The Golden Sparrow on Saturday 05/12/2015

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PUNE, DECEMBER 5, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

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TGS LIFE

Meet the power women of Pune

CITY

Rubble spells trouble for police colony P3

The sky is their only limit

CITY

Ladies, please excuse!

P6 RAHUL RAUT

Kaka’s bungalow to make way for Shetty’s palatial villa

Aashirwad, actor Rajesh Khanna’s bungalow to be demolished and replaced by a five storey structure. Shashi Kiran Shetty, See on p2 logistics magnate, and his family to occupy it

Being specially abled is not a cross to bear but a challenge to be overcome on the road to making their dreams come true See Spotlight, p08 & 09

Pune Colonel booked for abetting wife’s suicide Family of the deceased maintained that Sohney was not the type to commit suicide; Alleged she was murdered See on p4

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 5, 2015

PUNE

MUMBAI ‘Pak was to deploy nukes against India in Kargil war’ P 13

“The first batch of solar panels will be installed on the southward canals in parts of Vidarbha region. The state plans to set up 7,500 MW solar panels of which 2,500 MW will be installed by the state-owned power generation company.”

—Girish Mahajan, Irrigation Minister

Kaka’s bungalow to make way for Shetty’s palatial villa Aashirwad, actor Rajesh Khanna’s bungalow, to be demolished and replaced by a five-storey structure to be occupied by its new owner and logistics magnate Shashi Kiran Shetty

construction on the 6,500 sq ft plot and not insist on open spaces. Also he has sought tat staircase and lift area be not counted in the permissible FSI. He has requested that he be allowed to provide for only one car lift to take the vehicles to the second basement instead of two required as per law.

The municipal corporation has principally agreed to the construction, with BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta pointing out some issues in his note dated August 13. “Substation of adequate capacity be provided. It needs to clarified about hardship is being faced to provide void (atrium) in the building. Location of internal lift be verified,” states Mehta’s report.

Sources reveal that it is only a matter of few weeks that the demolition of Aashirwad bungalow will begin. The bungalow is where Jatin Chunnilal Khanna, better known as Rajesh Khanna breathed his last on July 18, 2012. Khanna had bought the

bungalow from actor Rajendra Kumar in October 1972.

The actor left behind a will dated June 19, 2012 wherein he appointed his daughter Twinkle K h a n n a , actor Akshay Kumar’s wife, as the sole executrix.

The Bombay High Court probated the will in favour of Twinkle on October 6 the same year.

Barely a month later, on November 12, 2012, Twinkle transferred the bungalow jointly in the name of her sister Rinkie Khanna (Rinmie Saran) and herself. The two sisters had been named beneficiaries in the actor’s will.

Two years later, on August 28,

2014, Twinkle and Rinkie sold the bungalow for Rs 85 crore to Shashi Kiran Shetty, his wife Arathi, son Vaishnav and Shloka. Dimple Khanna, Rajesh Khanna’s estranged wife confi rmed the sale and signed on the documents. yogesh.sadhwani@goldensparrow.com

About Shashi Kiran Shetty

According to plans, the new structure will have two basements, a stilt and five upper floors. The two basements will have parking

BY YOGESH SADHWANI @yogeshsadhwani The seafront, iconic bungalow on Cater Road, Bandra, where Rajesh Khanna lived will soon be brought down. Replacing it will be a five storey mansion of Shashi Kiran Shetty, chairman of USD 800 million logistics giant The Avvashya Group. The new owner who bought the bungalow from Khanna’s daughters Twinkle and Rinkie in August 2014 for a whopping Rs 85 crore, has plans to raze bungalow spread over 8,024 square feet.

The Golden Sparrow has a copy of the plans Shetty has submitted to the Municipal Corporation of Greater

Mumbai. The 56-year-old businessman wants to build a structure 23.65 metres above the ground. The new bungalow, will be exclusively for the Shetty family comprising the logistics baron, his wife Arathi, son Vaishnav and daughter Shloka.

According to plans, the new structure will have two basements, a stilt and five upper floors. The two basements will have parking slots for vehicles, an air handling unit area, a store and a pump room.

The fi rst floor as per plans has a 1,400 sq ft living room, a kitchen and a store. The second floor will have a bedroom spread over 1,044 sq ft, a guest room and a store. The third

Rail panel on passenger deaths lacks good hands Activists criticise authorities for not taking in transport experts Railway activists from Mumbai alleged that the Central Railway committee recently formed to look into passenger deaths on suburban trains does not have any experienced officers and activists. The activists criticised Central Railway officials for not taking transport experts, who have knowledge about ground realities of suburban operations, into the committee which was formed on December 1, in wake of the death of a 21-year-old man.

On November 28, Bhavesh Nakhate, a Dombivili resident, died after falling from an overcrowded train in neighbouring Thane district.

Zonal Railway Users Consultative Committee (ZRUCC) member Subhash Gupta said officers who formed the committee forgot that suburban railway does not operate only upto Mumbai-Thane and Kalyan.

“But it (the railways) also reaches up to Karjat, Kasara and Khopoli and representatives of these destinations have been summarily ignored,” he alleged.

A Central Railway official said the committee comprises nine members, including four MPs - Kirit Somaiya, Rajan Vichare, Poonam Mahajan and Arvind Sawant.

Other members of the committee are S K Sood, (General Manager of Central Railway), Ketan Goradia (Commuters Association), L R Nagwani (NGO), Ajoy Mehta, (BMC Commissioner) and E Ravindran (Kalyan Dombivili Municipal Commissioner).It would submit its report (on passenger deaths) by December 31, he said. A member of Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee (DRUCC), who did not wish to be named, said it seems that this committee has been formed to please the parliamentarians who never travel by local trains.

“All I can say is that these nine members never travel by local trains.

So how can they realise and pinpoint the ailing issues of suburban railways,” he said. Echoing similar views, Railway activist and member of Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee of Western Railway, Rajiv Singal said, “The way members have been inducted into the committee, I don’t see that its recommendations would fetch some impact.”

Another activist Sameer Jhaveri said railway activists who could have brought some “metamorphosis” change, have not been included in the committee.A senior railway official, while declining to comment on the issue, said the decision to appoint the committee has been taken at the Railway Board-level.

PTI

floor has a spacious bedroom spread over 1,500 sq ft, a family room, a puja room and a terrace overlooking the Arabian Sea. The fourth floor has two bedrooms, a terrace, a store and a walk in closet. The fi fth floor has two terraces, a bedroom and a walk in closet. The bungalow boasts of a swimming pool on the terrace, two elevators, and an atrium through the five storeys.

Shetty, in his proposal to the BMC, has sought some concessions from the civic body citing hardships.

He has stated that since the plot falls under CRZ II, floor space index (FSI) available is only one. He has requested that BMC allow him to maximise

Hailing from Bantwal, Karnataka, Shetty graduated in Economics from a college on the outskirts of Mangalore. He was born to a joint family with father and mother, three uncles and aunts who stayed together in two houses next to each other along with their children. After his family owned wholesale depos, oil mill and a rice mill, closed down, Shetty left his hometown and went to Mumbai in 1978.

After having worked for a shipping agency he started his own company in 1982 by the name of Trans India with one fork lift truck with four employees. He started this along with a friend from Mangalore with an initial capital of about a lakh. Trans India Logistics, a transportation company initially catered to shipping liners. Gradually he expanded to cover cargo of oil & gas and power sectors.

It was in 1993 that he founded Allcargo Global Logistics as an

integrated logistics services provider, a privately held company. In 2005, the company acquired ECU LINE, a Belgium based company, which was five times their size. With this, Allcargo established its presence through 142 offices in 62 countries and 4,000 port pairs making it India’s fi rst multinational company in the logistics sector. In 2006, the company

went public and is currently listed on the Indian bourses - Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE). In September 2013, the company made its fi rst own substantial footprint by acquiring ECONOCARIBE Consolidators Inc (based in Miami) for an amount of $50 million. Today, the company operates in five continents.

Pankaja defends ‘ban’ on women at temple Defending the practice of not allowing women to perform ‘puja’ at Shani Shingnapur temple in Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra Rural Development minister Pankaja Munde opined that traditional rituals cannot be “linked with insult” of female fraternity.

Munde’s statement, which came in the wake of a woman offering ‘puja’ at the temple by breaching security, drew sharp reaction from Opposition NCP, which criticised her.

“These are traditions and cannot be linked with insult of woman fraternity,” Munde said, defending the age-old `ban’ after the woman devotee’s action last week created a furore.

“The outrage over the woman entering the Shani temple is a nonissue,” the BJP leader said.

Chitra Wagh, women’s wing President of the State NCP, criticised Munde’s statement.

“In a progressive state like Maharashtra, instead of appreciating

the move to break the traditions that are against women, the BJP Minister, by making such a statement, has taken State back to an era where women were not treated at par with men,” Wagh maintained.

The temple, which attracts thousands of pilgrims daily, is devoted to Lord Shani and women are traditionally barred from offering prayers at the shrine, located about 250km from Mumbai.

PTI

Vidarbha oranges: Farmer-to-consumer direct sale a huge draw

Around 1,200 growers from 70 villages are participating in the project on Zila Parishad premises

Direct sale of oranges grown by Vidarbha farmers to the district residents sans any middlemen has evoked an encouraging response and is proving to be a profitable initiative for the farmers, officials said.

A counter selling the famed oranges, which was yesterday put up at the Zila Parishad premises here, turned out to be a huge draw on the day one, with a record sale of about 1.5 tonnes of the fruit.

Amol Pachade, Agriculture Expert, Maharashtra government, said: “It was decided in a review at the start of the year to open such centres in as many as

16 towns and cities of the state.

“The initiative is being jointly co-ordinated by the Coordinated Agriculture Improvement Project, Sir Ratan Tata Trust and International Agricultural Development Fund (IFAD) to support the farmers in six districts of Vidarbha”, he said.

Around 1,200 growers from 70 villages are participating in the project, he said.

In a similar sale in Pune, Mumbai and Bengaluru last year, about 128 tonnes of the citrus fruit were sold and the farmers had earned a profit to the tune of Rs 13 lakh, he said.

Th is kind of sale would help in avoiding distress sale by the farmers to the merchants who quote a very less price for the produce, he further said.

About 20 such counters would be opened in the district from Monday, the expert said.

A target of sale of five tonnes of oranges has been set for the current season for each district and efforts are being made to achieve it, he added.

District Agri Products Marketing Manager Mohan Ghabbirao said: “Farmers are being trained on the methods to be adopted for better sale of their produce by Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University.”

Ravindra Thakare, the project director with the Coordinated Agricultural Improvement Project, headquartered at Amravati, said, “the farmers have received overwhelming response from the districts they visited and there is full support from the local government offices.” Thane ZP CEO Uday Chaudhary has appealed to the citizens to support the project in the best possible way and help the crisisridden farmers of the region.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 5, 2015

Terrorists’ influence grows worldwide P12

PUNE

“The CM and the minister concerned (Bapat) had taken decision to relax hoarding limit for dal. The decision was not taken before the cabinet. The chief minister and Bapat must answer people of Maharashtra and the minister concerned must resign.”

— Prithviraj Chavan, Former chief minister

Jail demands 33 acres land back from IAF Prison department wants IAF to return prime plot of land on Airport Road

Rubble on police colony roads leaves head constable hospitalised with multiple fractures

BY GITESH SHELKE @gitesh_shelke

BY SUSHANT RANJAN @sushantranjan For 70 years, the Indian Air Force and Maharashtra Prison Department have been at loggerheads over a 33acre plot of land at survey number 160 on Airport Road, Yerawada, with the latter demanding that the IAF relinquish possession of the land.

The department have communicated with the Maharashtra government and the State Home Department a number of times, stating that the land is of prime importance, urging the government to take up the issue with the Central Government and Defence Ministry.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (Prisons, Administration) Shahji Solunke said that the prison department needs the land for agricultural purposes.

During World War II, the Imperial Government allotted 123 acres of land belonging to Yerawada Central Prison to the Air Force Station, Pune.

In 1971, the Air Force

Rubble spells trouble for police colony

Station, Pune returned 90 acres of land to the Yerawada Central Prison. They grow cereals, wheat and vegetables on it. The remaining 33 acres of land is in possession of the Air Force Station, and staff quarters and playgrounds have been constructed on it.

According to Defence Estate Office (DEO), the total land acquired

by IAF is 50 acres.

The land is on rental basis. “IAF acquired

The prison department needs the land for agricultural purposes.

50 acres of land of the department.

We are paying rent on behalf of the Air Force,” said an official.

“The tussle between the Prison Department and IAF is only for 33 acres of prime land. Some year back IAF tried to build a wall on this land, but the prison authorities opposed it. The IAF is not taking any initiative nor informing the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The IAF is not utilising the land,” he said.

Defence Estate Officer D N Yadav said, “We offered a cheque of Rs 1.25 lakh in 2001 but they did not accept it.”

The IAF so far refused to comment on the matter. sushant.ranjan@goldensparrow.com

Police head constable Ramesh Mane, 43, was hospitalized with multiple fractures in his hands, hip and left leg, when his motorcycle skidded on a Shivajinagar police colony road. The road was recently resurfaced but the State Public Works Department (PWD) workers had left rubble strewn around due to which Mane’s bike crashed.

The PWD workers’ negligence has also left the sons of two constables with minor injuries and a fractured hand when their motorcycles skidded over the rubble. The constables refused to divulge their sons’ names as they are preparing for competitive exams, which have been disrupted owing to

This is the general state of the roads, with rubbish and rubble along the sides

the mishaps.

Mane left Vishrambaug police station premises at around 11 pm last Tuesday to return home to Shivajinagar police colony. “I did not know that the road located in front of my house was resurfaced. My motorcycle skidded, I fell down and my neighbours had to rush me to hospital. I was operated on twice in last five days,” he said.

The colony’s internal roads

had not resurfaced for years.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Administration) Pradip Raskar said that the roads were resurfaced as Pune city police is hosting a state police sports meet in January 2016. “I am not aware about the rubble. I will inquire into the issue and order the concerned contractor to remove the rubble immediately,” he said. gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 5, 2015

PUNE

“While there are several proposals wherein buses can be procured on a deferred payment basis, these buses will become a headache in six months. Even a two-day old bus will suffer a breakdown if it is not maintained properly.”

— Abhishek Krishna, PMPML’s chairman

Tesla races third in innovation survey

Pansare, Dabholkar, Kalburgi delinked

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Sewage plant work disrupts life at Bootee Street

VISHAL KALE

Work gets underway on PCB sewage treatment plant in the heart of densely populated Camp area

Once complete, the plant being set up with a budget of Rs 37 crore will process 24 million litres of sewage per day. The project is funded under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The work will be complete in 18 months.

PCB Chief Executive Officer Sanjeev Kumar said, “The school is a distance away from the work area and we have put up tin sheds to isolate the area. We will provide an alternate

playground for the school children.

Once complete, all the sewage water from civil areas will be treated at this plant. This will be the first plant of its kind in the Cantonment area.”

But locals have questioned the choice of the plant’s location with the area around it being thickly populated and hosting many residential apartments and businesses.

Juber Alam, a shop owner of this area said, “The plant is necessary

and welcome but the work is causing problems to all of us who live in the vicinity, such as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.”

But the PCB officials say that there is no cause for complaints or fears. The plant will be safe and hygienic. “We have faced little or no opposition to the plant, which is necessary for this area,’ said a senior engineer in the PCB sewage department. sushant.ranjan@goldensparrow.com

Miffed Tambe quits over garden issue RAHUL RAUT

NCP corporator resigns over stalling of garden plan in Dhankawadi

BY TUSHAR RUPANAVAR @TGSWeekly

Vishal Tambe, former Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) standing committee chairman has sent a letter, resigning as corporator, to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar and city president Vandana Chavan, on Thursday.

Tambe who had demanded a Vishal Tambe garden in ward 74

B of the Chaitanyanagar, Dhankawadi area, has accused Mayor Dattatraya Dhankawade and house leader Shankar Kemase of ignoring his plea in the PMC general body meeting last Tuesday.

Tambe said, “I have been demanding a one-acre garden in my Chaitanyanagar, Dhankawadi ward for ten years. The High Court had issued modification order to PMC to start garden work at Chaitanyanagar within 90 days. The HC deadline ends

on December 9. I requested Mayor Dhankawade and house leader Kemase to start work on the garden at the general body meetings on November 19 and 30, as it was on the GB agenda.

But the mayor has ignored the HC order, and the next GB will be held after the December 9 deadline. Mayor Dhankawade and house leader Kemase are protecting some builders’ interests, as developers want to use this land for commercial purposes. Therefore I have sent my resignation to party chief

Sharad Pawar, leader Ajit Pawar and city president Vandana Chavan. I will remain a party worker and serve the people.”

Mayor Dattatraya Dhankawade said, “PMC member Vishal Tambe raised the garden work issue in the last general body meeting, but it was not in Corus list of GB, so I could not take it up. Resigning is not a solution, I will discuss the garden issue with my party high command.”

House leader Shankar Kemase said, “The Mayor decides subjects to be debated in GB. So I cannot talk about this issue now.”

NCP city president and Member of Parliament Vandana Chavan said, “I am in Delhi. I received PMC member Vishal Tambe’s resignation this morning. I will discuss the Tambe’s concerns with party’s senior leaders and find a solution to the issue.” tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Infant deaths could be MLA office theft curbed significantly mystery solved Rotavirus vaccination to be undertaken from month end

BY DNYANESHWAR BHONDE @Dnyanesh1 The oral rotavirus vaccination programme will commence at the end of December in four tehsils of Pune district. The vaccination aims to reduce fatalities caused by rotavirus diarrhoea among year-old children, will be undertaken on pilot basis in Shirur, Ambegaon, Khed, and Junnar tehsils, under the National Immunisation Program (NIP).

