The Golden Sparrow on Saturday 23/05/2015

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TGS LIFE

The hands that shaped our city

CITY

‘Picnic gang’ behind mobile shop robberies: Police P3

CITY

At daughter’s wedding, ATS cop seeks blessings and donations for Nepal quake survivors P5

PICS BY Aniruddha rajandekar & Rahul Raut

She hopes to be a policewoman soon When the stage lights dim, Lavani performers prepare for a better future. Juggling textbooks and ghungrus, they are burning the midnight oil to give themselves a chance at another life See Spotlight, p8-9

Minister refuses to sit with commoners for IPL match, creates a scene

Anurag Thakur, BCCI secretary

Minister Ram Shinde

Minister of State for Home Ram Shinde did not like it when he and his associates were directed to Hospitality Stand, costing Rs 18,000 a seat. He threw a fit over being made to sit with rest of the crowd and demanded an exclusive box to watch the qualifier match at Gahunje stadium. He calmed down only when BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur directed the organisers to take the minister to the See p3 cricket board’s box

mUMBAI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MAY 23, 2015

PUNE

“Farmers don’t want counselling but a good price for their crops and financial assistance in times of distress.”

- Nitin Gadkari, Union Cabinet Minister

Indian military lab develops kit to detect swine flu in hours P6

Build your dream home, the PYHT way P4

Nature lover succumbs to Irshalgad

The 29-year-old had planned a trip to release caged birds. He lost his grip while attempting to climb to the top of the treacherous peak in the Matheran Range BY yogesh sadhwani @yogeshsadhwani An avid trekker and fitness enthusiast suffered fatal injuries while on a trek to Irshalgad, Matheran Range, on Sunday.

A resident of Chembur, Siddarth Arya, had gone to the fortress with a 10-member group from his locality to release caged birds. While most of his fellow trekkers stopped at a certain point, Siddarth and another friend decided to go right up to the top. They were climbing up the steep rocky slope when Siddarth slipped and fell.

The incident happened at around noon on Sunday. Siddarth, a resident of a housing colony near RCF, Chembur, had been planning to go on a trek to Irshalgad for a while, his friends said.

He had trekked the route earlier but wanted to do it again. He planned the trip with a group of children from his colony, in order to educate them about nature.

“Siddarth wanted the kids to understand what it’s like to be in the lap of nature. He wanted them to take up

trekking as a hobby,” said a close friend.

A member of the sales team of a reputed company, Siddarth’s only hobbies were travelling and trekking.

The fitness freak, his friends say, would go for a run every day at 6.30 am without fail. “Most of us would drink occasionally but he never touched alcohol. He would often say trekking and travelling gave him a better high and alcohol was no match for it,” said another friend. Extremely conscious of the threat humans pose to nature, Siddarth would take every possible precaution not to add to the mess.

“He would not allow any one of us to litter. If somebody threw a wrapper in the open, he would pick it up and put it in his bag, which he would empty only once he got back home. He would talk endlessly about nature,” said one of his friends.

In fact, Siddarth had been planning for days for the trek scheduled on Sunday. “He would always debate about the freedom to live as one pleases.

He went to Crawford Market to look for caged birds that he could free at

Irshalgad. The vendors there showed him quite a few species of caged birds but none of them could fly. So he picked half a dozen wild pigeons,” said his friend. The idea, his friends say, was to release them in the wild so that the children accompanying him would respect nature and understand the importance of freedom.

As planned, the group of 10 left from Chembur around 6 am on Sunday.

They reached the base of Irshalgad by 8 am and started trekking within the next half hour. Before the hike they released the caged birds. On the way up, one of the girls in the group twisted her leg midway and could not walk any further through the trek. The girl and another group member stayed behind, while the remaining eight members went ahead. A little before noon, the group reached the last point before the tip of the mountain, at 1,318 metres above the sea level.

Six members of the team decided to stay back while Siddarth and his friend Riju Raj decided to climb further. “We had done the Irshalgad trek several times

Siddarth Arya was an avid trekker

earlier, but never really gone right up to the top. This time Siddarth suggested that we give it a shot. Just when he was pushing himself up the steep incline, the rock under his fingers came loose.

He lost his balance and fell,” said Riju.

A villager saw him tumble down and pointed to the spot where Siddarth could be in the bushes, a good 100 metres below. For the next 45 minutes, the group searched for Siddarth. They found him lying unconscious in the bushes.

The group tried hard to wake him up but failed. “There was no visible

Irshalgad Fort, located in the Matheran Range and 1,318 metres above the sea level, is popular with trekkers

injury on his body. But route. Regular trekkers we could see that he think that reaching had suffered fractures the peak is easy and all over his body. All tend to take a risk. we could think of then They underestimate the was to rush him to a incline. Over the years, hospital,” said Riju. the soil has come loose.

While some of the There is an iron bar right members went down to on top for trekkers to look for an ambulance, get a grip, but that has others went to the village also become loose. Even in the vicinity seeking with a rope it’s a risky help to take Siddarth to business.” the base. The locals, Riju Another regular said, demanded money trekker, Giriviraj - RIJU RAJ to help them. It was only Hikers’ Satish Kudtarkar after they were given explained that it is Rs 10,000 that the villagers agreed to important to have basic gear while on a lift Siddarth. By 4 pm, Siddarth was trek. “Ideally, when you go for treks, it is brought down and rushed to Dhirubhai always advisable to take basic gear like Ambani Hospital in Patalganga. rope, piton, carabiners, etc. They end Doctors at the hospital declared up saving lives. There have been a few Siddarth dead on arrival. The postdeaths on Irshalgad trek in the past in a mortem revealed that he had suffered similar manner,” Kudtarkar said. multiple fractures and died due to a head injury. The 29-year-old is survived by his About Irshalgad elder brother and mother.

The mountain, located in the “Nobody ever thought that such a Matheran Range, is extremely popular thing would happen to Siddarth of all with trekkers. Located 1,318 metres people. He was fit, an avid trekker, and above the sea level, the mountain is he knew most routes really well. Most better known as Irshalgad Fort. The importantly, he was a great human being area of the fort is very small. There are who never abused nature. It’s cruel that six rock-cut cisterns (water reservoirs) he lost his life to one of his passions,” and an image of Vishaldevi. There is a said a close friend. natural hole, called Nedha, on top of Experts point out that the the peak. It is a two-hour climb from unfortunate incident should not be the base. The climb, up to a certain forgotten as yet another trekking point, is said to be moderate. The last accident. Pankaj Gupta of Treks leg, up to the top, is tricky and has an Unlimited, a trekking organiser from 80-degree incline.

Mumbai said, “Irshalgad is a tempting yogesh.sadhwani@goldensparrow.com

“Just when he was pushing himself up the steep incline, the rock under his fingers came loose.”

India emerging as facial hair Rs 60,000 crore metal trading industry to desert Mumbai: Official transplant hub: Doctors MUMBAI: India is fast emerging as the global hub of facial hair transplant which helps people improve the density of facial hair, doctors said here on Thursday.

They said more and more people across the world have started undergoing hair transplant as human beings have lost the ability to have quality of body and hair over the years due to genetic changes.

“Facial hair transplant is the solution for people who do not have proper density of hair on the body parts, where it is required. Under the facial transplant, the new hair grown is similar to the natural scalp hair,” said Mohan Thomas, a cosmetic surgeon at the city-based Cosmetic Surgery Institute.

Explaining the procedure, he said: “It involves harvesting hair grafts from the patient’s own scalp.

The grafts, which include the hair shafts and roots, are harvested in a strip form.

“These are then transferred to the recipient area on the face where they are placed in slits created by a needle. No suturing or gluing is needed as the natural body healing process keeps the graft in place. The hairs start to grow in the third month and the results are very good,” Thomas told IANS. Noting that there were two different procedures for the facial hair transplant, he said Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) surgery is quite simple.

“Micro grafts consisting of single hairs or combination of hairs are transferred from the back of the scalp to the front where hairs are genetically deficient. The procedure lasts a few hours. The

patient can resume the social life within days after surgery,” he said in a statement.

The donor strip is removed from the back of the head and consists of a strip of hairs, which will be meticulously cut, he added.

According to recent studies, facial hair transplant market is emerging as one of the most successful business in the medical arena in India.

Talking about the second procedure known as Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), Bridush Chopra, a senior cosmetic surgeon with Kolkatabased Downtown hospital, said: “In this method an instrument is used to make a small, circular incision in the skin around a follicular unit, separating it from the surrounding tissue.

“The unit is then extracted (pulled) and teased out directly from the scalp, leaving a small open hole.”

He said the number of grafts, which has been pre-determined, is harvested and this process is repeated until we have harvested enough follicular units for the planned hair restoration. This process can take one or more hours.

Comparing the two procedures, Chopra said the only difference between the two were the method by which follicular units are removed from the donor area in the back and sides of the scalp.

Studies have stated that over two lakh people every year come to India to get facial hair transplant done and the number is increasing rapidly.

Talking about the affordability, Chopra said the cost depended on the number of hairs and the extent of procedure undertaken. However, the cost may start from Rs 50,000.

IANS

Over two lakh people come to India every year for facial hair transplants

MSSMA and state government have locked horns with each other over the past few years with the former demanding better working conditions and proper infrastructure

MUMBAI: Fed up of what they call government’s “indifferent attitude”, the Rs 60,000 crore per annum metal trading industry headquartered in Mumbai has decided to desert Maharashtra for Gujarat, a top official said here on Friday.

Metal and Stainless Steel Merchants Association (MSSMA) secretary Jitendra Shah said that since past few months, the MSSMA has been in communication with the Gujarat and Rajasthan governments.

“The Adani Group has come up with a very attractive proposal to give us full developed infrastructure and land for offices and residences on around 75 acres near Gandhinagar (in Gujarat), besides more for our warehouses,” Shah told IANS. Apparently rattled by the prospects of an important chunk of Mumbai’s business market moving out of the state, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has summoned MSSMA for a meeting early next week to thrash out the issues.

Earlier, the government had accused the MSSMA of arm-twisting tactics as their members had defaulted on over Rs 10,000 crore by way of various taxes.

Shah challenged the allegations claiming that a RTI query has revealed an outstanding of around Rs 2,000 crore, of which 50 per cent has been recovered and the rest is under dispute.

“Where did they get the figure of Rs 10,000 crore?” he demanded to know.

The MSSMA and the state government have locked horns with each other over the past few years with the former demanding better

Maharashtra government has accused MSSMA of arm-twisting tactics as their members had defaulted on over Rs 10,000 crore by way of various taxes

working conditions and proper infrastructure as it has become difficult to operate from cramped areas of south Mumbai, which lacks even clean public toilets.

“We have asked them to provide us around 100 acres of land anywhere around Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, or Navi Mumbai with full infrastructure to enable us to relocate. More than 90 per cent of India’s metal and stainless steel is routed through our 2,200 registered members and the rest through unregistered operators,” he said.

In last Saturday’s AGM, the members vociferously demanded that the Adani Group’s offer should be accepted and preparations

to shift out of Mumbai - where it is centred in Khetwadi locality of south Mumbai must begin forthwith. Among other things, the Adani Group has offered shops, flats, warehouses of various sizes and budgets with full infrastructure and amenities comparable to a township to lure the country’s biggest and only metal and stainless steel markets there.

“Depending on the outcome of meeting with the CM, we shall take the final call to ask our members to submit their individual requirements which we shall provide to Adani Group and initiate the shifting process within a year or so,” Shah said.

IANS

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MAY 23, 2015

PUNE

“Waterlogging in various parts of the city should be a wake-up call for the civic authorities. They should start the work in the right earnest to ensure that there is no waterlogging and commuters are not inconvenienced due to rains.”

- Sulbha Ubale, Corporator, Shiv Sena

Citizens bust noise polluters P5

Minister refuses to sit with commoners for IPL match, creates a scene Minister of State for Home Ram Shinde did not like it when he and his associates were directed to Hospitality Stand, costing Rs 18,000 a seat. He threw a fit over being made to sit with the rest of the crowd and demanded an exclusive box to watch the qualifier match at Gahunje stadium. He calmed down only when BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur directed the organisers to take the minister to the cricket board’s box

BY Gitesh Shelke and Ashish Phadnis @gitesh_shelke & @phadnis_ashish Minister of State for Home Ram Shinde does not believe in being treated like a commoner or a small time VIP. If eyewitnesses at MCA International Stadium in Gahunje, Pune, are to be believed, the minister threw a fit over being made to sit with the crowd on Wednesday. The venue was hosting the Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

The minister walked in with his entourage and demanded that he be given an exclusive place to sit. After haggling over number of seats that he needed, the organisers directed him to the Hospitality Stand, only to be told that Shinde and his supporters could not watch the match with commoners around them.

The incident shocked the Maha-

rashtra Cricket Association (MCA) office-bearers, who bore the brunt of the minister’s wrath. Insiders revealed that the minister walked with eight others and demanded seats for 20-odd people. “He wanted an exclusive box.

Since he is a sitting minister, we decided to give him nice seats in Hospitality Stand. We told him that we will not be able to accommodate 20 people, after which he asked for 15 tickets. We told him that we would be able to offer only 10, which he eventually accepted,” said an office-bearer of MCA, the hosts for the match.

When the minister and his entourage were taken to Hospitality Stand, they refused to sit with the crowd. “They said that they cannot be seen sitting with so many people around in the stand.

How can an elected representative who has been chosen by the people not sit with people? We tried convincing him but he refused to budge,” said Ajay

Shirke, MCA president. A seat in Hospitality Stand fetches around Rs 18,000.

S h i r k e added that the corporate stand, which has Anurag Thakur private boxes, was full. “There was no way that we could have given him an exclusive box as all of them were taken,” he said.

Shinde is in charge of Home Department’s rural division.

Interestingly, the stadium falls under the jurisdiction of Pune rural police.

Needless to say the cops around the minister were also lobbying for the minister and his friends to be given nothing less than the very best seats.

With adamant Shinde creating a

scene in the stadium, the organisers decided to refer him to Anurag Thakur, secretary of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Thakur, a Member of Parliament from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, also happened to be in the stadium to watch the qualifier.

Son of former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, Thakur won the election on a BJP ticket. He is also the president of All India Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. Thakur came to the rescue of Shinde, also from BJP. “We told him (Thakur) about the situation on hand. He told us that the minister and his associates should be seated in BCCI enclosure,” said Shirke.

It’s only when Shinde was escorted to the private enclosure meant for BCCI office-bearers and their families that he calmed down.

Minister Shinde did not respond to the queries from The Golden Sparrow despite repeated calls and text messages.

Minister of State for Home Ram Shinde is in charge of Home Department’s rural division and the stadium falls under the jurisdiction of Pune rural police

Vijaykumar Magar, additional superintendent of police, Pune rural, he said that neither Shinde nor the MCA had informed him about any

such incident. “I am unaware about this episode,” he said. gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com & ashish.phadnis@goldensparrow.com

About ram Shinde

A seat in Hospitality Stand at MCA International Stadium in Gahunje, Pune, for the IPL match on Wednesday, was worth around Rs 18,000

‘Picnic gang’ behind mobile shop robberies: Police They loiter around for hours before finally breaking into shops

BY GITESH SHELKE @gitesh_shelke The police, investigating the burglary at a cellphone shop on Fergusson College (FC) Road four days ago, have revealed that at least ten culprits, who pretended to be tourists, were involved in the crime.

The investigation team has been able to gain this knowledge of the crime through footage from the close circuit television cameras (CCTvs) installed at different spots on Fergusson College Road.

The mobile phone shop manager Vijay Rairikar (26), of Kothrud, had lodged a complaint with the Deccan Gymkhana police station, stating that unidentified persons broke into the shop on the night of May 17/18. The culprits broke in by bending the shutter doors, and made away with cash and 21 cellphones, amounting to Rs 6.25 lakh in total. The incident came to light on the morning of May 18, when the employees arrived at the shop.

Senior Police Inspector Pravin Chougule of Deccan police station told The Golden Sparrow that the suspects, who were carrying bags, moved about on the road like regular pedestrians.

Some of them even squatted on the pavement, while the others did a recce of the shop.

“They were sitting around chatting and moving about for almost two

hours. Then they broke into the shop and fled with the cash and cellphones,” Chougule said.

Before the burglary, the culprits even put glue tape on one of the CCTv cameras of a coffee shop near the cellphone shop.

However, the CCTvs at two other shops recorded the doings of the burglars and their movement. However, the police are unable to identify the culprits from the CCTv footage.

The culprits arrived at the spot on foot, at around 2.30 am.

They were dressed in T-shirts, trousers and sports shoes. They acted like tourists in the city. Even at that late hour, there were a number of vehicles passing by on FC Road.

Just a week ago, a similar burglary took place at Karve Road. In fact, taking into account such thefts and break-ins at Hadapsar and Tilak Road, the burglars have made away with cellphones and cash worth a crore of rupees.

Chougule said that all these thefts at cellphone shops are the handiwork of one gang, and that the CCTv footage will help lead to their arrest. gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com

The police are unable to identify the culprits from the CCTv footage

Burglars managed to put glue tape on one of the CCTv cameras of a coffee shop near the cellphone shop, but cameras installed at two other shops caught them in action

Ram Shinde, 48, is a professor and holds a masters degree in science. A Member of Legislative Assembly from Karjat Jamkhed, this is not the first time the minister has courted controversy. Barely a fortnight ago, Shinde was in the limelight for inaugurating a bar on Pune-Ahmednagar highway. He came under severe criticism from the opposition and his own party leaders for inaugurating the bar.

