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THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2015

PUNE

MUMBAI Freefor-all at Wakdewadi P 13

“We were expecting Fadnavis will take stringent measures to reduce prices of pulses, but he has failed to take action against erring traders.”

—Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Leader of Opposition

Matka king’s son in parking mess Likes of Motilal Oswal and a senior executive of Standard Chartered Bank among the aggrieved

BY BAPU DEEDWANIA @TGSWeekly There is battle raging over parking space in a plush South Mumbai society.

Several residents of sea-kissing Queens Boulevard in Walkeshwar, South Mumbai, have ganged up against one of the members. The flat owners allege that Vinod Bhagat, son of late Matka King Kalyanji Bhagat, has become a nuisance and that he is blocking entrance to parking slots.

The residents, who have formed a Condominium (an alternative model to co-operative society) claim that Bhagat routinely parks his high-end cars in such a manner that others cannot move their vehicles in or out. Moreover, his vehicles parked in designated children’s play area are an “eyesore”. Taking on Bhagat are the likes of Motilal Oswal (head of Motilal Oswal Securities), Shishir Mehta (head of famous spare parts manufacturer Shantilal C Mehta & Co), Sanjeeb Chaudhari (Global Chief Marketing Officer and Regional Head, South Asia, Standard Chartered Bank), among others residing at Queens Bulevard. The residents of the 11-storey building on the seafront have moved Bombay High Court against Bhagat.

given possession of three flats on January 15, 2012, recorded in a Memorandum of Agreed Terms (MOAT).

After this MOAT, there arose several disputes and differences between Bhagat and LD over construction at the building, outstanding payments and other defaults. Th is led to Bhagat fi ling a writ petition against LD and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in 2013, alleging illegal construction at the building.

The HC said that BMC should look into Bhagat’s contention as per municipal laws and disposed of the writ. Bhagat fi led a separate suit in the city civil court against LD alleging that he was being obstructed in entering the building. Bhagat also fi led several complaints against LD and his security persons at the Malabar Hill police station.

On the other hand, LD alleged that Bhagat parks his vehicles in the middle of the driveway of the building, causing inconvenience and nuisance to the other residents, visitors and employees of Queens Boulevard despite being given separate nine-car parking spaces. LD fi led a suit against Bhagat in the City Civil Court in 2013 and sought a stay, saying that Bhagat be stopped from causing this nuisance and be directed to use his allotted car parks.

Bhagat, in that matter gave a statement cum undertaking before the court that he would not cause any obstruction in the building and would park his cars at the allotted spaces. The City Civil Court disposed of the matter in light of this undertaking given by Bhagat.

However, Bhagat continued to park his cars in the middle of the driveway.

Being aggrieved by the continuing obstruction caused by Bhagat and complaints of the other residents LD once again fi led a fresh suit in 2013 before the Cit y

Bhagat accused of parking his cars blocking others entry and exit

BHAGAT OWNED THE PLOT The Queen Boulevard Condominium (QBC) which consists of nine members in total, filed a suit against Bhagat and Santa Cruz- based Lakshachandi Developers (LD) this year. The suit mentions that prior to May 18, 2007, Bhagat was the owner of the old building called ‘Vijay Mahal’. Post this, via a development agreement, LD obtained the rights to develop the old building.

As per this agreement, Bhagat was paid Rs 34. 55 crore and allotted three flats, numbers 1001, 1002 and 2003, on the topmost floor along with nine car parking spaces in the new building, called Queens Boulevard.

FIGHT BETWEEN BHAGAT AND LD Differences arose between the two regarding construction and in 2012, after detailed negotiations, Bhagat and LD resolved their disputes, LD paid a lump sum of Rs 3.50 crore to Bhagat in settlement of his claims.

Bhagat was also

Civil Court, seeking a permanent stay on Bhagat causing any obstruction in the building owing to misuse of the driveway. He also urged the court that the Malabar Hill Police station be directed to remove the vehicles parked

by Bhagat in the common areas of the building and arrest Bhagat to ensure compliance of the order of the court, in case it was not followed.

BHAGAT’S SAY IN THE MATTER By 2014, it was clear that the fight between Bhagat and LD was far from over. Bhagat at his end issued a notice to QBC through his lawyer Piyush Shah on November 3, 2014.

A copy of the notice available with TGS shows that Bhagat said that LD has committed breach of the development agreement and has carried out unauthorised and illegal construction at the building. Bhagat also said that some of the members of the QBC are LD’s persons and are the ones causing trouble to the other residents. Bhagat states that LD owes a huge sum to him as per the development agreement which has still not been paid despite several reminders. He reiterated that he was the original landlord of the old Vijay Mahal and had given the rights to LD to develop the building.

Since, the terms of the development agreement were not complied with, he was forced to initiate legal action against LD. Bhagat also questioned the formation of the condominium and termed it an illegal exercise initiated by LD for some ulterior gains. He notified QBC that the formation of QBC itself was illegal and that he has been pursuing various cases against LD in courts and any sort of dealing of the members of the building with LD would be illegal and attract legal action.

QBC STEPS IN QBC said that formation of the condominium was fully legal under the Maharashtra Apartment Ownership Act, 1970. A para-wise response was sent to Bhagat’s notice by QBC’s lawyer, Forum Vora of Amicus Lex & Associates.

QBC then asked Bhagat to remove his cars which were causing obstruction. They also asked him to pay the dues on maintenance and other facilities. Bhagat was notified that he owed the QBC a huge sum. However, it’s alleged that Bhagat desisted from receiving this notice sent out on November 20, 2014.

On December 23, 2014, QBC sought help from the Malabar Hill police asking them to take action against

Bhagat being a continuous nuisance in the building much to the harassment of other members of the QBC. However, the Malabar Hill Police did not take any action.

In response to the notice sent out of QBC, Bhagat went ahead and dragged QBC to the Registrar of Co-operative Societies on December 24, 2014.

LEFT WITH NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE QBC, left with no other alternative, fi led a suit in Bombay High Court asking for a restraining order against Bhagat for causing nuisance in the building and against LD as well to make payments due by him to the Condominium.

QBC TOLD HC Despite being allotted separate nine car parks, Bhagat parks his cars in front of the basement car elevator, causing difficulty for other members to park or move their cars to the upper floors.

Cars are parked in the children’s play area which are not for parking but are common areas to be enjoyed by all.

Bhagat uses tarpaulins to cover his cars, which in turn cover the children’s play area and is also an eyesore.

Bhagat and LD despite repeated requests have not paid their maintenance and outgoings. QBC said that the Income Tax department has attached three of Bhagat’s flats.

HC ORDER An order passed by Justice Gautam S Patel in this matter read: “As regards the dispute about the car parking spaces, all members of the society and the 1st Defendant (Bhagat) shall ensure that the car lifts in the building are kept clear of all obstructions. They shall also ensure that their use of the driveway for parking does obstruct the use by other members.”

QBC CONTEMPT PETITION However, QBC has recently moved a contempt petition against Bhagat, after he failed to comply with Justice Patel’s order as well. “Thus, it is necessary to take strict action against his cats of deliberate and wilful contempt by appointing a Court Receiver to remove his cars from front of the car lifts in basement level 1 and 2, as well the children’s play area, common areas, etc after being clamped,” reads the contempt petition.

The matter will be heard on November 19 by Justice Roshan S Dalvi who at the last hearing asked QBC to inform as to which car can be parked in which car space allotted to Bhagat. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

HC steps in to help students with learning disability

40 per cent of urban slum children yet to be immunised

The Bombay High Court has asked the Union government to fi le an affidavit

by December 9, informing it about the recommendations it proposes to make for establishing learning disability centres all over Maharashtra.

A bench of the court also asked the Maharashtra government to coordinate with the Centre for acquiring funds from it for establishing such learning disability centres.

The HC was hearing a petition fi led by Dr Haresh Shetty, a psychiatrist, seeking a direction to the government to help children suffering from learning disability.

Government pleaders Geeta

The immunisation of children in the city’s slums has been found to be way below at 60 per cent of the target of complete cover, according to a survey by an NGO “Child Rights and You”.

The Child Rights and You (CRY) sample survey found that though the scenario had improved in the past few years, still 40 per cent of slum children were yet to be brought under the immunisation cover.

The sample survey was conducted in 18 slums of Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, New Delhi and Kolkata.

The CRY works for the underprivileged children and for the protection of child rights.

Shastri and J S Saluja submitted a report to the HC on progress made towards establishment of learning disability centres at government medical colleges and hospitals in Maharashtra.

The report also mentioned that these centres are set up at KEM Hospital in Mumbai and Sassoon Hospital in Pune and that the Central government proposes to start learning disability centres in 32 districts of the state.

The bench noted that the report has stated the dates on which learning disability Centres will become functional.

The judges said they hoped the

time schedule mentioned in the report is adhered to and the centres become operational on the date on which they are given the necessary equipment.

Justices V M Kanade and Anil Menon asked the committee appointed by it earlier to look into this report and give its suggestions to the officers working with the Central and state governments. “Unfortunately, we find that the Central government has not made any recommendations and their counsel is also not present for hearing,” said the judges recently while asking the Centre to fi le an affidavit on December 9.

PTI

The study report said, “Immunisation being one of the most critical components for children’s survival in the fi rst six years, vaccination status in the slums of Kolkata falls short of expectation.”

The household sample survey called “Are Children Getting A Healthy Start?” for children between the agegroup of one to six years revealed that 58 per cent of the surveyed children received at least one dose of recommended vaccination.

“There is also a slight gender imbalance evident in the collected data with 61.2 per cent boys within one to three years age-group being fully

vaccinated, while in the case of girls, it is about 56.5 per cent,” the study revealed. Delhi fares much worse than Kolkata in this regard, with less than one-third of the children fully vaccinated (about 31 per cent) under the age of three years, CRY CEO Puja Marwaha said.

With respect to Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) delivery provisions, findings of the sample survey suggest that 87 per cent of the respondent parents were fairly happy with the way growth monitoring of children was regularly done in the ICDS centres across the city.

PTI

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We are the world

RAHUL RAUT

Kalyani clan courtroom saga intensifies Parents Gaurishankar and Rohini accused of being hand in glove with daughter Sheetal

BY GARGI VERMA @missgverma

Baba Kalyani

Pune has a constant flow of young volunteers from foreign shores who are doing their bit to make the world a better place See Spotlight, p06 & 07

Sharad Pawar’s nephew sued by a Pune landowner ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

Pingale, who gave his two acre property on rent, has accused Pawar of cheating and forgery. He wants his overdue rent for three years and his property back

BY GITESH SHELKE AND YOGESH SADHWANI @TGSWeekly

Sharad Pawar’s nephew Jayant Pawar is in the limelight yet again.

A land owner from Koregaon Park, Pune has accused Pawar of cheating and forgery. Sharad Pingale, 86, has filed a criminal and also a civil case against Pawar, his wife Nicola and Jonas Holdings Pvt Ltd (JHPL), a company that Pawar used to run, among others.

Contd on p 4

Malnourished girl fighting for her life Two and a half year old Radha is paying a price for the delay on the part of her parents. She weighs mere 4.2 kgs. Her parents refused to take her to a hospital as they did not have any faith in medical fraternity

Contd on p 5

Sheetal Kalyani

The Kalyani clan legal wrangles are getting more intense. At the November 5 hearing, Sulochana Kalyani’s lawyers accused the parents, Gaurishankar and Rohini of being hand in glove with their daughter, Sheetal Kalyani who has sought partition of family wealth and filed a suit for the same in Pune Civil Court.

The courtroom was packed to the rafters on the noon of November 5, everyone eager to see what came next in the elite family’s current feud. The post-lunch hearing in the Civil Courtroom number 6, was presided over by Judge V S Malkapatte Reddy, and was attended by four sets of lawyers representing individuals from the Kalyani family.

Contd on p2

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2015

PUNE

“There is very little difference between over-speeding and rash driving and most offenders have been found to be two-wheeler drivers. The problem is that a reckless driver endangers not only his own life, but also that of others.”

— Sarang Awad, Deputy Commissioner of Police (traffic)

Engineering, medicine and academia no longer prime

Now a model to fight nicotine habit

P8

P9

Diwali bonanza eludes MSRTC MSRTC extra buses for the festive season are running empty as people prefer the luxury of private buses

Only 86 illegal hoardings in Pune: PMC The civic body claims their survey found mere 86 illegal hoardings, while corporators point out their proliferation

BY EKTA KATTI @Ektaak

BY SUSHANT RANJAN @sushantranjan

tra ST buses. “I don’t know about this MSRTC initiative. I always take private buses to go home. Obviously the ST administration is not doing much publicity about the extra buses.”

Aurangabad resident and engineer Nitin Tiwari said, “I prefer private transport that is more comfortable than ST buses. I don’t mind paying extra for comfort and luxury,” he said.

But MSRTC is claiming good passenger response. MSRTC divisional controller Shailesh Chavan said, “We have good response from Western Maharashtra, that is Kolhapur, Sangli and Mahabaleshwar passengers, who have reserved their seats. We provide a good alternative to private operators who charge high rates during the festive season.”

MSRTC buses to Marathwada VISHAL KALE

Pune division of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) is running a total of 2,150 buses on different routes, in face of the extra load of passengers owing to the Diwali festive season. But the paradox is that MSRTC buses are running empty as the average passenger prefers travelling by private buses.

Modern College student Sonam Jangid, 19, always takes a private bus to travel to her hometown Parbhani. She said, “I prefer private buses as ST buses take much longer to reach Parbhani.

And ST buses does not have sleeper coaches which private bus fleets do.”

Bank employee from Nagpur, Mohit Ghatavai, is also unaware of the ex-

and Vidarbha will leave from College of Engineering, Pune ground. Chavan said, “During Diwali, on weekends there will be 543 buses leaving from CoEP ground.”

MSRTC buses will leave from Shivajinagar, Swargate, Pune station, Pimpri-Chinchwad and the CoEP ground, between November 7 and 13.

Th is year MSRTC will be running 250 more buses than last year. Out of the 2,150 buses, 932 will be available for reservations.

Private tour and travel operators says that they will not be effected by the MSRTC extra buses. A booking clerk at Sangam bridge private bus stand, said, “We are not worried about MSRTC buses as we will not be affected.”

Passengers are shelling out extra

for the Diwali season. The increase in rates is as follows: Pune-Nagpur - Rs 2200 to Rs 3,000; Pune-Bengaluru Rs 1,600 to Rs 2,100; The PuneAhmedabad Rs 2,000 and PuneMumbai Rs 700, are close to double the usual fare.

Chavan said that the MSRTC will earn more than Rs six crore this festive season. MSRTC spends Rs 36 to 45 per kilometre. So on a ST bus from Swargate bus station to Kolhapur, 237 km away from Pune, MSRTC spends Rs 8532, which works out to Rs 17,064 including the return journey. A ticket to Kolhapur from Swargate is worth Rs 385, and the shortage of passengers is hitting ST profits, which has hike fares by Rs 50 to make up for it. sushant.ranjan@goldensparrow.com

The Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) Sky Sign department has put the number of legal hoardings in city limits at 1652, during a recent survey. Of these, 86 hoardings are illegal, of which 53 have been inspected while 33 remain to be reviewed.

