Gen X of Kathak: Singapore based artist Avinav Mukharji

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November 30, 2018

Dance is a field that needs total dedication and determination and I am sure you will agree with me if I say that this commitment lasts a lifetime. It takes years for a raw diamond to be cut and then crafted and then slowly it starts to shine and in due course of time starts to spread its radiance. One such rising star or should I say the generation next dancer who has started to shine as bright as a diamond is Singapore based Kathak dancer Avinav Mukharji.

Though Avinav is an Indian from Delhi but is currently living in Singapore and heads the Kathak department at Apsaras Arts Dance Institute, which is one of the leading performing arts institute based in Singapore. But before he started to impart this knowledge of Kathak to the Singaporeans he was teaching dance in India at The Indian School of Music and also at H.U Music Academy. Not just that but that this highly talented young man was the principal dancer in the repertory of Kathak Kendra, National Institute of Kathak, New Delhi and also danced for a long time in the repertory AV Dance Company Kathak Resonance, under exponents Abhimanyu Lal and Vidha Lal.

Avinav has had an extensive training in Kathak under the tutelage of Sangeet Natak Academy Awardee Smt.Geetanjali Lal for 14 long years. He is also a graded Doordarshan artist and his talent has been recognised through various scholarships from C.C.R.T, Sahitya Kala Parishad and Kathak Kendra. This just proves how superbly gifted this man is.

His dance is not only bound to just teaching and performing but he also believes that young talent like himself needs good exposure. He was fortunate to get scholarships for his art and due to which he could impressively develop his dancing skills along with that he was also lucky to get a great platform to perform so that he could showcase his talent to the world at large. But he also understands that every dancer is not blessed like him, keeping this in mind Avinav started a dance unit ‘Chatushra’ where he gives a platform to young upcoming artists of India to perform along with his group in various national and international level shows and events.

If you think that this man with a heart of gold is only trained in dance then let me bring to your notice that, this dashing dancer has also received theatre training from National School of Drama, Delhi’s Theatre-In-Education wing, a school of legendary Bollywood and theatre actors of India. He has also been associated with numerous reputed theatre companies such as Cineaste, People Theatre Group, Theatre-In Motion etc. He was fortunate at this very young age he was called by radio station ‘94.3 My FM’ to conduct a series of street plays on issues such as parenting and peer pressure. Such is the understanding and maturity of this youth that he knows exactly how to take up social issues and mix it beautifully with his first love Kathak.

If heading Kathak branch at Apsaras Arts Dance Institute, Singapore was not enough, this capable man also works as a Teacher, Mentor, and Choreographer for charitable organisations such as Tapaswini Navasadhana, Samuel Ngo Foundation, Sarvam Foundation, Sajag Foundation to name a few and works tirelessly to create annual fundraising productions for them.

Today, I also want to tell you about the various awards Avinav has been honoured with, some of them include; ‘Natya Mayoora’ by Nrithyathi Kalakshetram and BHEL Bhillai, ‘Nritya Jyoti Samman’ by Naveen Kalakaar, Odisha, ‘Nartakan Samman’ by Debnrutyam Studio, Odisha and more. Not just awards and allures in dance but this handsome dancer has also won the title of ‘Mr. Delhi’ in 2009.

Super impressed with this rising dancing star of India, I picked up my phone and had a nice chat with him, questioning him about his vision as a dancer and as a teacher, and this is what this articulate dancer had to say —

What difference do you find in students in India and other parts of the world?

Since the Indians living outside India are away from the culture and traditions, they miss their roots; hence, they are keener to learn Indian art forms and the traits. What I find in non Indians in other countries is that they are more disciplined, true, sincere, and immensely dedicated to what they are learning.

Which has been your most loved show till date?

My first solo performance “Samvaad” in Singapore has been most loved till now. I got a standing ovation and people showered me with unconditional love and respect. I still get compliments for that show and people who attended they still remind me of how much they liked it.

Now that you are in Singapore what are your plans?

I am working on two plans simultaneously, one is to reach out and spread Kathak to as many people as possible in Singapore and world, second is that I as an individual and artist enrich myself with the different culture, thought process, visions and grow my art form along with expanding my horizons.

You are the rising Dancing star of India, what advice you have for young dancers today?

Well, we call art forms as extra-curricular activities. It’s really painful to see that dance is not the main curriculum in school and colleges. It should not be taken up as a hobby, like how we study any other subjects; dance is also a subject that needs to be mastered upon. Parents need to understand that the process is not instant, it has never been. Today the most successful dancers in the world, be it Padma Vibhushan Pt.Birju Maharaj or Sir Benjamin Millepied, they have all given their whole life to dance. As a teacher and art ambassador, I would never willingly want to teach someone who takes up dance as a hobby, but to someone who thinks it can be a full-fledged career.