Studies by health agencies pinpoint that 50 per cent of deaths worldwide due to rotavirus diarrhoea occur in India.

Pune division Deputy Health Director Hanumant Chavan said, “More than 17 per cent children succumb to this deadly diarrhoea among all child deaths in Maharashtra. Rotavirus oral vaccine is the remedy approved by the Maharashtra health department which has included it in the NIP this year. The vaccination, introduced in some parts of India in 2011, is effective, feasible and potent up to 55 per cent against a variety of strains.”

The vaccination programme was undertaken on an experimental basis in 2011 in Tamil Nadu, Arunachal Pradesh and Maharashtra. Chavan said, “Pune was the only district in state selected for the vaccination plan in

Family of the deceased maintained that Sohney was not the type to commit suicide; Alleged she was murdered

BY GARGI VERMA AND GITESH SHELKE @TGSWeekly

BY SUSHANT RANJAN @sushantranjan Work on the Pune Cantonment Board’s (PCB) long-awaited sewage treatment plant, which was granted approval in June 2013, is underway on the Rabindranath Tagore School playground, at 900 Bootee Street, in the Camp area. This has now deprived students of the school of their playground, and the residents of this area are wondering why this site was selected. The foundation stone was laid a few weeks ago.

The heavy duty JCB machined deployed for make such a racket that it is disrupting the school’s classes as well proving a nuisance to those who live in the vicinity. And the complaints in this regard by the school authorities to the PCB have fallen on deaf ears.

Pune Colonel booked for abetting wife’s suicide

2011 and after the positive results from Shirur, Khed, Ambegaon and Junnar, it was decided to continue it. It could be implemented all over the district and state also. The oral vaccination contains five drops of Rotavirus vaccine which is given in three phases to every child in a year. The first vaccination dose is at six months, the second two and half months later, and the final one three and half months later.” Vaccination reduces infection and deaths from diarrhoea as well. Health workers have been trained for this plan.

The oral rotavirus vaccine developed

by Hyderabad based Bharat Biotech and the department of Biotechnology, was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 9 in New Delhi. Rotaviruses are the leading cause of severe diarrhoea among infants and young children and 4.5 lakh children die owing to this annually. Rotavirus is highly contagious, resistant and, regardless of water quality and available sanitation, nearly every child in the world is at risk of infection.

The Secretary of ‘Indian Academy of Pediatrics’ Dr Sanjay Bafna has welcomed this move. “Vaccination will substantially reduce rotavirus diarrhea cases in villages. It will not bring 100 per cent results but children will not suffer as much from dehydration caused by the infection. Nearly one lakh children die due to this infection annually in India,” he said. dnyaneshwar.bhonde@goldensparrow.com

Two minors and teen held for breaking into Madhuri Misal’s office and stealing tiles

BY GITESH SHELKE @gitesh_shelke

The Chatushrungi police have detained two minor boys and arrested their 19-year-old accomplice for allegedly breaking into the office of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sitting MLA Madhuri Misal, and stealing floor tiles worth Rs 10,000, three months ago.

An office bearer Mandar Bhalchand Rajekar, 40, of Shukrawar Peth had lodged a complaint with the Chatushrungi police station in this regard, stating that unidentified persons broke open the door of the office in the Misal Building on the busy Senapati

Bapat Road and made away with the tiles packed in 125 boxes.

The police said that the culprits entered the building late on the night of August 29. They abused the watchman and took away his cell phone. The culprits used a truck to take the tiles to some unknown location.

A team of policemen of Chatushrungi police station led by Senior Police Inspector Arun Sawant tracked down the culprits. On Tuesday, the team zeroed in on the three boys from Wadarwadi area.

The police team recovered a cell phone and the floor tiles from their possession.

Police have detained the boys aged 16 and 17, while Akshay alias Sonu Shyam Jadhav of Wadarwadi was arrested.

They were looking to sell the tiles which is when the police held them. The culprits did not know that the building was owned by a sitting MLA. gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com TEJAS GAIKWAD

Army Colonel Sanjay Lakra has been booked for abetting his wife’s suicide.

He has been charged under section 306 of Indian Penal Code for abetting Sohney Lakra’s suicide. His wife was found hanging in their bungalow last Sunday. The deceased’s parents, who came down from Delhi, however maintained that their daughter was murdered and did not commit suicide.

Kamlakar Takawale, senior inspector of Khadki police station confirmed that Col Sanjay Lakra has been booked for abetting his wife’s suicide. He said that the case was initially registered as an accidental death. “After we recorded statements of victim’s brother Lt Col Jagmohan Charan Singh (42), we converted it to a suicide case and booked her husband for abetting,” he said. The officer added that as per the victim’s brother, Col Lakra used to physically and mentally abuse his wife.

Takawale claimed that as per initial medical reports Sohney died due to hanging. “Final autopsy report is still awaited. If in the forensic analysis it is found that there was foul play, we can enhance the sections in the future,” he said. The cop said that Col Lakra had been granted interim bail by a court.

Police on its part had begun the process to arrest him and written to Colonel’s superiors as is mandatory.

The incident occurred on Sunday evening. Soheny was found hanging from their bedroom fan and was

declared dead on the same night.

The victim’s sister Kavitta Verma, a Mumbai based actor, was informed about her sister’s ‘ill health’ at around 9.30 pm on Sunday. She came to Pune only to be told that her sister was no more. The next day, Sohney’s parents – father Retired Colonel Charan Singh and mother Kailash – arrived in Pune.

Her brother Lt Col Jagmohan Charan Singh, who is posted at Pathankot , too arrived the same day.

Sohney’s family spent entire Monday arguing with Khadki police to file a case of murder against Col Lakra, who is posted in the Electrical Mechanical Engineering department, Khadki. The cops, however, refused to do so citing medical report. It was only after the deceased’s family refused to leave the police station till a formal complaint was filed, that the cops took down their statement. In the wee hours of Tuesday they filed a case of abetment against Col Lakra.

Sohney’s parents and siblings, however, are not ready to give up the fight for justice. The victim’s younger sister Kavitta said that Col Lakra used to abuse her sister physically and mentally. “My brother asked the cops a simple question – how can a 5.3 ft tall woman hang herself from a 7-7.5 ft height in five minutes like Sanjay is claiming,” said Kavitta. The family has decided to continue their fight.

Sohney’s body was cremated on Tuesday morning. Her husband and parents were present during the cremation. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

40 CNG stations planned in city

BY PRIYANKKA DESHPANDE @journopriyankka The divisional commissionerate has decided to set up 40 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling stations in the heart of the city in view of the acute shortage of such stations in Pune.

Supply department Deputy Divisional Commissioner Prakash Kadam met with oil companies representatives last week, wherein they selected petrol pumps where CNG stations could be set up.

Kadam told The Golden Sparrow, Kadam that there are 32 CNG stations most of which are on the outskirts of the city where autorickshaw drivers and private vehicle owners have to file into long serpentine queues to tank up on CNG. When the first CNG facility was set up in 2009, the target was to set up 150 CNG filling stations.

“Over the last six years, the Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited (MNGL) has set up just 32 CNG stations. I have taken up the plan to increase the number of CNG stations and told oil companies representatives to select petrol pumps near bus and autorickshaw stands for the purpose,” Kadam said. The CNG stations will be set up in a 200 square foot area at petrol pumps, for which special permission will be acquired from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC)

Building Permission department.

“Instead of separate CNG stations, setting them up at petrol pumps makes more sense. Swargate, Shivajinagar and Pune station are the probable areas where the CNG stations will be set up,” Kadam said.

MNGL VIEW MNGL officials refused to accept blame over the matter, saying that they wanted to set up more CNG stations, but that the government red tape stalled the process. MNGL Deputy General Manager Sujit Ruikar said, “The district administration’s approach is positive but the lack of co-ordination between it, and the state and central governments is stalling the process,” The MNGL is completely committed to the project for the welfare of the citizens. priyankka.deshpande@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 5, 2015

“Rat-bite cases are mainly reported from Peth areas. We register 1,500 to 1,800 rat-bite cases every year, mainly from PMC-run hospital and dispensaries. Till October this year, we have recorded 1,497 cases of rat bites.”

— S T Pardeshi, PMC medical officer of health

Launched in Delhi over a month ago, the ‘Occupy UGC’ movement has reached Pune. In a four-day campaign across the city colleges, the movement’s leaders, who had travelled from Delhi to spread awareness, tried to make students get an idea of just what lies ahead. The Delhi government and police had come down hard on the protesting students, despite which the mass movement is reaching far and wide,

and now it has arrived in Pune, the hub of education in the WesternCentral Zone.

At a meeting in New Delhi, convened by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to allegedly increase the amount of stipend for students continuing their research without clearing the National Eligibility Test, the UGC did a volte face, proposing that scholarships for research students be withdrawn.

But students and teachers federation protested against this plan, and launched the Occupy UGC

movement, which has put the UGC on the back foot temporarily.

At the Pune University meeting, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, student Avipsha Das said, “When the meeting was called to increase the fellowship, how can a decision be taken to cancel the stipend altogether without any ulterior motive? It is a well thought out plan to make education a commodity to be traded with the World Trade Organisation (WTO).”

Occupy UGC claims that the stipend cut is directly related to the

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Occupy UGC movement arrives in Pune to create awareness of what is likely to befall on research students

BY GARGI VERMA @missgverma

Germany looks forward to 2mn Indian tourists by 2030

Developed nations agree to progressive emission cuts

UGC’s plan to curtail stipend for research students under fire WTO and India’s negotiations which will happen on December 9, when the students’ federations have called for a mass protest in Delhi, in front of UGC. The Golden Sparrow, however, tried to gauge the effects of this plan which is all but confirmed by the UGC. How will students in the city, who depend on the stipend for their research fare, if UGC stops the fellowship from the coming academic year? We spoke to seven students from Pune University. gargi.verma@goldensparrow.com

Amol Sarwade

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Pankaj Lokhande

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f the money stops, so will my research,” says Pankaj Lokhande, 25, a student at the Pune University’s department of English.

Lokhande is pursuing his PhD in English and the stipend is his only source of income. He hails from a village near Pandharpur, and lives in the university hostel. “I am lucky I don’t have to pay rent. It costs me Rs 2000 for mess charges, and Rs 200 for printouts and books. I keep aside Rs 500 for personal expenses, and send Rs 1500 to my parents. The remaining Rs 500 is spent on random expenses.” With UGC contemplating cutting off the stipend, Pankaj sees dark days ahead. “The money was the only reason my parents agreed to let me stay here. The English language is alien to them. I started studying English when I was in standard X. They think Masters is the ultimate degree, but here in the city just a Masters counts for nothing. My parents don’t understand why I living in the city without a job.”

And raising a family is beyond contemplation. “I manage to send some money home, so my parents and relatives are fine but if the money stops, they won’t let me stay in the city,” he says.

Pankaj’s parents are landless labourers who find it hard to make ends meet despite working hard. “Like them, I could make do. But I want to rise above that which is why I am studying here,” he said.

Sunil Karpatti

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mol Sarwade, 30, is a little too old for what he’s doing. “Even my family is wondering what I am doing with my life,” he says. Amol is pursuing his MPhil from the department of English. The stipend is a lifeline for him. “I was married before I joined MPhil. So I am also responsible for my wife,” he says. On the home front things are bad as extreme drought has hit his farmer parents hard in Latur. “They lost everything and came to the city to live with me,” he said. His wife works as part-time assistant professor, but her job doesn’t fetch much. “She manages the EMIs and rent and I have to manage everything else on my stipend. If the stipend stops, I will have to take up a job.

With my qualifications, I can only get low-paying, time consuming jobs. So I won’t have time for my research. Many of us will have to quit. There’s no other way we can provide for our families.” But there are no jobs. “What job will a Masters degree in English get me?” he says dejectedly.

S Rajendra Nemane

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unil Karpatti, 26, is from Solapur but he isn’t as fortunate as Pankaj. He has been pursuing MPhil from the department of English, but hasn’t been allotted a room at the hostel despite several applications. “No room is ever available,” he says. The stipend goes towards rent, as he shares a room with four others at Sadashiv Peth, commuting and other expenses. “I am not able to send my parents any money as I am forced to borrow from friends,” he says. He can’t ask his landless labourer parents for money. He dare not think of what will happen if the stipend stops. “I will have to stop my research as I would have no other option.” He studied in a Marathi medium school, but has developed an affinity for English. “I always wanted to speak fluent English, so I chose to study further,” he said. His research is about the Subaltern Literature, which basically means literature that comes out of the socio-economically backwards regions. “I belong to one such region, so it is interesting for me. But the new UGC guidelines mean that people like me can’t do research. Only those who have money to sustain themselves can,” he says in a bitter tone.

ajendra Nemane, 30, comes from a village near Solapur, where his parents are landless labourers. “They are in good health, they don’t pester me to get married. They don’t understand my work, but MPhil is important for me,” he says. But he does have to help his parents in difficult situations. “My elder sister has two children for whom my parents buy clothes and sweets. But our harvest was blighted due to the drought. My parents didn’t have money to buy them gifts. I sent them Rs 2000. As their only son, it is my responsibility.”

If the stipend stops, he will have no money for his parents. “I don’t want to be in a situation where I have to ask them for help,” he said. Rajendra is working on his MPhil, comparing the literature of Jyotiba Phule with authors from similar circumstances in other countries. He think his research is interesting and will help young authors and analysers. “Research is not an isolated project.

It borrows from other streams and gives back in abundance,” he says, clearly passionate about his work. But if the UGC has its way, it will never see the light of day. “I will have to drop my research and go back to farming, like my parents.

There’s no other option,” he says. “We manage on the meagre stipend, which is far better than nothing,” he says.

Gajanan Bhosale

Shivaji Vispute

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hivaji Vispute, 30, comes from a village in Jalna district. His parents work on their own land which is a small parcel. “It is enough for them to get by,” he says. He is working on his PhD in Marathi from the department of Arts in Pune University. “Even if I earn enough to live in a city, they will manage,” he says. If the stipend stops, he will have nothing. “My parents don’t earn enough to send me money. I will have to choose their life over mine,” he says. He feels that students should look for ways to provide for themselves.

“There are other universities who do not give a rupee to their students. If UGC realises how much students need the stipend, they will reconsider their decision. Many students waste their stipend. We actually need the money,” he said. Female students use the stipend to pay for their telephone and beauty parlour bills their husbands refuse to pay. “If the university wants to cut their scholarship, such defaulters should be questioned who are wasting the money and not even working on their research. Why stop those who actually wish to learn,” he says.

Arun Sonkamble

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run Sonkamble, 26, has been to various universities as student and as a faculty. Pursuing his PhD in Hindi from the department of Arts, he lives in the university hostel. “Our families expect us to send them money. But now we are in a situation where we may have to beg, borrow or steal,” he says. His parents are landless labourers at a village near Ahmednagar.

Arun has studied in Agra and has worked for the Central University, but he wanted to study further. Pune University was the first choice, being the only university complying with the UGC guidelines of stipend for non-NET students. “When UGC has enough and more funds, I don’t see why they want to stop our scholarship. The university has an ‘earn while you learn’ programme.

Currently it is not for all degrees, but I am sure we can urge them to open the categories,” he said. Under the earn while you learn plan, students devote 2-3 hours daily to the university. It includes outdoor jobs like gardening and jobs like private assistants to teachers and clerical jobs. Students obviously will have to put in extra efforts, but it will be easier than going out and doing a full time job. If we wish to continue studying without being a burden on our parents, we will have to find ways like this.”

ajanan Bhosale, 27, has been living in Pune for five years and has seen living costs sky rocket. “When they should be reconsidering their decision, they are revoking the entire scholarship,” he says. Gajanan hails from Nanded, and has been finishing his education in Pune University.

“I did my Masters from here, did my MPhil and am now enrolled in PhD classes,” he said. He has never asked his parents for money. “During MA, I used to take tuitions and the stipend helped me finish my MPhil. I thought the same would happen during PhD too, but now it seems dicey,” he says.

Gajanan’s parents are farmers in a village near Nanded. “They manage to get by, and I have not been able to help them financially. I don’t want to burden them,” he said. Gajanan is currently pursuing his PhD in Marathi from the department of Arts. “Hostel rooms are not available. We have to fund our own research and buy books. They don’t allow us to work outside and teachers ask us to devote all our time to the research as it will not only help us but even batches of students who come after us,” he says. “Poor people have no options.

If the stipend stops, we will have to abandon our research. We will have to go back homes and do what we can to earn money. All our hard work will go down the drain.”

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 5, 2015

PUNE

“Snaking through traffic is dangerous. Educating drivers and youngsters in schools and colleges is one way to discourage the practice. Even strengthening the license-issuance process, as is being done now, is another good way to bring about greater road discipline.”

— Pratapsingh Bhonsle, Traffic Engineering Consultant

Ladies, please excuse!

Biker critically injured, courtesy PMC P 15

Vetal Baba Temple, Gokhale Nagar

There are several temples in and around Pune where women are are not allowed

TEJAS GAIKWAD

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ne of the oldest temples in Pune, Vetal Baba Temple has many big placards on its walls, stating, ‘Women are not allowed inside, kindly pray from outside’. The temple located atop a hillock, that derives its name from the temple, is dedicated to Vetal Baba, who is considered to be an aggressive form of Lord Shiva.

