the IT industry, but in different organisations, they naturally have different sets of friends, and given

their work schedules, they have little or no time to devote to each other.

The woman is no longer confined to the home and kitchen and therefore, the family dinner routine is almost obsolete except on common holidays.

With such a situation, the rising rate of divorce should come as no surprise.”

Kawade also pointed out that the IT sector employs people, most of whom are from outside of Pune city.

“Most divorce cases involve men and women who are from outside of town and have settled here on account of their jobs. And if one of them is a Puneite, he or she is having difficulties in adjusting to a lifestyle that bypasses or even completely ignores traditional family values. Even their parents get involved as they are the first to voice their distress over the abandoning of traditional values and attitudes,” he said, emphasising the fallout of discarding family values.

Social media aspect Kawade acknowledges that social media has become an indispensable aspect of urban life, but he thinks that it is also contributing to the

Mall management blamed for lack of firefighting mechanism It took nearly 40 hours to extinguish the fire at Sohrab Hall

break-up of marriages. “In previous times, infidelity was rare and discreet and not as blatant or easily revealed as it can be thanks to the social media today. As spouses check out each other’s Whatsapp messages and Facebook profiles, it may take as little as an obscure message, comment or chat for suspicions of infidelity to arise and take root and blow up into a altercation that culminates in divorce,” he said. There may be misunderstandings or uncalled for suspicion, but one thing can lead to another, and before they know it, a bitter battle ensues in the family court

representative said, “Any woman who feels that she is being mistreated can and does take up the issue and even go to the extent of filing for divorce.

With their emancipation, women are no longer dependent on their spouse and divorce does not carry the stigma that it used to in bygone eras. So a woman will readily file for divorce rather than suffer and put up with an abusive or philandering husband.”

Parents are also far more supportive and are also likely to advocate their daughters to stand up for their rights even if leads to marital break-ups.

Family Court officials affirm that the divorce statistics have spiraled in recent times. Family Court counsellor Sudam Gayake said, “Divorce cases are on the increase for sure. While earlier we used to get 5-6 cases a day, the number has risen to double-digits

Women today are much better informed about their rights

Women’s rights Women today are much better informed regarding their rights, and are not likely to take any real or imagined injustice lying down.

Pune-based NGO Swaadhar’s

Number of divorces 2185 2453 2898 2951 2009

2011

2013

2014

today. On any day, the court room is packed with people who come for advice and counselling.”

The growing affluence in urban India is taking its toll on the hallowed institution of marriage and, for all the popularity of love songs and films devoted to love, what’s more in the air is discord that crazy thing called love. gargi.verma@goldensparrow.com

Aadhaar reunites missing hearing and speech impaired

Authorities at Observation Home in Pune went to get her Aadhaar card done so that she could open a bank account, only to find that she already had one

By Gitesh Shelke @gitesh_shelke

Fire Brigade issued notices regarding firefighting mechanism to many shopping malls in the city, but Sohrab Hall was overlooked

By Rajil Menon @RajilMenon The fire that broke out on the first floor of the Sohrab Hall commercial complex near Pune Railway station at around 8 pm on Sunday, September 27 was completely extinguished only on Tuesday afternoon.

The PMC Chief Fire Officer Prashant Ranpise has blamed the absence of adequate firefighting mechanism at the building for the over 40-hour long operation. One of the oldest shopping malls in Pune, the building’s central fire fighting system is not functional. Shop owners of Sohrab Hall however, have refused to cast blame on the building’s management. Onlookers instead have accused the Fire Brigade personnel of being inefficient.

In the wake of the fire, power was switched off and residents of the Tadiwalla Road area in the vicinity of Sohrab Hall had to bear with the inconvenience.

Ranpise said that they used 13 vehicles, including 11 fire tenders and two water tankers. With 5,000 litres of water in each tender, and 11,000 litres in each tanker, it took a huge volume of water to extinguish the fire. Nearly 60 firemen were involved in the operation.

The fire broke out at the Crossword bookstore on the first floor. The fire spread swiftly and the firefighters had to make their way through blankets of smoke. The bookstore’s inflammable material like CDs and DVDs was ablaze in a jiffy and it took constant dousing with water to keep it from reigniting.

The Fire Brigade had issued notices regarding firefighting mechanism to many shopping malls in the city, but Sohrab Hall was overlooked, and it will be issued a notice shortly.

Le Meridien steward Salman Khan was among the first from the neighbourhood to notice the smoke emanating from the first floor, and thereafter the security staff were alerted and the Fire Brigade was called.

Frankfinn Institute trainee Zaheer Ahmed said that the Fire Brigade personnel were unable to explain why it was taking them so long to put out the fire. Fireman Sunil Naiknavre said that the Crossword staff was no help in removing books and other combustible material from the store. rajil.menon@goldensparrow.com

Two years after a speech and hearing impaired 21-year-old was found at Pune railway station, her family has finally been traced, all thanks to Aadhaar.

Authorities at the Observation Home in Mundhwa, where she had been living for the past two years, went to get her Aadhaar card made so that she could open a bank account, when they were told that her fingerprints are already in the national database.

Within days, her family was traced to Telangana. On Wednesday Komal was reunited with her family.

Komal, who originally hails from Malaipalli village in Telangana (earlier part of Andhra Pradesh), was found at Pune railway station in August 2013. It is unclear how she reached Pune from her hometown. She was brought to Women Observation Home, Mundhwa, and named Komal. The government run observation home’s superintendent Leela Khade said, “She couldn’t understand Hindi or Marathi and none of our staff knew the sign language. A sign language expert was called only to find that she had not learned the sign language.” She added that interacting with the 21-yearold was a task.

Over a period of time Komal started working with a private firm. Khade explained that her employer wanted to deposit her salary in the bank.

However, since the girl did not hold a bank account, the employer asked the authorities to get one done for Komal.

“We approached a bank only to be told that she needs a valid Aadhaar card to

Venkatamma Someswarabanda (second from left) finally united with her family

open an account,” said Khade.

The observation home staff approached e-seva kendra at Mundhwa in April 2015. Once the initial process of taking her details and finger printing was done, the staff at the e-seva kendra figured that an Aadhaar card had already been issued in 2012. The finger prints matched to one Venkatamma Someswarabanda. It did not take too long for e-seva Kendra to find out about her family.

Armed with all the details, authorities at Observation Home contacted Komal’s family. On Wednesday her family arrived in Pune and was united with Komal. Her brother Tayyappa Someswarabanda revealed that her real name was Venkatamma Someswarabanda. “She left home sometime in 2012. Through gestures, she told us she was going

to neighbouring city to purchase bangles and other articles. When she did not return by evening we got worried and over the next few days looked for her everywhere including Bengaluru, Chennai, among other cities,” he said. Ventakamma’s parents are farmers. The 21-year-old used to go school and dropped out after passing ninth grade.

“We were so happy to get a call from authorities at Observation Home.

They told us that my sister had been living with them since August 2013.

We have no clue where she was from 2012 to the time she was found at Pune station. Also we are unclear as to why and how she travelled so far. We are happy that she is back with us,” said Venkatamma’s teary eyed mother Tayyamma. gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com

SPPU has no mechanism to deal with gender discrimination Women college students stage protest over WDC and Vishakha panel issues TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly Colleges that fall under the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) jurisdiction are not adhering to the UGC guidelines while setting up Women Development Centres (WDCs) and Vishakha committees. Such committees do not exist at some colleges, while they are redundant or have ceased to

exist at other colleges. Female students of colleges under the aegis of SPPU staged a march at the varsity campus protest against this issue, on October 1.

The protest involved 30 students who raised slogans and carried placards as the marched from Aniket Canteen to the Chancellor’s office, where they handed over a letter listing their demands to the Chancellor. The protest was planned by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) to demand active Vishakha committees and WDCs on every college campus as well as an open election.

Tilak Ayurvedic College second year Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medical Science student Devashree

Khare said, “We need an authority to deal with issues regarding harassment and gender discrimination.”

Modern College first year Bachelor of Commerce student Prajakta Dumbre said, “There is no representation for women at colleges.

We have to seek outside help as our female faculty are unable to help. We need an authority.”

The students have also demanded elections to the Students’ Council.

“Members of the council are chosen on merit so they are incapable of taking action and consequently we have no one to deal with our issues. Some seats should be reserved for women to ensure

representation for us,” Khare said.

The issues of having elected representatives and nonfunctional Vishakha committees are connected. “Elected representatives could have protested against the authorities’ lax attitude towards WDCs and Vishakha committees,” Dumbre said.

The students will intensify their protest if the authorities ignore the issue. “If they ignore this issue we will intensify our struggle,” Khare said.

Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) Vice Chancellor Dr Wasudev Gade refused to comment on protest march. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 3, 2015

PUNE

“We have not deleted any reservations meant for solid waste management, water supply , PMPML etc. The committee has deleted reservations on government land as they were hampering the planning of these authorities.”

— S Chockalingam, Pune divisional commissioner

Design your dream home

Living in intolerant times

P10

P12

AAP high command sacks all Maha office bearers

Through a notice put up on the party’s website on Thursday morning, all the committees in Maharashtra were dissolved BY yogesh sadhwani @yogeshsadhwani

Aam Aadmi Party workers from Maharashtra were in for a rude shock on Thursday morning. A notice put up on the political party website declared that all the bodies and committees in the state had been dissolved. The party had appointed a new state executive headed by Subhash Ware barely a few months ago, which in turn had appointed committees at the local level. While several officebearers expressed their concern over the manner in which the decision had been taken and communicated, the central leadership stated that it was the need of the hour.

“In the ongoing process of strengthening the organisation in various states, the PAC (Political Affiars Committee) has decided to dissolve all bodies in Maharashtra.

National Secretary Shri Pankaj Gupta will be in-charge of the state and under him a team will work on organisation building in the state.

The new structure will take shape in a very short time. All party members are requested to cooperate with this team in organisation building,” stated the notice that went up on the AAP website at 8 am. State leaders were flooded with calls from volunteers and internal whatsapp groups were abuzz with activity with several members openly expressing their discontent.

“As of 8 am Thursday, AAP Maharashtra is headless. There was no reason assigned for the arbitrary decision and the manner in which it

was communicated also came as a shock to many of us,” said a senior member of AAP Maharashtra. Officially the AAP leadership in Delhi maintained that the decision was taken following numerous complaints against the committees.

The local leaders and volunteers, however refuse to buy the theory.

Mayank Gandhi, a member of the National Executive of AAP immediately posted a tweet, “Two types of politics – one that works with the people on ground and other that do ‘chaplusi’ in Delhi. The second type has won. Jai Ho!” Within minutes he put up another tweet stating, “Beautifully functioning Maharashtra teams dissolved. Sad that politics has won!”

Speaking to TGS, Gandhi termed it as ‘unilateral high command decision’.

He said that it was taken without taking volunteers into confidence and came at a time when the state executive headed by Ware was doing an ‘excellent job’. “The high command’s decision is not at all right. There was no reason assigned, no process followed. I was aware that a handful of volunteers within the party were filing complaints post which Pankaj Gupta (National Executive member) came to Maharashtra. But he gave a report stating that the committees in Maharashtra were doing an excellent job and that was the end of the matter.

‘No reasons assigned, no process followed’ Mayank Gandhi, a member of a national executive of AAP is known to be a man who has openly voiced his dissent in the past. A founder member of the party, Gandhi has been part of the movement since the India Against Corruption (IAC) days. Earlier this year, he courted controversy by posting a blog about national executive meeting in which Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav

were removed. There was a diktat from the party to not talk about the meeting.

There were quite a few members within the party who wanted him removed but the decision never came through.

What is your take on the decision to dissolve the state committees in Maharashtra?

Subhash Ware and his committee

The decision to disband all committees came all of a sudden and I am aware that it has been taken at the behest of a handful of people. These people were part of the earlier state executive and were unhappy with their current positions. There was absolutely no reason for the decision from the high command,” said Gandhi. He added that with the decision AAP has stood out as unique political party in the country. “No other party has thrown out the entire state leadership with a single order,” added Gandhi.

Other senior leaders were equally miffed.

“The central leadership claims that there were complaints.

If so, then the complaints should have been addressed and everybody given a chance. After all there is a Subhash Ware process set within the party since we call ourselves a democratic party.

Moreover, the complaints were only against a few in the state and not each and every leader. Clearly the decision has been taken to please some people who are close to the central leadership,” said another senior AAP leader from Maharashtra.

When TGS contacted Subhash Ware, convenor of AAP Maharashtra, he said, “Everybody knows that in the last nine months the state executive had done a lot and was doing very well.

We established ourselves as the party who fought for issues of farmers in rural Maharashtra. I am also perplexed and puzzled as to why the decision to dissolve all committees in Maharashtra has been taken at this juncture.”

The central leadership in Delhi, however, has defended their decision. m e m b e r s were doing an excellent job. It was the best working team across the country. Party’s membership was increasing and relevant Mayank Gandhi issues were being taken by state leadership. High command’s action is just not right. They unilaterally took a decision. I really don’t understand this kind of politics. There was absolutely no reason for the decision.

SRA official in ACB net, again Deputy Chief Executive Officer Shirish Yadav, arrested in 2007 for TDR scam, was caught red-handed accepting Rs 5 lakh on Thursday

BY GITESH SHELKE @gitesh_shelke Having found himself on the wrong side of law in February 2007, Slum Rehabi l itat ion Authorit y (SRA) Deputy Chief Executive Officer Shirish Shirish Yadav Yadav, 46, was caught redhanded accepting Rs 5 lakh from a Pune-based developer by the state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB)

on Thursday. The complainant is constructing buildings under the SRA scheme at Lohiyanagar in Bhavani Peth.

Yadav, a resident of Panchvati in Pashan, was arrested by the state ACB in 2007 for his alleged role in the infamous Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) scam.

According to the ACB, the SRA official had allegedly demanded Rs 25 lakh and was nabbed accepting Rs 5 lakh from the developer at the SRA Development Office on Senapati Bapat Road.

A bag containing Rs 3 lakh was recovered from his office. ACB sleuths also recovered Rs 50 lakh in

cash and 50 tolas of gold from his house. Investigators revealed that Yadav holds a few bank lockers, which will be opened over the next few days.

According to the anticorruption officials, the complainant was facing some issues related to a religious place at his construction site and some local residents (who are not legal slum-dwellers) were demanding houses under the scheme.

Yadav demanded a bribe of Rs 25 lakh to clear the way for the developer. ACB Superintendent Shirish Sardeshpande said that the developer had already paid Rs 5 lakh

Preeti Sharma Menon, national spokesperson of AAP, said that since June this year a central committee has been visiting Maharashtra after receiving complaints from volunteers.

“This kind of upheaval is natural for a party that has just started. This is nothing but start-up hiccups,” she said. She justified the decision and the manner in which it was communicated.

“Over the past few weeks Pankaj Gupta has come to the state, interacted with volunteers, and heard complaints as well, after which the decision has been taken,” she added. The spokesperson also stated that the committees in Maharashtra were appointed as interims last year. “The members were appointed directly and not through an election process. In future new members will be appointed through a proper internal election process,” concluded Menon.

Committees Disbanded • State Executive Committee • Six zonal committees: Vidarbha, Khandesh, Marathwada, Pune, Konkan and Mumbai • Maharashtra State Advisory Committee • Grievance Redressal Cell • Media Team • Political Education Committee • Organisation Building Team • Over 50 district level committees, among others Trouble in AAP Maharashtra AAP Maharashtra is not new to controversies. Last year in June the then convenor Anjali Damania resigned from her post and withdrew her resignation by late evening same day.

In March this year, the central leadership in AAP removed Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan.

Immediately after that Mayank Gamdhi, a member of the national executive, wrote a blog narrating sequence of events that led to the removal of two leaders. He openly voiced his discontent in the blog.

Since there were orders to all the leaders to not discuss the developments in the national executive meeting in which the two were removed, Gandhi faced a lot of flak. However, he was not removed from the party.

Around the same time, former Maharashtra convenor Anjali Damania too quit the party. She was upset with the manner in which central leadership Were you aware of something brewing at the centre?

I was aware that a few people were going to the central leadership and complaining. Since these were a handful of people, I did not make much out of it as I believed in party’s complaint redressal system. I believed that the central leadership would address the complaints and then initiate action if necessary. In fact, Pankaj Gupta came to Maharashtra and gave a report stating that the state leadership was doing an excellent job.

Central leadership says that there were complaints after which the

‘I had no role to play in the decision to dissolve comm’ Preeti Sharma Menon is the most talked about woman in Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) M a ha r a sht r a after the dissolution. Several volunteers and Preeti Sharma office bearers Menon have accused her of playing an important role in the dissolution of the state committees. They allege that due to her proximity to the central leadership, she was able to convince them to take the decision. Preeti was part of the first state executive after the formation of the party. She stepped down from the position in AAP Maharashtra last year and has been functioning in various capacities at the centre ever since.

Currently she is the national spokesperson and co-convenor of national funding, overseas team management and election campaigns. She is part of the Kumar Vishwas team.

Why were the state committees disbanded all of a sudden?

They were not dissolved all of a sudden. Since June, Pankaj Gupta (Member of the party’s national executive) has been visiting the state. He met volunteers and heard their complaints. The state convenor and co-convenor also went to Delhi to explain their stand. It was only after continuous engagement and considering all the factors that the decision was taken.