Indian classical dance is a field which is mostly dominated by women, but it is refreshing to see a person like Avinav who is endlessly working towards his goals, travelling the world and learning and imparting his sea of knowledge. Today with this story, I would like to wish the rising star of Kathak good luck for his future. I hope and pray that he takes our dancing tradition and culture world over.

Sandip Soparrkar

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of AFTERNOON VOICE and AFTERNOON VOICE does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)

Letters to the Editor: Nov 30, 2018

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Afternoon Voice

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November 30, 2018

1) I appreciate the Governor of J&K

In such an age when India is witnessing an autocratic system, Jammu and Kashmir’s Governor Satya Pal Malik must be highly appreciated for his manful move of not looking up to Delhi and for not taking their instructions, thereby stopping the installation of a government formed of the BJP and its proxies. Though the Modi government wanted him to install Sajad Lone as the state’s Chief Minister, right before he dissolved the assembly last week, he did not listen to the Centre. Rather he said, “I want to reiterate it that I would have had to form a government of Sajad Lone had I looked up to New Delhi, but I didn’t want to go down in the history as a dishonest man.” I expect that millions of my fellow citizens will join me to appreciate Malik’s courage and honesty.

– Mohd Rahmani

2) Big relief in Maharashtra

Finally, after a long-standing demand of the Maratha community, the Maharashtra legislature unanimously passed a bill granting 16 per cent reservation to the Maratha community under a new and independent category: social and educationally backward class (SEBC). Of course, the decision made by the Maharashtra government is welcoming particularly for the Maratha Community, because it was a life-long dream of the community. Also, the decision will bring to the state of Maharashtra relief and contentment from the chain of protests which continued for a long time and led to devastations all over the state. I extend my gratitude to the Maharashtra government for this welcoming move for the Maratha community that was left behind socially and educationally.

– Mohd Faheem

3) Kudos to Mary Kom

I heartily congratulate Mary Kom who touched a new high when she claimed her sixth title in the World women’s boxing championships at the Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex. It is also heartening to learn that with six gold medals and a silver, the diminutive Mary now stands as the tallest woman boxer in the 17-year-old history of the event and equals legendary male boxer Cuban Felix Savon’s World Championships record. It is a very proud moment for India that an Indian athlete clinched the gold medal for the country. Really, it will be an inspiration for the youth especially for the girls of the country who are struggling for their career in sports. I extend my deepest congratulations and gratitude to Mary for making the country proud and provide the nation with a wonderful moment of celebration.

– F.T.Mulla

4) Tragedy of our country

While Ayodhya is gripped by a show of strength by the VHP for the Ram Mandir, the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has cleared a 221-metre tall statue of Lord Ram to come up on the banks of the Sarayu in the temple town. It is a tragedy of our country that the government is not sincere towards the development of the country and its progression; rather, it is blindly spending the public’s hard-earned money in such unproductive projects. It is not government’s business to construct the statue of a particular religion’s God in a democratic country. It has been crystal clear that BJP government is leading the country in an autocratic way which is totally disruptive for the country’s peaceful environment and communal harmony. So, the government must pay heed to the core issues which are crying for close attention.

– F.R.Murad

5) Pakistan should provide a peaceful atmosphere for pilgrims

It is the matter of great shame that Pakistan’s security agencies have been trying to spread pro-Khalistan propaganda and harass innocent Indian Sikh pilgrims by denying them consular access. This is the third consecutive visit of Indian Sikh pilgrims when Pakistan has prevented the high commission officials from meeting them on the pretext of security. As a result of such harassment they were compelled to return to Islamabad without performing their diplomatic and consular duties vis-a-vis Indian pilgrims. This attitude of Pakistan must be condemned worldwide, because it is a bare violation of international legal instruments and conventions. Pakistan government should not indulge in such ridiculous business and rather, it must pay attention to maintain a peaceful atmosphere for visitors.

– M.F.U.Tandvi

6) No reservations for the Muslims

It was declared by the Maharashtra government that the Maratha community will get the reservation in the government jobs and admission in academic institutions from December 1. But it should be noticed that there was no opportunity for Muslims in the announced quota. A question arises that whether the Muslims have no need for such a reservation or does the government want Muslims to go backwards in such fields or to be forced into illegal business? I hope the government will never let such an issue grow in the state and definitely will provide reservation to Muslims soon.

– Ashfaque Qasmi

7) JK Gov to put J&K Bank under RTI Act

Governor of Jammu and Kashmir deserves all compliments to put Jammu-Kashmir Bank under ambit of RTI Act on reports of political interference used for backdoor appointments of about 2000 candidates and sanctioning massive loans to undeserving ones including Chennai-based close relation of erstwhile political ruler of the state. Many of loan-defaulters managed more borrowings to divert funds to Dubai and other Gulf countries as per media-reports.

It is time for central government to follow footsteps by putting all Public-Private-Partnerships PPPs, sports-bodies, cooperative-societies and other such bodies affecting lives of millions to be directly under RTI Act to effectively check massive misuse of public-funds by their office-bearers.

