Two months after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) declared the Deonar dumping ground a ‘prohibited zone’, it is yet to secure a notification from the state government, approving the same.In a recent letter, the state had asked the BMC to fulfill certain criteria, mandatory to declare the 132 hectare-landfill area, a prohibited zone. The civic body will be responding to state’s letter soon, and is expecting to receive a nod within the next month.
A massive fire broke out at the Deonar dumping ground twice this year. The first one in January raged on for days, and the toxic smog from the fire, had led to massive health-related issues for people living in the vicinity. Even as Mumbaikars were reeling from the after-effects of the fire, another one broke out in March. Following the two incidents, the Bombay high court constituted a committee to look into the matter. Later, a team from the Union ministry of environment and forests also visited the site. Both committees were expected to look for long-term solutions for Mumbai's solid waste management crisis.
Meanwhile, during a press conference in March, municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta had said that the Deonar landfill had been declared a prohibited area. However, as per the procedure, only the state government can declare any premises out of bounds. The state then sent the BMC a list of 16 criteria that needed to be complied with before they declared the site a prohibited zone. These included having a compound wall, electric poles, water supply, boundaries etc.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Sophia-College-s.jpg*The central facade of Sophia College for Women. Pic/Shadab Khan*
On June 20, Sophia College will complete 75 years since it received an affiliation from the University of Mumbai for its Arts and Home Science programme, and opened its doors to the first batch of 25 girls. Today, with an intake of over 3,000 female students annually, the NAAC re-accredited ‘A’ grade college, has branched out to offer a range of courses in the arts, science, media and management streams.*The first batch of female students from the Arts and Home Science department that graduated from the college in the mid 1940s*
As part of the platinum jubilee celebrations, the college will organise a host of events through the academic year, starting with an inauguration ceremony next month, where ex-principals of the institution will be felicitated. This will be followed by a gala dinner and charity event in November where ex-students and star alumni, including Congress leader Priya Dutt, filmmaker Kiran Rao and Anuradha Mahindra of Mahindra Group, will be invited. A two-day national-level conference on women’s education in the 21st century’ and workshop on parenting will be held later during the year. The key college festivals — Kaleidoscope and Ananya — will also be themed around the 75th anniversary, said a core committee member of the team that is organising the platinum celebrations.
Apart from this, the college is releasing a book, chronicling the history of the institution, during the academic year. Further, memorabilia like T-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs and bags, themed around the platinum celebrations will be on sale for students and outsiders through the year. “The college was started by a group of sisters from England in 1940. We received our affiliation a year later. At that time, there was a strong feeling that higher education was not accessible to women from all backgrounds, especially because parents were hesitant to send their girls to co-ed colleges,” says Dr (Sr) Ananda Amritmahal, principal of Sophia College, while speaking of the history of the Christian institution.
Recalling her time at the college, Prof. Mendes said, “I always wanted to become a counsellor, so after completing my studies at the college, I moved to Goa and started working there. Somewhere around that time, the then principal called me up, and requested me to substitute for a teacher. I came back with the intention of staying here for a while, but never ended up leaving.”
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Ajay-Chaudhary-s.jpg*Ajay Raj Kishore Chaudhary suffered from cardiac tamponade*
It revealed a balloon-shaped blood congestion in the heart. It was the accumulation of fluids in the pericardial sac that was compressing his heart — a condition termed cardiac tamponade. Cardiac tamponade is a rare and serious medical condition, in which blood gets filled between the sacs of the heart. It puts extreme pressure on the heart and restricts the expansion of the ventricles. This restricts blood circulation through the body and can even lead to organ failure. “This condition is serious enough for the person to die on the spot,” said Dr Suraj Pinni, a student of the surgery department, who was associated with the case. “Due to the poor functioning of the heart, his blood pressure dropped and he lost consciousness,” said Dr Vineet Kumar, assistant professor, department of surgery, who was in charge of the surgery. After the diagnosis, it was found that there was a hole in his heart, from where the blood had oozed out and accumulated in the sac. Two cardiac surgeons, Dr Vaibhav Shah and Dr Ganeshkumar K Ammannaya, sealed the hole.
It was a tough case to diagnose as well. Due to his low blood pressure, the doctors couldn’t run a CT scan. “We decided to operate on him based on just the X-ray, which was tough, as such rare medical conditions need more medical tests to be conducted,” said Dr Kumar.
Chaudhary returned to his village, Rathi, on Thursday with his father. His 19-year-old brother, Bhola Raj Kishore Chaudhary told mid-day from Bihar, “We are happy that he has lived through the medical condition. We didn’t expect him to survive. But he is recovering.”
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Banavalikar-s.jpg*Banavalikar (centre) with daughter Jyoti Honawar (left), grandson Ashish (second from right) and his family. Pic/Nimesh Dave*
Meanwhile, 'aaji' (grandmother) is reclining on a cot, smiling at the whirl around her. When you are turning 109, you have the licence to relax and watch others work to mark your special day.
Kamala’s daughter, Jyoti Honawar, is in the thick of celebrations. Jyoti's daughter, Archana, and her children are down from Nashik to mark the day.
Ashish, Jyoti's son, who lives in the neighbourhood, says, "My aaji made the best puran polis and fish curry. She used to cook till a few years ago, but of late, she has not been very mobile, and has been confined to the bed. She had a fall some time ago and has lost her confidence to walk."
Kamala, says Jyoti, was born in Mhow, Indore, Madhya Pradesh. She holds an MA in Hindi literature from Nagpur University. "She was to go to London for higher studies, but because of World War II, she was unable to do so."
Kamala's great-grandsons — Aryan (12) and Avaan (6) — are her favourites. Aryan says, "I love playing racing with her on my iPad. But she prefers playing old school games like noughts and crosses and snakes 'n'
ladders."
Ashish's wife, Neha, reveals aaji's fitness mantra: "She used to regularly walk to a Shiva temple, which is a good 30 minutes away. She would refuse to take the car, saying walking is good for health. She spent time meditating and match-making, too!"
Ashish adds, "A few years ago, aaji would chase everyone with a stick around the house, if we got up to mischief. Watching her celebrate her 109th birthday makes me proud to be her grandson."
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/15-Sanjay-Nirupam-s.jpg*Nirupam said Sena leaders had arrived at the meeting before him*
Even before Nirupam reached the venue, Sena leaders including Vibhag Pramukh Abhijit Adsul were present.
Nirupam claims that when he started his speech, Sena leaders started pelting stones at him. “Two of our activists were hurt and are being treated at Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital now. They told me not to name Uddhav Thackeray in my speech and I told them to ask BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, who has claimed that some ‘Saheb’, is behind all corruption [in BMC],” he said.
