Martyr's Nephew Extends Hand For Martyr

Kiranjeet Singh, nephew of Bhagat Singh, wrote a letter to district collector of Pune on December 6. In the letter, he reminded the administration that during the same time of Rajguru's birth centenary, the nation celebrated Bhagat Singh's birth centenary in 2007-08. To commemorate it, a national memorial at Martyr's Samadhi at Ferozpur and a memorial costing Rs 18.50 Crores at Khatkarkalan and a 18 ft high statue in the premises of Lok Sabha were erected. A museum is also in the making. It contrasted with what was going on at Rajgurunagar.

"Recently I am shocked and pained to see the news reports that proposed memorial of Rajguru has been delayed due to many controversies and red tapism. So I wish to offer our services to build a befitting memorial of Hutatma Rajguru. We (Bhagat Singh's family) would like to complete this task with our efforts and public co-operation with social organisations and like minded people,” the letter said. Singh has also asked the permission to “undo the injustice done to the memory of a martyr of Rajguru's stature.”

Sanjay Nahar, president of Sarhad, who referred the issue to Kiranjeet Singh told Pune Mirror, “Bhagat Singh's brother Sardar Kultar Singh went to Rajgurunagar some years ago. Then he expressed his wish to erect a memorial. But he was told that government is building it. Then he donated Rs 25,ooo to Rajguru College's library. After his demise, Kiranjeet Singh, was shocked to know the sorry state of affairs. He then showed readiness to contribute to building the memorial with Sarhad and other organisations.”

Story in Pune Mirror

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After Chavan, Who?

Ashok Shankarrao Chavan is unarguably in the midst of worst crisis of his tenure as the chief minister of Maharashtra. The political pundits have already written his government’s obituary. It is only an impending visit of US president Barack Obama that has helped his survive at least for a week. The Indian National Congress cannot change the Maharashtra CM just before the US president’s visit to Mumbai, where the latter is to visit Hotel Taj.

What a coincidence it is, that it was political developments after the devastation of Taj that Chavan was catapulted to his present post. Till then, he kept a low profile in the state cabinet and working as minister of revenue, cultural affairs among other departments. When 26/11 happened, then CM Vilasrao Deshmukh showed lack of regard to the heightened sentiments of the common people and had to go when, in a utter disregard of political correctness, he visited Taj along with film producer Ram Gopal Verma.

Now, the same Taj has helped him retain in the chair at least for a week and there are slight indications that he may manage to evade the axe. The Congress has little choice in Maharashtra to replace Chavan. All the contenders of the post have inherent deficiencies, which can hardly be overlooked. For example, Narayan Rane, who has seldom hidden his aspirations for the post and went on the launch a little rebel against high command in New Delhi when denied the chance last time, was a strong candidate. But the timing of Chavan’s crisis went against him since he is already embroiled in controversy of land grabbing in Mahabaleshwar.

Rane is alleged to have helped his wife buy a plot in Mahabaleshwar, which falls under green zone. The recent controversy involving his son, Nitesh, is too fresh in the public memory. Nitesh was alleged to have fired gun shots at Chintu Shaikh, his former aide in Swabhiman Sanghatana. Rane had a hard time defending his and Ritesh’s position in case then. It was only when home department under R. R. Patil of Nationalist Congress Party gave a clean chit to Nitesh that the issue died down. But with allegation flying so fast, it is next to impossible for Congress to install Rane in Chavan’s chair. After all, what is the use of removing one tainted CM for another tainted one?

The same is the case with other contenders. Vilasrao Deshmukh and Sushilkumar Shinde, both former ministers and now union ministers, figure in the Adarsh Society scandal. Their name is automatically deleted from the list of possible CMs. Also in Shinde’s case, the situation becomes more at odd since his daughter, Praniti, is sitting MLA. Beyond them, the Maharashtra Congress has no real leader to reach to state audience. In this critical situation, the party would not like to install someone like Patangrao Kadam, known for his sharp tongue and rustic manners.

Fortunately for Congress, the seat arithmetic is in its favour. Therefore, it has little to worry about the nuisance from his alliance partner NCP. Previously, NCP had claimed CM’s chair many a times, since it had more MLAs. However, in the last election, the tide turned to Congress side and it has got an upper hand. This has silenced the Sharad Pawar-led party, effectively putting the onus of appointing new leader on Congress only.

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Thackerey Feud Brings Firecrackers Before Diwali

The citizens of Maharashtra are witnessing a dazzling show of firecrackers full weeks ahead of Diwali. The show, which can beat a laser show in any case, is taking during Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation election where two branches of Thackerey family are letting no stone unturned in their verbal assault.

Balasaheb Thackerey, original doyen of Marathi politics, hit out at his now famous nephew, whom he himself has mentored over last four decades, set the ball rolling. The senior Thackerey, unambiguously referred as Tiger in Maharashtra, lashed out at Raj Thackerey, who is son of Balasaheb's younger brother Shrikant. Apparently, the senior tiger is unhappy that the cub he fostered over the years severed his ties and chose to led his own party. Not only did Raj took his own paths, he chose own destinations and ways to tread it.

Unfortunately enough, the ways of tiger and his foster cub crossed creating obvious conflict. The cub tiger did not want to serve one who, in former's eyes, is incapable of doing justice to the agenda of the party. Matters became worse for senior one when the cub inherited all mannerisms, roaring and all, from his mentor. Tiger's own son skipped those lessons during adolescence and claimed his place when the fostered cub was about to take to throne.

When people of Maharashtra took liking to roaring of Raj during two subsequent elections in state last year, it was but only an inference that Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena will have to slug it out to became the alternative party to Congress and National Congress Party. The signs were visible much earlier but the reading on the wall became legible only after 13 candidates entered the legislative assembly of Maharashtra in October last year. This was the background when Bal Thackerey hit out at Raj saying that 'he copies me. The mannerisms and copying are not the only things. There must be thought, philosophy.'

Miffed by his uncle's attack, Raj did what he refrained from doing for last four years, when he finally parted ways with his previous party. Known for his incisive tongue, Raj had restrained from putting Balasaheb at the gunpoint. 'He is deity to me and my fight is not with him, but with the middlemen around him,' he had insisted saying this for all these years. But after the sharp criticism from his uncle at Dussehara rally in Mumbai, he could not hold himself more. He opened fire at the man who, as Raj himself proclaimed even during the volcano-type eruption, was and is most venerable for him.

'Why is he repeating the same things over and over again? It is a plain fact that I was suffocating in the party. I did not have any rights. Some people assumed authority because of which I left Shiv Sena,' he pleaded in his characteristic style in front of two lakh people who gathered to listen him. In the history of municipal elections in Maharashtra, any public rally with that much size is called huge. Two lakhs people coming to a meeting for municipal election was never heard before. Added to that, the cheering and clapping from the people must have raised the spirits of MNS candidates.

When Raj put aside his oath and targeted Balasaheb Thackerey, it was but given that the diatribe would be aptly replied. And it was so. Raj's cousin and Balasaheb's own son, Uddhav, came out in open to verbally assault the MNS leader referring to Mahabharata. It was after all Uddhav, who is blamed by Raj as well as Narayan Rane, for meddling in Shiv Sena and deliberately reducing the two to their size. Both Raj and Rane attribute their desertion from Shiv Sena to Uddhav's high handedness, keeping their regard for Balasaheb intact. This gives enough reasons to Uddhav, more known for his skills in photography, to have personal grudge against the former two.