Why dissolve the committees now?

They were all interim committees. Last year the state executive was appointed and it was made clear then itself that it will

be an interim arrangement. The office bearers were appointed and not elected. It was all part of our Mission Vistaar.

Won’t this affect the volunteers and party in Maharashtra?

This kind of upheaval is natural for a party that has just started. In fact this kind of upheaval is going to happen over the next few years.

All these are start-up hiccups. The National Executive is completely aware of what the country is going through.

Does the leadership intend to hold internal elections to appoint the new office bearers anytime soon?

There has been no decision yet on that front. The national executive and volunteers need to jointly decide on the elections.

Several state office bearers have accused you of having played a role in the decision to dissolve the committees in Maharashtra. How would you respond to that?

I share an excellent rapport with volunteers in Maharashtra.

Even today if I was to announce an andolan, hundreds of volunteers will come out to support me. The national leadership is also fully with me. The accusations are being made by a handful of people who believe in spreading hate. I do not have any intentions of responding to their allegations. I would love to be such a Machiavellian person and have the kind of effect on the central leadership. The central leadership is wise and do not take decisions based on what I say.

Moreover, I resigned from state executive on September 30 last year.

It’s been 365 days since I have played any role in Maharashtra politics.

was tackling and responding to horse trading allegations after Delhi Assembly elections. There were talks that Damania would join the party again. Till date she hasn’t joined.

Barely a month later in April, Maruti Bhapkar, a member of Maharashtra state executive voiced his dissent and joined hands with Yadav-Bhushan. yogesh.sadhwani@gmail.com

decision was taken?

If there were complaints, they should have been addressed. Office bearers against whom the complaints were made should have been heard.

After all, we are a democratic party.

Sadly, no reason was assigned for the decision and no process was followed.

members would step down. Why not wait till December then!

Central leadership has also gone on record to state that the state committees were interim and had to go someday?

It is true that they were appointed on interim basis. Internal elections for new office bearers were to be held in December post which the interim

Do you think your blog earlier this year had something to do with the central leadership’s decision?

After I wrote the blog, a lot of people were upset. I told the leadership that I would leave the party if they want me to. But there was no response from the leadership. My blog could have played a role in all this. The fact is that this whole thing has been engineered by people who were part of the earlier state executive and were unhappy with the way things stood now in the state. rahul raut

to Yadav. “The land developer lodged a complaint before giving the second installment and we laid the trap in his office,” he said.

Yadav, a Tehsildar of the 1995 batch, became Deputy Collector in 1997. He was posted as Deputy Commissioner, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) when he was arrested by the ACB in 2007 for his alleged role in the TDR scam. On the day of his arrest, his wife had thrown away cash of Rs 9.50 lakh, packed in a polythene bag, from the bathroom window. The bag opened up in midair and the ‘raining money’ incident became famous.

He was suspended from service on July 1, 2007, and reinstated on October 3, 2011. Sardeshpande said that an open enquiry was conducted against him and the case was closed in 2012. He, along with eight other PMC officials, were arrested in the TDR scam. gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 3, 2015

Pune girl murdered in Chennai

Police suspect a rejected suitor murdered Reetika Bhatia; Kanhai Chawda being interrogated GARGI VERMA @missgverma A 23-year-old Pune girl was found murdered in Chennai on September 27.

The Chennai police have determined the cause of death to be severe head injuries inflicted by an iron rod. The police are interrogating a man but no arrests have been made in the case yet.

Reetika Bhatia (23) was a resident of Ratnaprabha Society on Undri Road, which is near the NIBM campus. She had been appointed as a French to English translator at the Renault office in Chennai and hashifted there on September 20.

Her mother Komal said that Reetika had been given temporary accommodation at the Renault guest house, and that she had gone to find her own rented accommodation on Sunday, September 27. She had spoken to her daughter over the phone at around 2:15 pm on Sunday.

Reetika’s body was found in an empty flat by a resident of the Akshaya Apartments in Maraimalai Nagar. The Chennai police have not divulged the details of the post mortem report, but they have put down the cause of death as severe injuries to Reetika’s head and torso caused by someone who hit her repeatedly with a weight-lifting iron rod.

The Chennai police are interrogating one Kanhai Chawra, who happened to be at the housing society where Reetika was murdered. Reetika’s parents say that Kanhai wanted to marry their daughter but

Reetika Bhatia with her family in happier times

that they had turned down his proposal.

Reetika’s father Narendra said, “Kanhai is from Rajkot and works in an L&T subsidiary company at Bengaluru. He met Reetika at a wedding ceremony in Pondicherry. He wanted to marry her but we advised Reetika to get to know him better before making a commitment.” Komal said that Kanhai was rather impatient and was already acting as if the marriage was fixed. “He used to call as mummy and papa though we dissuaded him. Even his relatives and family members came to meet us, and his mother acted as if the marriage was fixed, though we had not given our consent,” Komal said.

Narendra is a well-to-do businessman and when made inquiries about Kanhai, he found that this was not the son-in-law he really wanted. “Kanhai was not the right choice for my daughter. He is not well-educated, his family’s credentials are not acceptable and neither does he have a well-paying job,” Narendra said, the anguish in his voice quite evident.

Reetika was better educated and had a higher-paying job. “She had been felicitated by the Gujarat government

for her French translation work for the ‘Vibrant Gujarat’ annual festival. She had a Masters’ degree holder, had travelled to France after which she had a good job at a multinational corporation. Kanhai was no match for her,” he said.

Reetika had accepted her parents’ decision and Kanhai was told by Reetika and her dad that his proposal of marriage had been turned down.

But Kanhai went down to Chennai as soon as he knew that Reetika was there, much to her and her parents’ surprise. But they accepted the situation thinking that Kanhai would be of some help to Reetika in a new place. And on the fateful day it was Kanhai who called the Bhatias in Pune at around 6 pm, and said that Reetika was not picking up the phone. “I think someone has done something to her,” Kanhai told the worried parents. “I immediately called Reetika’s phone number, and we were informed by the police an hour later that our daughter was murdered,” said Narendra, seemingly on the verge of a breakdown.

“We don’t know what happened. But we want justice,” the Bhatias said.

The gloom of tragedy hangs over the Bhatia home, though the sorrowful parents are being consoled by their kin. “Reetika was so

gifted, obedient and we loved her more than words can say,” Narendra said, as he stares sightlessly at Reetika’s photo on his phone.

The light seems to have dimmed from the Bhatia’s lives, with the utterly tragic, abrupt and violent end to Reetika life. gargi.verma@goldensparrow.com

‘India ‘bright spot’ among larger global emerging markets’

Interlinking of rivers kindles hope

“It’s common to see sugarcane being transported on tractor trolleys dangling out of trucks. This is extremely dangerous and law enforcement agencies must strictly prohibit it. Noth ing should be allowed to protrude outside the vehicle’s frame.” — Pratapsingh Bhonsle, city-based traffic engineer

P14

P11

‘Cops stood there while my nephew drowned’ To add insult to injury, a senior cop allegedly misbehaved with the family

BY RAJIL MENON @RajilMenon Pune Rural Deputy Superintendent of Police Vivek Pansare has been accused of inexcusably rude and insensitive behaviour by Raju Bhosale, whose 21-year-old nephew, Sushant Anil Daware of Milind Nagar in Vadgaon Maval had drowned during Ganesh idol immersion in the Indrayani river on September 23. In a letter addressed to the Superintendent of Police, Bhosale has urged strict action against Pansare.

Additional Superintendent of Police Rajkumar Shinde, who was handling the additional charge in the absence of the Superintendent of Police, said, “We will inquire into the matter and take strict action against the Deputy Superintendent if he is found guilty.”

The alleged incident occurred when Bhosale, and his uncle Madhukar Kachru Bansode had visited Pansare’s offi ce in connection with Sushant’s death. Bhosale urged Pansare to put in place a stronger police force to ensure that no untoward incidents occurred on the tenth day immersions. He alleged that Pansare said that it was not the duty of the police to save people from drowning. “We are not responsible for these kinds of incidents which happen all the time,” Pansare is alleged to have told Bhosale. “If you were concerned about your nephew, you or his parents should

have accompanied him. I will not ask my offi cers to take care of people during immersions,” he told Bhosale. Bhosale who was distressed that Pansare would not even hear him out, therefore, mentioned in his complaint that Pansare was not fit to be in a position where he has to interact with the public. His behaviour was not becoming of a police offi cer, Bhosale said.

Bhosale has praised MIDC police station Senior Police Inspector Ramdas Ingavale for giving them a patient hearing and trying to explain how the police despite the best of intentions are unable to prevent accidents such as the drowning from happening. An irresponsible or unscrupulous official at the helm can also hamper the working of his subordinates, Ingavale said.

The unfortunate incident that led to Sushant’s death could have been due to the inaction of the personnel who were present at the spot at the time. They neither dissuaded him from entering the river waters, and when he actually started drowning, these policemen did not make the slightest attempt to save him. That is indeed a blot on the police force, Ingavale said.

A friend had tried to save Sushant but in vain, while the police personnel were alleged to have just looked on.

Sushant’s grieving mother Sunita is inconsolable and she wonders why no action can be taken against the police personnel who were at the spot where the drowning death occurred but refused to extend a helping hand to her son. rajil.menon@goldensparrow.com

DDHA

ANIRU

‘Maid’ involved in 16 house breakings finally nabbed

RAJAND

between the 9 to 5 working hours. She makes a show of cleaning the walls or windows of the apartment, and when there is no one else around. she uses a bamboo or metal pipe to break the glass window panes. The bamboo or pipe is then used to bend the metal window grille to make way for Laxmi

o n y a u s o y t n s a Ju so c d n a y did

feast!

October

craze C r op t op s continue

p06

r ildren, fo By the ch en r the child

The organic foodie

D

In the issue RE

S

FEAT

E LG

ING RIV

p14

p12

U

They

. le either impossib ean. cl t it ’s not t easy bu the grit to come ay no is n dictio n and ping aw ing an ad realisatio al, swee task Overcom kes is a sense of from deni able step away an insurmount to All it ta de ci like u de Once yo t will not seem a habi

THRILL OF

You would not give her a second glance as she looks like just another of the countless, faceless domestic help or maids seen around every housing society in the city. She enters upmarket housing societies with impunity, and even has the flair to indulge in some harmless fl irting with the male security staff.

But under the veneer of housemaid lurks a shrewd, savvy and seasoned criminal, who has no qualms about robbing cash and valuables from the homes she gains entry to in the guise of a housemaid.

Meet Laxmi Awaghade, who has been arrested and remanded to custody by the police regarding an alleged theft in the apartment of a luxury housing society in Aundh.

Senior Police Inspector Arun Sawant, Sub Inspector Rajaramsingh Chavan and the personnel from Chatushrungi police station nabbed Laxmi at Karad in Satara district four days ago.

Laxmi, 26, has an elaborate modus operandi. In her standard maid-style salwar-kameez-dupatta apparel, she approaches the watchmen or security staff of a housing society

under the pretext of looking for work as housemaid. After establishing her credentials at the society gates, she gains entry to the housing complex, and after a survey, zeroes in on the apartment she aims to break in to.

These are flats occupied by working couples who are out of the house

thegol | www.

3, 2015

With this issue

U

BY GITESH SHELKE @gitesh.shelke

m rrow.co

denspa

BER OCTO PUNE,

IND

CCTV footage of Laxmi from one of houses she robbed; She is finally in police custody

EKAR

Police nab woman burglar who masquerades as housemaid to loot cash and valuables from upmarket apartments to enter the apartment. In the empty apartment, Laxmi has the time to gather and flee with valuables such as gold jewellery and cash.

Laxmi has thus broken into an apartment of a housing society in Aundh and made away with jewellery and cash worth Rs five lakh, a couple of weeks ago. But in the rush to flee, Laxmi’s toe-ring had come off, which offered the police a vital clue to the identity of the culprit. Laxmi was also seen in the CCTV footage from the society entrance and both put together, the game was up for Laxmi.

Laxmi has been on the police records thanks to her previous arrests for similar crimes. In fact, erstwhile Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone III) Rajendra Mane had formed a special squad with specific mission to nab Laxmi, they did after a year.

Sub Inspector Chavan said that Laxmi hails from a tribal community, but her family is respectable, and that Laxmi has also cleared her SSC examination. Her parents got her married off, and her husband is well off and owns a JCB machine, jeeps and a house in Nigdi. Laxmi, a mother of two, however, entered an extra-marital relationship with a driver, whom she eventually married, deserting her fi rst husband and children.

Six years ago, Laxmi needed surgery owing to a health issue, and finding ways to raise money for the surgery, she hit upon the idea of breaking and entering apartments of upmarket societies. That was the beginning of her career in crime.

Chavan said that Laxmi has been linked to 16 crimes burglaries, and the police also suspect her of having a hand in five more. These break-ins and burglaries have occurred at housing societies in Pashan, Aundh, Kothrud, Chandani Chowk, Pimpri, Chinchwad and other areas of the city.

Chavan said that Laxmi has invested her ill-gotten wealth in an apartment in Mumbai, and a house in Nigdi, but she prefers to stay in Karad. gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com

PUNE

Urban tank

Unconventional friendship

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 3, 2015

PUNE

Cabs are a better option than autorickshaws

“We are not against area sabhas. Three years back, MNS had written to the municipal commissioner, asking him to demarcate areas for meetings, however, no ac tion was taken.

We are willing to conduct areas sabhas but need more clarity in the matter.”

— Ajay Tayade, MNS Corporator

P 15

Budding Pune architects make India proud

Festival to save Mula-Mutha Rivers

Seven-day event ‘Muthai’ will help nurture bond between the rivers and Puneites

BY EKTA KATTI @ EktaaK

Seven architecture students who entered an international architecture design competition have created history and made not only their institutions but also the country proud

With the rapid population growth, ecological pressure caused by human activities on rivers is growing.

And policy makers are faced with the dilemma of Shailaja Deshpande how to maintain economic growth while also maintaining the resources of a river and its environment. On the local level, it will just take 15 minutes of volunteering to help revive the MulaMutha River.

Jeevitnadi, a child foundation of Ecological Society, Pune, has started a week-long river festival to highlight the values of our rivers, increase awareness and encourage stewardship of water bodies around the world. “I understand people are living a hectic life, but only if they could spend a couple of minutes as volunteer of the river festival, it would do wonders,” said 55-year-old Jeevitnadi co-founder Shailaja Deshpande.

rahul raut

By Salonee Mistry @Sal0412 They are young and still learning but are almost unbeatable. Seven friends all studying to become architects teamed up to enter an international architecture design competition, Capita architecture.

Held in London, the competition welcomed entries from the world over and had no age restrictions. For three months these students strived to produce what they believed would leave an impact on the UK based property company and managed to achieve more than what they hoped for. Hemant Varma (21), Sameer Girdhar (21), Mustafa Bhainderwala (21), Gautami Kulkarni (21), Sharvari Chikne (20) from ADA’s Minerva College of Architecture along with Iajree Thosar (19) from S B Patil College of Architecture and Parnika Waghmare (19) from D Y Patil School of Architecture were the seven team members.

Working towards win Divided into six stages, the competition began in July with site selection being the first task on the agenda. This was followed by site analysis, concept development, design process, pre-final and the final stage. The team of seven selected a site in Kalamboli near New Panvel and began conceptualising the design for their model. “The area that we had selected worked as a junction.

It complemented our idea of having a 7-star hotel, commercial hub and international trading centre integrated in our design. The new proposed airport is just a few minutes away from our site co-relating to the 7-star hotel, the residential area is also a few more minutes for those working in the commercial hub and the Maharashtra Industrial Development Centre was also nearby to complement the international trading centre,” said Hemant, the team leader. Deciding on this site was one of the more difficult tasks but when we found it everything fell into place, he added.

The team with the prize-winning model which created a stir at the international architecture competition held by Capita architecture in London

Inspired by a wave design they saw in an architectural design of a Tokyo building, the concept of their model was also that of a wave. The centre of the model which was a plaza also incorporated a moving wave to stay in sync with the concept. The entire structure was columnless structure with only vertical foundations to support the weight of its length. The commercial hub buildings, hotel as well as the international trading centre were all high-rise. All the submissions of the six stages were done online.

Throughout the process, the principal incharge of ADA Minerva College, Indra Kumar Singh and their architecture

professor Swapnil Kuldharan were their mentors. Both of them are extremely ecstatic about the success that their students have managed to achieve. “We are feeling very proud on this remarkable achievement.

These students have created a position for themselves and their institutes as far as architecture education is concerned.

This achievement will also become a milestone for the history of our college,” said principal Indra Singh.

Kuldharan said that he feels proud to have had the opportunity to mentor such calibre.

“This achievement opens up doors to international opportunities for these

They are the only Indian team to win an award this year

for cleaner city

students. Their efforts have been fruitful and their accomplishments stand testimony to it,” he added.

Shining in London This team from Pune is the youngest to have entered the competition from the 185 entries that Capita received from the world over. Not only did they stand fifth in the competition, they were also awarded the youngest architecture award by Capita. The judging of the final submissions was done by multiple London based property companies.

