Run by the students of Udaan

MumbaiWeekly Volume 01 Issue 11 MONDAY, 2 APRIL 2012

feature sports entertainment people

An Income Tax official stands amidst the piles of files at the Bandra Income Tax office in Mumbai on 31 March 2012 . The Income tax office remained open even on Saturday (weekend), to cope with the

last minute rush of people filing their returns. Pratham Gokhale / Mumbai Weekly. (continued on page 6)

World Bank gives India USD 500 million „interest free‟ for

education

World Bank has ap-

proved an interest free

five hundred million

USD credit to support

India‟s secondary level

education.

This will make quality

education available to a

large number of sec-

ondary level students.

Government of India

undertook a programme

called RMSA

(Rashtriya Madhyamik

Shiksha Abhiyan) with

the aim of universaliz-

ing secondary educa-

tion in India gradually.

This loan provided by

World Bank intends to

support all activities

under this programme.

Although the elemen-

tary education rate in

India is as high as 96

percent and the pres-

ence of girls are almost

equal to that of boys,

the percentage falls to

around 50 percent when

it comes to secondary

education. Apart from

that the quality is not

up to the standard and

is not affordable for all

classes of the society.

Attention in secondary

education is needed as

the economic and em-

ployment growth in

India is concentrated on

the fields like Infor-

mation Technology,

Telecommunication

and financial services

for which minimum

degree of this level is

required.

The measurements that

are going to take place

under this project in-

cludes repair, renova-

tion and expansion of

near about 60,000 gov-

ernment secondary

schools, upgradation of

almost 44,000 primary

schools to secondary

level and establishment

of new senior second-

ary schools in under-

privileged areas.

To strengthen the role

of local bodies in

school management is

another plan. Libraries,

computer laboratories

will also be built with

the money.

With all these measure-

ments the quality of

education in India is

expected to be in-

creased.

Krishanu Nagar / Mumbai Weekly

Mumbaikars car-

ried out a „Solar

Rally‟ on 31

March 2012 to

observe Earth

Hour. The largest

environmental

campaign of

World Wildlife

Fund, (WWF),

Earth Hour is to

empower individ-

uals, organiza-

tions and govern-

ments to fight

against climate

change. Almost 5

million supporters

and a global net-

work in over 100

countries take

part in this initia-

tive. The aim of

Earth Hour is to

inspire house-

holds and busi-

nesses to turn off

their non-

essen-

tial lights for one

hour to raise

awareness of

global issues,

particularly in

regard to our

overuse of non-

renewable re-

sources, and re-

sultant light

and air pollution.

Earth Hour 2012

was observed by

participants on 31

March 2012 from

8:30 p.m. to

9:30 p.m. at vari-

ous places on

local time. Mum-

bai was not the

exception for the

contribution. Citi-

zens of the meg-

acity came to-

gether to join

hands to fight

against global

warming. It was

the fourth consec-

utive year of peo-

ple participating

in an alternatively

powered march

on this occasion.

A person carries a solar lamp duting the „Solar Rally‟ in Mumbai on 31 March 2012. Shankar Narayan / Mumbai Weekly

„Solar Rally‟ in the city on the

occasion of Earth Hour 2012

Tax revenues fall short of target : report

2 MONDAY, 2 APRIL 2012 Mumbai Weekly PEOPLE

Autism is a pervasive

developmental disorder

that usually is noticed in

the first three years of a

person's life. This is a

complex neurobiological

disorder that affects nor-

mal brain function and

cannot be cured through-

out the patients life. The

people who suffers from

this disease usually have

difficulty in communica-

tion, verbal sometime

non-verbal as well;

which bars them from

interacting socially. They

end up playing alone as

they cannot make

friends. The exact causes

of autism is not known

yet but extensive re-

searches are being done

on this field. Lot of fac-

tors are suspected to pos-

sibly cause this among

which genetic factors

seem to be most im-

portant. Diet mercury

poisoning are said to be

possible causes of this

disorder though these are

not proven. 19 Septem-

ber had been celebrated

as World Autism Aware-

ness Day from 1989 in

order to increase aware-

ness among common

people about the disorder

and help the people suf-

fering from it. In the year

2008 United Nations

General Assembly shift-

ed the date to 2 April and

since that time it is ob-

served in almost all the

countries all over the

world. Mumbai Weekly

photographer Pratham

Gokhale spent some

time with the special

children of Priyanj Spe-

cial School during an

event on this occasion in

Mumbai.

