July 2018 by Bandra Buzz newspaper

BandraBuzz creating community connect since 2010

25th July 2018 | Vol. 9 Issue 7 |

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Potholes & Plastic - Who fines whom? Each year, the monsoon leaves its foot print behind, to remind the State Government of Maharashtra and BMC to make amends; improve ethics, innovate for better living conditions and change their system to avoid a repeat of their bad performances. In 2006, the deluge brought Mumbai on its knees. The former CM Vilasrao Deshmukh took moral responsibility for the miserable Disaster Management - and then resigned. That was Congress rule, but now it is different. The present CM was in Nagpur, when heavy rains lashed the city and brought it down to a grinding halt. This year, the Vasai–Virar belt had severe flooding. Power supply was cut off, train services between the two

stations were suspended & people were seen walking on railway tracks. All shops were shut, auto-rickshaws refused to carry passengers and people were running from pillar to post, in search of food; while the CM was calmly holed up in Nagpur, trying to send rescue teams. Remote control? They eventually arrived, as usual – late; while the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation stood as hapless spectators, unable to do anything. Why? This is because they haven’t done anything worthwhile before, but are in nexus with the builder mafia, on how to grow rich. The same is with the State Government and the BMC’s Ruling Party, which has held the Corporation to ransom for the past 25 years. It is

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Roads in the vicinity of Mehboob studio & Andrews Church were like craters on the moon

the ‘Marathi Manoos’, who has helped that - it is the ‘Marathi Manoos’ himthe party to bag the maximum seats self, who is to be blamed for Mumbai’s in the Corporation - and this is the re- degradation. sult of Mumbai’s decay, in every sense Amar Singh of the word. The fact of the matter is Continued on Page 3 >>

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JULY 2018

BANDRA BUZZ

INFOCUS

Knowledge Bookended at the Bai Ratanbai Gharda Memorial Library!

Dr Keki Hormusji Gharda founded Bai Ratanbai Gharda Memorial Library in 2009 They say “Knowledge is Power!” Albert Einstein wrote --- “Wisdom is not a product of schooling, but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it!” For Dr. Keki Hormusji Gharda the path to knowledge & wisdom is encapsulated in four simple words --- “Make Books Your Companion!” An alumni of Bandra’s St. Stanislaus School, the 88 years old Dr. Gharda is an icon in his own right. He is globally respected as a Philanthropist, Chemical Engineer & Inventor, and Entrepreneur; with a Ph.D. in the chemical engineering field, from Michigan University, USA. Dr. Gharda is the Founder, Chairman and Managing Director of Gharda Chemicals Limited, an R&D based company that does business in agrochemicals, polymers, etc. The Indian government has recognised his pioneering and path breaking work in chemical engineering and innovation, by awarding him a Padma Shri in 2016.

The Gharda family was always passionate about reading books. So it was no surprise that from a very tender age Dr. Gharda immersed himself in books, which covered a very wide range of topics – from philosophy to religion, literature to history, arts to science, and so many more. Dr. Gharda & his mother Mrs. Ratanbai Gharda would often compete & test each other’s knowledge on the works of Shakespeare & other such classics. This closeness & proximity to his mother & their shared passion for reading and knowledge prompted Dr. Gharda to conceive of this labour of love and passion. And so, in fond memory of his mother, he founded the “Bai Ratanbai Gharda Memorial Library”, in 2009. He has dedicated this library to the pursuit of knowledge, by one & all. The library is an initiative of Gharda Chemicals Limited & managed by Gharda Foundation. The Gharda Library is housed in a modern glass façade building called the Gharda House, situated on Hill Road, Bandra. It is right next to the wellknown Elco Arcade Market. The building could be a hit & miss, if you’re not looking for it. The Gharda Library is equipped with two air-conditioned reading rooms that can seat 200 people, on the ground & first floor. The basement has two sections – one for the books & the other for a dedicated lunch area. The reading rooms are open for the members of the library – 7 days a week, from 9 am to 9 pm. It needs to be appreciated & noted that during exam season, these reading rooms are packed to capacity. When we entered the library, we were struck by the cleanliness & the bright lights. The books were stacked neatly in carefully designated sections – Religion, Medicine, Philosophy, Fiction, Arts, Linguistics, World History, Management, Banking & Insurance, Travel & such.

Bai Ratanbai Gharda Memorial Library has a collection of almost 15,000 books There is also a delightful Children’s section catering to 5-18 year olds. Ms. Bharati Banerjee excitedly told us that she is planning to add many more authors & titles to the section very soon. With a collection of almost 15,000 books, the fully automated Gharda library caters to a diverse range of members that include – students, general public, and senior citizens. Each book is catalogued in their inventory management software. The same inventory management software also records and tracks the issuance, due date & receipt of books to & from the members. The management of the library have ensured dedicated seats for their senior citizen members, in their reading rooms. We were delighted & privileged to speak to Mr. Jahanbux B. Bhathena, one of the senior citizen members of the library. Mr. Bhathena lives in Andheri, Mumbai, and travels every day by train to Bandra. He spends 6-7 hours a day, primarily reading crime & law related fiction books. We asked him what prompted him to visit the library every day, and with a big grin he said, “I am an avid reader. I love the serene & peaceful ambience & atmosphere of the library. And since the library has dedicated seats for senior citizen members, I never have trouble finding my seating place. The staff are always extremely helpful & friendly. It is also so convenient that I get to eat my lunch tiffin comfortably in the dedicated lunch room. So, I do what I like to do & have a good time too.” Gharda Library’s librarian, Ms. Bharati Banerjee tells us that till date, most members have joined the library purely “by word of mouth” reference. Dr. Gharda & she have a shared vision to grow the membership of the library, by proactively reaching out to a much larger audience. Exciting plans are afoot to achieve the same. Ms. Banerjee told us that it is the stated objective of Dr. Gharda to reach out to and help the needy sections of Ban-

dra’s student community, so that those students who cannot afford expensive books, can register as members of the library, and access these books without worrying too much about the cost of the books. In keeping with its stated mission of helping the weaker & needy sections of the community, the Gharda Library conducts outreach programmes to cater to different target groups. Very recently, Dr. Thakur, a geriatrician, addressed senior citizens on the topic of “Aging Gracefully”. The library also conducted a talk on “Career Guidance” for students of nearby municipal schools. Joining the Gharda Library is a breeze. Fill in the application form, attach your photograph & proof of address, and pay the annual membership fees. The fees are really extremely reasonable and affordable, ranging from Rs. 800/- to Rs. 1,000/- per annum, for students, general category & senior citizens. And just like that – in a few minutes, you are done! We strongly urge you to walk in & have a “dekho”. The helpful & friendly staff will be more than willing to give you a tour of the library & the reading rooms. Join the knowledge brigade! WHERE: Gharda House, 48, Hill Road, Next to Elco Arcade Market, Bandra West, Mumbai 400050. CONNECT: Tel: 022-26419309. E: librarian@ghardalibrarybandra.org Website: www.ghardalibrarybandra.org. TIMING: Library – 10.00 am to 8.00 pm, Monday to Saturday Reading Rooms – 9.00 am to 9.00 pm – All 7 days of the week Porus D. Tavadia Pic Courtesy: Josh Photography