Adsul said, “Why bring in Uddhavji’s name in the corruption controversy when he has nothing to do with it? If Nirupam has no documents he’s only doing politics and hence, we were there to warn him against naming our leader,” said Adsul.
A police official from Samta Nagar police station said, “We are in the process of registering an FIR. The investigations will begin then.”
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena got embroiled in a social media war with the BJP. After Thursday’s meeting regarding the Super Expressway connecting Nagpur and Mumbai, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) Minister Eknath Shinde tweeted a picture of him along with CM Devendra Fadnavis, and titled it as ‘meeting taking a note of various projects’ on Friday.
But when Fadnavis put up a picture, it was sans Shinde. Shiv Sena workers lashed out at him for ‘photoshopping’ a picture related to the meeting, and accused him of leaving Shinde out of the frame. Some tweets even referred to the CM as “creditchor”. A few handles associated with Shiv Sena tweeted the following: Sena activist Bhumish Save: ‘Looks like @BJP4India is short of #Bhakts; so using official government handles for misleading people. #FekuMemes.’
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Toilet-s.jpg*This men’s toilet on Borivali’s platform 6, with jerry cans and buckets upturned into the commodes, is a nightmare for commuters. Pic/Nimesh Dave*
While the pass-the-parcel continues, we took a two-day railway loo test-drive. Here’s how it went.
*Western Railway*
*
*
*The station: Churchgate*
*Daily (avg) commuters:* 1,05,518
*Loo present?* Yes
**
*Visited by:* Silky Sharma and Ajinkya Sawant
*Hygiene:* The women’s toilet was clean and fully tiled. The toilet seats were kept dry, wash basin and floors mopped clean. The janitor was around when we visited. *
Availability of water:* Water was on tap and the flush worked but the janitor complained of erratic supply. We spotted leaking taps.
*Accessibility:* The lavatory sits on the white tiled concourse near the ticket counters and is easily accessible.
*Charges:* A fare chart was up, and commuters were being charged accordingly.
*Maintenance:* A rotary floor machine was being used to mop the floors outside the toilet block on the station concourse. But the stink from the men’s toilet was unbearable.
*Ventilation:* Ventilation was adequate and we spotted exhaust fans.
*Dustbin:* Present.
*
*
*The station: Mahalaxmi*
*
Daily avg commuters:* 45,000
*Loo present?* Yes
*Visited by:* Silky Sharma and Ajinkya Sawant
*Hygiene:* Filthy and congested. The walls were splashed with paan stains; the toilet seats were dirty.
*Accessibility:* Only one toilet block sits at the centre of the platform. Men used the women’s loo. Women stayed away entirely.
*Charges:* No cost chart was found. The janitor wasn’t collecting money.
*Availability of water:* Dry taps.
*Ventilation:* The sole exhaust fan in the women’s loo wasn’t working.
*Maintenance:* The janitor admitted that he allowed men to use the women’s loo.
*
*
*The station: Charni Road*
*Daily (avg) commuters:* 58,000
*Loo present?* Yes
*
Visited by:* Silky Sharma and Ajinkya Sawant
*Hygiene:* The stench was overpowering and the wash basin was clogged.
*Availability of water:* While drought made headlines on TV, taps inside the women’s loo were running unattended. The three urinals weren’t connected to the water pipeline.
*Charges:* Rs 2 (big job), Rs 1 (small job), read a sign. We were charged as per rate.
*Accessibility:* A prominent sign led commuters to the toilet block.
*Ventilation:* Poor. The only exhaust fan wasn’t functioning, leading to a stench.
*Maintenance:* Well tiled from outside, it held two water tanks on its roof. The windows to the men’s loo unfortunately offered an unhindered view.
*Dustbin:* Present.
*
*
*The station: Andheri*
*
Daily avg commuters:* 2,50,750
*Loo present?* Not on platform. It’s located on the elevated deck.
*Visited by:* Shikha Vatsala and Fatema T
*Hygiene:* It was clean and well kept. Urinals were in good condition and the janitor said it was mopped up four times a day.
*Availability of water:* Available, flush worked.
*Accessibility:* We didn’t spot a signboard that led commuters to the toilet. It took us 10 minutes to locate it. We spotted a separate set of urinals for children. Thoughtful.
*Charges:* We saw the janitor overcharging commuters.
*Maintenance:* Of the two washbasins, only one was functional. The water coolers next to the toilet block were in poor condition. One was blocked by a metal pillar.
*Ventilation:* Well ventilated with exhaust fans.
*Dustbin:* Filthy broken bucket placed beneath wash basins.
*
*
*The station: Bandra*
*
Daily avg. commuters:* 1,35,640
*Loo present?* Yes
*Visited by:* Shikha Vatsala and Fatema T
*Hygiene:* The men’s loo was open and stinking. There is only one loo for women with a broken flush.
*Availability of water:* The wash basin was common for both men and women. It had running water.
*Accessibility:* Since it’s the only toilet on the platform, it’s easily found. We also found a loo for the disabled. The entrance to the women’s loo should be changed; it directly faces the platform.
*Charges:* They charged R2 for the urinal and toilet.
*Maintenance:* It was in average condition inside but the structure needs a maintenance job. The
men’s loo was open and the flush wasn’t working.
*Ventilation:* The women’s loo was stuffy. We saw no windows or exhaust.
*Dustbin:* Missing.
*
The station: Lower Parel*
*Daily avg commuters:* 66,000
*Loo present?* Yes
*Visited by:* Silky Sharma and Ajinkya Sawant
When mid-day visited the women’s loo, it was locked and no janitor was in sight.
*
*
*The station: Dadar*
*Daily avg. commuters:* 1,45,415
*
Loo present?* Yes
*Visited by:* Shikha Vatsala and Fatema T
*Hygiene:* Wash basins were present and the urinals were being cleaned. The floor was neat. We hear it is cleaned six times a day.
*Availability of water:* Available in wash basins and loos.
*Accessibility:* Yes; there is an additional deluxe toilet block.
*Charges:* Rs 2 for women and Rs 1 for men inside the deluxe toilet (wonder why the difference?). Rs 5 for big job (both genders).
*Maintenance:* Average. Buckets were missing.
*Ventilation:* Well ventilated with huge exhausts.
*Dustbin:* Placed near wash basin but broken.
*
*
*The station: Malad*
*
Daily avg. commuters:* 1,55,000
*Loo present?* Yes
*Visited by:* Shashank Rao and Nimesh Dave
*Hygiene:* Urinals cleaner than toilets. An empty alcohol bottle was found into one of the urinal blocks.
