State faces shortage of policemen; 8,000 cops to be recruited for citizens’ safety

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January 15, 2020

Maharashtra Police Recruitment,Maharashtra Police, Recruitment,Police Bharti,Police Recruitment,Mumbai Police,Police,Maharashtra,State Police Recruitment,Recruitment,Maharashtra Police Force,Maharashtra Police — Image Courtesy : HT

State home minister Anil Deshmukh has announced that the home ministry and police department is sincerely considering on recruiting nearly 8,000 members in the Maharashtra Police department to strengthen the force. He assured that the vacancies for the posts will be launched soon. Deshmukh emphasised on the increasing rate of student suicides and asked the parents to not add pressure on their expectations. He also asked the youth and young adults to prepare both for competitive exams and police recruitment. He also mentioned that officials will also consider to make stringent laws to curb crime against women, illegal money lending, Naxalism and other issues. The Maharashtra Police needs more members to maintain law and order situation in state.

Around 47,000 police personnel have been deployed to protect 14,842 special persons. UP, Maharashtra and Gujarat have the highest difference between sanctioned policemen and actual policemen on duty. In spite of a shortage of policemen, around 47,000 policemen are deployed for the safety of VIPs to keep them happy. The shortage of policemen has often been blamed for rising crime in India. From insurgency to rising crime against women, the blame is usually placed on a skewed police-people ratio and high vacancies in police forces.

India’s police force is divided into two categories: Civil Police and Armed Police. While Civil Police is designated for maintaining law and order, prevention and detection of crime and law enforcement. On the other hand, Armed Police are kept handy during natural disasters or riots/civil unrest.

#GangubaiKathiawadi – Mother for many girls but Criminal mafia and flesh trader

By

Vaidehi Taman

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January 15, 2020

Born in pre-independence era in 1939 Gangubai Kathiawadi a young woman of Gujarat thought of leading a normal life. The real name of Gangubai Kathiawadi was Ganga Harjivandas Kathiawadi. When she was young Ganga aspired to become an actress. At the age of 16, she fell in love with her father’s accountant and after getting married with him, she fled to Mumbai. Gangubai, who fantasised big ideas, would not have even dreamt that her husband would cheat her and sell her to the brothel for just five hundred rupees. Those days, mafia don Karim Lala was very active in Mumbai. One member of Lala’s gang raped Gangubai. After which Gangubai met Karim Lala to demand justice and tied him rakhi and made him her brother. Being the sister of Karim Lala, Kamathipura’s command soon fell into the hands of Gangubai. It is said that no girl could enter her room without her consent.

The houses that housed the brothels were first developed by the British for the recreation of the British soldiers. The very fair delicate and beautiful, Gangubai wanted to become an actress. This was the time after the independence of India. In the ‘60s, she almost ruled Kamathipura, a neighborhood in Mumbai. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, a large number of women and girls from continental Europe and Japan were trafficked into Kamathipura where they worked as prostitutes servicing British soldiers and local Indian men. Gradually, social stratification also took place: When the British left India, Indian sex workers took over. From brothel owner Gulab, she ended up joining hands with the underworld and eventually became one of the most influential women in India. When Gangubai was forced into prostitution at an early age, she came into contact with a notorious criminal who became her regular customer.

Gangubai was not just a sex worker, but later on she became social worker too. Many bigwigs, kingpins and politicians used to visit her kotha at that time. She became a highly influential personality. Taking advantage of this entire power, she started working for the rights of sex workers and orphans. She was a powerful woman in the 60s. She also peddled drugs and gave orders to commit murders. She was also known as the ‘Madam of Kamathipura’ for her connections with the underworld. She cared for such girls and took care of them like a mother. Many walls in Kamathipura still have her pictures hung on the wall. A unique personality has all powers like dealing with flesh trade, drugs, supari killing etc. Her human side was equally strong and caring. She was a guardian of the dons. She would give them shelter and also provide guidance whenever needed. Although she lived in the slums, but she was rich enough to buy an expensive car for herself. The ‘Madam of Kamathipura’ was the only brothel owner in ‘60s to own a black Bentley. Gangubai ruled over several brothels of Kamathipura. She is known for the efforts she took to improve the living conditions in Kamathipura. It is rumored that she even met Jawaharlal Nehru and spoke to him about the problems of sex workers. She happens to be one of the most remembered women in the history of Mumbai.