Vadgaon corporator Yogesh Mulik said, “I don’t know how the PMC has assessed the hoardings, because there are 60 illegal hoardings in my ward alone.” The assessment of hoardings in Vadgaon was according to the Control of Advertisement and Hoarding Rules 2003.

Double hoardings which are likely to fall are a concern for the residents of Kharadi. “The double hoardings are precarious and may fall any time. Some so no adhere to the 2003 norms,” he said.

Illegal hoarding at Neelayam Chowk

According to the rules, hoardings are not allowed with 25 metres of a signal.

Gurunanak Nagar corporator Avinash Bagwe has been involved with the scourge of illegal hoardings since 2012. “The rules state that hoardings are not to be put up on walls as they weaken and reduce the durability of a building and should not obstruct ventilation.

But there are scores of hoardings on malls and other walls,” Bagwe said. The More building near Khandoji Chowk is splattered with hoardings.

RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar believes that if the 2003 rules are strictly implemented, most hoardings will be deemed illegal. “A majority of hoardings in Pune are unauthorised and should be removed,” he said.

Neon and the moving light hoardings seen all over Pimpri-Chinchwad are the most hazardous, says Kumbhar.

Hoardings at Mhatre Chowk, Nal Stop, Shagun Chowk distract drivers and are the cause of accidents, he said.

PMC Sky Sign department head Vijay Dahibhate said, “We are investigating the other hoardings. To make the system transparent, we have prepared a geographical database and hoardings not fulfilling the criteria will be considered illegal. The data will be uploaded on our website for the citizens’ benefit and they can file complaints regarding illegal hoardings.” ekta.katti@goldensparrow.com

‘No Diwali celebrations for us this year’ Victims of the fire at Meenatai Thackeray Vasahat see gloom on their horizon on the eve of Diwali

BY EKTA KATTI @EktaaK While fellow Indians will be lighting diyas and engaging in all the joys of Diwali, the residents of the Meenatai Thackeray Vasahat at Gultekdi, whose lives were uprooted by the fi re that gutted 70 hutments on October 21, are picking up the pieces of their lives.

“No Diwali for us this year. How can I celebrate Diwali in a house with no walls?” said Deepa Gaikwad, a resident of the vasahat.

Nitin Gaikwad rebuilding his home which was destroyed in the fire on Oct 21

Anuradha Burni, 45, and her family lived happily enough in their one-room house, but now that place of refuge and joy is gone. “We used to have the time of our live in our little home at Diwali last year. But we won’t be lighting diyas this year,” she said.

Besides leaving them homeless, the tragedy has left some without jobs and a livelihood. Burni lost her job as caretaker at a nearby hospital owing to the chaos in the wake of the fi re.

“I need 3000 bricks, 25 bamboo

pieces, five iron angles and T-rods, three sacks of cement and two tempoloads of mud,” said Avinash Bhairat, 45. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has provided them 200 bricks and a couple of bamboo sticks each.

“The bricks provided are enough to build a three-footwall, that’s all,” Bhairat said.

The PMC has also given compensation of Rs 1000 per person, which the recipients are using for food. Reshma Khan, 40, said, “The corporation has given us Rs 4000 for a

family of four, which will last a couple of days.” She is the sole breadwinner and with no roof over her head is hoping for a miracle.

Corporators of the area have also pitched in to help the victims, but the meagre PMC aid has forced some to borrow money for their survival.

Nitin Gaikwad, 30, said, “We appreciate all the help from the PMC and the corporators but it is far too little. I have had to borrow money to lay the foundation of my house.” ekta.katti@goldensparrow.com

Kalyani courtroom saga This scenic spot is not safe any more Conted from on p 1

(TGS LIFE)

| PRICE: `5

sparrow.com

asked Advocate Kanetkar to Advocate Ashok Hingne, lawyer submit a written for Sulochana Kalyani started the reply to the same. argument by targeting the ‘counter A n o t h e r claim’ filed by Gaurishankar and highpoint of Rohini Kalyani. the day was David Vs Sheetal’s suit is filed against an application Goliath her grandmother Sulochana, uncle made by plays out Baba Kalyani and his family, her Sheetal.

She e th in parents – Gaurishankar and Rohini, gave a list K alyani brother Viraj, her aunt Sugandha of seven ily m fa Hiremath and 174 business entities properties that homeless ed er owned by the Kalyani family. 70 families rend ed by blaze, found it stolen belong to the family and which arm unh e se belongings wer Those who Normally, a counter claim is filed by the ones should be considered while deciding her 1/9th who are being sued. The idea behind it to share in family wealth. counter the claims made in the suit.

These properties include land parcels and However, in Kalyani family feud, Advocate agricultural plots at Satara and Karad, and an Hingne told the court that Sheetal’s parents upscale property at Cuffe Parade, Mumbai. instead of countering her claims are leveling While none of the lawyers divulged further allegations against Sulochana, who is among information citing client confidentiality rules, those being sued. the tension between the feuding parties was all “A counter claim is filed to point out why evident in the courtroom. The next hearing is the claim in the petition is wrong. However, scheduled for December 2. here the counter claim is mostly to damage the image of my client. How can this be allowed to ABOUT THE CASE happen?” said Advocate Hingne.

Sheetal Kalyani, 27-year-old daughter of Advocate Aditya Kanetkar representing Gaurishankar Kalyani has filed a case in Sheetal Kalyani, replied to this, stating, “All Pune Civil court against nine family members the parties included are involved equally. There including her father Gaurishankar, mother are no specific boundaries set while filing a Rohini, brother Viraj, uncle Baba Kalyani, counter claim, so why is this important?” cousin Amit and his wife Deeksha, aunt Sunita, However, Advocate Hingne was bent on grandmother Sulochana and aunt Sugandha proving that there was malpractice involved. “It Hiremath and 174 business entities. is clear,” he told the judge, “that the parents are In the suit filed in November 2014, she has supporting the daughter. They are acting hand accused her uncle Baba Kalyani of usurping in glove to usurp property from and harm my family wealth and has sought partition of the client’s image.” family assets including the wealth acquired When the judge saw that the argument and invested in various companies including was leading to only a verbal battle, she asked Bharat Forge, a USD 2.5 billion conglomerate, Advocate Hingne to submit an application demanding 1/9th share of the total property as describing all their questions and any misgiving her rightful claim. they might have regarding the case. She then gargi.verma@goldensparrow.com | www.thegolden

Sugandha Hiremath

Rohini Kalyani

Kalyani Gaurishankar

Visitors to the area around Wadia bungalow at Yerawada are being targeted and robbed by miscreants

RAHUL RAUT

PAGES: 16+16

ER 24, 2015

PUNE, OCTOB

Kalyani Neelakanth

Baba Kalyani

Sunita Kalyani

Sheetal Kalyani

Viraj Kalyani

Amit Kalyani

Deeksha Kalyani

share of the 27, has sought her Sheetal Kalyani, has filed a case against the family assets and including her own parents clan, one among entire Kalyani Baba Kalyani, n said to be as well as her uncle essma hiest busin the country’s wealt Billion worth USD 2.3 & 09 See Spotlight, p08

a grandmother Sulochantake conspiracy with purported to in collusion and his wife Deeksha “Baba Kalyani cousin Amit and Kalyani, aunt Sunita, family assets and business.”

Kalyani of the —Suit filed by Sheetal wrongful control

by and trusts started companies, assets, those Kalyani. Send ts pertaining to “All the documen able to your mother Rohini in possession of g them, will I be after examinin my husband, are immediately. Only documents to me to siblings notice.”

—Sulochana Kalyani respond to your

He was worried to locate his spouse. if staying in a was also unable gets fits of coughs down with the crowd about her as she Sayyed’s house has burnt rushed in, jostling two their houses, she she could. sooty place. Salma that she had saved for her was ts to salvage whatever her belongings in the fi re, been destroyed and all ornamen able age have able Madhu, who lost “I know nothing of my house daughters of marriagedaughters are of marriage others.

I can to two seen consoling it soon, till then in the fi re. Her grief, she is unable feel grief about is so struck with just walks around, of their houses remains. I will age and Salma am sure, some i Th ackeray at the in her eyes, she the children. I Meenata pointing tears of says console With she dwellers one of the elderly speak. have seen,” dark Dussehra For the slum fighters. Shiv tailing her. Finally, are fine, the boys area, it was a Contd on p 06 A her daughters up with the fi re Vasar in Gultekdi celebrations on Thursday. that had climbed nd his children, is frantically boys to fi man 4 pm destroyed and Durga Pooja Rao, who managed Sayyed, an old broke out around wife. Hidayat sending residents huge fi re that searching for his in the slum, of houses cause e 70 said. Th around lives, officials ed running for their to be a short circuit aggravat that eight to ten the fi re is believed Resident s claim is yet by cylinder blast. although the fi nal number off , cylinders blew to be confi rmed.

BY GARGI VERMA & EKTA KATTI @TGSWeekly

two GROUN D ZERO three tankers took around and pm Twelve fi re trucks blaze that started around 3:30 the to another. Senior hours to contain from one shanty on a and leapt swiftly Shinde, who was stationed his fi refighter Kailash of the huts, fell and injured ng one slab placed atop slab caught fi re. He is undergoi the di. left knee when Hospital in Bibwewa blasts, they treatment at Rao heard the initial As soon as residents dragging along with them homes rushed out of their Some of them left their cylinders . their gas cylinders nearby mosque of Sayyed Hamid see the rushed back to and children in Kadri, as they huts. Others their Shah urf Ganibaba from could save or running around what else they on pavements . were found sitting for missing family members teary eyed, looking between rows of cramped houses Narrow lanes in They pushed each panicking people. damage done to were fi lled with to assess the fi re, other in an attemptrefighters were battling the fi As Mane, far. Renu their houses. looked on from ly. residents helplessly her home is razed complete d as -law her mother-in 23, is devastate her house along with out. Renu and She was in the the fi re broke sources and children when money from multiplefamily is of the husband had borrowed While the rest to build the house. find her husband. Sakina Saeed, she can’t inconsolable as safe, Renu still of the slum, was All her an inhabitant a black spot. into turn her watched her house were lost in the fi re. She and s Rs family’s belonging a hand cart, had saved up just owns son who had husband, who marriage of their like a measly sum 10,000 for the What may seem Pinky’s family finished his B.Ed. Sakina’s life savings. slum. to others was the houses in the now rent in one of on and staying savings was s and their belonging for the damages.

They have lost te their landlord hold in her to have to compensa unable lost burqa she was “Everything is Clad in a black to repeatedly saying, let in people tears and was as the fi re fighters now.” As soon

BY DNYANESHWAR BHONDE The isolated area around the 90-acre Wadia stud farm, aka ‘Wadia bungalow’ on Nagar Road at Yerawada, has become a dangerous zone, where unsuspecting citizens are targeted by gangs from the slum areas in the vicinity, the victims being subjected to abuse and also being mugged and relieved of money and valuables. Residents of the area claim that more than 30 such incidents have happened the area, but very few of the victims have reported them to the police.

In the most recent incident on the afternoon of October 20, Hitesh Premaji Bhanushali, 32, of Lifestyle Society in Pimpri-Chinchwad was mugged near the Wadia bungalow. “I had parked my car and came out to enjoy the scenery. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by three youths, who threatened me and took away my three gold rings, cellphone and wrist watch worth Rs 45,000. They also attacked me with a sharp weapon, slashing me on my back and leg,” said Hitesh in his complaint in this regard with the Yerawada police station.

Students of Deccan College, Dr Ambedkar College and Genba Sopanrao Moze College that are close by, are also frequent visitors to this spot. Some of them happen to be couples who go there because of the peaceful atmosphere, and the ones fall prey to the unknown culprits.

Advocate Wajed Khan Rahman Khan Pathan, who has been associated with one such case in Shivajinagar court, said that

The 90-acre Wadia stud farm at Yerawada. Inset: Firoz Shaikh (Left) and Advocate Wajed Khan

incidents of women being molested and even raped have occurred here. “Incidents of physical abuse and muggings happen here every month, but the victims avoid lodging complaints with the police owning to the stigma” said advocate Wajed Khan Pathan.

“The police should put up a signboard warning citizens and should patrol the spot regularly,” he said.

Firoz Shaikh, 21, of Vimannagar was also mugged when he had gone there with his girlfriend in September. “We were followed by a gang of five who threatened me and robbed me of Rs 500 rupees. Fortunately they did not misbehave with my girlfriend as I live nearby,” said Shaikh. He said that victims are threatened with dire consequences if they lodge complaints with the police.

The Yerawada police say that just two muggings have been reported from the area

this year, and that they have identified the two spots which are the most dangerous for visitors, and two constables have been deputed for regular patrolling.

Police Inspector (crime) of Yerawada police station, Vilas Sonde, said, “We found some locals to be involved in these incidents, and we have arrested Vijay Kashinath Kamble, 28, Suresh Jadhav, 19 and Krushna Shinde, 19, recently.

The accused are residents of Jaiprakashnagar slum in Yerawada. Kamble already had a police record. After their arrest, the incidents of robbery have stopped in the area.”

This Wadia plot was given to the Mahar community by the British rulers, which is why it is also known as ‘Mahar Watan’. It was later given to F D Wadia on lease, and it is currently under dispute. The fence around the plot is broken which gives anyone free access to the place. dnyaneshwar.bhonde@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2015

“We have started preparing a report on the realignment of the route along the riverside in Pune city and the cost operations for the total project according to the 2015 rates. The report will be submitted before November 15.”

— Kunal Kumar, municipal commissioner

Malnourished Radha is fighting for her life Mistrust of hospitals by her parents has delayed the treatment for little Radha who is suffering from acute malnutrition

BY DNYANESHWAR BHONDE @dbhonde1

RAHUL RAUT

A severely malnourished two-and-ahalf-year-old girl child from Chakan is fighting for her life at Sassoon Hospital. Radha Kadam, weighs just 4.2 kilograms, but her parents Anil and Sunanda were reluctant to avail of medical treatment for her. Eventually, with the help of their tenants, a corporator and even the traffic police, the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) doctors of Khed managed to bring Radha to Aundh District Hospital on Monday. After preliminary check-up at the Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) at Aundh District Hospital, she was referred to the Sassoon Hospital for further treatment.

Radha was diagnosed as suffering from Severely Acute Malnutrition (SAM) by RBSK doctor Dr Rama Pujari during a screening in Anganwadi a few days ago and her condition was said to be critical. “We told the parents that Radha needed urgent treatment at the district hospital. After refusing initially, they agreed and we were told to pick them up from their home on Thursday, October 28. But on that day they postponed the trip to Monday, November 2,” said Dr Pujari.

But on November 2, the RBSK team found that the Kadams had gone to a relative’s house in Chakan.

“We then sought the help of a woman corporator, who convinced Sunanda to take Radha to the hospital,” said Dr Pranali Vetal. But as the journey began in a jeep, Sunanda again had second thoughts and the RBSK doctors had to convince her that her daughter needed urgent treatment.

Mother Sunanda with the little Radha at the Sassoon Hospital

The NRC doctors checked Radha and referred her to the Sassoon Hospital Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), where she was shifted on Tuesday. NRC department in charge Dr Vasant More said, “We found Radha to be suffering from acute malnutrition and dehydration. To avert the possibility of her contracting

infections, we referred her to the PICU at Sassoon Hospital.”