Located inside the ARAI premises, the temple is open for men in the evening and at night. Even the ARAI security guards forbid entry to women. “Women have never been allowed in. Why cause more trouble?” he says as I plead with him. Citing the Shani Shingnapur incident, he says, “A woman caused so much havoc there. The deity had

to be appeased with special rituals.

Why cause all that? Just follow the rituals.” Is there a logic behind this?

“Some of the Gods follow strict rituals of Brahmacharya. Even the shadow of the woman falling on their idols is equivalent to a hundred sins, the scriptures say so,” he said.

Meanwhile, we saw a bunch of inebriated hooligans come from the direction of the temple. No one stopped them. The security guard said that even thieves had come through the temple. Yes, thieves and drunks are okay, but not women.

Some people are trying to change mindsets through logic, and doing away with age-old traditions.

The Golden Sparrow asked these people their modus operandi.

Shree Shani Mandir, Wakad

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GARGI VERMA AND PRIYANKKA DESHPANDE @tgsweekly The fair sex has always had to deal with being treated unfairly in the context of religion, be it the right to read the scriptures or the right to be allowed to enter temples.

On November 30, a woman defied age-old traditions at the Shani Shingnapur Temples when she climbed over a security barricade and entered a men-only zone for pooja. When the temple authorities found out about the intrusion, all hell broke loose. Seven security personnel were sacked, and the

entire temple premises had to be sanctified by washing it with milk.

The Sabrimala Temple trustee also asserted that women will be allowed to enter the temple premises only after a scan to ensure that they are not menstruating.

Pune is a very tolerant city but even here, a number of temples

Khadakeshwar Temple, Kondhwe Dhawde ROMIL KOTHARI

Ayyappa Temple, Rasta Peth

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stablished in 1996, Ayyappa temple in Rasta Peth holds great importance for the Malyalee community in Pune. Although the temple’s rules are not as strict as Sabrimala temple in Kerala, the temple authorities prefer that women do not enter the temple during their menstrual cycle.

“Women can otherwise enter and worship the idol in the temple but they should not enter the temple during their menstrual cycle. We have not installed any scanner like Sabrimala temple in Kerala and expect that women should willingly avoid entering in to temple during the four days of the cycle,” said Raghu Nair, committee member of Ayyappa temple.

Nair said that Ayyappa temple in Rasta Peth is the only temple which allows worshipping an idol irrespective of caste and gender. “But we are very particular about not allowing women to enter during the menstrual cycle,” said Nair.

Ayyappa, being one of the forms of Lord Kartik is considered to be bachelor and thus follows Brahmacharya.

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he temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and his counterpart, devi Shakti is located just off the road in an alley on the way to the National Defence Academy.

The temple compound has two garbhagruhas, one dedicated to Shiva and the other to Kalbhairaw and his counterpart, Kalbhairawi.

While Kalbhairaw is an incarnation of Shiva, he is deemed to be an angry God, a destroyer, and thus is inauspicious for women, or so the caretaker says.

Balasaheb Mundhwe, the temple caretaker, works at the NDA Canteen and comes to the temple after work.

“I do it only because 25 years ago,

follow the no entry for women diktat.

Women are not allowed to enter, not just during menstrual cycles, but on a daily basis, and placards and boards scream aloud this prohibition.

The Golden Sparrow visited temples that deny entry to women to gauge the logic behind the ban. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

he Shree Shani Mandir is dedicated to Lord Shani. It lies on the Mumbai-Pune Highway, close to the Indira College of Management.

There is no full time caretaker or a priest. But shopkeepers of the area look after the temple and keep it pure. “Lord Shani is one of the few Gods who follow Brahmacharya seriously. Even a shadow of a woman is enough to enrage him. So, women generally are not allowed near the temple,” a caretaker said. Women are not allowed near the periphery even. The exterior fencing, the way leading to the steps and even the walls, on each side, bear plaques stating, ‘Women are not allowed inside’, or ‘Women please stay outside’.

A temple patron, who sells bus tickets from the same compound, explains, “These are age-old traditions and it is not right for us to ask the questions. Instead, we should enforce it. Why do you feel the need to break the tradition?”

the Gods rescued me from veritable death. I am paying off the debt,” he says. The temple idols are centuries old and have created themselves, and thus are more powerful. “The temple structure was built 25 years ago,” he said. He has helped its development through manual labour.

It is probably the only temple of a female deity that doesn’t allow women to enter. Balasaheb says, “It’s an age-old tradition and women who come here regularly also follow it. Only a woman who has recently married can come in, just once. Why exactly, only pandits can tell you, or those who made the custom. Our job is to keep up the tradition.”

Priestesses take over superstition

PRIYANKKA DESHPANDE

Jnana Prabodhini, at Sadashiv Peth in Pune, is an educational organisation that spreads awareness about superstitions alienating women from religious rituals.

They conduct elaborate rituals that have hegemony of men priests through priestesses. The priestesses are equally capable, trained and many a times more learned than their male counterparts. Everything, from daily pooja in temples to conducting special rituals, women do it all, throughout the year. Arya Joshi is one of the priestesses involved with Jnana Prabodhini.

Joshi, who has been serving as priestess and has consummate knowledge of the scriptures, said that all these rituals do not keep any relevance in today’s world. “In ancient times, due to the fear of abductions, women were not sent outside and it was included temples too. However, later it got associated with religion and the society started looking towards it as social ritual,” said Joshi.

She said that not allowing women to enter in to temples during menstrual cycle is truly deplorable.

“How can a deity be made impure if a woman in her menstrual cycle worships or touches an idol?” she said.

Widows conduct pooja Sakhlipeer Talim in Nana Peth has started a novel technique to alleviate superstitions considering women and religious practices. While most temples sideline women while doing the pooja, Sakhlipeer Talim made widows conduct the daily pooja in Hanuman and Ganpati Temples.

Ravindra Malwadkar, National Congress Party Corporator from the area, said, “Gods don’t belong to a certain caste, creed or gender. Women have all rights to do the rituals and widows are generally tortured in the name of religion. We decided to take a strong stand against that.” The entire incident was conducted to stage a protest against Shani Shighnapur’s incident. The Talim, however, has been working to eradicate superstitions for some time now. During the 10-day Ganeshotsav, women were given the duties to handle instead of men and priestesses did few of the rituals.

Happy to Bleed Campaign

“The menstrual blood becomes the first nourishment for the foetus on conceiving. Something that gives life, can it be treated as if it is the worst thing in the world?” says Trupti Moreshwar Malti, an activist with Abhivyakti. “First of all, there’s not much awareness about female health issues. If a woman bleeds, she is shunned; if she doesn’t, she is shunned again as she can’t probably bear kids. If women keep getting shunned, where do our issues go?”

Abhivyakti is a motley group of activists who are working to spread awareness against various superstitions most of them surrounding women.

“We have been working hard and even if we are just a few, we have managed to change few mindsets.

But then big religious institutes like Sabrimala and Shani Shighnapur release such derogatory statements against women. How is something natural, sinful?” she says.

On the incident of Shani Shighnapur, Trupti says, “They washed the entire temple premises with milk. Would they do the same if a female animal enters their premises? So women are worse than animals?”

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 5, 2015

“ Education is the key to bring transparency in the society. It is our responsibility to get our children educated. The vision I have is to see every single child to be in school, in a playground.”

— Kailash Satyarthi, Noble Laureate

“A lot of our democracy is based on intolerance. People have preferred putting people of one kind together and becoming their leader rather than becoming the leader of an idea.”

— Muzaffar Ali, Film-maker and Artist

Engineers unite for a cause TEJAS GAIKWAD

26 young automobile engineers will be sharing smiles and donating warm clothes to residents of a old age home in Chinchwad on Sunday

for the approaching winter season. The youths chalked out a plan depending of the funds collected and the required time and decided to give the residents of the old age home sweaters and some other house supplies. Every inmate of the old age home will get one sweater and one monkey cap. Around 13 members of the group will be visiting the home to personally deliver the warm clothes and supplies.

BY SALONEE MISTRY @SaloneeMistry Elderly people not only face poverty, but they fight for survival, struggle with ailments, isolation, the feeling of being socially useless.

Many such needy people have only social workers as their visitors. A group of 26 working professionals from the automotive industry have decided to bring sunshine into the Anand lives of these elRamchandran derly. They will be visiting the non-profit organisation Mother Teresa Home run by Missionaries of Charity at Chinchwad and spend the day with the elderly there.

Many of the inmates here are immobilised due to advanced age or diseases.

The youths that go by the name Mamtva have decided to make Christmas merry for the 85 senior citizens living in the old age home.

“It is our responsibility to remember the elderly and the destitute during the festive season. We seek their counsel during adversity and they deserve to be well taken care of during their olden days. We should encourage those with something to share with those who don’t have, as

The 26 professionals will be visiting Missionaries of Charity Mother Teresa Home on Sunday to donate sweaters and caps

festivals are occasions when the spirit of sharing should be extended,” said Anand Ramchandran, one of the team members.

THE PLANNING Hailing from Assam, Kolhapur and other districts of Maharashtra, these 26 people are going beyond the usual act of donating money and will spend their time with the inmates, most of whom are abandoned and left at railways stations and other public places. “Each and every one of us donate individually on a regular basis. That was the only thing that we could do. Wanting to get rid of this limitation we decided to pool in our resources and do something big.

We contacted the old age home and asked for their requirements,” said Ramchandran.

The Sister Superior at the Missionaries of Charity Mother Teresa Home told them that the inmates will be needing medicines, housekeeping supplies and warm clothes like sweaters

THE ACT The professionals admit that doing any act for others give them joy and satisfaction, and are looking forward to bringing smiles to the faces of old people this weekend. Citing the instance of Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan donating 99 per cent of their shares in the company to charity to celebrate the birth of their newly born daughter Maxima (Max), the youths said that what matters is the thought behind the act. The friendscum-professionals have come together to raise funds and contribute towards the social sector.

Secret Santa for orphans Facebook initiative of Natasha Gracias to gift orphans has many takers PHOTOGRAPH FOR REPRESENTATION ONLY

BY JAMES MATHEW & SALONEE MISTRY @TGSWeekly The Christmas Cheer season has hit Pune. Many citizens use the occasion to loosen their purse and serve the needy. And the beneficiaries remember the memorable day when they fi nd themselves to be loved and cared for.

Nat a s h a Gracias, 29, working as Natasha Gracias senior customer care associate at Homeward Residential India Corporation Private Ltd in Magarpatta, has decided to become Santa Claus for children. The kids, aged five to 12, will receive free colouring books, clothes and other materials.

Natasha cannot pinpoint the reason for starting the initiative but was aware of NGO House of Hope in Wadgaon Sheri and thought of doing something for them. The NGO houses close to 28 children. Her plan was to be able to collect enough to at

least provide gifts for these children.

However, since she started the page on Facebook ‘Secret Santa For Orphans’, she has got an overwhelming response and is now on the look for a few more NGOs where she could provide gifts.

According to her Facebook entry, anyone can gift wrap a Rs 200300 gift for children between the ages of 5 and 12 years. Natasha will coordinate the gifts and has invited donors to accompany her to the orphanage on December 24 at 9 am to gift the kids with presents. She has asked for details of people interested and urged them to make it a public event. As on December 4, 1,600 people have shown interest in the initiative and 636 have volunteered to go to the orphanage.

Natasha’s house is fi lled with 400 donated gifts and many are on their way. “I honestly have no experience whatsoever in any kind of social work and so I am unsure as to what to expect. I have a plan in place but details are to be fi lled. I just go with the flow. A lot of my friends with whom I had initially shared the idea are helping me in organising things as and when they can,” she said.

From six to seven people, her Facebook page has gone viral and she has hundreds of people wanting to be

a part of this initiative.

The charity event is her effort to spread festive cheer to needy children.

“Many of our children from lowincome families have to worry about their daily needs. The well-off should never forget the less fortunate,” said Natasha, who shifted to Pune from Mumbai in 1992.

The mother of a child said that the spirit of Christmas should be shared with the needy. “We want to make their day special when they will receive toys and other stuff. Seeing the kids jumping up and down when we deliver the toys is what I enjoy the most. We plan to visit the orphanage centre and deliver gifts. We do benefits and have sponsors and individuals who donate items. Th is is all about making sure that kids have a festive day,” she said.

“I love Christmas, and love getting Christmas presents. I used to enjoy playing Secret Santa till a Tanya Kar few years back. I feel guilty when I buy new things and have fun, knowing that there are many who spend lonely nights. My parents used to give me gifts, pretend to be Santa Claus, and I used to love it! I just felt that these babies deserve the same.

This is a small way of contributing to the society. I’m giving them baby products,” said Tanya Kar. For Shweta Dakhane, Secret Santa for orphans is an extremely noble cause and is happy to be part of this initiative.

Shweta Dhakane “I believe that there is no better way to celebrate Chirstmas than with children. I will be going for the event with my children and gift books or dental kids,” she said. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

PUNE

THE TEAM Earlier working with Force Motors, the 26 team members have been friends for the past five years. Some of them have moved on to work with other companies like Tata Motors and Cummins. The 26-27-year-olds feel that this is something that they can commit to and continue even in the future. The members that will visit the home on Sunday (December 6) are Anand Ramchandran, Rushad Kulkarni, Nilesh Deshpande, Atish Ovhal, Appa Dalave, Ishita Sen, Aditya Gaikwad, Vishal Palkar, Tushar Shinde, CVP Arun, Shrikant Tipatle, Nikhil Chaudhari and Sandip Vakude. The others who contributed for the cause are Rahul Neema, Rakesh Desai, Ojas Shaha, Hitesh Hari, NK Desai, Sayaji Lokhande, Kshipra Dhame, Yogesh Rupawate, Umesh Sharma, Kailas Deshmukh, Yogesh Kolhade, Santkumar Londhe and Chetan Nikam.

“We have been donating to charity organisations for a long time now.

While we were assured that our money is being put to good use, we generally never got to see how it was utilised. Personally doing an act like this gives immense satisfaction and we will always cherish the smiles on the faces of the people that are being helped,” he said. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

Grow with flowers

Pushkarni is a women’s organisation of nature lovers, who are involved in promoting the art of flower arrangements

BY ZAINAB KANTAWALA @kantawalazainab

Pushkarni is a Pune-based women’s organisation of nature lovers, who are involved in promoting the art of flower arrangement. Their mission is to share the beauty of nature with others and show the world through flowers. The blossom and bloom of nature is their message. Pushkarni recently held a two-day show ‘Kavyanjali: Expressing poetry through flower arrangement’ at Tilak Smarak Mandir.

Founded in 1969 by the late writer Rama Bakhale, the organisation also works towards environment protection.

Using natural and eco-friendly materials like dry material, greens and exotic flowers, the members decorated flowers based on poetry. The members always use readily available materials and flowers. Each decoration was a narrative in itself.

According to Pushkarni’s president Ragini Kakkar, their founder Rama, who was fondly called Jiji, spent her early years in Mumbai.

She was inspired by the social activities managed by women in the business capital. “Men used to work but women were equally enterprising.

They used to do art works and hold exhibitions to showcase their work of hands. Jiji started Pushkarni when she moved to Pune. Her mission was environment conservation through creative means. The organisation has grown over the years and now we hold regular flower arrangement classes, shows and workshops, tree plantation and environment conservation drives.

We even fi nancially help those who encourage environment-friendly

Ragini Kakkar arranging flowers

projects,” says Ragini Kakkar, president of Pushkarni.

“We recently carried a tree plantation drive at Bhandarkar Institute. Workshops have been organised to honour women who have achieved milestones in the field of environment. The 20-member Pushkarni holds monthly meets at one of the member’s homes and chalk out plans,” she adds.

Pushkarni invited Shailaja Datar, who is on a mission to clean MulaMutha Rivers, for an interaction recently, and discussed ways to control water pollution.

Pushkarini Chya Pushprekha, a guide on freestyle, western and Japanese art of flower arrangement Ikebana, was published by Pushkarni in Marathi in 1997. zainab.kantawala @goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 5, 2015

Dream accomplished F

rom being a specially abled person to become a World number 16 para badminton player, Lance Naik Suresh Kumar Karki, 39, has come a long way.

“My love for badminton blossomed almost overnight. And my dream to don an India jersey came true when I represented my country last year in Indonesia,” said Karki, who was born in Nepal.

Overcoming the trauma of never being able to walk again is Karki’s greatest feat.

Karki joined the Army in 1995 and was part of the operation against United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in 2004. While taking his injured colleague to the base hospital in Kokrajhar, Assam, Karki’s car was involved in a head-on collision with an oncoming bus. The driver and nurse died on the spot, and Karki was left with serious spinal cord injuries.

Recalling the incident, he said, “I knew my injuries were serious. But to accept the fact that I would never be able to walk again was the most difficult part.”

Even after his accident in 2004, Karki continued Army service. He retired in 2011.

But things took a different turn when Karki was shifted to Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre, Khadki in 2005.

“The people around me motivated me.

They helped me change my perspective.

All the specially abled people were ever so supportive. That’s when I decided to get into

sports,” he said.

In 2006, Karki took up whatever sports were happening at the centre. But he knew instantly that badminton was his true calling and in 2013, he started playing badminton

professionally.

His only source of income was his meagre pension and he couldn’t afford a professional coach. “I started watching coaching badminton videos online. That’s how I trained,” said Karki.