*Availability of water:* Pipes were rusty. The water flow was reed thin.
*Accessibility:* Stands at the end of the platform, so was easily accessible.
*Charges:* The fare chart was torn. The janitor was charging what he wished. Male janitor was manning the women’s loo. Creepy.
*Maintenance:* Below average. Children were seen playing on the roof.
*Ventilation:* Average. Exhaust fans were present but growling and old.
*Dustbin:* Missing.
*Harbour Line*
**
**
*The station: CST*
*
Daily avg. commuters:* 1,09,700
*Loo present?* Yes
*Visited by:* Shashank Rao and Atul Kamble
*Hygiene:* The HQ of Central Railway is one of the most congested in the world. The toilet block here is the largest on this line and marked by long queues. The partitions inside urinals were dirty, and the toilets could be better maintained (although the happy dolphin tiles were a surprise).
*Availability of water:* Not all taps were functioning. The pipes were leaking.
*Accessibility:* Easily accessible since it is on the concourse.
*Charges:* The janitor was overcharging selectively.
*Maintenance:* There is scope for improvement.
*Ventilation:* The exhausts are functioning but the stench continues to rule.
*Dustbin:* Present.
*The station: Nerul*
*
Daily avg. commuters:* 42,870
*Loo present?* Yes
*Visited by:* Faisal Tandel and Sameer Markhande
*Hygiene:* The tiles and floor were clean but the urinals need better maintenance. Due to water shortage, it is cleaned only once every morning.
*Availability of water:* Was available. We saw water being ferried to wash cars parked in the marking lot.
Accessibility: Easily located but is almost at the fag end of the station. The toilet on the station premises is used only by ticket checkers and railway staff. No signboards pointed to the toilet.
*Charges:* Rs 5 (big and small job) and Rs 10 for bath.
*Maintenance:* The windows were broken and there was graffiti on the walls. The wash basin needs repairs.
*Ventilation:* There was a one exhaust.
*Dustbin:* Missing.
*The station: Reay Road*
*
Daily avg. commuters:* 16,530
*Loo present:* Yes
*Visited by:* Shashank Rao and Atul Kamble
*Hygiene:* A new toilet has replaced an old one that was in shambles. The structure is well maintained from the inside, with clean tiles and urinal partitions.
*Availability of water:* Available. Four large water tanks sat beside the block. Fixtures were in good condition.
*Accessibility:* Good. A loo for the disabled is present but was locked.
*Charges:* Rate chart displayed and charges collected accordingly.
*Maintenance:* The new toilet was spick and span with the janitor sitting right opposite. The old toilet which is in a mess is likely to be demolished.
*Ventilation:* Fitted with multiple exhausts.
*Dustbin:* Present.
*The station: Wadala*
*Daily avg. commuters:* 49,200
*
Loo present?* Yes
*Visited by:* Shashank Rao and Atul Kamble
*Hygiene:* It’s poorly maintained. The partitions of urinals were stained, the tiles were mucky. The janitor couldn’t care less.
*Availability of water:* The taps were leaking. The wash basins had water supply.
*Accessibility:* It can be easily located. Another toilet on platform no. 4 has an open urinal and the women’s loo was locked and had an iron grill.
*Charges:* The rate chart had the amounts scratched out.
*Maintenance:* The loo on platform no. 4 was better maintained. The one on platform no. 1 was shabby with the janitor sitting idle. Around it were stacked broken ATVMs and rusted furniture.
*Ventilation:* Messy, dusty and it stank.
*Dustbin:* Missing.
*The station: Sandhurst Road*
*Daily avg. commuters:* 23,990
*
Loo present:* Yes
*Visited by:* Shashank Rao and Atul Kamble
*Hygiene:* The tiles, walls and ceiling were in terrible condition. Seepage was evident on walls as well as on the ceiling above the water tank. The stench here was overpowering.
*Availability of water:* The taps ran a trickle.
*Accessibility:* Was fine.
*Charges:* A rate card was displayed and money was being collected. No attendant was seen for men’s loo. There was one for women’s loo.
*Maintenance:* Congested during peak hours, and it needs better upkeep.
*Ventilation:* Cobwebs and dirt covered the exhausts.
*Dustbin:* Missing.
*Central Railway (Main line)*
*
*
*The station: Kurla*
*
Daily avg. commuters:* 95,330
*Loo present:* Yes
*Visited by:* Silky Sharma and Datta Kumbhar
*Hygiene:* There are two toilets at Kurla station, one on platform 1 and another platforms 2-3. We found both in a dilapidated condition, especially the latter. The women’s loo was dilapidated. The toilet bowl was clogged and the taps were running. Excreta lay on the tiles inside.
*Availability of water:* No bucket or mug was available in the toilet.
*Charges:* People were using it for free.
*Accessibility:* With just two urinals, there was a long queue even during non-rush hours.
*Ventilation:* Unbearable stench
*Maintenance:* Not maintained at all. No woman in her right mind would use it.
*Dustbin:* Present in 1 but overflowing. Absent in 2-3.
*
*
*The station: Byculla*
*
Daily avg. commuters:* 42,700
*Loo present?* Yes
*Visited by:* Silky Sharma and Datta Kumbhar
*Hygiene:* Toilets were in bad shape, the wash basin was clogged. The toilet seats were clean but the flush was missing.
*Availability of water:* The taps were leaking inside the women’s toilet. The wash basin pipe was broken inside the men's loo. Water was being wasted.
*Charges:* No one was paying according to the rate card.
*Accessibility:* Easily accessible.
*Ventilation:* The windows were shut. Suffocating.
*Maintenance:* They have miles to go before they sleep.
*Dustbin:* Present outside the loo.
*The station: Currey Road*
*
Daily avg. commuters:* 24,400
*Loo present?* Yes
*Visited by:* Silky Sharma and Datta Kumbhar
*Hygiene:* The walls were tiled, the toilet seats clean. No stains anywhere.
*Availability of water:* Running water was available in the tap and the flush. The tap in the women’s loo was leaking and the wash basin was clogged.
*Charges:* A rate card was pasted but not everyone was paying up.
*Accessibility:* The passage to the bathroom is narrow. There is only one toilet in the women’s section, so it gets overcrowded during peak hours.
*Ventilation:* Waste was dumped around and spit stains were everywhere. The women’s toilet was small and missing an exhaust.
*Maintenance:* It looked like it wasn’t frequented by a janitor.
*Dustbin:* Bucket for a dustbin.