Insufficient or improper diet, premature birth, early marriage of the parents as well as ostracisation of girl children are among the causes of acute malnutrition. “Breast feeding is essential up to six months and thereafter the infant should have a proper diet, the failure of which leads to acute malnutrition that Radha is suffering from,” said Dr More.

Radha has been transferred to the PICU at Sassoon Hospital. A doctor treating her said that she has developed a lung infection due to SAM. Her condition is serious but stable.

“We don’t trust medical treatment provided at hospitals. My daughter is not suffering from any serious disease and she could have been cured at home,” said Sunanda.

The stopping of the health department’s Village Child Development Centre (VCDC) and Community based Therapeutic Centre (CTC) in August has given rise to child malnutrition problems, doctors say. “Under the VCDC program at Anganwadis, children were getting a proper diet. Even the CTC programme was addressing the infant malnutrition issue. These programmes were stopped by the Women and Child Development department leading to a rise in SAM cases,” said a doctor on the condition of anonymity.

The Women and Child Welfare Department conducted a survey of the 4578 Anganwadi centres in Pune district in June, which brought to light 370 cases of SAM. Daund and Baramati top the table with 46 and 44 cases respectively, while Indapur had only a single case. “There is a need for greater awareness about malnutrition in the district,” said Nitin Pawar, development officer of the Women and Child Welfare Department. dnyaneshwar.bhonde@goldensparrow.com

Find ways to use plastic waste in laying roads: NGT P8

PUNE

Domestic air traffic to soar three-fold P14

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2015

PUNE

“Teachers believe that 100% literacy is not achievable but they have to visit schools in Kumthe and Vai in Satara and Miraj in Sangli to change their minds. These visits will help them in ma king their schools progressive as per the state government parameters.”

— Nand Kumar, State education secretary

Norway supports India’s bid for UNSC P 11

Nursing students forced to give massages Naturopathy nursing diploma students accuse institute of exploitation and stage a protest

BY GARGI VERMA @missgverma Students of National Institute of Naturopathy’s Nursing Diploma course are on the warpath. They staged a protest outside the college on November 3, accusing the institute authorities of malpractices and exploitation. Following the protest, the entire second year batch of the two-year diploma course have been sent on a 30-day ‘leave’.

The students claim that the college authorities are forcing them to give massages to patients. Instead of gaining practical knowledge about yoga and acupressure, all they are taught is how to give massages. And immediately after they understand the basics, they are sent to the wards to continuously administer massages to

patients. While each massage fetches the institute a minimum of Rs 300, students are given their regular stipend of Rs 5000, but only if they have administered massages for eight hours every day. “In the first few weeks, they cram us with theory on all the subjects, which is not feasible in the two hours per lecture. But they manage somehow and soon after that, the practical for massages, or the name given by NIN, manipulative therapy, are dealt with. No sooner do we understand the basics, they send us to administer massages to patients,” said one of the protesting students.

The institution has only one other doctor devoted to ‘manipulative therapy’ who acts as a supervisor to check how many hours each student is putting in. “If that is what they had to teach here, they could have clarified it easily in the prospectus. On one hand, you invite students from across the nation to learn nursing here, and then you use them without teaching them anything. What kind of an institute does this?” asked another student on

“Are we masseuse?” students demand explanation from the authorities

the condition of anonymity.

Students are urged to give massages even for non-patients, simply for the money. “Even auto rickshaw drivers and such think of us as masseuses. Our medically practiced massage loses all its essence. Our seniors however push us to do it, because the organisation

gets Rs 300 per massage. Students are told that they are lucky to have real people to practice on. And refusal to comply can lead to cancellation of the stipend or affect their careers adversely.

Furthermore, practical are nonexistent for other subjects. “We are not given any time for lunch or to visit

No more free bus passes for the disabled ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

Funds to be utilised in other schemes for the differently abled persons in the city

BY PRIYANKKA DESHPANDE @journopriyankka

The Pune Municipal Corporation’s Urban Community Development (UCD) department is all set to change the policy regarding the three per cent budget of the civic body that is reserved for disabled people. The department has prepared a docket containing a suggestion that disabled persons should pay 25 per cent of what the yearly PMPML bus passes cost.

PMC has been giving bus passes to the disabled completely free of cost, irrespective of their income. Now the civic body has found that almost 50 per cent of the budget for the disabled is spent on the free bus passes, which is affecting other schemes for the disabled.

UCD Project Officer R R Chavan said, “We spend Rs 14,000 per person on the yearly PMPML passes, which can be renewed for three years. We

have tied up with PMPML for this scheme and the beneficiaries are free to commute anywhere on PMPML buses within PMC limits.” But this scheme has not set any income criteria and the disabled can apply for the scheme irrespective of their financial status.

Consequently, of the Rs eight crore

budget for various schemes, Rs four crore was spend on bus passes for the disabled in the last year. “People avail of any benefits even if they can afford to pay for it. I doubt if they use it, but every year we receive a large number of applications from the disabled for free PMPML passes,” Chavan said.

UCD also runs self-employment, training and higher education schemes for the disabled. Artificial limbs are provided to them through the three per cent budget every year. Officials say that little is left over after the expense on free PMPML bus passes.

“There are around 3000 disabled persons in the city. The number of applications increases every year. This year we received Rs. 6.50 crore for the disabled budget and already around 40 per cent amount has gone towards PMPML bus passes. Officials have now decided that instead of providing passes completely free of cost, the PMC will cover 75 per cent of the amount, and 25 per cent will be charged to the beneficiaries,” Chavan said.

This amount will be diverted to other schemes for the disabled. “The docket in this regard has been prepared and it was sanctioned by Accountant General of PMC. The docket is likely to be tabled in the next General Body (GB) meeting of the PMC in December,” Chavan said. NGOs and organisations working for the disabled have approved of the new policy. priyankka.deshpande@goldensparrow.com

the library. We haven’t done a single practical for acupuncture or yoga. If they are so concerned about giving us real people for massages, why not for the other subjects?” they said.

Students say that the two-year nursing diploma course is a sham. “When we joined, they said the course will get accreditation soon. That has not happened yet. We were also lured with the promise of sound infrastructure including free hostel accommodation. The reality is that we are made to work in the canteen in our first year. In the second year, we are put to work as masseuses,” said a student from Uttar Pradesh.

The course has a roster of 80 students and there are morning and evening batches. But there are only 30 first year students, who are forced to attend the evening batches. “Girl students attending evening batches are the subject of lewd remarks and they have no hostel or transportation facilities,” said a student.

The institute is not authorised to run such courses. “There are no accreditations. Being directly under

Dealer in duplicate Mahindra products arrested

The personnel of Narayangaon Police Station, Pune raided an automobile shop on Pune-Nashik highway and seized fake Mahindra products. Acting on a tip-off, Narayangaon police raided Shriram Automobiles, which was selling counterfeit Mahindra clutch and driving plates. The police have arrested Sahdev Devendra Panchal, 21, under sections 51 and 63 of the Copyright Act.

Sharad Pawar’s nephew sued by a Pune landowner

Contd from p 1

Pingale, in his cases, states that he had given out his property spread over two acres in upmarket Koregaon Park, Pune, on leave and licence basis to Jonas Holdings Pvt Ltd, in 2007. The octogenarian used a run a hotel named River View on the property earlier, but due to his age decided to give it out to JHPL on long-term basis. He alleges that his signatures were fraudulently obtained on agreements and that Pawar defaulted on rent for over three years. He wants his property back and has sought that Pawar, his wife and JHPL are prosecuted.

CIVIL SUIT Pingale’s civil suit, filed before the Small Causes Court in Pune, states that Pawar assured him that he had experience of running a health club (Jayant Pawar owns Solaris Club). “He also assured that as he belongs to a very elite class and has strong political family, he will upgrade the standard and class of the customers,” states the suit.

It was agreed that JHPL would pay Pingale Rs eight lakh per month in the first year, Rs ten lakh in the second and third years, and keep increasing it by nine per cent.

However, a few months later he was “shocked and surprised” to know that JHPL had tried to enter their name in the revenue records on the basis of leave and licence agreement.

“The plaintiff (Pingale) opposed the mutation, however Defendant number 1A (Pawar) belonging to a politically influential family could win over the revenue authorities,” states the suit.

Pingale, however, continued fighting to get the revenue records reverted to his name. The suit adds that with Pingale refusing to give up and continuing his fight with the authorities, Pawar finally approached him and “tendered an apology”.

He promised to restore the revenue records and also increase the rent. This time, the suit states that Pingale was asked to sign some more documents before the registrar. “The documents were in English and JHPL has taken advantage of (Pingale’s) old age and illiteracy and obtained signatures by fraud on those documents,” the suit states. Pingale claims he had no idea that he was being made to sign conducting agreements with Hard Rock Cafe and Stone Water Grill.

The two popular restaurants started operating from the premises. Pawar’s Solaris occupied a major portion of the land and offered fitness and sports facilities. This time the rent was increased to Rs 15 lakh per month for the first three years and a nine per cent hike was promised after that.

CHILLAR PARTY Pingale claims that turning point came in August 2012 when he came to know about ‘Chillar Party’ organised on the property. The party was raided by the cops and it was found that around 700 minors were served alcohol. Post the party, cops and several other government agencies came down hard on the place. Licences, which were in the name of Pingale family, were revoked. “Due to the fraudulent and dishonest act of the Defendants (JHPL and Pawar) the goodwill of the

COURT ORDER While the case is still being heard by the Small Causes Court, recently Judge NG Shukla ordered that JHPL pay Pingale Rs 3.98 crore rent along with 18 per cent interest.

CRIMINAL CASE Pingale has also initiated a criminal case against JHPL, Pawar and his wife Nicola alleging cheating and forgery.

The case filed with Judicial Magistrate First Class Court in Pune alleges that JHPL, Pawar and his wife cheated him and forged registration documents.

The court issued processes against the trio under sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

The Pawars challenged it in Pune Sessions Court which rejected their appeal and directed them to appear before the trial court. They then approached Bombay High Court, which has stayed the criminal trial.

business was at stake,” states the suit.

This is when Pingale decided to end the agreement and issued a notice in September 2012. While on one hand the battle to evict JHPL and others was raging on paper, Pingale claims that he stopped receiving rent.

WHAT PINGALE WANTS Through the suit filed in June 2014, Pingale is seeking rent since July 2012 (Rs 3.98 crore) and also demanding eviction. The suit claims that JHPL and Pawar have violated the agreement by subletting the property

to Hard Rock Cafe and Stone Water Grill. Moreover, non payment of rent for three months was another clause in the agreement to terminate it, the suit states.

The case has come up for hearing on several occasions since 2014.

JHPL and Pawar on their part have argued that after the police raid on ‘Chillar Party’, Pingale deliberately surrendered his licences which resulted in huge losses. They claim that the restaurants on the property were shut for quite some time in the absence of valid licences.

the AYUSH plan, they believe that they are government representatives and can do whatever they want,” the students complain. “But who has given them the right to play with our lives and careers?” The students are now planning to launch a full-scale protest if the institute doesn’t issue a detailed explanation. However, the institute has sent them on a 30-day leave on the pretext of looking in the matter.

The institute authorities however do not consider it an important issue.

“What the students have raised such a hue and cry about are mere allegations. However, we are holding a meeting with the students to hear their grievances on Monday,” said an admin officer on the condition of anonymity.

Director Dr B Sathyalakshmi was unavailable for comment as she is out of station from November 2 to 7. The admin officer said that they have the documentation to run the diploma course.

“The course is a very small part of what we do. The institute is much more than the course and its students,” he said. gargi.verma@goldensparrow.com

TWIST IN THE TALE While the civil and criminal battles were raging in courts, Jayant Pawar sold JHPL. In June 2014, the company was taken over by Prithviraj Kakade of the Pune based Kakade Developers.

Though Jayant Pawar is no longer controlling JHPL, he continues to be party to the cases filed by Pingale.

PAWAR SPEAKS Jayant Pawar, in his defence, stated that his wife Nicola has no role to play in any of the disputes. “She has never been part JHPL, nor had anything to do with the business deal with Pingale. There was no reason to drag her in this mess,”

Who is Jayant Pawar Jayant Pawar is the son of NCP Chief S h a r a d P a w a r ’s b r o t h e r Madhavrao Pawar.

He runs a chain of fitness centres and gyms across Pune. He is married to German national Nicola and has a son and a daughter.

Early this year in April, Pawar suffered a cardiac arrest while playing tennis. He was rushed to hospital where he was declared dead before being rushed to another hospital. His uncle Sharad Pawar, chief of the Nationalist Congress Party, ensured that the best doctors attended to him. After spending 33 days in the hospital, 51-year-old Pawar returned home. he said, adding that he never played a foul game. A fitness freak, who owns a chain of gyms and fitness centres across Pune, Pawar added that he never defaulted on rent payments. “We used to send the cheques to Pingale but he never accepted them. While handing over JHPL to the Kakades, I have made them aware of the liability of over Rs 3 crore. It is up to the new management of the company to deal with Pingale as far as rent is concerned. As for me, I believe the law will take its own course,” he concluded. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2015

Tihar doc alleges molestation P10

Rough days for Ducatisti Service issues and reliability concerns with the Italian motorcycles have customers annoyed

BY TUSHAR BURMAN @tburman When Ducati officially entered India this year with Asia’s largest showroom in the NCR region, it was clear that there was an enhanced level of commitment to the Indian market.

The Italian manufacturer currently sells its motorcycles through two dealerships in the NCR region and one in Mumbai, with several others to come in the months ahead. Sales have been brisk, with customers from nearby states buying bikes despite the inconvenience of taking delivery and service from another city. Now, it appears that Ducati India’s after-sales service isn’t able to keep up with sales and demand.

Raees Khan, a Ducati enthusiast from Goa, explains. “I have owned 11 Ducatis at one time.” Khan bought out the remaining inventory of Ducati’s previous importer in Mumbai, including their tools and diagnostic equipment. When he requested service for his fleet, he was informed that the service personnel were not trained to maintain several of his motorcycles, or they lacked the correct tools. “I bought the entire showroom of the previous importer from Mumbai. I have all the tools and diagnostic equipment,” he said. Ultimately, he was forced to employ a private mechanic flown in from Pune, who made short work of his tasks. Khan has escalated his concerns to Ducati Infinity, the local dealership, and has been assured proper service in the future, but the experience has left him sorely disappointed. It bears mentioning that Ducati India promised to honour service and warranty claims for existing Indian customers at the time of launch.

Evidently, being a key customer isn’t a guarantee for prompt service.

Rohan Pawar, 27, who bought the western region’s fi rst Hypermotard 821, costing approximately Rs 12 lakh in Pune, had a non-functional bike on his hands for 50 days. “I had ridden the motorcycle only a few hundred kilometres in total, after which it had to be serviced. When the service was completed, my accelerator no longer worked, and the bike was unrideable,” he explains. After nearly two months of limited communication and delays, Pawar is disappointed with the service meted out to him.

Service issues apart, some customers are having trouble with Ducati’s most accessible motorcycle, the Scrambler, which starts at under Rs 8 lakh on road in Maharashtra.