Mumbai has many such stories to tell, if the underworld was ruled by Haji Mastans and Dawood Ibrahims one cannot ignore the presence of gangster girls. From Haseena Parkar to Neeta Naik there are hundred such stories Mumbai has witnessed. Neeta Naik, made her London-educated husband Ashwin turn to the underworld and face its wrath. And when he was shot, she fled the country and ably ran his operations till she fell to her husband’s jealousy, but not before she managed to get elected as a Mumbai corporator. As resourceful as her is Arun Gawli’s wife, Asha who took over the reins of his underworld empire and ran it efficiently. Simultaneously, she did enough for the neighbourhood to get her husband elected to the Maharashtra Assembly even when he was in jail. Women, we know, are multi-taskers. Yet, it is really fascinating to read how these women slip into different roles so effortlessly and efficiently. Pappamani may have taken to dealing in drugs to keep her children fed and clothed, but she quickly brought in method and management ideas to the trade that benefited all and won her the sobriquet Mahalaxmi. Indeed, the lawyer hired to defend her finds, much to his chagrin, Mahalaxmi’s sidekicks, sans any formal education, were thorough with the nuances of drug crime-related laws and court procedures.

Monica Bedi, former matinee idol of the time gone by; got entangled in the underworld with Abu Salem; a one-time protégée of Dawood Ibrahim, now in Indian jail. Monica returned to show business after she served imprisonment but now she is not seen anywhere. Let’s talk about Mrs. Sujata Rajan Nikalje – wife of underworld Don Chhota Rajan who is languishing in Indian Jail. The two got married in Dubai when Chhota Rajan and Dawood Ibrahim were pals. The two best companions split over some communal feelings that divided Mumbai underworld on communal lines after the 1993 serial bomb blasts that rocked Mumbai city. Sujata came to limelight in the underworld operations when the Mumbai crime branch arrested her over a charge of extortion and money-laundering. Around a dozen of Don’s confidantes spent time behind bars in the same case. She is now being sought after by the enforcement agencies in a case of siphoning off funds. Most of these underworld mafia queens were either the girlfriend of mafias or the concubine while many of them even married women. But Gangubai was a different persona altogether.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Bollywood’s famous film director, announced a movie on her which is in the making. Gangu could not become actress but today she has become a topic of Cinema.

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

Maharashtra CM sorts Wadia hospital problem, orders to release funds

By

Hema Singh

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January 15, 2020

Putting his weight behind the going ons in the Wadia hospital, the Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has agreed to pay Rs. 24 core to the hospital. He has also asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to release its share of Rs 22 crore to restore medical services in the hospital. The Wadia hospital is facing a fund crunch following irregularities in its working.

The chief minister has also ordered transfer of Rs 46 crore to the hospital so that suspended services can be resumed, it is learnt.

The chief minister has also decided to set up a committee to look into the alleged irregularities at Wadia hospital.

A spokesperson of Wadia hospital said, “After today’s discussion with the CM and all present during the meeting, we are hopeful that the pending contributions from the government of Maharashtra and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation will be received soon.” It is understood that the hospital will receive the said funds by Thursday evening.

The hospital known for proving healthcare facility to people has been divided into Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for children and Nowrosjee Wadia Maternity Hospital. Lately, the Wadia hospital had demanded Rs 105.8 crore for the Bai Jerbai hospital and Rs 31.4 crore for the Nawrosjee hospital.

The Shiv Sena chief met the hospital management and ministers ordered them for investigation into allegations of irregularities and violation of agreement terms at the hospitals. The meeting of the CM and minister were held at Mantralaya and it was attended by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, public health minister Rajesh Tope, Sena ministers Eknath Shinde and Anil Parab, and many other ministers.

On his part, Wadia Hospital’s chief executive officer Mini Bodhanwala has assured that all the issues would be resolved.

On Monday the Wadia hospital staff staged a protest to fulfill their demands. The protest was held to highlight the problem of the hospital due to insufficient money. The staff protest was also joined by Raj Thackeray’s wife Sharmila. The Hospital alleged that it has not received a single penny form the BMC in last two years.