Uddhav, even though lacking in the as hardihood as Raj, targeted him saying all the obvious things. He tried to create an emotional flutter in his audience, which is forte of Shiv Sena over last five decades, saying he would not tolerate anything said against his father. Here, one was tempted to point to an episode in Maharashtra polity when the government contemplated arresting Bal Thackerey about two years ago. In his unmistakable style, Raj''s jumped the bandwagon and threatened to 'raise a hellstorm' if anyone touched Shiv Sena chief. Uddhav, through the party's mouthpiece, Saamana, had hit out at him and had said Shiv Sena is capable of defending its chief.

The same leader is now resorting to same statements. These firecrackers are adding element to otherwise a minuscule and dull election for the election of Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation.

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Who Will Head Congress Now?

With the recent expose of Maharashtra State Congress chief Manikrao Thakre taking money from ministers and Chief Minister himself, the issue of appointing a new state congress president has taken curious turn. The issue was deliberated by Congress president Sonia Gandhi at a meeting with senior party leaders yesterday.

Maharashtra Congress has already authorised her to nominate the new PCC chief. Manikrao Thakre, who is eyeing a re-election to the post or a ministerial birth, was seen discussing collection of funds from Congress Ministers in Maharashtra for Sonia's rally in Sewagram yesterday. 'CM Ashok Chavan has no willingness to part with money,' was caught saying on camera after a press conference.

The controversy has deteriorated his chances of re-election and automatically makes him out of contest for ministerial berth. The Opposition has attacked the Congress over the issue and demanded a judicial probe into the alleged fund collection by Maharashtra Congress leaders.

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Bad Voyage For ST Buses

The hike in fares of State Transport buses has come as a real shocker in Maharashtra. The ST buses, marked by their red colour, are considered as common man’s vehicle for inter-city transport. The ST corporation, which manages the passenger transport in state, has introduced new fares from this month. Obviously, the public which was already reeling under the weight of inflation, has to bear additional burden, detrimental to the economy of the state. In all possibility, it might encourage illegal and worse, dangerous clandestine transport by private vehicles. It is a known fact that ST buses reach out to the most far away villages and hamlets in state, which are hitherto never approached by any other public transport utility.

The fares have been hiked by four per cent especially at a bad time. This is festival season in Maharashtra. The Ganesh festival has just concluded but Navratri, Dasara and Diwali are in the queue. The demand for oil, vegetables, cooking gas and other commodities touch a new high in this time. This is second fare hike of buses within six months. With this, the Maharashtra State Transport Corporation has become costliest public transport utility in India.

It might be interesting to see why ST buses have to undergo the hike in fares each time there is a hike in fuel prices, alienating its loyal passengers. The biggest detriment for the buses proves to be toll collection at booths, which is in place for a decade now. The government vehicles, including that of legislators, parliamentarians etc., are exempted from the toll charges. The same concession is not given to ST buses who have to shell out about Rs 200 Crores as toll charges on all roads in the Maharashtra. Then, the corporation pays Rs 700 per year to state government in the form of passenger tax.

About 40 per cent of ST corporation’s revenue is spent on paying salaries and conveyances of its staff. Another major portion is spent on purchase of fuels. Since the government of India has deregularised petroleum prices, the fluctuation in prices have become a routine affair. Another bane prove to be large number of concessions offered to passengers. The accredited journalists get 100 per cent rebate while senior citizens get 50 per cent off on ticket prices. Students are given likewise passes for monthly travel. Since majority of passengers, who are supposed to pay regular prices, prefer private buses, trains or own vehicles, the revenues have seen downward trend. Even when the revenue went up thanks to the hiked prices, profit margin of the corporation has never reached satisfactory level in the last two decades.

In this situation, it is really sad that the ST corporation choses to increase the burden on passengers instead of thinking of novel ways to pile up its revenues.

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A Division To Unite India

The decision by the Allahabad High Court to divide the disputed site at Ayodhya into three parts is rightly contested on the legal ground by experts. The legal pundits have pointed out the brazen attempt by the court to arrive at a consensus through dividing the land, trying in the process not to offend anybody even remotely associated with the issue.

Since 1986, when then union government under Rajiv Gandhi allowed pooja to be performed in the disputed structure at Ayodhya, the issue has taken so many turns, many a times with disastrous consequences, that the court tried to do what the political mandarins in New Delhi should have done long ago. It is highly possible that what the three justice bench delivered was, in fact, a magical concoction exquisitely made by the political parties in the countries. The nature of verdict and a not so hidden ploy to doling out something to all involved parties gives away enough hints of how the rival political parties put their formula to their audiences through the mouth of High Court, which has not yet eroded its credibility compared to other pillars of governance in country.

If that is so, let us think who could have played big role in shaping the formula and to what length. Whenever the word Babri mosque is uttered, the party which develops coldest feet is Congress. After all, it was during its regime that the lock to the disputed structure was opened. It was Congress ruling the country when the structure was razed to ground by the thousands of karsevaks in 1992 with exceptional exhibitionism. The plank handed out unknowingly by Congress was held by Bharatiya Janata Party nicely and the party built a career out of it. Hence, it was hardly surprising that Congress would held the wrath of Lord Rama as chief reason why it was sent to eight years of vavaas (living in jungles away from comforts) when BJP ruled the country.

Therefore, it was only obvious that Congress was extra careful not to give a slight impression that the verdict went against a community. Its nationwide presence made it hard to alienate Hindus; and it could ill-afford to anger Muslims, who helped it regain power decades after decade and showed what their displeasure meant for the party during 1993-2004 when Congress was left in shambles. The assembly elections in Bihar and next year's elections in Uttar Pradesh put it in a compromising position.

When Congress had a windfall of seats after last year's parliamentary elections in UP, Rahul Gandhi was touted as the heir apparent. Had the result alienated any of the community and it would wreck the party's possibility of regaining lost fortune there, Rahul's leadership would have been in jeopardy. Party's fight in UP, from where majority of parliamentarians come, is with Bahujan Samaj Party and not with BJP. Hence, it was easily possible for Congress to tacitly join hands with BJP for a compromise. Within hours after the judgment, chief minister of UP Mayawati came out before media and tactfully tried to put union government in a tight corner, indicating the larger fights in UP. Today, Mulayam Singh Yadav, leader of Samajawadi Party is also crying against the order because of the same equations.

On the government front, Congress is facing harsh problems like Kashmir, Telangana, the Commonwealth Games fiasco and many more. To add an inflaming issue like this would have made the tasks infinitely difficult for the party and government to handle.

Meanwhile, BJP had also many points to score here. After fall of Babri Mosque on Dec. 6, 1992, the party was brandished as a militant party. Six years of governance that it enjoyed did little to improve its image in polity. On the contrary, the riots in 2002 in Gujarat further damaged its reputation. Even though the legal battle for Ram Janmabhoomi was fought by many parties at many levels, it was BJP under Lal Krishna Advani which brought the issue to centre of national debates. The court's judgment allowed the party not only to portray itself as a law abiding and constitution loving party, but also gives elbow room to reach out to Muslims.

BJP's attempts in the past to salvage its image, like Jinnah episode, had immense repercussions. These attempts even alienated the 35 years old party from its patron organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. For the BJP, accepting the court's verdict was a chance to raise its image into national politics, and it did not miss that. The statements by BJP leaders and RSS chief and Congress leaders sounded same for ears. That was hardly a coincidence.