This team was awarded top-star rating from Capita, and stood first in Capita’s rating. They are also the only Indian team to have won any award this year. They will soon be receiving their certificates, medals, gifts and goodie bags delivered to their homes from the London company. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

CURIOUS CASE A retired member of Ecological Society, Shailaja feels that the festival has already planted the seed of curiosity in the minds of citizens of Pune. “We have established our first step of making the

inquest of the festival. Now they have to understand the grave issues that rivers are facing and find viable solutions,” he said, adding that ‘what’s done is done, we cannot keep blaming on who is responsible for polluting the rivers. We should now focus on saving it’.

Citing the example of River Thames that was revived over five decades by improvements in water treatment, a ban on dumping industrial effluent in its waters, and the re-routing of sewage with environmentalists working to reintroduce native species into the river habitat, Shailaja said that it will take time to resuscitate the Mula-Mutha Rivers.

A chemical engineer by profession, volunteer engagement head Kaustubh Savatkar, 24, feels that the condition of river could improve if each individual starts living a chemical-free life.

CAMPAIGN Formed in 2014, Jeevitnadi is an initiative taken by people from all walks of life, but with the common purpose of making Mula-Mutha, a living river.

“We are a group of 30 people, majority are alumni of Ecological Society, with expertise in various areas like Botany, Zoology, Ornithology, Economics, Engineering, Information Technology and Journalism besides having a strong base of ecology.

Our main aim is to bring back to life the most precious river of the city.,” Kaustubh said. ektaakatti@gmail.com

THE FESTIVAL • October 2: ‘River Clean Up’ River Bank behind Deccan Bus Stop, 7am-10am • October 3: ‘Paint the River’ Siddheswar Temple Ghat, 7am-10am • October 4: ‘Click the River’ Siddheswar Temple Ghat, 7am-8.30am ‘Saritayan’ Kabir Baug Hall, 6pm-8 pm • October 6-8: ‘Story of the River’ Raja Ravi Varma Art Gallery, 10am-8pm • October 7: Symposium Mahatma Phule Museum, 6.15pm-8pm Visit www.jeevitnadi.wordpress.com for details contact 9623444108, 735000385, 9822391941 for volunteering

A successful dancer, even beyond stage

Performing arts costumes designed by Bharatanatyam dancer-teacher Sai Paranjape has Indian and foreign customers

BY SHAILESH JOSHI @TGSWeekly

City-based Bharatanatyam dancerteacher Sai Paranjape, 38, has taken her love for performing arts to another level. After being a ‘Guruma’ for students for 20 years, the dancer has turned an entrepreneur by providing a variety of materials, including dress, for different dance forms. The popularity of products made by her has not only found customers from city but are in demand in Australia.

“I found that majority of dresses and other articles that classical dancers hire for stage performances are either of substandard quality or

does not fit well. To fill this demand I completed a one-year course in fashion designing and started designing dress material for various performing dance forms like Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Odissi and Mohiniattam,” said the mother of two daughters, Kuhoo, aged 14, and nineyear-old Jija.

With many dancers insisting on giving performances wearing traditional attire with no cosmetic changes, Sai understands their need as she has been learning dance since childhood. “My daughters have also become my students now. Dance is an outlet for emotional expression, stress reduction and creativity that benefits pics by vishal sasane

The cycle rally organised by Rotaract Club of Pune Pride in association with Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce (BMCC) got huge response on Friday. The event was organised to promote cleanliness and mark the anniversary of Swacch Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rotaract Club of Pune Pride is working in the field of providing personality development training, community service and leadership skill development

Sai Paranjape’s designed costumes for performing arts are preferred by dancers

a person during stressful situations by channeling their energy positively and helping them bond with peers.

It also increases life satisfaction,” said Sai, whose husband Prasanna is a homoeopath and runs Sanjeevan Chikitsa clinic.

“I give detailed attention to stitching of traditional costumes. I travelled to places across India where these dance forms had its roots to have a deep understanding of these performing arts. I always source authentic materials for clothing, articles and accessories and design as per order and requirement. Many dancers have felt satisfied and admits

to performing on stage with confidence after wearing costumes made by me,” said Sai, who completed her BA in dance from Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth after her college education at Fergusson College.

Sai, who stays on Tilak Road, founded Nritya Bhakti Foundation at her home 20 years ago. And now her students have become her ardent customers. “We export 300 traditional dance costumes to Sydney very year,” she said, who plans to hold exhibitions at major city malls in future and credits Gurumata Sucheta Bhide for her success. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 3, 2015

“Many of you have immigrated to this country at a great personal cost, but with hopes of finding a new life. Do not be discouraged by the difficulties you must face.”

— Pope Francis

PUNE

“I was totally unaware about government’s proposal banning right-wing outfit Sanatan Santha during my tenure. I would have banned the organisation if the file was presented before.”

— Sushilkumar Shinde, Former Union home minister

Shift education system from ‘thali’ to ‘buffet’ Educationists and scientists stress on job-oriented quality education

BY JAMES MATHEW @mathewthejames Advocating the need for ‘disruptive education and innovation’ to lead India to a robust future in socio-economic sector, former UGC Chairman and former SPPU (then Pune University) Vice Chancellor Dr Arun Nigvekar cited a recent train journey to sum up the present state of education in India.

“The two-year-old daughter of a Muslim couple was playing with her father’s smartphone. On being reprimanded by her mother, the child said ‘When I grow up, I will make the smallest smartphone’. So one can imagine the needs and aspirations of the younger generation and the need

to design an effective curricula that develops the skills of children and young people, raising their aspirations, achievements, skills and life chances,” he said.

Dr Arun Nigvekar It was a meeting of the stalwarts in education sector. The panellists invited to discuss on ‘Role of Universities in developing youth towards Making India’ were Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) Vice Chancellor Dr Wasudev Gade, Dr Nigvekar, Symbiosis International University Vice Chancellor Dr Rajni Gupte, Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (Deemed University) Vice Chancellor Dr S Pal and Former IIT Kanpur Director Dr Sanjay Dhand.

The event was giving away of

Students of Symbiosis Centre for Management & HRD, Pune, bagged first award for their project ‘Indian Labour Reforms-Impact on stakeholders’

merit certificate and trophy to the winning teams of the third edition of the MCCIA Competition 2015-16 on Live Industrial Project on HR Issues followed by the panel discussion.

Th ree teams were selected among 20 participating teams from seven management institutes.

Underlining the need to translate ‘Make in India’ to ‘Made in India’, Dr Gupte said that manufacturing sector contributes just 13 per cent to India’s GDP, compared to a 56.5 per cent contribution by services. “Post-1991 economic liberalisation and reforms, the services sector was long the fastest growing part of the economy, contributing significantly to GDP, economic growth, international trade and investment.

India’s share of global m a nu f a c t u r i n g stands at over 2 per cent with China positioned itself as the workshop of the world, accounting for 22.4 per Dr Rajni Gupte cent of global manufacturing,” she said.

Highlighting the silver lining for India because of China’s ageing population and their shift to hi-tech manufacturing, Dr Gupte said that India should tap this sector and revive the manufacturing sector that will create jobs for tens of millions of youth.

She said that varsities should tie up with the industry to enrich curriculum and improve standards. These enrichment activities will create a good climate for learning and raise pupils’ aspirations of what they can achieve.’

Admitting himself to be a ‘diehard scientist and not an educationist’,

Running for women empowerment Successful women entrepreneurs to hold half marathon for underprivileged sisters

BY SALONEE MISTRY @Sal0412 When around 4,000 citizens, from celebrities to corporate to students, take part in the Marathon on October 4, it will mark one of the many initiatives by women entrepreneurs to support their underprivileged sisters. Being a part of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Pune-based textile designer Varsha Talera and her nine business women friends have teamed up to organise the first of Sunday Marathons under the Pune Chapter of FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO).

THE NEED Shortage of educated or trained help at her Varsha Talera Studio in Camp made the Indian bridal designer realise one of the important elements that the city lacked. Finding no dedicated women empowerment centric organisation in the city, Varsha decided to take matters into her own hands and help change the lives of the underprivileged. As a FICCI member, she was part of the various social activities undertaken by the business body and was aware of the work carried out by FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) in other cities.

Varsha started FLO’s Pune Chapter in January this year.

BUILDING STRONG BASE The idea was simple. Varsha wanted to create and build a system that not only trained and educated women in vocational tasks, but also help them progress in professional life. Tying up with Industrial Training Institute (ITI) for Girls at Aundh, Varsha roped in 204 women to be a part of her initiative.

Training them in jobs as varied as canteen supervisors, security guards and drivers, Varsha and her core team hope to create a strong base for the better future of these women through FLO. Another initiative of FLO is to train women entrepreneurs make their business successful. Tutoring them on how to run their businesses or start a new venture is what the initiative is aiming at.

Left to Right: Manali Lunkad, Varsha Chordia, Ritu Chhabria, Sabina Sanghvi, Shekhar Gupta, Varsha Talera, Alpana Kirloskar, Neelam Seolekar and Sangeeta Lalwani

NEED FOR EMPOWERMENT It is the dream of Varsha and her team that every woman becomes financially independent. Hoping that the women can take care of themselves and their families. The training should allow and pave way for these women to make their own decisions and not be dependent on male members of their family for their survival.

CORE TEAM An initiative of this nature requires a strong and dedicated team. FLO Pune has a core team of 11 members that are responsible for the working of the Pune Chapter and their future initiatives. The team consists of FLO Pune Chapter Chairperson Varsha Talera; Senior Vice Chairperson Sabina Sanghvi, who is station master of Radio Dr Pooja Shah, participant, Dermatoplogiost and Asthetic Physician “I am proud to contribute to the fi rst marathon in the country completely organised by the women, giving them a united platform to champion the causes that they believe in.

It celebrates women from all walks of life and resonates with my belief that finding your inner beauty will make you feel confident and empowered.”

One; Vice Chairperson Varsha Chordia is an avid art collector and director of Panchshil Developers; Executive Secretary Alpana Kirloskar, who is an architect by profession; and Treasurer Sangeeta Lalwani is owner of Gold Mart Jewellers in Pune and Rotary Club of Pune Central Vice President. The other active members include Manali Lunkad, who is a chartered accountant and handles the investment portfolio for Lunkad Developers; Oxford Golf Retreat Director Neelam Seolekar; Christine Khalsa, who runs a school; educationist Sharvari Phadnis, Ritu Chhabria, director of Finolex and Smita Patwardhan, the woman behind the Couture Exhibition.

SUNDAY MARATHON “Not only are corporates sending in participants for the marathon, they are also sponsoring the event,” said Varsha.

Post-marathon, there is a music concert, flea market and food stalls for participants and families. Profit generated from the event will be directed towards women empowerment programme initiative of FLO. The marathon also has three brand ambassadors for FLO. Indian IT engineer Kiran Kanojia, who lost her left leg in a train accident, has been doing half-marathons with the help of a curved prosthetic leg, like the blades used by Paralympian runners. Michelle Kakade is an endurance athlete and holds three Limca Book record achievements.

The third ambassador is 52-year-old marathon runner Taru Mateti, who is a Delivery Head at Cybage Software, Pune. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

The panellists and organisers at the third edition of the MCCIA Competition 2015-16

Dr Pal who was associated with various ISRO projects in the past, said that the present form of varsity education needs a paradigm shift. “There should be more varsity-industry partnership.

The IITs and premier institutes should provide more education space for innovation and experiments. Those working in industry should be given doctorates and s/he writing thesis and papers should not be made mandatory.

The Centre should extend financial support to other educational centres other than IITs and central institutes.”

Emphasising the need for modernisation, Dr Pal said, “I find the same old tools at various laboratories that I experimented on during my university years. We have to adapt to latest technologies and do extensive research on nanotechnology. The Centre should also take proactive steps

towards making education attractive and at par with global standards. The challenge to science education in our country is to build a system of education (curricula, textual and supporting materia ls, p e d a g o g y, evaluation and institutional ambience) that is consistent with Dr S Pal our demographic ethos.”

The panellists underlined the policymaking focus finally shifting to the manufacturing sector with the government instituting a National Manufacturing Policy in 2011. The policy laid out plans to boost the

manufacturing sector by raising its contribution to GDP to 25 per cent and creating 100 million new jobs by 2025.

“A lot of optimism surrounds India owing to its bulging young population, poised to rise to 64 per cent of the country’s total population by 2020, a stark contrast to greying China, EU and Japan. All we need is to develop a framework that will equip this young workforce with effective skills, information and opportunities,” said Gade.

Concluding the panel discussion, Dr Sanjay Dhand, who was also the moderator, said, “The Indian education is a ‘thali’ and what we need is ‘buffet’.

A 360 degree educational assessment is needed and some harsh decisions have to be taken. I have found that many engineering students spend their ‘study years’ as vacation with expense covered by parents. We definitely need ‘disruptive education and innovation’ to shake up the lethargic system of Indian education.” james.mathew@goldensparrow.com

WINNERS • First Award: SCMHRD: Symbiosis Centre for Management & HRD, Pune • Topic: “Indian Labour ReformsImpact on stakeholders” • Second Award: SIMS: Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies, Pune • Topic: “Impact of Employee Engagement on Retention” • Th ird Award: VIIT: Vidya Pratishthan’s Institute of Information Technology, Baramati.

• Topic: “HR Policies & Practices at Cotton Kings Pvt. Ltd”

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 3, 2015

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY

PUNE

OCTOBER 3, 2015

PUNE

PICS BY ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR & RAHUL RAUT

Devlachi Talim

O

ne of the oldest talims in the city, Devlachi Talim is said to have been started by Ramdas Swami, who was no less than the guru of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. No surprise, this was the talim that spawned the legendary wrestler Hiraman Bankar, who was the fi rst Puneite to claim the prestigious Maharashtra Kesari title in 1976. Bankar is also known for his headline-grabbing performances at popular wrestling events like Rustam-e-Bharat and Mahan Bharat Kesari.

Post his feats in the wrestling akhada, Bankar took up coaching and as a wastad groomed a number of prize-winning wrestlers who brought more glory to the Devlachi Talim.

The talim is in Mahatma Phule Peth, adjacent to Shankarshet Road. It still enjoys a hallowed reputation as the breeding ground for top notch wrestlers and consequently, still draws young wrestlers from the villages and districts of Maharashtra. The talim’s wastad Ganpat Ambekar is currently grooming no less than 50 young wrestlers.

“Our talim is has earned a great reputation and budding wrestlers keep coming to our talim. At times we have had more than 100 wrestlers training here. We never turn away any hopeful and earnest young wrestler. Instead we welcome with open arms everyone and anyone who loves the talim and wrestling culture that we hold so dear in our hearts,” says Sunil Zende, a senior wrestler.

Zende, who hails from Shrigonda

village in Ahmednagar district, started training at an early age. The moment he heard of Devlachi Talim, he decided to join this talim, and he has made his mark in the wrestling arena.

“Wrestling is definitely more popular in villages than in the cities, but the training methods in villages are quite outdated. The tradition here involves decades of experience and the resources available in such talims are a big boon for young wrestlers in shaping their careers. In village talims wrestlers mostly train on their own, but here in Devlachi Talim, a wastad is always on hand to guide wrestlers every step of the way,” says Zende.

Every wrestler dreams of winning big titles and making a name for himself. But there’s no short cut to develop the physique

and acquire wrestling skills. It takes years of unflagging hard work and dedication before a wrestler steps into an akhada and gets the opportunity to display his wrestling prowess, and win the accolades of the kusti aficionados, and even bring glory to his talim.

The wastads in Devlachi Talim also lay a lot of emphasis on a wrestler’s mental preparation.

“Performing in front of a large crowd is not easy. Newcomers can be struck by nerves and they can lose a kusti by crumbling under the pressure of the competition. We prepare young wrestlers for the big moment by giving them the experience of performing with an audience on hand, during their training. So when they actually enter the arena, they are prepared,” says Zende.

EARTHEN FARE: The soil of the akhada is considered sacred by the wrestlers, who rub their head and body with it before beginning their session

Subhedar Talim

S

THE CRADLE OF WRESTLING MANIA

The traditional talim has been replaced in the urban culture by the more glamorous gyms and fitness centres, but the wrestling fervour still burns bright among the devout

MUD SCHOOL: Wrestlers observe the techniques exercised during friendly bouts. (Above) Modern machines are also seen alongside traditional equipment in akhadas

Chinchechi Talim

T

his talim in Shukrawar Peth, was built by Mhaskaji Damodar Pandit in 1773, during the Peshwas reign in Pune. Once it was on the outskirts of the city, but it is now dwarfed by multi-storeyed buildings.

Originally, the talim was little more than an iron shed, where young men of the city went to train and acquire wrestling skills. Buwasaheb Ghume brought heaps of accolades for the talim with his performance at wrestling tournaments in India. He was also the fi rst Pune wrestler to showcase his wrestling prowess on foreign shores in the 1970s.

Ghume also donned the mantle of wastad after his wrestling days, and was instrumental in grooming a number of outstanding wrestlers at the Chinchechi talim.

The talim enjoys the reputation of being home and training arena for top calibre wrestlers, among whom are scores of police and army officers.

