The Golden Sparrow on Saturday 15/11/2014

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

PUNE, NOVEMBER 15, 2014 | www.goldensparrow.com

SPOTLIGHT

TGS LIFE

Pune Connects with innovation & enterprise P8-9

Pune’s Pedal Pushers

Dear Srinivas Bonala,

Let’s restore these neglected subways and become

Swachh Pune Champions Open letter to Pune’s Chief Traffic Planner and Pune Municipal Corporation’s Additional City Engineer (Traffic), Srinivas Bonala. See p3

Signposts India successfully test-fires n-capable Prithvi-II missile India on Friday successfully testfired its nuclear-capable surface-to-surface Prithvi-II missile from a military base in Odisha, a senior defence official said. The indigenously-developed ballistic missile with a maximum range of 350 km was fired from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur-on-sea in Balasore district, about 230 km from Bhubaneswar. IANS

NASA: Black hole producing mysterious particles The giant black hole at the centre of the Milky Way may be producing mysterious particles called neutrinos, say NASA scientists. Neutrinos are tiny particles that carry no charge and interact very weakly with electrons and protons. “Figuring out where high-energy neutrinos come from is one of the biggest problems in astrophysics today,” said Yang Bai from University of Wisconsin in Madison. IANS

SPORTS

ISRO to pump in `30 crore in Pune district firm Walchandnagar Industries to expand aerospace machine division for space technology BY ASHISH PHADNIS @ phadnis_ashish

And as their trusted partner for a long time, they have decided to fund us a machinery of approximately Rs 30-35 Walchandnagar Industries Ltd (WIL), crore for expansion. I feel this is a big known for delivering mission critical decision for us and we are happy that components for the Indian Space they want more from us,” said GK Pillai, Research Organisation managing director and (ISRO) for over four CEO of Walchandnagar decades is set to receiving Industries. funding of Rs 30-35 crore He said the process from ISRO to upgrade would be cleared in the its facilities for future next 6-7 months. “Basically missions. they are giving us specially E q u i p m e n t designed machines and manufactured by WIL, we will be churning out have been successfully components for them. It’s used in the recent Mission a mutual contract between GK PILLAI to Mars (Mangalyaan) us,” he added. mission besides the WIL has also launching of Rohini, been contributing to Sross, IRS, G-SAT and the Defence Research other satellites. and Development Riding high on Organisation (DRDO) ISRO’s confidence, WIL and the Ministry of is now planning to expand Defence since 1980. capacities. WIL’s defence production “India’s advanced division will undergo space programme has put expansion. us in an elite global group. Contd on p 10

“We are happy that ISRO wants more from us”

Slum kids overcome poverty, shine Children born in slums are climbing the ladder of education and taking up jobs ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

Instead they go to school, put in hours for study, help their parents with home work or even a part time job, but stay focussed on their dream...of untying the noose of poverty they are born with. This is not the case with all children born in slums but the numbers are significant. Says Vijay Shinde who lives in a two room shanty in Wanowrie, “About 30% to 40% families who live here in this vasti have their kids who are going in for higher studies or professional courses.” Like his son and daughter, Shubhum and Deeksha. Shubhum has just completed his diploma in Civil Engineering and is working Vijay and Vaishali Shinde with their children Deeksha (left) and Shubhum (right) towards a degree. So why didn’t he go in for a degree in civil engineering instead? BY NAMITA SHIBAD swept and swabbed houses. But Says Shubhum, “The thing is @ nshibad not any longer. that a degree course is very Poverty and illiteracy were the noose you Quietly and doggedly, Children’s expensive. Non-government inherited a generation back if you were young boys and girls are colleges charge Rs 30,000 Day born to a kaamwali (maid servant) and her rewriting their destiny. They pa as fees for a degree but at Special Wadia College where I studied watchman or rickshaw driver husband. live in one room shanties, they As a child you tagged along with struggle for wholesome meals and it was just Rs. 7,850.” your mother, sitting silently without any cool clothes but they do not accompany Contd on p 3 display of childish activity while she mama to her work.