For the Muslims, the verdict had little consequence. The mosque in the past belonged to Shia sect. The case was being fought by Sunni Wakf Board. That itself lent less credibility to the party. After the court order, it retained 1/3 of the land, which was enough for it. Also, it has option to go to Supreme Court and stretch the issue for years. Had the court favoured its arguments and gave the land to it, still it was not in a position to build new mosque there. 

Though the court has divided the land at Ayodhya and it is sort of a political settlement, the nation has and must welcome it. The court has appreciated the reality and it is time we must do so.

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Communities Have To Come Out Of Shells

Recent arrest of Himayat Baig, a Muslim youth in connection with the German Bakery blast has again put the Muslim community in city under scanner. Muslims in Pune have hitherto been living peacefully without any type of scrutiny. The past record of the community also served as a substantial reason for it to mingle with others just as any other community lives. But all this changes two years ago, when Mansoor Peerbhoy, a software engineer was picked up by the Anti-Terrorist Squad in connection with bomb blast in July 2008.

Since then, three young members from Muslim community have fell into police net. After Peerbhoy, Mohsin Chaudhary, a young graduate from Kondhwa made his way into police records as involved in terrorist activities. Himayat made it a hat-trick of sorts.

Himayat's arrest came as a stark contrast to the efforts put up by the Muslims in Pune. Just some months before Peerbhoy was arrested in blast case, Muslim scholars from all over Maharashtra gathered in Pune to deliberate the issue of extremism in Islam. 'Terrorism is anti-Islamic,' proclaimed the scholars.

A Muslim organisation in Pune had taken the initiative to repeat what was hailed as the historic declaration in Deoband in February 2008. An anti-terrorism conference took place in the city. The conference saw many scholars and activists from Muslim community debating the issue deeply.

All Maharashtra Rabta Madaarise Dinia, Pune was the organization which had organized that one day conference. However, it seem some community members have not received the message from that conference. It is upto the community now to take the initiative further.

On this background, it was reassuring that the Pune witnessed an all faith meeting. The meeting was conducted in a Ganesh pandal, which makes it more special. In view of eagerly awaited judgment from Allahabad High Court, the leaders from all communities appealed their respective members to keep calm, whichever way the verdict comes. Pune needs such initiatives.

The communities have to shed their shells and come out in open. In an ideal society, the communities should take backseat and rational or practical thinking should the driver engine. However, it goes without saying that our society is far from being like that. So the building of bridges should be taken into hand by the community leaders. Fortunately, Pune has a history of comfortable co-living, allowing a beneficial dialogue between the groups. We should expect more such initiatives in future, then.

Specially in this environment where a mere rumours about impending court orders are enough to ignite passions, sending government and administrations into frenzy, it is especially binding on the learned ones to come forward and establish an orders in seemingly disordered matters of faith.

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Democracy- A Forgotten Procedure

Sometimes, I am tempted to say that not many people truly like the idea that India is a democratic country. India may have a constitution proclaiming the virtues of the democratic system, but the general tendency of the populace is directly opposing to the spirit of the democracy. Chief among them are the coteries within political parties who benefit most from such a system.

Take for instance recent developments in the Maharashtra congress. A new head of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee is to be chosen by the partymen as Manikrao Thakare, present president has completed his term of two years. The Committee members gathered two days ago in Mumbai to arrive upon a name to head the state unit of the party which is enjoying power at center as well as in state for almost a decade. (The Congress lead government at center completed one full term and is into its second year of existence. )

However, the partymen chose not to tread the path which obliged them to exercise their own intellect. Instead of deciding a leader as president of the MPCC from among a plethora of candidates, the politicians relegated their voting powers to Sonia Gandhi, the national president of the party. The resolution to this effect was approved by the newly elected district presidents of the party.

Evidently, the party leasers to not think it necessary to follow democratic procedures to elect their president even at state level, let alone national level. It is funny how these same people go to public at the time of elections to legislature and parliament. We have come to accept this as a routing fact of social life. Voters even have forgotten to find any flaw in the system. Appointment has replaced the election and favour has replaced popularity. It is hardly surprising then that those at the helm do not necessarily find themselves figured in the popularity charts. And people hardly find their 'chosen ones' representing them at the important affairs. This is current affair of our state!

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Less Sympathy For Chandrababu This Time Around

Not many days have passed since Chandrababu Naidu staged a brilliant political drama in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. He brought an entire entourage of his party, Telugu Desam, legislators and workers first in Nanded district. He was arrested and later shifted to Aurangabad where he continued his theatrics in true blood AP politics style.

What Naidu did at that point of time, just days ahead to by-elections for 12 seats in Telangana area of Andhra Pradesh, was widely perceived as his bid to regain foothold in the border line area adjacent to Maharashtra. As Telangana is poised to get statehood sooner or later, Naidu could scarcely afford to miss presence of his party in the new state. Hence, the issue of Babli dam issue proved handy to him.

Alas! Naidu's gameplan did not worked out the way he liked it to be. TDP was routed in the ensuing by-elections. Still, the opposition leader in AP Legislative Assembly must be commended for his guts to take on a mighty ruling party like Congress head on.

However, the modern leader who once pioneered IT revolution in India failed to gain a place among the pro-Telangana workers. The fact is underlined before us with an attack on Naidu's convoy in Rangareddy district today. The pro-Telangana activists attacked his convoy.

Why I reminded of the drama Naidu created last month at the start of this article? It is because Naidu will get no sympathy from people of Maharashtra this time around. Just six years ago, Naidu's convoy was attacked by Naxalite extremists en route Tirupati. He was Chief Minister of AP then. At the time, there was widespread affinity in Maharashtra for a daring leader who heralded new techniques and means for the benefit of the people.

But the TDP chief has diluted much of the appreciation because of his misadventure last month. The Marathi media hardly take note of this incident in positive light.

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Ignorant Lot Make Insensitive Statements

Where ignorance is bliss, it is folly to be wise. And where ignorant lot is given celebrity status, it is more so. Movie stars and Bollywood artists, who has become dear to media across the sub-continent were never famous for informed pronouncements. So it was hardly surprising when Salman Khan, least of all the uninformed and put-your-foot-in-mouth brigade went public with his completely misplace statements. Salman's statement is politically incorrect to the core, but what adds gravity of the situation is the fact is he spoke to a Pakistani channel.

It did not required a pundit to predict the uproar from all political quarters after the actor spoke what he should not have. Salman is notorious for being in soup many times on earlier occasions. A man who was accused of creating nuisance at his lover's house, making scene with colleagues at pub and most of all alleged to have killed deers while shooting for a film-is not expected to study the situation prior and after to 26/11 in Mumbai. The Pakistani media persons did their job skillfully. Now asking for an apology will do little good to Salman's image, adding one more embarrassment to his already overflowing repertoire.

During an interview to a Pakistani channel, Salman said that the 26/11 attacks were hyped up because "elite people" were targeted.

"It was the elite that was targeted this time. Five-star hotels and all. So, they panicked. Then, they got up and spoke about it. My question is why not before. Attacks have happened in trains and small towns too, but no one talked about it so much," Salman reportedly told Pakistan's Express 24/7 channel in an interview.

Salman's comments have been described as "anti-national" by parties like the Shiv Sena. Maharashtra's Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and Deputy Chief Minister Chagan Bhujbal, who will usually avoid making any comments where a Muslim actor is involved, spoke this time explicitly. According to Chavan,

“It doesn't matter whether a big or small person has died. It's very serious matter for the country when somebody loses his life in a militant attack. We need to work together to root out terrorism.”

