Mumbai Weekly by Mumbai Weekly

Mumbai Weekly

Gopinath Munde dies in tragic road accident Gopinath Munde, the Union minister for rural development died unexpectedly on Tuesday 3, June 2014, in a road accident while he was on his way to the airport in New Delhi. Munde was 64.

A BJP supporter reacts after Gopinath Munde’s body is brought to the BJP office in Mumbai on 3 June, 2014. Shweta Agra wal / M umb ai Weekly

Known to be amongst the most prominent OBC leaders of the BJP from Maharashtra, Munde gained visibility nationally as well. Munde was the second in command in the party in the last parliament.

Munde was on his way to his hometown Parli in rural Maharashtra to celebrate his party’s victory in the recent elections. After the accident, he asked his security guard, to take him to the hospital. He was rushed to the AIIMS trauma centre, where doctors declared him dead at around 7:50. Gopinath Munde’s body was taken in for a post mortem where they declared that he suffered multiple internal injuries to the cervix, brain and lungs because of the accident. The body was later taken to the BJP office in Delhi where senior BJP leaders including Narendra Modi and L.K. Advani and opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi paid their last respects. The body was then brought back to

A man shows his last respects as Gopinath Munde’s body is brought to his house in suburban in Mumbai on 3 June, 2014. Munde was the Union Minister for rural development . Shweta Agrawal/ Mumbai Weekly

Mumbai for local BJP leaders, friends and family to pay their last respects and then taken to Beed—his village home, for the final cremation. Report-

edly the face of rural development in Maharashtra who also fathered the idea of “Krishna valley development corporation , an initiative towards the

Supreme Court stays order to demolish Campa Cola Compound The contentious issue of the Campa Cola compound was back in the news as the residents of the compound appealed to the Supreme Court of India once again in a fresh plea, requesting the apex court to reverse its earlier decision to demolish the illegal floors in the property. The grounds of the new plea by the residents was that the BMC had withheld from the court, information of money exchange between the BMC and residents for regularizing the flats. The plea heard

A Campa Cola residant gets emotional during an interview in Mumbai on 30 May, 2014. Akshay Vaidya/ Mumbai Weekly

by the court on 3 June, 2014 was summarily dismissed on the grounds that there was not enough evidence, according to some residents. The Court stayed its ear-

lier decision allowing the BMC to demolish the 35 unauthorized floors There are a total of 96 unauthorized flats in the building and close to 80

families may have to vacate the premises. Following this final dismissal of the apex court on 3 June 2014, the residents are left with few options but to pack and leave.

welfare of farmers, Munde was struggling within the party. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thakeray demanded CBI probe into the accident.

In Mumbai and Beed thousands of supporters and family members bid farewell to the leader. The BJP veteran is survived by his wife Pradnya

and three daughters including Pankaja, BJP MLA. The case is presently being investigated by the Delhi police but the Union home ministry has

already finalized the communication to the department of personnel, recommending that the probe into June 3 mishap be handed over to the CBI.

Mumbai Metro opens for public On 8 June 2014, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Anil and Tina Ambani inaugurated the first day of the much awaited Mumbai Metro One which will operate between Versova and Ghatkopar through Andheri. Until now this route by road was particularly difficult for Mumbaikars because of traffic jams and no convenient local train line connecting them. The Metro which has missed several deadlines and late by three years, is fully air-

Children enjoy a ride in city’s first metro in Mumbai on 11 June, 2014. Mumbai metro finally opened for public on 8 June, 2014. Akshay Vaidya/ Mumbai Weekly

conditioned and comes as a welcome mode of transport. According to media reports the estimated time for the 11.4km commute will be approxi-

mately 20 minutes, while it currently takes 90 minutes by road. Reports also indicate that the Metro will ply 200 250 times a day and carry unto 11 lakh passengers. Just be-

fore the inaugural there were tensions mounting regarding the ticket tariff between the state government and Reliance, the company managing the project.

2 PEOPLE

FRIDAY, 13 JUNE, 2014

Displaced

On 3 June, 2014, the Supreme Court of India summarily dismissed a second plea made by the residents of the Campa Cola compound, asking the residents to vacate the 35 illegal floors of the building. Following the apex

courtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision the BMC issued eviction notices to the residents who were given a final date of 12, June, 2014 at 5.00pm to surrender their keys and leave the premises. Residents who include children, a majority of senior

citizens and some bed-ridden elderly refused to leave the compound and pitched a tent with bedding in case they are evicted. Many homes in the compound did pack up their belongings and moved them away to storage. But own-

ers continue to occupy empty homes. Mumbai Weeklyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Alan Marwein, Souradeep Roy, Vignesh Krishnamoorthi, and Shweta Agrawal were there to document the lives of the residents during this difficult time.

3 METRO

FRIDAY, 13 JUNE, 2014

A different day for the environment

A man climbs a tree to cut branches and bark before the monsoons in Mumbai on 23 June, 2014.Only 19 lakh trees are remaining in Mumbai which has raised a scare in the city according to media reports. Shweta Agrawal/ Mumbai Weekly

Suicidal bid for blind girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s treatment

June 5th has been celebrated as World Environment Day globally since 1973. Each year it is celebrated in a different country with a different theme. It is a day when people come together to acknowledge their dependence on nature and participate in community programs that raise awareness about the state of the environment, degradation and the need to protect our natural re-

sources. In 2014 the initiative brought attention to rising sea levels because of global warming. In Mumbai, several organizations hosted events in celebration of World Environment Day (WED). In Church Gate station the Bombay Natural History Society organized three days of educational events to raise awareness.

