Could milk adulteration racket averted?

Western Maharashtra was shocked in the first week of August when a major racket of milk adulteration was unearthed. A combined raid by district food and adulteration administrations of Pune and Satara was carried out in Baramati and Phaltan. According to latest report, all eight samples of milk collected during the raids have been tested positive for adulteration. The question is: can this racket be avoided? And answer is: yes.

According to preliminary estimates, the milk which was prepared in the collection centres in above two talukas was supplied to Pune, Sangli, Satara, Ahmednagar and Solapur. The milk in those collection centres was prepared by mixing chemicals with water. Officials are still unsure what this chemical really is. Its lab test report is yet to be received. The culprits are suspected to have amassed crores of rupees through this mean.

Now we go back to 2004-05 when Ajit Pawar, city's guardian minister had warned against the milk adulteration. He had said then that state government will enact a law providing strict punishment for milk adulteration. Five years have gone by and nothing sort of the thing has come by. Had the government acted on the matter, the racket could have been easily avoided.

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Election Preparation in Full Swing

The district administrations of Pune has completed process of removing banners and political ads from the public places, claimed district collector Chandrakant Dalvi today. Dalvi held a meeting of officers related to election work after which he addressed the media.
This is the first sign of election process coming into full swin g in Pune. Dalvi informed that a quick response team has been formed to look into the strict implementation of election code of conduct. He said that data entry of the voter's list has been prepared. All the lists will be made available on internet. In addition, two helplines will be started for the voters.
It is interesting here to note that Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla yesterday had admitted in Mumbai that the voters' list in the state are ridden with mistakes. However, EC has rejected the demand that ration cards should not be allowed as a proof of identity. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena had made this demand with state election commission.

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Remembering 9/11, the Indian way

Exactly eight years ago, I was working in the office. It was my first job in a media organisation which involved writing news from the press releases and also translating some stories. I was in the trade barely for two months having being joined the organisation in the month of June. Suddenly at about 7:30 PM, one of our reporters rose and said that something major has happened in US. 

(Image Courtesy National 9/11 Memorial)

When we turned on the TV, there were images of World Trade Centre being destroyed by two aeroplanes. The footage was so shocking that we could see TV presenters running out of their wit about the whole scene. That was how we experienced 9/11.

It goes without saying that the incident was a talking point for most of the evening. We discussed the impact of the destruction with whatever information we had at hand, through mostly TV channels only. Then the story was flashed by news agencies. Even though we were shocked that such kind of an attack took place on US ground, there was some sort of a evil pleasure within us. Each of us expressed that this was in a way a good thing because this way US will get to know the pinch of terrorism. That guess was turned out to be right in a sense. George W. Bush was the president of India. He reined in Pakistan and made it to adhere to his War on Terror. US forces, under the garb of NATO forces, entered Afghanistan and rid it free from Taliban. (Its recurrence is a different matter altogether and it is a relatively closer development.)

Whatever the percussion of that fateful incident, 9/11 was the most shocking incident in the history of US. But it is to the credit of that country that no such attack has taken place on that part of earth after that. This strikes out boldly when we put India's record of fighting against the menace. We are unable to confront terrorism. Old terrorists are portrayed as new innocent persons and so on. Just after 9/11, India was attacked twice in 2001. Since then there is hardly any calendar year when the country has not suffered any attack. Each year, there are at least two bomb blasts, incidents of firing or hostage drama. The leaders who were responsible for solving these problems are creating problems themselves.

That is why one must appreciate the spirit of US democracy. We may differ on its policy, we may not like its high-handedness in international politics, but we have to admit that the country has safeguarded its security interest very well. That is a mark of super power. This is what 9/11 reminds us.