Bhujbal, who called the statement "uninformed", was more to the point. He said:

"He is an actor. He does not have the information to make a comment on whether the Pakistani govt was involved or not. People travelling in taxis, constables, waiters, hotel workers, all lost their lives in the attacks."

Shiv Sena was more vociferous in its reaction, being a flag bearer of Hindu ideology. Party leader Sanjay Raut said,

The 26/11 attacks were a war against the nation. Salman should apologise for his remarks. Ambani was not staying at the CST, nor was Tata or Birla staying in Cama Lane

The Bharatiya Janata Party also criticised Khan for his unwanted comments. Ravi Shankar Prasad, BJP spokesperson, said:

26/11 attack was an attack on India. We cannot forget that Indian citizens were killed. This was not a small issue for Salman Khan to comment. This was an attack meticulously planned by Pakistan.

Special Prosecutor in 26/11 trial, Ujwal Nikam, described Khan's statement as naive.

It appears that without knowing the details of the terror attack, the actor made such statements," said Nikam, adding, "I shall say these are childish remarks. They (terrorists) don't make any distinction between rich and poor. It is judicially established that the outcome was a deep routed criminal conspiracy hatched in Pakistan and the targets were deliberately selected to wage war against India.

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The Shocking Announcement …In More Sense Than One

On the eve of the Ganesh festival in Maharashtra, the police, Chief Minister and media all have come with this 'shocking' announcement…that two terrorists are roaming in the street and cause havoc. Now in a state where a history-sheeter with two criminal cases against his name and known links with banned outfit Students Islamic of India can roam freely for two years, it is not a news that two terrorists have arrived in Mumbai in a bid to carry out their violent plans.

Joint Police Commissioner Himanshu Roy told reporters that intelligence reports received by the police and state home department said the pair -- said to be a Bangladeshi and a Pakistani -- entered Mumbai sometime ago.

The police fear that the two may carry out attacks during the Ganesh festival, which is celebrated in Mumbai and rest of Maharashtra on a grand scale.

What was more dreadful for me was the manner in which the officials went public with the information which, as has come out, seems little helping towards nabbing the terrorists. Probably the administration was buoyed by the success in arresting two main conspirators in German Bakery blast cast, as was claimed just a day ago by the same police. Now if the officials could carry out that operation with such swift and silent moves, what stopped them from doing same in this case?

Exactly what type of precaution did the officials wanted the public to take while issuing the alert to citizens in this manner. Does the administration think that their alert will be consumed only by common public and not the men whom they are searching or who have given them the shelter? If they want to create panic, they have succeeded. Alert citizens are not made through panicky notifications. They are made through the consistent efforts, which sadly lacked all through these years.

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Inducing Them For Sycophancy

As he is a scion of the Gandhi family which has inherited a vast political legacy in the country, Rahul Gandhi was all in his right when he appealed the 1200-odd students gathered in front of him to join politics. Probably he was putting forth his own model as the one who has stepped in the widely perceived murkier field, when he could have easily chased brighter avenues. Add to this two most cruel sacrifices coming from his nearest ones. However, his message does not hold enough merit to attract the innumerable young persons in the country, who throng to in vogue areas like information technology, in a bid to attain the best possible lifestyle which was hitherto a dream for most part of the immediate history when Rahul’s party Congress, or his family members to be precise, ruled the country.

Rahul said, politics can bridge the gap between communities. This is a oft repeated sentence. But unfortunately, like a coin which has lived too long bearing the market forces, it has also worn out of its existence. There is hardly any field in country more divisive than the politics is. Rahul’s own party has consistently showed its preference for minorities, read Muslims, resulting in the alienation of Hindus from it. This gave rise to Bharatiya Janata Party, which enjoyed power for six years and became the only non-Congress party so far to have that long stint in New Delhi. More than that, the most important question one can pose is this – is the political environment in the country conductive enough for new and young entrants? Just recently, Rahul’s mother Sonia got elected to the post of party president. How many in Congress party itself remembered Jitendra Prasad, a politician from Uttar Pradesh, who was only one to challenge Sonia for the same post in 1998-99. He was washed away into the oblivion after the unsuccessful attempt, that nobody again dared to repeat the feat. Sycophancy reigns supreme in all political parties in India, it is the only currency in Congress market. By cashing this currency, the political posts are brought as is seen by almost each level of organization and power occupied by offspring of political leaders.

As Rahul himself admitted, he got so far just because he has Gandhi tag on him. Can the same privilege be claimed by innumerable youths in the country, who, god forbids, wish to join the politics? Can the same youth be ‘inspired’ to follow the path of sycophancy in lieu of their physical progress into realms of power? Unless political and social equality does not take their roots into parties, what logic allows anybody to induce a productive section of population into yoking themselves to one or other form of subjugation? The youths are performing better in whatever they do.

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Sorry Plight of Marathi Schools

Two separate agitations in two different cities in Maharashtra have brought to fore the sorry state of Marathi schools in the state. In an year when the state is celebrating 50 years of its formation, the government apathy is killing the language schools in favour of the English schools. The action of the government is in stark contrast to the numerous promises it has offered to public, both before and after the elections last year.

Thousands of students and teachers joined hand to protest against the closure Marathi schools on Saturday. “We have a right to learn through Marathi medium, the government can’t deny us the right to do so,” the statements written on the placards carried by students read.

The issue was first raised by Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthhi Sena, student wing of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. The porganisation first objected to a Government Resolution brought out by the state government on June 19 which made running Marathi schools in the state illegal. First the government invited applications from the willing school owners for permitting the schools. When it received 9,000 applications, it conveniently allowed other schools while denying the same right to Marathi ones. Not stopping at that, it even threatened with criminal action for running schools without permission. Almost 4,000 schools all over the state are now facing the axe putting a question mark on the fate of the students.

The activists and lovers of Marathi are obviously concerned over the manner in which their schools are being sent into obscurity in a systematic manner. The Chief Minister himself and his council apparently have misplaced their priorities. In a state where 13 members of legislature have been elected on a strong linguist agenda and rejuvenation of the Marathi culture is evident everywhere, symptoms of Macaulay's mentality will be hard to digest. It comes as no surprise then that the opposition is growing stronger day by day against government policy. The state government will have to mend his ways.

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Politics of Settlement

Settlement has become the catchword of the Maharashtra politics nowadays. The thing was part of the political manners for a long period, probably dating back to pre-independence era. However, the personalities involved in the process always tried to avoid the utterances which might give any clue to this thing.

On this backdrop, it was surprising when Sharad Pawar, a veteran of settlementalsim went public with his displeasure over how 'some opposition members are blackmailing builders, threatening them with raising questions in legislature and thereby arriving at settlements'. Having spent his almost five decades of political career in more than three parties, forging alliances with thrice that number parties and boasting of innumerable friends in various political parties as well as businessmen, Pawar is undoubtedly a seasoned player in the way the settlements are done.

To take an example, one can remember how Chhagan Bhujbal, the lone Shiv Sena legislator in Assembly during late 80s fought single handedly against the illegal sale of 289 land plots all over the state. Bhujbal raised a storm of protest which has damaged Pawar's image, putting a stigma of 'land shark' which has refused to leave him since then. Pawar managed a Houdini act of political settlement when he brought Bhujbal into his fold just two years later. The latter has become a stauch loyal foot soldier of Pawar since then and continue to enjoy fruits of power till today.