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MAY 23, 2015

PUNE

“Rajendra Jagtap is presently posted as the additional municipal commissioner in the PMC. His working style is controversial and public is unhappy with his work.”

— Vijay Shivtare, Minister of State for Water Resources

This HR group binds staff and industry

Communists remain peripheral force in India

P10

P12

Build your dream home, the PYHT way A group of architects is promoting use of natural materials to help you build your dream home

BY Rajil Menon @RajilMenon ‘Put Your Hands Together’ (PYHT) formed by a group of architects, held a natural building workshop last week at Sagunabaug, an agro tourism centre in Neral. The participants were students, and a majority of them were girls.

Participants at this workshop learnt how to work with mud and other natural materials available locally. Besides theory, they also had the opportunity put their newly-gained knowledge to use practically, in the field. In short, they gained the knowhow to create buildings by using age-old ancient construction techniques.

The young wannabe architects built a bench overlooking a riverfront, making use of pebbles from to create a reclining backrest, using the COB method of construction..

This form of natural building can be a boon to people dreaming of building their own dream villas on their farmhouses or plots of land. Not only is this kind of construction technique extremely cost effective, but it also allows one to create just the kind of house one wishes for.

The technique is easy to learn and it can be improvised and tailored to one’s own needs, besides affording one the immense satisfaction of creating it yourself.

The process On the night before, a ‘depo’ is created by pouring water into the centre of a big heap of mud. Water is allowed to percolate into it overnight. Next day a small foundation is made by laying stones into a 6-inch depression, and a cement and mud mixture is used as mortar between the stones. The stone base acts as a skirting and the cement is not affected by rainwater, thus reducing the wear and tear.

Architect Wasim Noorie says, “We are not completely

against cement but we only use it where it is needed, to maximise the use of naturally and locally available materials.”

Noorie is an assistant professor at the Rizvi College of Architecture.

“When we use new materials like cement and concrete, it is always a struggle to prevent the formation of cracks, and to protect the house from natural elements like the sun or rain. Naturally built structures absorb and give out humidity; they breathe and therefore these structures are like living organisms,” says architect Azeer Attari.

“The linseed component is for termite resistance. This house was built using local materials and local labourers.

Recycled windows and doors were purchased from local shops. The village gets rain for three months from the west, and for a month from the east. The mud house has a 14-inch wall, and 10 per cent cement was used in its plaster. The side of the house which faces the maximum rainfall every year is

The jar test The participants were told to half fill a transparent jar with mud, add water to three-fourth level, and close the lid. The jar is then shaken vigorously, then placed on a level surface for the mud to settle. After two hours the mud has settled, and there are 5/6 layers formed inside the jar. The topmost layer is organic material floating on top of the water, there is water in the next layer, then clay, sand and at the bottom is silt. This experiment determines how much of the mixture is clay, how much is sand, and how much is silt. It also shows how much cement, straw or organic material is required to stabilise it.

The cigar test The participants made a smooth paste from the soil after removing all the gravel. It is then rolled on the palm of hand into a cigar shape and then slowly pushed outside the palm.

The length at which it breaks determines how clayey or sandy the mud is. The participants mixed some straw to bind it, and used 5 parts mud and 1 part cement to make the mixture.

Mud house The PYHT team has built a mud house with unburnt bricks, and linseed oil, egg white and jaggery were used as plaster, to waterproof it.

built with stones,” said architect Areen Attari.

COB After the two tests, the mud is mixed with a small portion of hay and kneaded, using water, into a homogeneous mixture.

Cement is also mixed in and the mixture is stomped. The stompers pass a handful of mud mixed with hay that acts as the binder, to the group near the stone foundation, who smash it into the stone foundation and pat it down. The participants stand in a line and throw balls of mud to each santosh shinde

Disabled cry for help as PCMC sits on funds

Of the Rs 14 crore earmarked for the welfare of the disabled, a mere Rs 4 crore has been put to use so far

BY ARCHANA DAHIWAL @ArchanaDahiwal

The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC) annual quota of funds for welfare schemes for the disabled has remained largely unused owing to the civic body’s apathy regarding its proper and timely implementation.

The benefits from most of these schemes are yet to percolate down a majority of the differently abled residents of the twin township. In the last five years, the civic body made provisions of around Rs 14 crore for welfare schemes for the disabled, but in reality, just a fraction of the amount, a sum of just Rs 4 crore has been utilised.

There are around 40,000 differently abled residents in the twin township, who have remained deprived of the benefits from these welfare schemes. Under its Nagarvasti Vikas Yojana, the PCMC implements a number of welfare schemes for the differently abled, and makes annual budgetary provisions to implement them.

Getting down to the specifics, the civic body distributes commode toilets and folding chairs, equipment for daily commute, financial assistance for employment generation, and scholarships for education, under the ambit of these schemes. However, there are very few takers for these kind of

freebie, and as per the civic body statistics, only 130 people have availed of such benefits, from 2011 to 2014.

The schemes also have a provision to extend financial assistance to the disabled, to start and run small businesses, but the failure to implement it in 2010 and 2012, has resulted in only 20 people receiving money to launch their businesses. The dismal scenario extends to the provision of scholarships, including those for higher education, for differently abled students, who are yet to derive any benefit from this initiative. The municipal corporation also has provisions to extend financial aid to parents or organisations working for the welfare of the differently abled above 18 years of age.

As per the civic body’s official statistics, in 2009-10, the PCMC made a provision of Rs 20 lakh for welfare schemes for the differently abled, of which a mere Rs 4.98 lakh was utilised. In 2010-11, the civic body had a provision of Rs 2.20 crore, of which just a fraction, Rs 13.16 lakh was put to use. In 2011-12, the PCMC, from a provision of Rs 4.20 crore, utilised only Rs 40.43 lakh. In 2013-14, out of a provision of Rs 3.53 crore, the PCMC utilised only Rs 2.32 crore. archana.dahiwal@goldensparrow.com

Pic for representational purpose

People in need of help MARUTI Jadhav

Fifty-threeyea r-old-Ma r uti Rajaram Jadhav, who lives in Vikasnagar, Dehu Road, has not got a wheelchair from the Pimpri Chinchwad M u n i c i p a l Corporation.

His legs were amputated during his working years as a driver.

Reduced to a handto-mouth existence and not being able to afford to buy one themselves, his family had applied for a wheelchair for Maruti, under PCMC’s disabled welfare scheme. Even after submitting all the necessary forms and papers, and repeated trips to the PCMC office, Maruti is still awaiting his mobility solution, a wheelchair.

Maruti’s wife Meena (age 50) has been working as a domestic help in her effort to make ends meet, since Maruti’s incapacitation. He has a married daughter called Swati.

Maruti who uses a walker to get about the house, says, “I don’t know why the civic body has not given me a wheelchair. My daughter had applied for the wheelchair for me in 2012. And after that disappointment, we have not applied for any other benefits under the disabled welfare scheme.”

Mahesh Wagh Thirty-year-old Mahesh Wagh of Dapodi, has been disbled from birth, being a hunchback. He had applied for a commode. But long after completing all the official formalities, he has still not received the commode, though his name features on the beneficiaries list.

Mahesh runs a roadside stall saloon to earn his livelihood. His family consists of his mother and a younger brother. Mahesh had also applied for financial aid to set up his business, knowing that PCMC provides up to Rs 2 lakh as loan to the differently abled. Mahesh said, “To avail of the loan facility, a number of documents and references are necessary.

We are slum-dwellers and therefore we were unable to furnish all the necessary documents. I have been unable to get references from prominent people and as a result I have been unable to benefit from the financial assistance scheme of the civic body. “ Mahesh says that he known a number of other disabled persons who have been unable to derive any benefits from the welfare schemes owing to the complicated procedures and formalities. Not just that, but differently abled people have also been denied regular facilities.

other in a process called cobbing.

Bhumika Joshi, 20, a second year student of Viva School of Architecture, said, “It is wrong to think that natural building materials need more maintenance. Like any living thing, they undergo wear and tear but require minimal maintenance. Even cement or concrete structures require maintenance. Using natural materials is a good method of construction and it can be put to use anywhere.

Chandan Chandrashekhar Bhadsavle, a second generation owner of Sagunabaug, said, “Ours is an agro tourism centre although it is not strictly eco-friendly like the Ecotel hotel, but we would like our guests to have a feel of staying in a rural mud house, so we asked PYTH to build a mudhouse for our resort. We plan to rent it out to our visitors and we’ll ask them for feedback about their stay. This is an experiment and we may replicate it in this resort and make more structures and accommodations in our resort in the future, if this works out.”

Mark Alvares, 19, a student of architecture from Bandra, said, “Natural building brings people together, not only through the physical connection, but from the very feeling and attitude that the activity of building it and living in it gives. It helps evolve communities that are self sustained.”

Bio-architect and organiser Areen Attari said, “The participants are introduced to this concept through the workshop, and are now open to this option. If a situation demands it, the participants won’t be new to the whole idea and can adopt this technique.”

Varun Gulavane, of the Rizvi College of Architecture, wonders when the natural building techniques will be widely used and this concept catch on like wild fire.

Nupur Gandhi. 19, a second year student from Kamala Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture, said, “We are now equipped with this practical knowledge and can always be open to this method when and where it is called for.”

Darsh Bhatela, 19, a student of design at the Ecole Institute of Design (where Azeer Attari is a visiting faculty), said, “I’m so motivated, I will go home and try building something using this method.”

Shamika Naik, 19, a second year student at the Viva School of Architecture, Virar, said, “I love nature and feel the current kind of development is like a cancer to mother earth. Building this way is contributing to the peace that I feel in nature.”

The PYHT team Azeer Attari, Shahveer Irani, Mukund Iyer, Wasim Noori and Areen Attari co-founded Put Your Hands Together (PYHT) to promote architecture using locally available natural materials. PYHT has worked in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, involving local artisans and co-creating eco-friendly homes.

For details contact Azeer Attari (bio architect) on 9820443421 and saathaath@gmail.com or visit​http://pyht.org rajil.menon@goldensparrow.com

“The main reason why applications of the differently abled are rejected, is because the beneficiaries have failed to submit all the necessary documents. Any person who completes all the formalities is certain to benefit from the welfare schemes. Though the PCMC had publicised the welfare schemes though the local media, it has not been able to reach all the beneficiaries at the ground level.

Corporators of all the wards should take the initiative and make the welfare schemes known to the residents of their respective wards.”

- Anita Jadhav, president of PCMC women and child welfare committee “The benefits of almost 80 per cent of the welfare schemes of the municipal corporation have not reached the beneficiaries. There is a lot of corruption involved in the official process. The PCMC has not taken the implementation of the welfare schemes seriously.”

- Dattatray Bhosale, president of Prahar Apang Kranti Andolan, Pimpri-Chinchwad Shahar “It is true that most of the benefits of the welfare schemes have not reached the beneficiaries. Some students from my school had applied for scholarships, and some did not get them, while others did not get them in time. Most parents were unaware about the welfare schemes.”

- Netra Tendulkar, founder-director of Zep Rehabilitation Centre for special children,Tathwade Road, Chinchwad “We had repeatedly asked the civic chief to meet with the representatives of the organisations working for the welfare of the disabled, but he does not seem to have the time. What is needed is proper planning and implementation of the schemes to ensure that the differently abled residents of the twin township derive the benefits.”

- Manav Kamble, wheelchair-bound social activist of Pimpri-Chinchwad “The tragedy of the welfare scheme for the differently abled, is that the benefits never reach most of them. The concerned PCMC personnel have failed in publicising the welfare schemes adequately, and therefore, the disabled have remained pretty much in the dark in regard to the scope and availability of their benefits. Another major drawback is that the beneficiaries have to maneuver through an extremely complicated and time-consuming amount of red tape and official procedure, involving countless trips to the concerned departments before they get to see the benefit from the welfare schemes.”

- Maruti Bhapkar, activist

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MAY 23, 2015

Towards a cleaner tomorrow

“As CEO of PMRDA, my priority will be to ensure comprehensive and inclusive development of the Pune region for long term and that people have quality life.”

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—Mahesh Zagade, CEO, PMRDA

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Decoding the enigma of Satoshi Nakamoto P14

At daughter’s wedding, ATS cop seeks blessings and donations for Nepal quake survivors

Inspector Bhanupratap Barge has urged guests to donate to Hindu Helpline, an organisation ‘inspired and guided’ by VHP’s Dr Pravin Togadia

BY GITESH SHELKE @gitesh_shelke

being able to personally give the card.

“I wanted to personally meet you and give the card. But since I am caught up with work I am sending the card through a kin. I would request you to please accept the card and grace us with your presence,” states the fi rst paragraph of the appeal sheet.

The very next paragraph urges the guests to not bring any gifts or flowers.

“Your presence and blessings are precious. We would request you to not bring any gifts or flowers, and instead donate to Nepal relief work,” states the appeal. “I want guests to bless the couple and not get any gifts. I have requested them to donate for a cause instead of getting gifts or flowers,” Barge told The Golden Sparrow.

Inspector Barge, who has served in the police force for three decades, has won several accolades. A winner of President’s medal, Barge was part of the team that gunned down gangster Maya Dolas and his associates, which was later converted into a movie ‘Shootout at Lokhandwala’. He was also personal security officer of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray in 198990. Known to be extremely popular, inspector Barge’s vast friend list is sure to take up his advice and donate for Nepal relief.

“It is not compulsory. It is for my

A cop attached to Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS), Maharashtra has come up with a unique way to help those in distress in Nepal.

For his daughter’s wedding, he has requested the guests to not waste money on gifts or flowers.

Instead he has asked them to donate to an Bhanupratap Barge organisation working in Nepal, helping those affected in the earthquake. Inspector Bhanupratap Barge, currently serving in Pune unit of ATS has started distributing the wedding cards of his daughter Sailee.

Sailee, a lawyer by profession and practicing at Shivajinagar district and sessions court is getting married to Pune based businessman Anuj Lohade.

The wedding is scheduled for June 2.

The simple and elegant wedding card has two leaves, one with details of the reception and another with an appeal. Enclosed in a red envelope, leaf in Marathi fi rst apologises for not

Inspector Bhanupratap Barge and daughter Sailee make for a distinctive and memorable dad-daughter family portrait

friends who want to do something for the people of our neighbouring country. My friends and others can donate any amount,” said Barge.

So far so good. His intentions are

certainly noble and will find enough and more takers. On the flip side, the inspector attached to ATS has chosen ‘Hindu Helpline’, as the beneficiary for donations.

He has given bank account number, IFSC

code of the organisation’s Pune account. The c a r d also goes on to state that those donating will get income tax benefits.

Hindu Helpline is ‘inspired and guided’ by Dr Pravin Togadia, Vishva Hindu Parishad’s international working president. Togadia has been booked on several occasions for making anti-Muslim and hate speeches.

Barge defends his decision, “I know some of the members working for Nepal relief through Hindu Helpline.

They are doing a good job and doing so genuinely. Moreover, the organisation is not blacklisted. All that matters is that it is helping people in need in Nepal.

Despite being a Hindu organisation, they are rendering their services in affected areas. If any other organisation would have been working there, I would have supported it also,” he added.

Hindu Helpline indeed has been

working in Nepal after the earthquake.

They have provided relief material to the survivors. VHP leaders have said in interviews recently that they would not only provide relief material but also rebuild temples destroyed in the earthquake. gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com

Citizens bust noise polluters

With this issue

Force cops to act against 8 DJ groups playing loud music at weddings in Talegaon and Maval had approved the proposal of ban on DJ within municipal limits.

THE ATTRACTION Talegaon and Maval have become hot destination for weddings because of its huge lawns and spacious marriages halls that can accommodate large number of people. Apart from villagers, even people from city areas

THE DISTURBANCE Th is upcoming trend has disturbed the peace of locals who also have to face traffic jams. Their repeated complaints to police have fallen on deaf ears. Even various NGOs have written to police authorities to act against these noise polluters.

THE ACTION According to Dolas, local citizens decided to move court to implement the DJ ban in rural area unlike city areas. Taking note of this development, rural police launched the drive against the people behind DJ music systems in Talegaon and Maval. Last year, Talegaon Municipal Council (TMC)

In the issue

SHO PP

SANTOSH SHINDE

Citizens of Talegaon Dabhade and Maval have tasted resounding success in putting a stop to constant loud noise generated by DJ music systems played at marriage halls and lawns. Despite ban on DJ music, rural fringes of Pune recklessly use it in wedding functions.

After a strong opposition from locals, rural police have taken strict action against eight DJ groups last week.

Recently, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has put strict restrictions on live bands or DJ music, dancing and other noisy celebrations at marriages, violation of which could invite police action.

Using Right to Information (RTI) Act, activist Dilip Dolas of Talegaon Dabhade found that organisers did not take any official permission from Regional Transport Office (RTO) or police to use music systems with DJs or similar systems that create sound beyond permissible limits. He alerted Talegaon and Vadgaon Maval police and DJ systems were seized.

prefer to hold wedding functions in Talegaon Dabhade and Maval as the places are near to Mumbai and Pune.