Meanwhile, US president Barack Obama has given his first message on the national day. The statement released by White House in Mumbai quotes him, 

"As we pay tribute to loved ones, friends, fellow citizens, and all who died, we reaffirm our commitment to the ideas and ideals that united Americans in the aftermath of the attacks. We must apprehend all those who perpetrated these heinous crimes, seek justice for those who were killed, and defend against all threats to our national security. We must also recommit ourselves to our founding principles. September 11 reminds us that our fate as individuals is tied to that of our Nation. Our democracy is strengthened when we uphold the freedoms upon which our Nation was built: equality, justice, liberty, and democracy. These values exemplify the patriotism and sacrifice we commemorate today."

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Miraj not as peaceful

Iit was expected that the immersion procession in Miraj would be peaceful. But it was not to be. Today Shiv Sena leader Diwakar Rawate tried to enter Kolhapur city but was forbidden from doing so. According to a release from Neelam Gorhe, Shiv Sena leader, Rawate had gone there to see the situation. District administration arrested him and stopped from entering the district. Gorhe has demanded a high level enquiry into the matter.

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US diplomats will travel to Nanded

At least one city in Maharashtra will be visited by the American diplomats in coming month. The American diplomats are travelling all over India to participate in various cultural exchange programmes. The program started on September 8 and will go on till September 18, according to American Centre officials.

As part of the 'America Day' celebration , the diplomats will visit 23 cities including Ahmedabad, Bhilai, Indore, Nanded, Raipur and Ujjain.

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Burning Miraj Comes to Peace

Ganesh Immersion in City Tomorrow 

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and other Hindu organisations have voiced their objection over the riots in Miraj and Sangli. According to press releases issued by the organisations, murder of Afzal Khan was one of the illustrious incidents of the history of Maharashtra and India. There is hardly any counterpoint against this argument.  The riots in the southern part of the state were a unfortunate development.  Statement from the Hindu organisations have come one day after Gopinath Munde, leader of Bharatiya Janata Party was prohibited from visiting three cities by Sangli district administration.

Meanwhile, curfew in was relaxed in Sangli, Miraj and Ichalkaranji on Wednesday, as the situation was gradually improving. Communal clashes had broken out at in Miraj town and Sangli city last week. 

Trouble started on September 2 (a day before Anant Chaturdashi), when some pro-Hindutva organisations tried to raise an arch on the immersion procession route, depicting the killing of the Mughal warrior Afzal Khan by Maratha King Shivaji. This led to group clashes. According to primary reports, Muslim groups took objection to this.. But now it is clear that the police department was main hurdle in the erection of this structure. It was destroyed which gave way to riots. After three days, the fire spread to nearby cities. The gravity of the situation can be gauged by the fact that Sangli is hometown of Maharashtra's home minister Jayant Patil.

Chief minister Ashok Chavan had convened an all party meeting in Mumbai on Tuesday in this regard. A deal was struck in the meeting. Meanwhile, Sarvajanik Ganesh mandal representatives in Miraj have decided to immerse the idols tomorrow during 10:30 to 11:00 AM

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Politics is family business in Maharashtra

State legislature assembly elections in Maharashtra are scheduled for October 13 in Maharashtra. All major parties in engaged in finalising the list of candidates. While the electoral clashes are heading towards theatrical and interesting, one bit of the polling is prominent. In each politicl party, the election is a family business. Leaders across the board have their offsprings or kins in the fray without a trace of remorse.

Leading the way is Congress which makes an obvious choice for hereditary politics. Since the time of Indira Gandhi, Congress workers are accustomed to bow before their anointed leader on the single virtue of coming from an influential family. This time around, party will have little space to take newcomers on board while struggling to make justice with sons and daughters of its leaders. Chief minister Ashok Chavan himself is such a politician who happens to be son of Shankarrao Chavan, the late Congress leader. Having graced posts of home minister and finance minister at New Delhi as also CM of Maharashtra twice, Shankarrao passed on his legacy to Ashokrao. He first tasted political water in 1987 by becoming Member of Parliament from Nanded, the seat was vacated by his father to become CM of Maharashtra. Ashokrao's brother in law Bhaskarrao Patil Khatgaonkar is now MP from Nanded.