Co-operative giant IFFCO through which the annual fertiliser-subsidy of thousands of crores of rupees is routed gifted prime-properties worth hundreds of crores in New Delhi to its office-bearers with even Comptroller and Auditor General report pointing out massive irregularities in functioning of IFFCO. BCCI challenged CIC-verdict ordering it as public-authority under the RTI Act at Madras High Court despite Union Ministry of Sports supporting CIC-verdict in this respect. Recently retired Chief Information Commission noted that Institute of Banking Personnel Selection IBPS is not a public-authority under RTI Act even though four million candidates appear every year for examinations conducted by it.

– SUBHASH CHANDRA AGRAWAL

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Number of illegal laboratories running business in India

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Vinod Dixit

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November 30, 2018

In India, a number of pathology labs are functioning illegally as per the new survey. There are pathologists who were found signing reports, without supervising the tests. There are many labs that are actually being run by technicians, holding either a Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology (DMLT) or Certificate degree in Medical Laboratory Technology (CMLT), which qualifies one to conduct tests but only under a pathologist’s supervision. Patients, who consult a doctor because they charge a low consultation fee, are unaware of the fact that many such doctors make up for the ‘low’ consultation fee by advising unnecessary tests. For becoming a pathologist, a person has to first complete MBBS, followed by either a two-year degree in clinical pathology or MD in Pathology.

It would be inappropriate to allow the technicians to practice and they should continue working under a pathologist’s supervision. It is also observed that a large number of pathological laboratories are not being run by qualified registered medical practitioners possessing requisite qualifications i.e. MD (Pathology). The laboratories are being run without any check or inspection by the authorities. There are a number of illegal laboratories that take their business with impunity right under the nose of Health Department in many states and that too without proper legal documentation and some of them are even not having registration numbers. Unqualified and untrained technicians have been employed by the owners for fleecing the patients. Such illegal laboratories have become a threat to the lives of poor patients.

Many conscientious medical practitioners themselves concede that many a times, tests which are not required are also prescribed to improve the business of diagnostic centres. And these doctors get hefty commissions from these diagnostic centres. It is an open secret that diagnostic centres survive on prescription.

Depending on the kind of test, most physicians directly receive their cut from the diagnostic centres. The greed among the doctors is increasing by the day. Ultimately, it is the patient who suffers by undergoing unnecessary tests and spending their hard-earned money. There is a strict guideline that every clinical establishment has to display the registration certificate at the reception counter. Besides, none of the laboratories had any doctor or authorised person to conduct pathological tests or run such a business. No law enforcement agencies had ever raided the laboratory premises. It is a part of a big racket and some resourceful persons are involved in this business. The instruments used for conducting pathological tests are expensive which indicates that rich and influential persons have invested in the business.

On one hand, we feel proud to say that Indians have achieved superb success in medicines, in technological developments in medical science, and in healthcare facilities. On the other hand, it is a matter of shame and disgrace that the healthcare sector in India is reputed to be involved in unethical and corrupt practices since a very long time. Costs for simple and basic tests like blood sugar are around Rs 60-70 — such labs charge Rs 250, because they give the pathologist a ‘cut’. There are cases where the officials are guarding illegal pathological labs by allowing technicians to sign test reports for blood, urine, tissue, body fluids and other histopathology findings. It is reported that a large number of pathological laboratories are not being run by qualified registered medical practitioners possessing requisite qualifications i.e. MD (Pathology). The State Health Department must take stern actions against technicians setting up labs to conduct pathology tests which are bogus as per MMP Act.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Telangana polls: Leaders throng Kawal Tiger Reserve to woo tribal voters

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Afternoon Voice

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November 30, 2018

Telangana’s Kawal Tiger Reserve is nowadays getting a new kind of visitors, not the typical nature-loving tourists, as assembly election candidates of different political parties are thronging this place to woo tribal voters settled deep inside the Jannaram forest.

The 42nd tiger reserve zone in India, located over 250 kms away from the state capital Hyderabad, falls under the Khanapur assembly constituency which has 1.83 lakh electorate and is reserved for scheduled tribe (ST) candidates.

Spread over 893 kms, the reserve is one of the richest teak forests in the state and is home to animals like tiger, cheetal, sambar, nilgai, barking deer, chowsingha, and sloth bear, as also various species of birds and reptiles.

“Campaiging is not easy in jungle,” said Thodasam Nagorao, who is contesting from little-know Prem Janata Dal party, as he got down from a Safari car that got stuck in the forest and he had to walk to reach the Dongapalli village in Jannaram Mandal.

He said reaching ‘Lambada’ tribes is relatively easy in Khanapur as they have come out of the forest area and are doing other works, but the ‘Gondus’ adivasis continue to stay in secluded areas deep inside the jungle.

After delimitation, Jannaram now falls in Khanapur assembly constituency.

With the election campaign peaking, candidates from different parties including the TRS, BJP and Congress are begun frequently visiting these areas with promises to do better work if they come to power.