Wadia hospital is a joint venture between the Wadia family, BMC and the state government. The hospital has over 800 beds that caters to children and mothers. But since the past few days, the hospital had shut its doors for patients. So much so, those who were admitted to the hospital were being discharged.

Pongal signifies overflowing of prosperity

By

C K Subramaniam

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January 15, 2020

Pongal a four day festival is celebrated in South India in the month of January. It all starts with Bhogi and ends with the Thiruvalluvar day. Sankranti is a day when the sun passes from one sign of the Zodiac to another. Pongal is a multi-day Hindu harvest festival of South India particularly of Tamil Nadu. The festival is celebrated to thank the sun god for his blessings. Pongal signifies the overflowing of prosperity. It also shows the love between nature and the human race for each other.

For Tamilians, the first day is Bhogi, the beginning of Pongal of joy. On this day, people exchange sweets, light a fire and dispose off the old items and look for a new year with a new beginning. The second day is Surya Pongal that is dedicated to the Sun God. People wake up early in the morning and have bath just like another Tamilian festival day. The married women have their chores to complete. They put rice to the boiled milk, ideally in a pot on fire and as soon as it begins to simmer and they all shout together Pongalo Pongal in a traditional way. The sweet thus prepared is then offered to Lord Ganesha and to the Sun God. A portion of it is also offered to the cows. Again sweets are exchanged. On meeting each other, they have rice boiled in a typical Tamilian style. To which they invariably answer, “Yes it is boiled.” That is why this festival is called Pongal. Pongal means to boil.

The third day is Mattu Pongal or the Pongal for the cows. On this day, cows and oxen are worshipped and circumambulated. Their horns are painted in various colours and cows and oxen are given good wash and garlanded with leaves and flowers hung around their necks. On this day, the cows are allowed to graze anywhere they like without any restriction. Pongal also marks the change of season, and is primarily a harvest festival. India is an agricultural country and cows and oxen play a vital role in agriculture. That is why cows and oxen are worshipped and venerated so much. The new reaped harvest is shared with friends, relatives, beasts and birds. They all partake in the cooked food and sweets. In Chennai, the streets bear a festival look for the whole week. And on the fourth day (i.e.) Thiruvalluvar Day (remembrance of noted Tamil Poet) people go round for picnic to a Trade Fair or Museum or Water Parks or to see films that released during Pongal by carrying eatables along with them. Notably, we can see yellow rice, white coconut rice and Pongal are being carried by picnickers. Finally, Pongalo Pongal brings unity amongst residents of Tamil Nadu.

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

Letters to the Editor: 15 January, 2020

By

Web Team

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January 15, 2020

Blast at Palghar

At least seven persons were killed in a huge explosion at a chemical factory at Boisar in Maharashtra’s Palghar district and it was one more fire disaster in the state. Boisar is over 100 km away from Mumbai. The under-construction plant of Ank Pharma, where the explosion took place at an enormous proportion caused death and burn injuries. The blast took place during testing of certain chemicals was severe and was heard up to 15 kms from the blast spot. Even window panes of some of the residential areas in the vicinity were broken in the impact of the blast. The impact was so severe that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was called for assistance and rescue operation. It is one more case of serial fire in the state that is causing loss to human lives and property.

Nikhil Akhilesh Krishnan

Demolition of high rises sets a precedent

The demolition of the high rises in Kochi’s Maradu complying to the Supreme Court’s order as these were built violating the coastal regulation zone rules, is an eye opener and a warning to the local administration, the state machinery and the various stakeholders who ignored nature and believed that political influence, power and money can get them everything. What they forgot was that law and justice is above everything. This is a lesson meant for all cities, states, nations and mankind in general.

It was indeed an overwhelming sight to watch such huge skyscrapers that rose to the sky with so much of human energy and labour, time and wealth raised to the ground in seconds. At the same time along with the flattening of these concrete monster’s Nature in the guise of law and justice has taught humans lessons to be learnt in depth and to pass the same to generations to come. The lessons are- never to violate rules and regulations and rules and it can’t be amended according to anybody’s wish and will. Laws and restrictions cannot be taken for granted. I would like to opine that this demolition episode will be fully complete only when the corrupt officials, the politicians, the builders and many others who were behind this illegal construction are brought under law and punished.