*The station: Ghatkopar*
*
Daily avg. commuters:* 1,07,500
*Loo present?* Yes
*Visited by:* Silky Sharma and Datta Kumbhar
*Hygiene:* In good condition. The dustbin was closed, handwash bottles were by the basin. Both women’s toilets were spacious. Something needs to be done about the stench.
*Charges:* Highest rate across stations we visited — Rs 5. We found no rate chart.
*Availability of water:* Available on tap and in flush.
*Accessibility:* Can be easily located.
*Ventilation:* Appropriate.
*Maintenance:* Doors had suitable locks. The premises were tidy.
*Dustbin:* Missing.
*The station: Mulund*
*
Daily avg. commuters:* 99,070
*Loo present?* Yes
*Visited by:* Silky Sharma and Datta Kumbhar
*Hygiene:* Toilets on platform no. 1 were in average condition. The taps were running, the flush was missing, and the floor was wet. The stench was terrible. The women’s toilet on another platform was shuttered. A man standing outside said he chooses to keep it shut because “eunuchs enter and do mischief”.
*Availability of water:* Available.
*Accessibility:* The women’s loo stands in the middle of platform no.1, so it is easy to locate.
*Charges:* A rate card was pasted. (Rs 1 for urinal, Rs 2 for big job). Ventilation: Poor. It’s difficult to stand anywhere near the toilet block.
*Dustbin:* Bucket instead of dustbin. Sanitary napkins were strewn on the floor.
*
*
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Nusserwanji-Agiary-s.jpg*The Nusserwanji Ratanji Tata Agiary in Bandra is 130 years old. Pics/Tehniyat Fatima*
Counting over 20 exquisite stained-glass windows that cast a glow in golden slants of the soon to set summer sun, the beautiful mass done, I walk on to Hill Road. The street I grew up on is named after one of Bandra’s two hills, Mount Mary hill and Pali hill. It extends from the railway station till Mehboob Studio. The leafy lanes sprouting right from this west-east axis are clearly sainted — St Martin, St Cyril, St Paul, St Alexious, St John — while to the left run Jain Mandir Road, Boran Road, Bazar Road and Waroda Road.*St Joseph’s Convent*
Exactly across St Peter’s Church and Stanislaus School stands my alma mater St Joseph’s. The red brick convent run by Daughters of the Cross nuns boasts a sparkling roster: painter Papri Bose, actress Dimple Kapadia, the Bredmeyers (models Anna, Ulrika, Indira), journo-celeb sisters Malavika Sangghvi and Devika Bhojwani, lawyer turned activist Dilbur Parakh and Frene Ginwala, former Speaker of the National Assembly of Parliament in South Africa.*St Peter’s Church in Bandra*
Cheap Jack and Pinky Pat were treasure troves. We grabbed their stationery split seconds before the bell rang opposite these Bohri shops, flying across the road barely in time to tail assembly lines. Our history teacher greeted new Parsi students with interesting localese. First, that the walls enclosing St Andrew’s Church compound were built thanks to a donation from Maneckjee Sorabjee Ashburner in 1862 — we were even trotted out to see this recorded on a slab at the main gate. Next, that Jamshedjee Jeejeebhoy constructed a flight of steps from the foot of Mount Mary to the north side of the basilica known as “Degrados de Bomanjee” (Steps of Bomanjee).
If Catholic girls knelt in the school chapel, I didn’t have too far to go. Oasis-like, the Nusserwanji Ratanji Tata Agiary has welcomed the community for 130 years. The Zarathushtra image on its stained glass panel depicting the prophet between Edwardian motifs once graced Tata Palace. As kids my brother and I raced to buy fragrant sandalwood sticks from the quaint Dickensian shop curiously embedded in the fire temple’s outer wall.
A childhood haunt yet faces the agiary. Happy Books, so easily a second home where we stuck noses in pages for as long as we liked. The mother ship in Colaba was rocked by spicy controversy in the 1960s. Held for stocking copies of Lady Chatterley’s Lover, that bold bookseller had a choice: a fine of Rs 20 or a week in prison.
Somewhere between my school and bookshop the same dusty banks still see customers file in. And the counters of our favourite chemist continue to democratically dispense both allopathic and homoeopathic remedies. Amit Chaudhuri’s poem, Bandra Medical Stores, describes how “branches purled and knitted shadows” around the Nair family’s tree-shaded pharmacy.
From the original gems, New Talkies is rudely replaced by a giant Marks and Spencer hugging a prime corner of the road. Made members of its Sunday Picture Club, we learnt to love movie madness that’s lasted happily lifelong.
Food as much on our minds then as well as today, we’ve savoured it all, from MacRonell’s confectioners to Lucky biryani. Not forgetting the meatiest kebabs in Casbah and the best cart pani puri at Elco Arcade, elevated to posh restaurant avatar now.
Other typical attractions abounded. I’d hate missing the evening sight of a uniformed lamplighter slowing his bicycle to a stop at every post he lit with a tall rod... Flocks of goats herded en masse en route the abattoir near the station... and down the length of our stretch of asphalt trundled the small van with “Music grows where Maurice goes” painted on its walls — a hat tip to Maurice Concessio’s band few functions were a hit
without hiring.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Cicada-s.jpg
Just the day before, I had pulled an all-nighter and my mind was fuzzy. To add to that, we were preparing material for an upcoming forest guard training programme in Dangs, Gujarat. My mind was changing focus between the commentary of the whale shark film we were previewing and sounds from my surrounding. Instinctively, I screamed, “something is sparking”.
Everyone froze to decipher the disturbing sound which was becoming hard to ignore.
My team broke into laughter and pointed out that it wasn’t an electrical spark, but an animal sound we had heard at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park during our anniversary trail.
I realised it was the call of the cicada, Latin for tree cricket. I looked out of my window, and sure enough, there was a cicada on the vilayti badam tree, producing a exceptionally loud song.
Some cicadas produce sounds of up to 120dB, among the loudest sound any insect can make. In fact, if the cicada sang just outside the listener’s ear, it is loud enough to cause permanent hearing loss.
Entomologists consider the song of cicadas to be species specific. Unlike nocturnal crickets that produce sound by stridulation (strumming), the diurnal cicadas produce sounds by vibrating drum-like tymbals (sound-producing organs) rapidly. Although only male cicadas produce the distinctive sound, both sexes have membranous structures called tympana (equivalent of eardrums) with which they detect sound.
Cicadas are more famous for their cyclic emergence than their songs. Cicadas have an interesting life cycle that lasts between two and five years. There are annual cicadas that reappear every summer. But, the real amazing cicadas are the periodic one that have a longer cycle of 13 to 17 years.