G IN

Pamper the Jumping Jack in you PIC FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSE

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Pune’s Shakespeares

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BY ARCHANA DAHIWAL @ArchanaDahiwal

FE AT

POMP AND CACOPHONY: Flashy weddings with ear-splitting noise of DJ music will be a thing of the past in Talegaon Dabhade and Maval

THE RULE In a landmark order, NGT West Zone bench comprising Judicial Member Justice Vikas R Kingaonkar and Expert Member Dr Ajay Deshpande said that unnecessary activities like dancing by groups could attract action by police under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, for creating public nuisance. The NGT came on an environmental interest litigation (EIL) fi led by Sujal Sahakari Griharachana Sanstha Chairman Ujwala V Ghanekar on behalf of residents of DP Road near Mhatre Bridge, Pune, through activist-lawyer Asim Sarode.

Affidavits submitted by lawyers Roshni Wanode of Yavatmal, Hema Katkar of Kolhapur, Samir Kulkarni of Sindhudurg, Vijay Shelke of Buldhana, Santosh Sangokar of Jalgaon and Smita Singalkar of Nagpur were also presented to the bench. The bench, which has jurisdiction over Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat and Union Territories of Daman & Diu, stated that use of DJs, crowds, dancing around the marriage venue cannot be treated as ‘part of any religious function’.

The tribunal has asked Maharashtra Urban Development Department, Director-General of Police and Environment Department Secretary to control the menace of noise pollution and submit records of various permissions granted to marriage halls, open lawns for conducting weddings, receptions and other functions. archana.dahiwal@goldensparrow.com

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When art meets technology

TECH

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MAY 23, 2015

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Caught between persecution and watery grave

If you were to have your picture taken by the very first camera, you’d need to sit still for eight hours.

— http://www.thefactsite.com

Daily ordeal of traffic bottleneck at Dapodi

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Indian military lab develops kit to detect swine flu in hours

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While current tests to detect the swine flu virus take two to three days, the new kit delivers results in two to three hours

IANS

BY ANJALI OJHA NEW DELHI: In a major breakthrough in detecting the deadly swine flu virus that killed around 2,000 people in India in an outbreak this year, a key military research centre has developed a kit that can detect the virus in a matter of hours.

While current tests to detect the swine flu virus takes two to three days, the new kit delivers results in two to three hours, knowledgeable officials in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) told IANS. Developed by the Gwalior-based Defence Research and Development Establishment (DRDE), the kit will also be cost-effective and is expected to be priced at around Rs2,000 ($30), while the present tests can cost anything between Rs 4,500 and Rs 10,000 in the peak season.

“While conventional identification methods require time-consuming culturing and detection of anti-bodies, this kit uses a gene amplification method and is based on the principle of auto-cyclic strand displacement mechanism,” a DRDO official aware of the developments told IANS on condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to the media.

The DRDO, which leads defence research in the country, focussed on developing the kit in view of possible enhanced use of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear warfare (CBRN) in future, the official said.

“In case of a biological weapon being used, the first step to combat this is detection.

Handy kits like these are being developed keeping that in mind,” the official said.

Asked if the kit can be used on a large

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scale, the official said some firms have already been given the technology to develop the kits.

“Our role is to develop the technology.

We have already handed it over to some interested manufacturers. It will now be up to

Women form only a third of India’s Internet population: Google NEW DELHI: Only one-third of the total Indian population with access to the internet are women, says a survey conducted by Google.

The survey revealed that 49 per cent of women do not see any reason to access the internet.

“While there is low awareness about the benefits of Internet amongst women in India, there are many who want to get online to succeed in life,” said Sandeep Menon, country head marketing for Google India.

The study titled ‘Women & Technology’ that involved 828 Indian women aged from 8 to 55, identified that connection issues, affordability and time as the key constraints to accessing the internet.

Many of the respondents said managing their households left little time for what is perceived to be a leisure activity. Some women also said they feared angering their in-laws for spending too much time online.

Smartphones and Internet cafes could be a cheaper, more private way for Indian women to access the Internet, the report pointed out.

The respondents said, they would use the internet more, if they had more privacy. The survey also looked at income and demographic differences between Internet users and non-users. Women who are online tend to have slightly higher incomes.

Most are younger, single and students. The nonusers tend to be slightly older and more likely to be married with children. The survey revealed that younger women are keen to get online, and 32 per cent of all noninternet users plan to use the internet soon, and 46 per cent of non-users in the age group from 18 to 29 are likely to use the internet soon.

— Indfo Asian News Service

the government to decide if it wants to use it at a larger level,” the official added.

Swine flu has claimed well over two thousand lives in India till March this year with the total number of cases crossing

the 33,000 mark, according to the health ministry. Rajasthan and Gujarat were the worst affected states.

Anjali Ojha can be contacted at anjali.o@ians.in

People seeking love online are easy targets of fraud: FBI The lovelorn, especially women, are mostly at the receiving end of the internet fraud

IC3 tips for flushing out suspicious schemes

NEW YORK: If you think the internet could provide relief to your lovelorn heart, beware! The individual at the other end could be a con, the FBI reported in a survey of computer crime.

Last year, the total financial losses in the US due to online fraud reported to the government was to the tune of $800 million, the Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, said in its annual online fraud report.

But authorities worry that this is just a fraction of the actual amount people may have been robbed of during 2014 as most cases go unreported.

People who surfed the net in search of love were mostly at the receiving end

of the internet fraud. Women, especially, were soft targets for cons.

The worst schemes involve scammers -- masquerading as military personnel -pretending to seek love online, IC3 said.

The National White Collar Crime Center, which coordinates IC3 with FBI, said online fraud is actually estimated to cost residents and businesses more than $3.5 billion a year, NBCnews.com reported.

In 2014, people who over-shared on Facebook and other social media sites became the most common victims of cybercreeps, the report added.

“Criminals search dating websites, chat rooms, and social media websites

Chinese daily warns against Internet BEIJING: The Chinese military’s mouthpiece newspaper has warned about the possibility of “Western hostile forces” using the internet to foment revolution in China.

“The internet has grown into an ideological battlefield, and whoever controls the tool will win the war,” according to an editorial published in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Daily on Wednesday.

It stressed the need for cyber security measures to ensure “online ideological safety”, euphemisms suggesting efforts to safeguard China’s

Android: Rs 222 Universal Book Reader is a stylish and user-friendly eBook reading app for Android. UB Reader provides a comfortable reading experience for Android smartphones and tablets, allowing you to read EPUB and PDF files. An integrated file browser allows you to quickly add any eBook stored on your device, over email, or through the Feedbooks.com online store.

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mainstream ideology, Xinhua cited the editorial as stating.

“Western hostile forces, along with a small number of Chinese ‘ideological traitors’, have maliciously attacked the Communist Party of China, and smeared our founding leaders and heroes with the help of the internet,” it stated.

“Their fundamental objective is to confuse us with ‘universal values’, disturb us with ‘constitutional democracy’, and eventually overthrow our country through ‘colour revolution’,” it added, using a term commonly applied to revolutionary movements that fi rst

developed in the former Soviet Union in the early 2000s.

“Regime collapse that can occur overnight often starts from longterm ideological erosion,” it warned.

The paper said the military should not only safeguard national sovereignty and security on traditional battlefields but also “protect ideological and political security on the invisible battleground of the Internet”.

IANS

Do not respond to any unsolicited email, phone call or mail requesting your personal information.

Do not fill out forms in email messages asking for personal information.

Do not click on email links. Instead, go to the official website of the business or group and start from there.

Maintain at least two email addresses - one for people you know and one for all other purposes.

Do not engage in business with people or companies that operate only from a post office box address.

If someone you have never met tells you he or she loves you but needs money to visit you, do not buy it. for personally identifiable information, and use well-rehearsed scripts to attract potential victims,” it said.

“Victims of these scams believe they are in a relationship with someone who is honest and trustworthy without meeting them in person.”

IANS

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You can also create your own bookmarks, highlights and notes anywhere in the book and rapidly jump to a different section of the book through the table of contents.

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MAY 23, 2015

“We had a strong services business revenue and consolidated profit growth performance through the fiscal, which was driven by new technologies like omni channel commerce, mobility, analytics.”

— Srikar Reddy, chief executive, Sonata

“Incessant will provide us capability to become a major player in the digital space with digital legacy integration, digitisation and automation of business processes for seamless customer experience.”

— Sudhir Chaturvedi, COO, NIIT Technologies

The success of India’s start-up industry raises expectations NASSCOM has predicted 11,500 start-ups by 2020 and creation of over 2,50,000 job opportunities TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly The success of start-up industry in India is gone beyond pundits’ expectations.

According to industry body NASSCOM’s (National Association of Software and Services Companies) India Startup Report 2014, around 11,500 start-ups would come up in the country by 2020 opening up over 2,50,000 jobs.

Even Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has commended young entrepreneurs and start-up community for its remarkable growth that has resulted in creating employment and generating revenue, besides providing innovative services to the nation.

Financial allocation of Rs 1,000 cr under the Self- Employment and Talent Utilisation (SETU) programme by the Centre is a noteworthy sign of government’s seriousness in boosting the startup ecosystem in India.

NASSCOM president R Chandrashekhar said that 300 VC/ PE (venture capital and private equity) and 225 angel investments deals amounting to over US $2 billion had been made in the country. He said over 20 mergers and acquisitions worth US $1 billion were done in the past three years and 3,100 start-ups are operating in the country, making India the third largest base in the world.

According to the NASSCOM study, over 800 start-ups are set up in India annually.

The Nasscom top Emerge 10

companies will also be showcased on the sidelines of the conclave, Chandrashekhar said. “These success stories are a mixture of burgeoning product innovations and exciting new solutions.”

The growth of the software product industry in recent years has signalled a transformation - in the country and across the globe.

Noting that Internet, mobile

telephony, social media, big data, analytics, cloud and Internet of Th ings (IoT) have created a perfect confluence for economic development, the former telecom secretary said the start-up and innovation ecosystem and the government’s Digital India initiative would transform social and economic spheres, including education, healthcare and financial inclusion.

With increasing numbers of online

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active users becoming consumers of e-commerce solutions and related marketplaces, domestic start-ups are building global digital solutions to capitalise on this rapid growth, he said.

Hyper-growth, capital availability and acquisitions are the leading drivers of the growing startup ecosystem in the country. Home-grown start-ups are well positioned to address the entire Asian market opportunity and also expand beyond the US and European region, Chandrashekhar said.

“The Indian startup ecosystem is rapidly evolving driven by an extremely young, diverse and inclusive entrepreneurial landscape. Th is is leading to emergence of focused domain solutions for verticals like healthcare, agriculture, and education,” he said.

“Scaling up, design and growth hacking are the key priority for start-ups today. On the innovation front, it is imperative to increase collaboration and partnerships for product companies with platform players, IT services, global MNCs and CIOs,” NASSCOM product council chairman Ravi Gururaj said.

With NASSCOM and similar bodies helping in providing a platform to engage with thought leaders in the product space, network with startups and partners to create a common framework for the future of the product start-up ecosystem in India, experts in this industry will have to review their study on startups in India. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

CEO takes one fourth of a firm’s profit Study finds them more powerful than during 50s and 60s NEW YORK: The chief executives (CEOs) today typically account for a little more than a fourth of a firm’s overall profit, new research has determined.

The study that measured what the researcher calls “the CEO effect” — or the percentage of a firm’s profits that comes from top-level decisions — found that contributions of top managers have changed over the years.

“We can place the CEO effect at about 25 per cent today. But in the 1950s and 60s, it was a lot less — about six to eight per cent,” said researcher Tim Quigley, assistant professor of management at the University of Georgia in the US. So, why has the effect jumped recently?

“For me there are two major drivers. The fi rst reason I think CEOs

matter more today is that they have more levers and buttons to play with in the company than they did 50 or 60 years ago,” Quigley said.

“In the 1950s if a CEO decided they wanted to outsource their fi rm’s customer service function to India, they couldn’t even imagine that.

“The technology wasn’t there. You couldn’t do it. Today, they could think about it this week and have it in place next week,” Quigley explained.

The other big driver is their incentive to do so, the study noted.

The compensation packages and tax structure today provide gross incentives for these CEOs to make lots of choices, Quigley noted. The study is forthcoming in Strategic Management Journal.

IANS

Major tourist places to have Wi-Fi facility

NEW DELHI: The government would soon provide Wi-Fi facilities at all major tourist places across India, Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Thursday.

“Taj Mahal, Sarnath, Bodh Gaya are some of the places that will get a WiFi facility soon. We have already started providing free Wi-Fi service at Varanasi ghats, besides giving e-visa to tourists,” Prasad said at a function organised

by Aaj Tak. He said his ministry has

formulated a new policy to make tier II and III cities as IT hubs.

“We are setting up call centres and BPOs at small towns and creating 48,000 jobs in the first phase. We will give subsidy to take IT revolution to smaller towns,” he said.

“E-commerce is a big opportunity and we are roping in the Department of Posts to deliver goods to small towns and villages,” the minister said.

IANS

‘Quitting Housing.com was a well-calculated tactical move’ Excerpts from a freewheeling conversation at Reddit, where Rahul Yadav, CEO, Housing.com, as usual, called various people names Rahul Yadav, the 26-year-old chief executive of Housing.com stirred up some fresh controversy during a recent interaction on Reddit. Yadav answered all kinds of question on his lifestyle, the future of housing.com, about other startups, venture capitalists and innovation.

Among his gems was trashing Zomato. com, a restaurant listing site, and calling Sequioa a “culturally a very cutthroat VC”. Here is the select list of questions and Rahul Yadav’s replies: Why do you claim to have beaten Common Floor and Magicbricks based on site visits and app downloads? Aren’t they bullshit metrics?

Yes, I believe these are really bullshit metrics. But the market (brokers, builders, investors, media) somehow cares about all these things. And perception matters. So unfortunately, we have to play by THIS (India) market’s rules.

What was the deal with Sequoia Capital?

Can you tell us what ‘other bad things’ were you referring to in your email to the VC? We decided a slided deal between 10-15% (depending on performance) for $1mn. After 2 months of due diligence, when they realised we were running out money, they said they want to do a flat equity deal. I said ‘Okay. Let’s do it at 12.5%. They said 14.75%. When I requested more, they said, “Let’s not waste each others’ time.” We were left with no option. I came to know they have done it with lots of other ventures (TFS, Ola, Dexetra, LetsBuy...) So to cut it short, I think they’re culturally a very cut throat VC and sometimes I think that’s why they’re more successful than others.

But I still condemn their practices, because I feel they’re inhuman and for me, people are the ‘why’ for everything I do.

What made you ask Bhavish of Ola and Deepinder of Zomato to allot half of their shares to employees?

Success of a venture is a team work.

organisation instead of indulging in unnecessary shenanigans?

I think whatever issues I have raised are very important for the Indian startup ecosystem. The way boundaries between emails and chats are fading, I see professional diplomacy and frank conversations merging together. That’s the future of conversation: quick and efficient.

Although all start-ups give ESOPs to their employees but the problem is it’s not PROPORTIONAL to the value creation. Value is being created at x rate and is being given to the employees at y rate. x not being equal/proportional to y is the real issue. So these two names came up in my mind and I just nominated them.

What is your opinion about Deepinder Goyal and Zomato?

A company scanning menus from last 7 years and doing no innovation.

And the CEO says ‘Aww. So cute.’

Do you think start-ups in India are currently overvalued? Do you think it is indicative of a bubble? How long do you see these valuations lasting?

Indian market is an elephant. It is going to run/grow slowly. People/ companies with patience over a period of 5-10 years will be able to leverage the opportunity. Companies, which will survive in this period, for them the current valuations, are nothing, given the opportunity size.

Is the Zomato CEO really a d-bag?

I really do not know him much but his sense of humour sucks.

What are the 3 most important things that contribute towards a start-ups’ success in the Indian start up ecosystem?

I think currently it is 1.Validated and copied idea from another market 2.Capital and 3.Marketing. What I think it should actually be: 1.Solving Indian people’s problem 2. Great product and innovation. 3.Great teams and culture.

Do you think your actions are distracting for your employees?

Yes, it is distracting. But it’s actually fun if it’s there only for a few weeks.

Beyond that, it is really distracting and does not help.

How do you justify your statement, “it’s too early in life to get serious about money etc.” when you own a Porsche Cayenne?

I ‘want’ to buy and media made it ‘bought’. I use a rented car.

Indian start-ups/companies are always stereotyped as having bad security practices. I have read about Ola and Freecharge on this subject. So what do you say about this?

Indian companies are built in hurry to capture the market. So some critical pieces are often missed out.

Do you think it is required to be mean to make a start-up successful? If yes please share an instance you got mean for your start-up.

There are no rules! I play by the situation.

Don’t you feel that your efforts should be more concrete in building an image that is fitting of a CEO of a growing

THE FASTEST READS ON THE WEB

If you are here to solve problem then why you wanted to quit before solving it.

It was just a well calculated tactical move. @moneylife

We have more hooning and sliding action on our YouTube channel. Subscribe and comment.

Four cylinders, four doors, all-wheel drive. The CLA 45 AMG and Evo X misbehaving around the hills.