M Pradyu

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

Makar Sankranti sees dip in kite sales

By

Afternoon Voice

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January 14, 2020

Makar Sankranti Shopkeepers,Makar Sankranti,Sankranti, Shopkeepers,Makar, Sankranti Shopkeepers,Happy Makar sankranti,Makar sankranti 2020 — Boys play carrom at a shop selling kites in Hyderabad. Makar Sankranti, India’s kite festival is celebrated on 15 January every year : AFP

Along with women, children also look out for the Makar Sankranti festival. While the women folk prepare ‘Til Gul’, children wait for this day when they can fly kites happily. But they are not aware of the fact that it is on this day when many accidents take place while many are killed in accidents (while running after a cut kite).

When AV spoke to Architect, Bhaskar Parikh, about the lack of enthusiasm among people for celebrating Makar Sankranti he said, “Kids nowadays have turned cell phone addict rather than getting out and learn new activities whether it be cultural or social as they find them boring. I feel cell phones have changed and ruined many things and secondly the parents are either busy with their work or if they have a holiday, they would prefer taking rest instead of going out and teach their kids to get socially and culturally active. There has been fall in sale of kites because people have become more aware of the environment as hundreds of birds are killed on this day.”

Kids are always fascinated with Indian festivals and one of the most interesting festivals for kids is the ‘Uttarayan’ or ‘The kite flying festival’. When it comes to teaching Science to kids, we at Fundoo Las believe the best way to make kids understand scientific concepts is through experimenting and connecting science with things used in daily life. So kites are the best tool to teach your kids simple concept of aerodynamics in a fun and happening manner, said the firms manager on an anonymous note.

Siddhant Mohite- Social Worker & Entrepreneur said, “With the passage of years, the excitement of festivals is falling down continuously. I remember when I was a kid, I and my friends used to get really excited about flying kites during Uttarayan.”

“Nowadays, there are very few people who care to actually fly kites during the season. The people are losing interest in celebrating festivals day-by-day. Not just Makar Sankranti, but all the festivals are being celebrated low-key because the millennial generation of today was born with phones in their hands and nobody ever encouraged them to actually go out from their houses and fly kites or celebrate festivals!,” he added.

This day is celebrated with great enthusiasm across India. But this year, the excitement seems to be on a low key. Not many people were seen crowding a kite shop to buy kites on this auspicious day in Mumbai. Though the markets are flooded with kites but in proportion numbers of buyers were missing.

Ramnath a shop keeper in Kandivali told Afternoon Voice, “Bajar Thanda hai (there is no expected business), there can be a sudden rise in the sale tomorrow as most people indulge in last-minute shopping. “Ab to ek do din ka dhandha reh gaye, pehle maheenon chalta tha (Now the business is confined to just one or two days, earlier it used to be a month-long affair).”

On the other hand, heavy rush was seen at shops selling feeni, gajak and other items across the city. Many traders were allowed to keep their shops open till midnight. “Traders of the Dadar market who run shops throughout the day, usually start buying kites after closing their shops. So, keeping our kites shops open in the night is very necessary,” said a trader.

Mrudala Mhatre, a resident of Dahisar said, “These days all the Hindu festivals are losing their sheen, be it Makar Sankranti or Diwali. Earlier this festival day was celebrated as Haldi-Kunku (get-together among women). This is the day when they used to exchange gifts while the men indulged in kite flying. But now, this day is treated as just a holiday and the festival has become just a formality. In fact, there is no place to fly kites, we live in congested chawls alongside roads.”

Some traders do fairly good business depending on the area they are in. Kites sell the most where there a lot of Gujratis, Marwaris and Maharashtrians reside. But this year, for a change we could see some traders resorting to the use of loud speakers through which they announced, “Chinese manjha mangkar sharminda na karen” (Don’t embarrass us by asking for Chinese-made manjha).

Shivani Lokhande, HR executive said, “Yes, the enthusiasm among today’s youth is eloping somewhere leading to frustration and lack of zeal. The reason may be an unnecessary burden in the form of competition, unemployment, lack of job skills and skill based job etc. The Indian youth presently also faces acute pressure in every field from getting job to performance at the work place. Today’s culture has become way more modernised, the traditional touch is lost in the fast lifestyle. Sale of kites has reduced because people are becoming aware that it causes damage to the birds.”