With special children on a special day

3 MONDAY, 2 APRIL 2012 Mumbai Weekly metro

Vertical expansion in city is leading to steep population growth

High rises as seen along the coastline of Mumbai on 27 March 2012. According to a newspaper report, the ever growing population of Mumbai is putting a huge pressure on the infrastructure of the city. It is

presumed that there will be a huge leap in the population scenario in coming years. The increase in the number of high-rises stands as the proof of this fact. The vertical expansion of the city to support the

population growth also affects the mangroves of Mumbai very badly, as more land is being reclaimed from the coastline to cater to infrastructure development. Twisha / Mumbai Weekly

A man carries out fumigation

in the streets of Mumbai. Ac-

cording to the Economic Sur-

vey of Maharashtra 2011-

2012, 7,898 cases of Dengue

were recorded in the state

compared to 3,746 in the pre-

vious year.

Shankar Narayan / Mumbai

Weekly

Passengers increasing, fares hiked

Mumbai observes Earth Hour

People participate in a “Solar Rally” in Mumbai on 31 March 2012. The rally was organized by World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), with the aim to spread awareness about the importance of saving elec-

tricity and advocate solar power as an alternative energy source, to mark the occasion of Earth Hour.

Jewellers hold candle march against excise

and import duty

Mumbai's suburban local trains have seen an increase in the number

of passengers by almost a hundred thousand in the last one year. But

there has been a marginal increase of 2 paise per kilometre in the

fare. While addressing the media, Central Railway general manager

Mr Subodh Jain said that because of the comparatively cheaper rates

and faster transportation, the railways are drawing more and more

passengers. The recent rise in fare could result in serious inconven-

ience to the passengers of the suburban railways, which is the trans-

portation lifeline of the ever growing city.

Gitartha Goswami / Mumbai Weekly

Dengue cases double sice 2010-11

Jewelers of outskirts of Mumbai, held a protest in the form of a

candle march against the excise duty levied on gold on 28 March

2012. The protest was against the Central government's decision

to impose excise duty on non branded jewelry and an hike in the

import duty on gold. Shankar Narayan / Mumbai Weekly

Pratham Gokhale / Mumbai Weekly. Shankar Narayan / Mumbai Weekly,

EDITORIAL

OPINION : Love in the times of despair

POINT OF VIEW : A dog’s life

Mumbai, the city of dreams. But

what does the city dream of? Do

the people sleeping beside the busy

street dream the same things as the

people in the passing by c see a

group of people, including chil-

dren, trying to earn their living by

selling bouquets, begging for alms,

knocking on the windows of the

innumerable fancy cars that are

waiting in the signal. Mumbai is a

city of two extremes where people

live in big luxurious houses with

fancy cars and designer robes and

handbags and on the other hand

there are people who cannot even

arrange for their basic needs and

their annual income doesn?t add up

to a single Gucci bag. While the

city spends millions on its festivals

and fashion shows, the majority

live in slums. A city that is so non-

inclusive is not just bad for the

have-nots but even for the haves, as

it leads to class conflict and an un-

stable economy. Mumbai is a city

of dreams. But let everyone have

the right to fulfill them

Shankar Narayan / Mumbai Weekly

Human beings, led by

compulsions and con-

spiracy, become the only

species to harm its own

kind. In midst of the

complications of the real

world, the human values

get twisted to an extent

that brothers pick arms

against each other. Even

without the situations

that compel one person

to stand against another,

suppressing their moral

values, there are numer-

ous instances in our sur-

roundings that brand us

as insensitive. A moth-

er‟s cry for her child out-

side a hospital goes un-

noticed. A challenged

person‟s dignity is lost

asking for help on the

streets. A drenched, hun-

gry child warms himself

from the exhaust vent of

a coffee shop. In a state

of shrugging of the re-

sponsibility from our

shoulders, we have be-

come alone in our own

comfort zone. Busy with

our own ambitions, we

ignore another human‟s

cry, or worse, play a role

in making the cry louder.

But in the absence of

material wealth, its emo-

tion that connects us, and

at times, supports us.

Human emotion does not

have any boundaries.