Since then, Karki has won several tournaments. The proudest moment for him was when he represented India for the first time at the Para Badminton Indonesia Open in 2014. He stamped his authority on the game, when he won the bronze medal (doubles) in Spanish Para Badminton International (SPBI) in category (I) in March 2015. He also represented India at the England Para Badminton Open when he reached the semi-finals.

About that memorable day, he said, “My happiness knew no bounds when I won the medal. I had entered the tournament as an amateur but decided to overcome my fear and to win a medal for my country.”

Karki, a six-time national champions, considers Saina Nehwal as his inspiration.

“She is a phenomenal player. I really look up to her,” he said.

The State Champion feels that drop shots are his strength. “I am quite confident about my drop shots. I am also working hard on my backhand,” said Karki. For Karki, being specially abled is just a state of mind and once one overcomes that hurdle, the sky is the only limit.

PUNE

The sky is only limit

BY EKTA KATTI AND ASHISH PHADNIS @Ektaak and phadnis_ashish Discrimination and neglect are what specially abled athletes have to endure, even in times when other sportspersons are being showered with awards and accolades. What is even more deplorable is that even the state government and sports associations turn a blind eye towards them, despite these athletes keeping the tri-colour flying high at international tournaments and Paralympics, and bringing in a rich haul of medals and trophies. The promises of jobs on a sports quota too turn out to be as hollow as the people who make them, and for the most part, they are left

to fend for themselves and grapple w as they cope with their disabilities. negligence, they strive to keep the fla and not letting go of their dreams, an put in their best on the sports field an December 3 happened to be W momentous occasion, TGS team sp are marking their mark, despite ove paratrooper Amol Boriwale, who lo Amol Kachare, who is part of the not craving for bright lights, scre

Need more motivation

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rmy paratrooper Amol Boriwale lost a leg in a landmine injury in December 2006. It is the kind of trauma that would have left any ordinary mortal shattered, and probably traumatised for the remaining part of their life. Even recovering from the shock of losing a limb is an extended and slow process.

Amol though, is made of far sterner stuff. Rather than blame the gods or fate and feel sorry for himself, he chose to accept what had befallen him and look at life from a fresh perspective. Try something new was his plucky and positive response. And along with that, he even planned to induce a sense of competition and excitement into his life by taking up archery as sport.

“After my rehabilitation, I wanted to do something exciting and meaningful, so that I would not b e forced to live the life of a person, who is dependent on others for everything. Even the doctors at Khadki Military Hospital suggested that I take up some sport. I tried my hand at various sports and eventually zeroed in on archery,” said the 32-year-old.

It did not take long for fortune to smile upon him and Amol got the first taste of success in 2008, when he won a gold medal in the discus throw event at Faridabad.

But his embryonic career as field athlete veered in another direction, as he found himself drawn to archery as he watched other paraplegic archers. Amol’s initial struggles with the archery equipment and technique he managed to overcome thanks to the help and support from the Army Sports Institute (ASI) coaches. Before long, he began to discover his talent for and abilities in the sport, and his motivation also got a big boost when he represented India in the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports at Bangalore in 2009.

“It was a turning point, and then there was no looking back. I was completely devoted to the sport, and was spending more than eight hours on the field on practice,” said Amol.

The fruits of his single-minded effort and passion were not long in coming and Amol raked in a rich haul of more than 30 medals at national and state level competitions. At the international level, he gave it all in his bid to qualify for the Paralympics, but in vain.

“This time I am better prepared and determined. But I am unable to devote all my time and energy to sports. I have to attend to household matters and keep the home fires burning. So I have no option but to earn a living, which I do by working as part-time accountant in a private firm. I manage to put in four hours of practice in the mornings. I feel fortunate to be an army man as I get all the support I need from the ASI and my coaches Ravi

Shankar and Che from Korea. Hopefully, this time I will be able to qualify,” he said.

Amol was recently conferred the Eklavya award by the state government for his performance at the national level. He said, “I have been participating in this sport for the last eight years and this is the only award I have received so far. The government is quick to felicitate other sportspersons, so why can’t they do the same for us and motivate us? States like Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab give cash awards to their players. They don’t have to find work just to run their homes and feed themselves and their families. But that doesn’t happen in Maharashtra.”

“We have to cope with a number of obstacles while travelling to other places for tournaments.

The arrangements and facilities are not desi accommodate us and our requirements. Is it as too much if we say we need them to arrangemen our requirements?” he said.

Amol is preparing for the 2020 Paralymp held at Tokyo in 2020, and he is also hoping to good performance at the international level, w earn him the coveted Arjuna award. “We put work and ceaseless efforts just like any other spor who is aiming for the Olympics. But we are no like them. If the government adopts a more and encouraging approach, even we will be able greater heights, and bring in even richer med from the Paralympics than the Olympics,” he sa

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 5, 2015

PUNE

s their

Against all odds A

Being specially abled is not a cross to bear but a challenge to be overcome on the road to making their dreams come true PICS BY RAHUL RAUT AND TEJAS GAIKWAD

pics to be o put in a which can t in hard rtsperson ot treated sensitive e to scale dal hauls aid.

know about the glamour and support that the Indian cricket team is showered with. But I do not understand why the blind Indian cricket team has to struggle to prove themselves even after bringing world cup home,” said Amol, who shares a small flat with other five blind friends in Lohegaon.

Ironically, this fast bowler of the Indian blind cricket team has to practice in a lane near his house. “There is no ground where I can practice. Sometimes I practice on Fergusson College ground, but there is no place where I can practice regularly and improve my stamina,” said Amol.

Recently, Amol missed an opportunity to take part in IndiaEngland series because of a lack of sponsors. “I needed a Rs 70,000 sponsorship but there was none forthcoming, and so I missed the opportunity to play an important series,” said Amol, whose team-mates from other states received sponsorships for the series.

A child prodigy

S

with the obstacles of daily life, even But despite the political apathy and ame of their talent and passion alight, nd conjure up the energy and effort to nd off it.

World Disabled Day, and on this poke to specially abled athletes who erwhelming odds. Be it former army ost a leg in a landmine explosion, or Indian blind cricket team, they are eaming headlines and scintillating

igned to sking for nts as per

third child of farm labourers in Baramati, Amol Karche was born with a visual impairment.

However, his disability did not stop him from bringing the world cup to India last year. Amol is one of the key members and only representative from Maharashtra in the Indian blind cricket team. However, his story is one of struggle and hardships, which persist even after performing consistently well in blind cricket series.

“Apart from a Union Government prize of Rs five lakh, I have not received even a single message or a phone call of appreciation from the Maharashtra government after I came back with a trophy,” said 21-year-old Amol, who has been playing cricket since he was eight.

He never thought of turning his passion for cricket into a career as he did not even get the honorarium for playing the series.

“I do not have job. My parents still work as labourers on other people’s farms to run our household of four. I

celebrations in honour of their medal- and trophy-winning feat, nor do they want to bask in the spotlight, revel in the glory and sport a superstar halo. They can do without the bugles, bagpipes and fanfare that happen like clockwork in the movies and fairytales. No, what they long for is a smidgen, a gentle word of appreciation, and the honorarium that they are due for the championships they feature in. The harsh, cold reality, however, is that the specially abled athletes have to battle every step of the way for their rights. There are no signs of any change on their horizon as hollow promises, governmental apathy and a general insensitivity to their concerns form the tapestry of their everyday lives.

hreesh Kulkarni is just ten years old, but his chess strategies could give professional players a run for their money. A class V student of New India School, Kothrud, Shreesh is afflicted with cerebral palsy. But his parents never made him feel like a specially abled child.

His mother Shreya Kulkarni said, “The game tests your mental strength. Shreesh manages his focus and strategises his game well. Being specially abled has never affected his game. Actually, the word specially abled is not in his dictionary.” He started playing chess when he just two-and-a-half years old.

“My cupboard is full of trophies,” said Shreesh, as he proudly showed us his medals.

His love for the game is immense. He said, “The game is fun. Moreover, I like being discreet and the game helps me do that.”

In chess, overcoming every move gives birth to a new target and to strategise that move give Shreesh the adrenaline rush.

Shreesh, who never thinks of himself as specially abled, does not like special treatment child even when he plays in the open category.

He attained the rating of 1139 at the age

of ten. He is a true Indian at heart, except when Viswanathan Anand and Norwegian Magnus Carlsen take centre stage. Then

The queen of shuttlers paradise G

auravi Wambukar suffered a 90 per cent hearing loss at the age of three. She is the second pediatric case in India, who has been surgically implanted with an electronic device called cochlear implants.

Being a badminton player was a dream come true for her and her grandfather inspired her to take up the game professionally. “My grandfather is a badminton player. I have grown up watching him play. I have been playing badminton since the age of five. It is an honour to have excelled under his guidance,” said Gauravi, who is also

known as Nabha.

To wear the implants and to excel at the game was never a problem for her. However, she has to take extra precaution so that she does suffer head injuries. “It has never affected my game. And I make sure to put in more efforts to overcome my shortcomings,” said the 19-year-old.

Gauravi actually did well at most sports, but her father advised her to focus on badminton owning to her condition.

The shuttler’s parents are proficient sportspersons

themselves. “My father is a Judoka and my mother is a swimmer. I was bound to take up sports then,” she says with a smile.

The teen thinks that dreams can come true. And representing India at the 2013 Deaf Olympics, Bulgaria was a matter of pride for her. “Playing for India at the highest level feels great. I got a chance to meet several amazing players at the event,” said Gauravi.

Gauravi is studying in the Bachelor of Computer Application (BCA) stream at The Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce (BMCC). A hardcore movie fanatic, Gauravi loves to watch romantic and action movies.

While she is an inspiration for many, Gauravi looks up to shuttler Saina Nehwal and tennis ace Serena Williams. “Nehwal is the best thing to happen to this country. I met her when I was 13. It was a pleasure.

The practice session with her, a couple of years ago, was quite enlightening,” she said.

Fitness is an important aspect in any sport. And Gauravi never leaves a stone unturned to keep herself in shape. Smashes are her forte but she feels the need to work on her backhand. “I eat at regular intervals.

Meditation is the key to my success which I have inherited from my grandfather. I practice for two hours every morning,” she said.

She has won several tournaments but winning the bronze at the 4th Asia Pacific Deaf Badminton Champions 2014 in Chinese Taipei, has been the most unforgettable experience for her. “This was the first time ever that I won an international medal. I bagged anther bronze at the event this year,” she said.

Gauravi feels that Pune city has stamped its authority by producing a number of outstanding badminton players. But she feels that they need to be more intense and represent India at the international level. “More and more players should take up this game professionally. To excel at a competitive level, players should focus more on their game. Nowadays, many players are taking this game seriously,” she said.

Shreesh always is on the side of the latter.

“Carlson is the best. He is the reigning World Champion. His attack in the game is what impresses me the most, while I have learnt to work on defense skills from Viswanathan,” he said.

Patience is his biggest virtue and this quality he says he acquired from playing chess. “The game is not over till the last move. I never give up hope till my last move.

When I am on the losing side, I try and gauge my opponent’s weakness and strike accordingly,” he said.

Age is just a number for him and even at this young age, Shreesh does not like to depend on others. “There is a chess tournament in the city every Sunday. Once I decide to take part in an event, I manage everything by myself. I am really happy with the way I manage,” he said.

The State Champion, who feels attack is his strength, loves to make use of the opening gambit called Ruy Lopez aka Spanish Opening. “In this opening game, your opponent can never attack you. This gives me enough leverage to plan my moves,” he said.

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 5, 2015

PUNE

TECH/START-UP Zuckerberg turns dad, to give 99 per cent of fortune to charity

“The first cellphone sold in the United States – the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X – was designed by Rudy Krolopp in April of 1984. It weighed two pounds.”

— http://www.websitemagazine.com/

P 13

For the love of action sports

APP WORLD

Secure your sweet home

To spur endurance sports in India, two ardent sportslovers launch one-of-its-kind e-commerce website with Pune as base

Home remedies

BY SALONEE MISTRY @SaloneeMistry Jay Kinra, 37, and Aman Mehtani, 34, are determined to popularise action sports in India. Taking one sport at a time, the duo hopes to bring alternative sports, including surfing, skateboarding, skimboarding and wakeboarding in the favourite games list.

With the help of more than 50 brands like Spitfire, Razor, Santa Cruz and Xsories to name a few, their firm Active8 Sports aims to set the ball rolling on the future of these disciplines. Jay’s brainchild, the online store was launched in August 2015. Soon he partnered with Aman and opened the exciting, thrilling and entertaining world of endurance activity for sports lovers.

A skateboarder, surfer and alternative sports enthusiast, California-born Jay misses a functional skateboarding park in Pune after he moved to the city a few years back. He found that many were unaware about these sports and decided to launch the start-up Active8 Sports. “I’m delighted to see that Pune is the first city to fund a

Jay Kinra

public skateboarding park. Unfortunately, many people are still unaware that it exists.

We just want to fill this gap,” Jay said.

Active8 Sports also sells sports merchandise as wearing these apparel is fashionable nowadays. The team believes that even though alternative sports is still catching up in India, the fashion that comes along with it be it shoes, T-shirts, caps or hoodies have already been adopted.

Collaborating with the best international alternative sports brands, the start-up is bringing to India a range of cool fashion accessories.

“We handpick all of our products,

import them from the US, package them before delivering at the customer’s doorstep!. Active8 is the online hub that provides sports paraphernalia. Our vendors have realised that our portal is the perfect place to display their products. The response shows that India needed such a platform,” Jay said.

Coming from varied professional backgrounds, Jay is a real estate developer and Aman is into auto component manufacturing, the duo’s love for sports helped in overcoming the initial setbacks and popularise alternative sports in India.

They combined their knowledge base and

Aman Mehtani

research to form the right team and develop the website. The start-up’s website also sells Made in India luminous solar powered backpacks. Selling products of brands like Lumos, Razor & Heelys gives the start-up an edge over its competitors.

“Biggest challenge is to increase the participants of action sports. Hence, we will start experience centres. We will start from Pune and scale it up across the country coupled with retail stores. We’re in the process of identifying passionate skaters in India so as to support them in improving their skill so that they can represent our country on international platforms,” Aman said.

The duo also wants Punekars to feel the experience of a skateboarding park.

The start-up is also an associate sponsor for skateboarding competition ‘Jugaad’ to be held in Delhi on December 11-12. Active8 will give participants gifts and sponsor skaters from in and around Pune. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

IBM brings Watson Tesla races third in tech platform in India innovation survey Technology giant IBM announced its first deployment of cognitive computing technology platform ‘Watson’ in India, with Manipal Hospitals adopting ‘Watson for Oncology’ to help physicians provide individualised cancer care across the country.

‘Watson for Oncology’ was developed

by IBM in association with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), one of the world’s leading cancer hospitals.

Manipal Hospitals’ corporate and teaching facilities will adopt ‘Watson for Oncology’, trained by MSK, that analyses data to identify evidence-based treatment options. This will help oncologists provide individualised healthcare, company officials said, adding this would be the first deployment of ‘Watson’ in India.

“This engagement represents a major step in the transformation of healthcare in India. With IBM Watson, we are bringing cognitive computing to the healthcare ecosystem to help deliver greater value to patients in India,” IBM India Managing Director Vanitha Narayanan said.

Highlighting shortage of oncologists in India, she said there are over a million cases of cancer diagnosed every year.

There are 1,600 patients to one oncologist in the country, compared to 1:100 ratio in the US, she said.

IBM said to date, ‘Watson for Oncology’

has ingested nearly 15 million pages of medical content, including more than 200 medical textbooks and 300 medical journals.

Using natural language, clinicians using ‘Watson for Oncology’ will be able to explore treatment options, analyse information provided, and gather evidence specific to a patients’ individual health needs, it said.

‘Watson’ will benefit both oncologists and patients, Manipal Hospital Chairman Dr H Sudarshan Ballal said, adding that it be available for both rich and poor patients.

Manipal said it would implement ‘Watson’ at its hospitals across the country where it has facilities for oncology and also affiliate with community oncologists.

Manipal has 16 hospitals and 50 oncologists across the country and more than 2,00,000 people receive care for cancer at their facilities each year.

PTI

Electric car star Tesla has joined Apple and Google at the top of an annual ranking of innovative firms by Boston Consulting Group.

Tesla raced into third position in a list of the 50 most innovative companies based on a survey of 1,500 senior executives at a wide array of companies, according to a BCG report released today.

“Apple and Google again hold the top two spots,” BCG said in the report, which showed the iPhone maker at the head of the list.

“Tesla, which has been moving up the list at the speed of one of its Model S sedans, reached number three.”

Tesla, one of three car makers in the top ten spots on the list, made its debut on the list in 41st place two years ago.

The leading trio was followed in order

by Microsoft, Samsung, Toyota, BMW, Gilead, Amazon, and Daimler.

The rankings also took into account how the companies performed for shareholders.

The list included 29 US companies; 11 European firms, and 10 based in Asia. Only 12 companies, 24 per cent of the group, were in the technology sector, while many were veterans of the Industrial era such as General Electric and Dow Chemical.

Nearly 80 per cent of those who responded to the survey cited innovation as a

priority for their businesses, with more than a fifth of them labeling it a main priority.

“The clearest trend which maybe has been growing over time but really crystallised this year is the importance of science and technology as an underpinning of innovation,” report co-author and BCG Boston office director Michael Ringel told AFP. “The fact that science and technology are becoming more important then drives a need for speed; it becomes a race to be able to commercialise first.”

Technology platforms and mining valuable insights from the growing mountains of information in data centers are seen as key areas of innovation “We are becoming more and more capable with new technology like big data,” said Ringel, who reasoned that an “explosion” of genomics data should help shake up healthcare.