Wet conditions and the Jaguar V8 R Coupe addup to an impossibly fun afternoon spent mostly sideways.

We went to the top of the world in an insane rally Thar and a Suzuki V-Strom 1000. We came back too.

Look our for the alive logo in the magazine to watch the action unfold

Going back to when Toyota’s were cool, we drive a custom Supra with a big turbo and come away scared, and maybe a bit wistful.

w w w. a l iv e a r. c o m

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MAY 23, 2015

Mayuri Jawalekar

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THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MAY 23, 2015

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PICS BY RAHUL RAUT AND ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

She hopes to be a

When the stage lights dim, Lavani performers prepare for a better future. Juggling textbooks and ghungrus, they are burning the midnight oil to give themselves a chance at another life

policewoman soon

T

he sole breadwinner in her family, apart from her father who is a school bus driver, Mayuri started performing as a side dancer when she was in standard VII. Her mother and paternal aunt were also Lavani dancers, who taught her the art of make-up. “What my father earns is not enough to run a household with seven family members. I had no other option than to take to the Lavani dance stage, to supplement my father’s income and provide for my family,” said Mayuri, who scored 78 per cent in her class IX exam.

The family lives in small room in Dapodi. Mayuri is currently in standard X at Swami Vivekananda Vidyamandir School. Unlike other Lavani dancers, Mayuri is determined to complete her education.

“My parents do not allow me to leave the Lavani stage. I, however, want to join the police service. I manage somehow to concentrate on my studies. I study late into the night, and also make time to practice Lavani,” said Mayuri, who takes care of her three siblings’ education, from what she earns as a Lavani dancer.

Mayuri is planning to take a break from Lavani performances this year, because she wants to study all she can for her board exams. She is hurt when people make disparaging remarks about her and her profession and their attitude towards Lavani. “I feel bad when people disrespect Lavani artistes.

Th is should not happen. Lavani is just a dance form like any other,” she adds.

PRIYANKKA DESHPANDE @journopriyankka

Backstage, half a dozen Lavani performers, dressed in their best, are having an animated conversation. One would imagine they are discussing their costumes and accessories for upcoming shows but far from that they are chatting about their education and future plans. One of the performers is determined to acquire a degree in the Arts stream, while another wants to clear the state exams and join the police force. While one group of performers step onto the stage, 15-yearold Amrita fishes out a book from her bag. She is preparing for the standard X exam and does not believe in wasting time while waiting for her turn under the spotlight.

The young dancers do not want to end up like most of their seniors – living in complete poverty and depending on others for two meals – when their time’s up. While Lavani continues to provide their bread and butter for now, the performers are taking up education to secure their future.

Take the case of Sunita Kalambkar, who was a child when she took to Lavani. Sunita had to give up her studies to earn a living for her family. Two decades later, she still has a family to support but, in the meanwhile, she has completed her SSC and even pursued a course that trained her to handle basic chores on the computer. Well aware that her time on stage would be up sooner or later, Sunita wants to acquire skills that will help her get a job.

Sunita Kalambkar

Almost every Lavani performer had to wear the painjan or ghungru at a very early age, when they should have been without a care. However, their impoverished state and family tradition forced them into the make-believe world of Lavani. Having stepped on to the stage, there was no turning back. Their life thereon was spent touring remote villages and performing an art form that is generally looked down as titillating, if not outright obscene, pandering to a rather sleazy audience.

Senior performers explain how a nomadic existence has deprived them from leading a regular life. The stigma attached to being an entertainer, who travels through most of the year, cast a taboo on them becoming a part of the mainstream society. Their lack of education also denies the performers any other option of earning a living.

Once the bloom of youth and beauty is past, a Lavani dancer has almost no future to speak of.

Life in the 40s becomes a burden for them, as their ‘demand’ takes a downward plunge, there are few takers for the aging sex symbols.

Lavani performers, beyond the age of 35, are silently pushed to the sidelines. From regular nightly shows, their performances turn far too few to sustain them fi nancially. Sure, the state government has started a pension scheme for folk artistes, including Lavani performers, but it has many loopholes, not to mention that the pension amount itself is meagre.

Times are changing. A number of Lavani

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unita recently completed her MSCIT (Maharashtra State- Certificate in Information Technology) course. She has faced many hardships over the last 36 years. Sunita was only 12 when her mother brought her on to Lavani stage, and started performing at Kothala village in Kalamb taluka of Usmanabad district, where she hails from.

“My mother sent me to Pune, where I studied up to standard VII at Maharshi Karve Stree Shikshan Sanstha. However, later it became impossible for my mother to pay my school fees, so I had to leave school,” said 36-year-old Sunita.

Her ordeal did not stop there. She had to put on her ghungru for the Tamasha phad, when she did not even understand the meaning of the lyrics of the Lavani songs. “I had no choice but to join our ancestral profession as my mother suffered from spondylitis,” said Sunita. The 12-year-old had to tour the state with the tamasha group to earn money for herself, her mother and younger sister. Sunita used to get Rs 50 per show, which has now changed. As a professional Lavani dancer, she now charges thousands of rupees per show.

“I was always drawn to education, and when I started earning sufficient money, I appeared for my class X and XII exams. I also did MS-CIT course so that I could give computer lessons to my son, who has given his class X board exam this year,” said Sunita. “The time will come when I will have to sit at home, but I am sure my education will help me get a decent job,” said Sunita.

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nother big name in the field of Lavani, Maya Khutegaonkar teaches Lavani to youngsters, including men.

“We could not pursue education due to poverty, but I feel that the younger generation of artistes, should get a professional degree, and then start performing,” said Khutegaonkar.

“Viewers do not want to watch the performances of ageing dancers.

Ultimately, aging Lavani dancers have to sit at home without any source of income. I think professional courses and proper education will enable them to make their ends meet when their stage career is over,” added Khutegaonkar.

Surekha Punekar

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MEAGRE PENSION FROM STATE The state government has a pension scheme for Lavani artistes. However the sum offered every month is pittance, not even enough for one person to survive. Depending on their grades, given by the government, they get anywhere between Rs 1,400 to Rs 1,000 a month.

The A class, that is national level artists, are entitled to Rs 1400, B class state level artists get Rs 1200, and C class district level artists get Rs 1000 as monthly pension.

To make matters worse, not every artist ends up getting the pension.

Of the 765 folk artists in Pune district identified by the government, 130 are not traceable, claims the administration.

Amrita Kaur

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performers, who have endured the vicissitudes of fate, striving to keep their heads above water along with their art and dignity, are now taking up education. Far from turning their backs to the world of Lavani, they simply are investing in the future.

So whether it is a young performer, who has barely been around for a couple of years or a star on stage, the women are looking at completing their graduations and eventually opting for professional courses. Their reasons may differ but the common thread is that they do not want to end up like their seniors.

Th irty-six-year-old Sunita Kalambkar took to textbooks so that she could teach her son, who had appeared for the Class X exam. For 15-year-old Amrita Kaur, who is a newbie to the Lavani stage, the board exam next year is more important than her dance performances. Dapodi resident and standard IX student, Mayuri Jawalekar’s dream is to join the police service, while the Badade sisters want to complete their graduation and take up professional courses. These members of the fairer sex cram in all the words they can in between their dance practice sessions.

Dance master Yogesh Deshmukh is proud of his students. “They have a passion to study further and I always encourage them to study hard. Many of my Lavani dancers are school-going kids, and I want them to concentrate on their education, along with their dance performances,” said Deshmukh. priyankka.deshpande@goldensparrow.com

urekha Punekar is the one who brought Lavani back in vogue when when it was on the verge of oblivion. Punekar thinks that the westernisation that has crept into Lavani nowadays is ruining the true essence of the art form.

“The old Lavani artists never dressed indecently. In fact, Lavani is one of the dance forms where you should not expose yourself. However, nowadays an element of ‘fashion’ has entered Lavani, and therefore audience’s also tends to look at it differently,” said Punekar.

She explained that very few Lavani artistes have a bright future. After a certain age most of them go into the oblivion as audiences prefer younger performers. Only those who can sing well are able to survive for a longer period. Punekar is among the few who still sings and performs Lavani. For those who are not as talented as her, education is the only way to survive in the long run, Punekar believes.

Smruti Badade

his 24-year-old Mumbai girl has her own banners called Lavanya Smruti and Nakhrel Kairi Laadachi. A trained Lavani dancer, she has also played the lead in three Marathi movies. She has been performing Lavani since 2008, but took a break for her education. Now in the last year of hr BCom, Smruti is returning to stage after five years. On June 11 she will be performing her ‘Lavanya Smruti’ at Balgandharva Rangmandir in Pune.

“Education has always been my priority. I enjoy performing Lavani a lot, but that is not more important than my studies,” said Smruti, who wants to pursue a degree in law, once she completes her graduation.

“I do not much care for what people think of me when I perform Lavani. I follow my passion, and I personally feel that girls who perform Lavani should ignore it, if society is judgmental about them,” said Smruti. Her father works as a driver in BEST, in Mumbai. Smruti says that Lavani as a dance form is not bad, nor are the Lavani artistes. What is bad is the biased view of society,” she says.

Maya Khutegaonkar

he daughter of a Punjabi father and Marathi-speaking mother, 15-year-old Amrita is a newcomer to the Lavani stage. She has been performing for just a few months, all in a bid to meet her family’s expenses. Amrita’s father died in an accident in Libya, where he was working as a mechanical engineer, in 2003. That is when their hardships started. Her mother used to manage household expenses from her savings.

But in the last couple of years, Amrita’s mother has run out of funds and the 15-year-old was forced to find a source of income.

“My mother is not well educated, to find a job that would suffice for her, me and my elder brother. I therefore decided to start performing,” said Amrita, who is studying in Poona Women’s Council school, in standard X. Amrita is a trained Lavani dancer, and seeing her dedication, her dance master trained her free of cost.

Amrita is the sole breadwinner of the family. She has been performing at various events across the state. However, for her study comes fi rst, and she opens her school books even in the make-up room.

“Th is is an important year. I will be appearing for the class X board exam. Although I cannot take a break for an entire year, I study during the intervals in the shows,” said Amrita, who wants to be a professional dancer but also wants to complete her graduation.

What hurts Amrita the most is that often her friends are not allowed by their parents to spend time with her. “Their attitude towards me is strange. They think that I am doing something very wrong by performing on the Lavani stage. It makes me very sad,” said Amrita.

Aishwarya Badade

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ishwarya came into the Lavani field in 2010, following in the footsteps of her elder sister Smruti. The 21-year-old is in the fi rst year of bachelor of arts course. She also has her own banner like her sister. Aishwarya performed after a gap of one year in Pune, on May 21, in the Lavani Mahotsav 2015. Aishwarya said, “So far I have not had any bad experiences. If a girl’s conduct is good, no one will dare to pass lewd remarks at her, even if she is performing ‘Shrungarik’ Lavani on stage.”

Their mother Madhuri always accompanies her daughters to their shows. Her college friends are her fans, she says. “They are very cool with what I perform.

They do not have biased views about Lavani,” Aishwarya said. The young Lavani dancer also performed in the recent Marathi movie ‘Cinema Veda’.

“Although I want a career in dancing, my studies are equally important for me, and that is the reason I will complete my graduation,” said Aishwarya. She is yet to chart out her career path but is determined to make good use of education she acquires over the years.

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MAY 23, 2015

PUNE

Safe mobile banking P14

“The serenity of Buddhism in Asian countries is the seed of their success. I strongly believe that this century belongs to Asia. And Buddhism will be a further unifying and catalysing force among the Asian countries.”

— Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

This HR group binds staff and industry Started by 20 professionals, Vibrant HR has helped resolve workplace issues many firms face, through its online platform

worthy beginning

The backbone VHR’s core committee mentors include professionals from labour commissionerate, general managers of multinational firms, IT firms and labour law experts.

The mission According to Salunkhe, the vision of VHR is to create a platform for HR fraternity, industry, institutions and society to share professional knowledge, support members, give recognition for contribution to industry, create window to industrial world for future professional entrepreneurs, serve society and generate awareness on safety, health, environment and social responsibility through campaigns.

BY ARCHANA DAHIWAL @ArchanaDahiwal Human resource (HR) department is generally known for providing effective policies, procedures, and peoplefriendly guidelines and support within a company. The branch makes sure that the company’s mission, vision, values, metrics and the factors that keep the company guided toward success are optimised.

Shankar Salunkhe Vibrant HR (VHR) group has taken this office’s academic profile beyond the company’s domain. Established in January 2015 by 20 visionary HR professionals, VHR shares knowledge through social media and helps in speedy redressal of day-to-day issues facing the industry.

The group has gained in numbers and popularity with 1,200 members belonging to various companies and formation of 12 WhatsApp groups for daily communication.

The members include over 150 from Chakan and Ranjangaon industrial

The activities VHR through its network explores and provide employment opportunities, exchange CSR activities, daily happenings like strikes, wage agreements.

The group has also joined hands with management institutions under the programme ‘Window to World’ to provide project guidance to students and organise industrial visits, campus drives, internship programmes and job fairs.

Free medical check-up and blood donation camps, pulse polio camps, tree plantation drives, awareness programmes on AIDS and literacy and visit to old age homes, orphanages are also organised by VHR. Future plan Salunkhe said, “Online e-library is one of major projects we are planning.

The library will have books on HR and IR, besides documents on wage settlement and other subjects related to this industry.”

Assistant Labour Commissioner Sambhaji Kakade (centre), on behalf of Vibrant HR core committee members and founders, felicitated Sangita Bhirje for her doctorate in a subject related to human resources

belt, 50 from Talegaon Dabhade, 200 from Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune, 60 from Hinjewadi, 40 from Pirangut and the rest from Mumbai, Aurangabad, Satara and Sangli.

Formed with an objective of knowledge sharing and learning related to HR, industrial relations (IR), statutory compliances and labour laws, the group has effectively helped staffers understand their rights and get benefited.

A core committee of experts formed

by the group mentor manages the 12 WhatsApp groups and other social networking media and provide solutions to queries raised by the group members.

VHR website will be launched soon.

Speaking to The Golden Sparrow, Shankar Salunkhe, founder of VHR and HR head of Bilcare Ltd at Chakan, said, “There was an immediate need to form a common online platform to address HR, IR and labour laws issues related to our industry.”

Salunkhe said that VHR members meet once in a month, besides organising lectures, counselling sessions for members and labour unions.

“We interact regularly with members through WhatsApp groups.

Our mentors and experts guide and sort out issues raised by members for free.

Around 40-50 queries are posted on these groups, named VHR-1 to VHR11, every day. The committee members take backup of these data and we plan to

compile it in book form soon,” he said.

The group’s formation has helped the staff working in industrial units set up near villages as they face many issues, including labour or wage agreement, transport and theft. VHR group of Chakan has tied up with police Mitra Sanghatana to provide security. The group is trying to maintain a healthy working relationship between management and unions.

Many staffers have benefited from

this group. VHR is making efforts to rope in other firms also.

“We stay connected with members through LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. The support of our members has inspired us to grow and reach to many companies,” he said.

Resolving 256 issues related to HR and filling up 158 vacancies posted in the online groups shows VHR’s popularity and effectiveness. archana.dahiwal@goldensparrow.com

Renewable energy sector to After rescuing flood victims in generate one million jobs Bosnia, British Sikhs back in Nepal India is ranked fourth globally with 5.7 per cent of all the people employed in the renewable energy sector worldwide

By Chaitanya Mallapur NEW DELHI: As India, the world’s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases but 127th in terms of per capita emissions, ponders over an energy-balanced growth, jobs creation and environment protection in the future, there is encouraging news.

The renewable energy sector, a particular focus of attention for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has generated 400,000 jobs till 2014, according to a report released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

The sector could generate a million jobs by 2022, if the government reaches its goal of 100 giga watts (GW) of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy and 60 GW of wind energy.

Aerial shot of the roof top grid connected solar power generation plant at M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru

India is ranked fourth globally with 5.7 per cent of all the people employed in the renewable energy sector worldwide. China is the largest global renewableenergy employer, with 44 per cent of the world’s jobs, or 3.4 million, followed by Brazil with more than 0.9 million jobs, USA (0.7 million), India (0.4 million) and Germany (0.3 million).

Globally, more than 7.7 million people are employed (directly or indirectly) in the renewableenergy sector (excluding large hydropower). This is an 18 per cent increase from last year’s 6.5 million, according to the IRENA report.

India has a renewable-energy potential of about 895 GW, of which solar alone could generate 750 GW, as IndiaSpend previously reported. The Five of the top 10 countries providing jobs in this sector are from Asia -- China, India, Indonesia, Japan, and Bangladesh.

The solar PV sector employs 125,000 people (gridconnected and off-grid applications) in India. It is also the largest renewable energy employer in the world, accounting for nearly 2.5 million jobs. But more jobs blowing in the wind.

If the government’s goal of installing 60 GW wind energy is reached, India could create up to 183,500 additional jobs in that sector (excluding manufacturing) by 2022, according to the IRENA report. While most of these jobs (81 percent) would be temporary, for eg, construction, about 16 percent would be skilled.

Direct employment in India increased by 28% to 53,000 in 2014, with 29,000 jobs in installation, operation and maintenance, and the remainder in manufacturing, the report estimates.