BANDRA BUZZ

CIVIC NEWS

JULY 2018

POTHOLES & PLASTIC - Who fines whom? Continued from Page 1 To add to all this, an unprepared BMC plastic ban – with no proper alternative solutions – is totally ill-timed. Actually, the real issue is the correct disposal of plastic, that is not being addressed by

Potholes on Sherly Rajan Road

the BMC, not its use. Plastic is a wonderful invention of modern times – creating countless possibilities. So, for their inability to handle plastic disposal, they have found an easier way out – just BAN PLASTIC – and start fining people. The rains have not spared Bandra, with its fair share of potholes. Roads in the vicinity of Mehboob Studio & Andrews Church were like craters on the moon. After a hue & cry by residents in that area, the H-Ward AMC wakes up to set the record straight - by suspending & blacklisting the contractor. Isn’t this action too early for the next monsoon? The shameless Corporation announced three months before the onset of the monsoon, that Mumbai was ready. Ready for what? Ready for another disaster? As was the case, all low lying areas continued to flood first, which is nothing new. Every year, we are told that things will be fine, when the low tide returns. The public is waiting, when the high tide will wash away the BMC, so at least we will be spared of the agony and distress, they cause. The BMC Commissioner & the CM must resign & take up better jobs elsewhere, like farming in Nagpur.

A close-up image of the road in the vicinity of Mehboob Studio reveals potholes So, has Bandra seen the worst of the rains - or more is still to come? In other countries, governments work for the people - but here, it is the other way around. Either a bridge is falling somewhere, a building collapses, resulting in precious loss of life, or a man or a child goes through a gaping manhole and is fished out of the Worli gutter. Enough is enough! The Railways are no better. The British installed our rail tracks almost a century ago - and today’s Babu’s and Mantri’s are using the same facilities to

commute people. The collapse of the Andheri Bridge over rail tracks and the Elphinstone Bridge, are best examples of Government apathy and neglect. If the BMC wants to fine us Rs 5,000/as part of implementing the plastic ban; how much should we fine the BMC, for injury and death, due to countless potholes? Should it not be Rs 50,000/- per pothole? Or, much more? Drastic action needs to be taken, to stop all this nonsense. Let’s start now. Amar Singh

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BANDRA BUZZ

HEALTH

Hormonal Imbalance and How to Balance Them Naturally

Almost every disease and every medical condition including weight gain or weight loss and a whole number of other complications and ailments in the human body has a connection with hormones. Hormonal balance is the right way to maintain health in the body and an imbalance of the same creates innumerable problems right from the mind to the physical self.

How Hormones Work Estrogen, testosterone, adrenaline, insulin are hormones. To treat a hormonal imbalance, we need to understand how the hormone works. All the hormones, glands and organs that produce them together make your endocrine system. Your endocrine system does everything to do with the health of your hormones. This system controls the way your hormones work in the human body. So, either you’re producing too many hormones or you are producing too few of them or you have an imbalance and that’s when you have problems in the human body. We have hormone replacement therapy and birth control pills, insulin and thyroxine to treat the thyroid gland. These are all fine as long as we use it as a crutch when we are diagnosed with a condition that relates to any of these things but if we decide to be on them for a lifetime because we’re told we need to be on them for a lifetime as there are some people who may need to be on these treatments for a lifetime but for everyone else it’s just a quick fix. Instead of making you better it’s actually making you worse.

problem is a hormonal imbalance, only balancing your hormones will heal you thoroughly. In case of diabetes the hormone involved in diabetes is insulin. Your pancreas is either not producing the right amount of insulin or your cells are not utilizing the insulin the right way. It’s lack of communication between the cells. In case of 50 trillion cells plus in the human body, the wrong communication leads to innumerable problems like adrenal fatigue, anxiety and all that stress that we go through every single day makes your adrenal glands constantly produce cortisol which is again a hormone. When cortisol goes up thyroxine, DHEA and testosterone comes down. One hormone goes up and five, six or seven hormones come down. That’s why stress is so dangerous for us and yet we believe that the human mind finds its way to console. But you can manage things by balancing your stress the right way. Causes of Hormonal Imbalance 1) Food allergies: Today people have toxic, slow and sluggish livers because of poor lifestyle with too much of sugar, junk, smoking, alcohol, pollution and contaminated food. You find people with fatty livers even in the Jain community and vegetarians. Usually fatty livers were in people who just drank alcohol or who were non-vegetarians. Today you will have fatty livers in non-alcoholics and even in vegetarians and Jains which speaks volumes about the lifestyle that people are living. Every time you eat food out, in restaurants or on the road or wherever, the amount of food color that is put into your food in unbelievable. I’m not stopping you to eat outside food but I am trying to get you aware that if you have a hormonal imbalance, reducing your outside food is one of the first steps to bring that balance back into order. There are more than 50 to 60 different food colors used in different foods. Half of them have direct links to hormonal disorders and even cancers. None of this is regulated. All that green Palak paneer that you have thinking that’s really green then try making Palak paneer at home and check if you get the same green color as a Palak paneer served to you in a restaurant. The answer is absolutely no because they are using food color. These food colors eventually cause allergies in people with weak immunity and the first thing that gets impacted are your hormones. You have one imbalance of a hormone and you have innumerable problems in the body.

Symptoms of Hormonal Imbalance? The symptoms are very clear because the human body gives us signals all the time through symptoms. Some of the symptoms are infertility, irregular periods, depression and anxiety because it involves hormones to keep you happy and calm. Excessive weight gain or the inability to lose weight is a sign of hormonal imbalance. Constant fatigue is something very common amongst people today. They need to wake up to that cup of coffee every morning. If you need coffee to keep you going through the day you have a hormonal imbalance. Many people suffer from insomnia which is sleep disorder, low libido and low sex drives and digestive issues right from acidity to bloating and flatulence. This is hormonal imbalance again. Then we have hair loss and hair thinning and we think about taking help from dermatologists, skin doctors and hair doctors. They are of great help but they cannot fix your problem. They are just treating the symptom. If your underlying 2) Poor Gut Health: People have poor gut

health today because there’s so much of constipation, acidity, flatulence, thyroid disease and autoimmune disorders like lupus, skin diseases, eczema, psoriasis and many more. This means you have a leaky gut which is IBS. When you have a leaky gut, you have the wrong molecules going into your bloodstream where they’re never supposed to be and that’s when your immune system flares up and starts attacking your own body and we have a hormonal imbalance right then and then we need thyroxine, insulin and all of the other things.

but it is also telling you that you have a hormonal imbalance for your cells in your stomach region and abdomen to store more of that fat.