Sandip Tikone, who is in charge of the running of Chinchechi Talim, is a wrestler with international credentials.

He started training in 2005, and four years later, had the opportunity to participate in the selection trials for the WWF competitions. He was selected and turned an overnight sensation as ‘Barood’ in the WWF arena at South Africa. Sandip has also worked with the superstar Indian wrestler Khali. He has also featured in some Marathi movies and will be seen on the screen in the upcoming Marathi movie ‘Kwada’.

“I owe all my success to wrestling and Chinchechi Talim. I found my source of inspiration here at this talim and that is what brought me back here after my stint in South Africa. Now I want to groom wrestlers who can out Chinchechi Talim on the global map,” says Sandip.

There are 30-35 wrestlers who regularly training at the talim. Some have moved to Kolhapur or New Delhi for advanced training in mat wrestling.

About mat wrestling, Sandip said, “Though wrestlers of previous generations swear by mud or pit wrestling, it is necessary to be proficient in mat wrestling to progress beyond it. Wrestling is an Olympic sport after all, and if you dream big you can’t just restrict yourself to mud wrestling.”

That said, Sandip believes that every wrestler must begin in an akhada.

“Talim is not just about wrestling. It’s the place to develop a basic physique. State-of-the-art gyms and diet plans are modern fads

and won’t last forever. The fitness you attain from working out in an akhada lasts a lifetime. A person remains fit even at the age of 80, if he has devoted and spent the years of his youth in such a sacred place,” Sandip said.

Akshay Ghare, 20, started training in Chinchechi Talim in 2005. He is a mud wrestler, but he has also participated in inter-school competitions and school nationals at New Delhi in 2010, representing Mahatma Jyotirao Phule High School.

“My dream is to win the most coveted Maharashtra Kesari title.

All my family is mad about wrestling but no one has won that title. I want to become the fi rst Maharashtra Kesari from my family,” he says.

to ensure that his diet is of prime quality for him to attain and maintain his physique and strength. That is wrestlers form small groups whereby they can pool in their finances and buy and share the right kind of food. Most of them cook their own food, which is a way to reduce expenses.

A wrestler has to invest anything from Rs 10,000 to Rs 30,000 a month in the course of training,” said Minde.

Those from well-to-do families can afford to spend lavishly on maintaining a wholesome diet, but the majority who are from farming backgrounds have to restrict their expenses within the scope of their budget.

“From November to March is the peak of the wrestling season. That is when there are district, taluka and city selection trials, before the qualification for the statelevel Maharashtra Kesari extravaganza.

These competitions and open prize money tournaments are most sought after by wrestlers. And a good wrestler can earn enough money in these five months to meet his annual expenses. And there are those who do not make the cut, who will persevere for a while, but when there is little money coming in, they may have no option but to give up,” said Minde.

A wrestler’s career is short-lived,

Shivramdada Talim

T

PRACTICE AND WORSHIP: Sandip Tikone (centre) showing some moves to his wards. (Below) Paying obeisance to the deity and equipment is a daily ritual for wrestlers

his four-storey talim in Ganesh Peth is one of the largest and oldest in Pune. The talim is known as the place that spawned a galaxy of state- and national-level wrestlers like Anna Shinde, Chandrakant Katke, Sanjay Shinde, Sandip Barguje (runnerup Maharashtra Kesari), Nilesh Nakhate, and current state gold medallist Abhijit Katke.

Set up during the Peshwa era, the talim was renovated in 2005 and is now home to 40-50 wrestlers, from Solapur, Ahmednagar and other districts in Maharashtra.

The ground floor area is for mud wrestling, while the fi rst floor is for mat wrestling and the gym. The second floor houses the kitchen facility, while the top floor is the relaxation area. Tatya Katke is the chief mentor of the talim, while Vikram Alate and Bharat Mhaske are the coaches.

Alate attributes the modern look of the talim to the fact that they train kids for inter-school competitions along with traditional mud wrestling training.

“There is a misconception that a mud wrestler can’t fight on mat and vice versa.

However, I believe that with proper training, a wrestler can excel in both formats. In fact wrestler who are familiar with both formats have an advantage,” said Alate.

Elaborating on this, he said, “Mat wrestling requires a combination of strength and agility. The wrestler is required to earn points in a given time frame. Therefore he has to work on that segment, whereas in mud wrestling, it’s all about waiting for the right opportunity.

In this case, a wrestler who knows how to move quickly has a crucial advantage.”

However, mat wrestlers have to adopt a training regimen that includes physical

ubhedar Talim in Nana Peth also has a track record that goes back a century. The talim was renovated in 2000 by Vishwanath Choudhari, who currently looks after the akhada. The 72-year-old Choudhari started his career as a wrestler at this very talim and has gone one to devote his life to grooming wrestlers. Wastad Gamche and Nitin Shirgaonkar are among the wrestlers trained by Choudhari.

Currently, there are 20-25 wrestlers from Bhor and Mulshi who train at this talim, and the future seems promising as this number keeps growing every year.

The talim is open to all and no fee is charged either. But, the wrestlers have to bear the costs for food and then there are living expenses.

Goraksha Minde, 23, says that managing the finances is a hurdle every wrestler must face and overcome.

“A wrestler’s diet is crucial and it takes a substantial sum of money for him

Minde said. “Wrestlers aspire to shine at the national level and win enough prize money to see them through later in life. A wrestlers can compete till he reaches the mid-20s, and after that it is usually time to retire from the competitive akhada.

Marriage and family take priority. Some find other occupations, a job, some return to their villages to take up farming again, and settle into a conventional life. Many do however, continue their relation with the akhada and groom youngsters. And famous wrestlers like Amol Barate and Hind Kesari Yogesh Dodke have even started their own talims.”

Minde, who has been training at Wastad Subhedar Talim for ten years, hails from a family with a rich wrestling tradition. His father Maruti was a champion wrestler of his time.

Minde has won the taluka championship for the last six years in a row and is aiming to continue his reign.

“I won a big tournament at Margasani village and won a silver mace (gada) in 2013. There was a huge procession that greeted me when I returned to my home town of Velha after that win. That was an unforgettable day and I felt like I had truly achieved something,” he said.

RAHUL RAUT

Nimbalkar Talim

T

his talim in Sadashiv Peth was established in 1805 by Balkrushna Nimbalkar, who had the support of big-time wrestlers like Baburao Abhang and Dagadoba Sudrik.

With Nimbalkar wastad’s guidance, the wrestlers of this dominated the akhada.

After Nimbalkar’s era, Namdev Karpe took charge and the talim boasted of renowned wrestler Mamasaheb Mohol during his time.

Besides the wrestling bit, Mohol also strived tirelessly for the promotion of wrestling. He helped wrestlers find jobs in the Railways and police department.

He founded the Maharashtra Kustigir Parishad in 1953.

The talim was home to champion wrestlers like Rawajibhai Kondhalkar, Bhikoba Shelke and Dattoba Mankar.

Even former MP Ashok Mohol of the Nationalist Congress Party trained at this talim.

INSPIRATION: Every akhara has at least one shrine dedicated to Lord Hanuman and his worship is an important part of every wrestler’s daily regimen

Wastad Bajaba Shinde has had a big hand in the success and reputation of Nimbalkar Talim. His ward, Kailas Mohol was honoured with the Shiv Chhatrapati

award in 1992. National champion Ganesh Mohol and Vilas Bhilare (runnerup Maharashtra Kesari) also belonged to Nimbalkar Talim.

THE FAMOUS TALIMS OF PUNE • Gokul Wastad Talim, Bhawani Peth • Lokhande Talim, Narayan Peth • Phani Ali Talim, Kasba Peth • Virachi Talim, Shaniwar Peth • Jagobadada Talim, Budhwar Peth

DAILY ROUTINE AND DIET

WORK AND PLAY: Wrestlers practice under the watchful eyes of wastad Vikram Alate (Below) Sharing light moments relaxes their mind after a gruelling day FOOD FOR THOUGHT: After their evening workout, wrestlers prepare their own dinner

training, running, rope skipping and other cardio exercises. A wrestler may have to spend around Rs 1500-2000 for outfits and shoes.

“The trend is changing, and except in rural areas, most competitions are held on a mat today. Therefore it’s an investment for a brighter future,” says Alate.

T

iming for training vary from talim to talim, but most talims maintain a scrupulous schedule, and wrestlers are expected to adhere to the schedule devoutly.

The day starts in the wee hours, at 4.30 am, and after warm-up, running, stretching exercises, the wrestlers begin on the traditional workout of jor-baithaka, aka

sapatas. Besides this there is weight training and strength-boosting regimens.

Breakfast is at 7.30-8.00 am and as you would expect, it is sumptuous and high in protein with milk products and such. Wrestlers have an early lunch, at 11 am, which includes the regular chapati, dal-rice, vegetable and at time even non-vegetarian dishes with chicken

or mutton.

Relaxation is an indispensable aspect of a wrestler’s schedule, to give time for the body to recuperate and recharge. Wrestlers therefore, take a break from activity in the afternoon, and return to the akhada only at around 4.30 pm. Th is session begins with a warm-up procedure, and then it’s time to hone their wrestling techniques, with guidance of the wastad or senior wrestlers.

Mud and mat wrestling is practiced alternately. Th is session can last for three or four hours, after which wrestlers cool off with ‘thandai’, a drink of milk into which are blended dhania, elaichi, badishep, kalimiri and kaju.

An hour it’s time for dinner which consists of rice and a non-vegetarian dish.

Two hours later, it’s time for more nutrition in the form of milk and fruits like apples and bananas. Bananas are a must for wrestlers as they help in weight gain.

Wrestlers have to ensure that their weight remains within the limit set for their category, and therefore stick to a planned diet, including a big intake of fruit juices,

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 3, 2015

PUNE

tECH/start-up US, UK, France support India’s UNSC bid

Google handles about 1 billion search queries per day, releasing some 200 tons of CO2 per day. https://www.didyouknow.org

P 13

Design your dream home

APP WORLD

Foyr provides users to virtually design living space and get it built with help from local vendors

BY SALONEE MISTRY @Sal0412 T o transform a house into home is an art.

And almost everyone has different tastes in decor and Shailesh Goswami furnishings, with the common musts being that the home should be welcoming, functional, peaceful and organised. Tailoring your house to suit your needs and pocket is a task when you don’t hire an interior designer and decide to go DIY. The innumerable journeys to the vendors across the city and back, more often than not getting the desired colour and look, and unable to decide the furnishings are just some of the problems that a ‘dream house’ owner faces.

Shailesh Goswami’s Foyr.com is an online effort to make interior designing swift and easy, and simplify execution of designs for its consumers.

GOING DIGITAL With over 17 years of experience in IT industry and having worked at Microsoft (Hyderabad), the 40-year-old founder and CEO of Foyr.com decided to tap this less-explored emerging market.

“I faced a lot of issues while decorating my house. The daily hassle of dealing with carpenters, getting exact fixtures for kitchen and wardrobes and buying stuff online also posed many

LOCALISE TO SPECIALISE What sets Foyr apart from other online decor sites is its ability to localise. The website provides a list of local vendors to fulfil your online requirements. The facility not only helps to get the desired product faster but also gives the option to personally check it out. Another advantage of this localisation is the impetus that vendors in the city get. Foyr’s vendor acquisition team in the city looks after everything right from sourcing vendors to conducting a photo shoot with models if required to make the product look appealing. The vendor only has to decide the products s/ he wishes to sell via the portal and finish some paperwork.

Foyr website is an online effort to make interior designing swift and easy, and simplify execution of designs for users

problems. Not being able to get the correct size, no clear idea if the decor I was buying would look good in house settings and delay in delivery of goods are just some of the issues. My personal experience made me to launch the online platform that guides the user to design home,” Shailesh said. The techie credits his wife, an architect, for assisting in blending of interior design with IT knowledge and coming up with the novel business idea.

As a one-stop solution for home decor needs, Foyr.com uses 3D design and augmented realty to enable users to design their interiors online within minutes and execute them with experts associated with the site. Initially available to major builders across the country, Foyr spread business

RailYatri launches GPS train tracking system Railway travel focused technology start-up, Railyatri.in has announced the launch of GPS based train tracking location generated by a passenger’s smart phone.

“The award-winning train travel app has taken the first concrete step towards the long standing train tracking challenge using smart location technology implementation requires zero capital expenditure in terms of GPS hardware costs. All it requires is one smart phone and one RailYatri traveller on each train,” RailYatri CEO and co-founder Manish Rathi said. The train travel app enables users to track running trains on a Google map along with its on-time or delay status. The RailRadar GPS uses location generated by a passenger’s smartphone.

PTI

to include consumers. A user can virtually design his or her living space with furniture, fixtures, paints, and colour schemes. They would also get an idea of cost estimates.

After launching the facility in Hyderabad in July, Foyr started its Pune operations in September 19.

“After Hyderabad, Pune seemed like the most apt city to expand into. It has one of the largest tech savvy crowds and is full of youngsters who would love the feel of having decorated their house on their own. In addition to this, the city also has a large number of people who have travelled across the world and want to experiment and do something different than the mundane interiors,” Shailesh said.

THE ONLINE PROCESS A user-friendly app, Foyr allows user to decorate house by providing many options. After keying the dimensions of the room and choosing the concept or look, a fully furnished room pops up on the screen within seven minutes.

User can view the room in 3D and customise it. “We follow the backward loop process.

Instead of giving a blank space to decorate, an array of options are provide to tailor the house as per requirement. The chances are that people designing their house for the first time might get confused if they are shown a blank space,” said Shailesh.

Many pre-designed spaces facilitate customers to explore options on the site. It has a collection of over 3,000 products and 80-plus brands.

IN PIPLELINE The online venture plans to become a hub for local commerce as far as interior designing is concerned.

Shailesh wants to expand to Bengaluru and NCR in coming months. The target is eight cities

by July 2016 before going global.

The Hyderabad-based start-up is making efforts of bringing together architects, designers, and retailers on to the online platform.

The dream is to give the bubbling local markets a technological impetus and empower them.

“There is a lot of potential in our local markets that remains untapped. The main reason for this is that people do not know where to look when they are out shopping. The local small vendors who have some amazing things on display do not know exactly how to market and we hope to bridge this gap,” Shailesh said. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

‘Remove hurdles, reduce regulations’ Strong government leader and team needed to make the changes and remove these hindrances Government needs to make it much easier to do business and reduce regulations by removing all the hurdles for campaigns like Make in India and Startup India to succeed, Cisco Executive Chairman John Chambers said.

“You have to overcome the challenges. So if you look at the Prime Minister’s agenda with digital India, Make in India, skills in India, start-ups in India... you will have to remove hurdles,” Chambers said.

It it will take a very strong government leader and a leadership team that has the courage to make the changes and remove these hurdles, he added.

Amazon recruits ‘on demand’ delivery workers Amazon began advertising its plan to recruit ondemand delivery workers, in a move that challenges start-ups in the sizzling sector.

The US online giant launched its Flex webpage seeking people to deliver Amazon packages on a contract basis, saying it can produce earnings of USD 18 to USD 25 an hour.

The programme is now available in Amazon’s hometown of Seattle, Washington, and “coming soon” to other cities including New York, Baltimore, Miami, Dallas, Austin, Chicago, Indianapolis, Atlanta, and Portland. “Be your own boss: deliver when you want, as much as you want,” the website says.

Amazon enters a field crowded with delivery startups like Postmates and Instacart, and similar services from the ride-sharing giant Uber.

Those who join will need to be at least 21 years old, with a driver’s licence, vehicle and Android smartphone, and will undergo a background check. They will be able to choose blocks of two, four or eight hours to work.

Amazon’s drive comes amid a growing trend of ondemand employment replacing traditional jobs.

AFP

“... Govt does have to reduce the regulations.

It has to make it much easier to do business.

Look at John Chambers logistics, you have to give people an equal playing field, you have to have a start up mentality and re skill the workforce,” Chambers said.

He said India can play a leading role in global economies helped by factors like strong

domestic consumption and availability of English speaking engineers.

Stating that he is most optimistic now than he has been in the last 20 years about the Indian market, Chambers said adding businesses and government need to work for the progress of the country.

“India is way ahead of counterparts in the world. You can see the Indian economy picking up...,” Chambers told CNN IBN. He added that India has the benefit of being the world’s largest democracy as well.

“There are disadvantages as well with it in terms of speed

Mobile10X to boost apps devp in India Mobile Internet body IAMAI has launched an initiative that aims to scale up mobile app developer ecosystem from the current 50,000 to five lakh in five years.

With Google India and Paytm as founding partners of the programme, the ‘Mobile10X’ initiative also aims to boost the mobile app segment revenue to Rs 10,000 crore from the current Rs 1,000 crore. “India is on the cusp of apps revolution. With over 213 million mobile internet users and nearly 130 million local language consumers on the internet, the growth trajectory for app development is bound to be exponential,” Google India Managing Director Rajan Anandan told reporters here.

He added that the platform will play a mentorship role and this will not be a funding or incubation platform.

Under the programme, IAMAI will set up five mobile start-up hubs

over the next five years.