China leads global employment in solar PV, wind, solar heating and cooling, small and large hydropower, biomass and biogas. Brazil with over 0.8 million jobs is the leading employer in biofuels.

India’s renewable energy contribution stands at 33 GW of installed power capacity as on December 2014. Wind energy contributes 22 GW followed by bio-energy (4), small hydro (4) and solar (3).

Over the last 10 years, from 2005-06 to 2014-15, the renewable-energy installed capacity rose five times to reach 12 per cent of India’s total installed power capacity.

India’s solar PV manufacturers struggle to compete with suppliers from China, United States, Japan and Germany, according to the IRENA report. Only 28% of India’s module production capacity and 20% of its cell manufacturing capacity were utilised in 2014.

In arrangement with IndiaSpend.org, a data-driven, non-profit, public-interest journalism platform, with which Chaitanya Mallapur is a policy analyst. The views expressed are personal IANS

Volunteers from the Slough-based charity Khalsa Aid are helping the people rebuild their homes

By Vishal Gulati

KATHMANDU: After rescuing flood victims and helping rebuild homes in Bosnia, British Sikhs are back to help assisting Nepal to rise again from the debris of three nerve-rattling major earthquakes and many more aftershocks that have killed thousands of people and caused widespread destruction.

They are middle-aged volunteers from the Slough-based charity Khalsa Aid and are helping the people rebuild their homes. They are providing food, shelter and sanitation.

“We have raised 250 shelters till date and the target is to raise an equal number of structures,” charity coordinator Kanwar Singh told this visiting IANS correspondent in the Nepalese capital.

Within 12 hours of the first quake on the afternoon of April 25, an emergency response team of Khalsa Aid from India’s Punjab reached the Himalayan nation.

“In the next 48 hours we all arrived here from Britain,” Kanwar Singh added.

Jim Winkworth, a builder by profession and volunteer of the charity, is assessing the integrity of the buildings and assisting in the reconstruction of the damaged ones.

“We are raising structures with new material or stuff retrieved from the debris,” Winkworth told IANS. He said six public shelters were constructed in villages near Kathmandu, where the gravity of damage to the property was high compared to the capital.

“The villages where I am currently focussing in Sindhupalchok are the worsthit districts. The government relief is yet to reach there,” Winkworth added.

According to him, helping rebuilding homes is the top priority as the monsoon is approaching.

Khalsa Aid, established in 1999 and has provided relief assistance to victims of disasters, wars and other tragic events around the world, has dispatched a cargo plane carrying 10 tonnes of relief material, comprising foodstuff, water purification tablets, hand sensitisers, medicines and tents for the quake victims.

Khalsa Aid volunteers are lending a hand to help the residents of Nepal rise from the debris that three earthquakes have left in their wake (photograph for representation)

Winkworth had spent months last year along with volunteers of Khalsa Aid helping rebuild houses in Bosnia that were damaged during flash floods.

The charity daily holds community kitchens in and around Kathmandu, providing food to over 8,000 people.

Amanpreet Singh, a volunteer from Punjab who was among the first to reach Nepal, said three Khalsa Aid teams are working round the clock.

One team is arranging food for the displaced, the second is involved in constructing shelters and the third one is assessing the damage in other villages so that they could also be adopted for rehabilitation.

Kanwar Singh, who also worked in Bosnia, said they might extend the project in Nepal. “After providing emergency shelters, we are going to construct the permanent ones by providing them construction material,” he said.

India-born Ravinder Singh Sidhu, 44, who migrated to Britain in 1981, is the chairman and founder of the humanitarian organisation, which is dependent mainly on donations. He was also here for the cause.

Nepal’s disaster management department head Dharma Raj Pandey told

Rebuilding homes is the top priority as the monsoon approaches

IANS that the first phase of rehabilitation by reaching out to most of the displaced and providing them medical assistance and tents was almost over.

“In the second phase, the topmost priority is to construct temporary structures. For this we need roofing sheets on a much larger scale. We appeal to the international voluntary organisations and foreign ministries to assist us in providing the sheets. There is also a huge shortfall of blankets as winter is approaching,” he said.

Pandey said before the onset of winter, the government is aiming to help the people by providing them financial assistance or free material to get their temporary structures converted into permanent ones.

Over 200 volunteers of the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and Red Crescent Societies are currently working in Nepal.

IFRC secretary general Elhadj As Sy has made another appeal to support the ongoing emergency operation in Nepal.

The IFRC has raised 33 million Swiss francs (NRs.3.5 billion) in recent weeks but has expanded its appeal to raise a total of 85 million Swiss Francs to provide support to 700,000 people over the next two years, a statement on IFRC’s website quoting Sy said.

More than 221,000 people are now sheltering under tents or tarpaulins provided by the Red Cross. vishal.g@ians.in IANS

ENVIRONMENT “Environment protection is a way of life for Indians. Don’t create a fight between development and environment protection. Both can be done together.”

— Prakash Javadekar, Environment Minister

H EALTH

Priyadarshini Karve’s innovative cooking device have brought about an eco-friendly change in Nandal village

BY ZAINAB KANTAWALA @kantawalazainab

Priyadarshini Karve explaining the working of one of her innovative devices to a group of people interested in her eco-friendly approach to daily living

into charcoal. We were successful in developing the technology, and also developed a steam cooker fuelled by charcoal, which requires only 100 grammes of charcoal to cook enough food for six persons,” she says.

This chain of technologies was further improved upon by the researchers of ARTI, and it went on to win ARTI its first Ashden Award.

Priyadarshini used to work as lecturer in an engineering college in Pune, but she quit her secure job to take up a project aimed at designing improved biomass fuels and cooking devices.

“In India, annually 500,000 women and children die prematurely due to their exposure to smoke in the kitchen.

The traditional stoves use firewood and biomass as fuel. Our effort was to

Green cover in Odisha threatened by mining

BY CHINMAYA DEHURY BHUBANESHWAR: Odisha’s decision to open more mines is set to affect the green cover in the state further, environmentalists have warned.

The state has witnessed significant loss of forest land over the years due to mining and industrial projects. It has lost a large chunk of forest cover following the diversion of forest land.

About 44,351 hectares of forest land have been diverted by the end of 2014 under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, for different projects.

Environmentalist and wildlife activist Lala AK Singh told IANS that large-scale mining activities would affect the green cover further. “The decision of the government to open up more mines will destroy forest areas in the state,” he said.

“The government should ask the mine lease holders to extract minerals in the incomplete mines rather than going in for new areas. Mining in fresh areas means cutting of trees.”

Data with the office of the principal chief conservator of forests showed that forests were fast losing out predominantly to mining in the state.

About 20,265 hectares of forest land have been diverted for 164 mining projects in Odisha followed by irrigation projects (about 9,712 hectares). Industries account for 4,265 hectares. Odisha has allowed reopening of 29 mines and proposes to

open several others.

The government, however, said it had taken up compensatory afforestation against forest land diverted for non-forestry activities.

The government said it has carried out compensatory afforestation drive in 42,910 hectares by June 2014 and has targeted to cover 5,428 hectares of land in 2015-16.

The total requirement for compensatory afforestation against forest land diversion for various projects has been pegged at 56,831 hectares, said a forest department official.

“We are taking up several measures for increasing forest cover in the state.

While the forest cover has increased significantly in the state, we have decided to look for saplings of 120 million plants at various places this year,” principal chief conservator of forests JD Sharma said. chinmay.d@ians.in IANS

introduce clean and efficient cooking stoves. As a part of this project, a social enterprise named Samuchit Enviro Tech Pvt Ltd was established,” says Priyadarshini.

Samuchit Enviro Tech is a social enterprise that sells biomass energy, renewable energy, and energy-efficient household devices. Priyadarshini has also invented an easy-to-use carbon footprint calculator for urban Indians.

She is also actively involved in imparting education about sustainable development and climate-friendly lifestyles through Samuchit workshops.

“While promoting environmentfriendly technologies in rural areas, I realised the hopes of the rural population are driven by the urban lifestyle that they see. At the same time, the urban lifestyle

Special health ministry drive for clean healthcare facilities NEW DELHI: The union health ministry on Friday launched a special scheme to promote cleanliness, hygiene and infection control practices in public health care facilities, an official release said.

Launching the initiative named “Kayakalp”, Health Minister J.P. Nadda said: “The initiative will encourage every public health facility in the country to work towards standards of excellence to help the facilities stay clean and hygienic,”.

He also released the Swachchta guidelines for public health facilities.

“The initiative towards total ‘Swacchta’ in public health facilities is aimed towards building confidence of the users in public health facilities, provide quality service and encourage team work”, he said.

“Th is does not apply only to physical cleanliness, but to develop and put in place systems and procedures for activities such as bio-waste disposal or protocols,” he added.

Nadda said that the objectives are to promote cleanliness, hygiene and infection control practices in public health care facilities and to incentivize and recognize those facilities that show exemplary performance in adhering to standard protocols of cleanliness and infection control.

He invited various stakeholders, people, NGOs and voluntary organisations to participate in this endeavour and share the responsibility for cleanliness of the health facility.

IANS

Aspirin may deter emphysema NEW YORK: Regular use of the common painkiller aspirin may help slow the progression of early emphysema, a lung disease that primarily causes shortness of breath, says a new study.

“Other than smoking cessation and avoidance, there are no known methods for reducing the risk of developing emphysema,” said researcher Carrie Aaron from Columbia University Medical Centre in New York, US. “In our large general population

sample, we found that regular aspirin use (three or more days per week) was associated with a slower progression of per cent emphysema on computed tomography (CT) scans over 10 years,” Aaron said.

Of the 4,471 individuals involved in the study, 21 per cent (921) used aspirin regularly. When compared to those who did not use aspirin, regular aspirin use was associated with a significantly slower progression of

MAY 23, 2015

PUNE

“Micro-endoscopic decompression surgery is beneficial for the patients with lumbar canal stenosis. The biggest advantage of this surgery is that the scar is hardly 1.5-2 cm long and appears like an scratch.”

— Arvind Kulkarni, head of Mumbai Spinal Scoliosis Centre

Towards a cleaner tomorrow Kitchens in Nandal village in Satara, comprising of around 500 households, have now become completely smokefree. Because every family here owns a Bharatlaxmi stove, which reduces their fuel consumption by 30 per cent compared to traditional stoves.

What’s more, the new stoves in their kitchens have also made Priyadarshini Karve the cooking process much quicker, which is a big bonus to the busy housewives.

And all these women have Priyadarshini Karve to thank for the radical change in their homes and lifestyle. Priyadarshini, during the time she was working with Appropriate Rural Technology Institute (ARTI), developed a number of improved biomass burning cooking devices, to reduce the volume of smoke in the kitchen, as well as the dependence on firewood. She has even devised a technology to convert agricultural waste into ‘renewable’ charcoal.

Priyadarshini’s innovation, the ‘Bharatlaxmi stove’, is a single-pot, smokeless stove sold as a kit, that can be assembled to create a stove, fi xed in mud or cement.

“My first independent research project was developing the technology for converting agricultural waste

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY

percent emphysema over 10 years.

The results did not change even after adjustment for a number of potential confounding factors, including age, sex, race/ethnicity, cigarettes/day, pack-years, and hypertension. “The findings might suggest that regular aspirin use may slow the progression of subclinical emphysema, perhaps through effects on platelet activation or inflammation,” Aaron said.

IANS

is causing the maximum environmental damage. There is a greater need to promote environment-friendly lifestyles in urban areas. That was the main objective behind the workshops,” she adds.

She ceaselessly works towards newer methods to create an eco-friendly environment. Her research led her to devise a fuel using the sugarcane leaves which are left behind after cultivation.

Asked about the challenges she has faced, Priyadarshini says, “It is difficult to make oneself heard in between the loud advertising of other consumer products and lifestyle choices. The mainstream media, literature, movies, advertisements, are all creating a hype for things that do the exact opposite of environmental preservation. I strongly believe that the only way to deal with increasing energy demand is to go for renewable energy based systems.” zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com

DON’T MISS IT The next Samuchit Lifestyle Workshop will be held on May 23, 2 pm onwards.

You can learn how to do your bit for the planet by reducing your adverse impact. In this workshop, participants will learn how to calculate their carbon footprint and will be given tips to reduce it.

GET IN TOUCH W W Sawyer Memorial, 2nd Floor, above Gunvatta Shop, Ramanbaug Chowk, Pune Phone: 25460138/9226894206

Endoscopic surgery relieves back pain Micro-endoscopic decompression surgery has provided the cure for chronic back pain MUMBAI: A medical treatment termed as Micro-endoscopic decompression surgery proved beneficial for 67-year-old Rajendra Sanghvi and his family members, who were obese and faced severe spinal issues, were cured of their health complications at a city hospital here, doctors said.

Sanghvi had a history of back pain and numbness in his both lower limbs.

He was later diagnosed with lumbar canal stenosis, which meant narrowing of the spinal canal and compression on the leg’s nerve.

Sanghvi could not undergo an open surgery due to the precision complications and lengthy hospital stay followed by a slow recovery.

He was suggested to undergo micro-endoscopic decompression surgery, a process in which a specialised tubular retractor is used for the opening up the spinal canal and making the nerves free. Therefore, he was admitted to the city-based Mumbai Spinal Scoliosis and Displacement Centre.

The surgery was done using an 18 mm incision (key-hole) with tubular retractors with minimal tissue trauma and blood loss. The patient had complete pain relief, started walking after surgery and was discharged the next day.

Being completely satisfied with the surgery, Sanghvi also brought his wife Kantiben after six months. She also faced the complications of obesity.

Micro-endoscopic decompression

surgery proved to be beneficial for Kantiben too, with 100 per cent pain relief. Two years later the couple’s son also underwent the same surgery for the slipped disc problem with 100 percent results.

Health experts say that the surgery is highly beneficial for the patients above 65 years.

“Micro-endoscopic decompression surgery is highly beneficial for the patients with lumbar canal stenosis.

The biggest advantage of this surgery is that the scar is hardly 1.5-2 cm long and appears like an ordinary scratch unlike a long ugly scar after laminectomy,” said Arvind Kulkarni, head of Mumbai Spinal Scoliosis and Displacement Centre.

He said that since there is no muscle or bony trauma, the contours of the back are well preserved. Besides, he also said that since the tissue trauma is so minimal, there is no stress on the patient’s metabolic functions unlike after a bigger surgery with significant tissue trauma.

“The dependence of the patient on pain-killers for the wound site pain is absolutely minimal compared to an open surgery. In fact, patients do not express any experience of wound site pain after a few hours of surgery,” Kulkarni told IANS. “In obese patients, the surgery makes a big difference. Obese patients have wound healing problems and the spine is also quite deep,” he added.

IANS

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MAY 23, 2015

PUNE

“ You have made a wrong person the prime minister... Instead of focusing on main issues, Modi would say that his biggest achievement was to bring the US president as the chief guest on Republic Day while farmers and small traders were suffering.”

— Kapil Sibal, Congress leader

Beautiful city, helpful people P 15

Communists remain peripheral force in India Party admits that withdrawing support from the Manmohan Singh government on the India-US nuclear deal in 2008 was a mistake

By Amulya Ganguli Seven years after the deed was done, the new Communist Party of IndiaMarxist general secretary, Sitaram Yechury, has confessed that his party made a mistake by withdrawing support from the Manmohan Singh government on the India-US nuclear deal in 2008.

It was in that very year, however, that the prescient Nobel laureate, Amartya Sen, had noted the “mistake”. He had said in an interview: “I wouldn’t have regarded this (n-deal) to be as important as it has been made out to be. I wouldn’t have thought it is a life-and-death issue.”

Sen also said that the Left overestimated America.

“They believe that the US is really powerful and they have to be in awe of them (Americans). So I am not sure that it was such an intelligent policy. Now they will have to concentrate on being anti-Congress.”

This emphasis on being antiCongress continues in the CPI-M under the new dispensation, but with

the caveat that the party may act in tandem with the Congress inside parliament but not outside. This is the slight difference which Yechury has made from his predecessor Prakash Karat’s unyielding anti-Congress line.

But the point is not so much the marginal changes which Yechury may introduce in the party’s domestic policy as its assessment of the US. Is the CPI-M still “in awe” of the Great Satan, as Iran once used to call the US, or have the Marxists undertaken a more realistic appraisal of their policies?

Does the “mistake” of 2008 relate

more to their attitude towards their “class enemy” at home, the Congress, or towards their foremost ideological adversary, the US? Arguably, the Left’s perception of America as “really powerful” stemmed from the Cold War days when the US was seemingly ahead of the (now defunct) Soviet Union in military and economic prowess, a superiority which led to the capitulation of the “socialist paradise” before its capitalist enemy.

However, the fact that the Cold War perspective still guides the Indian comrades is evident from

Yechury’s observation that although the withdrawal of support from the Manmohan Singh government was wrong, the CPI-M was right in opposing the nuclear deal since it could not remain silent as India became a “subordinate strategic ally of US “imperialism”.