On this backdrop, Pawar's statement drew a lot of criticism, which he intended, from the opposition quarters. Eknath Khadse, leader of opposition in Legislative Assembly, was at the forefront. Khadse has raised many issues pertaining to land scams in assembly, notable among them were irregularities in Lavasa and land scam at Pune.

Pawar had tried many times to repeat Bhujbal feat for Khadse but latter refused to budge. Again, NGOs and activists have shown with evidence how Pawar is involved in the Lavasa project. It was fitting then that when Pawar came up with his utterances, Uddhav Thackerey, Executive President of Shiv Sena replied him with 'a thief knows well the ways another thief uses'. It is a well observed convention in Indian polity that one politician does not reveal his cards, even after a game is over. So when Pawar disclosed the cards, it was evident that either he wants to change rules of the game, which is a Herculean task to say the least, or he simply want to dissuade others so that they are no longer interested in game.

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Festivals Are Among Our Few Healthy Signs

The mood in Pune is festive. With Krishna Ashtami tomorrow and arrival of Ganesh less than two weeks away, the rush of Ganesh Mandal workers has begun. However, as usual voices of protest against the 'pollution through jubilation' has begun already.

Citizens of Pune have tradition of raising their voices against the unnecessary noise pollution in tha name of the celebrating Ganeshotsav, which is arguably the biggest festival in the city. This tradition dates back to same era when the celebration began as an occasion to raise consciousness against British Raj. In an age when marketing consideration have taken precedence over everything else, the voices of opposition have not diminished in least.

As the economic situation of the country prospers, so does the level of enthusiasm among masses to find a way for collective recreation. Nothing can stop them. The dance, the blaring music, high walls of music, all these are only symptoms of the less sophisticated formation of the society.

People, especially the youths, seem uncontrollable when engaged in revelry. But they do so because almost all elements of Indian society vie for the pomp and superfluousness. Since the showiness is catchword of the day, it will be little wise to blame the youths for missing their ways during the festivities.

With so many problems and vices plaguing this country, it is one of the few healthy signs that so many people come together for whatever reason and indulge in non-destructive activities. On the contrary, the number of Ganesh Mandals doing one or another kind of social welfare work runs into thousands all over Maharashtra. Therefore, we should welcome, not despise the festivities.

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Another Blow To Sharad Pawar

Till Tuesday afternoon, Nationalist Congress Party supremo and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar enjoyed a week-long adventures of aggressive statements. He first ruffled some feathers in opposition parties' camps in Maharashtra. His associates and garters managed to wrest some brownie points in Pune by forcing mayor to announce that the Dadoji Konddeo statue will be removed from Lal Mahal.

However, the Supreme Court came down heavily on union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar for saying that the court's suggestion on free distribution of foodgrains to the poor was not binding on the government. Referring to media reports attributed to Pawar wherein he said that the court only made a suggestion Aug 12 and the government will consider it, an apex court bench of Justice Dalveer Bhandari and Justice Deepak Verma told Additional Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran: "Tell your minister not to make any such comment."

According to court: "What we have said is an order and not a suggestion. Let him not misunderstand our order."

This comes one day after Eknath Khadse, leader of opposition in Legislative Assembly let his tongue loose, in the same fashion as Pawar had done a day before. He went on to say that Pawar is a builder's friend and opposition will try its best to expose deals in the state done at the behest of builders. Khadse's pounding of words appears creditable since Narayan Rane, Minister of Revenue in state cabinet has openly expressed doubts over Lavasa deal. A meeting in this regard is scheduled tomorrow in Mumbai.

To add woes to Pawar's kitty is ongoing scandal involving Pakistani cricket players. Barely two months after taking over as the chief of International Cricket Council, Pawar has hand full with assignments. Seasoned politician as he is, it will be very interesting how he navigates his way through this mud.

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The Same Old Story And Meaningless Too

It is funny and at the same time distressing to point how the stories are repeated. About a year ago, I was among the reporters who reported on controversy raised by the Maratha organizations. The issue was not much different from the one which has plagued Maharashtra for over a century-the Brahmin-Maratha tussle.

Last week, the city of Pune witnessed much heartburn over the issue of a minuscule statue. “Dadoji Konddeo has no place near Shivaji,” argued the Maratha organisations. Some see in it anti-Brahminism. Some – like me – try to find strains of political overtones in the drama. I would hardly repeat the same words and sentences, eating out tons of megabytes and draining down much valuable time.

The thing forgotten here is: in a land with a known record of at least 700 years of militarism (Maharashtra), Chhatrapati Shivaji is the only unifying force. Dividing him will not make any detriment to him, but the resulting loss in our present time will do irreparable damage to ourselves.

A News Story

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Pune Needs The Ownership Answer

The citizens of the Pune are asking a question now : Who is the owner of the Pune Municipal Corporation? The corporators elected by the voters whose credentials are always under the shadow of suspicion? The public who is supposed to be king in a democratic system? This is the questions few enlightened souls in the city are asking to the functionaries who taken upon them to unquestioningly assume all authority and skip the responsibilities involved therein.

The issue came to fore when a handful of activists filed Right to Information application and unearthed data from PMC. The data clearly showed that even though the elected public representatives do not spare any attempt to scream from their rooftops on various issues in city, the same representatives more often than not skip their duty when the moment of reckoning comes.

An application filed by Sandeep Khardekar, President of Creative Foundation and city deputy chief of Bharatiya Janata Party; Vivek Velankar, founder of Sajag Nagrik Manch; Vijay Kumbhar of Surajya Sangharsh Samiti;Jugal Rathi of PMP Pravasi Manch; Suryakant Pathak of Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat and senior cartoonist Mangesh Tendulkar brought the grim picture forward. The information showed that corporators across party lines, from ruling as well as opposition benches, gave a bye to the voting on important issues as well as General Body Meeting.

The just demand by the activists and their fact-supported attack did not go down well with the political parties. Ruling Nationalist Congress Party and Congress hit back at the same activists and asked them not to meddle into their affairs. Ankush Kakde, spokesman for the NCP went on to say that, NGOs have developed the habit of targeting corporators on some issue or the other. “Citizens elect civic representatives, who are thus answerable only to the common man, and not the NGOs," was his refrain.

Aba Bagul, leader of opposition in PMC and leader of Congress as well, even went further. “NGO members should contest the civic elections and take active part in the functioning of the PMC. Only then will they know under what pressure the corporators work,” he challenged the activists. The bold statements by the political parties were hard to digest by the intelligentsia. Tendulkar, a veteran in his eighties and having experience of more than 50 years for fighting for public cause, raised the question which we have highlighted above: whose house is this anyway? According to him, ‘the time has come to ask who is the real boss here.’

The public have chosen their representatives so that they can discuss and raise the problems faced by the citizens. The representatives have not been sent their to gossip and engage in mud slinging. They were not sent to the PMC house to bargain for their ‘fare share’ of commissions in tenders issued by the civic body. The PMC has a glorious history of more than 50 years but the recent incidents have overshadowed much of that glory. One corporator (Dattatray Khade) is in jail after being convicted of murder; another one (Deepak Mankar) is facing charges of land grabbing and threatening with life. One or two another are having criminal cases pending against their names. In such a scenario, it was a welcome move on the part of some of the activists to take a bold step and unearth information. Whatever points raised till now against the corporators, they were only accusations. This time it is the data which has provided ammunition to the attack.