In a potentially dangerous situation, Sharvari Manakawad, 25, was forced to stop her brand new Ducati Scrambler Icon on the side of the road when she noticed smoke emanating from the engine area. Being an experienced motorcyclist, her quick response avoided a dangerous outcome. “Would it have caught fi re, or would I have been highly injured or even lost my life,” she explains. Manakawad had ridden less than ten kilometres on the brand new

motorcycle. The fi rst female customer for the Ducati Scrambler in India, Manakawad escalated the matter to Ducati Infinity officials and ultimately had her motorcycle repaired.

Another customer, Davino Antony, 41, had a clutch failure within 30km of riding his new Scrambler.

Under normal circumstances, a clutch is a consumable part and not covered under warranty, which meant Antony was looking at an expensive part replacement. “I’ve been riding big bikes for eight years, and I’ve checked with experienced riders and on the Internet. There’s no way a clutch can give way so quickly due to bad riding,” he explains. In Antony’s case, as with some others, the matter was escalated and the part replaced at no charge, albeit with significant delay.

We sent a detailed questionnaire to Ducati India MD, Ravi Avalur and several reminders. While a response was promised, none arrived by the time this story went to print. Ducati Infinity Business Head, Gaurav Parikh did respond, expressing regret and asking for the contact details of other customers with complaints. tushar@goldensparrow.com

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Ducati India’s current motorcycle line-up • Scrambler Icon Rs 6.68 lakh • Scrambler Classic/Full Throttle Rs 7.75 lakh • Monster 821 Dark Rs 9.23 lakh • Monster 821 Rs 9.74 lakh • Monster 1200 Rs 20.25 lakh • Monster 1200 S Rs 24.79 lakh • Diavel Dark Rs 14.12 lakh • Diavel Carbon R Rs 17.32 lakh • Diavel Carbon W Rs 17.79 lakh • Hypermotard Rs 10.25 lakh • Hyperstrada Rs 11.27 lakh • Panigale 899 Rs 13.31 lakh • Panigale 1299 Rs 33.05 lakh • Panigale 1299 S Rs 40.74 lakh Prices ex-showroom, Mumbai, to be revised very soon.

About Ducati India Based in New Delhi, Ducati India Pvt Ltd is the Indian arm of the Italian motorcycle manufacturer and started its official India operations in 2015. The products are high-end sport-oriented motorcycles, the cheapest of which is the Ducati Scrambler Icon, which costs Rs 6.68 lakh ex-showroom, Mumbai. The Italian exotic bike manufacturer has had a chequered history in India, with the previous importer, Precision Motors, running afoul of customers and the law, and ultimately having their official status revoked.

Ducati India does not manufacture or assemble motorcycles in India, relying on favourable trade relations between India and Thailand to import bikes from that country at competitive rates. The bikes sold in India are technically termed CBU (Completely Built Unit) imports.

P11

Errant auto drivers face the heat

Traffic cops finally acts. Licences of 2,322 autorickshaw drivers to be suspended for refusing fares

BY GITESH SHELKE @gitesh_shelke The Pune traffic police have fined and started proceedings to suspend driving licences of as many as 2,322 autorickshaw drivers, who have refused fares, in the last ten days.

The offending drivers have been fined Rs 50, their driving licences have been confiscated and further action will be taken in collaboration with the Regional Transport Office (RTO), Pune. The police have also collected fines amounting to Rs 1.22 lakh from the drivers.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Sarang Awad said, “According to the law, autorickshaw drivers cannot refuse a fare.” Awad said that refusal of fares by autorickshaw drivers is rampant. “A traffic constable poses

as a commuter and tries to hire an autorickshaw for a short distance. If the autorickshaw driver refuses, his driving licence is confiscated and he is fined Rs 50,” he said. Some autorickshaw unions have threatened a protest but most autorickshaw unions have supported the police action.

The licence is impounded and a report is prepared. The report and licence are then sent to the RTO for further action. The RTO levies a fine of Rs 500 on the autorickshaw driver and suspends his license for periods ranging from 15 to 90 days.

Licences of a 1000 autorickshaw drivers have been suspended.

Autorickshaw drivers are notorious for refusing short distance fares and threatening commuters who note down their RTO registration number. gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com

VISHAL KALE

“The traffic and parking policy of the city was going in the wrong direction.

It is giving more emphasis on making it easy for the citizens to use cars. It should be the other way round.”

— Sujit Patwardhan, founder member of Parisar

PUNE

Licences of a 1,000 autorickshaw drivers have been suspended

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2015

PUNE

We are the world Pune has a constant flow of young volunteers from foreign shores who are doing their bit to make the world a better place

EKTA KATTI @Ektaak Service to humanity is service to God. That is a motto enlightened beings such as Mahatma Gandhi, Florence Nightingale, who brought new meaning to nursing by her selfless service to the sick and dying, Albert Schweitzer, who

gave up a bright career and spent his life serving the ailing in Africa, Jean Henri, who founded the Red Cross but died a pauper, and Baden Powell, who founded the Boys Scout Movement, all lived by.

Even today, in this age of self-aggrandisement and selforiented goals and ambitions, there are the exceptions; those who sacrifice their time and energies in the service of others.

India has always drawn such benevolent people, be it the missionaries, or the volunteers who give of their own to improve the lot of the less fortunate.

They may remain largely faceless and their work unacknowledged, but there is a constant flow of youngsters from all across the globe who land up here in Pune.

As volunteers, they attempt to find new meaning in life

German volunteers of Sadhana Village

S

adhana Village was set up in 1994 with the aim to cater to the welfare of speciallyabled adults. The 30 specially-abled adults here are taught to be self-sufficient. It has always drawn foreign volunteers and they have had over 80 from all corners of the world.

Co-founder of Sadhana Village, Vijaya

Kulkarni, 68, said, “I feel proud that we have been getting volunteers from all over the within a year after our launch.”

Kulkarni attributes this to the Indian cultural heritage and Pune’s status as a hub of culture. “Students from abroad are keen on learning about our heritage and culture,

besides their desire to gain experience and serve those in need,” she said. “It is a give and take relationship,” Kulkarni said.

Steffen Dresel, Magdalena Brun and Srenja Bruchmann have been working as volunteers with Sadhana Village for two months.

Village. “It is a big responsibility to take care of these specially-abled people and it is not an exaggeration to say that it has changed my life,” she said.

Looking after these people has revealed another dimension of being happy to Srenja.

“Even shampoo or any little thing brings them joy,” she says. “They are so adorable in their own way and every moment I spend with them seems so very precious,” she said.

Even Utpala who works in the kitchen, has become extremely fond of Srenja. “I learn something new from her all the time,”

Utpala said.

Putting others’ needs before her own has given Srenja a fresh perspective and a new meaning to life. “I don’t care about the future. I don’t know what I am going to do when I go back to Germany,” she said.

Sadhana Village provides basic amenities such as a place to stay to its volunteers.

The Freunde der Erziehungskunst Rudolf organisation, Germany has funded their stay in Pune. “The rest of the money for our stay here comes from donations,” Srenja said.

Srenja Bruchmann, 21

I

am here in India and I am living in a dream,” says Srenja Bruchmann. “It is important to give something back to others,” she says about her work as volunteer.

She was affl icted with a rare disorder called Neurodermatitis, an itchy skin disease, which has taught her the importance of helping those in need.

“Helping the less fortunate ones has given a new meaning to my life,” says the 21-year-old.

She has done volunteering work before this and she is a House Mother at Sadhana

Steffen Dresel, 19

S

teffen Dresel has been at Sadhana Village for a couple of days, but the inmates already treat him like family.

“We had spent a couple of days here but when we returned, they gave us an unforgettable welcome,” said Steffen.

Steffen has taught inmate Venkatesh Shrinivasan, 54, the German numbers. “I want to be fluent in German. I have learnt the number up to 20,” says Venkatesh.

Steffen feels that coming to Pune to work as volunteer has been the right decision for him. “I used to work as volunteer at an old age home, which gave me a new perspective on life and death. The people sent to the foster care centre there have nothing to look forward to than death. Caring for them made a huge impact on life,” said Steffen.

Now caring for his new specially-abled friends comes naturally to Steffen, and little thing like plucking guavas for them feels special.

No lofty ambitions, Steffen Dresel, 19, is content to be involved in the lives of the specially-abled inmates of Sadhana Village.

through selfless service to the less fortunate, derive new perspectives from the experience, or do their bit to change the world for the better.

Leaving behind the comfort of their homes, these volunteers are faced with adversities such as bureaucratic tangles, a language barrier, adjusting to a new culture, city, way of life among others, before they are allowed to or begin

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2015

PUNE

PICS BY RAHUL RAUT

Amelia Watts, 23, USA

Happiness can be found in the simplest of things

F

lorida native Amelia Watts is a volunteer who works with the Ashraya Initiative for Children (AIC), a non-profit organisation that works for the welfare of needy children and communities. Amelia’s fascination with India took root when she wrote a thesis on ‘NGOs in India’ for her graduation.

And she jumped at the chance to come to India. But there was a mountain of obstacles to overcome. “I was on cloud nine at the prospect of coming to India but the tedious bureaucratic process took months. Why can’t the officials simplify the process?” Amelia complained.

But now that she has settled in here, Amelia has plunged headlong into volunteer work, convincing the school dropouts of Yerawada to turn over a new leaf. Amelia feels an inexplicable connection with the Pune and India, and loves South Indian food.

The 23-year-old has been in Pune since 2014. “It was amazing how quickly I was made to feel a part of the Ashraya team. In a matter of days I was among the core team members and dealing with crucial aspects of the running of the organisation,” she said.

Amelia has had the opportunity in Pune to observe first-hand the school and college dropouts, and what can be done to provide them help and guidance.

“My experience and research here proved invaluable when I returned to my college and wrote and submitted my papers,” she said. She considers being instrumental in getting the donations sanctioned by her college a landmark achievement.

Now that she’s back working with the Yerawada dropouts, she feels confident and capable of dealing with each individual student’s situation. “We evaluate the students thoroughly and thereafter we are able to suggest the ideal options and opportunities for each of them,” she said.

Amelia has benefited from working with

victims of domestic violence and Women’s Oasis Program in Tallahassee, Florida. “I have worked as a volunteer for quite some time. Now I am able to understand each individual’s situation and problem, and suggest a feasible course of action to make the person self-reliant,” she said.

Working as a volunteer for the welfare of the needy has benefited her in more ways than one, Amelia believes. “It has helped me become more grounded and stable. It has made me realise my priorities. One

does not need to be rich or famous, but true happiness can be found in the simplest of things,” she said.

Working for others has helped her understand her own self and others better, she feels. “At times it is necessary to step back and look at things objectively. Finding this out for myself has helped me find a clear direction in my life,” she said.

Amelia lives in a rented house near the centre. She worked two jobs in the US and saved up for her volunteer mission. She

is supported by her friends and family. “I buy my food and cook my own meals. I get lunch and chai at the foundation which is more than enough,” she said.

Amelia’s best friend is her adopted sister Lola who lives in another continent, but they are constantly in touch. She is also expecting to be visited by her fiancé, a happy thought.

Amelia switched focus from Music Education to International Affairs in 2012, and she sure has come a long way since.

This is the first experience as volunteer for Deborah and she thinks it has been remarkable. “My mother taught me to always be kind to others. But as a volunteer I have evolved tremendously. Now I know that I can be happy with whatever I have,” she said.

Pune is a photographer’s delight, she thinks. “Pune has a lot to offer for me as a photographer. And working with the underprivileged children is an unexpected blessing that gives me the opportunity to use my professional skills for a worthy cause,” says Deborah.

She has had countless memorable experiences working with HFCF. “A couple of days ago we went to a slum to distribute food, walking through narrow lanes into each house. But what was amazing was that despite the language

barrier, my daughters and I felt really connected with the members of every household there,” she said.

Her daughters Natalie, 14, and Emily, 10, too have been deeply moved by their experiences in Pune. At a Walkathon event aimed to create awareness about child labour, the girls felt heartbroken to realise that so many children are forced to earn a living when they should be in school.

“Their eyes have their own vocabulary,” says Deborah, about the children she photographs. Her Pune sojourn will last a couple of months more, but Deborah already feels a sense of fulfilment at what she has been doing with HFCF. Deborah lives in a nice apartment near Kalyani Nagar with her husband and daughter. “My family supports me. My aim here is to serve others,” she said.

was sitting on Michael’s shoulder and singing. “I’ll never forget that,” he says.

“My mother says that if you don’t like anything, don’t wait for the world to change it. That is what I am trying do,” he said.

Michael wants to start a school in the

US. This is Michael’s third visit to India and certainly won’t be his last.

Michael said, “My girlfriend and I have saved enough for our stay here. We cook our own food.” They live in a rented apartment at Boat Club Road.

Deborah Clearwater, 44, Australia

doing what they have travelled halfway across the planet for.

Pune though, has acquired quite a cosmopolitan air and outlook, thanks to the foreign student population, the Osho sannyasis who have been here since the 70s, corporates from foreign shores and such. It is therefore, a city that is easy to settle in for these youngsters. ekta.katti@goldensparrow.com

Magdalena Brun, 26

M

agdalena Brun fit into Pune and Sadhana Village without too much of a ruffle. She has travelled extensively as a volunteer and Pune was not much of a cultural shock. The language is not too much of a barrier. “The inmates of Sadhana Village try to communicate in English. And I am doing my bit by learning Marathi,” says Magdalena.

She feels quite in her stride looking after speciallyabled people and regards it as a special experience. She has a Master in Economics and volunteering means a lot to her. “Helping those in need is a very calling and it provides me with immense motivation,” she said.

“Great achievers have always inspired me and motivated me to do things to the best of my abilities.

And I can be inspired by the simplest of things, like a smile from a stranger,” she said.

The current refugee migration in Germany provoked Magdalena. “I wrote an article on refugee homes in Germany which made a huge impact on the readers. It was amazing to see people with smiles on their lips when they had lost everything,” she said.

Magdalena has been seen a lot of ups and downs, and I just living in the moment and soaking up every experience at Sadhana Village.

‘Their eyes have their own vocabulary’

D

eborah Clearwater is a volunteer with the Hope For Children Foundation (HFCF) and has been in Pune for a year. She is a photographer and she credits her profession for her keen powers of observation.

She had covered a friend’s fashion show and thereafter Caroline Audoir de Valter, the founder of HFCF, asked her to work for the NGO as photographer.

“If my photography work helps HFCH

get donations for the children, what more could I ask for?” she said.

Born in New Zealand, Deborah has lived in Australia for 20 years.

Deborah’s mother has been her inspiration and she in turn is an ideal for her daughters.

“My eldest daughter Natalie does a lot of community service here. And the youngest Emily accompanies me during shoots,” she said.

Michael Dunn, 24, & Karlyn Gorski, 23, USA

Don’t wait for the world to change…

M

ichael Dunn and his girlfriend of five years, Karlyn Gorski, work with the Akanksha Foundation, Yerawada.

Karlyn was studying at Fergusson College in 2012, and after her graduation in the US, wanted to return to Pune. And roped in Michael as well. “The love that we share makes us do amazing things. Coming to Pune and volunteering for Akanksha Foundation is the best decision we have made so far. We keep pushing each other.

I wouldn’t have taken this decision to come to Pune if it wasn’t for her,” says Michael.

He thinks that education is the most powerful weapon in the world and educating the less fortunate has always been his priority. “I get this from my mother who is a retired teacher. Imparting knowledge is

her prime motive, and so is mine. I am also doing something I am passionate about,” says Michael.