His admission, however, that after the withdrawal of support, the Left had failed to mobilize the people on the nuclear issue provides the main reason for the decline of the communists. What the inability to whip up anti-American feelings shows is the gap which had developed

Mizoram to take back its tribal citizens Bowing to pressure from Centre and Tripura government, Mizoram agrees to bring home all the tribal refugees who have found shelter in Tripura for the last 18 years

By Sujit Chakraborty AGARTALA/AIZAWL: Following pressure from the union home ministry and the Tripura government, Mizoram has finally agreed to take back all the tribal refugees sheltering in Tripura for the past 18 years.

“The repatriation of refugees expected to start from June 8. A tripartite meeting between the officials of Tripura and Mizoram governments and refugee leaders took this decision,” Panisagar Sub-divisional magistrate Biplab Das told IANS. He said: “It was decided in the meeting that from June 2 to June 4, a study would be done about how many of the refugees’ names have been enrolled in the electoral list of Mizoram. Then sub-divisional level officials of the two states in presence of the refugee leaders would be held before starting of the repatriation on June 8.”

According to Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Badal Choudhury, there are 5,286 tribal families comprising 31,223 men, women and children sheltered in seven camps in Kanchanpur and Panisagar sub-divisions under North Tripura district adjoining Mizoram.

The Reang tribals, who locally call

themselves “Bru”, have lived in makeshift camps camps in Tripura since October 1997 when they fled western Mizoram after the killing of a Mizo forest officer triggered ethnic trouble.

The Mizoram government earlier refused to take back all the refugees citing that all the migrants are not the resident of Mizoram.

“In the Friday’s district magistratelevel meeting, the Mizoram government officials more or less agreed to take back all the refugees sheltered in Tripura,” said Das, who was also present in the meeting.

The Tripura government team was led by additional district magistrate of North Tripura district Ranjit Das while Mizoram’s team was led by Mamit district Deputy Commissioner Vanlalngaihsaka.

Meanwhile, Mizoram’s additional secretary of home department Lalbiakzama said in Aizawl that following the Supreme Court’s directives and the decision made in the

meeting of the union home ministry in presence of Mizoram and Tripura governments’ officials on January 30, it was proposed to repatriate all the remaining tribal families from the relief camps in north Tripura district.

“The union home ministry has recently released Rs 4.7 crore for the repatriation purposes, but the amount would not be sufficient for repatriation of all the remaining Reang tribal families,” Lalbiakzama said.

The Mizoram government earlier sought around Rs 70 crore financial assistance from the union home ministry to rehabilitate the repatriated tribal refugees.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and his deputy Kiren Rijiju had visited the refugee camps and held talks with the refugee leaders on February 14 and persuaded the tribal to go back to their villages in western Mizoram.

Refugee leaders told the central ministers that they were willing to return to their homes in Mizoram if

their 10 points demands, including security and rehabilitation, were met.

The Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Forum (MBDPF), an organisation of the refugees, submitted a six-page memorandum to the central ministers accusing the Mizoram government of discriminating against them. The Mizoram government remains ambiguous on the refugees’ demands, which also included free supply of food grain for two years, and allotting land to them.

Mizo organisations, however, have opposed the MBDPF’s demands.

Tripura Revenue and Relief Minister Choudhury told IANS: “We urge upon the central government to ask the Mizoram government to take back the refugees.”

“The union home minister tried to hold a meeting with the chief ministers of Tripura and Mizoram to finalise a road map to repatriate the refugees to Mizoram. However, the Mizoram chief minister did not attend the meeting nor did he send his representative.”

“It is very unfortunate that the tribals despite being Indians nationals and permanent inhabitant of a state, are unable to live in their homeland,” the minister said.

“A serious socio-economic problem has cropped up due to the long stay of the refugees in Tripura. The refugees have damaged vast areas in forests in Kanchanpur causing serious environmental problems,” he added.

“Some refugees are involved in terrorist activities and work for cheap wages, creating an awkward situation for local labourers,” he said. sujit.c@ians.in IANS

between the “amar nam, tomar nam, Vietnam, Vietnam” days of the 1970s and the present times.

It is the failure of the comrades to realize how the world has changed since the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the disillusionment of a large section of the people, especially the young, about their creed, which is behind their present plight when they are among the weakest political forces in the country.

The Left’s vote share in parliament in 2014 was 4.5 per cent against seven percent in 2009. There has also been a drop in the number of seats for the Left comprising the CPI-M, CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc from 24 to 10.

But it isn’t only the events of 1989 in Europe which have robbed the communists of their earlier appeal.

An equally significant role was played by their long stints in power in Kerala and especially in West Bengal, which showed that they were no different from their “bourgeois” counterparts in matters of corruption and selfserving, high-handed politics.

Once their feet of clay were exposed, it became extremely difficult for the commissars to pretend that they were harbingers of a new beginning. As a result, it has been downhill for the Left and the pace has accelerated after the loss of West Bengal, which they held on for three decades largely because of Jyoti Basu’s personal popularity.

What has undermined the Left’s influence even more than the collapse

of the Soviet Union and the adoption of “market socialism” by China is the opening up of the Indian economy in 1991.

The resultant increase in middle class households has hit the Left the most because of the former’s consumerism - a sin in Marxist eyes as is evident from the doubling of their purchase of cars, air-conditioners, colour television sets, refrigerators, laptops and credit cards over the last seven years while the ownership of mobiles has gone up from seven percent in 2004-05 to nearly 80 per cent.

Not surprisingly, Prakash Karat ascribed the CPI-M’s poor performance in 2009 to disconnect between the Left and sections of the middle class. Moreover, the disconnect was most pronounced in the case of the “young who have benefited post-reforms in terms of better opportunities, jobs, income”.

If only one could return to the pre-reforms period of lesser opportunities, then the Left might have been on a surer footing.

Unfortunately for the comrades, the present trend is towards more, and not less, reforms with the Narendra Modi government pursuing the path of “neo-liberal” policies. The future for the Left, therefore, will continue to be bleak.

Amulya Ganguli is a political analyst.

The views expressed are personal. amulyaganguli@gmail.com IANS

Global warming threatens Kochi

By Mayabhushan Nagvenkar PANAJI: Within 100 years, rising sea levels caused by global warming could submerge large swathes of coastal land in Kochi, Kerala’s second most populous city, scientists at the Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) have predicted.

Inundation scenarios created by NIO scientists R. Mani Murali and P.K. Dinesh Kumar using satellite imagery and a digital elevation model have also warned that Kochi, a city the duo claims has “expanded rapidly and heavily stressed from environmental perspectives”, will create “harmful effects” for the population as well as the coastal environment and severely impact fishing, agriculture and other socio-economic activity.

The two scenarios simulated by the scientists for a one-metre and twometre sea level rise are in sync with the globally accepted levels of sea rise of 0.5 metre to two- metres over the coming century.

“For the sea level rise scenarios of 1m and 2m, the total inundation zones were estimated to be 169.11 km2 and 598.83 km2 respectively using Geographic Information System (GIS). The losses of urban areas were estimated at 43 km2 and 187 km2 for the 1m and 2m sea level rise respectively which is alarming information for the most densely populated state of India,” said the research paper published earlier this year.

“The results obtained conclusively point that sea level rise scenarios will bring profound effects on the land use and land cover classes as well as on coastal landforms in the study region.

Coastal inundation would leave ocean front and inland properties vulnerable,” the study further says, adding that increase in water levels would alter the coastal drainage gradients resulting in flooding and intrusion of salt water in coastal acquifers.

Most of the picturesque city lies at sea level. atmayabhushan.n@ians.in IANS

Google donates for child safety in India Vol-1* lssue No.: 49 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.

BENGALURU: Global search engine Google on Monday announced $500,000 (Rs 3.2 crore) in grants to promote child safety campaigns in India.

“The grants will support non-profit organisations (NGOs) with smart applications and promote child safety programmes and campaigns in India,” the company’s Indian subsidiary said in a statement here.

The three non-profit NGOs are Childline India Foundation, Bachpan Bachao Andolan and Tulir.

The three NGOs provide free counselling to children in need of help,

rescuing them from slavery, trafficking, sexual abuse and forced labour.

“The grants through Google.org will be used to reach more children and create greater awareness about the need to protect their future,” Google India managing director Rajan Anandan said in the statement.

Childline, which provides a free phone service for children in need of help or protection, will develop an online platform to offer its services with the grant.

“As technology plays a key role in transforming lives, we offer support

to the three NGOs, which provide safety and protection to the children,” Anandan asserted.

Similarly, Google will fund Andolan to create a programme for fighting child sexual abuse and develop an online information site for its mission.

Tulir works to prevent and heal child sexual abuse across the country.

It offers a school-based curriculum to help children stay safe, education for professionals working with children and resources for healing victims.

As children’s safety and protection is a shared responsibility, the company

believes its efforts would have a social impact.

“Children are vulnerable to physical, economic and sexual exploitation at homes, schools and other protective environments,” Anandan said.

Globally, the US-based Google has donated over $100 million in grants, $1 billion in technology resources and 80,000 hours of its volunteering to nonprofits in 2014. Founded in 1998 by Stanford research students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google is a top web property worldwide.

IANS

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MAY 23, 2015

Big challenges ahead for Saloni P 16

PUNE

“Pakistan is an enemy to Afghanistan and will never develop friendship with us.They have always plotted to destroy Afghanistan and will continue to do so... how can we afford to send our security forces for training in that country.”

— Fazal Hadi Muslimyar, Chairman, Afghan Senate

Caught between persecution and watery grave One of the world’s most beautiful regions, the seas of Southeast Asia - home to sparkling white beaches and $7,000-a-night beach villas - is becoming a scene of a mass atrocity.

Thousands of refugees from the persecuted Rohingya minority in Myanmar, fleeing modern concentration camps at home, have fled to sea in boats, and many have drowned. Fearing a crackdown, smugglers have abandoned some of those boats at sea, and neighboring Fishing boats at Thae Chaung cove, near a camp set up for the Rohingya people, a countries are pushing the boats persecuted minority, in the outskirts of Sittwe, Myanmar, Oct. 16, 2014. Thousands of refugees from the persecuted Rohingya minority in Myanmar, fleeing modern concentration back to sea when they try to land. camps at home, have fled to sea in rickety boats, with many already drowning The Obama administration, which has regarded but governments are towing camps are again denied landfall.

Myanmar as one these people out from their “We’re talking about a flotilla of St of its diplomatic shores back to open sea, Louises, and people are going to die,” successes, is largely which is tantamount to mass Andrews told me. unhelpful as this murder.”

Rohingyas are a Muslim calamity unfolds.

One appalling chapter minority reviled by the majority “The Andaman of World War II came Buddhist population in Myanmar.

Sea is about to become when the SS St. Louis The government has confined some a floating mass grave, left Germany in 1939 full 150,000 of them to 21st-century and it’s because of the of Jewish refugees fleeing concentration camps: I visited these failure of governments, the Nazis. Cuba and the camps last year and wrote about - TOM ANDREWS including our own, to United States barred them starving children and camp inmates do what is necessary,” from disembarking, and dying for lack of medical care. says Tom Andrews, a former member after passing so close to Miami that The United Nations says more of Congress who is president of United passengers could see the lights on than 130,000 Rohingyas have fled to End Genocide. “Not only is there not shore - the ship returned to Europe, by sea since 2012. Many fall prey to a search-and-rescue operation going on where many died in the Holocaust. human smugglers who torture, rape right now - with thousands out to sea Now refugees fleeing concentration and starve them in Thai camps until

“The Andaman Sea is about to become a floating mass grave.”

relatives pay ransom. The discovery of a mass grave this month from one such camp embarrassed Thai authorities into cracking down on human smugglers, leading the crews to abandon the ships, with their human cargo adrift at sea.

Chris Lewa of The Arakan Project, a human rights group, said she has been in cellphone contact with two ships full of refugees, and she suspects there are more farther from land and thus out of cellphone range. One is drifting without engines or adequate food, and she, as a private citizen, has been frantically trying to organise a search-and-rescue effort to save the passengers - so far, unsuccessfully.

Come on! If a suspected terrorist were on board, intelligence agencies would use that cellphone number to locate that boat. But 350 desperate refugees adrift at sea, and we’re going to shrug and let them drown?

Governments are probably uninterested in rescuing refugees for fear they would then have to take them in. Thailand has long had a policy of sending refugee boats on their way, and Indonesia recently pushed two ships carrying hundreds of Rohingya back to sea. As for Malaysia, “we won’t let any foreign boats come in,” an admiral said.

Europe also has a refugee crisis, but at least European countries are mounting search-and-rescue operations to try to save lives. What Southeast Asian governments are doing is the opposite.

As a first step, President Barack Obama should call the leaders of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia,

Bacterial disease casts blight on olive trees Davide Monteleone/The New York Times

Olive trees infected by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa in the region of Italy known as the Salento, May 2015. Across the stony heel of Italy, the livelihood of families who have manufactured olive oil for generations is threatened by a disease sweeping across one of the nation’s most famous olive regions

The disease is sweeping across one of Italy’s most productive olive regions, even as Europe fears bigger outbreak RACALE, Italy: Across the stony heel of Italy, a peninsula ringed by the blue-green waters of the Mediterranean, olive trees have existed for centuries, shaping the landscape and producing some of the nation’s finest olive oils. Except now many of the trees are dying.

Sprinkled among the healthy trees are clusters of sick ones, denuded of leaves and standing like skeletons, their desiccated branches bereft of olives. The trees are succumbing to a bacterial outbreak that is sweeping across one of Italy’s most famous olive regions, as families that have manufactured olive oil for generations now fear ruin, even as officials in the rest of Europe fear a broader outbreak.

“It is devastating,” said Enzo Manni, director of ACLI-Racale, an olive cooperative in the heart of the outbreak area. “It is apocalyptic.

I compare it to an earthquake.”

Today, scientists estimate that 1 million olive trees in the peninsula, known as the Salento, are infected

with the bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa, a figure that could rise rapidly. For Italy, the outbreak has forced a bitter bargain: To prevent the bacterium from spreading north, officials are trying to quarantine the outbreak in the lower half of the Salento, where most of the contaminated trees are, by carving a buffer zone that would serve as a sort of biological firebreak.

The Italian olive industry endured a terrible 2014 from bad weather and a nasty infestation of the olive fruit f ly. But those are familiar problems. The bacterial outbreak - which is believed to have arrived with plants imported from Costa Rica and has destroyed citrus trees in Brazil and vineyards in California - poses a new danger for all of European agriculture.

In Brussels, the European Commission has backed off earlier proposals to cull millions of trees in the Salento and instead endorsed the Italian buffer zone as well as other surveillance ones north of the peninsula. The commission is also expected to soon finalise a policy that would demand swift culling in the case of any new outbreaks in other regions. And France has moved to protect its vineyards by banning the importation of certain species of plants from Puglia, the

region of Italy that includes the Salento.

“The most important thing is that the disease doesn’t spread to the north,” Enrico Brivio, a European Commission spokesman, said, adding of olive growers in the Salento: “We sympathise with them.

There are trees that have been there for hundreds of years. They are like monuments.”

To drive through the southern half of the Salento is to realise that the hardest-hit areas surround the coastal town of Gallipoli and radiate southward, toward Racale and then down to the tip of Italy.

The bacterium steadily restricts water f low from the roots of a tree to its branches and leaves. The olives are not affected but production gradually diminishes as a tree dies.

“It is like they have a slow stroke,” said Ettore, a local olive producer who did not want his company to be associated with the epidemic. “Slowly, it is as if the blood is no longer f lowing, and the branches dry out and stop producing olives.”

Standing in the middle of a grove, Ettore, 32, and Manni, the co-op official, nodded toward a tree with a trunk easily 7 metres in circumference. It is called the Giant of Alliste, and local growers say it

is 1,500 years old (a figure scientists say is unlikely). It appears healthy, except for one branch in which the leaves are reddened and curled, an early sign that the bacterium has struck.

Manni reached down into a patch of grass, picking through weeds until he pinched what appeared to be a glob of spit but was actually the protective casing for the nymph stage of the spittlebug.

The spittlebugs will start f lying this month and have served as a primary vector of the outbreak, chewing on the leaves of infected trees and then carrying the bacterium to other, healthy trees, like an unseen wildfire. Scientists say no one yet knows the extent of the outbreak because some infected trees may not yet be showing symptoms.

Italian officials, blamed by olive growers for reacting too slowly, have now divided the affected region into quarantine areas, with the buffer zone extending across the peninsula. Infected trees and plants were supposed to be cut down in one of the quarantine areas north of the buffer zone, while growers in the contaminated region south of the buffer zone were supposed to prune infected trees and cut surrounding grasses to better control insects.

But recently, an Italian administrative court suspended olive tree culling in Puglia. Italy’s Agriculture Ministry has appealed the decision, and culling could resume soon.

Maurizio Martina, Italy’s agriculture minister, said that at most about 35,000 trees could be uprooted under the government plan - out of the estimated 11 million olive trees in the area. So far, the ministry said officials have cut down only six trees, with farmers culling an additional 100 or so.

In southern Salento, growers are alarmed but determined to learn how to adapt to the presence of the bacterium. It takes seven years or longer for a new tree to begin producing olives, and farmers were initially furious at reports that the European Commission wanted to cut down 1 million or more trees, and possibly even healthy plants in proximity.

About 10 per cent of all olive trees in the southern part of the province are infected - so about 10 million trees are still thought to be healthy. © 2015 New York Times News Service

urging them to rescue and shelter refugees. The United States can also use military and intelligence assets to locate drifting refugee ships and assist with search and rescue.