5) Inflammation: There are so many people living with inflammation which is another root cause of hormonal imbalance than genetics. Of course, a small proportion of it, we can’t use it as an excuse because we all have good genes and bad genes but the body needs a trigger to make a bad gene express itself in most cases and there are some people who are just unlucky and genes play a massive 3) Constipation: It is one of the chief role. causes of the hormonal imbalance. If you are constipated all of the pharma- 6) Toxicity: Toxicity from the food that ceutical drugs may help you and since we eat, the polluted water that we drink, you need to pass out your motions use all the junk food, the outside food makes it but don’t make it a way of life. There us more and more toxic and because of are many people who take laxatives ev- this your cells stop communicating with ery single night to pass motion in the each other. Your cells cannot commumorning. By doing this you are putting nicate the right way and we have a horyourself into so much of danger because monal imbalance and disease. at some point your bowel movement is going to lose that muscle control and 7) Stress: The very fact that stress imyou will never be able to go a day with- pacts a hormone called cortisol which out taking a laxative. With a laxative impacts so many other hormones shows you are also flushing out a lot of healthy you a direct link between anxiety and bacteria, salts, electrolyte and water chronic stress. Stress good for us is acute from your system. You need to fix the stress where stress levels go up we get problem at the root cause. Living with motivated and do our job and it comes constipation is literally very dangerous down again. That’s good stress for us. for you. Especially in women, when you The stress that goes up and stays up is are constipated all the estrogen in your dangerous for us. The solution is incolon is getting backed up into your sys- cluding healthy fats in your diet instead tem, back into your liver and back into of following restrictive diets and going your cells. So, you’re creating a cycle of low-carb, low-fat and cutting oil out of estrogen dominance. This is why people your diet and doing all the miserable oil with cancer especially should never be free cooking. You need fat in your body constipated and they should do what- to make hormones and if you have low ever they need to do to make dietary fat you will have the wrong number of changes and lifestyle changes to get rid hormones in your body. Hormones are of that constipation or else it’s actually created by healthy fats. Ghee, coconut making you sicker, no matter which hos- oil, good quality butter in moderation, pital you’re in the world getting treat- olive oils, unrefined oils, nuts and seeds ment. It is making you sicker and sicker are all healthy fats that are required for if you’re acidic & if you are constipated. your body to make hormones and to make cholesterol which is required in 4) Excess body fat: If you are carrying your body for your brain, your cells and excessive body fat in your abdominal for every single function including comregion it clearly means you have a hor- munication. monal imbalance. It can also mean that you’re lazy, in-disciplined, a glutton, you eat too much and all of those things Continued on Page 5 >>

HEALTH Continued from Page 4 8) Birth Control Pills: Birth control pills are also a major cause for hormonal imbalance. There are too many young girls & women on these birth control pills. It is used to prevent unwanted pregnancies. But there are women who are taking it as a quick fix & young girls mothers who are allowing their girls to take it. Today we see young girls get PCOD. Honestly, it’s peer pressure, stress, sleep & their sedentary lifestyles which are the four main reasons why women & young girls have PCOD. Birth control pill is only going to raise oestrogen. It may probably get you to lose a little bit of weight & remove a couple of pimples of your face but it does a lot of damage too. Birth control pills have every connection to do with that sadness that they feel. Then you take her to a psychologist or a psychiatrist & gets a pill for her mood because it was caused by the birth control pill that she was given in the first place. Then you get migraines & blood pressure problems. There are so many women who after getting themselves off their birth control pills had their migraines disappeared because one of the side effects of a birth control pill is migraines & headaches, elevated blood pressure, sometimes elevated weight gain, mood swings, back pain & all of these things & then we keep treating them over & over again never getting down to the root cause of changing their lifestyles.

BANDRA BUZZ have their social calendars more than that of adults. Sleep is the most important ingredient for every one of us starting from children to adults to senior citizens to everyone. Get the right amount of your sleep & your hormones will start to fall into balance automatically. HOW TO FIX HORMONAL IMBALANCE Vitamin D3 – We need vitamin D3 which is a precursor to hormones. If you have low vitamin D3 you have a hormonal imbalance & almost one in two people I meet every single day have low vitamin D3 levels. It’s no longer just about osteoporosis or your bones. It’s about your hormone. So, if you don’t have low vitamin D3 it’s useless. Everything else that you’re doing is useless as you’re not giving your body what it needs to make hormones. So, let’s not even talk about a hormonal imbalance. You don’t have the right amount of hormones if you don’t have the right fats in your diet & if you don’t have vitamin D3.

Adaptogen Herbs – Things like ashwagandha which existed in our civilization for years. These help balance hormones automatically which is why Ayurveda has so much of it. The West is using so much of ashwagandha from India today to balance their hormones & we are moving to antidepressants, sleeping pills, depression medication, more thyroxine & insulin & other artificial ways because we don’t want to make an effort to change our lifestyle. Ashwagandha 9) Lack of Sleep: As children & teenag- exists in our own country & it can help ers, we didn’t sleep for seven or eight you balance your hormones naturally. hours & we had less sleep but we had less stress too. We didn’t have peer pres- Medicinal Mushrooms like reishi mushsure from people about universities & room & chaga mushroom that exists all competitions in school & about how to over the world. In almost every country be in society. Half the teenagers today some strain of mushroom grows which

has been used as medicines to balance hormones for the longest period of time but you can’t patent the mushroom & have a pharmaceutical to sell it to you. So, there’s no money in the industry for mushrooms & this is the reason there’s no research into it. Yet our ancestors healed themselves using mushrooms, ashwagandha & so many natural herbs.

JULY 2018

Evening Primrose oil. Essential oils have its place in medicine, healing & your protection.

Probiotics - There are probiotics also that can help you balance the micro flora in your gut which is your microbiome. All of us have more bad bacteria than good bacteria. We need to bring that balance because most of your health & Breathing - Sometimes you can be de- immunity starts in your gut. This means pressed. There is real depression that our focus must be our gut. may require real treatment but we also have to understand it involves your hor- Sleep - All the hormonal balance hapmones & if you’re not looking at hor- pens while you sleep. Therefore, if you mones in your treatment plan you’re go- sleep less the next day you have so many ing to constantly be on one medication cravings, you are irritable & frustrated. after another. So, what comes into when Those cravings are driven by hormones it comes to emotional imbalance is your leptin & ghrelin. Leptin which is your breathing. Your deep breathing is in satiety hormone; if that is suppressed your control. It’s inexpensive & free but you’re going to constantly feel hungry & we’re so lazy to do it every single day. ghrelin which is the hunger hormone is So, breathing can bring about hormones raised. People with less sleep have supin balance every single day when you pressed leptin & raised ghrelin. Hence do it the right way. If you are stressed you can’t control your cravings. This is cortisol goes up. The one thing that can why anyone who gives you advice to bring down cortisol immediately is not control your cravings & you lose weight your antidepressant, stress drugs, alco- it’s never going to work. You got to hol, smoking, drugs or anything than change the terrain of your body balance your breath. You take one deep breath & your hormones, so those cravings & cortisol comes down. You take six & start reducing naturally. You can’t use it comes down further. It’s as simple as willpower to fight it as willpower has a that. This is why you look at an accident shelf life. You win for maybe a week or victim no matter what the case is the two weeks & you’ll be frustrated & defirst they’ll put on the accident victim pressed & then you’ll break & you binge. is an oxygen mask to resume balance in the human body. Breath, oxygen, prana The human body is intelligent & knows & yet it’s the most misused inexpensive how to balance your hormones. There is commodity on this planet. no healer, nutritionist, doctor or scientists who has yet understood how horEssential oils - Oils like lavender, fen- mones communicate with one another. nel, sandalwood & thyme essential oils; Therefore there’s only one drug to treat you can light in the diffuser & smell. one symptom at one time. Some people ingest it & this can bring a hormonal balance. A lot of women take Luke Coutinho

BANDRA BUZZ

JULY 2018

Winners of the East Indian Master Chef Contest alongisde Chef Michael Swamy

India’s first ever East Indian Master Chef organised at St. Andrews College The monthly East Indian Baazaar held at St. Andrew’s College Cafeteria; had an event in July 2018. To take this to the next level, MGP organized the first ever East Indian Master Chef Contest – judged by Chef Michael Swamy. Those present were ecstatic, when the 12 contestants; presenting their creative home-made ‘desserts’ – with an East Indian culinary twist, were presented to the audience.