Love and compassion

can exist and prosper in

the strangest of places

and the harshest of situa-

tion. Even on a field of

war, a traumatized refu-

gee cares for an injured

soldier. When the world

is shattered for two peo-

ple, their companionship

becomes their greatest

strength. It feels strange

to see people in old-age

homes seeming happier

than how they look in

their own home, among

their blood relations. But

once you try to delve

deeper, you start realiz-

ing that human bonding

is something beyond all

these relations.

But why is it so that we

have to go through diffi-

culties and fall back on

empathy to feel compas-

sionate towards other

human being! Where do

the emotions go when

life is free of complica-

tions? Life would be

simple and comfortable

if we start to care and

feel more.

Shankar Narayan

Krishanu Nagar / Mumbai Weekly

Gitartha Goswami

4 MONDAY, 2 APRIL 2012 Mumbai Weekly

Correction Bottom left photograph of

page 7 of previous Mumbai

Weekly edition should

have carried the by line

Nikhil Sangle / Mumbai

Weekly

5 MONDAY, 2 APRIL 2012 Mumbai Weekly feature

With rising temperature in the

city, seasonal occupations are

coming up. Apart from small

refreshments stalls in the city,

there are certain bigger busi-

nesses making it big in the

season. Salt pans are one such

profitable summer business

growing near the coast line of

Mumbai. Mr. Sitaram manages

one of the three salt pans at

Mankhurd, eastern Mumbai.

As told by him, salt cultivation

requires primarily four things:

saline water (or brine), sun-

light, wind and hard work. The

availability of brine is a key

factor in the development of

salt pans. Sunlight is available

in adequate at this time of the

year, but a very specific range

of 22 to 25 degree Celcius wa-

ter temperature is maintained

to obtain salt. Southern winds

are favorable. Belonging from

the state of Gujarat,

Mr. Sitarams family has been

in this business for three gener-

ations. He says that Gujarat has

seen salt cultivation for ages,

with longer production periods

every year. As such, people

there have become skilled in

this „art‟ as he describes. For

the same reason, almost all of

his workers have migrated

from Gujarat to work here in

the salt pans.

Gitartha Goswami / Mumbai Weekly

Gitartha Goswami / Mumbai Weekly

Shankar Narayan / Mumbai Weekly

Gitartha Goswami / Mumbai Weekly Gitartha Goswami / Mumbai Weekly

Salty summer days

Shankar Narayan / Mumbai Weekly

6 MONDAY, 2 APRIL 2012 Mumbai Weekly economy

The collection of Income tax in

India is a mammoth exercise,

surpassed in proportion perhaps

only by he national elections

and the nation-wide census. On

31st March 2012, as people

queued outside the Income tax

office, stacks of tax papers kept

piling-up inside as Mumbai

weekly photographer Pratham

Gokhale got a rare glimpse of

it, inside one of the income tax

office on last day of financial

year. Despite the measures taken

by the government, the Maha-

rashtra government could be

falling short of targets regarding

tax collection, according to an

Indian newspaper. While the

Maharashtra government had set

Rs, 1,21,000 crores (around $

24200 million) as its total reve-

nue target for the fiscal year

2011-12, but it hasn‟t even

crossed Rs 1,00,000 (around $

24200 million), stated the re-

port. However, on the upside,

the markets rebounded massive-

ly on Friday with a 346 points

surge, as India‟s Finance Minis-

ter Pranab Mukherjee said that

P-Notes (participatory notes)

will not be taxed in India and

will not go after FIIs who in-

vested in the Indian market

through P-Notes.

Tax revenues falls short of target : report

Cows roam at an petrol pump in suburban Mumbai on 30 March 2012. Indian oil ministry asked from the ministry of finance for 400 billion Rupees (USD 7.88 billion) additional cash compensation in order to cover up the revenue loss. The loss happened because of the state run companies that sell different oil based products as diesel, cooking gas, kerosene at subsidized rate. The ministry of finance until now gave consent to provide 450 billion rupees cash subsidy to these companies. Arkadripta / Mumbai Weekly

Oil Ministry seeks for USD 7.88 billion cash compensation

7 MONDAY, 2 APRIL 2012 Mumbai Weekly Arts and entertainment

A full house at the „Houseful 2‟ promotional bash

Top: Actors of Bollywood film „Houseful 2‟ (Left to Right) Ritesh Deshmukh, John Abraham, Shreyas Talpade,