AFP

54,483 cyber security incidents

As many as 54,483 cyber security incidents such as phishing, spam and malicious code have been reported in the current financial year, Parliament was informed.

These incidents were reported to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) by various Indian organisations, individuals and agencies from other countries, Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

The area of information technology (IT) is characterised by rapid developments and fast changing obsolescence, Prasad said, adding that “with every IT product introduced into the market, newer vulnerabilities are discovered, leaving scope for malicious actions”.

He said however that CERT-In does not maintain any separate data with regard to the losses incurred by the Indian companies due to cyber attacks.

The minister said the government has taken various steps to curb cyber attacks. leaving such incidents go unreported.

“The reason for this (incidents being unreported), usually, is that the company is afraid of its reputation being spoilt in the market or his shares might come down,” said Javed.

Also, the advancement and adoption of technology has enabled criminals to leverage upon it to carry out crime, he said.

The Mumbai police has a dedicated cyber police station and is continuously

strengthening itself by undertaking trainings to deal with cyber-crime cases, he informed.

“It is critical for the citizens, both corporates and individuals, to be aware of cyber risks and not fall a prey to the phishing scams. We are undertaking a drive to educate and create an awareness among citizens with reference to cyber-threats,” Javed said. .

Mritunjay Kapur, Partner and Head,

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72% Indian firms faced cyber attack in 2015 Incidences of cyber crime in India shot up drastically in 2015, with 72 per cent companies in the country falling prey to online attacks this year, a survey report said.

“Around 72 per cent of Indian companies faced cyber attacks this year alone. 94 per cent respondents indicated that cyber-crime is a major threat faced by organisations, but surprisingly only 41 per cent indicated that it forms part of the board agenda,” the KPMG Cybercrime Survey Report 2015 prepared

by KPMG in India, a professional services firm, said.

The survey report was released in the presence of Mumbai Police Commissioner Ahmed Javed.

Eighty three per cent respondents of the 250+ C-suite executives that participated in the survey indicated that there is usually external involvement in cyber-attacks with directors/management being most vulnerable according to 64 per cent, the report said adding, “It was also alarming to note that 54 per cent indicated that spend on cyber defences is less than five per cent of the IT spend.”

City police commissioner urged the companies to approach police instead of

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Risk Consulting, KPMG in India, said, “The last few years have seen multifold increase in cybercrimes across regions and sectors. Given the proliferation of connected technologies, organisations today face a significant challenge to be resilient against cyber-attacks and incidents.”

“It is also important that the management realises that these are no longer a one-time phenomenon. The nature of cybercrime is constantly evolving, specifically with attackers having a solid arsenal of the ever evolving stealth attack,” he said.

According to Mohit Bahl, Partner and Head Forensics, KPMG in India, cyber criminals have understood the potential of an illicit financial gain and have begun executing highly sophisticated technologydriven frauds.

“These cyber-frauds, by nature, are complex and difficult to detect.

Organisations need to strengthen their cyber incident response process along with building strong prevention and detection systems. Cyber forensics, therefore, is becoming a critical component of fraud investigations,” Bahl added.

PTI

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ENVIRONMENT “We have set ambitious targets. By 2030, we will reduce emissions by 35 per cent of 2005 levels, and 40 per cent of our installed capacity from non-fossil fuels.”

— Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY

H EALTH

DECEMBER 5, 2015

PUNE

“We see at least three two-wheeler accident cases every day.

Mostly the victim do not wear helmet. A serious road accident involves a head injury, and victim could get paralysed.”

— Parag Sancheti, Chairman, Sancheti Hospital

Developed nations agree to BASIC calls for roadmap on climate financing progressive emission cuts

India and other countries want the Paris agreement to state clearly that the developed countries have a bigger responsibility to fight global warming

US singled out India over its projected increase in coal consumption

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, French President Francois Hollande, US President Barack Obama along with the Heads of State pose for a photograph at Mission Innovation in Paris

foresee that as we move ahead there would be an increasing amount of discomfort with the fact that every Indian also needs a lot of energy as does every other citizen in the world,” said Mathur, who is also the director general of Bureau of Energy Efficiency.

India has been singled out over its projected increase in coal consumption, prominently

by US Secretary of State John Kerry when he called India a “challenge” at the climate talks.

“Agreed. Many of us did not think that this issue needed a lot of international attention.

We thought figures are there, if anybody wants to do the math they can do it. All of this is in public domain.

“We did not realise that we need to add up the numbers, put them there and tell people this is what is happening. We have been lax in communicating India energy story,” said Mathur, who has previously reacted sharply to Kerry’s comment saying countries are now “flexing their muscles”.

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has already said that Kerry’s comments were

136 quakes hit India this year zone III, the moderate damage risk zone, and three in zone II, the low damage risk zone.

He said an analysis of past 30 years of quake data suggests that there is no increase or decrease in seismicity rate.

Quoting studies, the minister said the Indian plate moves at the rate of about 5 cm per year towards the northeast.

“Although no committee has been constituted to study and analyse the movement of Indian tectonic

plate, several institutes...are involved in institutional studies,” he said.

Responding to a question, he said the April 25 Nepal earthquake resulted in 102 deaths in India -Bihar (79), UP (19), West Bengal (3) and Rajasthan (1).

Around 13,000 houses were reported to be damaged, he said while agreeing to demands to reassess the fi gures. He said as most of the houses are ‘kuchha’ in nature, the fi gure seems high.

PTI

their insecticidal crystal protein have acquired acceptability as eco-friendly biopesticides all over the world.

The area under Bt cotton has reached 9.4 million ha in 2010-11, constituting nearly 85per cent of the total cotton area in India. Insect pest management is one of the important steps to safeguarded its crop and productivity.

Pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) has become economically the most destructive pest of cotton, causing 2.8 - 61.9 per cent loss on seed cotton yield, 2.1 - 47.10 per cent loss in oil content and 10.70 - 59.20 per cent

NATION

CITY

Get your voice heard on NetaG P6

No damaged goods please P3

GRANDCHILDREN SUE THE COMPLETE MAN

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

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

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

PUNE, MARCH 14, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

Dr Vijaypat Singhania’s grandchildren from his estranged son Madhupati have moved Bombay High Court seeking their share in ancestral property. They have filed a suit against their grandfather, father, mother and Raymond Limited. Detailed story on p7 TGS LIFE

When hunger strikes past midnight

NATION

CITY

Bakery worker’s daughter gets her wings P 12

Why are traffic cops taking selfies these days?

P3

DITCH THE

AUTO,

HAIL A

CAB

GAUTAM SINGHANIA

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

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

Five members of the team tried hiring rickshaws for distances

Intentions of Dr Singhania were ‘malafide and illegal’ with a motive to grab the share of Madhupati and Anuradha as well as grandchildren and to achieve the same he directed that his son and daughter-inlaw move to another country ‘instead of Collectively Pune Municipal continuing to stay in India with the family.

DEHU

6

Corporation, PimpriChinchwad Municipal Corporation and Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited have spent `1,816 crores on constructing dedicated corridors and flyovers along major routes, erecting bus shelters, and buying buses.

Despite this not a single route is operational or has succeeded in years. Citizens residing in twin cities continue to cry foul over pathetic public transport system. And from the looks of it nothing is going to change in near future.

See Spotlight on p8&9

CHINCHWAD BHOSARI

4 THERGAON HINJEWADI VILLAGE

KALEWADI FATA

WAKAD

DIGHI

NASHIK PHATA

5

LOHEGAON

DAPODI 50

PIMPLE GURAV

WAGHOLI

3 4 BANER

VISHRANT VIMAN WADI NAGAR YERWADA

AUNDH

2

SANGAMWADI PASHAN

AH47

WADGAON SHERI

MUNDHWA

SHIVAJI NAGAR

GHORPADI

9

BAVDHAN

CAMP

HADAPSAR

KOTHRUD

SWARGATE PARVATI

WANOWRIE

1

NANDED AMBEGAON BUDRUK

KONDHWA

UNDRI

KATRAJ

4

Had it not been for a Pune-based activist everybody had forgotten about a film on Lokmanya Tilak commissioned in 2001 by Central Government at the cost of 2.5 crores. Three years after Vishnu Kamalapurkar raised questions about the film,

said director of the school, who

fi led the FIR and kept in touch with “We are feeling the investigating officer and public prosecutor The director is let down by the PUNE, MARCH 14, 2015throughout. | www.thegoldensparrow.com yet to get a copy of the order. prosecution The case dates back to February 2013 when some of the students and the system. studying in class five walked up to their class teacher and alleged that It is upsetting their creative writing sir had touched because we do them inappropriately. The class teacher in turn informed the principal and not how to face management.

School authorities spoke to several other students and the parents and found that 22 girls in all had levelled similar allegations. Director of the students who school approached Chaturshrungi came forward police station and lodged an FIR under the Protection of Children from to give their Sexual Offences Act (POCSOA).

The investigation was carried out by statements.”

DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL

ALANDI

AKURDI

RAVET

Sab golmal hai...

The creative writing teacher from a reputed school in Baner was booked and arrested in February 2013. A special court acquitted him on the grounds that police bungled up in collecting evidence

RITU GOYAL HARISH

CHIKHALI

KIWALENIGDI

~ Suit filed by the siblings

Precious man hours are lost every day at Hinjewadi just because planners forgot to make more entry and exit points. Over a decade after Hinjewadi was planned to house country’s best IT firms and saying is true. But what they are not telling us or willing to talent, planners have finally woken up to the plight of citizens. concede is that their enemy lies within. Their enemy number one They have now planned five alternative roads. But the authorities is not private cabs but members of their own ilk – many of whom are in no hurry to complete them. See spotlight on p8 & 9 are rude, refuse to ply short

The case created ripples across the city. A teacher was accused of sexually abusing 22 students all from fi fth standard of a reputed school in Baner.

In February 2013, Chaturshrungi police registered a case of sexual abuse against the creative writing teacher and arrested him immediately. Two years after the cops went all out to claim that they had a watertight case, the teacher has been acquitted by a Special Court. The court ruled that the prosecution made out a weak case. The management of the school and parents of students are not only disappointed but also irked with the outcome.

“We are feeling let down by the prosecution and the system. It is upsetting because we do not how to face the parents and students who came forward to give their statements.

We believe we were on the right,”

Parents teach them more than exams do P 10

`1,816 1,816 crores spent on BRTS,

~ Suit filed by the siblings

What a mess!

Teacher booked for sexually abusing 22 students acquitted

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS

CITY

Truly, a tree lady P4

And yet no respite for commuters

DR VIJAYPAT SINGHANIA

Madhupati Singhania (57) and his wife Anuradha (54) with their children Ananya (29), Rasaalika (26), Tarini (20) and Raivathari (18)

Rickshaw unions across the city want us to believe that private cab service providers or radio cab operators, as they are popularly known as, are villains.

Around 12,000 radio cabs have made their lives miserable for 50,000-odd autorickshaw drivers in twin cities of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. The auto drivers want us to believe that corporate houses with deep pockets behind the cab services are eating into their share. Essentially poor rickshaw drivers are getting poorer because of stiff competition from private cab operators.

While Gautam Singhania ‘in a span of 14 years as CMD of Raymond Limited has built a personal net worth of `1.4 billion, Madhupati belonging to the same family was struggling to settle down in a new country, educate his children and make a new life.’ Gautam and his family led a luxurious life ‘with fancy cars, private jets, yachts and expensive holidays.’

RAHUL RAUT

Cotton is one of the principal commercial crops playing a key role in economic and social development in our country. India is an important grower of cotton at global scale. In India, it is cultivated in 117 lakh ha with an average productivity of 496 kg/ha. The insect pests spectrum of cotton is quite complex.

More than 1,326 species of insects and pests are infecting cotton throughout the world. Billions of dollars are spent worldwide to control insects and pests in agriculture. Despite this expenditure, up to 40 per cent of a crop can be lost to insect damage, particularly in developing countries.

The Helicoverpa armigera is a common major pest, causing epidemics resulting into calamity. It comes in more than one peak along with pink boll worm in all cotton-growing zones.

Rs 2,600 crore is spent on controlling insects and pests on cotton.

A number of insecticides effectively control these insects and pests but they have been proven to be hazardous to human health and environment.

Hence, there is a need to go for safer alternatives which can reduce our dependence on pesticides.

Insecticidal proteins present in soilborn bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is very effective as a spray to control insects. The Bt strain and

in normal opening of bolls.

The Bt cotton offers high level of resistance to cotton bollworm complex, caused by Helicoverpa armigera, Earias vittella and Pectinophora gossypiella.

The Bt cotton has in-built genetic resistance to bollworms and is very effective in controlling the yield losses caused by bollworms.

The resistance is governed by a single dominant gene. Use of Bt cotton reduces use of pesticides, resulting in reducing the cost of cultivation. It results in improvement of yield and margin of profit.

It provides opportunities to grow cotton in areas of severe bollworm incidence. It promotes ecofriendly cultivation of cotton and allows multiplication of beneficial insects, parasites and predators of bollworms.

It also reduces environmental pollution and risk of health hazards associated with use of insecticides because in Bt cotton the insecticides are rarely used. An average reduction of 3.6 sprays per crop season has been reported in Bt cotton as compared to non-Bt cotton. The Bt is a short form of ubiquitous soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. Th is bacterium is gram positive and spore forming that forms parasporal crystals. Before the introduction of Bt cotton, quantity of insecticide applied on cotton was the highest to other cultivated crops.

PTI Feature

TGS LIFE

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ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

BY DR SOM DUTT

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

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ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

More than 1,326 species of insects and pests are infecting cotton throughout the world.

Billions of dollars are spent worldwide to control insects and pests in agriculture

THANK GOD IT’S S AT U R D AY

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

Bt cotton holds big promise

like Qatar, the wealthiest country on Earth per capita, as developing.

India and many others want the Paris agreement to state clearly that the developed countries have a bigger responsibility to fi ght global warming.

Ajay Mathur, one of the top Indian negotiators at the Conference of Parties (CoP21), said India remains committed to working with all parties for a “ just and sustainable” deal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cautioned against any unilateral steps that will lead to an economic barrier in the battle against climate change. He hoped the developed countries would mobilise USD 100 billion annually by 2020 for mitigation and adaptation. The negotiators from 195 countries are working off a document that is more than 50 pages long. Countries like China and India have laid out plans for cuts or curbs to their emissions.

PTI

PICS ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

A total of 136 earthquakes have rocked India so far this year and an analysis of data of the last three decades indicates that there has neither been an increase or decrease in the seismicity rate in the country, the Lok Sabha was informed recently.

Earth Science Minister Harsh Vardhan said a total of 136 earthquakes have occurred in India in the current year so far.

Of these, 114 have taken place in the highest risk zone V, 14 in zone IV, the high damage risk zone, fi ve in

Activists display banners during the Global Climate March in Jakarta, Indonesia. The march was part of the global campaign ahead of next week’s UN climate talks in Paris

Supriya Bhoite from Chaturshrungi police station.

Contd on p4

advance, and second instalment was to be released after completion of certain formalities. The very next year second instalment was also disbursed.

Cut to October 2012 – Kamalapurkar fi led an RTI with chief public information officer (CPIO) of Ministry of Culture seeking information about the fi lm on Tilak.

The CPIO was clueless about the project and sought information from

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

With the fi rst full day of climate talks getting underway here today, India said it remains committed to working with all parties for a “just and sustainable” deal and asserted it wanted developed nations to commit to more progressive targets on emission reductions.

Ajay Mathur, one of the top Indian negotiators at the Conference of Parties (CoP21), admitted that India was “lax” in communicating its energy story, which has led to attacks, especially by the US, on India’s projected coal consumption.

“We are looking at enhancing renewable energy capacity in India by more than seven times. That is not getting as much attention as the fact that even after we have used all the renewable energy, used nuclear and hydro, the balance will be met by coal electricity. “(Coal) will increase by 2 to two and half times. This is getting far more attention than the fact that it would also mean a seven times increase of renewable. We are looking at something in 200 GW of solar and wind energy by 2030. The other part is we also

“unwarranted”.

Mathur said as far as India’s position is concerned, it will continue to work with other nations and make the point that we are looking for “ just and sustainable” agreement.

Mathur said: “Just in as much as it takes into account the interest of people who will be affected and also those who still do not have adequate access to affordable energy. We would like the agreement to move us on to a path that takes us to a temperature increase of less than 2 degrees. INDC is a good way of figuring out how we move on mitigation agenda. The provisions of global stock taking are useful as they will tell us how world is moving and what are the enhanced ambitions which has to be taken up by the world.

“We want countries to commit, act and deliver while promising even more progressive targets as time goes by. We would not like this agreement in which people step out as they did in the Kyoto protocol.” Mathur said at the 2009 Copenhagen summit there was a commitment of financial flows of USD 100 billion a year for developing nations.

PTI

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

BY TUHIN DUTTA

BASIC nations, including India, have called on the developed world to defi ne a clear roadmap for providing USD 100 billion by 2020 to developing countries to tackle climate change as bitterly-divided negotiators here tried to hash out a pact acceptable to all.

A statement issued by China on behalf of BASIC countries in the plenary extended support for an transparent and party driven process at the CoP21 and said that BASIC will work pragmatically with all other parties for an equitable and balanced climate agreement.

It said that the agreement should be as per all the principles and provisions of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) especially equity and common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) even as it asserted that differentiation should be there in each element of the Paris agreement.