But adivasis in Dongapalli and other villages appear to be disenchanted with what they call “false promises” made by the present government.

“We are not getting Rs 4,000 per acre incentive from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government under the Rythu Bandhu scheme because we don’t have title deeds for our forest land,” said a tribal woman, Rekha Nayak.

She wants the government to give title deeds for the land parcel she owns to avail benefits like other farmers.

“Our land issues have not been solved yet. But the TRS has done some good work and that we cannot deny,” Malyala gram panchayat ex-sarpanch Manik Rao told PTI.

Senior tribal citizens are getting a pension of Rs 1,000 per month and those who have title deeds of forest area are getting Rs 4,000 per acre for two crop seasons under the Rythu Bandhu scheme, he added.

The tribals are keen to come out of the forest life if the government gives them house and the similar land parcels that they own.

Another tribal woman, who makes cane-based products using bamboo from the forests, had a different problem to share.

“We received a free cooking gas cylinder from the government but we are unable to refill as prices have shot up to Rs 1,070 per cylinder,” she said.

As a result, most tribal women have gone back to old ways of using dead wood logs found in the forest for cooking purpose.

A forest department driver D Ashok said, “They have refilled their cylinder only once so far. Normally, the entire village collects the empty cylinders for refilling at a time.”

Some need to hire a vehicle and travel 60 km to get the refill and the transportation charges adds to their burden, he said, showing empty cylinders outside a tribal family’s house.

According to Ashok, there is no grocery store in the village and adivasis have to travel 6-8 km to buy daily-use items and it becomes more difficult in the rainy season to step out of the forest.

Outsiders are not allowed to visit these adivasi settlements without permission in order to check wood felling and smuggling, he added.

As per the state government data, there are more than 26 lakh tribals in Telangana. Besides dominant tribal groups of Lambadas and Gonds, other tribes include Koya, Yerukala and Pradhan.

For this state assembly election scheduled for December 7, a polling booth is being set up in their village for the first time.

“The polling booth will be set up here for the first time,” the ex-sarpanch said pointing out at the gram panchayat office in the village.

Two independents and 10 party candidates are trying their luck from Khanapur. These include Ajmeera Rekha from Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Ashok Satla (BJP), Ramesh Rathod (Congress), Ajmera Hair Naik (BSP) and Thodasam Bhim Rao (CPI-M).

TRS’ Ajmeera Rekha defeated Telugu Desam Party’s Rathod Ritesh in the 2014 assembly election by a margin of 38,000 votes.

Kerala Assembly disrupted for third day on Sabarimala issue

By

Afternoon Voice

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November 30, 2018

The Congress-led opposition UDF disrupted proceedings in the Kerala Assembly for the third consecutive day Friday, demanding discussion on the Sabarimala Temple issue, leading to an early adjournment of proceedings.

The third day of the session saw proceedings, which began at 9 am, lasting hardly 22 minutes after Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan disallowed the opposition demand to suspend all business during the question hour and take up the adjournment motion on the Sabarimala issue.

As soon as Question Hour began, UDF MLAs rushed to the speaker’s podium armed with a black banner and placards raising slogans demanding withdrawal of Section 144 (prohibitory orders) in Sabarimala Temple complex and protection of faith of pilgrims.

Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala requested the Speaker to do away with the question hour and take up their adjournment motion to discuss hardships being faced by hundreds of pilgrims visiting Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala during the ongoing “Mandala Makkaravillakku” season.

“When such a serious issue is being faced by pilgrims at Sabarimla, should not the opposition raise it in the House,” he asked.

The Speaker, tried to calm down members, but in vain.

He said the House had discussed the Sabarimala issue for eight hours.

The Kerala High Court has appointed a three-member committee to observe activities at Sabarimala during the current pilgrim season, he said.

“We do not have only a single issue. There are other matters to be taken up like the devastation caused by floods, Air Force has asked the state government for payment for relief works undertaken etc”, the speaker added.

The Speaker informed opposition MLAs that he was prepared to allow them to raise the issue as a submission. However, the members continued their sloganeering, following which the speaker ended proceedings and adjourned the House for the day.

Later talking to reporters, Chennithala said the previous UDF government had allowed raising of the Solar issue at least 8-9 times in the house.

“We were prepared to cooperate today with the Question Hour and not disrupt proceedings. We wanted to protect our rights and wanted permission to move an adjournment motion, which was disallowed,” he said and criticised the speaker’s unilateral decision.

“We expect justice from the speaker,” he added.

Chennithala alleged there was a “hidden agenda” between the ruling CPI(M) and BJP on the Sabarimala issue.

He also alleged there was a sharp fall in the arrival of pilgrims to the temple due to the violence allegedly unleashed by BJP/RSS workers and restrictions imposed by the LDF government.

The hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa has been witnessing protests by devotees and right-wing activists against the CPI(M)-led LDF government’s decision to implement the Supreme Court’s September 28 verdict permitting women of all age groups to offer prayers at the temple.