It will be fallacy to think that all corporators skip their duty. Far from that. Fortunately, we still have people there who care for public probity and responsibility. In this scenario, it was reassuring that corporators like Mukta Tilak and Ujjwal Keskar stood on activists’ side and rapped the parties. However, it has every possibility that this verbal duel might take turn of mud slinging. Before that happens, Pune needs this answer: whose house is this?

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Wrestling Olympian Honoured In A Way

The Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. M.S. Gill unveiling the plaque to Re-christen the Wrestling Stadium as K.D. Jadhav Stadium in the memory of Late Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav, Independent India’s first Individual Olympic medalist who won wrestling bronze Medal at 1952 Olympic Games held at Helsinki, in New Delhi on July 06, 2010. The Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Pratik Prakashbapu Patil is also seen.

The newly constructed wrestling stadium within Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium complex has been named as K.D. Jadhav Wrestling Stadium in the memory of late Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav. The formal ceremony of renaming by Dr. M.S. Gill, Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports took place in New Delhi yesterday. Jadhav was independent India's first individual Olympic medalist , when he won the wrestling bronze medal at the 1952 Olympic Games held at Helsinki. He was awarded Arjuna Award posthumously in 2000. Pratik Prakashbapu Patil, Minister of State of Youth Affairs & Sports , several sports persons and senior officials of the sports ministry were present on the occasion.

Ranjeet Khashaba Jadhav son of Late K.D. Jadhav was present on the occasion. He was felicitated by Dr. Gill with a shawl, silver plaque in appreciation and recognition of achievements of his illustrious father. He was also given Rs. 3.00 lakh from National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons.

Khashaba Jadhav remained the only individual medal winner for India at the Olympics for nearly half a century till Leander Paes won a bronze in 1996. Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav (January 15, 1925 – August 14, 1984) was widely known as 'Pocket Dynamo'. He

was born in Goleshwar in Satara district in a poor family. His nick name was Anna. His father’s name was Dadasaheb Jadhav and his mother’s name was Putli Bai. They were four brothers and three sisters.

Hailing from a wrestling background, Jadhav was an ardent fan of sports, mainly wrestling, kabaddi, running, swimming and others. His father, a wrestler himself taught Jadhav about the sport and despite being the youngest in the family managed to grasp the game and outclassed everyone. Gradually he began emerging as undisputed wrestler in the area and soon was competing in national events. Jadhav was flat footed, which made him different from other wrestlers of his time. English coach Rees Gardner saw this trait in him and trained him prior to 1948 Olympic games.

He started his wrestling competitions from State Championship by winning Gold medal followed by All India Inter-University Gold medal and then gold medal in National Championship in 52 kg weight category. In the 1948 London Olympics, he participated in the flyweight category finishing sixth. He defeated wrestlers from Australia, United States of America, Canada and Mexico in the first four rounds and in the fifth round he lost to two Wrestler from Iran, getting sixth position.

Four years later, before the selection for Helsinki Olympics, Jadhav alleged that nepotism among officials prevented him from getting selected for the Olympics. According to him, they intentionally gave him one point less than the eventual winner at the Madras Nationals thereby ruling him out of the Olympics. He did not bow down to corrupt officialdom and appealed to Maharaja of Patiala seeking justice. Fortunately the Maharaja of Patiala loved sports, saw his point, and arranged his entry in Olympic trials where he floored his opponent and won an entry in the Olympics.

Now Jadhav faced his next set of problems. He had to arrange for money for his travel to Helsinki. Even the principal of Kolhapur's Rajaram college, Khardekar, mortgaged his house for a sum of Rs. 7,000 to pay for his travelling cost. Local shopkeepers from his village Goleshwar, in Karad taluka Satara district presented him with groceries and other items of use.

At Helsinki, Jadhav had to fight seven bouts in all in the 52 kg freestyle event. In the first five, he met opponents from Europe and the Gulf countries and took barely five minutes to dispose them off. In the sixth round, his opponent was the famed Shonachi Ishi of Japan. Ishi's novelty of the ankle hold surprised Jadhav, but when he counterattacked, Ishi attempted rolling fouls which were penalized giving Jadhav a win.

Unfortunately his next bout was soon after this sapping bout. This was officially not permissible, but since there was no Indian official to lodge an official protest, he had to face this bout within less than half an hour of this bout with Ishi.

The tired Jadhav took on his next opponent, Manod Bekov of Russia. It is believed that had Jadhav not been tired from his previous bout, he would have defeated Bekov in no time, but tired as he was, he was beaten by Bekov and had to settle for a bronze.

Despite his loss, his was a unique achievement in India. Yet like most talented individuals in developing countries, he was largely forgotten. A principal reason for his oblivion was that in India cricket dominates and all other sports invariably take a backseat.

There was no fanfare from his return to Helsinki. No newspaper interviews, no television. Television in fact was not born in India then! There was however a small felicitation for him at Mumbai's Shivaji Mandir auditorium in Dadar. Interestingly there was also a cavalcade of 101 bullock carts from Karad to his village.

He started his job in Maharashtra Police as Inspector in 1955 and retired as Assistant Superintendent of Police in 1983.

After this glorious moment he slid into oblivion and despite serving in the state police was living in poverty until he died - almost certainly a broken man - in 1984 in a road accident. In 1990, he got Meghnath Nageshwar Award and in 1993 Chatrapati Shivaji Award from Government of Maharashtra. He was also awarded posthumously Arjuna Award in the year 2000.

A tribute to his sterling feat is that it remained unmatched for 56 long years. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Sushil Kumar ultimately won bronze in wrestling equaling - not beating - Jadhav's feat!

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No Use Condemning, Let's Celebrate The Hike

The Indian people in general are fond of condemning any new move. They do not generally see how the change is going to improve their lives. The whining is accompanied with every new moderation introduced by the government or society. In this context, one is not surprised to find TV channels going overboard with common people's reaction over the petrol price hike.

Why these people are supposed to be common is that there mindset generally do not crosses their limitations. These people only care for their bread and butter and never understand how it is important for the government to maintain the health of oil companies. These commoners seldom look beyond their bikes. They hardly think how it is absolutely necessary for the rulers and administrators to run their cavalcades, just so that law and order remain intact in the society. Don't you know that only because of the able governance, our country has experience least kind of 'unwanted incidents', violence and disruption? Doesn't then the rulers owe a plethora of facilities in return of their yeomen services to nation? Doesn't it become then a duty of the populace to bear the expense of providing such facilities, conveniences and comfort for the sake of fearless, cosy and proud lives that they enjoy for the last sixty years in independent democratic India?

If answer to these questions is yes, then why should one grin and face the hike in an unhappy tone. Come, let's celebrate, the petrol hike is another sign that we are getting more and more better governance in India. The deregulation means that government will come in our way barely a minimum and only when the personal lives of those associated with polity are involved. Common public is free to live as it wishes henceforth.

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Chavan In US, Signs Pact For Monorail Safety

Ashok Chavan, Chief Minister of Maharashtra today started his US tour with signing a pact with US-based Minata Transportation Institute (MTI) to introduce security of global standards in public transport in Mumbai, specially in view of the upcoming metro and mono rail projects.

A delegation led by Chavan, signed the memorandum of co-operation with Minata Transportation Institute (MTI) in Los Angeles, an official release said. According to claims by Chavan, an agreement will be made between MTI and Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA). This will be aimed at providing training in the field of passenger safety, training for passenger safety and use of modern technology.