“The first one has been set up in Bengaluru, while the second one will come up around January. We are also looking at cities like Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Pune and Mumbai,” Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) President Subho Ray said. These mobile hubs will have a testing lab, design lab, capability building and co-working space, where the developers can work for free, he said. The initiative will also train five lakh engineering students on Android and iOS platforms, provide online mentoring with experts as well as offer industry and investor connect.

“With apps developers’ community growing at an exponential pace, Mobile10X would augur developer base, quality and market by 10 times by 2019,” said LinkedIn India Head Nishant Rao. PTI

of change. But I think you have majority of positives versus your peers to lead,” he said.

He further added: “The question is whether you have the courage, whether the people in India have the patience for the change and not expect it in a quarter or this year... It takes 3-4 years to drive a change effectively”.

The company, which pumps in USD 1.7 billion every year (including USD 250 million on R&D) in its India operations, also plans to invest an additional USD 60 million in the country on training and facility expansion.

PTI

Federal Bank sets up start-up fund Private lender Federal Bank has said it has created a corpus exclusively for investment in start-ups.

“The primary objective is to provide long-term capital to startup companies with innovative ideas, potential for high growth and ability to bring socio-economic impact,” the Kerala-based private sector lender said in a statement.

The fund will be used for supporting small ticket projects in diverse sectors like digital financial services, biotechnology, hi-tech farming, healthcare, logistics, e-commerce and e-markets.

“The initial corpus is of Rs 25 crore which is scalable. To start with, the bank will focus on projects in Kerala and Gujarat,” it said.

In March this year, Federal Bank had joined hands with start-up village in Kerala and MobME wireless to launch a FinTech Accelerator Programme that aims at speeding up technological innovations in the financial sector space.

PTI

Get online guide to check your sugar Diabetes Tracker

IOS/Android: Free Get rid of pen and pencil to write down your blood sugar test results! It is now much easier to calculate and track your blood sugar level, insulin intake and do so much more. Diabetes can and must be kept in check not just by having the right sugar levels in the body but also by the intake of proper diet and exercise regimes. Specifically designed for smart phones this amazing app is intended to help diabetics to manage better their diabetes and keep it under control. Now you can manage your Diabetes levels effectively by tracking your glucose levels. View current, detailed or average readings in a list view or via detailed graphs and reports. You get comprehensive exercises including a warmup, yoga poses, and aerobics with proper instructions and images, to help curb and improve your diabetes levels.

Diabetes Diet Chart

Android: Free People who are diagnosed with Diabetes need to follow strict diets and proper exercise regimes in order to stay fit and healthy.

This helpful Android app Diabetes Diet Chart helps users to find links to portals that are especially created to help users with the kind of diet that a patient suffering from Diabetes should follow.

These portals contain diet charts that can be adapted according the dietary preferences of the people. These diet charts contain the right nutritional value that needs to be consumed by a diabetic. One can also find exercises that a diabetic should perform in order to stay healthy and fit.

Diabetes Test

IOS/Android: Free Diabetes Test App is a health care App that provides a selfassessment test includes different questions related to the main symptoms of diabetes especially type 2. Diabetes Test App helps in early detection and diagnosis of type 2 diabetes,which may prevent and\or slow the progression of the debilitating long term complications of the disease. It features a survey style through asking different questions related to diabetes disease symptoms and factors in a useful and visual manner.

Diabetes Plus

IOS/Android: Free Developed by diabetics for diabetics. DiabetesPlus lets you administer your readings on your device and saves time by enabling you to send the data directly to your doctor. You are also able to print the export with your airprint-printer or export it directly into your dropbox. It administers your blood glucose (mg/dl and mmol/l), your dosage of insulin, carbohydrates, sport activities, blood pressure, pulse, weight and notes simple and effective. DiabetesPlus is aware of insulin pump users and lets you administer your basalrates and insulin pump events. Also other medication is easily tracked. Just add them in the settings menu. It also generates pdf-files with all relevant data within seconds and email them to your doctor or directly put them into your dropbox.

Diabetes:M

IOS/Android: Free Designed for smart phones and tablets this application is intended to help diabetics to manage better their diabetes and keep it under control. Users can log their values in this diary and keep the records with them all the time.

The application tracks almost all aspects of the diabetes treatment and provides detailed reports, charts and statistics to share via the email with the supervising physician. It provides various tools to the diabetics, so they can find the trends in blood glucose levels and allows users to calculate normal and prolonged insulin boluses using its highly effective, top-notch bolus calculator.

ENVIRONMENT “Punjab Biodiversity Board should prepare an action plan for conservation of the tree species. It is important to conserve rare plants and herbs for our future generations to acquaint them with rich biodiversity heritage.”

— Parkash Singh Badal, Punjab CM

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY

H EALTH

OCTOBER 3, 2015

“ California and India have close dynamic relationship.

We have pioneered cleaning up the air and environment over many years. ” — Jerry Brown, California Governor

Interlinking of rivers kindles hope The linking of Godavari river with the Krishna river in Andhra Pradesh is not only a good news for farmers in the region, but the idea of river interlinking has once again bounced back on the centrestage of a national debate.

With the formal launch of the Pattiseema lift irrigation scheme in Andhra Pradesh, India has taken a crucial a step forward in its ambitious but long-pending goal to interlink major rivers to form a national water grid.

The Pattiseema project lifts flood water from the river Godavari and pumps it into the Polavaram right canal that empties into the river Krishna in Vijayawada.

The interlinking of the Godavari

FICCI shares views on mitigation with govt

predispositions, diet and lifestyle factors. We are addicted to sugar and are affl icted with stress,” Trehan said.

He was addressing a gathering at Medanta Medicity Hospital.

“It is time for us to take a step towards a generation free of heart diseases. Th is World Heart Day let us work together against the spread of this preventable epidemic,” Trehan said.

The hospital had organised a special event on the occasion of World Heart Day. Medanta also organised a free health check up camp on the sidelines of the event which was attended by over 500 people.

PTI

GRANDCHILDREN SUE THE COMPLETE MAN

PAGES: 16+16 (TGS LIFE) | PRICE: `5

PUNE, MARCH 21, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

PAGES: 16+16 (TGS LIFE) | PRICE: `5

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

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

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 planners forgot to make more entry and exit points. Over a decade after Hinjewadi was planned to house country’s best IT firms and saying is true. But what they are not telling us or willing to talent, planners have finally woken up to the plight of citizens. concede is that their enemy lies within. Their enemy number one They have now planned five alternative roads. But the authorities is not private cabs but members 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

Sounding a note of caution, renowned cardiovascular surgeon Dr Naresh Trehan said India was “quickly” becoming the epicentre of heart diseases due to a combination of factors including unhealthy lifestyle and stress.

On World Heart Day, the noted surgeon said here that lack of physical exercise was also one of the contributing factors.

“An estimated six crore Indians are suffering from heart diseases. We consume more food than necessary which is high in calories and engage in less physical activity.

“India is quickly becoming a heart disease epicentre due to a mix of genetic

Get your voice heard on NetaG P6

RAHUL RAUT

Lack of physical exercise is one of the contributing factors

Dr Batra’s, one of India’s well known homeopathy brand has launched its fi rst clinic in the UK. “We’re delighted to launch our new homeopathic clinic in the UK. We’re a large brand of professional doctors and wanted to give the advantage of homeopathy to Indians who live in the UK,” Mukesh Batra, Founder and Chairman of Dr Batra’s Group of Companies said at the opening of the clinic in Wembley. “I greatly admire Mukesh Batra who has saved the health of millions and can almost claim to have re-invented homeopathy for the world,” Barry Stevens, Registrar of The Trichological Society said.

“It is exceptionally heartening that a huge successful Indian brand has now come to England,” MP Singh, First Secreatry, High Commission of India said.

PTI

NATION

CITY

No damaged goods please P3

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

‘India is epicentre of heart diseases’

India’s Dr Batra’s launches first UK clinic

TGS LIFE

Run for... yourself

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

Industry body FICCI has shared with the government its perspectives on mitigation and adaptation measures and voluntary emission cuts, days before India submits its INDC ahead of a crucial climate change summit in Paris.

FICCI said that a report -- ‘Industry Perspectives on INDCs and Corporate Initiatives on Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in India’, which it submitted

Smoking in cars while travelling along with children in the UK will be banned from tomorrow and could attract fines of up to 2,500 pounds, in a bid to protect under 18-year-olds from the dangers of second-hand smoke.

Police will issue an on-the-spot 50 pounds fine which could increase to up to 2,500 pounds if the person, caught smoking in cars in the presence of children, is taken to courts.

Police chiefs, however, said that they will not be heavily enforcing the ban. Officers will often let motorists off with a warning, exercising “education not prosecution.”

“Forces will be following guidance from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health by taking an educational advisory and non-confrontational approach,” a spokesperson for the National Police Chief ’s Council said today.

Public Health Minister Jane Ellison, while announcing the ban earlier this year said, “Th ree million children are exposed to secondhand smoke in cars, putting their health at risk.”

“We know that many of them feel embarrassed or frightened to ask adults to stop smoking which is why the regulations are an important step in protecting children from the harms of second-hand smoke,” Ellison had said.

The new law also stipulates that if a passenger is smoking in a car with a child present, both the adult passenger and the driver are committing an offence. The law is being changed to protect youngsters from the effects of second-hand smoke.

PTI

PAGES: 16+16 (TGS LIFE) | PRICE: `5

PUNE, MARCH 28, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

People walk on the Champs Elysees during the “day without cars”, in Paris, France, on September 27. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo presided over Sunday’s “day without cars,” two months before the city hosts the global summit on climate change. AP/PTI

BY HS RAO

THANK GOD IT’S S AT U R D AY

INDCs are voluntary pledges that countries are making to cut carbon pollution to the Environment Ministry, will help the government ascertain areas where it could help industry scale up climate mitigation and adaptation initiatives. INDCs are voluntary pledges that countries are making to cut carbon pollution ahead of the UN climate meet. India is also likely to submit its INDC very soon.

“FICCI hopes that the report will serve as valuable information for the government, helping it to attract international support for the implementation of domestic climate actions.

“In addition, this report also signals the areas where the government could help industry scale up diverse range of climate mitigation and adaptation initiatives that industry has taken on its own outside its conventional business and which could be replicated across all sectors,” the body said.

In preparation for the Conference of Parties (CoP-21) in Paris, scheduled from November 30 to December 11 this year, many nations have submitted what post-2020 climate actions or Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) they would take under a new international agreement. FICCI said that the report mentions a range of climate mitigation and adaptation initiatives implemented by companies across sectors like power, oil and gas, iron and steel, chemicals, pharma, etc.

PTI

benefit farmers in East Godavari and Visakhapatnam districts too.

Thousands of farmers in Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, Kurnool, Kadapa, Anantapur and Chittoor districts will benefit from the Godavari- Krishna linkage. About 17 lakh acres including 13 lakhs in the Krishna delta will get assured irrigation water for two agricultural crops round the year.

Thousands of villages en route will get drinking water supplies.

The Pattiseema (Polavaram) is one of the major projects envisaged under the national river linking project that aims to connect as many as 30 rivers including the Himalayan and the peninsular. It has been argued that riverinterlinking can boost irrigation potential and drinking water availability.

Incidentally, Andhra Pradesh has become the only state with rivers interconnected.

The Ken (Madhya Pradesh) and Betwa (Uttar Pradesh) rivers project is expected to irrigate nearly four lakh hectares in six drought-prone districts of MP and UP. Most river-basins are located in ecologically fragile forestlands, and inter-basin transfer would require constructing dams and reservoirs, digging canals, and drilling tunnels through ecological hotspots.

Interestingly, the national river interlink project was fi rst conceived about two centuries ago by British engineer Sir Arthur Cotton, who designed the anicuts across the Godavari at Dhowlaiswaram and the Krishna in Vijayawada.

The idea was revived by eminent engineer-politician Dr KL Rao about five decades ago. The Polavaram-Vijayawada link was proposed by Dr Rao. -PTI Feature

Supriya Bhoite from Chaturshrungi police station.

Contd on p4

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

BY SUBHASHIS MITTRA

and the Krishna has been on the anvil for almost five decades and with the commissioning of the Pattiseema scheme, four major rivers in Andhra Pradesh are now connected to one another -- Godavari-Krishna, KrishnaPennar and Pennar- Tungabhadra.

The original plan to connect the two rivers demanded construction of the Polavaram dam across the Godavari river. But, this mega project has been delayed and its fate is uncertain.

The completion of the Pattiseema project has come just as the NDA government is renewing its attention to river inter-linking. In contrast, the UPA faced internal dissension on the idea and feasibility of interlinking projects.

Showing political dexterity, It has been argued that river-interlinking can boost irrigation potential and drinking Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N water availability. (Bottom left) A farmer from Warangal district climbs a tower near Chandrababu Naidu came out with Telangana Assembly and threaten to jump down, in Hyderabad. The farmer was demanding for waiver of his loan a low-cost, temporary solution with minimal impact on river ecology.

Naidu accomplished the task by Krishna waters can now be the Bay of Bengal. connecting the two rivers with the help diverted to Rayalaseema’s parched The Pattiseema is nothing more of another pending small irrigation districts instead of letting the water than the Polavaram-Vijayawada canal project, the Pattiseema lift irrigation flow through the Srisailam and project under the Polavaram dam. But scheme as the 174-km-long Polavaram Nagarjunasagar dams towards the since the Polavaram dam is yet to be right canal, meant to connect the delta region. taken up, Naidu redesigned the scheme Polavaram project with the to pump the Godavari water Krishna river was getting into the already completed delayed.

Polavaram canal to carry it The Pattiseema project lifts flood water The Pattiseema project to the Krishna river 174 km lifts flood waters from the away. from the river Godavari and pumps it Godavari when it flows The Polavaram dam has into the Polavaram right canal over 15 metres height, been a bone of contention and transports it over four between AP and Telangana that empties into the river kilometres to the Polavaram on one hand and AP and Krishna in Vijayawada right canal. Naidu also took Odisha on the other. advantage of the Godavari The Centre has declared water sharing agreements Polavaram as a national between the riparian states, which Central government agencies have project, but kept it pending due to entitles AP to divert 80 TMC ft of estimated that around 644 tmc ft of objections from AP’s neighbours. water to the Krishna river. unutilised Godavari water flows into Once completed, the Polavaram will

Smoking in cars carrying children illegal in UK

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

India has taken a crucial a step forward in its ambitious goal to interlink major rivers

PUNE

PUNE, MARCH 21, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

PUNE, MARCH 28, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

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

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

PUNE’S FIRST WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY Invitation Price

`5

Annual Subscription

`199

TO SUBSCRIBE

Contact : 02024450705 (during office hours only)  tgs@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 3, 2015

PUNE

“The PM is misusing his official visits abroad and we demand an independent inquiry (into the rallies)... with hundreds of millions of dollars spent in their organisation with activists of RSS and other workers going months in advance for preparations.”

— Anand Sharma, Congress Spokesman

Living in intolerant times

Recent developments go against the grain of our vaunted culture of tolerance and respect for divergent discourses

By Dr Saumitra Mohan, IAS We Indians don’t tire of boasting about our democratic credentials including our proud civilisational history and a salad bowl co-existential culture. And there are strong justified reasons for doing so.

After all, it is India which has given many progressive philosophies and theories of peaceful co-existence to the world. Most of the leading religions have germinated in Indian soils and have grown up to provide muscular ontological cushions for human civilizations. However, lately there have been many disturbing developments which go against the very grain of our vaunted culture of tolerance and respect for divergent discourses.

Indians appear to be increasingly intolerant of dissenting perspectives.

These trends have the potential to balkanise our country by warping our nation-building processes.

There have been umpteen instances in recent times when there have been attempts of cultural policing by the self-appointed guardians of Indian culture. Be it booking unmarried couples from Madh Island and Aksa beach in Mumbai, banning 857 porn sites, plan for imposition of prohibition, banning of books, films, art exhibition or valentine day celebrations, Indians have been increasingly orchestrating a regressive mindset.

John Stuart Mill was right when he said, “My freedom to move my hand stops where your nose starts.” We may not like a particular idea or act but there are legitimate ways to express our reservations or revulsions rather than acting in a way which shames our existence as a civilized society.

And, all this is often done in the name of stopping people from hurting the sensibilities of other individuals or communities.

After all, how can one justify prohibiting an artistic expression if the same does not violate a particular law or rule. The subjective interpretation of the said rule or law has often been the reason behind such objective acts of

India will go nowhere if we have one religious fundamentalism rising in reply to another religious fundamentalism

cultural policing. Today, if we have one religious fundamentalism rising in reply to another religious fundamentalism, we go nowhere. After all, two wrongs never make a right.

Gandhi was right when he said, “Eye for an eye and the entire world will be blind.” The recent quashing of section 66A of the IT Act which allowed arrests for objectionable online content or striking down of porn site ban by the Apex Court is a step in the right direction as the same infringes citizens’ fundamental rights of expression or privacy.

There have been further instances of vigilantism when the Group Admin of a ‘What’s App’ group has been arrested for undesirable posts or knifing of the Group Admin by a member.

The members always have an option to opt out of the group in case of revulsion or of making a separate group rather than indulging in disproportionate reaction.

The recent killing of M M Kalburgi, the noted Kannada litterateur, the

bloggers in Bangladesh or violence against some expressions or acts in social media is yet another example of growing intolerance in our society.