There were several highlights: - Many traditional desserts of the community came to the fore. The joys of seeing forgotten desserts, was awesome. - One gentleman told us that he was seeing and tasting ‘Honey Balls’, after almost 4 decades. - The creation of ‘old’ into ‘new’ by Sachin Pereira and Christina Kinny, added a new dimension.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

12 contestants prepared mouth-watering East Indian desserts - Creativity came to the fore, with the London at leading food establishments ‘Lugra Styled Dessert’. and under Michelin-starred chefs. He is a corporate chef for an international An exciting display of mouth-watering food company in India – and writes on Pancakes, Gadbad Bread Pudding, Letri, food for newspapers and magazines. He Honey Comb, Khandi, Caramel Custard has been featured on TV and has just and Pitti Cha Laddoo got everyone on completed heading the food team for their edge. Who would be the winners? Master Chef India - Season I. Contesting for ‘Desserts’, the winners Needless to say, Chef Michael Swamy Candida Remedios opted to go tradition- had fun judging the competition - deal with her ‘Gaula’, while Sachin Pereira signed by Rita Rodricks and Penny Miopted for a modern culinary twist. An- randa of the Mobai Gaothan Panchayat, gela Nunes & Dale Pereira won a prize headed by Alphi and Gleason. The next for their Dual Colour Roasted Almond contest will be held at the same ven‘Thali Sweet’ - which is actually a coco- ue, on Saturday, 11th August 2019, with nut cake. This was an excellent platform ‘snacks’ as the theme. You would not to recognize the culinary talent of locals. want to miss this – so, mark your diary. Michael Swamy is a Cordon Bleu Chef and culinary professional, trained in Rocky Fernandes

BANDRA BUZZ

COMMUNITY NEWS

JULY 2018

MT. CARMEL PARISH CELEBRATES 124TH ANNIVERSARY Mt. Carmel Parish Novenas is a wonderful opportunity for us to come together and rejoice & be glad as a community. The festivities begin with a bang. The 9 days of novenas commence with the 1st, 3 days homily being preached in Marathi, the next 3 days in Konkani and the last 3 days in English. The Cantors of the Parish who sing for daily mass come together to sing as a choir for all the 9 days to make it an enriching experience for all who attend. The best part is the singing is in Marathi, Konkani & English giving the parishioners a taste of regional flavor and yet celebrating the much needed spiritual unity in diversity. The theme this year was based on the Holy Father’s latest Apostolic Exhortation “Gaudate et Exsultate” (meaning Rejoice and Be Glad) and the priests preachers did an amazing job. Every day after the evening mass the communities of our parish conducted a sale of mouth-watering delicacies.

The Feast Mass at 10am was celebrated by Bishop Allwyn D’Silva who was welcomed at the junction near Jeff Caterers at 9am and brought in procession to the Church by the traditional horse carriage. Blessed scapulars & a slice of cake were distributed at all masses. In the evening, 6 zonal teams participated in the Carmel Carnival organized by the Mount Carmel Youth Movement. The mascots and the cheer leaders were a treat to watch as they cheered their teams on & performed their dance numbers with gusto. 14 water games were planned so creatively that would get all the teams to participate fully. Peppy music added an extra zest bringing everyone to the center of the court to shake a leg. The Parish Feast festivities brings the whole Parish together and it’s a treat to watch everyone bonding, dancing and wearing their traditional attire. Elaine D’Souza Pic Courtesy: Darren Pinto

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Bishop was brought in procession to the Church by the traditional horse carriage

Zone Luke - Winners of the Carmel Carnival 2018

JULY 2018

BANDRA BUZZ

New age Career Choices In my third & final part of this journey I had the opportunity of meeting an amazing person who chose very niche career for herself is a reigning queen of her industry. A woman’s best friend is jewelry & when the jewelry we wear speaks that is even more amazing Nikki Reed says “I like for jewelry to tell a story and to be able to talk about what I’m wearing. That’s more important to me than a name, brand, or label.” Priya Saberwal – fits into this quote perfectly. A warm, graceful Punjabi who stole my heart the minute I met her, she has given jewelry a new definition all together. Priya a few lines about you? I’ve been born & brought up in Aamchi Mumbai, did my schooling from Auxilium Convent & then went onto do my graduation in commerce from MMK college.

fordable and relatable. In 2015 my husband & I relocated to Mumbai & then the House of Nirvair Jewels was born. A little about Nirvair Jewels? The Classic Original Collection of Inscribed Soulful Jewellery. Thanks to my father’s guidance that the religious jewellery segment had potential I started working in that direction. I wanted to design something personalised and soulful for my husband on our wedding, which led me to create this Gold Kada (bangle) inscribed with a line from our Holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib which meant prosperity and well-being. Little did I know that this would strike an immediate connect with everyone who saw it & from there thanks to the grace of the almighty there has been no looking back.

How did you grow Nirvair Jewels? I started looking at ways to expand From graduation in comand build this product line merce what was next? as a brand. I, along with Always curious to my team of kaarigars explore new avstarted constant enues, I was and rigorous R&D amongst those on the differwho would ent styles that gain and lose can be created interest in a with the same Gold Kada (bangle) inscribed subject at the concept, arwith a line from the Guru drop of a hat. eas that reGranth Sahib which meant There was quire to be prosperity and well-being no course I improved had left unupon, producexplored, and tion issues, a one week quality control, hobby course in customer satisDiamond Grading faction, rectifying was one of them. loopholes, etc. SevOnly difference, this eral samples are first time I was mesmerized created for every new by the world of Diamonds. style before it is displayed to Parallel to this I pursued my the clients. M.Com and then my Post Graduation in Every sample is tested and further Entrepreneurship from NMIMS. refined upon based on numerous paNext, I took up the Diploma in Dia- rameters to bring them to the best posmond Grading from The International sible value and finish, before the final Gemological Institute and later did a piece is launched. ‘Jewellery in Organised Retail’ from the Today, Nirvair Jewels is about two Indian Institute of Gems and Jewelry, by respective segments growing hand in this time I was 25. hand, the Spiritiual/Soulful Jewellery Brand and the Custom made Luxury How did you move ahead once you line of Fine Jewels. Both segments with completed your courses? different goals and different approachI started working even before I knew it. I es, the core values remaining the same. was making jewellery without any profit Each and every piece is unique at Nirfor extended family and friends, which vair. gave me my hands on experience in the industry. I went on and created a small The journey been thus far? niche in my circle for custom made lux- I’m blessed with an even more comury jewellery. What was being made by mitted and loyal work force and team me was not available at the regular gold- of kaarigars. Yes there are ups & downs smiths. but I take each day as it comes. Each day I’m exploring my creativity, I have Any turning point in your life? a long way ahead and with much more At 26 I got married & moved to Delhi, to achieve, I thank God for paving this which opened another door of oppor- path for me, my family for their rock soltunity for me, Delhi being a brand con- id support system and all my beautiful scious market I started working towards clients for all the trust & love they have creating something that is unique, af- shown me.