Obama must also make clear Myanmar cannot have a normal relationship with the United States as long as it engages in crimes against humanity. Just this month, the administration welcomed to the White House a senior official of the Myanmar government, Thura Shwe Mann, who has allied himself with extremist anti-Rohingya positions.

In its statement afterward, the White

House’s press office even avoided using the word “Rohingya,” apparently so as not to offend Myanmar.

That’s craven, but what’s worse is the way American and Asian officials alike seem determined to avert their eyes from atrocities in one of the world’s most beautiful regions.

“People are dying at sea,” said Matthew Smith of Fortify Rights, a human rights group that has done excellent work monitoring the Rohingya. “We know that, right now.

And it could worsen considerably in the coming weeks.” © 2015 New York Times News Service

Zobada, left, and Nora Kig, at Nora’s house in a camp set up for the Rohingya people, a persecuted minority, in the outskirts of Sittwe, Myanmar, October 16, 2014

Hezbollah deploys new weapon, a press tour

Hezbollah wants to overturn the impression that its gruelling Syrian campaign is going badly QALAMOUN MOUNTAINS, Syria: A powerfully built officer in wraparound sunglasses and digitalprint camouflage gave a detailed tactical briefing, propping a map up against a juniper tree and pointing to red circles that he said showed leftover “terrorist hideouts.”

The presentation, on a limestonestudded Syrian plateau recently, had all the trappings of a battlefield tour with US troops in Iraq: officers who refused to discuss politics, fresh-faced public affairs officers, urgent admonitions not to take photographs that could compromise security. But the briefing was by a field commander from Hezbollah, whose public relations officials had shepherded a dozencar convoy of journalists across the unmarked border. The attraction: new territory wrested in recent days from insurgents in Syria.

Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militant group that is also Lebanon’s most powerful political party, has been on something of a media campaign recently, seeking to counter the impression that its grinding campaign in Syria is going badly after battlefield losses for its ally, the Syrian government.

Hezbollah-run news channels have been issuing urgent bulletins

about new battles in Qalamoun, the mountainous border area, where fighting has intensified now that the heavy snow that froze the conflict there over the winter has shrunk to graying patches. But the party has also been more open than usual to journalists from other outlets.

That provided, on May 15, a rare glimpse of the Hezbollah version of a news junket.

The trip offered a window on to the first few kilometres of a crucial corridor between Syria and the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon - and of a front in the Syrian war that is rarely accessible to journalists. The Qalamoun range has been a redoubt for Syrian insurgents and foreign Sunni militants, including the Qaida-affiliated Nusra Front. It is also a route for Hezbollah to receive arms from Iran through Syria.

But also on display was Hezbollah itself, its continuing organisation and discipline, and its apparent sole control of parts of Syrian territory. (Hezbollah emphasises that it operates in Syria with the government’s permission.)

Often wary of Western news media, the group appears to be opening up somewhat as its patron, Iran, seeks a nuclear agreement with the United States and other global powers. © 2015 New York Times News Service

Bryan Denton/The New York Times

y Tomas Munita/The New York Times

Persecuted Rohingya refugees fleeing concentration camps, have fled to sea, and many have drowned

Lebanese journalists in the Qalamoun region of Syria, May 15, 2015. Hezbollah, which is seeking to counter the impression that its grinding campaign in Syria is going badly after battlefield losses for its ally, the Syrian government, told journalists on a tour that the car had carried a member of the Nusra Front, an adversary, who was killed in battle

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MAY 23, 2015

PUNE

MONEY MATT ER S

“The Renault Kwid will be priced between Rs 3 and 4 lakh and sales would start happening during this September-November festive season.”

— Carlos Ghosn, chairman and CEO Renault Group

Signpost SBI ties up with Amazon.in The State Bank of India (SBI) and Amazon.in recently signed a pact to identify areas of cooperation to build a digital India which meets the aspirations of the next generation of customers and small businesses. SBI and Amazon.in will develop trusted and frictionless payments and commerce solutions for customers and small businesses, capitalising on the exponential growth in Internet penetration to drive the adoption of e-commerce and m-commerce in India, a statement said. “Our partnership with ecommerce platforms like Amazon would give a fillip to e-commerce in India and brings lots of value to our retail and SME customers,” said SBI chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya.

“SBI shares Amazon’s philosophy of building customer trust and investing for the long term,” said Amazon India vice president and country manager Amit Agarwal.

UN raises projections for India’s growth The UN has now raised its projections for the Indian economy’s growth this year by 1.7 per cent to 7.6 per cent and by 1.4 per cent to 7.7 per cent next year from the estimates it made in January. The Mid-Year Update to the World Economic Situation and Prospects 2015 released recently puts India on the trajectory to be the world’s fastestgrowing large economy, outpacing China, the previous champion in the development stakes. The original report by the UN Development Policy and Analysis Division (UNDESA) released in January had estimated India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate for this year at 5.9 per cent and 6.3 next year. They were behind China’s growth rate projection at 7 per cent for this year and 6.8 next year in the January report, which remain unchanged. The UN update matches the projections of other international institutions that have put India’s growth rate as the fastest, and all of whom have also revised estimates for India upward.

“All units have maintained strong operational performance across our business verticals. We have grown our footprints and ventured into many projects in the international market.”

— Anil Sardana, managing director and CEO, Tata Power

No achche din for PSU shareholders

After initial euphoria over the installation of the Modi government, public sector undertakings are trading below their price a year ago MONEYLIFE DIGITAL TEAM Most public sector units, which had run up sharply before the new government came to power, are now trading lower over the past one year A year ago, when the Narendra Modi government came into power, the stock market was euphoric. Along with better governance, investors were hoping that the performance of public sector undertakings (PSUs) would be improved by a wave of restructuring including empowering the management, cutting down waste and possibly closing down lossmaking companies. Unfortunately, reforming PSUs is nowhere in the agenda of the Prime Minister (PM).

Lack of reforms have disappointed investors and as on 15 May 2015, as many as 35 PSUs (of the 76) are trading below their trading price a year ago, as on 16 May 2014.

Before the government came in to power, the positive sentiments were so strong that out of the 76 PSUs on our list, as many as 69 were trading higher on 16 May 2014 as compared to 1 January 2014 – as were many other large companies.

Out of the 76, 47 PSUs hit their 52week high on 16 May 2015. Most of the others peaked in the following 30 days.

It was a few months later when investors realised the government’s priorities were different and they started looking elsewhere for opportunities. As many as 49 stocks are trading below their peak, which was hit nearly a year back.

While the government is entitled to decide how to prioritize its actions, the stock market was in no mood to wait for it to act on PSUs. The shares of PSUs started drifting down. Indeed, not only has there been no talk of reforming the PSUs but Public Sector Banks (PSBs) have continued to report bigger bad loans or non-performing assets (NPAs) and several of them are still headless.

PSBs are under no pressure from the Ministry of Finance and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to act against defaulting

The CNX PSE Index comprises stocks of public sector entreprises (PSE) listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE)

promoters. This was probably because the government depended on them for a successful rollout of opening 75 million new accounts under Jan Dhan Yojana and other subsequent savings and insurance schemes.

The first blow to market expectations was a tax-and-spend Budget in July, which included an ambitious programme to disinvest shares of select PSUs. Then soon after, the government unveiled a different set of priorities, launching Clean India and Make in India campaigns. Investors soon suspected that PSUs would be used as instruments of social change, not to create wealth.

Hence, over the past six months most PSU stocks have fallen.

Among the 30 mega-cap PSUs, just 16 are trading in the black compared to their price a year ago.

Bharat Electronics (123%), Gujarat Gas (118%), Central Bank of India (77%), Container Corporation of India (66%) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (45%) were the top five gainers. At the bottom of the list of mega-cap PSUs were Oil India (-16%), NMDC (-18.44%), ONGC (-19%), Punjab National Bank (-21%) and Bank of India (-27%).

Looking at the sector wise

performance, banks were among the worst performing over the past year.

Banks were hit due to their poor governance, rising bad loans and lack of monitoring by the finance ministry.

Government-owned banks command a market share of around 70%. Most of these banks are reporting a low credit growth and slippages in their nonperforming assets (NPA) levels.

The 25 public sector banks (PSBs) on our list declined by an average of 7.48% over the past year. In comparison, the Bank Nifty index is up 18.69% over this period. Just seven of the 25 PSBs are trading higher compared to a year ago. As many as eight banks declined more than 20% over the year as on 13 May 2015.

Among the banks, which gained the most over the year were Central Bank of India (76.73%), State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur (45.08%), State Bank of India (13.48%), State Bank of Mysore (12.65%) and State Bank of Travancore (10.93%).

The worst performers were United Bank of India (-32.76%), Oriental Bank of Commerce (-35.53%), Indian Overseas Bank (-38.46%), Uco Bank (-39.63%) and Jammu & Kashmir Bank (-43.06%). @moneylife

Safe mobile banking

Skirting the pitfalls of mobile banking that is gaining ground in leaps and bounds

By YOGESH SAPKALE Mobile banking is becoming more popular with users across all age groups.

With newer handsets with bigger and better screens and updated operating systems (OS) entering the market, almost every bank is coming up with mobile banking solutions, especially via an app. Although there is a difference between mobile banking and mobile payments, both are becoming popular across bank customers. As the name suggests, mobile banking helps you to carry out regular banking transactions, like checking account balance, remitting money, paying utility bills and recharging mobile, data-card and directto-home (DTH) services. On the other hand, mobile payment means use of the handset to make payment for goods or services either at a shop physically, or remotely.

The main reason for the increasing popularity of mobile banking is ease and accessibility. However, one needs to be careful while doing banking transactions and making payments using a mobile phone; else, you may suffer a financial loss. Here are some safety tips to remember for mobile banking.

Always Use Secure Connection As mentioned above, mobile banking requires you to be connected through the Internet. Since Wi-Fi connections, especially some free ones, are becoming more visible, we tend to use them.

However, for mobile banking, avoid unsecured, public or open Wi-Fi

connections.

Unsecured wireless connections are susceptible to security breaches.

Use Authentic Apps Only Always use only those mobile banking app that your bank offers. Remember to download it either from the bank’s secure website (make sure to check if there is an ‘https’ before the bank’s name in the browser’s address bar) or an authorised app store. In addition, apply regular updates your mobile device and the mobile banking app.

Malware/Virus Over the past few years, several mobile devices, especially Android-based ones — due to the open ecosystem — are being subjected to malware attacks.

‘Jailbreaked’ Apple phones are also susceptible to malwares. To avoid this, install an anti-virus or anti-malware app on your device.

Phone Security Never store your mobile banking credentials, like mobile personal identification number (mPIN) or login ID, on the handset. Keep your mobile phone locked either with a password or screen-lock pattern that is hard (for others, not you!) to detect and misuse.

Password Secrecy Lastly, but most importantly, do not share your mPIN or username with anybody as it may be misused like a credit or debit card.

Happy mobile banking! @moneylife

Decoding the enigma of Satoshi Nakamoto Minh Uong/The New York Times

The identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of virtual currency bitcoin, remains a captivating mystery

BY NATHANIEL POPPER It is one of the great mysteries of the digital age.

The hunt for Satoshi Nakamoto, the elusive creator of bitcoin, has captivated even those who think the virtual currency is some sort of online Ponzi scheme. A legend has emerged from a jumble of facts: Someone using the name Satoshi Nakamoto released the software for bitcoin in early 2009 and communicated with the nascent currency’s users via email - but never by phone or in person.

Then, in 2011, just as the technology began to attract wider attention, the emails stopped. Suddenly, Satoshi was gone, but the stories grew larger.

Over the past year, as I worked on a book about the history of bitcoin, it was hard to avoid being drawn in by the almost mystical riddle of Satoshi Nakamoto’s identity. Just as I began my research, Newsweek made a splash with a cover article in March 2014 claiming that Satoshi was an unemployed engineer in his 60s who lived in suburban Los Angeles. Within a day of publication, however, most people knowledgeable about bitcoin had concluded that the magazine had the wrong man.

Many in the bitcoin community told me that, in deference to the bitcoin creator’s clear desire for privacy, they didn’t want to see the wizard unmasked. But even among those who

The identity of the elusive creator of Bitcoin has not been confirmed, but the software behind the virtual currency has come to be viewed in academic and financial circles as a significant computer science breakthrough that may reshape the way money looks and moves

said this, few could resist debating the clues the founder left behind. As I had these conversations with the programmers and entrepreneurs who are most deeply involved in bitcoin, I encountered a quiet but widely held belief that much of the most convincing evidence pointed to a reclusive American man of Hungarian descent named Nick Szabo.

Szabo is nearly as much of a mystery as Satoshi. But in the course of my reporting I kept turning up new hints that drew me further into the chase, and I even stumbled into a rare encounter with Szabo at a private gathering of top bitcoin programmers and entrepreneurs.

At that event, Szabo denied that he

was Satoshi, as he has consistently in electronic communications, including in a recent email. But he acknowledged that his history left little question that he was among a small group of people who, over decades, working sometimes cooperatively and sometimes in competition, laid the foundation for bitcoin and created many parts that later went into the virtual currency.

Szabo’s most notable contribution was a bitcoin predecessor known as bit gold that achieved many of the same goals using similar tools of advanced math and cryptography.

It may be impossible to prove Satoshi’s identity until the person or people behind bitcoin’s curtain decide to come forward and prove ownership

of Satoshi’s old electronic accounts. At of bitcoin. Another, called b money, this point, the creator’s identity is no was designed by an intensely private longer important to bitcoin’s future. computer engineer named Wei Dai. Since Satoshi stopped contributing When these experiments failed to the project in 2011, most of the to take off, many Cypherpunks lost open-source code has been rewritten interest. But not Szabo. He worked by a group of programmers whose for six months as a consultant for a identities are known. company called DigiCash, he has But Szabo’s story provides insight written on his blog. In 1998, he sent into often misunderstood elements the outline for his own version of of bitcoin’s creation. The software digital money, which he called bit was not unexpected, as is sometimes gold, to a small group that was still assumed, but was instead built on the pursuing the project, including Dai ideas of multiple people over several and Hal Finney, a programmer based decades. in Santa Barbara, California, who This history is more than tried to create a working version of just a matter of curiosity. The bit gold. software has come to be viewed The concept behind bit gold was in academic and financial circles very similar to bitcoin: It included as a significant computer science a digital token that was scarce, like breakthrough that may reshape gold, and could be sent electronically the way money looks and moves. without needing to pass through a Many concepts central authority like a central to bitcoin were bank. developed in an online This history points to Many community known the important role that as the Cypherpunks, Szabo and several others concepts a loosely organised played in developing group of digital privacy central to the building blocks that activists. As part of into bitcoin. When bitcoin were went their mission, they set Satoshi Nakamoto’s out to create digital paper describing bitcoin developed money that would be as in the fall of in an online appeared anonymous as physical 2008, it cited Back’s cash. Szabo was a community hashcash. The first member, and in 1993, people Satoshi emailed he wrote a message to known as the privately were Back fellow Cypherpunks Cypherpunks and Dai, both men describing the diverse have said. And Finney, motivations of attendees who recently died, at a group meeting that helped Satoshi improve had just taken place. the bitcoin software in the fall of Several experiments in digital cash 2008, before it was publicly released, circulated on the Cypherpunk lists according to emails shared with me by in the 1990s. Adam Back, a British Finney and his family. researcher, created one called hashcash It is, though, Szabo’s activity in that later became a central component 2008, as bitcoin emerged into the

world, that has generated much of the suspicion about his role in the project. That spring, before anyone had ever heard of Satoshi Nakamoto or bitcoin, Szabo revived his bit gold idea on his personal blog, and in an online conversation about creating a live version of the virtual currency, he asked his readers: “Anybody want to help me code one up?”

After bitcoin appeared, Szabo changed the date on that blog post. It then looked as though it was written after bitcoin’s release, rather than before, archived versions of the website show.

Szabo’s writing about bit gold from that time contains many striking parallels with Satoshi’s description of bitcoin, including similar phrasings and even common writing mannerisms. In 2014, researchers at Aston University, in England, compared the writing of several people who have been suspected to be Satoshi and found that none matched up nearly as well as Szabo’s. The similarity was “uncanny,” said Jack Grieve, the lecturer who led the effort.

When I went back and read Szabo’s online writings, it was obvious that in the year before Satoshi appeared on the scene and released bitcoin, Szabo was again thinking seriously about digital money.

Whoever it is, the real Satoshi Nakamoto has many good reasons for wanting to stay anonymous. Perhaps the most obvious is potential danger.

Sergio Demian Lerner, an Argentine researcher, has concluded that Satoshi Nakamoto most likely collected nearly a million bitcoins during the system’s first year. Given that each bitcoin is now worth about $240, the stash could be worth more than $200 million.

That could make Satoshi a target. © 2015 New York Times News Service

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MAY 23, 2015

“The government will ensure that the project work starts this year and citizens get a world class metro.We have discussed with all stakeholders and taken their views into consideration.”

— Girish Bapat, Guardian Minister

PUNE

“Speed breakers are placed based on citizens’ suggesti ons.

By June 15, all speed breakers in the city will meet the norms laid down in the Bombay high court order.”