Back to the arena P 16

The Robin Raphel Saga This is what happened in Washington that day

Abhay Vaidya, who was The Times of India’s Washington Correspondent during 1993-94, recalls that day in October 1993 when the US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Robin Raphel set off a diplomatic explosion by rejecting India’s Instrument of Accession vis-a-vis Kashmir Now in the news for being investigated by the FBI for possible espionage, ex-American diplomat Robin Raphel came into sharp focus for the first time in October, 1993. This was after a “background briefing” for journalists from South Asia in which she triggered a diplomatic explosion by rejecting India’s Instrument of Accession and the nation’s claim to Kashmir by virtue of this instrument. The Clinton administration h a d newly created a South Asia division under the State Department and Raphel was appointed as its first head. Raphel’s former husband Arnold was the US Ambassador to Pakistan and was killed in the 1988 plane explosion along with Pakistani President Gen Zia-ul-Haq. After a stint in New Delhi, Robin Raphel had moved to a posting in Washington. “Background briefings” which were meant to give the official US position on various issues were a routine with the press corps in Washington. We were allowed to report on these briefings but the person giving the briefing could only be identified in our news reports as a “senior administration official”. October 29, 1993 was one such day and this was Robin Raphel’s first

interaction in her new capacity with the South Asian journalists in the US capital. What struck me right from the start of the briefing at the US Information Agency’s Foreign Press Center was her light-hearted and casual demeanour. I was there as The Times of India’s Washington Correspondent and it seemed odd that a diplomat in a sensitive position like hers could be unguarded in what she was saying. This was the p e r i o d when

terrorism was at its peak in India. In the US, K ashmir was the top a g e n d a

Center, and Indian journalists were also engaged in press meets called by Kashmiri separatists, Khalistanis and Pannun Kashmir representatives, apart from covering official briefings and fresh developments. It was amidst this charged environment that Raphel, during her background briefing, rather carelessly and categorically told us assembled journalists that “the U.S. did not recognise” India’s Instrument of Accession and India’s claim to the state of Jammu & Kashmir by virtue of this instrument. Her precise words as recorded in the official American transcript were: “As I said, we view Kashmir as a disputed territory. We do not recognise...(pause)...that instrument of accession as meaning that Kashmir is forevermore an integral part of India. And there are many issues at play in that time frame, as we all here know.” The Indian press corps was barely a handful and present along with me at that briefing were NC Menon from the Hindustan Times, Bharat Bhushan (The

The FBI investigations and Raphel In a major development last week, the residence of Robin Raphel (67), a former senior US diplomat was searched by FBI investigators in connection with “access to classified materials” and possible espionage. A one-time ambassador to Tunisia and former Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Raphel, after retirement, was employed by a firm lobbying for the Pakistan government. She was seen as openly pro-Pakistan in Indian diplomatic circles. for Indian and Pakistani diplomats. There was a virtual tug of war between both nations to get the US to make a favourable statement. The Kashmir tangle was the top subject of analysis for think tanks like the Stimson

Indian Express), C Raja Mohan (The Hindu), R Akhileshwari (Deccan Herald), CK Arora (UNI), TV Parshuram (PTI) and Aziz Hanifa from the IANS. Contd on p 10

CHILDREN’S DAY COMPETITION The 2014 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded jointly to eminent social worker Kailash Satyarthi in recognition of his crusade against child labour. As a tribute to him, we invite the Children of Pune to participate in

The Golden Sparrow’s Children’s Day Competition Children, send us your paintings, poems & essays on

CHILD LABOUR IN INDIA

Mention your name, age, standard, school’s name and contact number in your entry. Last Date for Receiving Entries: Saturday, 22nd November

3 Grand Winners & 5 consulation prizes in each category will be announced in this newspaper Entries may be sent to: contest.tgs@gmail.com or The Golden Sparrow on Saturday, 1641, Madhav Heritage, Tilak Road, Pune - 411030. Tel: 020-24324332/33


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