The memorandum was signed by the Additional Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA, S V R Srinivas, Secretary to the Chief Minister, Nitin Kareer and the Executive Director, MTI, Rod Diridon in the presence of the Chief Minister.

Chavan is currently in the USA as part of three-nation tour. The pact is a major step towards strengthening the Mumbai metro and public transport security, the release said.

The ceremony was also attended by senior officials of Federal Transport Administration and Los Angeles, Metro Security Chief John Sullivan.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said the pact seeks to bring security and safety of global standards within the reach of Mumbaikars.

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Games Politicians Play

Anyone who had even a tiny doubt about the talk of corruption, hawala and black money involved in Indian Premier League 3 might have been forced to rethink his analyzing ability of the current situation. One of the most powerful politicians of the country finding himself cornered on the murkier wickets of scandal speaks volumes about the manner in which the biggest entertainment of the country was run for last three years.

Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar and his daughter Supriya Sule are still struggling to get rid of the ‘IPL-gate’ taint. There explanation ranged from “we have nothing to do with the Pune bid” to “City Corporation’s chief Aniruddha Deshpande bid personally for the IPL Pune team.” Latest is that, Pawar has asked he has some small stake in the Royal Challengers Bangalore team.

A national daily that Mr Pawar and his immediate family controlled over 16% equity in a Pune-based construction company City Corp, one of the bidders for an IPL cricket team. The company bid Rs 1176 crore for a franchise. It was another matter that Sahara group, which pledged a bigger amount, emerged as the winner. The Pawar family, admitted that the company owned partly by them did try to buy a cricket team. But they tried to put the onus on Deshpande saying he was personally involved in the bid and not the company. This was a brazenly ridiculous pretext which was least expected from a seasoned politician like Pawar. Did he really wanted the countrymen to believe that Deshpande was staking Rs 1176 Crores for and on behalf of himself? Is it possible for a builder, let alone the one who has Pawar family as stakeholders in his company?

Pawar appeared to have in deep water as the opposition parties, mainly Bharaiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena are already gunning for his resignation? BJP was consistently targeting the Sugar-Strongman for his failure on the agriculture front, which he is supposed to manage as the minister. "When the IPL controversy came to the fore, Sharad Pawar and his family members repeatedly said they had nothing to do with it. After this report it is very clear that Pawar has not only mismanaged the food economy of the country but also misled the country," BJP Chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters.

The main opposition party also demanded Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the IPL affairs, saying the statements made by Pawar and his family members on the IPL issue were "lame excuses" and the matter should be inquired into "extensively". The party’s demand, however politicized it might sound, has some justification. With a union minister sitting at home over the under-cover deals and a minister bidding his time to do so, the IPL 3 has threw enough worms to infect the polity. The sports has long taken a backseat and it is the cloudy dealing of money that is the talk of the town.

Nation deserves to know who and how took the people for a ride in the name of a sport with biggest fan following. If on the contrary, government, officials and officials continue to impress upon the public that everything is alright with the game, then they either living in the fool’s paradise or thinking that public is. Fortunately or unfortunately, neither of them do so.

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Maharashtra Day Was An Emotional Occasion

Water and soil from various parts of Pune district was collected at Shaniwar Wada sent to Mumbai for main function of Maharashtra’s 50th anniversary celebration.

Even as various parties and organisations vied to hog headlines celebrating the 50th anniversary of foundation of Maharashtra, the affair became more and more emotional. In Mumbai, Governor K Sankaranarayanan and Chief Minister Ashok Chavan led the state in paying tributes to the 105 martyrs of the movement that led to the creation of the state. They paid floral tributes to the martyrs of Samyukta Maharashtra movement at the Hutatma Chowk. In other parts of the state also, government machinery and political parties organised symbolic events to mark the occasion.

Maharashtra State Congress felicitated veteran activists who took part in the United Maharashtra movement prior to 1960. A function organised by Shiv Sena concluded few hours ago in which melody queen Lata Mangeshkar relived the mesmerizing moments of original ceremony on 50 years ago. She, alongwith many schoolchildren and chorus, recited the Maharashtra Geet (Song of Maharashtra). Sena chief Bal Thackeray was present at the event.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena could not lag behind in celebrating the milestone of the state. It had organised a grand program yesterday in Mumbai in which all stalwarts of the state, from Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar to Babasaheb Purandare were felicitated. Today, the party activists took out rallies in Pune displaying the great tradition of the state.

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Marathi Is Flavour Of Season Ahead Of May 1

With Maharashtra completing 50 years this May 1, the political activity is in full swing. The Congress-NCP government and almost every political party in the state is organising plethora of programmes to celebrate the foundation day of Maharashtra.

The flavour of the season is of course being Marathi. After Maharashtra Navnirman Sena achieved spectacular success in assembly elections, everybody is trying to appear Marathi.

The main official function would be at the sprawling Shivaji Park in central Mumbai in the morning. 'Suvarna Maharashtra Darshan' exhibition is also organised to mark the golden jubilee year of the formation of the state. Freedom fighters from Pune today took water from rivers and soil from the forts as well as historic places. These will be sprinkled at the Hutatma Chowk in Mumbai. The initiative is being implemented in all districts of the state.

A scintillating laser show would be organised at Girgaum Chowpatty and Marine Drive here on May 1, officials said. Not to be left behind, Shiv Sena and MNS have also organised separate programmes. After taking its blood donation to Guinness Book Of Records, Shiv Sena is relying on another magnificent event in which none other  than legendary Lata Mangeshkar will sing the Maharashtra song. The trivia in the event is that Mangeshkar had sung the same song, ‘Bahu Asot Sundar’ 50 years ago when a grand ceremony had taken place on May 1, 1960.

Not to be left behind, MNS has hogged limelight with the food festival being organised in Mumbai. The festival showcases cuisines from all over the Maharashtra and has drawn lot of visitors. A similar festival is organised in Pune also. Even the state government has organised a cultural event tomorrow at Shaniwar Wada.

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Truth Is Lost In Demand For JPC

The phone tapping episode was the worst turn that Indian polity could arrive at. This turn ensured that the Indian Premier League scandal will never be probed deeply. Now, the focus will be on the political controversies and financial scam inherent in IPL will be conveniently sent to oblivion.

The opposition parties are waiting to corner the government over allegations of telephone tapping of key political leaders. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesman Shahnawaz Hussain has already said that his party would give a notice to suspend the Question Hour and discuss the phone-tappipng issue. Party leader L.K. Advani said a new legislation should be made in place of the outdated Indian Telephone Act to protect citizens' privacy.

It came as a shock that the government of India intercepted telephonic conversations of prominent political leaders, including chief minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar, union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, communist leaders like Prakash Karat and the Congress party's own office bearers like its general secretary Digvijay Singh.

Even Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has also made the same demand. Party’s leader in Lok Sabha, Basudeb Acharia said the party would demand that the prime minister make a statement on the issue.

The revealation of phone-tapping, made by Outlook, came when the IPL storm was in full strength. Many politicians found themselves mired in the mud. Congress lost his one minister and two  ministers from its key partner, NCP were in the eye of storm.

Now, voices are being raised for a joint parliamentary committee probe. Like the 1992 scam involving Harshad Mehta, this probe will be focussed on political issues rather than the murky dealings in IPL. It also means that whatever little chance there was for finding the real picture behind IPL’s dreamy appearance,  we have lost it.