Another prominent politician is Vilasrao Deshmukh, former CM of Maharashtra and now union minister for heavy industries. While his son Ritesh is making waves in Bollywood, his second son Amit is sure to solicit votes from Latur constituency. District Congress committee of Latur has 'unanimously' recommended Amit's candidacy. Dilip Deshmukh, brother of Vilasrao is already in the state cabinet coming from State legislature Council. Vilasrao's junior in union cabinet Pratik Patil is grandson of Vasantdada Patil who won recently from Sangli parliamentary constituency. Madan Patil, another son of Vasantdada is minister of employment guarantee scheme in state cabinet of Maharashtra. Another heavyweight of Sangli, Patangrao Kadam, who holds the empire of Bharati Vidyapeeth in Pune, is trying to field his son Vishwajit Kadam in the race. If elected, he is sure to bag a post in cabinet as Patangao is himself revenue minister currently. Towering all them all will be Raosaheb Shekhawat, president of India Pratibhatai Patil's son. He want a ticket for himself from Amrawati constituency. Praniti Shinde, union power minister Sushilkumar Shinde's daughter is in tipped to be a candidates from the Solapur assembly constituency. She will be the third member from Shinde family second being ….... Vandana Shinde, wife of Sushilkumar. She contested the seat in 2004 when Sushilkumar was CM and still lost the election. Present school education minister in Maharashtra Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil is son of veteran leader Balasaheb Vikhe Patil. Likewise, higher education minister Rajesh Tope is son of veteran Congress leader Ankush Tope.

If the list above seems exhaustive, it is not. It gives only a glimpse of what how political space is full of dynastic endowments. After Congress, Nationalist Congress Party has also turned democracy into a kind of baton relay. NCP's chief has kept two parliamentary seats with him as well as his daughter Supriya Sule. Ajit Pawar, state's water resources minister and guardian minister of Pune is his nephew. Thus, decision making in NCP is controlled by the Pawar family. Besides him, Padmasingh Patil, who is brother in law of Sharad Pawar was elected from Usmanabad recently to Lok Sabha. He was later accused of murder of his cousing Pravinraje Nimbalkar. Though, Padmasinh's son Rana Jagjitsinh Patil is a minister in the state cabinet and sure to get a ticket from NCP. State's tourism minister Vijaysinh Mohite Patil has sent his son Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil to Rajya Sabha. Ganesh Naik, who has a large following in Navi Mumbai area, was in Shiv Sena earlier but later switched to NCP. He is bringing his son to front now. Chhagan Bhujbal, another heavyweight who shifted from Shiv Sena to NCP, is now deputy CM. His nephew Samir Bhujbal was recently sent to Lok Sabha from Yewala constituency.
Shiv Sena and BJP are also not free of this element. Truth of the matter is that Shiv Sena split twice because of dynastic tendency of its chief. So much so that Balasaheb Thackerey was not ready to part with leadership other than his son Uddhav. His nephew Raj Thackerey and a stalwart like Narayan Rane left the party because of this reason. It is another matter that Rane himself has sent his son Nitesh to Lok Sabha while keeping minister's post with himself. He has openly expressed his desire to become chief minister and it is to be seen whether Nilesh Rane, his another son throws his towel in the ring.

In BJP, Dhananjay Munde, nephew of Gopinath Munde, who is member of parliament from Beed now, is willing to contest from Beed for 's assembly seat. His daughter, Pankaja Palwe is said to be ready to jump in the fray. Poonam Mahajan, late leader Pramod Mahajan's daughter was enraged when she was denied a ticket in parliamentary elections. Munde, who is brother in law of Pramod Mahajan, also expressed his dissatisfaction over the denial. This time round, Poonam is tipped to get a ticket from Ghatkopar West constituency. Some other minor leaders will also try to pass on the baton to their kins.

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