Said another trader with a word of caution, “We have urged our customers not to leave the manjha the moment a kite is snapped as it might endanger lives. It is better to roll the rest of the manjha after kites snap. By this, no one is harmed.”

Neeraj Gala, Producer said, “Yes, there is a lack of enthusiasm on Makar Sankranti. May be this festival has fallen on a week day. And about the slack condition in kite industry, may be it is because the manjha harms the wildlife and the kite flying also hampers the bird species.”

Though the police have built up considerable pressure to put an end to sale of banned Chinese kite string (manjha) which often causes immense physical damage to humans, animals and birds, it seems the crackdown by cops has not deterred sellers and buyers of that particular product, if market watchers are to be believed.

Neelu Gupte LLP Accountant said, “Although kite flying has been a tradition in India for a very long time, this year there has been a drastic change in the number of people flying kites. It may be due to mobile phones and social media. Children are having studies they are running from one classes to another. Earlier people used to get holidays for celebrating the festival but nowadays they don’t get.”

These razor-sharp strings used by kite fliers without any check poses a threat to the lives of birds and two-wheeler riders in the city. Residents blame the government as well as the authorities concerned for not taking concrete measures to stop the sale and use of these strings. Two-wheeler riders have met with accidents after getting entangled in manjhas attached to broken kites. The Chinese – made manjhas are easily available in different areas as children are seen flying kites with such string.

Are we losing our traditional ways of celebrating festivals?

By

Vaidehi Taman

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January 14, 2020

When I was kid, there used to be hustle and bustle in my house before and after festivals. All this included days long preparations, new clothes, house cleaning and most favourite part of all this was shopping. And then greeting relatives, going to friend’s house for greetings and get together was fun.

Things have changed now. Our hectic lifestyle is majorly to be blamed; also since most of the families are nuclear, it becomes very difficult to follow all those rituals of celebration. However, I know of a few families who still get together and celebrate festivals the same old way. It’s really good because in doing so they preserve our customs and traditions. Moreover, the smart phone addictions have distanced people from meeting and talking. Everyone is in some or the other kind of stress, one is running from the other. In the Indian culture, there was a time when there used to be a Holi Gulal Hindu Festival every day of the year, 365 festivals in a year because a festival is a tool to bring life to a state of exuberance and enthusiasm.

That was the significance and importance of festivals. The whole culture was in a state of celebration. If today was a plugging day, it was a kind of celebration. Tomorrow was planting day, another kind of celebration. Day after tomorrow was wedding, that was a celebration. Festivals bring happiness, cheer, hope, optimism, celebrations, lights, joy, cooperation and many more pleasant things in our lives. During Diwali, Christmas, Holi, Eid, Guru Purab, Passover or any other festival, the world appears to be a heaven. It appears as if the entire world is attending a wedding celebration. Children, adults, teenagers, elders, and middle-aged people all of them look cheerful and vibrant. The ambience looks bright and poise.

Now life is mostly restricted to urbanites, we are losing our culture. The cause behind it is the new moderately well to do middle-class parents of youngsters. They fail to educate the kids about Indian culture but get thrilled when the kids dance to a Bollywood tune or a MJ song. Nowadays, these kids would not be able say which is Bharatanatyam and which is Odyssey or Kathak. They would identify any western singer but not Pt. Jasraj or any other Indian classical musician. They would have seen 2012 or Star Trek but not Shakuntala or Ramayana. Their parents who are in the age group of 30 to 50 years as of now had no time to teach the young about anything Indian. Further, if you take a look at the schools today you may notice that all their school day functions vibrate with even five year olds dancing to Sheila Ki Jawani. I remember of having acted as Krishna or Rama in school functions and girls performing Bharatanatyam or singing classical songs.

With a much more demanding work life than earlier and with the amalgamation of cultures happening globally, we are losing our cultural identity. I wouldn’t know if it’s good or not. All I know is we are no longer following age-old practices which reflect our true culture. One reason which comes to mind is, maybe we have a more demanding working lifestyle than ever. There’s too much at hand to be doing things the traditional way. I would like to believe that this is not the case. Many will disagree, I’m sure. Secondly, we, in today’s world, have enough distractions to be able to reflect on our past way of life. I’m sure many of us have childhood memories when our grandpa used to do the traditional “pooja”(prayers) which seemed to go on for eternity. I also remember my grandparents were very particular about how things were done. There was no reasoning with them as to why they were doing the way they were doing.