India to chair Kimberley Process from Jan next year: Commerce Ministry

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Afternoon Voice

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November 30, 2018

India will chair the Kimberley Process (KP), a global initiative to remove conflict diamonds from the global supply chain, from January next year, the Commerce Ministry said on Friday.

KP is a joint initiative of different countries, industry and civil societies to control flow of conflict diamonds, which are used by rebel movements to finance wars against legitimate governments in the world.

“India, during its chairmanship will continue with the tradition and aim to support the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) and with capacity building, technical assistance and education on valuation, differentiation between natural and lab grown diamonds, importance of legal and formal mining practices,” the ministry said in a statement.

India is the founding member of Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) and is actively involved in KP activities to ensure that almost 99 per cent of the diamond trade in the world is conflict free.

“India is at the forefront in addressing the issue of differentiation between natural diamonds and lab grown diamonds and ensure responsible business in this area,” it added.

Since August 2013, the KP has 54 participants, representing 81 countries.

Homestays — Hospitality Unchained

By

Afternoon Voice

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November 29, 2018

There’s a popular saying in India – Athithi Devo Bhava – meaning the guest is God. Backed by this popular belief and the rising business prospects due to the significant growth of the Indian travel industry, homestays have today become a viable option for both travellers and its owners alike.

For the guest, it’s a home away from home that is nicely tucked into the greens or high up in the hills, in the remotest hinterlands. For the property owner, it’s a lucrative income source.

Numbers suggest that India’s travel market is projected to grow at an annual rate of 11-11.5 per cent and will be worth $48 bn by 2020. Homestays are indisputably one of the means to cater to this growing demand. Rising disposable incomes, focused government measures to boost the travel industry and the growing appetite for travel is accelerating this growth.

In fact, India saw a 15.6 per cent annual increase in foreign tourist arrivals in CY 2017 as against the previous year. Business tourism too is expected to grow three-fold by 2030 from $30 bn in 2015.

There is no doubt that the Indian hospitality industry must diversify its offerings to keep up with this exponential growth and tap into its extraordinary potential. Alternate accommodations such as homestays – which occupy only a small section of the market today – will grow in stature and play a significant role.

Though still nascent, homestays are a growing phenomenon across the globe, and India numbers among the most promising countries for this segment, and for good reasons. Homestays can provide an experience of true Indian hospitality – unlike formal hotels, which come with limitations. Guests are either accommodated in the family home or in separate quarters nearby and often provided with a level of comfort which even the most reputed hotels cannot hope to match.

Homing in on Homestays

With many travellers now looking for homely comfort during holidays, homestays have surely made their mark in the tourism market. Organized hospitality establishments require a lot of space, which can be very expensive and even impossible to acquire in most of India’s hottest tourist destinations. Their growth and profitability are largely hampered by high real estate and financial costs. Mostly financed via debt, the capital (interest and depreciation) cost eats into their profitability.

Also, hotel chains may not be interested in opening up shop in some of the emerging ‘unspoiled’ destinations, precisely because unspoiled means non-saturated – and a formal hospitality play do require a certain saturation of paying customers. Moreover, hotel rooms can cost a pretty penny and may not be attractive for less well-heeled tourists.

Also, the main attraction for homestays is that they allow tourists to taste the local ‘flavour’ of a destination at an affordable cost – not only in terms of authentic, home-cooked local cuisine but also the lifestyle of the locals. There can be (though by no means always is) a personal touch to homestays that a hotel simply cannot replicate.

Further, the property owner can regale the guests with local folklore and social background, allowing for an intensely immersive experience which can yield lasting memories – not to mention return custom and favourable referrals not only to friends and family but also via online forums and listing feedback.

Finally, homestays are usually available in high-density tourist locations where hotels are booked up during peak season or local festivities and events.

Eco-tourism – the Call of the Wild

One interesting branch of homestays in India is the eco-tourism concept, which takes it several steps further and opens the doors of India’s remotest hinterlands and villages to domestic and global tourists, giving them a ‘hands-on’ experience of rural India with all its quaint ‘limitations’. This experience can extend to allowing guests to participate in pastoral activities like sowing and harvesting the local crop. Eco-tourism is an unbeatable ‘back-to-nature’ twist to the homestay ethos that many foreign tourists find incredibly attractive.

Relaxed & Proactive Government Policies

As per the government data, India will need more than 2.5 million rooms across the hospitality industry to meet the snowballing demand by 2020. In its efforts to bridge the growing demand-supply gap, the Indian Government has provided several incentives to homestays.

As a result, this model has also been adopted by large formal holiday hospitality chains like Mahindra Holidays as a logical extension of their services. (When this happens, homestay proposals are evaluated by the group and ‘standardized’ to a certain extent to ensure that guests can expect a certain minimum of comforts and conveniences).