Teaching the children full-time at Akanksha is always interesting. “The kids are willing to learn. The questions they ask are intriguing. This is what keeps me going,” he said.

Michael is thrilled by the progress the NGO has made. “In 2012 the building was in bad shape and there was no electricity.

But things have changed much for the better,” he said.

Michael is planning to make the most of the nine months that he will be here.

The Akanksha children have become extremely fond of Michael in a short while.

During the Ganesh festival, one of them

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY PUNE

“Some writers and artists of communist ideology are raising voice against India in the name of secularism. Unfortunately, people like Shah Rukh Khan have also joined them.”

— Yogi Adityanath, BJP MP, Gorakhpur

“I am hurt by the recent incidents in India. As of now, I have decided not to come to India. Indian fans have been very supportive. I am a singer; I will talk about music, not politics.”

— Ghulam Ali, Pakistani Ghazal Singer

Engineering, medicine and academia no longer prime The Orchid School’s third yearly edition of career camp advises students of standard X and XI to pursue careers suitable to their personalities and interests

VISHAL KALE

BY JAMES MATHEW @mathewthejames Listening to the students of standard X and XI of The Orchid School, Baner, speaking on ‘what doe success in my career mean to me’ at a group discussion (GD) was a welcome sight. At a time when most parents are getting pushy, insisting on straight-A grades in schools, these teenagers were confidently expressing what they want to do in the future and how following their passion will give them satisfaction and success.

Then there were those who believed that money holds top priority as a career goal.

Many parents still believe in the sacred triumvirate: engineering, medicine, academics. But the students who attended the two-day career counselling programme have matured to differ and credit their parents for giving them the freedom and responsibility to choose their own careers.

The third edition of The Orchid School’s career camp was organised by the school counsellors Anusree Menon, Priyanka Salagare and Preeti Singh Misal for standard X and XI on November 4 and November 5. The event was primarily managed by the students themselves, with a dedicated fivestudent press team.

Over the two days, as facilitator of the event, IIM graduate and career counselling organisation ‘One Step Up Education Service Pvt. Ltd’ founder Shadab Siddiqui, with the help of videos and documentaries, provided

Shadab Siddiqui gave details about 18 career options to students of The Orchid School

a capsule of various career options and success tips in group discussions, personal interviews, in writing resumes and hands-on activities. Panelists from different walks of life — Gaurav Kataria (entrepreneur), Abhishek Wakankar (sports management), Tarun Chugh (expert designer), Abhay Apte (lawyer) and Vivek Sinare (entrepreneur) — explained their successes and failures to students.

NO KIDDING Arshiya Ahamed of standard XI has found her career goal. “Every school should hold such a programme for students of standard X and XI. The facilitator Shadab Siddiqui gave us details about 18 career options — architecture, Armed Forces, engineering, medicine CA, CS, CWA, Arshiya Ahamed journalism,

advertising, psychology, hotel management, actuary, civil services, scientist, business studies, design, law, sports, pilot and economics.

My mother Tasneem, Siddharth Shirore who also attended the programme as it was open for parents, also found it informative,” she said.

Refreshingly, some parents are open to the idea of their children aspiring to be a pop singer, model, sportsperson, artist or musician. Arshiya wants to pursue a career in event management.

“Even as the many career options that were thrown up at the session left me confused on what I should do in the future, it is always better to know the alternatives available. I have decided to study aeronautical engineering,” said Siddharth Shirore of standard X. ‘PUSHY PARENTS’ “Children should be allowed to develop their own self-motivation rather than

perpetually being forced to meet the goals and achievements of their parents.

Despite belonging to a conservative Sindhi joint family, my parents allowed Meenakshi Kabade me to choose my career. And my daughter will have that freedom. Extra-curricular activities are important because you never know when a skill can come in handy,” said Meenakshi Kabade, who quit her job last year to be a ‘full-time’ mom for her daughter Bhavya of standard X. “Competition has pushed parents over the edge. They are being pushed themselves, p r e s s u r e d to conform to society’s materialistic values. Parents should guide their children in the right direction but excessive pressure Nitu Agarwal leads to burn-out, performance anxiety, strained parentchild relationships, and, in some cases, rebellion. We need to respect our child’s decisions and taking his or her successes and failures in stride,” said Nitu Agarwal, who attended the session along with her son Jay of standard X. The response to this student careercentric event bears testimony to the fact that with the right kind of support and environment at home and school, these teenagers will mature into independent and responsible adults. james.mathew@goldensparrow.com

Grand celebration to honour BF Khilnani

Former students of Jai Hind School and Junior College organise get-together to mark their teacher’s 93rd birthday

BY ABHA PANDIT @abha_pandit More than hundred people gathered at BT Advani Dharamshala in Pimpri to celebrate the 93rd birthday of their beloved schoolteacher BF Khilnani on November 3. The room was fi lled with teachers and ex-students from Jai Hind School and Junior College that was founded by Khilnani at Pimpri.

As he walked in, sharply dressed in a blue blazer, one could clearly imagine the powerful personality during his younger years.

The joyous mood was infectious, as school friends met each other after decades. They sang their school anthem.

Khilnani, although under physical exertion due to his advanced age, was overjoyed with the support and love he received from students and school staff.

He shared fond memories associated with the school and his former students.

An emotional former student said he still follows the values taught by his beloved teacher.

When Khilnani began teaching with a handful of students in 1955, he was only concerned about helping them invest their time productively. Over the years, as the school grew, so did the

number of lives Khilnani inspired. Six months ago, some of his ex-students remembered decided to meet their favourite schoolteacher.

The 1982 batch of students had decided to provide financial support to Khilnani and chose his 93rd birthday as the occasion.

Jai Hind High School Alumni and well-wishers, Sindhu Foundation Pune and Puj Ubavro Panchayat presented him with the First Sindhu Bhushan Award. Along with the trophy, he also received a cash award of Rs 51,000. The event included an art exhibition titled ‘Wings of Imagination’, organised by ex-student Uma Tirumalasetti, the proceeds of which were given to Khilnani and his family. A counter called Guru Dakshina was set up where well-wishers could make contributions.

Khilnani released a book called ‘Goodbye’, which had a collection of poems in English and Sindhi, dedicated to the ex-students and all the teachers of Jai Hind High School, Pimpri. He read out a couple of them to the enthusiastic audience. Even as he left the venue, he was overwhelmed by all the love and kindness showered upon him by all those present there. abha.pandit@goldensparrow.com

RAHUL RAUT

NOVEMBER 7, 2015

BF Khilnani with his sister Shakuntala at the release of his book ‘Goodbye’

Shake a leg for the sake of kindness Find ways to use plastic waste in laying roads: NGT Pune will be part of Life Vest Inside’s global Dance for Kindness flash/freeze mob on November 8

BY SALONEE MISTRY @SaloneeMistry

Armed with the purpose to show people how much they matter, Orly Wahba started an organisation called Life Vest Inside in 2011. A middle schoolteacher, Orly actively involved in helping anyone and wished to share with others the feeling she gets after an act of kindness. Looking at young faces while teaching in school made her ponder over questions like what keeps a person afloat amidst all the devastation and misery that surrounds mankind, how to stand up tall when everyone and everything round you is trying to pull you down.

A ‘LifeVest Inside’ sign on an airplane inspired her to put her thoughts into action.

“Th is was the turning point. It was during this fl ight and at that very moment when I realised that the thing that keeps us going is what is inside us. The kind act that one does for others and feels the joy or when someone is kind to you is the push that one needs to feel better about life and move on,” said Orgy in a Orly Wahba TEDTalk that she gave on kindness.

The organisation believes that every act big or small makes a huge impact in an individual’s life. To take this initiative of theirs one step ahead, the organisation has found a novel way of spreading the message of kindness. Every year on a decided date there is a flash and freeze mob organised across the world in an event known as ‘Dance for Kindness’ (DFK).

Spread across 80 cities and 32 countries, the dance for kindness flash and freeze mob takes place across the globe at the same time and on the same choreography too. In India this year the event shall be held in Pune, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kadappa and Kottayam.

Sponsors fund the event and venue sponsor for 2015 event is Seasons Mall. With over 200 registrations, the event in Pune this

Tribunal hears case filed by city-based activist Ganesh Hingmire

BY GARGI VERMA @missgverma

100 Punekars took part in the Dance for Kindness flash/freeze mob at MG Road last year

year is going to be bigger than ever. Almost everyone who works for the event from the city is volunteering for the event.

The colour for the events is set at orange.

After registering for the event, participants have to learn a dance routine through a video shared with them and co-ordinate with their group leader for a rehearsal on the main day.

“The idea with the freeze mob is that participants pose in positions of what acts of kindness would look like so that people are made aware of what exactly kindness looks like. Th is is also a way to show the onlookers the innumerable opportunities that surround them where they have an opportunity to be kind with the hope that they actually make use of the opportunities. Once the music starts the people break free from their freeze positions and break out into a dance,” said Orly. The goal with this event is to promote kindness, positive human interaction, global unity, teamwork, leadership and positive selfexpression.

When: November 8, 5:30 pm onwards Where: Seasons Mall, Hadapsar salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

Being a part of DFK “The thought of sharing kindness or spreading the message of kindness is a great one and I am extremely happy to be associated with the event.

The mission is something that everyone can and Kelly Gabriel should relate to. My experience for the last three years has been great. There is a different kind of joy one gets after being kind and doing something that can allow others to feel the same is a great feeling too. I hope I can be a part of this event every year and do my bit to spread kindness and encourage others to do so to.”

- Kessington Gabriel Isiayei, Student

The National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) Western Zone branch is currently hearing a case on usage of plastic waste as road construction raw material. At the latest hearing held on October 3, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and other authorities including the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) decided to hold a meeting to discuss various options for city and area specific plans.

NGT had already directed the National Pollution Control Board (NPCB) authorities in 2013 to devise ways in which plastic waste could be incorporated into road construction. But no action has been taken. Thereafter, city-based activist Ganesh Hingmire filed a case in the Western Zonal bench of the green tribunal through his advocate Asim Sarode. The State of Maharashtra through its Secretary, Environment Department, Collector Pune, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi, The Maharashtra Control Board and Commissioner, Pune Municipal Corporation have been made respondents in the application.

“We filed this case so that rather than wait for the national authorities to do surveys and then chalk out action plans, the local authorities, who have a better understanding of the ground realities, are given the charge to handle the plastic waste,” said Sarode.

Using plastic waste in laying roads will help reduce city’s garbage problem

The Western Zonal bench of NGT comprising Justice Vikas Kingaonkar and Dr Ajay Deshpande have expressed their concerns. “They’ve raised valid points and have questioned the authorities,” said Sarode.

In response, MPCB has asked for time to conduct a meeting of all the authorities concerned to come up “with different ways for different areas and different purposes, after churning of thoughts and having collective wisdom” amongst the officials.

According to the petition, the CPCB had conducted a survey in sixty major cities in India, and found that 15,34,246 tonnes of plastic waste is generated every day, amounting to 56 lakh tonnes a year. It is estimated that in India, nine per cent of all solid waste is plastic material, and 20 per cent is plastic in the non-degradable form. “With such high level waste generation and no waste management plan, the protection of environment becomes highly questionable,” said Sarode.

“Utilising the plastic waste

is not only an effective waste management technique, but it also provides higher tensile strength to the roads. It is a patented technique that involves the addition of plastic waste to the hot aggregate. The resultant mixture is found to have higher strength and water resistant properties and better performance in the long run,” he said.

According to the petition, the National Rural Roads Development Agency, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, had issued the Guidelines for Use of Plastic Waste in Rural Road Construction in 2007, which recommended the productive reuse of plastic waste in the construction of roads in order to effectively dispose of plastic waste, and improve the quality of the roads.

The next hearing, scheduled on November 27, is supposed to bring forth many developments as by then the government authorities are directed to come up with specific action plans. gargi.verma@goldensparrow.com

ENVIRONMENT “It is due to the emission by developed countries such as the US that the world has reached this state where it has to restrict emissions and global warming.”

— Sunita Narain, CSE Director General

US study has found that a 10 per cent increase in wages leads to about a five per cent drop in smoking rates among workers

The study was carried out by professor at Centre for Healthcare Policy and Research at University of California - Davis Health System

Leigh and lead author Juan Du, who received her doctoral degree at UC Davis, evaluated data on wages, smoking status and state of residence for full-time employees aged 21 to 65 years from the 1999 to 2009 Panel Study of Income Dynamics.

They excluded those under 21, since wage variation is small for this age group. They also excluded those who never smoked, as the goal was to evaluate influences on quitting rather than starting smoking.

“We assume that people begin smoking for reasons other than wages,” said Leigh.

“About 90 per cent of smokers in the US started smoking before age 20, so the data captured a sample of most full-time workers who have ever smoked,” he said.

Changes in the “treatment,” which in this case was wages, were measured for each year and then compared to

NOVEMBER 7, 2015

PUNE

“On the Western Ghat issue, there should be protection of its ecology, the five crore people who reside there in six states, that their lives are not hampered. We are in the process of deciding that path” — Prakash Javdekar, Environment Minister

Pay hike motivates staff to curb smoking Scientists have found a unique way to help employers reduce smoking rates: raising wages!

A new US study has found that a 10 per cent increase in wages leads to about a 5 per cent drop in smoking rates among workers who are male or who have high school educations Paul Leigh or less and improves their overall chances of quitting smoking from 17 to 20 per cent.

“Our findings are especially important as inflation adjusted wages for low-income jobs have been dropping for decades and the percentage of workers in low-paying jobs has been growing nationwide,” said study senior author Paul Leigh, professor of public health sciences and researcher with the Centre for Healthcare Policy and Research at University of California Davis Health System.

“Increasing the minimum wage could have a big impact on a significant health threat,” said Leigh.

H EALTH

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY

smoking rates in the subsequent year, revealing the role of wage increases on reducing smoking among men and the less educated. Smoking prevalence was lower overall in states with higher minimum wages, researchers said.

They also found that smoking rates for women were not influenced by wages, and that smoking rates for men were not influenced by additional household income.

They speculate that men may be more apt to tie self-worth to pay, increasing the likelihood of risky health behaviours among men in lower-paying jobs.

“Our fi ndings add to the existing body of epidemiological literature showing that lower income predicts poor health habits. They also show that higher minimum wages could reduce the prevalence of smoking,” Leigh said.

PTI SCIENCE SERVICE

Morning light may cause weight gain Parents, take note! Young children who are exposed to more light earlier in the day tend to weigh more, according to a world-fi rst study.

The study also linked increased light exposure, including light given off by tablets, mobile phones, night lights, and television, to higher risk of obesity in children.

Researchers studied 48 children aged three to five from six Brisbane childcare centres over a two week period, measuring each child’s sleep, activity and light exposure along with their height and weight to calculate their body mass index (BMI).

“We found moderate intensity light exposure earlier in the day was associated with increased BMI while children who received their biggest dose of light outdoors and indoors in the afternoon were slimmer,” said Cassandra Pattinson, a PhD student at Queensland University of Technology in Australia.

“Surprisingly physical activity was not associated with the body mass of the children but sleep timing and light exposure was,” Pattinson said.

“Th is is the fi rst time light has been shown to contribute to weight in children,” she said.

“With an estimated 42 million children around the globe under the age of five being classified as overweight or obese, it is a significant breakthrough and a world-fi rst,” she said.