We call ourselves the proud torchbearers of an enlightened civilisation but we still have obscurantist thinking shaping our outlook thereby negatively influencing our behaviour to certain societal developments.

As Indians we don’t like amorous expressions in public including kissing, smooching or canoodling but conveniently wink at domestic violence including beatings of wife on the plea of it being a private affair. What else is an expression of love as represented by an embrace or a kiss? But we still have intolerant societal reactions to such expressions as exemplified by ‘Operation Majnu’.

We are so intolerant and disrespectful of a divergent opinion that we immediately brand someone to be a quisling as was recently on display when the ilk of Salman Khan made

India has given the world theories of peaceful co-existence

some sympathetic statements for Yakub Menon.

While none doubts the justification behind Yakub’s comeuppance, but as an individual, he definitely had his friends and admirers who were entitled to their convictions and view points whatsoever they maybe.

If at all they made some statements of sympathy for a friend, why should a section of our society be so perturbed about the same? Mind you this country still has sympathizers for Nathuram Godse, the assassin who killed Mahatma Gandhi.

A vibrant debate is a desideratum for a vibrant democracy as it is through clash of ideas and opinions that truth always emerges.

Voltaire was right when he said, “I do not agree with what you say, but I would defend till my death your right to say it.” As citizen of a democratic country, we have every right to express our views howsoever wrong they may be as long as the person concerned does not do something to violate a rule or law.

So, some Indians were right in expressing their disagreement with Salman’s tweet, but they definitely had no business to agitate against the same by indulging in arson and vandalism.

There are views of many great thinkers with whom the society does not agree but we still admire them.

As a mature democracy, we need to be more restrained in our reactions otherwise we would be no better than those banana republics who believe in kangaroo courts and instant justice a la our ‘khap panchayats ’.

After Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi threw shoes at the former US President George Bush in December 2014, several similar incidents were reported in India thereafter, the most celebrated being the ‘shoe-throw act’

by Jarnail Singh at a for mer Union Minister.

Similarly, the faceblackening incidents involving some politicos and activists have also occurred in this country from time to time.

PTI Feature

Pune is a commuter’s nightmare P 15

Relax dress code, allow traditional attires: UP Governor The dress code of the Mahomed Bagh (MB) club and its guest was forced on Indians by Britishers LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik has taken exception to a club denying entry to a Shia cleric over dress code here, and asked it to allow entry to people wearing traditional Indian costumes “at the earliest”.

“A meeting of office bearers should be held to include tradition Indian costumes in the dress code of the club.

“This should be done at the earliest and I should also be informed about it,” Naik said in a letter to the Secretary of the club. Naik said that the dress code of the Mahomed Bagh (MB) club and its guest was forced on Indians

by Britishers and continuing with such a practise after so many years of Independence had no meaning.

The traditional dresses are not even disallowed in Parliament, assemblies and state programmes, he said.

The club, in its reply to the Governor, had earlier said that the dress code was changed from time to time and coloured t-shirts and jeans were allowed.

Prominent Shia cleric and vice

AUSU gets first woman President ALLAHABAD: In a first since Independence, a woman has been elected President of the Allahabad University students’ union, while ABVP registered a strong presence, bagging most of the other important posts.

Hailing from Aligarh, Richa Singh, a research scholar, founded a “Friends’ Club” a few years back as an alternative platform, independent of students’ wings of established political parties.

After the declaration of election results late last night, Richa, who did MA Economics, became not only the second woman, but the first since Independence, to be elected as the AU students’ union president after Kumari S K Nehru who held the post in 1927. However, her victory, by a narrow margin of 71 votes, may have been facilitated by the support extended by Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha which took the decision to back her after its own candidate Ajeet Yadav’s nomination papers were rejected on technical grounds. Meanwhile, the ABVP registered its strong presence with its Vikrant Singh, Siddharth Singh “Golu” and Shravan Kumar Jaiswal being elected as Vice President, General Secretary and Joint Secretary respectively.

PTI

SC to hear pleas on Aadhaar card issue

INS KOCHI COMMISSIONING

Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, RK Dhowan (3rd from L), Chief of Naval Staff, SPS Cheema (5th from L), Commanding in Chief, Western Naval Command along with other officers during the commissioning of naval warship INS Kochi in Mumbai on Wednesday. PTI Photo

NEW DELHI: The RBI and SEBI, along with the governments of Gujarat and Jharkhand, have sought clarification and modifications in a Supreme Court order that Aadhaar card will not be mandatory for availing benefits of various welfare schemes.

A bench of Justices J Chelameswar, SA Bobde and C Nagappan, while agreeing to hear on October 6 a batch of pleas, however raised the question whether it can entertain such interim applications after transferring the main petitions to a constitution bench to decide issues like right to privacy.

“The question raised is this: Can we deal with it after referring the matters to constitution bench,” the court asked.

The RBI sought clarification as to whether an account can be opened in a bank on the basis of the Aadhaar card for providing the benefit of pension or for getting paid for MNREGA. SEBI wanted to use the Aadhaar

president of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, was denied entry to the club on September 12 for not following the dress code as he was in traditional attire.

This had prompted Naik to seek an explanation from the club authorities.

The Governor had termed it “objectionable” and “unfortunate” while seeking details about the incident.

“The dress code of MB Club imbibed from British years continues.

Kurtas, collarless T-shirts are not permitted,” the club website says.

Chairmanship of the club rotates between the Chief of Staff, Central Command and the Chief Secretary, UP government on yearly basis, as per the provisions in the club rules.

In July 2014, a judge was barred from entering Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) for wearing a dhoti. He was one of the guests at a book release function held at the TNCA club premises.

PTI

cards in the securities market to know whether the persons were active in the markets. Raising issues similar to the RBI, Jharkhand, in its plea, today sought to use Aadhaar cards in payments of pension and seek a declaration from pensioners that they are alive.

Similarly, Gujarat also wanted to use these cards to identify target beneficiaries of its welfare schemes.

The Supreme Court had earlier said that Aadhaar card will not be mandatory for availing benefits of welfare schemes.

It had however also said that authorities may use Aadhaar cards in PDS scheme and “in particular for the purpose of distribution of food grains, etc and cooking fuel, such as kerosene.

The Aadhaar card may also be used for the purpose of the LPG Distribution Scheme.”

PTI

Policemen call control room, seek help Ahmedabad: In a bizarre incident, 12 policemen recently called the state police control room and requested to be ‘rescued’ as they were virtually confined in a small room at Karai police Academy in Gandhinagar since early morning.

A control room official said, “They are not held captive by anyone. They had been only asked by a senior IPS officer to sit at one place in a bungalow inside Police Academy since morning.

The policemen got tired and called the control room late evening, asking to help them get out of there.”

The control room officials passed the message to seniors. The distressed policemen claimed that they were not given any food or water by the officer who had ordered them to sit in the room, police officials said.

Later, a police team was sent to the Academy to find them.

“We are now trying to locate them.

The problem will be solved soon,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police of Academy P G Dhariaya.

PTI

Social media backs India on Kashmir

BY Lalit K Jha Vol-II* lssue No.: 16 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.

WASHINGTON: Social media voices have backed India after Pakistan’s Prime Minister raised the Kashmir issue at the UN General Assembly even as a former top Pakistani diplomat tweeted that Nawaz Sharif ’s speech “plays well at home” but is “not taken seriously by the rest of the world”.

Reacting to Sharif ’s speech, India had hit back asking Pakistan to vacate Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and charged that Islamabad is the prime sponsor of terrorism.

“We urge early vacation of Pak occupied Kashmir,” Vikas Swarup, spokesman of the External Affairs Ministry said in a series of tweets after Sharif raised the issue of Kashmir in at the UN General Assembly.

These tweets were soon trending on Twitter.

“Pak Prime Minister gets foreign occupation right, occupier wrong,” Swarup tweeted after Sharif in his four-point proposal said that steps be taken to demilitarise Kashmir.

Twitter users were quick to support India while describing Pakistan as a

hub of terrorism, even as its own former diplomat observed that Sharif ’s speech at the UN General Assembly, though welcomed at home, has furthered hardened India’s position.

“Pakistan has gained nothing out of it and globally there are few takers for its Islamabad’s allegations against New Delhi,” tweeted Husain Haqqani, former Pakistani Ambassador to the US. “Prime Minister Sharif ’s UN General Assembly speech plays well at home, doesn’t move India,” he said.

“I’m old enough to recall UN

speeches that were admired by domestic audiences but were not taken seriously by rest of the world,” he said in another tweet.

“Pakistan a terrorist, failed state exporter of Jihadist taking Kashmir, India’s blunder is the survival of terrorist state of Pakistan,” one T S Chandrashekar wrote on Twitter.

“Massive protests erupt in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as people demand freedom from Pakistan, raise pro-India slogans,” wrote Pawan Durani.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 3, 2015

Pune FC juniors retain trophy P 16

PUNE

“Brazil is a welcoming country — a country which was ultimately made up by refugees — we have received Syrians, Haitians, men and women from all over the world. We remain open, we have our arms open to welcome refugees.”

— Dilma Rousseff, Brazilian President

US, UK, France support India’s UNSC bid India’s desire to become a member of the four export control regimes endorsed

NEW YORK: The United States, Britain and France have reaffi rmed their support to India’s permanent membership of the UN Security Council as text-based negotiations to expand the most powerful wing of the world body begins in November.

During their meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the leaders of the three countries also extended support to India’s desire to become a member of the four export control regimes, including the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).

Within a matter of few hours, Modi met US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David

Cameron and the French President Francois Hollande, which External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup described as “power Monday”.

“On UN Security Council reforms, President Obama reiterated the support that he has publicly articulated in favour of India being a permanent member of the UN Security Council. There was discussion that now that the intergovernmental negotiations process is going to start on the basis of a text, how India and US can collaborate on that front,” Swarup told reporters at a news conference here.

Responding to a question on India’s push for reforms in the 70th year of the United Nations, Swarup said discussions were on that level of specificity.

“As you know, US is also participating in the inter-governmental, India is also participating. But the fact that President Obama reiterated support for India’s candidature as a permanent member is significant.

Now, we need to see how the intergovernmental negotiations process advances,” he said.

Earlier in his remarks to the press at the end of his meeting with President Barack Obama, Modi thanked him for his support to India on joining various export control regimes.

“I expressed our appreciation for continued US support for India’s membership of the international export control regimes within our targeted time frame,” the Prime Minister said.

PTI

KASHMIR IS INDO-PAK MATTER: OBAMA AGREES President Barack Obama agreed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Kashmir is a bilateral issue to be resolved between India and Pakistan as they held talks here during which terrorism emanating from Pakistan also came up.

“There was a broad acknowledgement that this is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan and people were happy for India and Pakistan to resolve it among themselves,” External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup told reporters here when asked whether Kashmir came up during Modi and Obama talks.

Swarup, while briefing on Modi’s meetings with Obama as well as UK Premier David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande, said Pakistan came up in the context of terrorism.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the UN Peacekeeping Summit in New York

J-K ‘CORE’ ISSUE, INDIA RAISING ‘TERROR BOGEY’ TO STALL

“There was a discussion on Pakistan in one of the meetings in the context of terrorism, broadly the idea was if terrorism has to be fought then all countries have to be on the same page. You can’t have some countries talking of good and bad terrorists,” he said.

To a question on why it was taking so long in framing the definition of terror by the UN, Swarup said, “Some, in particular, the Organisation of

Islamic Cooperation (OIC) lobby wants to include freedom fighters for instances in the definition of terrorism.”

He said, “Some compromise formulations have been put forward but they have not yet been agreed.”

On ISIS, Swarup said, “There was no discussion on the terror group as such, but Modi himself said that terrorism has to be fought collectively and globally then all the countries have to be on the same page.”

After India asked it to “give up terrorism” and sit for talks, Pakistan has asserted that “core” issue of Jammu and Kashmir will always be on top of the agenda of any bilateral dialogue.

It alleged that India was using the “terrorism bogey” to stall dialogue.

Pakistan also blamed India for the unrest and terror on its soil, saying it has handed over to UN SecretaryGeneral Ban ki-Moon dossiers in this regard.

Pakistan exercised its Right of Reply to respond to Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s address at the UN General Assembly yesterday in which she had said that instead of the four-point peace initiative proposed by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, it should address just “one issue” of giving up terrorism.

BY SHIRISH B PRADHAN

Perris: The September 29, 2015 photo provided by Craig O’Brien shows a record-breaking skydiving formation above Perris, California. Two-hundred-and-two skydivers from around the world set the record when they all linked up thousands of feet above Southern California. The group formed the largest sequential skydiving formation. AP/PTI

Tamils want hybrid special court to probe Lanka abuses in the UN Human Rights High Commissioner’s report.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein had called for a hybrid special court, integrating international judges, prosecutors, lawyers and investigators to probe the alleged rights abuses during the civil war that ended in 2009.

In a statement, the groups claimed Sri Lankan government appointing

He said the dossiers include details of alleged “Indian interference and support for terrorism in Balochistan and Karachi as well as its security and intelligence agencies’ link with the Tehrike-e-Taliban especially in FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas)”.

A day after Sharif raked up the Kashmir issue at the UN, Swaraj used the same forum to raise the issue of “illegal occupation of parts of the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir”

by Pakistan. India-Pak ties are going through a chill particularly after cancellation of NSA-level talks in August following differences over the agenda proposed by Islamabad, and a planned meeting between Kashmiri separatists and Pakistan’s National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz.

Nepal asks cable operators to air Indian TV channels

RECORD ON SKY

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s Tamil political parties have demanded that the investigation into the alleged rights abuses during the conflict with the LTTE be carried out under a “hybrid mechanism” as a domestic probe will not address their concerns.

At least four Tamil political parties and several other civil society groups called for the return to the original hybrid judicial mechanism proposed

“Using the terrorism bogey, India has not only stalled the bilateral dialogue but also vitiated the overall atmosphere between the two countries,” Counselor in Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN Bilal Ahmad alleged.

“The core issue of Jammu and Kashmir cannot be cast aside by empty rhetoric. It has been and will always be on top of the agenda of any talks between India and Pakistan. “...It is therefore disingenuous of India to ignore the serious peace initiative proposed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan from this august forum,” he said. He informed the UN General Assembly that Pakistan had handed over to the UN SecretaryGeneral dossiers containing, what it called, “evidence” of alleged Indian involvement.

foreign judges to a local mechanism will not address the structural factors that inhibit the local systems.

A resolution by the US in Geneva seeks to back a local mechanism with judges from the Commonwealth with foreign investigators -- in contrast to Al Hussein’s report. The Tamil groups said the resolution seeks to dilute the seriousness of the required investigation.

PTI

KATHMANDU: The Nepal Government has asked the cable operators to continue the broadcast of Indian TV channels and sought explanation from them for blacking out the channels in the wake of blockade of trade checkpoints with India by agitators opposing the new Constitution.

The Ministry of Information and Communications sought clarification from various cable operators as to why action must not be taken against them as they have violated the National Broadcasting Act. Cable TV operators in Nepal had stopped airing all the Indian channels to protest blockade of a key trade checkpoint with India by agitators opposing Nepal’s new Constitution.

The Ministry said that the cable operators violated the provisions and had stopped broadcasting the channels without any prior notice.

The Ministry has asked them to furnish clarification within 24 hours and continue the broadcast.

President of Federation of Nepal Cable Television Association, Sushil Parajuli yesterday said that the cable operators decided to stop the broadcast of the Indian channels as “India has been intruding in the national sovereignty of Nepal.”

Unrest in Nepal’s Terai plains over the new Constitution has led to the blockade of Birgunj trade checkpoint with India, cutting off vital supplies.

The country is reeling under scarcity of essential goods including petroleum products and cooking gas due to the blockade along the border areas.

Normal life has been severely affected due to the growing tension in

AP/PTI

BY LALIT K JHA AND YOSHITA SINGH

PTI

Protestors belonging to ethnic and religious groups, dissatisfied with Nepal’s new constitution, raise slogans during a protest in Janakpur, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015. Nepal started imposing restrictions on the movement of vehicles on Sunday as a blockade of cargo trucks trying to enter the country from neighboring India continued to severely limit supplies of fuel and other essential commodities. Trucks carrying supplies from India stopped entering Nepal this past week amid angry protests following the adoption of a new constitution

the border areas.

Meanwhile, the cadres of agitating Madhes-based parties today vandalised Nepal-bound vehicles which were stranded at Indian customs point.

Th ree vehicles ferrying goods, including petroleum products, were vandalised at Ram Janaki Temple in Sunauli, the Indian town bordering Nepal this afternoon.

Human rights activist Krishna Pahadi has sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying, “The blockade has damaged Nepal-India relations and also shattered Modi’s efforts to cement ties between the two neighbours.”

Meanwhile, Bijaya Gachhadar, president of Madhesi Peoples Rights Forum Democratic, a moderate Madhesi party, after attending a meeting with the government officials

claimed that the border blockade was not due to the agitating Madhesi cadres.

A meeting was held between Chairman of Madhesi People’s Rights Forum-Democratic (MPRF-D) Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar and Terai Madhes Democratic Party Chairman Mahantha Thakur at latter’s residence at Sanothimi in the district today.