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Taxing The Religion

The Maharashtra government retracted its controversial decision to charge some money for the express darshan of the deity at Pandharpur. The reason for this retraction was the heavy opposition from various quarters, especially from the warkaris. Vitthal, the reigning deity of the Pandharpur not the kind of god prevalent in India. He is supposed to be the most favourite, not venerated, god of common people of Maharashtra, Karnataka and large part of Andhra. Even though the bhakti tradition, which has built a long tradition of love between god and devotees, is firmly trenched in the Indian minds, Vitthal has quite another place. Originally Krishna, he is god, friend, father, mother and even servant of his devotees.

People from all over the Maharashtra throng to holy city of Pandharpur twice in the year. About 0.5 million warkaris on an average converge to Pandharpur in a year while the converge is less once in each month. These people walk on barefoot for a month, some travelling almost 1000 kms. This is considered a miracle from the point of view of management. About a month ago, almost 0.25 million warkaris gathered in the small town. On the background of these large figures, came the decision by Maharashtra government to charge Rs 200 (US$4) each for quick darshan. This amount was to be charged from those who wanted a glimpse of their Lord within minutes. The system is place in religious places like Thirupathi and Shirdi. But considering the nature of Pandharpur, this was unlikely to be taken easily. Obviously, the voices of protest rose quickly forcing the government to go on back foot. Still, the people are wary that it might come again any time.

This is partly because government machinery has come to realise lately that all the religious places all over India are brimming with the crowds. People are heading to religious places like never before. Increased income, better facilities of transport and communication media reflecting the popular sensibilities, has tremendously boosted the what has come to be called 'religious tourism'. With government more and more looking for more avenues for income, tit can not find a better thing to do. The trend has taken its toll on some of the historically important entities, but presently none seems to capable to hold it.

The economics of the religious places and shrines can be outlined in few numbers. The shrine of Sai Baba at Shirdi got an immense boost after a movie on the 19^th century saint came through Bollywood. Last year, the revenue of Sai Sansthan (trust managing the shrine ) at Shirdi was pegged at Rs 230 Crores (US$ 500 million) while the expenditure is Rs 150 Crores ($ 300 million). In Andhra Pradesh, the revenue of Thirupathi Balaji temple is supposed to be Rs 250 Crores (US$ 500 million). The revenue of the Maharashtra for year 2010-11 is expected to be Rs 5,97,542 Crores (approximately US$ 120 million). The thing has come to such a pass that the Trust is lending money from its coffers for various works done by government like road building.

Shirdi is not alone. There are many places in Maharashtra which have revenues running into millions. Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai has an annual revenue of Rs 50 crores ($ 10 million) while the Ganpati at Lalbaug nets Rs 15 crores ($ 3 million). With manjor industries reeling under either recession or discounts, the only way government can earn the money is taxing the religious sentiments. With most of the appointments at the temples done under political considerations, a part of the booty is sure to fall into these leader's lap.

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Announcements Galore, Now For Some Action!

Maharashtra government has acquired the habit of taking course to law books whenever the situation seems to go out of control. Giving a classic example of this, the state government has recommended to central government for more punishment for crimes against women.

Home Minister R. R. Patil said in Legislative Council,

"We would send a proposal to the Centre to increase punishment to perpetrators of crime against women and strengthen the laws.

The minister also announced to set up a Women Security Committee comprising women doctors, lawyers, professors and NGO representatives.

Shiv Sena MLC Neelam Gorhe had raised the issue of rise in number of crime cases against women in the state. While Gorhe claimed that

The crime rate against women has gone up by 5.4 per cent in Pune region alone and the government should address the issue.

Patil claimed something otherwise. He said that the crime rate in the state has come down in the last three years.

 

With the controversies over shielding the criminals making it to headlines, it would be better for Patil to reign in the culprits. But as he is accustomed to, he will be more bent on making announcements which hardly can come into reality. For the time being, game of statistics is on while people are scared in the city as well as state.

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Doctors Expected To Be More Safe Now

The Maharashtra government has taken a commendable decision allowing stringent punishment for attacks of medical professionals.

Attacks on doctors and hospitals will attract stringent punishment including a maximum of three years imprisonment and fine of Rs 50,000, in Maharashtra with the state Assembly today passing a bill in this regard, according to PTI story.

Bhaskar Jadhav, Minister of State for Law said the legislation proposes to recover compensation for damage or loss caused to the property of the medicare service institution twice the amount of the damage or loss caused.

Doctors in Pune as well as Maharashtra were pressing for such an Act for long. The incidents of attack on medical professionals has been a hotly debated issue. City chapter of Indian Medical Association as well as state chapter had even observed a strike last year for the law. In wake of the new law, it is expected the incidents will come down, if not stopped.

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Can Ahimsa Prevail Over Naxals?

The police of non-violence rabidly followed by the government of India will bring no result in the fight against Maoist or Naxals extremists.

As I write this, a gunbattle is on between Naxals and Central Reserve Police Force. Not stopping at one of the worst attacks by Naxals on a camp in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, they have again opened salvo today defying stepped-up security.

The Naxals fired four rounds at the CRPF camp in Palampalli village which was promptly retaliated by the security personnel, DGP Chhattisgarh Viswa Ranjan told PTI. However, the official termed it as “a routine activity the Naxals indulge in."

The firing comes a day after the Maoists wiped out virtually an entire CRPF company, killing 76 CRPF and police personnel in an ambush during a joint offensive against the ultras in the thick forests of Mukrana in Dantewada district.

Home minister P.Chidambaram said government is not resorting to air strikes on Naxal affected areas. This paves the way for the militants to wreck havoc on hapless citizens. Can this ahimsa prevail over Naxals? I don’t think so!

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Will Ministers Listen To This?

Honking without any valid reasons and running blaring loud speaker at every possible opportunity are two of the favourite pastime for the politicians in India. The problem is more severe in Maharashtra. In this background, the news came as a fresh air.

In a bid to curb the menace of pollution, Environment Department of Maharashtra has recommended the ministers to cut down honking and avoid use of fire crackers in official programmes. Environment Minister Suresh Shetty informed the Legislative Council in Mumbai.

In Pune, the problem is especially seen during the rush hour. People seem to be in so hurry that every traffic signal is filled with noise of horns. The Department, at least on the paper, is trying to reduce noise and air pollution.

For a change, the debate on which Shetty gave above reply was started by Shiv Sena MLC Deepak Sawant who raised the issue of global warming and its impact on the environment.

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Maharashtra Bent On Making Liquor

It seems that Maharashtra government is hell bent on making wine or liquor. After its ambitious and controversial scheme to make liquor from the foodgrains was mire into controversy, it is now considering proposals to make wine from wild berries (Karvand), found mainly in coastal Konkan region.

"We will positively consider any proposals to make wine from wild-berries and if possible... capital in the 1:9 ratio would be made available for the business," Water Resources Minister Ajit Pawar informed the Legislative Council today.
The government's intention is to help farmers make profit, he said.

Only last week the state government announced in the Council it would consider a proposal for making liquor from jowar, cashew fruit, 'jamun' (java plum) and 'chikoo'. In an apparent reference to the row over production of liquor from foodgrains, Pawar said, these matters have been unnecessarily politicised.

In the past, the government even announced to make alcohol from bamboom shoots. “This will enable the Adivasis to earn extra money,” was the government’s contention.

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