The Government has also relaxed the licensing rules for people seeking to convert their property into certified homestays and is developing a centralised database. Simultaneously, it is working with online aggregators like Airbnb that list homestay properties and introduce ratings, guest houses and bed-and-breakfast options.

Backed by its e-visa policies that are likely to boost more foreign tourists into the country, the government is also urging the state governments to exempt homestays from service taxes and levies including water charges, electricity and other commercial charges to attract more homeowners to convert their properties into homestays.

A Glimpse at the Future of Homestays

Homestays may not be everyone’s cup of tea – but by the same coin, neither are formal hotels. With a marginal area of overlap, they both cater to a uniquely different tourist segment and therefore do not impinge on each other to any significant extent. With the benefits being extended to homestays by the Government and the increasing spread of customers who will not have it any other way, this segment of hospitality is, with no pun intended, as safe as houses and here to stay.

By Anuj Puri

(The author of the article is the Chairman of ANAROCK Property Consultants & HVS ANAROCK)

Urban areas need Swachh Bharat 2.0: Putting more accountability on civic bodies

By

Afternoon Voice

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November 29, 2018

The campaign has already made a splash on social media. Now, instead of indulging in more of photo-shoots, and spending thousands of crores on social media marketing campaigns, the government should allot additional funds to local bodies for hiring new cleaners to clean the roads.

Swachh Bharat Mission is one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s most successful and stupendous initiatives. It aims at creating awareness about cleanliness and discipline among the citizens. Even Bollywood celebrities and politicians from opposition parties came out in large numbers to support the Prime Minister’s noble cause.

The drive aims at making India open-defecation free before October 2, 2019. Besides cleaning up India’s streets as well as roads, thousands of household and community toilets have been constructed in rural areas. The short-term success or long-term outcome, as well as the parameters used for auditing the same, are often questioned. However, even Modi’s worst critics have agreed that the mission has changed the citizens’ behavior and perception towards cleanliness.

“Time for Swachh Bharat 2.0 in urban areas”

Back in January 2015, V Kalyanam, who worked as Mahatma Gandhi’s personal secretary, appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat initiative. The Gandhian criticized the Congress for failing to do so during its rule. However, he also highlighted the point that clean India campaign’s success in the later stage would depend on how the Prime Minister uses his power to make the people in administration work.

His letter and the points mentioned do make sense. Today, India has Municipal Corporations, Zilla Parishads, Gram Panchayats and other local bodies throughout the country. They have tax, non-tax revenue and receive funds from the state as well as the center under various schemes. Most importantly, their performance is rated by private rating agencies as well as the central and state Urban Development Ministry. Ratings suggest that some of India’s Municipal Corporations use their resources efficiently, and are self-reliant.

There are thousands of sweepers employed by civic bodies to clean streets and collect waste every morning. Sweepers mostly work in early morning shifts and are assigned areas to be cleaned on a daily basis. Some civic bodies in rural areas do face a shortage of workforce and funds. So, urging citizens in such areas to clean streets and public places in the town in exchange for property tax cuts may prove logical. However, in metro cities as well as Tier 1, Tier 2 cities, there are top-ranked civic bodies that have a sufficient number of highly-paid road sweepers for the cleaning job. Some of them have appointed cleaners for brushing road-dividers as well.

Now, why is it that citizens have to take a broom in their hands and clean roads, footpaths, road-dividers even when there are paying local body taxes, property taxes to the administration? No matter if it’s the city’s mayor, Lok Sabha MP, MLAs, or the civic chief; everyone ends up blaming the city’s population for dirt on roads and footpaths.

Due to a few individuals who do not have respect for discipline and cleanliness, the highly paid IAS baboos, as well as politicians, start portraying as if every Indian lacks a sense of discipline. They forget that it is municipality, panchayat, and corporation’s primary responsibility to keep the city clean in exchange for direct and indirect taxes that they are collecting from citizens.

“Rampant corruption in civic bodies”

Besides paying various taxes to the civic body in their city, Indians pay multiple types of cess collected for environmental initiatives. Plus, on an average, people also need to pay Rs. 5 (per usage) for using a washroom at public places, including gardens and bus-stops. Above this, since the last five years, inhabitants of certain cities (except for slum areas) are also forced to shell out Rs. 100 per month (per house) as an additional charge for garbage collection by firms appointed by the civic bodies for waste management. There is no other option available for residents as public garbage bins have been removed in cities where the municipal authorities have appointed agencies for door-to-door garbage collection.

Citizens are often asked to click pictures of potholes, hips of solid waste, open drainage covers, etc. and tweet the same or send it to the authorities via various apps. Now if the common man is expected to perform these additional duties in the name of patriotism, why are civic officials appointed and paid for? Of course, people involved in littering and dumping garbage on the road should be penalized. But at the same time, municipal cleaners who fail to perform their duties need to be dealt with very strictly. The state and center should straightaway dissolve all the municipal corporations that fail in something as fundamental as dealing with garbage and sewage water management. It’s surprising to see that the Urban Development Ministry has given top ratings to municipal corporations like Pune and PCMC that are unable even to operate their sewage treatment plants and are pulled up several times by the NGT for releasing sewage water into the river without treating. The Pune Municipal Corporation is facing several cases (related to garbage mismanagement) in the Mumbai High Court. (By the way, Pune happens to be the most livable one in India according to Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs). Some of the prominent cities with rich Municipal Corporations do not even have their own plastic recycling plants. Garbage is simply dumped and burnt.