INFOCUS

Your advice to anyone who wants to get into this career? Nothing comes easy one has to put in the hard work. I believe in keeping it simple and at the same time exclusive to each client. It’s exciting to sit with the client and understand their beliefs connect with. The transparent, flexible and approachable relation that I strike with my clients is one of the reasons I’m trusted. It’s important because the jewelry is an i nve s t m e nt which is going to make a personal style statement. Try to create a ‘WIN - WIN’ .. Always, for your customers, employees and suppliers. Making

“

Nothing comes easy one has to put in the hard work. I believe in keeping it simple and at the same time exclusive to each client. It’s exciting to sit with the client and understand their beliefs connect with. The transparent, flexible and approachable relation that I strike with my clients is one of the reasons I’m trusted. It’s important because the jewelry is an investment which is going to make a personal style statement.” Priya Saberwal profit is an aftermath... that will follow! All you ladies & even men want to make a personal style statement with your jewelry contact Priya for an appointment on priya.saberwal@yahoo.com & for all those wanting to make it a career I’m sure your encouraged. To conclude the series whichever career you chose ensure to give it your best, things done with the heart are done the best, the money follows. In the words of Daisaku Ikeda – It’s the heart that matters. Sheetal Mansharamani

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BANDRA BUZZ

JULY 2018

FROM LAWYER TO YOGA TEACHER All of us seem to think of a career change at some point in our lives. Monotonous work, poor work culture, snobby colleagues and the like make us wish we could live on greener pastures. But how many of us do actually take the next step and risk burning our fingers for our own hobbies or passions? Bandra Buzz spoke to Tarini Menezes, a lawyer-turned-yoga teacher to get her story on why she took the plunge from a bustling corporate setting to an entirely different more calming world of yoga. What made you choose law back then? It’s a world apart from what you do now. Becoming a lawyer was never something I dreamed of. In fact quite the opposite, with two lawyers in the family, it was not a career I pondered on in my early days. Needless to say, when I announced my decision to go to law school, my family was a bit surprised. But go to law school I did, while getting a number of prestigious internships under my belt. Whilst in my final year, I was offered a job at one of the best firms in the country as an Associate in their Corporate Law & Projects team. I grabbed it with every part of my being, after all, who didn’t want a job at a fancy law firm, right? For many taking to law as a career, work at the firm can seem stressful. How was it with you? I wish I could say that life as a lawyer was bad from the get-go. For many people, I’m sure it was. But that wasn’t my case. In my first two years as an Associate at the Firm, I kept decent hours, travelled around the world on fancy vacations, met some of the nicest people I know, and everything seemed perfect. It was also during this time that I took to practising yoga at the suggestion of my mother. My first class wasn’t what you’d expect – no fancy vinayasa, inversions or arm balances. It was a lot of sitting still in a posture or asana and being there, being present. I walked out of that class feeling invigorated, relaxed and at ease. I soon found a yoga class and signed up. It was the perfect life – a great job, excellent remuneration and I had ‘me’ time. I loved sitting at my desk, headphones on, and drafting whatever I needed to. Seems like you did indeed have the perfect life. What made you rethink? This didn’t last very long. Shortly after I completed my second year at the firm, things drastically changed. Longer hours with barely any weekends off, work trips with no prior notice, barrage of emails often and WhatsApp messages, a lot of drudgery and stress. Copious amounts of stress quickly turned my seemingly perfect job in to my perfect nightmare. I would dread waking up in the morning, dread going to work, dread seeing my coworkers, dread dealing with my

clients and the buzz of my phone was enough to drive me up the wall every single time. I was always tired, always annoyed, easily set off and my only exercise was walking to the printer and back to my desk. One time, I was on a weekend break at a beach town and at the ding of my email message, I whipped out my laptop and worked the afternoon away. I just could not switch off. Not knowing what to do, I turned to yoga as a way to try to relax. I found a class at a studio close to home and went. By no means was it an easy class or similar to the yoga I had done before, but I walked away with that “yoga high” & I was hooked. I got memberships at three different studios so I always had timing options. I had a mat & a change of clothes in the car just in case I got off work early and could manage to squeeze in a class. I went all in – I got a new yoga wear wardrobe, attended workshops, and finally went on a retreat to Himachal Pradesh. Seven blissful days in the mountain air with yoga mornings, meditation evenings, simple food, no cellphone reception and patchy internet availability. When I look back now, it was these seven days that really changed my life. Quitting can be a really difficult decision with plenty of risks attached. Besides, you were making a decent sum at where you worked. When did you think of quitting? Did you have a back up in mind? Although when asked, I was quick to say that yoga was just exercise, but somewhere it was my escape. My way to avoid thinking that possibly being a lawyer was not for me. It just wasn’t my cup of tea. Embracing these feelings very quietly, I decided to go back to Himachal Pradesh the following year to do my yoga teacher training course, taking baby steps into the unknown. My TTC was all that I hoped for & more, I learned so much about yoga, about myself & met some of the most incredible people. I returned a yoga teacher & began teaching weekend classes on my terrace. That didn’t last very long. Along with my newly found marital status and a promotion at work came tons of work, longer hours, endless meetings and much less time for my own practice, let alone teaching. My life was spiralling out of control – I was constantly on the edge, always anxious and could not switch off from work and relax. Being a Type A personality, afraid of losing control, I neatly swept everything under the proverbial rug for half an year or more until one day it was all too much. I had to quit. I needed to quit. It was when I hadn’t slept for a week - and was in Gurugram for the better part of a month engaged in mindless brunt work, when a client ‘suggested’ I stay the weekend and maybe find a physiotherapist for my hurt shoulder in

Tarini Menezes is a lawyer-turned-yoga teacher Gurugram (rather than go home & keep my appointment with my doctor) - that I had had enough. With my husband’s encouragement and support, I marched into office Monday morning, and quit!

Is this the initial bliss of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel? Instead of waking up every morning dreading my day, I can’t wait to get my day started. That’s not to say there aren’t difficulties being a yoga teacher – from a six figure income to the hustle of maintaining steady clients and paid vacations to wanderlust, I still wouldn’t change it. The feeling of teaching a group of people, guiding them through a class and seeing their “yoga high” faces after our class makes it truly worth it. While I’m still unsure of what the future holds, I’m happy to let it gradually unfold.