“Thanks to artificial lighting, including light given off by tablets, mobile phones, night lights, and television, modern children are exposed to more environmental light than any previous generation. Th is increase in light exposure has parallelled global increases in obesity,” she said.

PTI

Now a model to fight nicotine habit Smoker Lung Model shows the side effects of smoking cigarette on the lungs

JAIPUR: Seeing is believing and what could be a better way of creating awareness against

Dr Nishtha Singh

Dr Sheetu Singh

smoking than showing people how the habit impairs lungs posing a risk to life.

In a noble act, two woman doctors from the city have come up with a “Smoker Lung Model” (SLM) to show the side effects of smoking cigarette on human lungs.

Dr Sheetu Singh, Assistant Professor at SMS Hospital and Medical College and Dr Nishtha Singh, a consultant at Asthma Bhawan, who created the SLM, said they would launch the model at the Joint National Conference of the Indian Chest Society (ICS) and National College of Chest Physicians beginning here

on November 4.

“SLM shows the effects of cigarette smoke on human lungs.

It would also help a pulmonogist to convince patients of lung diseases, caused by smoking or pollutants, and suggest them preventive measures,” they said, adding it has been tested in front of several people.

Giving details of the model, they said, made up of about one-feet long polypropylene rubber tube, with a bulb in centre, and its one end is connected to cigarette while another with a cotton napkin.

When the cigarette is lighted, the bulb sucks smoke and sends it to the cotton napkin. The smoke not only burns the napkin by making a hole but also turns the white colour of the napkin to yellow, the doctors showed in an experiment.

Pointing out that cancer, heart attack, stroke, and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) were among top 25 diseases caused by smoking, they said, education department could use this model to make the school and college students aware about the ill-effects of smoking.

The doctors duo said patent for SLM would be fi led and its cost would be worked out later, but presently it would be distributed free of cost among the participants and experts at the international conference beginning here on November 4.

PTI

Cancer, heart attack, stroke and COPD can be caused by smoking

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2015

PUNE

UK protest against Modi by film-maker P 11

“It is important that the BJP loses the assembly elections in Bihar so that it realises that hate politics will not work in the country.”

— Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister, Delhi

Pachauri ‘victim’ resigns

Tihar doc alleges molestation

The complainant, a research analyst, has said that despite the inquiry committee finding the climate scientist guilty of misconduct, the organisation has “failed” to do the “bare minimum”

from TERI with immediate effect,” the complainant wrote in the letter.

The complainant had registered a complaint against Pachauri for sexual harassment at the workplace and lodged an FIR with Delhi Police in February 2015. The complainant also alleged that the organisation had changed her work profile and played “deaf ” to all her request for not doing so.

“You changed my work profile and played deaf to my requests for not doing so. I was given zero explanation of taking such an action and none of my emails/requests were heeded to. I only got vague responses.

“I refuse to be associated with an organisation such as yours for the way

JNU rebuffs govt on courses issue NEW DELHI: In a rebuff to the government, Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Academic Council has rejected a proposal for introduction of short-term courses in ‘Indian Culture’ and ‘Yoga’ for propagating spiritual and mythological traditions and establishing Indian values in the world.

The proposal was mooted by the varsity administration f o l l o w i n g communications from UGC and HRD Ministry.

However, the varsity’s Academic Council (AC), which is the top decision making body, rejected the proposal at a meeting last Friday.

The proposal to introduce three short-term courses in these subjects had come against the backdrop of right-wing organisations, including BJP’s ideological mentor RSS, insisting on propagation of culture in educational campuses to promote India’s rich heritage and restore its cultural identity.

“The draft for introduction of three short-term courses on Culture and Yoga was placed before the AC along with the feedback received from various departments on the same. The council unanimously resolved to reject

NEW DELHI: Delhi government has transferred 26 women nurses posted at Tihar prisons hospital following a complaint by a doctor that she was molested by an inmate, a move that has not gone down well with the nurses.

The nurses have called for revoking the transfer, saying if they are not safe inside one of the largest prison complexes in South Asia where else they would be.

Delhi government’s Health department transferred 26 women nurses posted at Tihar’s health care facility to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital.

These nurses will be replaced by 26 male nurses of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, according to an order issued

by Superintendent (HR-Nursing).

The move comes in the wake of

The complainant, a research analyst at TERI institute, had registered a complaint against Pachauri for sexual harassment at the workplace in February 2015

the proposal,” an AC member told PTI. The rejection comes at a time when the government, especially the HRD ministry, is being accused of making attempts at saff ronisation of education.

The varsity had last month circulated a draft of three courses among various schools and departments of JNU for their feedback. .

According to the draft, the course on Indian culture aimed at expounding the importance of the country’s culture as well as exploring the etymological, social, spiritual, cultural and mythological aspects and establishing Indian values in the world.

“The course will contain the texts, thoughts and traditions of different cultures and include things like religious systems in Indian culture among others. Besides, it will have portions from Vedas and selections from epics and Jatakas and suggestions on readings of Hindu epics like the Ramayana,” the draft reads.

“There will be basic study of Indian culture to establish Indian rituals and values in the world and derive ways from these sources to make human life better,” it says.

PTI

Plan for courses in Yoga and Indian culture rejected

Vol-II* lssue No.: 21 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.

you have mistreated me, for not standing by the law, for not having respect for my capabilities, for doing nothing to ensure that my career is not harmed and instead harmed me mentally, professionally and economically,” she wrote.

She also said that she tendered her resignation without any prejudice to her rights to claim salary, damages and other dues/costs for the “gross misconduct and mental torture” meted out to her at the work place.

PTI

Golden knee implant surgery JAIPUR: In a rare surgery, a 65-year-old man, suffering from acute osteoarthritis, was successfully transplanted with a ‘golden’ knee implant at a private hospital here.

Munish Joshi’s left knee was replaced by an implant made of seven layers of Zirconium which is close to gold and looks like the precious yellow metal, the doctor said.

The patient is moving normally now, he said, claiming that it was a fi rst in Rajasthan’s history of medical science.

Due to uncontrolled diabetes, Joshi’s body rejected other implants which were causing acute infection and allergy. The problem was solved with the ‘golden knee’ replacement, the doctor said. Routine implants are made up of cobalt, chromium and nickel which cause infection or allergy in certain patients. But this ‘golden’ implant which costs Rs 40,000 more than the normal ones was inert and resistant to causing metallic allergy and rejection, Dr Jhurani claimed. PTI

a woman doctor’s allegation that she was molested by a convict at the prison hospital. However, the government move has drawn the ire of women nurses posted at Tihar, who said that if they are not safe inside the largest complex of prisons in South Asia, where else they will be.

In a letter to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the nurses demanded that the transfer orders should be revoked. “If women are not secure inside Tihar prison health care centre, which is the largest complex of prisons in South Asia, where in national capital they will be. At a time when everybody is talking about women empowerment, such steps would shatter their confidence so that they never stand up against the atrocities they are subjected to,” the letter said.

PTI

KAZIRANGA EXPERIENCE PTI

NEW DELHI: The complainant in the sexual harassment case against climate scientist RK Pachauri has resigned from TERI alleging that the organisation treated her in the “worst possible manner” and harmed her “mentally, professionally and economically”.

In her resignation letter to TERI HR Director Dinesh Verma, the complainant, a research analyst, has said that despite the inquiry committee finding Pachauri guilty of misconduct, the organisation has “failed” to do the “bare minimum” to ensure that she is not impacted.

“Your organisation has treated me in the worst possible manner. TERI failed to uphold my interests as an employee, let alone protecting them.

“The organisation has instead protected RK Pachauri and provided him with full immunity, despite being held guilty of sexual harassment at the work place by your own inquiry committee. The Governing Council too let me down in an unprecedented way,” she said.

“The Council could not even suspend a man pending inquiry and took no action despite the indictment.

You also created a hostile environment for me which has only escalated and showed no signs of subsiding whatsoever. It is becoming clear that the Governing Council works for the DG and under his instructions.

“There has been no changeover in the DG as well as stated on 23 July, 2015. I am tendering my resignation

Doctor said that she was molested by an inmate, 26 female nurses transferred out of prison

Tourists wait to enjoy the season’s first elephant ride at Kaziranga National Park in Assam

Plugging the gender gap in adventure travel Duo devise women-only adventure trips

BY KISHORE DWIVEDI NEW DELHI: Two men in their twenties in their attempt to do something different find themselves plugging what they call is a “gender gap” in adventure travel by organising women-only trips.

Nitesh Chauhan “If you have noticed that unlike in many foreign countries, there is a huge gender gap here in women and girls taking solo trips or in all-female groups and going on adventure trips, treks and explorations.

“More importantly, they go as individuals, meet new people, explore new places but come back with a set of new friends. So in a way, it is also about

Jugni conducts travels for females-only group taking them to tourist places

connecting with people through trips,” Nitesh Chauhan, one of the founders of “Jugni”, a group travel organising company told PTI here.

Started in February this year, Jugni, which in Hindi means female firefly and symbolises the spirit of life, conducts

travels for females-only group taking them to snow-capped mountains in Sikkim to Ladakh to Kibber village in Himachal Pradesh famous for viewing shooting stars among other places.

Rohit Khattar, the other founder, reckons that women going alone on

adventure travels is an area that will boom in next 4-5 years and has so far remained unexplored because of safety issues, which are the prime concern of women.

Rohit Khattar Ratna Jain, a 64-year-old retired school teacher, had recently visited Ladakh and resonated safety as the major concern for travellers.

“The world is not really safe, especially for women and we have known this. Initially, we were sceptical about taking this ‘only-women’ trip.

But this trip of mine to Ladakh where I even walked on the snow was anything but unsafe,” Jain said. “I went on the trip with my 32-year-old married daughter.

There were other elderly women too in my group trekking the extremely cold regions in Ladakh,” she added. Jassi, a radio jockey at a popular FM station in Delhi, sums it as the “perfect travel group” for women travellers.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2015

India’s job market looks positive P 12

UK protest against Modi by film-maker

Leslee Udwin to bring many supporters outside Wembley Stadium during PM’s address to Indian Diaspora to demand the release of her documentary ‘India’s Daughter’

BY ADITI KHANNA L ON DON: The fi lm-maker behind the controversial documentar y ‘India’s Daughter’ has launched a public appeal to mobilise a protest during Leslee Udwin Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK later this month.

Leslee Udwin wants to bring together “hundreds, if not thousands” outside Wembley Stadium in London during his mega Olympics-style address to the Indian Diaspora on November 13 to demand the ban on the fi lm be lifted in India.

The 58-year-old British fi lmmaker, whose documentary about the gang-rape of a young woman in Delhi was banned in India, said in her message via email and social media: “We need to work toward the lifting of the ban on the fi lm in India and we urgently need your help. Th is one is a really urgent one, and time is short to achieve it.

“Indian Prime Minister Modi comes to London on a state visit around 12th November, and on 13th November he is addressing a massive

‘India’s Daughter’ is documentary about the gang-rape of a young woman in Delhi

crowd at Wembley Stadium.

“I would love to see hundreds (if not thousands) of protesters, holding placards calling for him to lift the shameful ban on the fi lm, and lift the shame off India.

“We have very little time to mobilise, but I have every confidence that together we can get enough crowds to make a splash.”

Pointing to high-profi le supporters

of her cause such as Meryl Streep, Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon, Gloria Steinem, President Joyce Banda and Sir Ken Robinson, Udwin described the fi lm as an important “journey towards gender equality”.

She added: “Step one will be to find out exactly when and what time the Wembley event at which PM Modi will address a full stadium, will take place.

“Next you will need to liaise with the police in order to declare that we will hold a protest and make whatever arrangements need to be made for this.

We would also ask if you could start contacting organisations with our call to action.

“They will then of course have to be asked to spread the word amongst the networks, and be told to ask people to make placards and bring them with them on the day and time and place appointed.”

‘India’s Daughter’ is a hard-hitting documentary about the gang rape of a 23-year-old young woman in Delhi in December 2012 and includes interviews with one of the men convicted for the crime. The movie was banned in India after government claimed that Udwin had flouted the conditions under which permission was given to interview the convict and she did not submit the full, uncut footage of the interview for approval by jail authorities.

PTI

China cannot be blamed for its presence in Africa: Mauritius

sought Norway’s continued support for India’s aspirations to become member of MTCR and NSG and for permanent membership of UN Security Council and Brende reiterated India could count on Norway’s support for its bid.

Swaraj also mentioned about role of outgoing MTCR chair, Ronald Waess of Norway.

India has been eyeing to get entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Missile Technology Control Regime, the Wassenaar Arrangement and the Australia Group.

Brende also held talks with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

In the JCM, progress of work under the eight Joint Working Groups under JCM on marine resources, maritime affairs, hydrocarbons, environment, science and technology, education, culture and local governance were discussed, said the External Affairs Ministry.

PTI

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Run for... yourself

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Get your voice heard on NetaG P6

No damaged goods please P3

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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

AUTO,

HAIL A

CAB

or long distances (depending on their mood), overcharge or ask for obnoxious fares, often refuse to ply by meter – the list is endless.

TGS Team members decided to give the ‘victimised’ autorickshaw drivers a chance.

Five members of the team tried hiring rickshaws for distances ranging between 1.5 and 20 kms. All the members came

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

BHOSARI

4 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

RAHUL RAUT

said director of the school, who

Supriya Bhoite from Chaturshrungi police station.

Contd on p4

CHINCHWAD

THERGAON HINJEWADI VILLAGE

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,

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 talent, planners have finally woken up to the plight of citizens.

They have now planned five alternative roads. But the authorities are in no hurry to complete them. See spotlight on p8 & 9

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

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.

All that the auto drivers are saying is true. But what they are not telling us or willing to concede is that their enemy lies within. Their enemy number one is not private cabs but members of their own ilk – many of whom are rude, refuse to ply short

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS

CITY

TGS LIFE

Hum Saath Saath Hain

PICS ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

DITCH THE

GAUTAM SINGHANIA

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.’

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

other country, China also wants to be present in Africa and it is a win-win situation (for China and Africa). India is in a far better place as Indians have been settling in many countries in Africa since almost a century.

“There is quite an important Indian population in Africa and there is already a close link between certain African countries and India. So India is in a far better situation,” Jugnauth told PTI. Mauritius, which is seen as an investment gateway for Africa, also has dominant Indian-origin population.

The Prime Minister, who was here

NEW DELHI: Norway supported India’s bid for securing membership of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and Nuclear Suppliers Group besides the UN Security Council even as the two countries held wide-ranging talks to boost ties in diverse sectors including in defence, security, energy and trade.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Norwegian counterpart Borge Brende, co-chairing the Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) here, decided to hold a bilateral dialogue on trade and and investments to explore untapped opportunities.

The meeting, fifth in series, reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral ties and explored ways to step up engagement in range of areas.

Norway evinced interest in participating in Make in India initiative, smart cities and clean Ganga projects and development of ports.

The External Affairs Minister

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

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

President Pranab Mukherjee greets the wife of Mauritian Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth during a dinner hosted at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi

to attend the third India- Africa Forum Summit, said, “I think PM Modi has taken very good initiatives as they (India) don’t want to lag behind and I am sure and I believe that soon India will overtake China in Africa.”