“Bureaucrats need to be made accountable”

Back in 2012, an extensive study conducted by the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (Hong Kong) proved that India’s bureaucracy is worst in Asia. Transparency International’s recent research also rated India as Asia’s most corrupt nation.

Nothing much has changed even during the Modi rule when it comes to corruption in the government machinery. The recent news about the arrest of GST commissioners on corruption charges in various cities certifies the same.

British left India back in 1947. But most of the civil servants still behave as if they work for the Queen and citizens are slaves meant to beg in front of them continually.

Sacking incompetent and corrupt civil servants as well as government employees is extremely difficult in India. Such employees can only be transferred from one department to the other and that too, after conducting a lengthy inquiry.

As pointed out by several experts, our constitution’s Part 14 needs amendments to make sure that corrupt, civil servants can be made accountable. So do certain sections from the acts like Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporation Act which is used for governing municipal corporations. In Urban areas, Mayor, elected corporators need to be delegated with more rights to get the work done from the administration.

May it be the civic bodies, railways, or any other department, it’s high time, the government must stop blaming citizens for every problem. In spite of paying so much money, inhabitants in most of the cities end up being blamed for not maintaining cleanliness in their town.

The highly paid administrative officials must be made accountable for work allotted to them. Once this happens, Swachh Bharat 2.0 would begin. It is time for PM Modi to launch Swachh Bharat 2.0 and make the employees, who have to clean, do it. Instead of spending thousands of crores on social media marketing campaigns, the government should allot additional funds to local bodies for hiring new cleaners to clean the roads if required.

By Nitten Gokhaley

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of AFTERNOON VOICE and AFTERNOON VOICE does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)

Dalits, Marathas are given reservations…who would be next, Brahmins?

By

Vaidehi Taman

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November 29, 2018

India is the only country in the world which has the reservation system. It will never abolish this system ever. The Maratha community needs a reservation because it will uplift the poor and uneducated Marathas. It will help them to compete in the world; otherwise, they will probably become modern Dalits. In spite of knowing the fact that the caste system is a curse for developing India, politics will never let it settle. Many educated, financially well people are enjoying the fruits of reservation and those who are economically backward are suffering. So far, minorities and Dalits enjoyed every facility in the name of reservation; now, the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, unanimously passed a Bill without discussion that grants 16 per cent reservation to the Maratha community in education and government jobs. The Maratha community, which constitutes over 30 per cent of the state’s population, has been demanding reservation in the government jobs and education for a long time. The Dhangar community too was demanding a similar reservation. The Bill provides for the reservation of seats for admission in the educational institutions and posts in public services to Marathas who have been declared as socially and educationally backward class of citizens.

If you are one of those stubborn caste-based reservation supporters, who believe that the purpose of reservation is to help people who were ill-treated and rejected basic social rights, irrespective of whether they now need it or not, then obviously Maratha people do not need the reservation. We have to eradicate the caste system completely. Profession based castes were existing for thousands of years in India; however, their gradation resulted in social discrimination and then disrespect for each other. It had already created an imbalance in the society and the reservation (in education) has been the next big thing over the last 64 years. The communities belonging to the reservation quota have got sufficient time to recover from their backlogs in terms of fairness in education and government jobs. Now is the time when those who benefited from the reservation should work to uplift their communities instead of encouraging them to continue utilising the reservation? It will keep their social status as-it-is for ages. There won’t be sufficient willingness in the individuals from those communities to grow on their own. On the other hand, nowadays, people are choosing professions which were owned by some other caste in past. For example, a blacksmith may have chosen to become a goldsmith; or a carpenter is doing a dairy business (which has been possible just because of the kind of democracy we have). But the real issue is that if they have forgotten to show respect towards the other community.