After mating, the female cuts slits into the bark of a twig where she deposits her eggs. When the eggs hatch, the newly hatched nymphs drop to the ground and burrow, emerging after intervals which are always prime numbers.
The long life cycles have resulted in myths and folklore that represent carefree living and immortality. However, these prolonged life-cycles may have developed as a response to predators, such as the cicada killer wasp and praying mantis. A specialist predator with a shorter life cycle of at least two years could not reliably prey upon the cicadas.
Cicadas are arboreal Hemipteran insects (true bugs) that belong to the Superfamily Cicadoidea and feed on plant sap. They are closely related to planthoppers, leafhoppers, treehoppers and spittlebugs (all from Suborder Auchenorrhyncha), but separated due to their lack of ability to jump.
Cicadas can fly rapidly and many are extremely well camouflaged, as their transparent wings lack the typical shine of insect cuticle. With more than 1,300 species described from around the world and Southeast Asia harbouring over 200 of these, many species are yet to be described. Historically, cicadas have also been used as money, in folk medicine and weather forecasting. When I checked their evolutionary history, I was shocked to find that cicadas had evolved in the Upper Permian Period, approximately 298-255 million years ago.
That these drumming creatures have been cutting albums for such a long time, was a heartening revelation. But the present and future of these prolonged burrowers is under immediate threat.
Given the constant burning of leaves in our colonies and the raging, morbid forest fires of Uttarakhand, reaching heights of up to 30m, I worry that these cicadas will not only be burnt on their arboreal perches, but maybe baked to death in their underground larval graves.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/15-Rahul-Da-Cunha-s.jpg
Devastation of our forest lands, devaluation of the rupee, destruction of law and order, deportation of Mallya?
No way! It’s the ‘degrees’ of our Prime Minister.
So, Arvindbhai Kejriwal asked Jashodaben Patel, ‘Madam, does your husband have a Bachelor of Arts?’
She replied defensively, “Yes, he is a bachelor.”*Illustration/Uday Mohite*
Confused, the Delhi Chief Minister then proceeded to accuse Narendra Modiji of having ‘fake degrees’. So, what’s the first thing you do when you’re told that your PM’s degrees, are ‘fake’, ‘forged’ and there’s an incorrect name there? Obviously, you want to double check the name on your own certificate.
So, I remove my Bachelor of Arts (English Lit and Psychology) certificate from the loft. My name is misspelt as Rahul DeCunha. Damn! I check Facebook, this DeCunha guy is an awesome wedding photographer living in Ottawa, Canada. (If I’d known earlier, I could have offered my services to the Bipasha Basu-Karan Grover shaadi ‘tamasha’).
See, don’t get me wrong — a BA or MA degree is very important in ‘apna desh’.
All politicians should have either one.
The qualifications will vary state to state and inevitably the ‘A’ in BA will also change.
But all ‘netas’ need a BA or MA.
Let’s start with the Hindi belt, Bihar specifically. Ever since the JD(U) took over the state, the BA in Patna University, stands for Bachelor of Arms/Ammunition. If you don’t have at least 6,000 rounds of ammo and 10 firearms in your car, no degree for you. And, no post in the government.
In Chennai, the nomenclature is slightly different — all young people and politicians now have to study for a Bachelor of Amma. The MA in Tamil Nadu is to be called an AMMA. Also, on Graduation Day, you have to supplicate fully on the ground when you receive the certificate from the great lady. Face down and arms in the air (for those of you who are swimmers, it is the butterfly position).
The highest educational honour is, of course, Bachelor of AIADMK.
The Congress party has its own qualification to join the party. The candidate has to be a Bachelor of Agustawestland. The BJP naturally demand, Bachelor of Amit and AAP asks for Bachelor of Arvind. The Samajwadi Party is initiating the Mulayam of Arts (MA) and Bachelor of Akhilesh (BA). Gujarat’s BA is Bachelor of Anandiben. Kolkota has MA i.e. Mamata Always. Punjab is governed by Bachelor of Akali.
In the meantime, now that Sanjay Dutt is out of jail, Raju Hirani has swung into action — he has two movies planned on the subject of fake degrees. The two potboilers are to be called — Modibhai MBBS and the sequel, Lage Raho Modibhai.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Kota-Collage-s.jpg*With suicides among students in Kota continuing, Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh on Thursday said that the government should constitute a regulatory body to monitor coaching institutes in the district*
Part of her despair stemmed from coaching centre culture. Monthly tests and incessant ranking and judging of students’ worth, would suck the life out of most people. But they are only the extreme manifestation of an ever-intensifying situation where traditional mindsets around caste, class and gender get mapped on to consumer society.
The indicators of success to which you must conform only seem to grow. Not only should you marry the right “type” of person, you must also have a certain kind of wedding; not only must you earn a certain salary, you must also spend it a certain way and be seen to do so. This must happen even when you choose once ‘alternative’ professions like art or writing, because then you must be on some Internet list of 23 most interesting artists under 25, or have some hipster start-up idea and a matching Instagrammable life.
Tripathi’s suicide note sets out the impact of this very simply: “It’s not because of bad scores in JEE Mains. It’s because I’ve started hating myself to the extent that I want to kill myself… Even all the people I know combined don’t know the whole of my life story. I have a habit of keeping things to myself.” It’s loneliness and disconnectedness and loss of community of epidemic proportions.
Some months ago, at a workshop in a Mumbai college, I asked a class of about 40 students how many of them had a best friend. Not more than five or six put up their hands. Responding to questions about love and sex, their group answers displayed casualness, a sense of being cool with everything. Their anonymous responses revealed ignorance, vulnerability, pain, uncertainty and a fear of admitting all this, lest they be shamed. The need to belong by fitting in is the very thing that renders us most lonely.
A recently viral article on young people who would rather starve for a branded sandwich than eat an office canteen thali in order to keep up appearances, labelled them new urban poor. A sanctimonious slew of responses about the meaning of poverty followed, predictably; our public conversation increasingly resembles the point-scoring of college debates. It, too, is competitive like Kota, revealing that this poverty is an emotional one, tied to a certain definition of prosperity and acceptability.
Neither the overheated observationality of the original article, nor the desiccated put-downs of it, really expanded the conversation to question how we can incorporate the idea of community, of being interconnected and of the world of emotion into our conversation about society, progress and development.