When you did quit, which seemed quite the logical thing to do then, you did not have plan to back you up. How did you manage what came next? I was almost a decade in law and had no plans of what came next! Alarmed at this thought, I quickly enrolled myself at another training for six weeks, this time in Mysuru. I returned home from my training, cleared out a room in my house and a few weeks later I was teaching from home. It was around this time a new studio was popping up, I contacted them For Tarini's teaching schedule & updates, and got on board as a teacher. Added to you can follow her on Instagram & Facethe mix were a few private clients, and book - @mumbaiyogi viola, I’ve now been teaching full time for three months with forever to go! Valerian D’Costa

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JULY 2018

BANDRA BUZZ

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The Flesh Trade in Bombay A casual phone call advised me to check out the Mirror Now programme at 9pm that night. The Adv. Gayatri Gokhale, was on the panel in conversation with Faye D’Souza. Adv. Gayatri is the daughter of renowned cardiologist, Dr. Nitin Gokhale, son of the duo couple Drs. Saral and S.G. Gokhale, who together have been responsible for the good health of half the neighbourhood of Bandra. Dr. Nitin and his wife Dr. Priya have taken over the family reigns. And Adv. Gayatri is a xerox of her aunty Nandini Gokhale-Kotwal! Having said that introduction, the issue of the day was the flourishing flesh trade in Mumbai, where two minors were rescued from the brothel, only to be returned to the same business and rescued again. How can this happen in digital Mumbai? I thought it should receive mention that this debate was revealed on Labour Day & also Maharashtra Day, which reveals and reflects on the state of things here. A true Labour of scandal. Adv. Gokhale was most forceful in

her arguments while quoting the Juvenile Act. None of the parameters of the CWC was complied with. She thought that this was a conspiracy and the CBI should step in to investigate how these minors were resent/resupplied into the flesh trade again!!! The Child Welfare office has failed miserably, she said, and shamelessly, without care or concern to the faked documentations provided by so-called dubious-parents. Prostitution is illegal in India, as it is in all of this country. But the relationship between law enforcement and sex workers in India has supposedly altered in recent years. Laws are in place against sex trafficking—the practice of using force to coerce individuals into selling sex. The change reflects a general reconsideration of prostitution laws in many parts of the country and the world. Rather than seeing sex workers as criminals, new theories and laws targeting trafficking present sex workers as victims who need to be rescued from dangerous situations. Those empowered to do the rescuing

are, typically, the police. Who together with the politicians and other regulatory bodies have a tough policing role. The government was unable to clamp on the flesh trade, as its not its priority or consequence! Police, then, don’t seem to be fulfilling a protective function. Instead, the women see the police as a threat. When the sex workers tried to report a crime against themselves or others to police, they were threatened with arrest a third of the time, and police only actually took reports from them 44 percent of the time. More than a quarter of the women said they had been sexually assaulted by police; 9 percent said they had been robbed or beaten by officers. None of the other panellists could answer Adv. Gokhale’s poser of how the rescued minors ended up in the brothels again. The official explanation was pathetic and no responsibility or accountability was admitted and refused to admit the helplessness, much to the irritation of the viewers’. The question on everyone’s minds are how can a multi-religious country like India fostered a social stigma where mothers can kill their daughters for avariciousness or sell their daughter to the flesh trade.

In India it has been suggested, “Trafficking” has changed the language around sex work, but has done little to actually alter the way law enforcement treats women doing sex work. If the goal of prostitution policy is to reduce the harm done to victims, the testimony of many women, here & elsewhere, suggests that it isn’t working yet. Jude Gomes

BANDRA BUZZ

ENVIRONMENT

JULY 2018

Plastic Ban Yet another goof up? Maharashtra government’s Plastic ban has turned out to be yet another fiasco. This government always seems to be quick on imposing bans without actually going into the modalities of each issue. Unfortunately this whole process of the plastic ban has boomeranged miserably just like the Demonetisation & GST exercises in policy making. This new goof up has not only made a severe dent in the economy, but also put many people out of business & created severe job losses. Off course, preserving and protecting environment is our concern, but doing things correctly is the biggest challenge. Haphazard planning as was in the case of ‘DP 2034’, this plastic ban is yet another example of how hopelessly the government’s think tank works. There appears to be a mad rush to get things done in haste only to prove to the public that the present government is doing everything it can to make life of the people comfortable. Yes banning the use of plastic is a good idea, but implementing it correctly requires brains, careful study, getting down to the grass roots, searching for adverse effects on econo-

my & most of all doing away with things that inconvenience the public. None of these seems to be on the agenda of the babus & lawmakers, chairing their committee meetings. In reality it is not the plastic that is harming our environment, choking our drainage & causing undue burden on its disposal as waste. Much before plastic came into existence, life was much simpler with carry on cloth bags, paper bags & cardboard wrappers. But with advancement of technology & the use of plastic for every conceivable use, life has become more complex. Once milk was sold in glass bottles, now it comes in plastic pouches because it is light to carry & easy to pack. There are many examples of how plastic has revolutionised our way of living. And since each & every aspect of daily living is now heavily depended on the use of plastic that disposing it as waste has become a major hazardous problem. There are so many plastic items that we have now grown used to that to forgo it has become annoying & burdensome. So to fix the problem of flooding in the city during the monsoon season, the

government has decided to ban plastic which chokes the drains & sewage lines thereby preventing rain water from flowing out into the sea. Mumbaikars were informed on TV channels & the print media that their city is now monsoon ready & what we see today is the same, neither are we ready nor do we have a viable Disaster Management in place. Every suburb has a history to tell of how the management works. BMC has put in place Inspectors to catch offenders using plastic bags & imposing hefty fines, but they do not have Inspectors to check the quality of road repair, street lighting, cleanliness, garbage collection & list of this misery is endless. In developed countries waste at inception is in itself segregated into solid, liquid, plastic, non-plastic & bio-de-

gradeable substances by residents, which makes the collection & disposal easy. This apparently is not the case in India, as we have not reached that state where the masses are educated enough to understand the gigantic problem of waste disposal. In a way it is our culture to spit on walls, throw garbage anywhere & everywhere, urinate & defecate. And when one goes to correct such people, you are threatened to mind your own business or even thrashed. Off course it is four years since Swachh Bharat came into existence, but has it really made Bharat Swachh? The present government has no experience, rather it is an ‘experimental’ government, try, try and keep on trying till one day it will be history. 2019 is not far. Amar Singh

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COMPUTER SERVICES Laptop & PC service. 4.7/5 satisfaction rating by 35 customers on Google. 2.5 years in the business. 20 years of experience. We also buy/sell old laptops & PCs. Service Centre: We-Fix Computer Services, Next to Dr. Farooqui’s Polyclinic, St. Martin’s Road, Bandra W. Please call Dennis Mendonca on 77386-47535 CORNED TONGUE Available, Delicious Buffalo Corned Tongue & Meat Loaf - Home made with best ingredients - Rs. 400/- No Home Delivery - Call 9820300751 DANCE CLASSES Learn social dancing (Jive/Chacha/ Waltz/Salsa) in easy, fun & flexible sessions. Timings: Mon / Wed 7-8 pm & 8-9 pm, Sat & Sun 5.30-7 pm & 7-8.30 pm, Sun 11-12 am. Venues: St. Peters KG & St. Joseph’s Primary School at Bandra (W). Call Marlon 9820344010.