Noting that there is a gap in support provided to developing nations, the BASIC countries - Brazil, South Africa, India and China - said that the second commitment period of Kyoto Protocol is an important step and instrument to implement the convention ahead of the agreement.

The Paris 2020 negotiations should have all aspects of the Kyoto Protocol and adhere to differentiation of the developed and the developing countries, the statement said.

The previous climate treaty, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, divided the world into developed and developing countries and only required the former to cut their greenhouse gas emissions.

The US, the European Union and other developed countries say this time all countries must chip in and that the rich-poor fi rewall is outdated anyway since it classifies countries

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

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

Hum

Fourteen years later, there is no sign of the fi lm. Vishnu Kamalapurkar, Pune-based activist, sought details of the project in 2012 from the Central Government only to be told that they had no records left, the concerned ministry had been wound up, and that fi lm-maker could not be traced.

Essentially, the government acceded that it had been duped of `2.5 crores, the sum that was transferred to the fi lm-maker.

It has taken Kamalapurkar three years since he sought details about the fi lm under Right to Information Act to get the government to launch a fullfledged investigation. Dhumale has

receiving his RTI finally been traced by the government with the help of police and claims that the fi lm will be released in “next two to four months”. He still hasn’t answered several questions raised by the government about the script and the star cast.

It all started in December 2001, when Commemoration Bureau under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture commissioned a fi lm on Lokmanya Tilak. A sum of Rs 1.25 crores was paid to Dhumale immediately as an

Saath Saath

When

HUNGER STRIKES past midnight

A family that prays together stays together. Pune’s joint families on why they agree to disagree

TGS takes a night trail around the city to look for places that will silence a grumbling tummy in the dark of night

The Kamdars

Run for…

yourself

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

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“The causes underlying the present state of confrontation in Nepal need to be addressed credibly by the political parties and people of Nepal. India’s only interest is in a peaceful stable Nepal and our approach is completely consistent with these objectives.”

— Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs Minister

Law ministry told to start registration of sex offenders Enactment of law urged, ahead of the release of Nirbhaya case convict

NEW DELHI: Women and Child Development Ministry has asked the Law Ministry to initiate mandatory registration of sex offenders by local police to keep them under surveillance and called for the enactment of a law for the same, ahead of the release of Nirbhaya gang-rape convict later this month.

“In cases where the accused are convicted for committing heinous crimes, the orders of the court may also include mandatory requirement of registration of the accused in local police station so that police can monitor their activities and keep track of their movements,” Union Minister Maneka Gandhi said in a letter to the Law Minister.

She suggested that the offenders of heinous crimes should be mandated to provide their personal details to the local law enforcement agency on regular basis.

“The registered sex offenders may be required to periodically appear in person to their local law enforcement agency for purposes of giving details of their personal information such as present address and place of employment.

The duration of such monitoring

UK High commission sponsored workshops from Dec 6-10

According to National Crimes Records Bureau, sexual crimes such as rape have increased from 24,923 in 2012 to 36,735 in 2014

may be decided by courts depending upon the severity of the offence and whether the accused is a repeat offender,” Gandhi said.

Such an initiative by courts will ensure effective management and supervision of sex offenders and also reduce future offences leading to a sense of security among women and children, she said. Stating that other countries also have laws to keep a watch on sex offenders after they have served the applicable period of punishment, Gandhi called for the enactment of a similar law in India.

“We do not have any such law in

IITs not to reveal salary figures

This decision comes in the wake of complaints of peer and parental pressure on aspiring students KHARAGPUR: Country’s premier technical institute, the IITs have decided not to reveal any pay package figures from this placement season following complaints of peer and parental pressure on students.

“Disclosing salaries puts unnecessary pressure on students. It kickstarts peer pressure as well as parental and societal pressure. People forget that only very few of them actually get those fat pay packages of over a crore. The minimum and average salaries are much less,” Prof Sudhirkumar Barai, Chairman, Career Development Centre at IIT Kharagpur, told PTI. A decision to this effect was taken recently at a meeting of All IITs Placement Committee (AIPC) in Guwahati. “We had this rule of nondisclosure earlier also but this time we took a conscious decision to implement it,” Barai said.

The first phase of placements has begun at the IITs. So far the IITs used to reveal packages but kept identity of the

students a secret.

“We have noticed that only the highest salary is discussed. But people forget that the average salary which an IITian gets is far less than the fattest one,” Barai said.

Another issue lies with the employers as many of them have a confidentiality clause in their job contract which restricts them to publicly disclose their remuneration. “ S o m e multinationals will complain to us if we disclose the figures and breach the confidentiality clause,” the placement in-charge of IIT-Kgp said.

In some cases, security and safety of the passouts and their families could be another cause of concern as they might even get kidnapped for a ransom, he feared.

“All the figures from any IITs being discussed in the media this season is unauthenticated as none of the premier engineering institute can disclose figures,” Barai said.

There are 16 IITs in the country.

PTI

The first phase of placements has begun at the institutes

Vol-II* lssue No.: 25 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.

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place in India. While there is a need to have such laws, they may take some time to enact. In the meantime, a proactive action on the part of courts may be a solution,” she said.

According to National Crimes Records Bureau, sexual crimes such as rape have increased from 24,923 in 2012 to 36,735 in 2014 and in case of children, it has increased from 8,541 to 13,766 during the same period.

Cases of assault on women with intent to outrage her identity have more than doubled from 40,613 in 2010 to 82,235 in 2014.

PTI

Students made to paint Hat school walls JIND: Haryana Education Department officials questioned the students of a government senior secondary school at Hat village here over allegations that they were made to whitewash and paint the classroom walls. The officials which included Block Education Officer Rajkumar Ahlawat, Senior Principal Naresh Verma today visited the classrooms and spoke to the students to inquire into the allegation.

Some students complained that school principal Lajpatray made them paint and whitewash the classroom “under the threat” of deducting their assessment marks, while others said they participated on their “own free will”. A local’s son complained that the principal had threatened to deduct his assessment marks.

PTI

A series of Learning & Sharing Workshops to end Violence against Women (VAW), being jointly organised by British High commission, will be held in Kerala from December 6-10.

Bharat Joshi, British Deputy High Commissioner, Chennai said Preventing and tackling violence against women underpins much of the UK s work across India. These workshops in Kerala are aimed at sensitising three groups of officers police, legal and judicial - who have a crucial bearing on preventing and tackling VAW. They build on our wider projects in India with women and girls and civil society organisations.

Workshop sessions will include VAW-related legislation (Domestic Violence, Sexual Offences & Sexual Harrassment) and case studies.

Sessions will offer batches from districts across Kerala, both men and women, the knowledge and tools required to better understand, contextualise and respond to VAW cases to ensure speedier, improved access to justice for survivors and potential victims.

Three fall off empty local P 15

Pansare, Dabholkar, Kalburgi delinked There is no report to suggest any linkage/connection between the murders of this rationalists NEW DELHI: The government has said there is no report to suggest any link between the murders of rationalists Govind Pansare, Narendra Dabholkar and MM Kalburgi.

“As per available information, there is no report to sugNarendra Dabholkar gest any linkage/connection between the murders of Govind Pansare, Narendra Dabholkar and MM Kalburgi,” Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju told Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

Replying to another question, Rijiju said that at present, there is no proposal to ban rightwing group Santhan Sanstha.

The outfit was in news recently when one of its members was arrested in connection with the murder of Pansare. While the Sanstha admitted that the accused was its member, it denied any role in the murder.

Rijiju said that all

Govind Pansare

MM Kalburgi

organisations whose activities hold ramifications for the maintenance of peace and communal harmony in the country are under constant watch of law enforcement agencies and requisite action is taken as is found to be necessary.

Pansare, a left-wing politician and author, was shot on February 16, 2015, by assailants in Kolhapur in Maharashtra.

He succumbed to his injuries five days later.

Dabholkar, a rationalist and author, was killed on August 20, 2013, in Pune.

Kannada writer Kalburgi was shot dead on August 30, 2015, in Dharwad district of Karnataka.

PTI

No plan to ban right wing group Santhan Sanstha

WORLD ISLAMIC CONGREGATION

Muslims returning after the end of 68th Aalmi Tablighi Ijtima (World Islamic Congregation) in Bhopal

Terrorists’ influence grows worldwide The Mali attack is yet another example

BY SUBHASHIS MITTRA The recent terror attack on a luxury hotel in Mali is a blatant expression of lawless radicalism apparently by a group that had split from al-Qaeda’s North African branch. The terror attack on the hotel in Bamako, the capital city of Mali, is yet another example of the growing influence of terrorists around the world.

The al-Mourabitoun group claimed responsibility for an armed assault at the Radisson Blu in Bamako, Mali’s capital.

Gunmen armed with grenades took about 170 people hostage, but the siege was ended by Malian troops assisted by US and French Special Forces.

The terror group, an al-Qaeda affiliate led by notorious oneeyed Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar, claimed there was only two attackers and suggested they were Malian.

In a recording broadcast by AlJazeera, a spokesman identified them as Abdelhakim al-Ansari and Moez alAnsari, the term “al-Ansari” indicating they were indigenous jihadists. The

One Pakistani agent and a serving Border Security Force soldier who have been arrested under the provisions of Official Secret Act, in the custody of Crime Branch in New Delhi

militants wanted the government to release certain fighters from prison and to halt attacks on northern Malians.

A jihadist group from central Mali, the Macina Liberation Front (LWF), also claimed the attack, saying it was carried out by a squad of five, including “three who came out safe and sound”.

With a population of 15 million, Mali has been on the verge of becoming a failed state. Its government has had unresolved quarrels with various internal groups for years,

including the Tuaregs. When some Libyans overthrew the regime of leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, some of his forces’ arsenal fell into the hands of the Tuaregs and other opponents of the Malian government.

For a while, it looked as if Mali would break into pieces, with some of the north ruled by Islamists who sought to create the state of Azawad.

But the French intervened and, after a 2012 military coup, Mali held presidential elections the next year and

its “failed state” status appeared to have been avoided.

Although American forces helped free the hotel hostages, it is not clear why the United States has troops stationed in Mali since the French have the country under relatively good control.

The Radisson Blu attack was all the more disturbing as it came one week after the bloody Paris assault.

It came as a shocking reminder that Islamic State (IS) isn’t the only threat to international security.

That the victims included people of different nationalities shows that the terrorists wanted to send a message to the international community.

Following the Arab Spring wave and turmoil in countries like Egypt and Libya, Islamist groups in Africa received a huge fillip.

Though the Mali attack has been claimed by al-Mourabitoun, what is worrying is increasing co-ordination between terror groups across countries and continents. The al-Mourabitoun is a group formed by Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar. It has claimed that the attack was staged in cooperation with al-Qaeda in the Great Sahara region, which has a strong presence in northern Mali.

PTI Feature

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 5, 2015

Kenyan powerhouse to lead Pune Marathon P 16

“The raids in Iraq will be done at the invitation of the Iraqi government and focused on defending its borders and building the ISF’s (Iraqi security forces) own capability. The force would also be in a position to conduct unilateral operations in Syria.”

— Ash Carter, US Defence Chief

‘Pak was to deploy nukes against India in Kargil war’ Sharif had rushed to Washington for help

BY LALIT K JHA WASHINGTON: At the height of the 1999 Kargil war when its army was suffering heavy casualties at the hands of India, Pakistan was preparing its nuclear weapons for deployment and possible use, the CIA had warned then President Bill Clinton, a former top White House official said.

The CIA’s assessment formed part of the daily top secret classified briefing for Clinton on July 4, 1999 when the president was scheduled to meet the visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Facing global humiliation and the prospect of an imminent defeat because of the misadventure of his army chief General Pervez Musharraf, Sharif had rushed to Washington seeking Clinton’s help in ending the war.

US president needed to make clear to the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that only a Pakistani withdrawal could avert further escalation

“The morning of the Fourth (of July, 1999), the CIA wrote in its topsecret Daily Brief that Pakistan was preparing its nuclear weapons for deployment and possible use. The intelligence was very compelling. The mood

in the Oval Office was grim,” Bruce Riedel, who worked at the time in the National Security Council of the White House and was among the few present at the Clinton-Sharif meeting said.

Riedel, a former CIA analyst and now working at the Brookings Institution made the revelations in an obituary he wrote for Sandy Berger, former national security advisor to Clinton, who died of cancer yesterday.

“Berger urged Clinton to hear out Sharif, but to be firm.

Pakistan started this crisis and it must end it without any compensation.

The president needed to make clear to the prime minister that only a Pakistani withdrawal could avert further escalation,” he wrote.

“Sandy knew Clinton better than anyone, his natural inclination was to find a deal. This time, no deal was possible, it must be an unequivocal Pakistani climbdown,” Riedel said.

“It worked. Sharif agreed to pull back his troops. It later cost him his job: The army ousted him in a coup and he spent a decade in exile in Saudi Arabia.

But the risk of a nuclear exchange in South Asia was averted,” Riedel wrote.

PTI

26/11 trial: No hearing, judge ‘busy’

BY M ZULQERNAIN LAHORE: Hearing in the trial of seven Mumbai terrorist attack accused, including mastermind Zakiur-Rehman Lakhvi, could not be held in a Pakistani anti-terrorism court as the judge was “busy” hearing another case today.

“The judge of the Anti-Terrorism

Court Islamabad did not attend today’s hearing at the Adiala Jail Rawalpindi as he was busy in other case proceedings,” a court official said.

He said the court office adjourned the hearing till December 9.

This was the third consecutive time when hearing in the case could not be held. Earlier, hearings on November 18 and 25 were not held as either the

PUNE

official witnesses summoned did not turn up in the court or the judge was on leave.

The trial of LeT operations commander Lakhvi, and Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Sadiq, Shahid Jamil, Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum has been underway since 2009 for their alleged role in the Mumbai terror attacks that killed 166 people and

KOSOVO PARLIAMENTARY SESSION

injured more than 300.

Lakhvi secured bail in December last year and was subsequently released from the Adiala Jail this April after the Lahore High Court set aside the government’s order to detain him under the Public Security Act. He is currently out on bail and living at an undisclosed location.

PTI

The Kohinoor was mined in medieval times in the Kollur mine in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district

BY M ZULQERNAIN LAHORE: A petition has been filed in a Pakistani court asking the government to bring back Kohinoor diamond, the world famous precious stone which India has been trying to get from the UK. Barrister Javed Iqbal Jaffry alleged in his petition to the Lahore High Court that the UK snatched the diamond from Daleep Singh, grandson of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, and took it to Britain.

“The diamond became part of the crown of incumbent Queen Elizabeth-II at the time of her crowing in 1953.

Queen Elizabeth has no right on the Kohinoor diamond, which weighs 105 carats and worth billions of rupees,” he said.

“Kohinoor diamond was cultural heritage of Punjab province and its citizens owned it in fact,” Jaffry said.

He asked the court to direct federal government to bring the diamond to Pakistan from the British government.

The Kohinoor was mined in medieval times in the Kollur mine in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district.

At one time it was considered the largest diamond in the world.

The diamond was originally owned by the Kakatiya Dynasty, which had installed it in a temple of a

Hindu goddess as her eye.

Reportedly, in 1849, after the conquest of the Punjab by the British forces, the properties of the Sikh Empire were confiscated.

The Kohinoor was transferred to the treasury of the British East India Company in Lahore. The properties of the Sikh Empire were taken as war compensations.

It passed through the hands of various invaders and was finally appropriated by the British during the Raj. Today the diamond is a part of the crown of Queen Elizabeth II. India has been long demanding the return of Kohinoor which was owned by several Mughal emperors and Maharajas before being seized by the British.

India says that Kohinoor was illegally acquired and wants it returned along with other treasures looted during colonial rule.

When Queen Elizabeth II made a state visit to India marking the 50th anniversary of independence in 1997, many Indians in India and Britain demanded the return of the diamond.

British Indian MP Keith Vaz had called for the return of ‘Kohinoor’ diamond to India ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK in November.

PTI

Today the diamond is a part of the crown of Queen Elizabeth II

Indian-origin woman charged for corruption in Singapore Gursharan Kaur Sharon Rachel faces seven counts of corruption

BY GURDIP SINGH

Tear gas is used by opposition lawmakers disrupting a parliamentary session in the Kosovo capital, Pristina. The opposition in Kosovo said it would turn to street protests to get the government to cancel deals with Serbia and Montenegro after its lawmakers were barred from Parliament after they again broke up a session with tear gas

Petition filed to bring Kohinoor to Pakistan

SINGAPORE: A 55-year-old Indian-origin Singaporean woman who was employed by the US Navy as a lead contract specialist in Singapore has been charged with corruption and money-laundering offences involving over USD 70,000.

Gursharan Kaur Sharon Rachel faces seven counts of corruption involving 103,278.24 Singapore dollars (USD 73,208) in form of cash and paid accommodation in luxury hotels, reported Channel News Asia (CNA).

Between November 2006 and August 2011, Gursharan stayed in as many as five luxury hotels, with her

accommodation paid for by Leonard Glenn Francis, the CEO of Glenn Defence Marine (Asia), as a reward for providing him with non-public US Navy information.

Gursharan also allegedly accepted bribes totalling 100,000 Singaporean dollars in cash from Francis, the report said. In December 2008, Gursharan is said to have accepted a bribe of 50,000 Singapore dollars in cash, which she used to pay for a Prudential Prusave Limited Pay policy.

In April 2009, she again accepted another 50,000 Singapore dollars which she used to pay for the down payment for a condominium at Double Bay Residences in Singapore.

For the two instances in which she used the bribes to pay for the policy and the condominium, Gursharan faces two charges under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act. She faces up to seven years’ jail, a fine of up to 500,000 Singapore dollars per charge, or both.