Jacqueline Fernandez, Zarine Khan,Shazahn, Padamsee, Asin and Akshay Kumar wear creations by Aki Narula at

a promotional event on March 31, 2012 in Mumbai. Below: Models walk the ramp during the event...Left: Star

cast of the upcoming film „Houseful 2‟ on a hot air balloon ride during a promotional event on April 1, 2012 in

Mumbai. Saarthak Aurora / Mumbai Weekly

Where this is will there is a way. This spirit was

epitomized by Manisha a physically challenged

dancer who had the audience awestruck as she

energetically danced for on the stage with her

only leg during a performance which was part

of a show put up by the visually impaired band

„Udaan‟. Keeping with the spirit of the evening ,

when „Udaan‟, took to the stage, they took mu-

sic to new heights. Transcending all barriers,

they showed the packed audience, that nothing

is impossible -- the band performed popular

songs in perfect harmony. The evening kicked

off to a pleasant surprise when popular film

music composers, Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy

took to the stage and performed with the band.

The evening passed quickly with foot tapping

and soul stirring music performed by performers

escorted, carried or wheel chaired on to the

stage. A performance that moved everyone in

the house was a young girl with just one leg

who came on stage on crutches, left them by the

side and embarked on a truly spell binding

dance routine in her bright red ghaghra (ethnic

Indian skirt). This was a true exhibition of hu-

man spirit and Udaan, true to its name, just kept

raising the bar - their energy, consistency, talent

and motivation was inspirational to all present.

Inspired performances by

„special‟ artists

Shailesh Andrade / Mumbai Weekly

Kathak on city stage A Kathak dancer prepares to perform in Mumbai in memory of Pt Hazarilalji on 22

March 2012. Kathak, an Indian classical dance form, literally means 'to tell a story'.

It was mainly performed in villages of ancient India, where a nomadic group of

people used this to tell mostly mythological, religious tales. Its origin can traced

back to Uttar Pradesh, India. Kathak performers of the present time come mainly

from three major schools or Gharanas, namely, Lucknow, Jaipur and Benares.

Nikhil Sangle / Mumbai Weekly

SPORTS

Twisha / Mumbai Weekly

Saarthak Aurora / Mumbai Weekly Gitartha Goswami / Mumbai Weekly

Published by: Udaan School of Photography. Editor: Pratham Gokhale Photo editor: Gitartha Goswami Chief Photographer: Shankar Narayan Email: editor.mumbaiweekly@gmail.com

South Mumbai‟s Oval

Maidan has seen many

serious cricketing tal-

ents emerge from its

pitches. While many

local matches are sim-

ultaneously played in

the weekends on the

vast expanses of the

ground, just opposite

to the Mumbai High

court, they are played

with fervor and com-

petitiveness equal to

the bigger matches

played in the nearby

Wankhade Stadium.

And its this dream of

making the short but

difficult journey of

playing inside the

Wankhaade stadium,

less than a kilometer

away, powers the

matches being played

in the Oval ground.

Team of Mumbai

Weekly photographers

captured a few mo-

ments of the cricket

matches being played

at Oval Maidan on 31

March 2012.

Cricket: The thread that binds the nation

Around 30 top Indian

bodybuilders flexed their

muscles in Mumbai on

the evening of 31 March

2012 during the Indian

Classic Body Building

Competition. With a total

prize money of 5 lakhs

Rupees (around USD

9,850) in the offering the

competition attracted

competitors from all over

India. The competition

was held under the su-

pervision of the Indian

Bodybuilders Federation

and saw performances

from recently crowned

Mr. Universe Heeralal

and other leading well

known names like the

pocket- sized Ashish

Sakharkar, Ankur Shar-

ma and Parvesh Kumar

and crowd favourite Su-

has Khamkar vie for the

top spot. The competi-

tion was stiff and saw

many comparisons i.e.

certain participants re-

performing for the judg-

es when the call is too

close to make. Two elim-

ination rounds later and

Maharashtra‟s Suhas

Khamkar was crowned

winner of the Indian

Classic Body Building

Competition 2012.

Mumbai Weekly photog-

rapher Shailesh An-

drade was present at the

event and covered the

body building competi-

tion.

Pose, Flex and Rip: Indian Classic Bodybuilding 2012

8 MONDAY, 2 APRIL 2012 Mumbai Weekly