BANDRA BUZZ JOB WANTED CARE TAKER JOB Educated Lady, looking for a Care Taker/Live-In Companion Job in Mumbai / Pune. Contact Ms Radha Sen 9561090385 JOB VACANCY Orchids, etc is in the business of the sale of exotic indoor flowering plants & cut flower arrangements. Our clients include business houses, HNI’s, 5 star hotels, etc. We have an outlet at 14th Road, Khar, and are looking for an executive to look after the store. Responsibilities will include store sales, handling clients on the phone and walk-in’s, taking care of day-to-day operations and administration, making daily reports, etc. Knowledge of plants is not a pre-requisite, but candidates need to be fluent in English, computer literate, and proficient in the use of social media. Experience of 1-2 years is adequate & freshers are also welcome. Send your resume info@orchidsetc.in or/and call 9920422060

DOG WALKER For your ‘Dog Walking’ requirements, NEEDLE WORK call Benjamin Patel on 98207 72565 Ladies, knitting, crochet, embroidery, dressmaking courses Rs. 1600/- each. IT & GST CONSULTANT Contact Mrs DSilva on 9820451695. Income tax & GST Consultant avail- Orders accepted. Discounts on baby able for e-filing of returns including sets and ready items. GST registration. We also undertake mutual fund for investment and tax REASONABLE COST saving. Call 9323244906 Sunil Khosla HEALTHCARE Clinics (open all through the week): LOST PHYSICAL - Ayurveda Clinic with Panchakarma SHARES/DIVIDENDS theatre, - Dental Clinic with specialiGet doorstep personal service for your ties of Implantologist, Orthodontist, lost physical shares/dividends. Dupli- Endontist, Oral Pathologist, Paedicate procedure & FIR & notary all in- atric Dentistry, Physiotherapy, Eye house. We also offer services in insur- Clinic, Foot Spa & Reflexology, Apple ance of cars/buildings/mediclaim and Diagnostics Collection Centre. Urban other financial consulting services. Community Development Centre, B/34 Elco Arcade, Bandra (West) with 104/B, 14th road. Bandra (W), Mumbai prior appointment. Call 9821172450 400050 Tel: 26006258

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TATTOO “Get a memory of a lifetime” with a Tattoo by renowned lady tattoo artist Shubhangi Ghodke (Rising Dragon tattoo studio.). Separate ladies section. Attractive New year discounts. WhatsApp / Call 9869670535. Email: shubh.ghodke@yahoo.com.

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BANDRA BUZZ

EDITORIAL

JULY 2018

AGAINST ALL ODDS

HILL ROAD · Outside Bandra station ticket counter · Near Bandra station rickshaw stand · Shankar Sidh (near Lucky Restaurant) · P.S. Chavan (outside Studio Perfecta) · Sheshmani Yadav (near Wanton House) · Ajit B Shelar (outside ICICI Bank) · Good Luck Café S.V. ROAD (opp. Bandra Talao) · Shubangi Chandrakant Torasker WATERFIELD ROAD · Indian Express (opp. Post Ofﬁce) KRISHNA CHANDRA MARG · R K Yadav (outside IES College) CHAPEL ROAD · Shiva (outside Mt Carmels Church) · Rajendra Yadav (near Starbucks Coffee) ST. JOHN BAPTIST ROAD · Mt Mary Society Stores · Sandeep bookstall (near Mt Mary Steps)

BAZAAR ROAD · Kalidas Vishram General Stores · Rohit Newspaper (near Kalidas Stores) TURNER ROAD · B.M. Khambe (near D’Decor showroom) · R.K. Yadav (opp. Cafe Coffee Day) · The Bandra Gymkhana · Surendra Amberkar (near Peace Haven) CHIMBAI ROAD · S.R.N/L.R. Yadav (opp. Solanki Chemist) DR. AMBEDKAR ROAD · Bhushan newspaper (opp. 5 Spice) · Uday R Pai (opp. Bombay Barbeque) · Suresh More (near St. Elias High School) JUNCTION OF 24TH & 30TH ROAD · Rajkumar Yadav (opp. St. Theresa)

Our list is constantly growing & will be updated regularly! If you would like to be added to the list call 9820783686 or 9920299787

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Dear Reader, July in Bandra has scenes of dark clouds hovering the horizon; pollution, puddles, potholes and the after effects of the plastic ban. Shopping is a nightmare, amidst screeching traffic traumas. Promenades are deserted, due to the gusty winds and the sudden downpours – with many staying at home, due to a viral fever or severe chest cold. With weather at it’s worst, smiles are scarce. Yet, life carries on. Our authorities shamelessly turn a blind eye to the plight of tax-paying citizens. Clogged drains result in severe flooding of low-lying areas – making roads look like rivers. Thousands of crores are siphoned off via road repair contracts, where the real culprit is the Politician - BMC - Contractor’s unholy nexus, while the quality of material used is of poor quality. This results in potholes that are the cause of traffic jams, accidents and even death. There are several bad roads in and around Bandra, that have caused irreparable harm to innocent people – just because of the greed of those at the helm of affairs. Many cases of sprained hands, legs, back or dislocated shoulders, have been reported. Can we allow this to continue? Your favourite neighbourhood newspaper – Bandra Buzz is your best

POTHOLES Potholes in our roads cause more than just discomfort and car servicing bills. It causes serious back issues, it worsens back issues and can you imagine how it impacts the elderly and sick. Who pays these unnecessary medical bills? Luke Coutinho

Nowhere in the world do roads deteriorate so quickly! I’ve lived in Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia.. St Paul’s Road was redone last year, then redone again as the top layer disappeared within a month. This is corruption! Nothing else Adi Upadhyay

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Regards, Merck N. D’Silva Editor-in-Chief DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this paper, are of the authors - and do not reﬂect the opinion of the publishers and editors, unless otherwise stated. Readers should act on the information provided, only after consulting with their own independent advisors.

Letters to the Editor

Contracts for Mumbai roads should only be given to corporate infrastructure companies like L&Ts, Reliance or Mahindra & Mahindra's Construction arm - There should be a threshold for the companies. Mumbai population and tax generation is bigger that some of the European countries. Schnieder

7 YEARS

platform to highlight the stark reality of your local area, with suggestions to improve the situation. Your voice can create community ripples, to address issues of common concern. Do contact us to ensure that by highlighting important issues, the authorities get the right message and corrective action is taken. We are here – for you. We are surely a determined lot, braving against all odds. Hats off, to the positivity of Mumbaikars & Bandraites in particular. With such an attitude, we can surely change conditions & create a better environment for us.