As for the seven charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act for corruptly obtaining gratification in the form of cash and paid accommodation in luxury hotels, Gursharan faces up to five years’ jail, a fine of up to SGD 100,000 per charge, or both, said the report.

PTI

She faces 7-yr jail and a fine of up to 500,000 Singapore dollars

Zuckerberg turns dad, to give 99 per cent of fortune to charity To make the world a “better place” for daughter Maxima and other children

SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the birth of his first child as he and his wife pledged to give away 99 per cent of his company shares currently worth a whopping USD 45 billion to make the world a “better place” for daughter Maxima and other children.

In a letter to the baby who he lovingly addresses as Max posted on his Facebook page, Zuckerberg said: “We’re so happy to welcome our daughter Max into this world.

Everyone is happy and healthy. Thank you for all your love and support through our pregnancy. There is so

much joy in our little family.”

His wife Priscilla Chan gave birth to the 7-pound, 8-ounce Max last week but the 31-year-old newly-turned father posted the news on Facebook only today along with a photo of him with wife and the baby besides the letter written jointly by the parents to “about the world we hope she grows up in”.

“It’s a world where our generation can advance human potential and promote equality - by curing disease, personalising learning, harnessing clean energy, connecting people, building strong communities, reducing poverty, providing equal rights and spreading understanding across nations.

“We are committed to doing our small part to help create this world for all children. We will give 99 per cent of

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s wife Priscilla Chan gave birth to baby Maxw

our Facebook shares - currently about USD 45 billion - during our lives to join many others in improving this

world for the next generation,” he said in the post.

The donation - which they call “a

moral responsibility to all children in the next generation - of most of their fortune would not happen right away. According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Zuckerberg plans to “sell or gift” no more than USD 1 billion worth of Facebook stock every year over the next three years.

The California-based social network’s filing also indicates that Zuckerberg plans to contribute the funds to a new initiative called the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to “advance human potential and promote equality for all children in the next generation”.

The Facebook co-founder will continue to control the voting rights of any shares held by that organisation.

“Max, we love you and feel a great responsibility to leave the world a better place for you and all children.

We wish you a life filled with the same love, hope and joy you give us. We can’t wait to see what you bring to this world,” the letter said.

“As you begin the next generation of the Chan Zuckerberg family, we also begin the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to join people across the world to advance human potential and promote equality for all children in the next generation. Our initial areas of focus will be personalised learning, curing disease, connecting people and building strong communities,” it said.

The announcement found strong appreciation from the business and charity community alike, with Microsoft co- founder Bill Gates’ wife Melinda Gates saying: “Wow. The example you’re setting today is an inspiration to us and the world”.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 5, 2015

PUNE

MONEY MATT ER S

“By offering safety features like airbags for driver and co-driver, and ABS from the base variant onwards in Celerio, we are making it more attractive for customers.”

— RS Kalsi, Executive Director, Marketing and Sales

Signposts P-Notes norms strict and robust: Sinha Government said the current regulatory framework on Participatory Notes (P-Notes) is strict and robust, hinting that there may not be any change required in the rules at the moment. The comments assume significance as a Supreme Court appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money had earlier in July asked capital markets regulator Sebi to review its regulations on P-Notes and identify their end-users.

PTI

Maharashtra tops in economic dimension

Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh come in the second place, but far behind Maharashtra Maharashtra grew by 11.69 per cent to become the biggest state with Rs 16.87 trillion economy in terms of gross state domestic product (GSDP). Bihar emerged as the fastest growing state in terms of GSDP, clocking a growth rate of 17.06 per cent in FY 2014-15, says a report.

Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh come in the second place, but far behind Maharashtra, with a GSDP of Rs 9.67 trillion each, according to the report by Brickwork Ratings.

However, Gujarat leads Maharashtra when it comes to composition of industry in GSDP at 27.26 per cent, versus the latter’s 25.18 per cent, the domestic rating outfit said.

Fastest-growing states are Bihar at 17.06 per cent, Madhya Pradesh at 16.86 per cent and Goa at 16.43 per cent, while the newly-formed Telangana, with expansion of 5.3 per cent, is the laggard.

Along with Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra is at the forefront of development in the services sector with a healthy growth in the IT/BPO/KPO space, it said.

On infant mortality rate (the number of infant deaths for every 1,000 live births), Maharashtra’s 25 is half of the national average of 50.

Maharashtra is also the leader when it comes to dependence on taxes

Air India’s maiden Delhi-Silicon Valley flight launched First Indian carrier to directly connect the US West Coast

BY ZISHAN HAIDER Air India’s maiden non-stop flight from New Delhi to San Francisco was given a rousing welcome as it became the first Indian carrier to directly connect the US’ West Coast, reducing the arduous travel time by nearly six hours.

The airport traffic control tower in San Francisco was lit in the Indian tricolour to welcome the 230 passengers aboard the Air India flight AI 173.

The new service has come as a boon to the Indian diaspora on the US West coast, jubilant passegers said and applauded when the aircraft touched the base.

Venkatesan Ashok, Consul General of India, and several other officials from India and the US attended a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the beginning of the services.

“It is a remarkable day and today is a great day for Air India” Ashok said.

The city mayor’s office declared this day as ‘Air India Day’, a symbolic gesture to celebrate the arrival of the first direct flight from India.

With the flight, Air India became the first Indian carrier to provide direct air connectivity to the West Coast. The national carrier will fly three flights a week on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays using a Noeing 777-200LR aircraft.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to West Coast in September had announced to soon launch the services.

“Starting a direct flight within two months was a daunting task but we made it possible with the cooperation from US officials,” an Air India official said.

The flight saves a lot of travel time. People earlier used to go to Chicago to take a flight to India, said

“The infrastructure sector in India would witness massive changes in next few years as by then many four-lane roads and highways would be converted into eight-lane ones.”

— Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Transport

The flight offers a three-cabin configuration, with eight seats in First Class, 35 seats in Business Class and 195 seats in Economy Class

Abhinav Kuru, an IT professional from Hyderabad and one of the passengers.

“This direct flight has reduced the travel time by 5-6 hours. Earlier, it used to take about 23 hours but with this flight it is just 17 hours,” said Kuru.

The flight offers a three-cabin configuration, with eight seats in First Class, 35 seats in Business Class and 195 seats in Economy Class.

An airport security official said the flight was the day’s first flight and additional arrangements were made for it.

“The airport immigration office opens at 7:30 AM for the first flight but we opened it today at 5:30 AM to receive passengers from India,” the official said.

San Francisco airport in 2014 catered to a total of 47,074,162 passengers of which 10,269,701 were international travellers.

Earlier, a special cake was cut just before departure at the Delhi airport to celebrate the launch of the maiden flight and passengers were presented with a rose bud each at the time of check-in.

The national carrier had also hosted a contest on micro-blogging site Twitter prior to the launch of its new flight to the US. PTI

The extended flight time has been reduced by six hours

collected within the state, which account for 70 per cent of total revenue receipts, it said, adding it is followed by Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

Bihar, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Kerala spend the most on pensions, while Karnataka and Maharashtra have kept this item of expense “reasonable”, the report said.

Andhra, West Bengal, UP,

Services sector stagnates as sentiments sink Services sector output stagnated in November after four consecutive months of expansion, as business sentiments hit the lowest level in a decade and flow of new orders turned sluggish, a monthly survey showed today.

The Purchasing Managers’ Index for services sector fell to 50.1 in November, from an eight-month high of 53.2 in October, showing broadly unchanged levels of services sector activity across the country, as per the business survey conducted by Markit and Nikkei.

A reading of 50 divides growth and contraction.

The gloomy trend was also observed in the labour market, as employment rose at a pace that was historically muted.

“Service sector output in India broadly stagnated and confidence waned in November, following four consecutive months of increases,” the PMI survey said. “Services companies in India displayed a lack of optimism with regards to the 12-month outlook for activity, as sentiment dropped to the lowest in the ten-year survey history,” it said.

PTI

Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu account for about 60 per cent of the outstanding debt of States. Agriculture contributed 19 per cent of states’ GSDP and supported between 40 to 60 per cent of the workforce.

Top five states with higher share of farm sector are Punjab, MP, Bihar, Andhra and West Bengal.

PTI

What thwarts US investors in India

Verma hopes USD 500 billion trade target is achieved Problems related to ease of doing business such as taxation, regulatory burdens and legal issues can deter American investors from investing in India, US Ambassador Richard Verma said on Thursday even as he hoped that the USD 500 billion bilateral trade target would be achieved.

“On the trade and investment front, we have been taking up the ease of doing business factors that sometimes can deter the US companies and investors such as tax and legal certainty and easing regulatory burdens.

“I think we are making progress in that regard and it’s not just US companies that are voicing those concerns, it is also Indian companies who are coming together and voicing similar concerns,” Verma said at an Observer Research Foundation (ORF) function.

He said in the last Trade Policy Forum meeting, both sides discussed in detail the trade relationships with the goal of continuing to break down trade barriers and laying the foundation for reaching the trade target of USD 500 billion.

“On the economic side, the data suggests that we have come a long way. We have crossed USD 105 billion, but it’s still the pockets compared to the size of

Richard Verma

our economy and the number of people we trade with,” he said.

In 2005, the two-way trade between the countries was about USD 35 billion, which exceeded to USD 105 billion last year. “I really believe that we can get that (target). We could do more...We may have ups and downs in our relationship. We may have been on a roller-coaster in 50-60 years (but) I don’t think there is any question.

“We have reached a point where our strategic and economic importance of this relationship is unstoppable,” he added.

Verma said the trade figures and other numbers are the evidences which clearly reflect the increasing economies ties.

PTI

In 2005, trade between US and India was USD 35bn

Germany looks forward to 2mn Indian tourists by 2030

In 2014, the western European country witnessed 6,50,103 overnights from India With India considered one of the top five spenders, Germany has set a target to attract two million Indian travellers to the country by 2030.

“India is the number four source market for Germany and on an average Indian are considered one of the top 5 spenders. We consider India to be very important market and we have set 20 lakh or 2 million overnights from India by 2030,” The German National Tourist Office, India (GNTO) Director Sales and Marketing Romit Theophilus told PTI. He said Germany is promoting itself as a affordable and mass leisure destination.

“Traditionally, Germany is considered a business and meetings, incentives, conferences, and events (MICE) destination. We are now trying to focus promoting the country as an leisure destination as well,” he added.

Germany has recorded over 4,70,000 overnights from India for the period of January-August, 2015, he said adding “we are expecting 7 lakh

European country is ideal for people over the 21 years

overnights this year, which is a 10 per cent rise from last year”.

In 2014, Germany witnessed 6,50,103 overnights from India.

Since the inception of the German National Tourist Office in India in 2006, Germany has seen a 73 per cent growth in visitor overnights from India, he said.

For this year Germany is targeting big and metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru,

Chennai and Kolkata, to promote the country, Theophilus added.

“This year our target is the big cities, but we are planning to penetrate tier II cities, which is growing, from next year.

We are looking at promoting Germany is cities like, Pune, Nagpur, Lucknow, Chandigarh among others from next year,” he added.

The western European country is ideal for people over the 21 years, which is our target audience.

“We are trying to promote Germany as an all year round destination, for family, singles and couples. We are showcasing beautiful scenic small towns, vibrant big cities mostly for ideal for age group of over 21 years,” he said.

Germany spends an average of over five lakh euros every year to promote the country in India.

The country is also well connected with over 50 direct flights between the nations from cities like Chennai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai and Pune, he added.

PTI

India ranks lowly 106th on global index Despite India having the largest number of people who donate or volunteer time for good causes, it is still lagging behind when compared to the size of population ranking 106th on global index, according to a report

by Charities Aid Foundation (CAF).

CAF is an international non-profit organisation which promotes effective giving and philanthropy worldwide.

Interestingly, the neighbouring Myanmar ranks fi rst in the list, followed by the US and New Zealand.

As per the CAF World Giving Index, in 2014, more than 334 million Indians helped a stranger, more than 183 million gave money and more than 156 million volunteered time.

Representatives from the corporate sector, civil society organisations and students of Post Graduate Program in Development Management (PGDM) at SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) exchanged

As per the CAF, in 2014, more than 334 million Indians helped a stranger

ideas during the World Giving Index Roundtable here, organised by CAF India in association with SPJIMR. The annual CAF World Giving Index is a study of global charitable

behaviour based on surveys in 145 countries carried out by the American research fi rm Gallup.

“Wealth is not always the best measure of generosity.

It’s not always about how much money you are giving, but also about how we are engaging with beneficiaries. The WGI report has revealed that India still has the largest number of givers but as a proportion of our population, it’s not huge,” CAF India Chief Executive Officer Meenakshi Batra said in a statement.

The report found that the proportion of people in India donating to charity in 2014 had fallen to 20 per cent, down eight percentage points from 2013.

“It is important that the corporate sector integrate their social responsibilities with the objective of making money. The bridge needs to be crossed and this is where white papers like the World Giving Index are important,” Yes Bank Assistant Vice President Responsible Banking Abhejit Aggarwal said.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 5, 2015

PUNE

Our voices need to be heard ATUL KHATRI LIVE

Comedian Atul Khatri is all set to make your Mondays amazing with some great jokes and jabs at Independence Brewing Company.

Atul, a Mumbai-based businessman decided to do standup comedy so that he could tick it off his own personal bucket list. He was one of the 3 finalists in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival contest which was recently held in Delhi.

When: December 7 Where: Independence Brewing Company, Mundhwa

founding members of the East India Comedy and is always ready with his one liners and hilarious sarcasm. Sapan Verma is a writer and comedian for East India Comedy. His comedy timing and observations are impressive. Azeem Banatwalla is an engineer turned writer turned comedian.

When: December 11 Where: Arc Asia, Koregaon Park

BACKBENCHERS

East India Comedy presents Backbenchers, a stand-up comedy act by Sapan Verma, Sahil Shah and Azeem Banatwalla at Arc Asia. The group will take you down the memory lane with their take on school and college life. Th is show revolves around education, hostel life, ragging, examinations, results and campus life.

Sahil Shah is one of the

ASHA PAREKH…EK SAFAR

Mahila Shakti Pratishthan organises a program to pay a tribute to Asha Parekh. The yesteryear actress will talk about her career, co-stars, some behindthe-scene moments, and the difference between the fi lm industry from her time to the present one. Suvarna Mategaonkar, Prashant Naseri and Swarada Gokhale will sing the songs picturised on the actress. The funds raised through this event will be used for

BOLLY WOOD NIGHT WITH DJ SHIREEN

Bollywood fans, your prayers have been answered. Be a part of the fi lmy atmosphere at Bollywood Night with DJ Shireen. Born and brought up in Kolkata and currently residing in Mumbai, this multi-talented girl has been called to perform in various clubs of Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Tanzania, Singapore to name a few. The fact that most clubs have had her repeatedly play at their venue might be able to explain why she has earned title of ‘rockstar DJ’ over the years.

When: December 5 Where: YOLO, Pimple Saudagar

BLAKC LIVE

Blakc is a five-piece hard rock band from Mumbai. Formed in early 2006, the band went through two lineup changes before settling down on the present members. As a band Blakc has been composing their own music since late 2007, while entering college competitions at the same time.

The band has been a finalist at the Independence Rock and Campus Rock Idols competitions. In December 2008, the band released their fi rst album Choking On A Dream.

When: December 10 Where: Hard Rock Cafe, Koregaon Park

the education of girls from below poverty line families, and to provide uniforms and school stationery to girls.

When: December 5 Where: Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe Natyagraha, Sadashiv Peth

ART BEAT  A UNION OF FINE ARTS AND OPEN AIR CINEMA

Lost The Plot in association with The Muse and the Alliance Francaise, has organised ‘Art Beat,’ an union of cinema and fine arts, where guests can participate in themed collaborative canvas painting, led by some of Pune’s most talented young artists. Th is activity will be followed by a screening of the fi lm ‘Seraphine’ no later than 8:00pm. Th is biopic tells the story of the unusual and brilliant painter Seraphine de Senlis, a housekeeper and shepherdess ‘discovered’ through a meeting with a German art critic, who was taken aback by her unconventional use of natural elements like dirt, candle oil and animal blood as paint in her works.

When: December 6 Where: Seasons Hotel, Aundh

Stray dogs haunt Karve Nagar residents

UNCENSORED WITH DJ SA

DJ SA, voted India’s best Hip-Hop DJ at the inaugural VH1 MyFav Awards in the past, will be making you sway to his tunes at blueFROG. Having a key role in promoting Hip Hop/ Trap music, Dj Sa can be seen performing regularly at clubs all around the country.

Opening for the likes of Akon, Charmillionaire, K a r d i n a l Offishall, Sean Kingston, Snoop Dogg, MIMS and resulting in collaboration w i t h Universal Music to promote all their hip hop albums across India.He will be accompanied

by DJ Nikita, a 23-year-old musician with an affinity for trance and bass music.

When: Dec 5 Where: blueFROG, Ishanya Mall, Yerawada

I live in Karve Nagar and the countless number of stray dogs roaming around the area are a serious menace and hazard to the residents. The strays chase after bikes and cars and some of them are bold and nasty enough to bite the unsuspecting and unwary persons.

Th is has been going on for two months, and these stray dogs are stopping from people going out for their regular walks. Even the security guards and watchmen are wary of these animals. Sagar Gaikwad Parents are now scared that their children are going to be victims of the dogs, as two kids have already been bitten.