At least 40 people have died in over a month of clashes between police and protesters from the Madhesi and Tharu communities and ethnic minorities. The agitating Madhesi Front claims that the Constitution does not guarantee enough rights and representation to the Madhesi and Tharu communities.

Madhesis are Indian-origin inhabitants of the Terai plains bordering India.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 3, 2015

PUNE

MONEY MATT ER S

“My most urgent task is to win back trust for the Volkswagen Group - by leaving no stone unturned and with maximum transparency, as well as drawing the right conclusions from the current situation.”

— Matthias Mueller, CEO, Volkswagen

Signposts

“Make In India and Digital India initiatives must be supplemented with reforms in labor laws and land acquisition coupled with less of red tape.”

— Sajjan Jindal, Chairman and MD of JSW Group

‘India ‘bright spot’ among larger global emerging markets’ India up 16 places to 55th on Global Competitiveness Index

FIPB clears 18 FDI proposals worth Rs 5,000 cr FIPB cleared 18 foreign investment proposals, including that of Aegon Religare Life Insurance and Aditya Birla Nuvo, worth about Rs 5,000 crore. The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), headed by Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das, discussed a total of 31 FDI proposals. The proposal of Aegon Religare Life Insurance, worth about Rs 560 crore for increasing foreign partner stake in the joint venture, was approved by the board, a source said.

Mercedes to invest Rs 1,000 cr on luxury car production Mercedes Benz will invest Rs 1,000 crore on production of luxury cars in Maharashtra. The announcement was made in a meeting between state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, MD & CEO of Mercedes Benz India Eberhard Kern, and future MD and CEO of the company, Roland Folger, on Monday evening, an official said. Fadnavis also assured complete support of the government to the project. Mercedes Benz has also appreciated government’s Jalyukt Shivar Scheme and has expressed desire to contribute towards it.

Piramal eyes global leadership in ADCs development Piramal Enterprises’ pharma solutions division said it aims to become the market leader in Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs) over the next five years. “We have set a target of becoming the market leader in ADCs contract commercialisation over the next five years. This is based on our focused investments at our current site in Grangemouth, UK and recent acquisition of Coldstream - a specialised ADC fill/finish site, in Kentucky, USA,” the company said.

India and South Africa are the “bright spots” among larger emerging markets, as both these countries saw large improvement in the global competitiveness index compiled by World Economic Forum (WEF), while the trend for their peer countries is either one of decline or stagnation.

According to The Global Competitiveness Report 2015-2016, the failure, particularly by emerging markets, to improve competitiveness since the recession suggests future shocks to global economy could have deep and protracted consequences.

“However, there are bright spots: India ends five years of decline with a spectacular 16-place jump to 55th.

South Africa re-enters the top 50, progressing seven places to 49th,” WEF said.

China, holding steady at 28, remains by far the most competitive of this group of economies. However, its lack of progress moving up the ranking shows the challenges it faces in transitioning its economy.

Elsewhere, macroeconomic instability and loss of trust in public institutions dragged down Turkey (51st), as well as Brazil (75th), which posts one of the largest falls. While Russia was ranked 45th in the index down from 53 last year.

“Th is dramatic reversal is largely attributable to the momentum initiated by the election of Narendra Modi, whose pro-business, pro-growth, and anti-corruption stance has improved the business community s sentiment toward the government,” WEF said.

Notwithstanding the fact that

the quality of India’s institutions is judged more favorably (60th, up 10), but business leaders still consider corruption to be the biggest obstacle to doing business in the country.

WEF noted “the fact that most notable improvements are in basic drivers of competitiveness bodes well for the future, especially the development of the manufacturing sector. But other areas also deserve attention, including technological readiness: India remains one of the least digitally connected countries in the world (120th, up one)” Meanwhile, among the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries, India led the way at 55th, followed

by Sri Lanka (68th, up five). Nepal

(100th, up two), Bhutan (105th, down two), Bangladesh (107th, up two), and Pakistan (126th, up three) all rank 100th or below.

WEF however, noted that the most problematic factors for doing business in India include corruption, policy instability, inflation and access to finance.

Globally, Switzerland has retained its top position as the world’s most competitive economy for seventh year in a row and is followed by Singapore, the US, Germany and the Netherlands in the top-five.

These are followed by Japan, Hong Kong, Finland, Sweden and the UK in the top-ten.

“The failure, particularly by emerging markets, to improve

competitiveness since the recession suggests future shocks to the global economy could have deep and protracted consequences,” WEF said.

It further said the latest index also finds a close link between competitiveness and an economy’s ability to nurture, attract, leverage and support talent. The top-ranking countries all fare well in this regard.

But in many countries, too few people have access to high-quality education and training, and labour markets are not flexible enough.

As per the report, seven years after the global financial crisis, the world economy is evolving against the background of the “new normal” of lower economic growth, lower productivity growth, and high unemployment.

However, rather than adjusting to this new normal, countries must step up their efforts to re-accelerate economic growth, it added.

While no member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) features in the top 50, India leads in this group at 55th place. All others are ranked 100th or below, while India is followed

by Sri Lanka (68th, up five), Nepal (100th, up two), Bhutan (105th, down two), Bangladesh (107th, up two), and Pakistan (126th, up three).

Although last year all SAARC countries except Bhutan posted small gains, since 2007 only Nepal has managed to progress significantly (14

Major problems facing India are corruption and inflation

More action needed to push GDP: CEA The 0.50 per cent cut in interest rate by RBI is welcome and will bring down the cost of funds but action on multiple fronts would be needed to promote economic growth, Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian said recently.

The rate cut is only “one lever” and reforms on different fronts were required to push the economy to higher growth trajectory, he said.

“To be fair to them (RBI), they had done three 25 basis points cuts this year. I think that the latest decision to cut rate is a very welcome and right decision for a number of reasons”, he told PTI in an interview.

RBI on Tuesday surprised the markets by reducing the benchmark lending rate by 0.50 per cent to 6.75 per cent.

Experts were expecting only 0.25 per cent rate cut.

The central bank has so far reduced

places gained), Pakistan lost 34 places during that period and India, despite leapfrogging 16 places this year, still ranks seven notches lower than it did in 2007. After five years of decline, India has jumped 16 ranks to 55th place.

“Th is dramatic reversal is largely attributable to the momentum initiated by the election of Narendra Modi, whose pro-business, pro-growth, and anti-corruption stance has improved the business community’s sentiment toward the government.

“The quality of India’s institutions is judged more favourably (60th, up 10), although business leaders still consider corruption to be the biggest obstacle to doing business in the country,” the WEF said. India’s performance in the macroeconomic stability pillar has improved, although the situation remains worrisome (91st, up 10). Thanks to lower commodity prices, inflation eased to 6 per cent in 2014, down from near double-digit levels the previous year.

The government budget deficit has gradually dropped since its 2008 peak, although it still amounted to 7 per cent of GDP in 2014, one of the world’s highest (131st).

Infrastructure has improved (81st, up six) but remains a major growth bottleneck electricity in particular.

“The fact that the most notable improvements are in the basic drivers of competitiveness bodes well for the future, especially the development of the manufacturing sector,” WEF added.

PTI

the lending (repo) rate by a total of 1.25 per cent since January.

“In all these things one should remember that economy is not driven by any one lever or institution. The economy needs multiple number of reforms, actions. All of us have to work hard, work together,” he said.

The central bank, Subramanian said, “is finally comfortable with where the inflation is”. Subdued inflation and declining interest rate, he added, “will have a positive impact on the economy especially if it (rate cut benefit) is passed through by the banks...it will reduce cost of borrowings. Other important thing is that G-Sec rates will come down.

Balance sheets, financial positions of banks will be strengthened.”

On growth prospects for the current fiscal, Subramanian said that he would take a view once more data was available.

PTI

IMF announces disbursement of USD 504 million to Pak

BY SAJJAD HUSSAIN The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced “immediate disbursement” of USD 504.8 million to Pakistan, bringing the total amount released to bolster the country’s struggling economy to USD 4.54 billion. The decision was announced on Tuesday after the IMF Executive Board completed 8th review of a 36-month extended fund facility for Pakistan on September 28.

The new disbursement brings total disbursements to Pakistan to about USD 4.54 billion, Dawn reported.

The board also approved waivers of non-observance of the end-June 2015 performance criteria on the ceiling on overall budget deficit and the ceiling on net government budget borrowing from the State Bank of Pakistan.

PTI

Xiaomi probed for misleading Households expect inflation to consumers in China stay in double digits: Survey

BY KJM VARMA Chinese smartphone vendor Xiaomi Corp is under investigation for alleged violation of China’s new advertising law which bans use of superlative adjectives for promoting products, official media reported on Wednesday.

Industry regulators have initiated an investigation into the Beijingbased handset maker on suspicion of using phrases including “the best” to describe its products online, state-run China Daily quoted the Securities Daily as saying.

The Haidian branch of the Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce said in a statement that its behaviour could violate the country’s new advertising law, which bans

enterprises from using superlative adjectives, including “the most advanced”, in promotions.

Xiaomi is the fi rst Internet enterprise to be probed after the law became effective on September 1, the report said.

Xiaomi whose phones have become popular in India has not commented on the allegation.

The revised legislation is intended to protect consumers from advertisements which overplay and exaggerate product features.

The statement said lawenforcement staff had found evidence

of suspect behaviour on Xiaomi’s official website after receiving a tip-off from a whistleblower.

Officials from Xiaomi and Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce were unavailable for comment. Zhu Dalin, an analyst at Beijing-based Internet consultancy Analysys International, said it is quite common for hardware manufacturers to resort to superlative adjectives in product promotion.

“The new law will have a certain impact on Internet companies,” Zhu said, “but not too much-after all, consumers are so accustomed to cliches such as ‘the super phone’ and ‘the omnipotent TV’ that these phrases make no real sense to them now.”

PTI

Households expect inflation to remain unchanged in double digits for the next three months, with many believing that inflation may even fall, an RBIsponsored survey showed on Tuesday. “...the majority of the respondents continue to expect similar or lower rate of price change or expects the prices to remain unchanged or even fall,” it said.

Households expect inflation to be 10.5 per cent in the next three months, up from 10.1 per cent in the previous survey. The current inflation expectation is 9.9 per cent.

Inflation expectations of households remained elevated in double digits in response to recent month-on-month increases in prices of vegetables and pulses, RBI said.

The proportion of respondents

expecting prices to rise by ‘more than the current rate’ for prices in general as well as those in various product groups has decreased nominally compared with the previous round of survey, it said.

The Inflation Expectations Survey of Households for September 2015 (41st round) captured inflation expectations of 4,903 urban households across 16 cities for the next three months and the next one year.

WPI inflation continues to be in the negative zone since November 2014 while retail inflation touched a record low of 3.66 per cent in August.

Meanwhile, a survey of professional forecasters on macroeconomic indicators put up on the RBI Website said real Gross Value Added at basic

price (GVA) will increase by 7.4 per cent in 2015-16.

In 2016-17, GVA is expected to increase by 8 per cent.

Agriculture & allied activities and services are expected to grow 1.5 per cent and 9.4 per cent, respectively.

Industry growth forecast has been placed at 6.7 per cent. Another survey revealed that the outlook on business sentiment remained range-bound in the third quarter of 2015-16.

“Th is could be attributed to the reduced pessimism in inventory of raw material, inventory of finished goods along with the reduced optimism in exports. Also, reduced pessimism is observed in the cost of finance and cost of raw material,” the survey said.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 3, 2015

“ The elected members of PMC had failed to complete the DP within stipulated time, therefore, it was given to the state government. It has taken all efforts to balance the DP and will consider genuine concerns about the latest plan.” — Ganesh Bidkar, leader of BJP in PMC

PUNE

“The Ganesh idols that were immersed in the makeshift tanks were expected to be processed in a scientific manner in a quarry. I will seek details from the Pune civic body if idols were released in the river.”

— Saurabh Rao, District collector

Cabs are a better option than autorickshaws

RAHUL RAUT

Commuting in the city is an issue and the private cab services are providing a more efficient and reliable alternative to autorickshaws

destination. But in Pune, I have had to constantly get into arguments with rickshaw drivers who demand more than the meter reading. Their half return charge is because they do not get return fares. Th is daily hassle was really getting to me and therefore, to me the cab services are a life-saver.

I have been using cabs to commute for quite some time now and compared to the rude and obnoxious autorickshaw drivers, the cab services are a pleasant change. The cabs pick me up and deliver me to my destination, they charge according to the tariff card, and all the drivers are well-mannered and polite. The cabs are a lot more comfortable and safe and even the fares they charge are reasonable, and there is never the problem off being overcharged.

The autorickshaw drivers, I think, are a spoiled lot. Because there are so many of them, they gang up on

I used to commute by autorickshaw from Camp to Senapati Bapat Road regularly. I must say that a lot of times, it wasn’t the most pleasant of experiences.

The fi rst issue is finding an Sindhu Batra autorickshaw driver who is willing to go to SB Road from Camp and vice versa. By law, an autorickshaw driver is not supposed to refuse fares, no matter what the

customers and at times are even aggressive and threatening. Even when they are waiting at the stands, they refuse fares without giving any reason, and most of them are so rude that they even refuse to give a decent reply. I don’t think anyone bothers with reporting such rude behavior of the autorickshaw driver to the police, because, frankly speaking, I don’t think it will do any good or resolve the problem.

As we all know well, it is the lack of a dependable bus service that has made commuting such a nightmare.

A reliable PMPML bus service would be such a boon to commuters, and most importantly, it would reduce the congestion on the roads by a significant degree. Autorickshaws, therefore, are the next feasible option but I find them quite unreliable and those who

CITIZEN JOURNALIST

Pune is a commuter’s nightmare For a city known as an education and industry hub, Pune has the kind of downsides that are ugly and uncivilised I hail from Mizoram and have been living here in Pune for quite some time. In this time, I have come to know the city quite well and all its pros and cons.

There is a clannish mentality in Mangi Khumakcham the city and people like me from the north east are just clubbed into one category. Th is is a rather easy-going city but living here is getting more difficult by the day owing to the congestion all over the city, which makes commuting a real nightmare at all times of the day. Travelling just a few kilometers can take hours, not to mention the toll the stress takes on you. There are traffic bottlenecks anywhere you go and the lawlessness of the road users is quite frankly, frightening.

I see people running red lights,

driving on the wrong side, breaking one-ways, riding on the pavements, while the traffic police are like bystanders. There are so many lawbreakers that the police are just incapable of putting a stop to it. It is frightening that I could be killed because of the reckless behavior of someone else. And even women are as lawless as the men. And car drivers do not even use their turn indicators, let alone the twowheeler riders. Pune is supposed to be an educated and civilised city but it is hard to believe by what goes on, on the streets.

Pune has the potential to be a really lovely city and some parts of it, like Koregaon Park are really nice. But then there are lots of areas that are dirty and ugly, and it seems that the civic authorities are not at all concerned about the image of Pune. It’s only when some dignitary like the prime

LETTERS TO THE

EDITOR

RAHUL RAUT

switching to cab services instead of going through the hassle of waiting for autorickshaws. Of course one must own a smartphone which makes accessing cab services easy as pie. The

autorickshaw business is still not under any serious threat, but for me the cab services are a better, safer and more reliable option and I am not going to be using autorickshaws except in a pinch.

Old buildings are in dire need of upkeep

Pune is a city of towering contrasts, from the Ferrari-hustling billionaire to the beggars in rag

minister visits Pune that some one wakes up and then there is some cleaning up done.

I see garbage piled and spread across the roads in so many places.

There are hoardings hanging around years after an event and no one bothers to take them down, least of all the politicians who have put them up in the fi rst place.

I may be complaining a lot but it is sad to see that a place with

NON-NATIVE

PAROLE

such pleasant weather and all the institutions and industry has no one at the helm who thinks of making it a beautiful and global city. I hear all the talk of smart city but it seems to be of no use if the civic authorities ignore the basic of cleanliness and hygiene. And the citizens themselves should be more aware and should take pride in keeping their home town clean and beautiful. People spitting in public and worse is the kind of behavior one does not expect in a city like Pune.

Is any one listening?

Pune is a far cry from life back home in New Zealand. I have lived here for some time now and am therefore, familiar with the good and bad things about Pune.

The citizens are generally friendly and helpful and whenever I have asked for directions, I have never been refused. In fact, some people have gone out of their way to guide me. I have tried to absorb as much of the culture here and it is a positive sign that the people of Pune take so much pride in their traditions and heritage.

But for a large and important business and educational hub, Pune is a place where neither the citizens nor the civic authorities do anything to preserve or maintain the old architecture. In fact some old buildings are in such dilapidated conditions, that it reflects badly on the city and its people, who seem to have no pride in conservation or preservation in their headlong rush for high-rises and new-fangled architecture. Most cities in the

west are scrupulously maintained and the old buildings are lavished exceptional cared and upkeep. That said, most of the temples in Pune are in good shape and they are joy to visit.

It is picturesque enough but imagine what it could be if the Deborah Clearwater, Balfour, people and authorities New Zealand devote a little time to the beautification of the city. Even the ever crowded peth areas with their buzz around the bazaars are a great place to be.

The roads in the city can do with better maintenance and to see garbage strewn about is absolutely a disgrace for a city that claims to be civilised and smart.