When asked whether he was making a comparison with China, the Mauritius Prime Minister said, “I won’t say that (it is a comparison).”

An island nation that has been a significant source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and portfolio investments coming into India, Mauritius has very strong ties with the country traditionally.

“Mauritius is more than an investment gateway to Africa. It is a natural bridge between Asia and Africa in view of the Mauritius appurtenance to Africa coupled with strong cultural ties with Asia,” Jugnauth said. Asked if the India-Africa summit changes the future of their ties, Jugnauth said, “Well definitely. It can’t be otherwise. It won’t do any harm. It is bound to boost and bring India closer to Africa.”

PTI

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj shaking hands with Norway’s Foreign Minister Borge Brende during their meeting in New Delhi

THANK GOD IT’S S AT U R D AY

Island nation’s Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth said India is in a far better place as Indians have been settling in many countries in Africa since almost a century

NEW DELHI: China cannot be “blamed” for its presence in resourcerich Africa, Mauritius Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth said, but hoped that a “better placed” India will soon overtake it in that continent.

His comments come close on the heels of the successful completion of India-Africa Forum Summit where Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched for deeper ties with African nations, amidst growing concerns here of increasing Chinese strategic footprints in the region.

“We can’t blame China. Like any

Norway supports India’s bid for UNSC

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 his colleagues in other department in the same ministry. But none of

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

LONDON: Scotland Yard has apologised for the “unacceptable” actions of some of its officers during a Sikh protest outside the Indian High Commission here last week.

Twenty arrests had been made after hundreds of Sikh protesters clashed with the Metropolitan Police on October 22 during a demonstration against the alleged police brutality on community members in Punjab. One police officer was taken to hospital with a head injury.

There were some reports of the peaceful demonstration turning violent after Met Police officers became heavyhanded with some of the protesters.

“I would like to reassure the Sikh community that no disrespect or offence was intended and apologise for any distress, hurt or offence that has been caused,” Commander Mak Chishty, the Met’s head of community engagement.

“An incident occurred where a Met Police officer is seen to take a Nishan Sahib, a sacred flag, from a protester, snap the stick and throw it to the floor.

This is deeply disrespectful to the Sikh community and is not acceptable,” he said. It also emerged that police had removed kirpans, a ceremonial knife carried by Sikhs, from two protesters following their arrests against the orders of a senior officer.

“I understand the distress and hurt that has been caused and I sincerely apologise to our Sikh community for this. I am also aware that kirpans were removed from two people once they had been arrested. Chishty said officers deployed on future protests involving Sikh demonstrators would be briefed on the significance of the Nishan Sahib and kirpans.

PTI

“We should in no way accept a new cold war, as this will be a defeat both for you and us.

There is no sense in isolating Russia; I strongly believe in this.”

—Nicolas Sarkozy, Former French President

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

Scotland Yard apologises to Sikhs over protest

PUNE

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

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

Hum

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

NEIGHBOURHOOD UNREST PTI

Puneites are running to fight depression, lethargy, even physical disadvantage. Marathoners are taking over the street and making the city fitter than it has ever been

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Contact : 02024450705 (during office hours only)  tgs@goldensparrow.com Ethnic Madhesi protesters throw stones and bricks at Nepalese policemen in Birgunj, a town on the border with India, Nepal.

Ethnic protesters demonstrating against the new constitution clashed with police in south Nepal

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2015

PUNE

MONEY MATT ER S

“The business environment in our markets remains challenging and our performance is disappointing. Today we have announced a strategy that makes big changes to how we will manage ourselves going forward.”

— Bill Winters, Group Chief Executive, Standard Chartered

Signposts No going back on call penalty: Prasad Despite mounting pressure from telcos including threat of legal action, telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the penalty for call drops announced by the regulator Trai will be implemented as per schedule. “The telecom operators may have a point.

But for the government what is more important is customer interest...there is therefore no question of going back on the proposal to penalise telecom companies for call drops,” Prasad told reporters. Trai on October 16 slapped Re 1 penalty on telcos for every call dropped, to the utter chagrin of the operators who have for long been blaming call drops to the lack of spectrum availability.

Economic recovery to continue RBI decision to reduce the benchmark lending rate by 0.50 basis points will add to the economic recovery process

BY CHANDRA SHEKHAR Relentless efforts by the NDA government to improve the economic situation appears to be yielding fruits with the GDP showing fi rm signs of improvement, as reflected by latest figures of industrial growth. Also the recent decision of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to reduce the benchmark lending rate by 0.50 basis points will add to the economic recovery process.

The changing mood is evident in the overload of newspaper advertisements by e-retailers, consumer goods producers and real estate companies.

They are a testimony to the rising demand and increasing consumer confidence.

The overall euphoria is corroborated by the recent data which suggest that the industrial production grew at a nearly three year high of 6.4 per cent in August on account of improvement in manufacturing as well as mining activity and better off take of capital goods. The factory output grew by a meager 0.5 per cent in the corresponding period last fiscal.

Industrial output, measured in terms of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), was at 4.1 per cent in the April-August period against 3 per cent in the year-ago period.

The index grew at 8.4 per cent in October, 2012. After that, it has touched the highest level of 6.4 per cent in August. The IIP growth for July

Gold bonds still retain shine Sovereign gold bonds are likely to excel over other investment products such as gold exchange traded funds and physical bars, says a report.

The Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme (SGBS) may address pure investment demand for the yellow metal and is easy to implement relative to the gold monetisation scheme, the India Ratings report said.

It said the successful launch of this product may ensure that physical gold is used mostly for manufacturing jewellery, and gold bonds for investments.

Investors of gold bars or coins may find gold sovereign bonds a better investment than holding a physical stock because it will offer the benefit of gold without any handling and storage costs, it pointed out.

It will relieve investors of the need to

“Our intent is to continue to develop the port infrastructure along the Indian coastline and thereby benefit from the synergies this network brings to Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone.”

—Gautam Adani, chairman, Adani Ports

check the quality of gold and with valuation and these bonds can also be easier to use as collateral.

As the counterpart is the government, it will take the risk of higher prices and if they fall, the investor would be given an option to roll over their holdings for an additional period, the report noted.

However, the sovereign gold bonds are beneficial only if bought for investment purposes. The Sovereign Gold Bonds will offer an interest rate of 2.75 per cent and will remain open for public subscription November 5-20.

The gold bond scheme will offer investors a choice to buy bonds worth 2 grams of gold, up to a maximum of 500 grams, requiring certain minimum investment.

PTI

The benefit of gold without handling or storage costs

has been revised slightly downwards to 4.1 per cent from provisional estimate of 4.2 per cent last month.

The manufacturing sector, which constitutes over 75 per cent of the index, grew by 6.9 per cent in August, 2015 against a contraction of 1.1 per cent in the same month last year. During April-August period, manufacturing sector grew at 4.6 per cent as compared to 2 per cent growth in same period a year ago.

The mining sector growth was at 3.8 per cent in August against 1.2 per cent in the same month last fiscal. During April-August period, the sector grew at 1.2 per cent. The output of capital goods, a barometer of investment, grew at an impressive rate of 21.8 per cent as against a contraction of 10 per cent in the same month last year.

The data further revealed that during April-August, the capital goods output grew by 7.4 per cent as compared to 4.8 per cent in the yearago period.

However, power generation growth slowed to 5.6 per cent in August as compared to 12.9 per cent in the same month a year ago.

During April-August period, it grew by 3.2 per cent as compared to 11.7 per cent in same period a year ago.

In terms of industries, 15 out of 22 groups in the manufacturing sector showed positive growth in August. According to the data, overall

SBI, ICICI differ on teaser loans issue The two top lenders — State Bank of India and ICICI Bank — are not on the same page when it comes to reintroducing the controversial ‘teaser loans’ which were shelved four years ago as the regulator flagged asset quality issues.

Pitching for the reintroduction, SBI Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya has said, “I still believe there is a place for teaser loans mainly because when people take loans in initial days, they need some leeway. But as time passes, a higher EMI does not pinch much as their salaries go up that can service a higher EMI.” However, the largest private lender, ICICI Bank, which has a high exposure to home loans, is not open to the idea, saying standard rates are better. “We’ve always been preferring standard rates over enticing options as in the former, the customer is aware from day one what the rate is,” said ICICI Bank Executive Director Rajiv Sabharwal. “We believe that offering standard rates where rates remain uniform throughout the life of a loan is a much better proposition.”

PTI

consumer goods output grew by 6.8 per cent in August as compared to a contraction of 6.2 per cent in the same month a year ago. During AprilAugust, the consumer goods output grew by 3 per cent compared to a decline in production by 4.3 per cent.

The consumer durables goods output grew at 17 per cent in August as compared to a contraction of 15 per cent in the same month a year ago. Th is segment grew by 7.7 per cent in April- August period compared to a contraction of

India leads in consumer confidence: Nielsen India continued to lead the global consumer confidence index in the third quarter with 131 points same as the previous quarter.

It is followed by United States (119 points), Philippines (117) and Indonesia (116).

Although more than 54 per cent polled said India’s economy is still in slowdown zone, its consumer confidence score remained intact at 131, said global information and insights provider Nielsen.

In the June quarter, 50 per cent people had expressed that they feel India is still in ‘economic recession’.

“However, this quarter 67 per cent indicate that India will be out of the recession over the next 12 months, as against 61 per cent last quarter,” the report said.

According to Nielsen India Region senior vice president Roosevelt D’Souza, this year the Indian consumer continues to be resilient and hopeful when it comes to economic outlook.

“What is interesting is that

India’s job market looks positive The report has surveyed 240 employers from market-leading MNCs and small and medium-sized enterprises

As the Indian economy keeps up its escalating g r o w t h trajectory, the job market also looks very positive as 76 per cent companies surveyed are Sebastien p l a n n i n g Hampartzoumian to increase headcount in the next one year, says a report.

“About 76 per cent companies surveyed said they expect to increase headcount in the next 12 months as the Indian economy is at its escalating

growth trajectory,” Michael Page’s 2015-2016 India Salary and Employment Outlook has said.

The report has surveyed 240 employers from market-leading multinational companies (MNCs) and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across all major industry sectors.

“Our specialist approach with dedicated teams of recruitment professionals, combined with expert commentary drawn from our extensive involvement with senior executives, gives us an in-depth perspective into each industry sector.

Overall, the Indian market con-

tinues to grow, with strong confidence bolstered by high levels of investment,” Michael Page India Senior MD Sebastien Hampartzoumian told PTI. A potential candidate’s decision to accept a new role is usually influenced by brand reputation, career progression and international opportunity, he said.

Millennials in particular expect a clear path of career progression that includes opportunities for development, overseas secondment and promotion, he added.

“A favourable online presence, especially on social media platforms, will help accelerate talent acquisition as Indian employees further heighten their engagement levels online,” he pointed out.

He said an interesting trend observed while conducting this survey was the apparent modernisation of the Human Resources (HR) function in the country.

“There has been a distinct move

12.8 per cent in corresponding period.

The consumer non-durable goods output grew by 0.4 per cent in August as compared to 0.4 per cent growth in the same month a year ago. During April-August, the output of these goods grew by 0.1 per cent as compared to 1.9 per cent growth a year ago.

The basic goods output grew by 3.4 per cent in August, compared to 9 per cent growth a year ago, whereas intermediate goods output grew by 2.6 per cent in the month under review as compared to a contraction of 0.1 per

cent in the same period last year.

As regards the price situation, the retail inflation did rise to 4.41 per cent in September due to costlier food items in general and beverages and pulses in particular. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) based inflation in August stood at 3.74 per cent on cheaper vegetables, fruits and protein rich items, government data showed.

However, what is noteworthy is that despite marginal rise in CPI, the retail inflation remained within the comfort zone. Moreover, the below normal monsoon has not resulted in high inflationary expectations, as was expected by the Reserve Bank.

For August, the government revised upwards the retail inflation to 3.74 per cent from the earlier estimate of 3.66 per cent. However, the consumer inflation for September declined as against August last year when it stood at 5.63 per cent. Food inflation during the month rose to 3.88 per cent from 2.20 per cent in August.

Retail inflation in pulses and products category rose to 29.76 per cent in September. While the price rise in the food and beverages category almost doubled from a month earlier to 4.29 per cent in September, inflation in cereals and products was also higher at 1.38 per cent. However, meat and fish rate of price rise has slowed to 5.59 per cent. Milk and its products were also cheaper in September with inflation rate at 5.05 per cent. Eggs also turned cheaper with 1.19 per cent price rise.

Rate of price growth for ‘cereals and products’ was faster at 1.38 per cent.

PTI ECONOMIC SERVICE

towards aptitude-based hiring.

Hiring managers are now evaluating candidates purely on their own merit and abilities, regardless of how their experience stacks up, which is very uncharacteristic and does not align with traditional hiring practices in India,” he added.

The report further said that emerging sectors such as e-commerce, healthcare and infrastructure have infected the market with the right kind of enthusiasm. It said now the companies are concentrating their efforts to retain high-performing employees with exorbitant counter offers to stem talent loss. About 60 per cent of respondents use ‘recognition and rewards’ as a top talent retention method, the report said. To achieve this, 62 per cent of the respondents intend to pay out 10-15 per cent salary hikes in the next 12 months for the purpose. It also found that 61 per cent offer flexible working hours as a work and life balance facilitator.

PTI

discretionary spending is looking up, even when compared to the same period last year amongst urban respondents. At the same time, there is a cautionary tone as is evident in their savings intent,” he said, adding that ongoing festive season may lend buoyancy, though smart marketing and attractive deals.

However, he added: “Volatility still exists in consumer sentiment owing to deficit monsoons, and uncertainty in certain pockets when it comes to consumption.” Nearly two-third online respondents indicated this is a good time to buy things they want and need, once again leading the global top 10 countries for this parameter in the quarter. Moreover, there is an uptick in intent on utilisation of spare cash, as 70 per cent of online respondents have indicated they will invest in savings this quarter, followed by new technology and holidays and vacations with 56 per cent respectively and 50 per cent on new clothes.

PTI

Domestic air traffic to soar three-fold

The number of air travellers in the country is slated to rise more than threefold to 218 million by 2025 from 70 million in 2015 and each metro requires a second greenfield airport to handle the traffic.

According to the report commissioned by Vistara airline and conducted by industry body CAPA (Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation), aviation can contribute 5 per cent to the country’s GDP or USD 250 billion by 2025. This would mean the existing airports in the metros would not be able to meet the rising demand.

By the turn of 2015, international traffic to the country would be 120 million, up from 51 million, the report said,

adding that this would further jump to 254 million by 2035, while the domestic load would stand at 527 million by 2035.

The report pegs the fleet strength to rise more than threefold to 1,084 by 2025 from 394 in 2015 and further to 2,564 by 2035.

It called for increasing investment in airport infrastructure, airspace management and skill development as the sector is going to witness massive demand by 2025, which would necessitate that each of the major metros would have to have a new second airport. The incremental domestic traffic in the past 10 years was almost three times greater than in the previous 50 years.

PTI

Aviation can contribute five per cent to the country’s GDP

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2015

“Quality roads are necessary for a smart city and speed breakers are an integral part of a good road. The civic body needs a policy which will ensure all speed bumps are designed in accordance with the guidelines laid down.

— Qaneez Sukhrani, RTI Activist

“In India, we are looking at building more flyovers, places like Seoul have actually demolished almost 65 flyovers to encourage public transport.”