Two-wheeler riders are in great danger as these dogs attack in packs and the sudden scare at night is likely to cause them to lose balance and fall off the bike. This is exactly what happened to a rider, who was quite badly injured when he fell off his bike after being chased by some rabid dogs.

The concerned ward officers have largely ignored our complaints about these pariah dogs, and we are not sure who to turn to.

These dogs also are a nuisance because of their barking and howling at nights. The civic dog squad should make the rounds of Karve Nagar and round up all these animals, who are serving no purpose other than to make our lives miserable and also posing a real danger by biting unsuspecting people and children.

Write to Us

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

RAHUL RAUT

WEEK THAT WAS BIKER CRITICALLY INJURED, COURTESY PMC

PIC

THREE FALL OFF EMPTY LOCAL

On Tuesday, Nikita Agarwal, 18, a resident of Dehu Road fell off a Pune-Lonavla local and died.

Her friend Harshada Talari, 19, and Dhanraj Todkar, 26, also fell off while trying to save Agarwal and were injured. Eyewitnesses said that Agarwal and Talari were standing on the footboard at the door despite the train being empty. The train was enroute from Akurdi to Dehu Road. Agarwal and Talari, both students of Manghanmal Udharam College of Commerce, Pimpri, were standing at the door and having an animated conversation when Agarwal suddenly lost her balance. While it is unclear what led to Agarwal losing her balance, eyewitnesses say that the duo had been warned by passengers multiple times during the journey to sit inside, but did not pay any heed.

OF

THE

E WE K

On Tuesday night, Gorakh Pawar, 48, was critically injured when he slipped from his scooter at Gulab Nagar Chowk in Dhankawdi. The resident of Survey Number 16 in Dhankawdi met with the accident because of an open manhole on the dark street. He hit his head the iron barricade put up by authorities near the manhole. Pawar had to undergo a surgery because of the accident.

The very next morning, Pune Municipal Corporation swung into action and covered the manhole. . “He would not have met with the accident if PMC had repaired this stretch early,” Pawar’s brotherin-law Ravindra Thopate said.

LETTERS TO THE

EDITOR

A traffic cop signalled a rider who had jumped a signal at RTO Chowk. While trying to stop him, cop just managed to get hold of the pillion’s jacket

Is she a mother or a monster?

Legal aid for all

Can’t believe that a mother would stage the abduction of her two-month old son and sell the infant. Archana Sonawane is surely a disturbed person and as she was not getting along with her husband, she would stoop to selling her son for some money so that she could live apart from her husband. I think we live in really awful times when even motherhood has come to mean nothing at all. Does Archana have a heart or any feelings at all?

Imagine what the little child would go through if her plan had worked? A woman is supposed to be gentle, kind and loving especially when it comes to her own children, but what Archana wanted to do borders on the monstrous.

—Kedar Th ungade

Forming a food truck association was indeed a very good and much needed body keeping in mind the way the legal system functions. If there isn’t correct law and order in place there is a greater chance of the food trucks and their owners facing a lot of problem later on in the future. Even the things that are legal face issues because of the loopholes. But imagine the situation that will arise in the future if there are no rules at all. Shubham Kar Chuadhari has in fact taken up an extremely noble cause and it is good to see that they are being supported by the media.

—Sahil Khan

An inspiration for all Desperate measures The man who set himself on fi re in front of the collector’s office must have been utterly without hope to take this step. If he was being harassed by the police constables as he claims, the authorities must investigate. No journalist should face this kind of treatment for doing their job. On the other hand if what the cops say is true and then it leaves one to wonder as to why Ruben would do something so drastic. Until further investigations are done, it is hard to say who was right or wrong.

—Mandar Bhande

The article on the success stories of the visually impaired is truly inspiring. It is hard for us to imagine what the world is like without the sense of sight. Every aspect of life must be so arduous for those who are visually impaired. It is then so noble and brave that despite being deprived of such an essential sense, there are people who go forth in their lives without wallowing in self-pity and instead do all they can to make the best of what they do have. Samina, Sanjay and Kalyanlaxmi are sources of inspiration for everyone. While normal people take everything for granted, these people have battled the odds with unflagging energy and hope to find happiness. They have treated their obstacles as opportunities to excel and do something better and bigger with their lives.

— Sudha Rukhi

Oodles of talent The story about the transgenders who got together to form their own dance group and recently performed in the city is a great example of how one should stand up for what we believe in.

Even if they have been shunned by society, the fact that they are providing and creating a space for themselves is a great way of showing everyone what they are capable of. Kudos to them simply for thinking about doing something like this and taking the leap of faith.

—Shalaka Kesari

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 5, 2015

PUNE

SPORTS

“After a 103 Test matches, I deserve a voice and I will have that voice for the betterment of cricket. My comments on the pitch were made on the basis of loving the sport.”

— Matthew Hayden, Former Australia Opener

Signposts Huge win for Vidya Bhavan against SSPMS It was a high scoring under-16 encounter as Vidya Bhavan showed no mercy, defeating SSPMS Day with the score of 12-0 in the Loyola Football Cup at the Loyola School ground. Piyush Joshi of Vidya Bhavan was impressive as he struck five times in the 3rd, 5th, 14th, 50th and 56th minutes. Yuvraj Sawant (12th, 40th, 48th) and Sarthak Shah (16th, 41st, 43rd) scored hat-tricks, while Bhagwat Vajra (8th) added to the tally as Vidya Bhavan won comfortably. Meanwhile, St Patrick’s High School registered a comprehensive 4-0 win over Gurukul.

All India Super Series tennis from today Top Indian players like Atharva Sharma, Pranav Sai Ponaka, Mann Shah, Sanya Singh Muskan Gupta, Salsa Aher and Richa Chaugule will be seen in action in the Syska Trophy-Yonex Sunrise All India Ranking U-16 Super Series Tennis Tournament at Ajit Sail Tennis Academy in Magarpatta City from Saturday. The tournament offers a total prize money of Rs1,50,000 in form of scholarships and allowances.

Kadam qualifies for state snooker knock-out The 2014 runner-up and top seed Hasan Badami suffered a massive blow to his campaign as he was knocked out of the reckoning after suffering second loss in Group A league, in the Maharashtra State Snooker Selection Tournament. On the other hand, PYC Hindu Gymkhana marker Vishal Kadam, stayed on course and qualified for the knockout pre-quarterfinals.

Muley bags state title City’s veteran paddler Upendra Muley, who recently sparkled in the district tournament by winning four titles, bagged a team title in the Veteran State Table Tennis tournament in Mumbai. In the above 40 age group, Muley was part of Jain Sports Academy team along with Sunil Babras. They defeated the Solapur District A team in the final. Meanwhile, in the individual segment, top seed Mulley faltered against second seed Debdoot Chatterjee.

Five things that didn’t work for FCPC The team was knocked out before the last home match in the ISL, but their performance was greatly improved than in the last edition

BY ASHISH PHADNIS @phadnis_ashish FC Pune City showed poor form last season and they were nowhere near making it to the knock-out stage. Th is season, with a revamped team and new coach, the team raised the fans’ expectations and were considered strong contenders for the last four stage. But it was a similar fate and they were knocked out in the group stages in the Indian Super League (ISL).

The team got off to a fine start, reaping full advantage from the home matches, but failed to cash in on the opportunities, and their inconsistencies resulted in chances slipping from their grasp. Their last 2-3 defeat against North East United FC sealed their fate, and the Pune team is officially out of the semi-final round.

TGS NEWS NETWORK @TGSWeekly Kenyan long distance athlete Sylvester Teimet will spearhead the challenge in the 30th edition of Pune International Marathon (PIM) on Sunday. The 26-year-old recently won Seoul International Marathon in 2 hours, 6 minutes, 49 seconds.

In the process he set the new course record.

His time was 3 minutes, 4 seconds faster than his previous best of 2:09:53 and beat South African Gert Thys’ 2004 course record of 2:07:06. His country mate, Nicolas Kikya, who won the Amsterdam marathon, has second billing. Ethiopian youngster Leta Kebila is third seeded while surprisingly Kenyan long distance runner Amos Matui is seeded fourth.

The 39-year-old Matui has won marathons on four continents with career highlights including consecutive wins and course records at the Singapore Marathon, a win at the Country Music Marathon in 2009, and a bronze medal for Kenya over the distance at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

When he was selected for the Kenyan team for the Commonwealth Games, it was his fi rst international selection for Kenya at the age of 34. The race turned out to be an uphill task as he felt ill in his race preparations, yet managed a podium finish.

KENYAN WOMEN DOMINATE Amongst women half marathon runners,

FC Pune City’s striker Adrian Mutu couldn’t justify his talent in ISL

TGS ZEROES IN ON THINGS THAT DIDN’T WORK FOR THE TEAM. NOTSOGOOD HOME PERFORMANCE FC Pune City had the maximum number of home matches in the initial stages of the tournament. They played the fi rst four matches at home, facing top teams like North East United FC, Delhi Dynamos and Atletico de Kolkata. It was a good opportunity for David Platt’s squad to seize the home ground advantage and build a solid foundation prior to their away campaign. FC Pune City won three of the four matches, but couldn’t post a sizeable goal difference. They scored a narrow 1-0 win over North East and Kolkata, going down to Delhi 3-2. The same happened next week, when Pune defeated Kerala Blasters 3-2 and then drew with FC Goa 2-2. It was a narrow escape for the team, as Adrian Mutu’s goal in injury time earned them a point. Pune had played six matches at home, in which they registered four wins, a draw and a loss. On paper, it seems like a good performance, but in reality Pune failed to score even when they had an upper hand. They scored 11 goals in all, while conceding seven, compared to Atletico de Kolkata, who scored 12 goals and conceded five.

POOR AWAY CAMPAIGN If Pune’s performance at home was average, their away campaign was pure disaster. The team failed to click on unfamiliar grounds and couldn’t even earn a three-pointer in seven matches. Five losses and two draws were

Kenyan powerhouse to lead Pune Marathon Seoul International Marathon Sylvester Teimet gets top billing in men’s full marathon

“Indian cricket must reintroduce its children to the game and its magic all over again. They are a very, very serious audience.”

— Rahul Dravid, Former Indian Cricketer

Kenya dominated as they got top five billings.

Ace runner Hellen Kimutai (38) will spearhead the challenge. She has won team gold medal race at the 1993 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and is winner of 2005 Milan Marathon and 2007 San Diego Marathon, followed by Vienna City Marathon in 2009. She have maintain her career graph and the mother of four children with her husband Kenneth Kibet.

LALITA AS EVENT AMBASSADOR India’s latest running sensation Lalita Babar will be the face of the marathon. Lalita, who qualified to represent India in the Rio Olympics is among the world’s best steeplechase runners.

She recently set new course record for Indian women with a win in the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon in Delhi. She clocked a blistering 1:10:52 to win fi rst place among Indians.

“I am thrilled to be face of Pune Marathon where my running career grown. The event has provided me crucial support at the right time to enable me to pursue my Olympics ambitions.

I urge all to come out and participate in large number in the marathon” said Lalita. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Lalita Babar

enough to taint Pune’s show in the second edition of the league. To make matters worse, they conceded 15 goals and scored just six, whittling down their chances of getting into the last four.

“It’s gone, nothing that we can do about it.

If you concede four times, it does not matter how many times you hit the woodwork. When you concede so many goals, you cannot win games. It’s goals that change games,” said Platt, after their 1-4 defeat against Kolkata.

UNIMPRESSIVE MARQUEE PLAYER Romanian forward Adrian Mutu replaced David Trezeguet as the marquee player for David Platt’s men. FC Pune City relied heavily on their marquee player, but to their dismay the striker wasn’t close to his best. He appeared in nine matches, and scored just nine goals, despite 21 shots on goal. The former Chelsea striker wasn’t at his best and looked short of match fitness and didn’t look sharp in most matches.

He grabbed the limelight against Goa, where his brilliant equaliser in injury time saved the blushes for the home team.

OVER PROTECTION FC Pune City boss David Platt intended to keeping his players fresh and injury free.

“It’s going to be difficult to play 14 games in 61 days because it will obviously take a toll on the players’ physical state. But this time around, we have a good depth of squad, so it should be

Garden City League is back with a bang TGS NEWS NETWORK @TGSWeekly The 5th edition of Garden City Premier League (GCPL) Cricket Tournament kicked off with a gala welcome ceremony at Aditya Garden City at Warje.

The enthusiasm of residents, sponsors and team players was at its peak, as team captains walked down the red carpet on to the stage with their individual team songs playing in the background.

This year, about 300 participants in 35 teams, including various categories like senior citizens, men, women, sub-junior boys, junior boys and junior girls are taking part in this mega event. Over 41 matches will be played in two weekends. All the teams are working up a sweat and practicing the game in every nook and corner of the complex and around it.

A total of 16 internal sponsors from Aditya Garden City are supporting this event and in view of its popularity, outside sponsors have been lured in without any special efforts. This year also the cup title sponsorship is retained by Indotech Industries.

The fifth edition will see some famous personalities from the sport, such as Manju Puranik and Sonia Dabir-Tanksale, who represent India. Moreover, for the first time, online scoring technology will be used for accuracy, while spectator stands are being constructed on either side of the playing area.

This year, GCPL is going to be a proud supporter of the NAAM Foundation and will raise funds for the drought-hit farmers. The final of the tournament will take place on December 13. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

alright,” he had said before the tournament. But the coach tinkered with the squad significantly in every game. Still, English left-back Nicky Shorey was over-worked and even defenders Gouramangi Singh and Dharmaraj Ravanan also played back-to-back games. But, Turkish talisman Tuncay Sanli didn’t step on to the ground in some crucial ties.

FAN SUPPORT FC Pune’s CEO Gaurav Modwel doubled his efforts to reach out to the fans in the city and make his team a brand in this sportscrazy city. Compared to last year, there were more fans, but nothing compared to the fans’ support for the other teams in the league.

As one avid fan rightly said, Pune lost their off-field campaign too.

“Though they spent a few bucks on marketing and branding, it was way short of the other teams. Kolkata brought Pele for their match, while Delhi invested heavily in the league. Kerala, North East and Goa made their presence with huge fan followings. Pune had nothing of this sort. The city wasn’t really painted in purple and orange. The crowd at Shiv Chhatrapati sports complex in Balewadi never crossed the 9000 mark, whereas other city enjoyed a massive crowds of 30-35,000, and Kolkata had 60,000 for their opening match. Even in media coverage, FC Pune City was nowhere to seen,” he said. ashish.phadnis@goldensparrow.com

Pune aim for happy ending today The David Platt-led team will be looking for a consolation win in their last league match against Chennaiyin FC at Shiv Chhatrapati sports complex, Balewadi on Saturday. Though, Pune’s challenge has come to an end earlier after their 2-3 loss against North East United FC in Guwahati, their performance in the match can change a few equations.

If FCPC wins their last home match against Chennaiyin, they will clear the way for North East into the semis. On the other hand, even a draw is welcome for Chennaiyin who are just one point behind the Highlanders (North East). From 14 matches, North East has earned 20 points, while Chennaiyin is on 19 points, but with a better goal difference (+9), they have a better chance. Now, it all depends on FC Pune City, and their boss Platt had indicated their inclination.

“North East have got themselves into the fourth place and it’s up to us on Saturday to do something that keeps them there. But we would not do it for North East, we will do it for ourselves,” said Platt in a post-match conference in Guwahati.

Pune FC triumph to remain in top spot Colts register a 4-0 win over Kenkre FC in I-league Maharashtra Zone encounter TGS NEWS NETWORK @TGSWeekly Pune FC maintained their top spot in the standings with a dominant 4-0 win over Kenkre FC in an Under-18 I-League Maharashtra Zone Round-6 encounter at the Cooperage Football Ground in Mumbai.

A brace from striker Lalawmpuia (44th & 51st minutes) along with goals from attacker Chesterpaul Lyngdoh (34th) and substitute Amos Lalnienga (76th) culminated in Pune FC’s fi fth win of the campaign. With this win, Pune FC (16 pts, GD +33) maintained their top position ahead of second placed DSK Shivajians (16 pts, GD +29) in the Maharashtra Zone.

Going into the game, Pune FC Coach Naushad Moosa made three changes handing starts to Rajat Kumar, Md Yasir and Omega Vanlalhruaitluanga. The fi rst half saw Pune FC completely dominate proceedings with a number of attacks in the opening quarter.

In fact, wingers Sannik Murmu, Omega and striker Chesterpaul were all denied by the same vertical post on the left.

Pune FC finally broke the deadlock in the 34th minute after some good team work.

Skipper Dimple Bhagat switched play from left to right while pushing forward, finding winger Sannik Murmu on the flank. Sannik cut back to Chesterpaul inside the box and the diminutive forward delayed his shot to avoid multiple slides before finally smashing home.

Having scored, Pune FC increased their

Pune FC’s Lalawmpuia (L) is being congratulated by his teammates after completing a brace

pressure and attacked the rival goal ferociously going close on a few occasions. Ten minutes later, Pune FC’s pressure yielded another goal when Lalawmpuia got on the scoresheet.

In an identical move to the fi rst goal, Dimple switched play from left to right to find Sannik, who in turn found defender Sebastian Thangmuansang clear outside the box on the right. He curled in a perfect ball which was headed home by Lalawmpuia to give Pune FC a two-goal cushion going into the breather.

At the start of the second half, Coach Moosa brought in striker Amos Lalnienga to replace Omega. The move paid off as he created Pune FC’s third six minutes after the restart.

Amos dispossessed an opponent before sending Lalawmpuia through who managed to hold off a couple of challenges before netting his second. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com