One day of heavy rainfall & this is what happens to Mumbai roads. Takes 1 day to expose the shoddy job done by the BMC & the education minister declares a holiday close to noon! So much tax money from this city alone & see how they run Mumbai! Rohit Khilnani

Bandra corporators and MLA have made a mess of the once Queen of Suburbs! Whichever road they have touched is today waterlogged with deep craters..none of these roads needed to be redone..this is corruption in the name of work done. Sona Singh We are all at fault for ruining this beautiful city of ours. If caught for traffic violations we will offer a bribe then complain cops are corrupt. If they don’t take the bribe then we name drop and threaten the same cops who are on the streets to protect us. We will buy from hawkers and street vendors but will complain when they spring up in our area. We vote for the same politicians expecting different results from them the honest never get elected and then we sit and complain till the next election where the same cycle repeats. We dump garbage in our Mithi river clog of the drains and then complain of water logging. We build illegal settlement of hill slopes and near the coast and then bare the brunt of landslides. Nothing will change until we all decide to change. I fear for Mumbai city. Rishi Vijan Email your Letter to the Editor on news.bandrabuzz@gmail.com

JULY 2018

BANDRA BUZZ

CAUSE

The Monsoon Relief Drive supported the Homeless in Mumbai Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a few years now, since I have begun building a network of those who love to give, help, support & be responsible citizens & humans of the society as part of The Happy Circle. Initially I began for over 3 years now doing yearly engagements to bring people together to support shelter homes & those in need. But as years have passes the need to help & support those in need has grown & a lot of people as part of this network have suggested that we must have multiple necessary drives and interventions during the year apart from just the yearly outreach, this majorly gave rise to The Monsoon Relief Drive 2018. The work towards the drive began in early June, where me along with others began having conversations with those who live on the streets or in tarpaulin homes to understand their needs and hardships during the monsoons. How mosquitoes, water logging, hunger and lack of hygiene effects their life drasti-

cally & makes them live by the day not knowing where their next meal would come from or hand of support. Post understanding the same I decided to have the drive on the 08th of July and decided to make a poster & reach out to people & asked them to reach out to people as well to donate items that could be used by them like sanitary pads, rain coats, food & medicines to name a few items. The response was quite heart warming as a lot of people across the neighbourhood decided to lend a hand of support & contribute to this wave of help to the unfortunate. This is when I realise time & time again, that we are not short of people that care or want to help, but it is necessary as a community to create that opportunity & outlet for people to reconnect with those in need. Then came 8th July, a Sunday morning where Mother Nature made us realise the hardship people go through showing us high levels of rains and water logging

across the city. This made it difficult for volunteers to come and further made the execution of the drive a challenge. However, at 6am there was a ring on my door and soon a team of 5 gathered, despite of the rains and roadblocks at my door. A drive where we stepped out, spent time with those in need gave them resources and support that really showed them that they are not alone. In one day over a few hours we touched over 4 to 5 different hot spots in Mumbai and reached out to more than 80-100 people and children of different age groups that welcomed us and blessed us for making their rainy day a little more bearable.

I would like to thank each & every one that was involved in this drive & helped impact our fellow brothers & sisters in their time & even to Bandra Buzz for helping spread the word. Thank you for making a difference & part taking in this movement of good, this would not have been possible without you. In case you do have any ideas or identify any need in your city or neighbourhood reach out to us on facebook.com/thehappycircle & stay connected to know more about drives & requirements in Mumbai and other cities as well and to be actively a part of the solution. Alvin Meledath

COMMUNITY NEWS

BANDRA BUZZ

JULY 2018

GAOTHANS ARE NOT SLUMS Over thirty plus, prominent members of the E.I. community (from various Gaothans), gathered at Hotel Avion for a brain storming session, on problems faced by the East Indian community and to find a “Way forward to save our gaothans - to save our existence”. This historic meeting was a fall out of the Kharodi (Malad) incident, where the BMC demolished a couple of houses in the Gaothan (ancestral houses of East Indians which are more than 70 years old – some even 180 years old), for road widening. This was done in the monsoon season - June. Demolition is not an issue over here. The residents were willing for resettlement. However, resettlement under SRA (Slum Rehabilitation Authority) is not acceptable to them. Why should legal residents, living on their ancestral lands, paying all the levies to government; be put at par with slum dwellers, who have encroached on government lands, paying no taxes but enjoying all the benefits? During the brain storming process, it was realised that there is a policy for settlement of slum dwellers is in place, but there is no such policy for Gaothan res-

idents. Hence, the authorities are pushing their way, forcing them to accept a smaller dwelling place under SRA, in lieu of their much larger ancestral homes. At this stage, it dawned upon those present, that a separate Gaothan Policy, is an order of the day, if our Gaothans are to be saved from going the SRA way. Authorities will not bring in this policy, on their own, because it will be against the interest of their friends - The Builders, who want to exploit gaothan lands, under SRA. This is an easy way to do so. Hence this meeting was called to find a solution to this growing menace, where the following community members attended: 1) Audrey D’Souza (Architect), 2) Alfonso Tao, 3) Angelo Galbano, 4) Anthony Gracias, 5) Avion Misquitta, 6) Brendon Bracko (Ex DCP), 7) Christopher Rodrigues, 8) Coleman Pereira (Pali Village, Bandra), 9) Dennis D’Souza, 10) Adv. Floyd Gracias (Supreme Court) – Bandra, 11) Florence Pereira, 12) Adv. Godfrey Pimenta, 13) Gloria Moraes, 14) Greg Pereira, 15) Herbert Barretto, 16) Englebert Baptista, 17) Johnson Misquitta, 18) Capt. Kiesler Pereira (DP Vessel), 19) Lancelot D’Silva (Ranwar, Band-

ra), 20) Ladislaus Pereira, 21) Lenster Rodrigues, 22) Merck D'Silva (Bandra Buzz - Editor), 23) Michael D’Souza, 24) Melville Murzello (Bandra) 25) Nicholas Almeida (Ex-Corporator) 26) Adv. Ralston Fernandes, 27) Ryan D'Souza, 28) Shifra Patel, 29) Adv. Sulendra Farro, 30) Steffie Maurice Kinny (BMC Councillor), 31) Savio Couthino, 32) Adv. Tulip Miranda (BMC Councillor), 33) Theresa Aguiar (Pali Village, Bandra), 34) Adv. Vivian D'Souza, 35) Yogesh D’Souza. After deliberating for around six hours, it was unanimously “Resolved that Gaothans shall be defended & protected for its status, culture & existence.” Every member was permitted to speak for an unlimited time, to express their views and ideas; on how he would be helping the community, thereby saving Gaothans from being termed as slums. A proposal was put up by Greg Pereira, to create a separate forum to take up various community issues with governing authorities. However, after much debate, it was unanimously agreed that authorities would not pay much attention to a recent entity. The next best option was then explored. Finally, it was decided to use a platform of any of the existing association. The Bombay East Indian Association (BEIA), stood out on the basis of its over one hundred years of existence (Estd. in 1887) & history. Greg Pereira was chosen as a ‘convenor’ to head this wing (interacting with government authorities), and will be doing it with the help of his team; chosen from various gaothans & association heads independently, though, under the aegis of BEIA.

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BMC demolished a couple of houses in the Gaothan (ancestral houses of East Indians which are more than 70 years old – some even 180 years old), for road widening in June. The residents were willing for resettlement. However, resettlement under SRA is not acceptable to them. Why should legal residents, living on their ancestral lands, paying all the levies to government; be put at par with slum dwellers, who have encroached on government lands, paying no taxes but enjoying all the benefits?”

Some students from Kamla Raheja College of Architecture, Juhu; doing their Masters Course in Urban Design; attended the entire session - taking notes of the proceedings. They are studying the East Indian Community in Bombay, focusing majorly on Gaothans. This meeting was ‘a sort of foundation stone laying ceremony’, to find solutions to the problems faced by the East Indian community and to get back to its lost glory, beginning with “Save gaothans from being termed as slums”. With one voice, it was agreed by all present, that “Gaothans are not slums – and how dare that we are equated with slums (which is on encroached land)” Greg Pereira

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