In her letter, Kriti Tripathi implored the HRD ministry to “shut down coaching centres. They suck.” But the HRD ministry might respond that this is not within the central government jurisdiction. Our administrative and social institutions seem more interested in censuring and punishing students, than thinking of how to shape an educational system that is genuinely sustaining and enabling. At least now we know the answer to the question in the Beatles’ song: all the lonely people? That’s where they all come from.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/15-Devdutt-Pattanaik-s.jpg*Illustration/Devdutt Pattanaik*
Films are retellings of Greek mythology. Stories of Titans, Olympians, and Greek heroes such as Hercules are on the rise. Films such as Noah and Exodus are also retelling tales from Abrahamic mythology. Films like Risen and The Young Messiah, due for release 2016 are based specifically on Christian mythology. Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi made a film on the Prophet Muhammad and, predictably, a fatwa was issued against AR Rahman for providing music to a film that dares show the face of the man who eventually becomes the prophet. These are all retellings of narratives from the world that is indifferent to what historians would consider reality. In other words, they are somebody’s truth, unlike fairy tales that is nobody’s truth.
Films that reimagine fairytale characters are easier to twist than films that have some religious content. So, we have Snow White turning into a warrior princess and Hansel and Gretel turning into vicious fighters. Dracula and werewolf films based on European legends tread carefully on, and against, Christian beliefs with the obsession with ‘flesh and blood’and promises of resurrection and immortality.
Mythological films stand between fantasy films on one hand and historical films on the other. When the Greek epic Troy was presented as history, it bombed: people wanted to see the gods. When King Arthur was presented without tales of Merlin and the Chalice and the Fisherking, it did not appeal to the audience. What audiences yearn for is answers to the mystery of life. Hence, films like 300, though based on a historical event, are presented using the mythic template of oppressor and oppressed, with the half-naked macho Greeks (read West) as guardians of freedom and the effeminate bejewelled Persians (read Middle East) as the home of tyrants.
It was the global popularity of Harry Potter books, and Lord of the Rings movies, that rekindled this global love for enchantment. Science, technology and rationality have essentially stripped the world of wonder. Everything is reduced to a mathematical formula, or a smug rule, or an app. In this world, politics and economics is reality. Faith is fantasy.
This ‘secularisation’ of the world strips the world of all magic and meaning. We are just biological units who yearn for power and wealth. Winners are the privileged elite: oppressors, who have to constantly suffer the activist whine. Losers are the oppressed, or their saviours, scolding everyone for being imperfect. The only escape is imagined histories and retold mythologies. Something fabulous that is also real, like gods with absolute power and no answerability.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Natarang-s.jpg*A still from Apsara ali from Natarang*
At the Lavani class, we were introduced to Chhabidar chabi and Tumhawar keli mi marji bahal from Pinjra, Wazale ki bara from Ravi Jadhav’s Natarang, and Ya ravaji basa bhavaji, a Baithakichi Lavani danced in a seated position, with emphasis on abhinaya (expression). Some day, I hope to learn Apsara aali, my favourite Lavani, from Natarang. It is so sensual and exquisite, in contrast with, say, Bollywood’s Chikni Chameli (a nod to the Marathi Kombadi palali song), which is Slutty 2.0.
In fact, I had enrolled in a Bollywood dance class a year ago, to find out if I could do slutty. It turned out that Gururaj Korgaonkar’s choreography was too graceful and elegant to be slutty. When I missed class and tried to catch up via YouTube videos, I realised his choreography was often superior to Bollywood’s. This was also partly because Bollywood choreography has much to do with picturisation — camerawork, spectacular sets and editing rhythms. Whereas Korgaonkar’s choreography was discreetly rooted in Kathak, semi-classical and Folk dances. His lavani tiptoed on the thin line between sensual and erotic. I had a sense of awakening in my body — of its sensuality, beauty, power and ease to tease. What a shame — I wish I had learnt it in my 20s. Also, the lyrics were revealing. For instance, in Chhabidar chhabi, the dancer taunts an adarsh village, for whom varan-bhat (dal rice) is manna, that it won’t be able to resist her charms. And I enjoyed its rustic core — a tambaku-crushing thumb gesture to signify a bossman type.
Well, Menaka was one of our more famous mythological apsaras or heavenly dancers. Indra, king of the gods, had sent her to seduce the sage Vishwamitra, whose penance threatened to earn him enough powers to make Indra & Co. nervous. And this dancer is the mother of Shakuntala and grandmother of the ‘ideal’ Emperor Bharata, after whom this illustrious, cow-loving, bar dancer-hating nation is named. Forgive me, saffron history rewritewallahs, for pointing out that this ‘ideal’ Bharat was born of Indra’s love jihad — of the Hindus, by the Hindus, for the Hindus. You won’t find this in Gujarati history books, but whoever said history is to do with the truth?
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Pernia-Qureshi-s.jpg
“I am going to be talking about the future of the luxury fashion market in India. But I am also looking forward to chat about how designers from Paris can understand Indian textiles better,” Qureshi told us. But it’s taking Indian luxury international is what excites her the most. “I grab any opportunity that comes my way to do that. That’s what makes this worthwhile.”
*Motorcycle diaries**Pic/Satej Shinde*
Actor Salman Khan and Aras Gibieza, a two-time European stunting riding champion, looked set to burn some rubber at an event held at a Malad mall on Saturday.
*Rohan Shreshta’s fan boy moment*
Ace photographer Rohan Shreshta is not the kind to get dazzled by celebrities. But, recently, while shooting with legendary French footballer Zinedine Zidane, the 30-year-old found himself stuttering.
“I’ve idolised Zizou for as long as I can remember, and then to be right next to him was surreal,” says Shreshta, who shot a TVC with him in Madrid. “I got the call for the ad when I was vacationing in Cuba. I left my holiday mid-way because you don’t get a chance like this often.”
Shreshta revealed that apart from being painfully good looking, and fit at 45, Zizou is humble to a fault. “He was co-operative despite the language barrier. We communicated via a translator.”
Shreshta even discussed his #whiteTseries campaign, where he shoots celebs in a white ganjee, which Zidane agreed to be a part of. “At the end of the shoot, Zizou came up to me and said something in French, which I couldn’t figure. When I asked the translator, he said, ‘Zizou said you’re a fantastic photographer’.” Kudos.
*Back on track*
When we met India-born UK-based Chef Stephen Gomes last week, he was chirpy, with teething problems at his first city restaurant, Chemistry 101, put behind him. The special party held on April 6 welcomed an overflowing guestlist, which, threw service off gear. But bad press, he says, is a learning lesson.*Stephen Gomes. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar*
“We were first told there would be 40 guests, and the number went to 70, and finally, we had 150 guests. But, we are back on track, and the response has been overwhelming. For now, we have closed our top section and are catering to 30 covers at the ground level. I will open the top level only once we are confident that we can give personal attention to more guests,” says Gomes who wants to look ahead as they launch lunch service, including a molecular gastronomy thali. Who said lunch meetings are boring?