Reservation will make the community weaker in the long run. The aim of the reservation system was to overcome social discrimination. Considering that one generation lasts for 25 years, this reservation system has already covered generations and still not all people from backward class (I personally don’t like to use this term) are well benefited from this. On the other hand, other communities which don’t have reservation quota, the situations have changed a lot over the past many decades. Not all people from these communities are wealthy. Despite getting good marks, they don’t get admissions easily for their favourite course or colleges. Even if they get the admission, fees are very high and there are no scholarships or concessions. Whereas there is the provision of scholarship and fee concession for people getting admissions through reservation quota, this has created unrest in the communities which don’t have a reservation quota. The Brahmin community is one of these communities who are demanding equal reservation in jobs and education. Brahmins are not like the oppressed section of people but they should also be considered for reservation. In India, there are many so-called Forward Caste people who are struggling financially for all reason that Dalit and Marathas are suffering. There are so many live examples to understand how a section of the so-called oppressed caste people get all the benefits though they are economically rich. Brahmins are no exception; they do suffer in many cases just like the oppressed castes. I personally feel equality is being denied to Brahmins due to caste just like it was denied by the so-called Forward caste people to the so-called oppressed caste. Reservation should not be seen as Tit for Tat. It should be considered as a chance of bringing equality. So, the concern to abolish reservation by the so-called Forward Caste is absurd. Similarly, ignoring economically backward Brahmins from the reservation is absurd too. Moreover, talented and deserving brilliant Brahmin’s opportunity and ability has been killed by the reservation policy of our country which gives facility only on the basis of caste. As a result of that, they left India and migrate to the west and established themselves. Most of the educated Brahmins are fairly settled in foreign countries by adding to their country’s development.

These days purpose of reservation system has changed by politicians from empowerment to a trigger point during elections to gain advantage out of it. Rather than creating harmony in the society, it is now creating unrest. Our country needs better schemes than the reservations to overcome inequality and provide equal opportunities to all based on talent. But this is going to take many years. There should be a reasonable cut off criteria for reserved seats. This is to make sure those courses like medical which deal with the lives of people will have good students. The seats remaining after filling up reservation quota students (meeting cut off criteria as said in point number 1) should be made open to all and strictly filled up according to the merit list. Fee concessions and scholarships should be offered based on economic conditions and not caste. With these changes, hopefully, everyone would get equal opportunity to get a quality education without compromises. My heart cries when people cry foul for reservations, if this is really required by them then I must console myself thinking that they can’t grow up themselves without the help of these partialities shown by our government even when they have access to everything.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

#MarathaReservation cleared: BJP’s masterstroke to eat into Sena-NCP votes in 2019?

By

Shreejit Guha

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November 29, 2018

In the wake of the state assembly and general elections in 2019, the BJP-led Maharashtra government, in a strategic move to nab the opposition’s vote bank, unanimously passed the Maratha quota bill that proposes 16 per cent reservation for the community at the Maharashtra Assembly’s winter session. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who tabled the Maratha quota bill, ingeniously thanked the opposition members for helping in the passage of the bill unanimously.

On November 18, CM Fadnavis had said that the state government will follow the Tamil Nadu model to give 16 per cent quota to Marathas as a “social and educationally backward class” and if the CM delivers on his promise, Maharashtra will offer 68 per cent quota in education and government jobs to benefit Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), other minor social groups, and the Marathas. Later, on Thursday the bill was passed on the penultimate day of the assembly’s winter session.

Initially, according to the reports, Fadnavis had tabled the action taken report (ATR) on the Maharashtra State Backward Classes Commission’s (SBCC) recommendations for reservation for the Maratha community in government jobs and education. The bill was tabled in the assembly after the SBCC endorsed the Maratha community’s social, educational and financial backwardness in its report. As per the SBCC’s report on social, educational and financial status of the Marathas, the community has been declared as socially and educationally backward class of citizens (SEBC) and have inadequate representation in services under the state, the panel report said.

Fadnavis had earlier said that the state government had accepted the major recommendations of the State Commission for the Backward Classes, which submitted a favourable report on the Maratha community’s demand on November 15.

NCP leader Majeed Memon called this decision a ‘political game’ to betray the people. He further stated, “Congress-NCP government had already sanctioned 16 per cent quota to the Marathas, they were set aside by the Bombay High Court and the situation doesn’t change. Now it should be scrutinised before being considered as a genuine move.”

A few days ago, the Opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress Party had also raised a concern over the quota for Marathas during the winter session, forcing the Assembly to be adjourned twice.

Congress leader Bhalchandra Mungekar called it a delayed step with 58 Morchas, 44 people died – including suicides. “The Maratha reservation issue was pending for long and they had promised to do it as early as possible. The Maratha community deserves congratulations for their sustained agitation. Whether this will have a favourable effect for them in the elections will be decided by the people. It is very difficult to contemplate how people will respond to it,” he added.

The Maratha community, which comprises over 30 per cent of the state’s population, has been seeking reservation in government jobs and education for a long time. Their protests for the same in July and August this year had taken a violent turn. Later, on November 27, groups of youths mobilised by the Maratha Kranti Morcha, an umbrella body of several organisations from the community, were protesting at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan seeking quota and pressurised the government to consider the Maratha reservation with forethought.

The Sena, who had assured the support for the Maratha Reservation Bill, chose to not react on the political move ahead of the elections by the ruling ally BJP in the state.

Ironically, on one hand, the state government is racking its brains on surveying the social and economic conditions of the Maratha community, which has been demanding reservation, while the state is facing a serious drought-like situation. Nonetheless, the upcoming elections will unveil all the raised questions behind the masterstroke by BJP!