And the complete lack of reliable public transport is something that I cannot fathom.

FROM FOREIGN

SHORES

A smart city must shelter its homeless Another students’ strike!

The Spotlight feature on night shelters throws light on the issue of those unfortunate people who are without a home and are therefore forced o dwell on the pavements and bus/railway stations etc. I am sure that we cannot really gauge the difficulties and hazards of living so. The truly needy people must be made aware of these facilities so it can ease the problem of where to sleep at night. In a large and busy city like Pune, it must be difficult to guess how many have no other option but to sleep on the pavements. Those without the means to earn a decent livelihood should be able to get some help from the civic authorities and administration. It is also impossible to distinguish the

charge more than the meter reading are nothing less than crooks. The refuse to ply short distances, and also make a big fuss about going into oneway streets as they have to double back, but the commuter should not be held to ransom for such issues. But the rude and uncouth autorickshaw drivers cancel out the possibility of any civilised interaction and a reasonable compromise. Travelling in the night hours by autorickshaw is an even more difficult proposition, and I can’t understand why some autorickshaw drivers charge extra for luggage, even though there is just a single passenger in the vehicle.

Once when I had to travel to Camp from Shivajinagar railway station, every autorickshaw driver wanted more than the meter reading, and some of them told me to pay Rs 500 as I was carrying two bags. Most autorickshaws run on CNG which is cheaper than petrol, so the drivers have a decent profit margin.

There must be many other who are

genuinely needy from those who are given to alcohol or other addictions.

Probably the NGOs are the best organisation to run such night shelters.

It takes a special gift to devote time and energy to ensure the welfare of the people on the bottom rung of the social scale. Given our busy lives, it is too much to expect normal citizens to make time to extend a helping hand to such people. The corporation can make a concerted effort to track down all those who need shelter, and make a more organised plan to sort out this issue. It is therefore, very thoughtful of TGS to bring the issue of the homeless to the notice of the citizens of Pune.

—Sagar Shukla

The students of DIAT seem to have just cause to resort to a strike to persuade the management to give them their rightful dues in terms of stipend and allowances. The discrimination between defence and civilians is blatant injustice and one should expect better from the management of such a prestigious institute. It also seems rather strange that they will splurge on accommodation for visiting faculty and ignore the living conditions of the students at the hostels. The registrar should also provide students with the clarifications regarding the stipend and allowances and not ignore the students’ queries regarding the same.

The agitation has gone on for a few weeks and this must not turn into an FTII like standoff, where the student careers are suffering because of the non-relenting and obstinate stand taken by the institute authorities and the government.

— Arundhati Shuki

A wasted opportunity The MTDC Ganapati Darshan plan being cancelled for the second year for the lack of tourists is surprising. On the face of it, it seems like the Ganeshotsav has so many participants, that the situation should have been the opposite, of there being

more tourists than the MTDC can handle. The problem must be that the MTDC efforts are not focused and streamlined, or that there are differences in the organisation itself of how the plan should be put into action.

The Ganeshotsav is fi ne showcase for the culture of Maharashtra and more so for the city of Pune. In fact, it has the potential to bring in tourists from all parts of the world, if the powers that be chalk out comprehensive plans and also implement them in an efficient manner. Probably some private organisations could be roped in to give the plan a broader scope and new dimensions. As it stands, it is a waste of a wonderful opportunity to showcase Pune and its culture. In fact, such a plan could also involve making all of Pune more attractive with a lot more tourist destinations and also get rid of all the eyesores like garbage etc.

— Sunanda Joshi

The blood donation gender divide It would seem like blood donors would be welcomed by blood banks and hospitals in a city like Pune, especially during the outbreaks of diseases like swine flu and dengue.

It was surprising then to read about the gender discrimination at a government hospital like Sassoon. Is there some scientific or logical reason for hospitals to turn away women donors? There does not seem to be any as far as I can see. The reasons given such as having adequate stocks and that blood can go to waste if stored for long periods seem fl imsy, to say the least. And it does not seem restricted to only Sassoon, but other hospitals also seem to have similar attitudes.

It was timely then for TGS to throw light on the blood donation scenario.

— Mohit Bala

Save the planet, save ourselves There environment-focused event organised by the Rotaract Club of Pune Pride and the BMCC students is a step in the right direction, especially now, when vehicular and other pollution is making the urban environment hazardous. In these times, it has become essential for every one to become more aware and conscious of

the air we breathe and what we can do to preserve the environment for our own sake. The message of environment protection and conservation should reach every person so that we can behave responsibly and do or bit to take care of nature. In fact, the government should chalk out a comprehensive plan to reduce carbon emissions, even if it means cutting down on the numbers of cars and vehicles that are sold every day, Of what use is a car for each home if it means that we are breathing in toxic gases that are literally killing us slowly. I think that humanity has gone berserk in the rush for progress and more of everything even if it be at the cost of our very health. As we have access to more technology and gadgets, we should not lose touch with good sense and avoid adopting lifestyles that will end up harming the environment and us eventually.

We need more such endeavours by conscious and aware individuals and organisations.

— Sagarika Sache

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.

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 3, 2015

PUNE

SPORTS

“Now after this one year, I would say, I’m much more cool, a thinking boxer. Overall, both mentally and physically I’m much better than before.”

— Sarita Devi, India Boxer

Signposts Diego Juniors to face Sangavi FC in final Diego Juniors Academy snatched a stunning 3-2 injury time win over Pune Warriors FC to qualify for the final in the II and III Division Section of the 20th Kishorilal Pardeshi Football Tournament at the PDFA ground, Dombarwadi. In a hard fought game, Pune Warriors took the lead through Vikas Talekeri (18th) before Diego Juniors struck twice through Gary Martin (20th) and Romano Nazareth (31st). Pune Warriors then scored five minutes from full time to level scores at 2-2. Just when the game looked set for a draw, Justin Roderick struck for Diego Juniors in injury time to seal a thrilling win. They will now face Sangavi FC in the final who qualified after a penalty shootout win.

Shashi Trophy One-day cricket league begins Twelve teams from from Pune will be seen in action at 2nd edition of Shashi Trophy One Day Cricket League tournament, which will be organised by Pratham Sport Management at PYC Hindu Gymkhana from October 3. This tournament will induce players from Pune district and other districts to perform at the highest level and showcase their talent. The tournament will be played on a knockout basis. PYC Hindu Gymkhana, Shashi Kate Sports Foundation, Valor Cricket Academy, Sunny XI, Lush Life, Satyam Vacation, Gateway XI, Rising Star, Hemant Patil Cricket Academy, 22 Yards, Kundan Jachak Foundation, Pratham Sports Management will be seen in action in the league.

“Billions enjoy Indo-Pak matches and its intensity outmatches every other rivalry, so I sincerely hope that everything is set aside and cricketing ties go on uninterrupted.”

— Wasim Akram, Former Pakistan Bowler

Pune FC juniors retain trophy Defending champions win Administrator’s Challenge Cup football tournament for the second successive year TGS NEWS NETWORK @TGSWeekly Pune FC Under-17s, the defending champions, proved their class, by bouncing back from a goal down to defeat home side Chandigarh Football Academy 3-1 in the showpiece final, to retain their Administrator’s Challenge Cup title at the Sector-17 Football Ground at Chandigarh recently.

Pune FC romped to the title with an allwin record after five successive victories, for the second consecutive season, taking their tally to ten wins in ten games in the competition.

In the big game, Pune FC fought back with goals from winger Buanthanglun Samte (45+1st and 49th minutes) and striker Lalawmpuia (76th) after going a goal down early, to clinch their second successive championship at the national level.

Just like in the semi-finals, Pune FC began the game on the backfoot after Chandigarh FA took the lead in the 8th minute following a defensive lapse.

However, Pune FC kept pushing forward before drawing level in the fi rst half injury time.

In-form winger Buanthanglun scored from close range to level the scores, going into the breather.

Having scored just before the break, Pune FC began the second half confidently and

Pune FC players (in white) trying to gain control over the ball during their match against Gujarat. (Below) The victorious Pune FC team with the trophy

attacked the rival goal with intent. Their efforts paid off and Buanthanglun put Pune FC in the lead, scoring in the fourth minute after the restart.

Their dominance continued and striker

Aniruddha Deshpande elected PDMBA president Aniruddha Deshpande has been elected president of the Poona District Metropolitan Badminton Association (PDMBA) for the 2015-2019 term. The new executive council includes Annasaheb Natu, Atul Kirloskar, Girish Natu and Hemant Hardikar as vice presidents. Ranjeet Natu (Secretary) and Anand Joshi (Treasurer) are the other members of the council.

Aakanksha qualifies for world chess events

Pune’s chess prodigy is all set for the World Youth and World Sub-junior Olympiad after claiming the national title TGS NEWS NETWORK @TGSWeekly Aakanksha Hagawane, Pune’s chess prodigy is on the right track, as she is now also beginning to make her mark in the global arena with her consistent performances.

Aakanksha won the National Sub-junior chess title in Jammu recently, which has made her eligible to represent India at big events in 2016, including the Asian Youth Chess Championship, World Youth Championship and World Sub-Junior Olympiad.

Aakanksha was tied for the first spot with current junior national champion Vaishali R and Priyanka K in the national tournament, with 8.5 points from a possible 11, but Aakanksha was granted the crown by virtue of a superior tiebreaker score.

Aakanksha and Vaishali scored eight wins, a draw one and lost two, while Priyanka scored six wins and drew five games to remain the only unbeaten player of the tournament. Aakanksha will gain 36 ELO rating points, while Vaishali will lose 28 ELO points. Vaishali, a National Challengers winner, was the highest rated player in the tournament. Her rating of 2314 was higher than the top seeded player in the boys’ category as well, and she was the hot favourite to win the title.

However, she was held to a draw in the fourth round, which put Aakanksha as the sole lead. In the next round Vaishali had big setback, while Aakanksha notched up a flawless win from the black side. But Aakanksha’s lead only lasted another round, as she lost to Samriddha Ghosh in the 7th round.

The Pune player suffered another defeat at the hands of Priyanka Nutakki in the 9th round, which virtually put her out of the title race. However, Vaishali too lost to Nutakki in the 10th round, and Nutakki, with a half point lead over the rest,

Aakanksha Hagawane with the trophy

seemed set to claim the crown.

In the last round, all three top boards ended decisively. Vaishali scored a swift win over Srishti Pande, while Aakanksha beat Arpita Mukherjee.

In the last game, Nutakki lost.

Aakanksha is a Standard X student of DES School, Tilak Road and is sponsored by Sujaneel Chemicals, under the umbrella of Lakshya Foundation. Just before the Sub Junior Nationals, she has been selected for a scholarship from the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL).

Aakansha is training with Fide Trainer Jayant Gokhale for the last eight years. As part of the training schedule, she also participated in an eightday training camp by Grandmaster RB Ramesh in Chennai with Abhimanyu Puranik, which benefited her significantly. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Abhishek, Malikaa win U-16 tennis titles TGS NEWS NETWORK @TGSWeekly Pune’s 7th seeded Abhishek Mangale strived hard to win the boys’ under-16 title in the second edition of Gokhale Cup tennis tournament. Meanwhile in the girl’s under-16 category, fourth seeded Malikaa Marathe also from Pune seized this year’s title.

The second edition of the tournament was conducted at Deccan Gymkhana courts in association with All India Tennis Association (AITA) and Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA).

14-year-old Mangle is a student of Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan and is training with Kedar Shah for the last five years. This is his maiden title in the under- 16 category. In the final, he faced Mumbai’s 3rd seeded Siddhant Bhavnani. Though, Mangle lost first set 4-6, he didn’t lose hope and fought back strongly. He produced a solid game from baseline and didn’t allow Bhavanani to win a single game.

The set score read 6-0 and then with a boosted morale he annexed the title with 7-5 score in the decider.

Earlier, in the semifinals, Mangle defeated Vikram Patil 9-3, while Bhavnani prevailed over Mayank Joshi 9-4.

Interestingly, 12-year-old Malikaa is also a student of Kedar Shah. The fourth seeded scripted an easy 7-5, 7-5 win over Pune’s 9th seed Gargi Pawar. In the semis, Malikaa had stunned top seed Malvika Shukla 9-2 while Gargi had beat Pooja Ingale 9-2. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Winners Abhishek Mangle and Malikaa Marathe with the trophy

Lalawmpuia rounded off the win with a neat effort in the 76th minute. With that strike, the youngster took his tally to ten goals in just five games and finished as the only player to notch double figures.

Complete domination Earlier, Pune FC opened their campaign with a 9-1 romp over Gujarat State Football Association. They then logged their second win in-a-row hammering Bengaluru’s Ozone Group Football Academy 7-0 in the second round.

The big win was powered by four goals from striker Lalawmpuia (27th, 43rd, 54th & 65th minutes) along with strikes from attacker Cladeo Nonglpluh (33rd), winger Lalrinawma (78th) and defender Asish Rai (85th).

The colts booked their place in the semifinals after a 3-0 victory over home side Chandigarh Football Association.

A brace from winger Buanthanglun Samte (20th & 34th minutes) and a goal from medio Muirang W (38th) handed Pune FC their third consecutive win. The result also meant Pune FC topped Group B with nine points and qualified for the last four.

Later in the semis, the defending champions fought back from a goal down to beat Mahilpur Football Academy 2-1. Second half goals from medio Sachin K (49th minute) and skipper Muirang Wungngayam (60th) cancelled Jagpreet Singh’s (6th) fi rst half opener for Mahilpur FA, and enabled Pune FC qualify for their second successive final in the competition.

“It’s a fantastic moment for the club and the boys as well. Winning the title brings joy, but managing to defend against all odds it gives us immense pleasure. Being the defending champions is always tough but we are also happy to have fulfilled the expectations of the local supporters,” said Pune FC coach, Rakesh Walhekar.

“We started off with big wins in the group stage, but then in the knockouts our team showed great composure to fight back even after going down. Our motto at Pune FC has always been to fight right till the end and never give up and that’s what the boys showed in the semifinal and the finals. Th is is the second time we have won a competition at the national level and want to maintain this level of performance in the upcoming tournaments,” he added. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Big boost for youngsters Three from city’s football clubs are selected for India U-19 squad probables TGS NEWS NETWORK @TGSWeekly It was a major boost for Pune FC and DSK Shivajians Club’s young aspiring footballers, as three of them were selected in the 23-man India Under-19 team for the upcoming AFC Under-19 Championship Qualifiers which kicked off in Al-Ram, Palestine.

Ashique Kuruniyan L i v e r p o o l International Football Academy-DSK Shivajians players Lallianzuala Chhangte and captain Mawihmingthanga have secured their places in the India U-19 squad. Meanwhile, Peninsula Pune FC Academy’s player Ashique Kuruniyan will for the fi rst time be representing India in an official continental competition after featuring in the India U18s in the FAM-Frenz Asia Champions Trophy for clubs recently.

The players were scouted by LFC-DSK Academy from Aizawl, Mizoram through the six-city scouting tour conducted in early 2014.

Both Lallianzuala and Mawihmingthanga impressed the LFC coaches at the Academy through their hard work and willingness to learn and play ‘the Liverpool way’. The dividends of their hard work paid off during the 2014 edition of the U-19 I-League, where Lallianzuala was the top scorer in the Maharashtra Zonal round and Mawihmingthanga made valuable contribution as Captain of DSK Shivajians U-19.

Their impressive performance during the 201415 Season earned them a call for the India U-19 trials. Both the players im- Mawihmingthanga pressed Lee Johnson dur-

ing the trials and eventually they made their way into the playing 11. Laiianzuala scored against Malaysia in the Asian Champions Trophy 2015 assisted by Mawihmthanga both coming off from the bench. Lallianzuala and Mawihmingthanga both were in the starting line-up against Frenz United FC of Malaysia, Mawhimingthanga scored a crucial goal which helped India U-18 secure a 2-1 victory on the day.

The Kerala-born Kuruniyan who joined PPFCA in 2014 played an integral part in Pune FC Under-19s runners-up finish in the U19 I-League 2014-15. He was then called up to the AIFF Elite Academy after impressing one and all with his performances in the final phase of U19 I-League in Pune and he has been in Goa since June.

Going into the competition, the Indian team has been clubbed in Group C alongside hosts Palestine, whom they faced in the opener. The youngsters will now face L Chhangte United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Afghanistan on October 4 and 6 respectively. The 23-man squad announced by coach Lee Johnson also includes PPFCA graduate Sukhadev Patil.

The team: Goalkeepers: Sayak Barai, Rafique Ali Sardar, Sukhadev Patil Defenders: Shahabaaz, Kapil Boro, Nishu Kumar, Gursimrat Singh Gill, Mohd Sajid Dhot, Sarthak Golui, Amey Ganesh Ranawade, Lalthakima Midfielders: Lalramzauva Khiangte, Malsawmzuala Bidyananda Singh Ningthoujam, Rakesh Oram, Vinit Rai Forwards: Suman Sarkar, Milan Basumatary, Moinuddin, Daniel Lalhlimpuia, Md. Ashique Kuruniyan (Pune FC), Lallianzuala Chhangte, Mawihmingthanga (both DSK Shivajians). tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com