*A six-year-old storyteller*
A little birdie recently took this diarist by surprise when she mentioned the release of her first self-published book. The diarist’s writing ambitions aside, what made this newbie author the source of slight envy, was her age. All of six, Ashwika Khanna, a senior KG student at BD Somani International School, has written a children’s book titled, Pushti and Anushti at the Airport.
*
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First in the series of stories about two sisters, the 12-page book will be available for kiddies on online platforms, says her mom Payal. “Pushti is like me,” says Ashwika innocently. “She is obedient and listens to her parents. But Anushti is very naughty and gets into trouble. I want kids to know that we should always be good.”
*First quarter out*
Doing it in style, the Kochi Muziris Biennale 2016 announced its first 25 participating artists, egging the public to ask for more. Under the discerning curation of Sudarshan Shetty, the list has a good mix of names from foreign shores and home turf.*Riyaz Komu*
We are especially excited for Avinash Veeraraghavan, Orijit Sen, Anamika Haksar, Praneet Soi, TV Santhosh and Desmond Lazaro. Riyas Komu, the festival’s co-founder, tells us that Shetty’s choices will bring together different streams of thought, which are sure to make the Biennale into a melting pot of ideas.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Mumbai-Heritage-s.jpg*The Mumbai Heritage website uses architectural drawings to simplify details of heritage structures in the city, such as Gothic elements (left) and neo-classic columns*
A student of IIT-Bombay’s Industrial Design Centre (IDC), Shah brings together Mumbai’s scattered heritage structures in a new website, along with details of about their architectural features, location and history.*Sitara Shah*
Currently, the website (ww.mumbaiheritage.sitarashah.com) has details of seven heritage structures, but intends to rope in 590 such structures in the city.
Mumbai Heritage officially launched earlier this month after user-trials since November 2015.
“A lot of people who are interested in heritage sites aren’t aware of where to get information on them from. While there are several bloggers who actively write about heritage, it is hard to find information on one platform,” says Shah, a final-year post-graduate student of Interaction Design.
She speaks of the difficulties in accessing the 2012 heritage list on Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai’s (MCGM) website and on vintage maps at The Asiatic Society. “It is not easy to find the heritage list online and it's expensive for students to pay daily for access in a library.” However, Shah believes that the most important aspect is to remove cultural biases when it comes to heritage. “We are often prejudiced that some of these structures were built by the British colonial rulers. Instead, we need to see that these are constant reminders of human creativity,” she says.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Vinod-Tawde-s.jpg*Yesterday, parents met state education minister Vinod Tawde*
Early on Saturday, a group of parents met Education Minister Vinod Tawde at his residence. Later, they attended a meeting with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray. A group of parents will head for Delhi on Monday to meet officials from the education department. In the meanwhile, protests continue at different places across the state.
One parent, Ajay Gupta, who met Tawde, said, “He assured us that the government is trying to help. Thackeray, too, showed his support. We do not know who will help and who won’t, but we are leaving no stone unturned.”
Another parent, Saloni Shahstri, said, “The SC’s decision is going to be advantageous for those who are from CBSE and have prepared for AIPMT (the All-India Pre-Medical Test), which is now NEET phase I. Students from state boards —not just Maharashtra, but several other states — are at a great disadvantage.”
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Train-accident-s.jpg*These CCTV grabs show Jagmohan Jaiswal losing his grip and another commuter rushing to help him*
Grabs of CCTV footage (available with *mid-day*) shows the man, identified as Jagmohan Jaiswal (23) from his Aadhaar card, slipping out of the last coach of a CST-bound train — pulling out of platform 2 of the railway station around 5 am — falling in the gap between the tracks and the platform, and another commuter helplessly trying to pull him out. Once the train moved out, Jaiswal was rescued and rushed to Thane Civil Hospital.
He was later shifted to JJ Hospital.
A doctor at JJ Hospital said Jaiswal had suffered multiple grievous injuries, primarily to the head, and succumbed to them on Saturday.
TP Lahane, the hospital’s dean, said he had suffered a subarachnoid haemorrhage (a stroke caused by bleeding on the surface of the brain), a subdural haematoma (where blood collects between the skull and the surface of the brain), multiple rib and pelvic fractures, and injuries to the feet, the thorax and the lumbar spine.
A Thane Government Railway Police (GRP) officer said it was initially suspected that Jaiswal had been pushed out by a passenger, but the police ruled that out after recording his statement at the hospital. “Since early morning trains are usually vacant, he couldn’t have fallen out because of lack of space. So, we initially suspected foul play. But he told us at the hospital that he had slipped.”
Rupali Ambure, deputy commissioner of police, central division, GRP, said the youth said he had lost his grip on the pole at the coach’s entrance. “He made it clear that there was no foul play.”
Another GRP official said the police would register an accident death report once JJ Hospital sends its report.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Sonali-Abdur-Rahaman-s.jpg*Sonali Singh (22) and Abdul Rahman (2) were stuck in Kapilvastu Society’s elevator for 30 minutes*
Subhash Singh, who is Katrina Kaif’s make-up artiste and recently co-produced film Chalk n Duster, alleged that his daughter, Sonali, and a two-year-old neighbour, Abdul Rahman, were stuck in his building’s elevator for nearly half an hour on Friday afternoon. Both his daughter and the child were unconscious when they were brought out. The two were then rushed to Millat Hospital, and later discharged. “They could have choked to death,” said Singh. Singh, a resident of Kapilvastu Society in Goregaon (West), said, this is not the first time that such an incident had taken place in the building’s elevator. Despite repeated complaints, the builder and the society authorities had refused to repair the elevator, he claimed.