Finally, time is of utmost importance according to today’s generation. We do celebrate festivals but more often than not, it’s more of a family get-together rather than following tradition itself. All of our festivals have become more of coming together for a day or two and then going back to your separate individual existence. We aren’t patient enough to go through all procedures for lack of time and more than that, a lack of interest. The rich and vibrant festivals of India are a testimony to our diverse tradition and culture. Festivals in India revolve around Lord’s birthdays, traditional myths, seasonal changes, relationships and much more. Festivals are celebrated irrespective of religion or caste in the country, bringing people closer and creating a strong bond of humanity. Right from childhood, infants in India are part of every festival celebration in the house. This helps them understand the rituals of each festival and they develop a liking for the festivals and celebrations.

As they grow older, they get fonder of these festivals and want to celebrate it in its full potential to enjoy it thoroughly. You will notice a lot of youngsters participating in festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Durga Puja and Christmas. These festivals bring them closer to each other as well as the country and instill a feeling of patriotism as well. For students, it is a great way to understand the rich heritage of India and learn about the importance of various festivals. These festivals also help students from across the world to know about India and its history. This creates a good reputation of our country in the world and we get an opportunity to spread our country’s rich heritage. Many schools organise cultural exchange for students that foster intercultural learning experiences. Cultural exchange programs promote mutual understanding between nations and students get an opportunity to learn the culture of other countries.

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

4th edition of tri-services veteran’s day celebrated at Colaba

By

Web Team

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January 14, 2020

The fourth edition of Tri-Services Veterans’ day was celebrated on Tuesday in a solemn ceremony with a tri-services guard of honour at the Shaheed Smarak in Colaba, Mumbai. The Honourable RRM Shri Shripad Naik was the Chief Guest for the event and paid homage to the fallen soldiers by laying a wreath at the Shaheed Smarak. The event was attended by Veterans and serving officers from all three services.

Wreaths were also laid by Vice Adm Ajit Kumar FOC-in-C Western Naval Command, Lt Gen SK Prashar GOC Maharashtra Gujarat and Goa Area, AVM Rajeev Hora AOC HQ Maritime Air Operations and Veterans from the three services. On completion of the wreath laying ceremony, the chief guest interacted with the veterans over high tea and acknowledged their sacrifices and stellar contributions to the society.

The Veterans’ day is celebrated on 14 Jan every year to honour their contributions and also marks the day in 1953 when Field Marshal KM Cariappa, OBE, the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army post independence, hung his uniform after a glorious service to the nation.

A humane deed saved the day for Dr Swapna Patker

By

Web Team

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January 14, 2020

I am Dr Swapna Patker. I bring smiles to people’s faces through my foundation Dream & Happiness on a regular basis. This time, my foundation had arranged a screening of the film Tanhaji for cancer striken patient kids of the Tata Hospital on January 13.

For this, I booked the Hindamata cinema on call and later sent my office boy to collect 120 tickets. This screening was for Tata cancer hospital volunteers and patients with a guardian each. After collecting the tickets, my office boy kept the tickets in a packet and duly sealed them. The bundle was so well-packed that I let it be that way in order to not lose the tickets.

On the appointed day, I left for the theatre with the ticket bundle. And you won’t believe, when I opened the bundle I found that the theatre people had given us tickets for the 10.30 pm show and not the 2.30 pm show. This shocked me to no extent.

I was worried because two buses full of patients had left the Tata Hospital with volunteers. My first instinct was to speak to the people at the theatre. After some time, it led to an argument. Clearly it was an act of miscommunication. But arguments did not solve the problem. The people at the Hindmata cinema tried their best to help me in this situation by stopping the counter booking immediately but that was not enough.

Nothing was happening. Only 10 minutes were remaining for the film to start. Patients were all standing in the lobby. Finally, I left the booking counter and entered the theatre at 2.20 pm with my volunteers. Santosh Engolla my foundation volunteer was all along with me when I was in this mess. I stood in the middle and asked the people standing to sit down.