— Om Prakash Bakoria, Addl municipal commissioner

Slow-moving traffic, bottlenecks on Dapodi road have made life hell for commuters

I commute from Pimpri to Shivajinagar daily. The journey is an ordeal thanks to Pune roads and chaotic traffic. But the most frustrating part is the traffic snarls at peak rush hours every morning and evening in Dapodi.

To reach my office, I use Harris bridge, where there are constant traffic jams, that the city planners turn a blind eye to.

The traffic at the peak hours moves at snail’s pace, and the narrow road is crammed with all kinds of vehicles.

The road is two-lane and has three traffic signals, at Phugewadi railway over bridge, Dapodi and CME gate chowk. As a result, vehicles are held up at the beginning of Harris bridge, resulting in a traffic jam or slow movement of vehicles.

The problem gets worse on

Rajashree Swamy

the very narrow road owing to the indiscipline and the flouting of traffic rules. The bridge is inadequate to handle the growing volume of vehicular traffic between the two cities. As a result, there are long traffic snarls of around a kilometre on both sides of the bridge during peak hours daily.

The authorities should come up with the solutions urgently to help reduce traffic chaos.

The civic body must widen the highway from CME gate to Harris bridge at the earliest, because

Citizen Journalist

the two-lane road has become a bottleneck. Vehicles coming from four lanes of the highway queue up at the CME gate chowk, causing traffic congestion.

And now the troubles are only going to increase when the monsoons set in. Road conditions will worsen, while PCMC in the end like every year will just do some patch work.

Even currently some parts are filled with gravel and left like that. On rainy days this will cause more problems.

Traffic from Khadki Bazar could be diverted to Khadki post office chowk, which will save a signal at Bopodi.

The only way to ease traffic congestion is to encourage more commuters to use public transport and reduce the reliance on private vehicles. But to facilitate this change, the public transport system needs to improve. The two-wheeler users need a viable alternative.

I see this is as a collective failure of local authorities and the traffic department. I have seen very little improvement to provide respite to citizens and some serious action is needed to solve this traffic issue.

Nirbhay Shah

‘Widen road from CME to Harris bridge’

Beautiful city, helpful people

Caroline Audoir, founder of Hope for Children Foundation, highlights issues the city faces today

Rahul raut

Punekars are truly humble.

Accepting everyone with open arms is an attitude which makes this city unique, no matter where you are from

Pune abuzz with energy I came to Pune 14 years back from Canada and I am happy to say that the city is still beautiful, clean and safe. I have seen a rise in cultural events and many other beautiful programmes.

People here have become more aware and have welcomed change with open arms. You have exhibitions and events to suit every age group and taste. Pune is bubbling with energy and offers something for everyone.

The best part about the city is its cleanliness. I remember the roads used to be and are still clean and well done. Having said that, I have an issue with sidewalks because people don’t seem to be using them to their potential. Sidewalks are a great initiative which has been neglected.

People prefer walking on the road rather than on the sidewalks. Vendors and littering cause hindrances on sidewalks. The authorities should look into making these spaces accessible only for pedestrians.

On the charity part, I have seen Pune accept

the idea of giving and donating. Today there are a number of NGOs working towards the betterment of society and the city. It is a good sign and I hope it continues. There is a lot of good work happening for the upliftment of the downtrodden through local initiatives. We are all trying to do our part for society.

Caroline Audoir de Valter

Traffic has increased and how. The numbers of vehicles have increased, causing an alarming rise in pollution. Pune has always been a place with great weather, and we should be able to maintain that. The sad part is that though we have beautiful roads, people are always digging them up. There is a stretch in Vimannagar which has been under repair for ages. I wonder what they are trying to do. I am sure they have a reason for the digging. My point is why they can’t plan it before making the road. Better administration and proper planning will help resolve this issue.

from foreign

Shweta Arya

I have lived in Delhi almost my entire life.

For my post graduation, I shifted to Pune two years back. The city is filled with positivity and friendly people. During my first class itself, I made friends who will last me a lifetime. They have made my stay in the city more meaningful and beautiful.

In these two years, I have known Puneites to be warm-hearted and kind. For example, I reached Pune early in the morning at 5 am, and asked someone where I could get a bus to Hadapsar, in English, as I could neither speak nor understand Marathi.

The man looked at me helplessly.

Finally I found someone to help me out with the directions and bus route. A

few minutes later I got know that the person I asked initially, had found this English speaking man and sent him to me. This kind man ensured I got into the right bus and asked the conductor to drop me at the right place.

This memory will stay with me forever.

Being an educational centre and a booming IT hub, the people are educated and wellbehaved. Cases of eveteasing and misbehavior are less compared to bigger cities.

One of the best things about Pune is that it is surrounded by hills and you can

non-native

parole

Letters to the

Editor

easily go for a trek/outing on a weekend.

I love the trekking sites here. Recently I visited Sinhagad fort with friends and had an awesome experience. It’s a great place for photography. You can see the Panshet, Khadakwasla and Varasgaon dams and Torna fort from the top. The view of Pune city is splendid.

People here are proud of their language and traditions. They are gentle and kind to someone who doesn’t speak Marathi.

Pune people celebrate all festivals with equal enthusiasm, especially Ganapati Festival, Dahi-handi and Deepawali.

The Dagadushet Ganapati Visarjan is an awesome experience.

Negligence leads to disasters proper arrangements.

—Shantanu Vaidya

From glory to gory state

The article on ‘Waiting to be wiped out’ was an eye-opener. It shows the callous attitude of the government and how such incidents can be avoided. No lessons have been learnt from the Malin tragedy. Forget about relocating the citizens, authorities are yet to identify the villages that are prone to landslides.

The government should provide the

Rahul raut

shores

residents with a temporary shelter and monetary compensation. I think it’s time for the authorities to wake up from sleep as monsoons are just a month away.

There should also be proper monitoring of such projects. I just hope that administration will rise to the occasion, act suitably and help the people to settle in hillock area with

The story on Sanjay Polliaya, who was once a national hockey player and is now forced to earn his living working as a housekeeper was touching. This reveals the deplorable condition some of our sportspersons live in due to the lack of financial aid from the authorities.

On one hand they have all the money to splurge on a sport like cricket, while other sports heroes get peanuts. Talents like Polliaya should be invited to join a hostel and offered training with a stipend to support themselves and their family. Scholarships should be allocated for sports persons who reach even the district level.

—Pratik Agarwal

Raghuveer Singh granted bail

It was really sad to know that a criminal like Raghuveer Singh has been granted bail so easily. After committing such a heinous crime of killing his own mother, he gets out on bail. Our judiciary should be put under the scanner. Isn’t this a non-bailable offence? If there is no evidence against him, then why was he accused in the first place? The crime branch should find evidence against the culprit, as this was a very brutal murder. It is a huge setback for the police department, that the suspect was let off so easily. Are all not equal in the eyes of the law?

There are witnesses to confirm that he regularly beat his mother and stole money for drugs. He even hosted a party after his mother went missing.

And it was also found that he along with friends, were all high on drugs.

Who would behave in such manner.

The boy has no remorse whatsoever, nor does he seems to regret what he has done. It is, however true, that he

can’t be held guilty without evidence.

— Shreya Sanas

Crazy proposal stunts

The story ‘When love comes knocking’ was an interesting read.

It’s good to see that today young couples are leaving behind old customs and getting creative with their proposals. Guys these days want to show their love by doing something grand, and surprise their girlfriends, which is just so sweet.

I loved the library proposal where the guy puts a chit in every book on the bracket. That must have required some guts. Also the one with the f lash mob was so romantic.

Initially I hated the idea of an elaborate, showy proposal, but these have managed to win me over. I now wish my husband did something grand and planned a surprise for me too.

—Ruchira Roy

PUNE, MAY 16, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

When

LOVE

comes knocking Leaving behind traditional customs, young couples are getting more creative when it comes to expressing their commitment to each other

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

SPORTS

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MAY 23, 2015

PUNE

“I wouldn’t mind being either Fergie (Ferguson) or Wenger because both have been very successful managers. I think I’ll be somewhere in the middle.”

— Footballer Steven Gerrard

Signposts Tata Consulting Services clinch title Tata Consulting Services capitalised on Gaurav Singh’s six-wicket haul, to clinch the third White Copper Cup Twenty-20 Inter IT Championship, at the Shinde High School Ground.

In the final, Gaurav’s spell of 6 for 26, restricted Sungard to 148-8, while chasing 172 for the win. Geet Desai’s (57) half century couldn’t help Sungard, who succumbed to a 25-run defeat.

Aba Atkule wins state wrestling National champion Aba Atkule of Solapur was stretched by Saurabh Patil of Kolhapur in the 60 kg weight class in the Freestyle event of the maiden Khashaba Jadhav Memorial State Youth Wrestling Championships held at Phulgaon, Pune recently. Aba was at the mercy of his opponent on a couple of occasions before prevailing 12-10 on aggregate points.

Big challenges ahead for Saloni 16-year-old Saloni Sapale has big tournaments lined up after her recent silver medal win in World School Chess Championship

By Ashish Phadnis @phadnis_ashish Pune’s promising youngster Candidate Master (CM) Saloni Sapale is on a medal-winning spree. The 16-year-old recently added a silver medal to her tally, by finishing second in the World School Chess Championship (U-17) at Pattaya, Thailand. Earlier, she had won silver at the World Amateur Chess Championship held in Singapore last year, followed by another silver medal at the National School Chess Championship in Delhi this January.

What’s more, Salone has brought in

Dadhe elected PDAAA president Former national waterpolo player Abhay Dadhe was elected president of Pune District Amateur Aquatic Association (PDAAA). The committee: President – Abhay Dadhe, chief executive – Ajit Sovani, vicepresident – Dhananjay Damle, Vijay Kulkarni, secretary – Jay Apte, joint secretary – Gauri Kulkarni, treasurer – Neeta Talwalikar.

this haul of medals during a time when she was neck-deep in preparing and appearing for her crucial CBSC board exams.

“Normally parents keep away their kids from playing any sport during 10th or 12th. But my parents gave me a free hand and I am happy that I managed both equally well,” says Saloni.

“I was totally out of touch after my national tournament in January. But thankfully, I got a whole month for preparations, and my coach Prathamesh Mokal put in a lot of effort to ensure that my game improved,” she added.

About her preparation, International Master (IM) and Fide trainer Mokal said, “Saloni has a good match temperament. She is fiercely competitive and highly ambitious.

What she lacked was a variety of openings. So, this time, we worked on different variations and that really helped her in this tournament.”

Saloni’s father Narendra also gave due credit to coach Mokal for his daughter’s success.

“She has been working with Prathamesh for the last two years and her improvement since then has been phenomenal. We are also grateful to Anup Deshmukh, who prepared her mentally and Aniruddha Deshpande, who acted as sparring partner for her before the tournament. Even Vikhe Patil Memorial, her school, extended great support,” he said.

The tournament Saloni was 14th seeded in the Pattaya tournament, and en route to her silver medal, she defeated higher ranked opponents Stanciu IoanaGeorgiana (Romania; 2001 rating) and Ovezdurdiyeva Jemal (Turkmenistan; 1903). She remained unbeaten in the

Mixed luck for city teams

Pune FC end East Bengal jinx, while Bharat FC suffer humiliating defeat at the hands of Shillong Lajong in I-League football TGS News Network @TGSWeekly

Pune FC midfielder Velington Rocha (black) in action against East Bengal

The past week brought mixed luck for Pune teams, as Pune FC came from a goal down to register a famous 2-1 win over East Bengal in a crucial I-League Round-10 encounter at the Barasat Stadium in Kolkata, while a disappointing evening in Shillong ended with Bharat FC conceding three second half goals to go down 3-1.

In a hard fought game, striker Dudu Omagbemi put East Bengal up in the 44th minute of the first half, before substitute Ishfaq Ahmed (45+1st) levelled scores for Pune FC minutes later.

Striker Thongkhosiem Haokip then netted the winner for Pune FC in the 66th minute, as they registered their first win after three consecutive losses in the I-League.

Pune FC’s seventh win of the campaign was also their third away win, and took their tally to 26 points

from 18 games, as they moved into joint 4th position with East Bengal, but they stay fifth on goal difference.

The win was Pune FC’s first over East Bengal in four years and also their third overall victory as they ended their jinx against the Kolkata side.

Interestingly, Pune FC won all the three games with a 2-1 margin.

After soaking up the pressure in the early exchanges, Pune FC settled in and began to see more of the ball.

However, with the game turning physical, neither side was able to penetrate the rival box. And just as the first half was heading for a goal-less end, the game exploded into life in the dying minutes of the half.

On the other hand, the loss saw Bharat FC drop two places to eighth in the table, with 18 points from 18 games. Shillong Lajong FC moved up to sixth place, with 20 points from 18 matches. Omar Jarun scored the opener for Bharat FC in the fifth minute. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Pankaj tops after early shocker Qualifies for 15-red World Snooker Championship with six wins from seven league games TGS News Network @TGSWeekly Pankaj Advani topped the 15-Red World Snooker Championship qualifier, scoring six wins from seven league games, after having suffered a shock loss earlier this week, at the Poona Club this week.

Advani made up for that loss with a series of wins, finishing his league engagements with a neat 4-0 win over No 2 ranked Varun Madan 75 (56)16, 76-29, 82-14, 83 (66)-7, in the last match of the Poona Club World 15Red Snooker Championship qualifier.

Earlier in the day, Advani scored the first century break of the

“I hope it can be a new era. We have to deserve to win the other titles. We have two finals left and we need to show we are better than the opponents.”

— Barcelona coach Luis Enrique

Pankaj Advani in action

tournament, against Petroleum Sports Promotion Board’s (PSPB) Shahbaaz Khan, who he also beat in straight four frames.

Advani won the first two frames 75-33, 70-0 before he assimilated a break of 100 to take the third frame 100-0, and then took the fourth 67-13 to seal the match.

Earlier, Advani had beaten Manan

Chandra 4-1 and Kamal Chawla 4-3.

Against Chawla, Advani rallied from a frame down which he had lost on black ball 59-65, and took the next three 8135, 70-51, 63-13 to put himself in a position of strength.

The No 2 ranked Chawla then took the next two frames 89-13, 75-4 to force the match into a decider, which Advani won 70-55. At the end of the league, top ranked Advani had scored six wins from seven league matches, with a loss against Dharminder Lilly as the only blemish in his campaign.

Advani won 27 frames and lost 9 to earn a splendid difference of plus-13.

Lilly finished second with 5 wins and two losses. Lilly won 26 frames and lost 13 for a difference of plus-13.

Faisal Khan, who won the 6-Red World Snooker qualification, ended third with 5 wins and 2 losses. He won 22 frames and lost 17 for a difference of plus-5. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

deserved the gold,” said Saloni.

The win against the highly rated Stanciu Ioana-Georgiana of Romania was the highlight of Saloni’s performance.

“Fortunately, she played a Sicilian opening, for which I had prepared well. After 15 moves, I had positional advantage and she was slightly behind in development. I capitalised on the opportunity and earned full points within 10 moves after that. It was a good game,” she added.

A tournament win would have earned Saloni a Women Fide Master title. However, she is satisfied with her performance and aiming for even better showings in her upcoming tournaments.

Saloni (right) with coach IM Prathamesh Mokal

Rd 1 Rd 2

Saloni’s performance drew with WCM Egorova Ayyyna (RUS; 1912) bt Al Shamsi Kaltham Mubarak (UAE; 1426)

Rd 3

bt Koo Wei Xin Rosamund (MAS; 1716)

Rd 4

drew with Ovezova Mengli (TKM; 1931)

Rd 5

bt Stanciu Ioana-Georgiana (ROU; 2001)

Rd 6

drew with WFM Mendoza Shania Mae (PHI; 2000)

Rd 7

drew with Jiang Zhaoyi (CHN; 1861)

Rd 8

bt Ovezdurdiyeva Jemal (TKM; 1903)

Rd 9

bt Talyspaeva Adel (KAZ; 1708)

tournament, registering five wins and four draws, finishing with seven points out of a possible nine. Her stand-out showing not only earned a medal, but also gave her a 162-point boost in her ELo tally.

“In the fifth round, I faced Women Fide Master (WFM) Mendoza Shania

Mae of the Philippines, who went on to win the gold medal. The game was evenly poised, but even after giving it my best shot, I had to settle for a draw. If I had won that game, then my chances of winning a gold medal could have been better. But Mae played brilliantly of course, and she definitely

Big tournaments ahead Saloni’s silver medal at the national tournament earned her a quota for the Asian School Games (U-17) to be held in Singapore from May 29.

“Immediately I will be participating in U-20 Asian Chess Tournament to be held in the same city, followed by the Commonwealth Chess Championship to be held at New Delhi in June. So I just need to concentrate on my game, rather than having a collective aim of winning a medal or norm,” added Saloni.

Her coach, however, believes that Saloni has the potential to become a Woman Grandmaster in the next five to six years.

“Winning a WFM title is our next target and she will achieve it sooner or later. By the end of the year, she can surely win at least a first norm of Women International Master (WIM), and if she keeps improving like this, then I am quite sure she will be the city’s fourth WGM by 2020,” said Mokal. ashish.phadnis@goldensparrow.com