—Pranjali Deshpande Agashe, State Programme Manager, ITDP

Free-for-all at Wakdewadi The subway meant for two-wheelers is freely used by four-wheelers which is causing a potentially hazardous situation

Pune’s road users are a strange and disobedient lot. They love to break every rule that they can, whenever and wherever. Whether it’s a red light, one way or ‘no entry’, the lawless Puneite can be trusted to always do the wrong thing that they are not supposed to do..

I live in Nigdi, Pradhikaran and use Ameya Gurjar the Wakdewadi bypass daily to reach Shaniwar Peth. The subway which is meant for two-wheelers and three-wheelers is freely used by fourwheelers, and the resulting scenario is not just scary but even life-threatening.

The signboard that reads ‘No entry for four-wheelers’ is hidden behind the speed limit board, and therefore, some of the four-wheeler drivers may be using the subway unknowingly.

The city has grown in leaps and bounds but at the core it remains a place full of charm and character

The subway was opened for fourwheelers when a grade separator was under construction a year ago to divert traffic going towards Sancheti Hospital. But the subway is still used by fourwheelers. Often trucks and PMPML buses have got stuck in the subway.

When four-wheelers use this subway, it causes traffic jams and during peak rush hours, the situation is truly an ordeal and it takes forever for the congestion to clear. Minor accidents are common as it is much too narrow and there is no lighting

CITIZEN JOURNALIST

A planned growth and upgrade in infrastructure are necessary to retain the quality of life here

I have come to appreciate living in Pune over the time that I have lived here. It is of course fi rst a centre of education, which means that it has a sizeable population of students, who happen to come from all corners of the world. Then it is also grown to be an industrial hub, which also means that there are companies from all over the world in and around Pune. These are the factors that have made Pune so cosmopolitan and Meenal Gurjar progressive in outlook, despite the strong and unshakeable traditions and heritage.

Along the way, Pune has acquired the gloss of supermarkets, malls, movie theatres and restaurants so that shopping and eating out are

EDITOR

It is no surprise that the Pune Municipal corporation has identified 50 sites in the city as being potentially hazardous for women. I think the real number is much higher as frankly speaking, women are not safe anywhere at all in India. The frightening thing is that no one will bother or dare to intervene if a woman is assaulted or molested in a public place. Such things happen daily all over India, and Pune is no exception.

The root of the problem however, is the average Indian male’s attitude towards women, who thinks that women are created just to cater to his needs, and the way women are portrayed in Hindi films, is making matters worse. With so-called leading ladies cavorting about in skimpy costumes, mouthing the lewdest of lyrics, the average Indian male thinks that this is what real

Pune is a unique blend of old & new

RAHUL RAUT

to speak of inside the subway. Along with this there are some open drainage chambers along the footpaths whose covers are missing.

The subway near Sakhar Sankul is not meant for four-wheelers but was meant for pedestrians and cyclists.

Therefore it is completely unsuitable for four-wheelers and traffic jams are the usual result.

Citizens must ensure quality of life

LETTERS TO THE

PUNE

pleasures to be had on a daily basis. In fact, so huge is this aspect, that I am sure that the original Puneite fears that the old culture and way of life has been eclipsed by the outsiders and their ways.

Even the old heritage buildings and architecture of the city has been shadowed by the high-rises and the skyline of the city is nothing like it was a decade or two ago. It also shows that hordes of people are coming to settle down here, or are investing in property for their future stays here. It all points to Pune and its growth, and the only obstacle I see is the rather inept corporation which has constantly failed to keep pace with the growth and it neither has the vision to make allowances for the future. Th is has left the city short of infrastructure, such as roads and public transport, and has caused a nightmare scenario as far as commuting is concerned.

The flyovers and such move at snail’s pace and by the time one is complete, the roads are so crowded that it hardly makes a difference. The metro project has been in the air for a decade

I have lived in Pune since 2005. It took me some time to settle in but once I found my bearings, I came to appreciate the positive aspects of the city and then the negative factors also became easier to ignore.

My friends and I have always made it a point Jenny Grimes to make some time for fun and recreation which we did even with our hectic college schedules. Pune has proved to be the kind of city that grows on you and I am no exception. There are all kinds of events and activities to engage in and the restaurants and the variety of cuisines are most inviting.

In the decade that I’ve been here, Pune has undergone rapid and vast changes, and it is now an industrial hub aside from being an educational one,

and the booming IT and BPO sectors have changed the profi le, attitude and lifestyles in Pune.

It is fascinating to see the traditional and modern go hand in hand here. While there are some areas that have changed little over the years, the newer areas like Baner and Kalyaninagar are wholly modern with high-rises, malls, movie complexes etc.

Pune is a reasonably safe place and I have not had to encounter any untoward happenings. Most people seem to be helpful when it comes to giving directions and such.

The public transport scenario is so bad that I find it pointless to talk about it except to say that a growing city like Pune deserves a far better and more efficient corporation.

The congestion on the roads is another aspect of daily life that I have to cope with and I wonder how Pune has reached this point, where breaking traffic rules and laws has become universal.

FROM FOREIGN

SHORES

RAHUL RAUT

and there is still not even the beginning of it. It is almost as if the civic body is waiting for the city to turn into an endless morning to nigh traffic jam before it wakes from its slumber and decides to take any action.

What Pune needs most of all is an alert, efficient and non-corrupt corporation if it is to survive the onrushing tide of change.

The future otherwise is extremely bleak and I can foresee road rage and horrendous things taking place on a daily basis. Like other cities in the world, the corporation does not have a clue about taking measures to avoid congestion and pollution and the citizens can do nothing but live with it.

Th at is the reason for the ever deteriorating quality of life, with unruly crowds, chaotic traffic and toxic air to breathe being everyday realities. But the thing is that it is not too late and Pune can still be a fi ne place to live in if the citizens themselves and the unwilling corporation take up the challenge and do everything possible to ensure a quality life for all.

NON-NATIVE

PAROLE

Male chauvinist attitude must change

women are like, objects of lust, who will cater to hi basest passions. All the police and all the laws in the world will not keep Indian women safe as long as such crude attitudes prevail and the Indian male mindset does not change.

—Sadhana Patil

Government should not meddle The Film and Television Institute of India students’ strike has been called off after months of wrangling.

However, the students are continuing their protest against the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan. It should be a matter of concern that the ministry of Information and Broadcasting had got stuck in such an imbroglio where it became a matter of prestige and

they could not back off. After all, the students of any institution must have a say in who governs their institution and therefore, the FTII students’ protest against Chauhan is entirely legitimate and justified. However, the students were wrong to adopt methods like gheraoing the director and getting embroiled in a police case.

A prestigious institute like the FTII should be above all such scandals and the government itself should let the running and affairs of the institute be decided by luminaries of the fi lm industry and people who have the right credentials to deal with a fi lm institute, rather than get entangled in ego issues.

—Piyush Apte

PMC anti-encroachment drive farce

The demolition of the encroachments

by German Bakery on Law College Road highlights the farce that the Pune Municipal Corporation antiencroachment department indulges in, to hoodwink the public into thinking that it is an efficient and above-board organisation. Every one knows however that this is just a regular farce and that the encroachments are back in no time and then it is business as usual. The city streets are full of encroachments and there are almost no footpaths where shopkeepers and vendors have not set up their businesses. At a time when the streets are over-congested and parking is a nightmare, encroachments should be dealt with on a war footing and the wrong-doers must be levied such harsh penalties that they will not dare to commit the offence again. But in Pune, there is always room for the wrongdoers to maneuver and the co-operative staff of the PMC are always hand-inglove with the encroachers. It is the public that has to suffer for this state of affairs, and by the looks of it, things are not about to change now or ever.

—Shardool Joshi

drums and keyboards etc, were such a delight. It is sad that the changing times have drawn a curtain on such pomp and splendor but the articles gave us some insight into the real life hardships that the musicians of the brass bands actually face. The modern technology and the popularity of deejays have sounded the death knell for the brass bands in a way, so to survive they have had to adopt such new gimmicks. It is also a fact that the young generation does not want to take up instruments like the saxophone and trumpet as the guitar and keyboards are much more popular. But the truth is that the synthesizer may produce the sounds of a saxophone or trumpet, but it is still not the real thing. The progress of technology therefore, also demands a price which means that we have to forfeit some of the joys of the bygone eras. It is all the more praiseworthy then that some of the brass bands continue to function despite the difficulties and the obstacles.

—Vijay Singh

The sound of music

The Yellow Ribbon NGO Fair by the Ishanya Foundation is a step in the right direction to giving needy persons a means to become self-reliant. It is also a positive aspect that since 2007 when the initiative was started, there are lots more NGOs and self help

The feature about the brass bands brought back memories of the old days when marriages and other ceremonies were marked by the parading brass band and the sounds of the horns and

A friend in need

groups that are now involved in the project. In these days, when living in the city is increasingly difficult, it is welcome that the foundation is taking the steps to give people a helping hand and find a respectable way to live. The best part is that they are helping the people they help to discover just what it is that they can do to earn a living and become independent. It is the duty of the privileged lot in society to extend help to those who need it the most.

In these self-obsessed times, people who give of their time and energy to the welfare of others is like a beacon of light that should inspire the rest of us who otherwise have no incentive to help others even when we can. Instead of fighting over whose religion is the best, whose way of life is the best, what food to eat and whether to eat meat or not, a place as diverse as India needs people to be sensible and do the right thing, be tolerant and help others when we can.

—Swati Kulkarni

Write to Us Letters to the Editor may be emailed to editor_tgs@goldensparrow.com, yogesh.sadhwani@goldensparrow. com or mail it to The Editor, Golden Sparrow Publishing Pvt Ltd, 1641 Madhav Heritage, Tilak Road, Pune-411030.

SPORTS

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2015

PUNE

“Indian badminton is at its best phase. Never have we had so many good players at the same time. But for doing well in the Olympic Games you need to be at your peak in that one week.”

— Prakash Padukone, Badminton Legend

“Kohli has been the Test captain for long enough. Indian team’s average age is 25-26, captain is also around that age and this team has plenty of years ahead of them.”

— Ravi Shastri, Team India Director

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

Ward in contention for Davis Cup team The British No 4 is getting back on track after his campaign in Challenger Series in India

BY ASHISH PHADNIS @phadnis.ashish James Ward, son of a cab driver from London, was considered the best bet for the British Davis Cup team till this year. In March, Ward who was ranked 111, pulled off the biggest win by beating 20th-ranked John Isner in the Davis Cup first round tie against the United States in Glasgow.

Followed by this remarkable performance, Ward made it into the third round of Wimbledon for the first time, and also entered in the top 100 with a career-high ranking of 89.

However, after reaching the peak, the career graph of this 28-year-old came sliding

Local players dominate PFC squad for Youth League TGS NEWS NETWORK @TGSWeekly Pune Football Club has named a host of local players in their squad for the inaugural Under-15 Youth League which kicks off with a home clash against local rivals DSK Shivajians FC on November 8.

The team consisting of 16 Pune players make up a 23-man squad which will be up against five other sides, including Mumbai FC, Kenkre FC, PIFA Colaba and Steadfast Academy (all from Mumbai) apart from DSK Shivajians FC in the Maharashtra Zone.

The zonal phase will be played on a home and away basis, just like the Under-18 I-League, with the top two teams from each zone qualifying for the final phase which will be held at a neutral venue.

Pune FC Under-15 Coach Mohan Dass said, “With 40 teams participating from all over India, the Youth League will be a massive tournament.

It’s very important for Pune FC, as we want our youngsters to get valuable competitive exposure which will help them as they progress. Our aim is to do well in this tournament.”

The team also features Chaitanya Advani and Aadarsh Vanjare, who have come from the wellestablished Pune FC Soccer Schools, the club’s mega-scale grassroots programme which trains kids from six years of age at five centres across Pune.

“Our goal has always been developing local talent at the grassroots level. The fact that players from the Pune FC Soccer Schools have made it to the team is a testament to our grassroots programme,” said Dass.

For Pune FC, the biggest clashes in the zonal phase will be the local derbies against DSK Shivajians. While the home leg will be played on the opening day, Pune FC will travel away to Loni for the second leg on January 3, 2016. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Signposts Pune riders to compete in Deccan Cliffhanger Chaitanya Velhal, winner of last year’s Cliffhanger, Apurv Verma (second place) and Srinivas Gokulnath (third place), along with Saniya Patil of Pune, the first Indian woman attempting a Race Across America (RAAM) Qualifier, will be among the 18 solo participants participating in the Deccan Cliffhanger Pune to Goa 647km (400-mile) race, which will be flagged off from the city on November 7. The solo category of the event will be the official qualifier for the RAAM, the toughest bicycle race in the world. Riders must complete the distance, with a total elevation gain of 13,800 feet, within 32 hours to qualify.

5th edition of cycling treasure hunt on Nov 22 MG’s Sports & Fitness and PYC Gymkhana will be organising the 5th edition of BU Bhandari Volkswagen Pune West cycling treasure hunt on November 22, from PYC Gymkhana. The event offers total prize money of Rs 65,000 and will be held in three categories, said tournament director Mahendra Gokhale. Registration forms are available at PYC Gymnasium and online on www.meraevent.com, Last date for registration is November 18.

down to 143 in October. His streak of losing giving him a single chance to comeback.

11 matches in a row also put a question mark “My performance in India has been on his berth in the Davis Cup team. good so far. I playing much better, than the But it seems that Ward’s Indian last couple of months, and if I maintain the campaign has helped him get back on track. same game, there are chances of getting Last week, he won a challenger series in back on the track,” said Ward.

Bangalore and was in last four in the Pune In October, Ward won his fourth ChalATP Challenger Series. lenger title in Bangalore, defeating top seed After his straight win over Bulgeria’s Ilya Adrian Menendez-Maceiras 6-2, 7-5 to Ivashka in the quarterfinals, clinch his first title since 2013. the British number 4 was Ward had been under threat relieved was hopeful of his of dropping outside the top chances in this tournament 200 by the end of the year, but held at Shiv Chhatrapati sports his success ensured a ranking complex in Balewadi. Ward of 143. Ward then made it an had lost to Ivashka 1-6, 4-6 in eight match winning streak by the first round of the St Remy reaching the semifinals of the Challenger in France last Pune Challenger. This success month. But Ward avenged his led him being made the Aegon defeat in Bangalore with a 6-3, Player of the month for October 6-4 win over Ivashka in the He was reluctant to talk pre-quarterfinals, and tamed - James Ward about his chances in the Davis him again in Pune, without Cup team and said that the

“I am doing my part, that is playing good tennis.”

decision was not in his hands.

“Everyone is asking me the same question again and again. My answer is, I am doing my part, that is playing good tennis and producing better results. I am trying my best these days to get picked. A title in Bangalore and if I could have win a title here, can surely boost my chances, but it’s not for me to decide who can be part of the Davis Cup team,” he said.

Talking about his debacle in the performance, Ward said that it wasn’t a bad performance.

“I was pitted against few strong players and I just couldn’t hold my own against them. It wasn’t a big concern for me, as I was sure I can overcome this phase. The campaign in India, has proved fruitful so far,” he said.

Ward became the first British player to progress through qualifying for the French Open since John Lloyd in 1973. ashish.phadnis@goldensparrow.com