However, according to him, what made it worse was that the Goregaon police haven’t taking action against his written complaints. He claimed that he had filed three non-cognisable complaints with the police in the past, but they did not act. “This time, too, when I visited the police, they refused to take my complaint,” Singh alleged.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/Narayan-Nagar-s.jpg*A resident of Narayan Nagar in Ghatkopar West interacts with (centre) lab assistant Narayan Subramaniam and (right) peon Vishnu Sharma. While on election duty, the two have covered homes between Powai and Kurla since May 2015, having to skip school duty entirely. Pics/Datta Kumbhar*
On May 28, 2015, Subramaniam (54) and Sharma (42) — who work as lab assistant and peon respectively, at Ghatkopar’s North Bombay Welfare Society’s High School — were deputed as field officers after a letter was received by the school by the district election officer-168 of the Chandivli Vidhansabha Matadar Sangh, asking for them specifically. The school headmaster Ashok Kumar’s four letters since then to the said officer and also the previous Suburban Collector Shekhar Channe (who held the office till April 2016) has met with no response. In their absence, the government-aided school’s functioning has been affected since it can’t hire staff to replace them.*Often, Narayan Subramaniam (Right) and Vishnu Sharma (left) end up meeting disgruntled residents such as Sayyad Mohammed Kamar (centre). He shouted at the two saying, “I have been staying in this area for years. Out of 18 members of my family, including relatives, all of whom stay close by, only my name is missing from the electoral list. I have not been able to vote for the last two elections due to this. Why am I being deprived of my right to vote?” The duo could only ask him to approach the local election office, assuring him of all assistance required*
In the meanwhile, while Subramaniam and Sharma continue their work as booth level officers (BLOs) without training or briefing, they have to travel door-to-door between Powai and Kurla (the assembly constituency they have been assigned) without any reimbursement for transport, food (most of their meals have to be taken on the road) or even the honorarium of Rs 6,000 per year paid to such staff on either a yearly or half-yearly basis.*Last May, Ashok Kumar, the headmaster of Ghatkopar’s North Bombay Welfare Society’s High School, received a letter from district election officer, 168 Chandivli, asking that Subramaniam and Sharma report for electoral duty. The letter said the institute would be liable for punishment under the Representation Of People Act 1951 if there was non-compliance*
“We were asked to submit a cancelled cheque, which we did a couple of weeks ago, but we are not sure if anything will come into our bank accounts. We had to also spend for the revenue stamp of Re 1 and even the lamination charges for our identity cards. We do not even get a complementary tea when we visit the election office for submission,” shrugged Subramaniam.
*Not an easy job*
A circular by Chief Secretary Swadheen Kshatriya dated March 11, 2015, states that as per directives of the Election Commission of India, between March 1, 2015 and July 31, 2015, work would begin on the National Electoral Rolls Purification and Authentication Programme (NERPAP) [purification signifies the updation of names on the list i.e. updating names, photographs and addresses]. BLOs would be appointed for this by government offices, and would have to do this work in addition to the work they do at their parent establishments. However, the circular clarifies that the BLOs can’t be made to work beyond the stipulated time which ranges from 48 days and 96 days i.e. once a week or twice a week. Whoever appointed Subramaniam and Sharma (and most likely a horde of other BLOs in the city), doesn’t seem to have understood this.
“Our first task when we reported to the Vidhyavihar electoral office was to enrol first-time voters. We had to check their Aadhaar cards and addresses and register their names in the electoral list. This was a door-to-door exercise and went on from June to September. On an average, we’d register 30-40 new applicants every day. Some days, the number would near 100,” said Subramaniam.
After September, they were tasked with checking the residential voters’ list. Each member of the team — it was initially 150 — was given four electoral booklets each, with details of more than 800 voters. These had to be verified with the given address, photograph and contact details had to be taken for reference. Besides ensuring the missing photos were submitted, names of those who had died or moved from that residence had to be deleted and thus stated in the list.
“No specific training was provided to us. All we were given was the area to work in. Usually, these were slums where it is difficult to locate and identify each address, as most are incomplete. We have to go showing photographs to people and not everyone wants to help,” said Subramaniam.
Sharma added that often — a previous BLOs botched-up work — either left incomplete due to reassignment, callousness or simply because there’s no supervisor to ensure that a thorough job has been done — leaves residents irked. “When we revisit such slumdwellers, they start shouting and yelling at us. Even pasting the election commission notice is a challenge as the glue provided by the government does not even stick a paper. We have to buy our own,” he said.
Both say that while some staffers — from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and other agencies — were sent back to their parent organisation after their office requested them back, their own school’s letters were ignored. There’s no attendance system either. “We are expected to complete the booklet in a week or fortnight. We do what we can and leave the rest blank,” Sharma said.
*The school needs them*
Kumar, the school’s headmaster, said, Subramaniam is the only school lab assistant and has to manage all three laboratories (physics, chemistry and biology). “His absence was felt while conducting the practical sessions for Board exams of Std X. The teaching faculty had to work extra hours to ensure that the students’ practical exams were not affected.”
Sharma, he said, is the primary section peon and among the three to help the 17 teaching staff with the administering of 1103 students. “There are two clerical staff posts. Both have been vacant for six years for want of civic approval and of the four sanctioned posts of peons, only three are on rolls including Sharma,” he added.
Kumar added that while the norm is that the election office requests the organistion to send a certain number of staff, who are then nominated by the head of department, in this case Subramiam and Sharma were specifically asked for specifically. The letter, by district election officer-168 Chandivli on May 19, 2015, said the institute would be liable for punishment under the Representation Of People Act, 1951, if there was non-compliance.
“The school management is not against putting the staff for doing election work, but if the staff gets engaged for an entire academic year, then it is surely a problem for running the school,” said a senior member of the school administration.
An official from the suburban collector’s office at Bandra said, “We have received the letter from the said school and the same will be put up before the new suburban collector for necessary action.”
*Not done as per book*
A senior official from the election department at Mantralaya said that the state requires 88,000 staff across Maharashtra for conducting electoral work, which is a continuous process. “However, we only have 47,000 staff at present most of them from the revenue department and around 8,000 staff, including non teaching school staff, BMC, sales tax, BEST and other central/state government establishments,” he said.
The officer clarified that an honorarium of R6,000 per year is paid to the staff on either half-yearly or yearly basis for the work. About the case of Subramiam and Sharma, he said, “We will look into this case, this should not be happening at all.”
State Chief Secretary, Swadheen Kshatriya said, “We will set up a mechanism to ensure that BLOs are made to work only for a specified period. Instructions for implementing the same will be passed on to collectors across the state at the earliest. BLOs cannot be used throughout the year; it will cause an adverse affect.”
Nitin Gadre, Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra, added that the People Representation Act of 1951 does not expect the election department to have their own field staff, and therefore, it has to depend on staff from other government institutions. However, he clarified that overusing of BLO staff for electoral work is not accepted and will be looked into.
RTI activist and former Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi, said, “Especially, staffers at education institutes should not be taken away for such a long duration for electoral work. Asking for staff without consent of the institution is illegal use of power. Powers are given to officials are subject to rules and regulations, and no one has unlimited powers, not even the President and the prime minister.” Reported by Mid-Day 11 hours ago.