I told them that at this stage, I needed their help because we had cancer patients waiting outside. Due to some mishap in ticket time punching, the patients wouldn’t be able to watch the movie, but if you help and accept to watch the next show, my people can watch the movie at 2.30 pm. If not, then it’s ok. But if yes, then they can really help me.” I also suggested a refund from my side to the people.

Two young Marathi boys got up and said, “We can watch the film later” they said and started leaving the premises. Many other young people got up and started leaving the theatre following them. Families too followed. Slowly the theatre looked empty. Every on in the audience began clapping as the audience came out. Because, it was not just me doing a kind deed, but they too joined me in my misson.

I was in tears to see that people are so caring and they are so humane. After everyone came outside the theatre, my patients entered. And the people in fact guided them in. My patients saw the movie. And the people who left had a very big smile on their faces because they were happy they did something nice. The Tata representative Santosh Sherwade was shocked to see all this unfold and was so happy about it. An old couple of 70’s came and thanked me. The lady said I am glad we got to do something good today. This was an experience to remember.

–Dr Swapna Patker

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

Makar Sankranti: Heralding change of season

By

Vinod Dixit

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January 14, 2020

15^th January the Makar Sankranti (Uttarayan) day, heralds the change of season. An event is best experienced at the heart of all the action. Makar Sankranti or Uttarayan, the kite flying festival in Ahmedabad, the world heritage city is synonymous with kite flying. It is celebrated across the country in different ways and the cultural significance of the festival varies geographically.

Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious day for the Hindus and is celebrated in almost all parts of the country in myriad cultural forms with great devotion, fervour and gaiety. The word ‘Makar’ means Capricorn and ‘Sankranti’ is transition. The term Uttarayana is derived from two different Sanskrit words “Uttara” (North) and “ayana” (movement), thus indicating a northward movement of the Sun on the celestial sphere.

The international Kite festival in Ahmedabad attracts kite flyers from the world over. During this period, kite enthusiasts from across India and also foreign countries participate in the week-long festival that is celebrated across cities in Gujarat. The festival of Uttarayan marks the day when winter begins to turn into summer, according to the Indian calendar. The days become longer, the skies clearer and the breeze cooler. A feeling of anticipation, joy and jubilation grips all who celebrate the occasion of thanksgiving and merry-making. Being popularly known as the Kite festival in Gujarat, it is also heralds the beginning of the harvest season and is celebrated on the same day of the English Calendar every year.

Kite flying during Makar Sankranti or Uttarayan is an important part of the celebrations. One of the reasons is that as it is a time of thanksgiving, it is also a time to be happy. Though Kite festival is celebrated all over Gujarat, it is the most exciting in the capital city of Ahmedabad. The International Kite Festival (Uttarayan) in Ahmedabad is regarded as one of the biggest festivals celebrated. Months before the festival, homes in Gujarat begin to manufacture kites for the festival.

Today, manufacturing of kites is a serious business. It attracts big names of the corporate world as kites provide for the most cost-effective opportunity for branding. Kites for Uttarayan are made of special light-weight paper and bamboo and are mostly rhombus shaped with central spine and a single bow. The festival gives a boost to the kite industry which employs around 3 lakh people. A visit to the Patang (Kite) Bazaar in the middle of the night proves beyond all doubt that the entire population of Ahmedabad city is obsessed with kites and they crowd the streets and buy the stocks while negotiating and enjoying through the night. The Patang Bazaar is open 24 hours a day during the Uttarayan week.

All sorts of colourful shiny toys act as accompaniments to the kites. On Uttarayan, in Ahmedabad the sky is full of colourful kites of all sizes and shapes. One finds an unequalled experience. In the major cities of Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Jamnagar, the skies appear filled with thousands and thousands of kites as people enjoy two full days of Uttarayan on their terraces. Wonderful and appealing kites in various shapes and hues decorate the sky like a thousand fowls.

On this day, locals are hardly seen on the streets as everybody takes to the rooftop of their respective houses to fly kites. In Gujarat, a special winter preparation called undhiyo is the specialty of the day. It’s a preparation of several beans, roots and other local seasonal vegetables. It does not matter what your background or beliefs are, but if you are in Gujarat on January 15, you will undoubtedly find yourself flying kites with everyone sharing fun and pleasure.

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