Water woes at Rafique Nagar

Sapna Pereira pleads to the police as she threatens to jump from a 80-feet advertisement hoarding in Byculla, Mumbai on 28 May, 2014. She demanded that the Prime Minister had not taken heed to her repeated requests to provide financial assistance to her visually impaired daughter. Souradeep Roy/ Mumbai Weekly

Sapna Pereira, a resident of Ville Parle who has become infamous for attempting suicides in Mumbai to make herself heard was

seen trying to kill herself again on May, 28 this month. This was her third failed attempt after she tried to strangulate herself in front

of MHADA office in 2011 when her name was not there in the lottery draw and also tried to jump from a tower near the Thane jail.

A girl collects water from buckets filled by the BMC in Mumbai on 26 May, 2014. People in Mankhurd area still have to pay for clean drinking water as there are no water purification systems put in place by the authority yet. Souradeep Roy/ Mumbai Weekly

City witnesses pre-monsoon showers

Pre-monsoon clouds gather over the sky in Mumbai on 9 June, 2014. The Regional Meteorological Department announced that monsoons were still a few days away from the city. Lakshmi Anantnarayan/ Mumbai Weekly

4 EDITORIAL

FRIDAY, 13 JUNE, 2014

OPINION: Speed demons get away scot-free walks. Salman Khanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s controversial hit and run case of 2002 has once again received public attention recently. According to media reports, a speeding car drove over people sleeping on the side of the road killing one and injuring three others. Twelve years since, it is still unclear if Khan, allegedly drunk that night was driving (as stated by two witnesses recently) or if he was a passenger in the vehicle (as claimed by his lawyers).

Cars ply past a signboard in Mumbai on 3 June, 2014. According to National Crime Records Road accidents claim 1.3 lakh lives every year in the country. Niket kotecha/ Mumbai Weekly

Niket Kotecha

Each day in India, an estimated 166

people die due to speeding vehicles in road accidents. In 2012, 60,700 people lost their lives due to speeding. Maharashtra topped the list with 8,600 fatalities according to the transport research wing of the Road Transport

ministry. The World Health Organization sites India as one of the countries with the worst road traffic accident rates in the world. Of the 1.24 million road traffic deaths worldwide, 130,000 of them occur in India.

Despite the high incidence of fatal accidents, the government at the center and state levels has shown little political interest to put strong measures in place that would deter people from speeding, drunken driving, and other

traffic violations that injure and kill. Law enforcement and the legal apparatus is also to blame as cases linger in the courts for years, and corruption allows perpetrators to get away scot-free with impunity.

One needs to just be a pedestrian in India to know the meaning of vulnerability on the roads. It is ironic that the country with the highest levels of road fatalities is also the country where so many homeless people live on the side-

In another high profile case along similar lines, an Aston Martin owned by Anil Ambani was identified in a hit and run case in December 2013, where the car collided into two other cars. It was unclear again who was behind the wheel as some media reports indicated that witnesses specified a young drunk man (identified as Akash Ambani) walked out of the Aston Martin after the ac-

cident, but the day after the accident a 50 year old driver of the Reliance company confessed to the police as being the driver of the car. Details of the accident still remain unclear regarding who was driving the car and if there were fatalities involved. Mysteriously many news and information channels deleted their news reports about the Ambani Aston Martin case. Legal cases run so slow that anything can be framed and can be changed in between the dates of hearings. In both cases the cars were speeding out of control, which was the main reason for the accident. The traffic police and road ministry should take traffic violations seriously. By just driving within strict adherence to traffic rules many lives can be saved. The above opinions are that of the author and do no represent Mumbai Weekly.

POINT OF VIEW: Reimagining Sewri ble level is 0.05mg per litre. Such high levels can be fatal for the fauna and human beings.

Lakshmi Anantnarayan

The fertile mudflats of Sewri located on the Eastern edge of South Mumbai, attract over 25,000 birds of 150 species every year. 10,000 Lesser Flamingos and 4000 - 5000 Greater Flamingos have been migrating here since the 1990s according to the Bombay Natural History Society. Anything but a bird sanctuary, the reality of this fragile habitat is unfortunately harsh. Sewri is a dock surrounded by oil refineries and spotted with industries. The air smells foul. Industrial wastewater is freely dumped into the marshes. An analysis by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board in 2009 detected dangerously high levels of Mercury, 23.05 mg per litre, while the permissi-

All the land bordering the water is closely patrolled by the police, photography is prohibited in much of the area, and even taking a walk outside a limited strip of land is not allowed. Where are these birds coming from? What is the distance and route of their migration? What made them change their migratory patterns to suddenly appear here? Has the surrounding environmental degradation impacted their numbers or not? Amazingly, clear answers to even such basic questions have not been easy to come by despite the enormous numbers of the birds. All we know is that like many other areas rich in biodiversity, Sewri is a contested land and the battle between development and nature is on here as well. The

proposed

Flamingos feed on the mud flats at Sewri. In the background are industries that have increased the pollution levels in this fragile habitat. Lakshmi Anantnarayan/ Mumbai Weekly

22kms long Sewri Trans-Harbour Link is an ambitious infrastructure bridge project that would connect South Mumbai to New Mumbai, cutting right across 2.1kms of the Sewri habitat, according to a 2012 report of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority

(MMRDA). Needless to say the project could have devastating consequences on the ecological balance in the area. Initially proposed in 1970, this project was resurrected in 2004 and 2012 and has gotten environmental clearance more than once. The

pressure to construct the Harbour Link has reemerged also because the building of the bridge is now the determining factor in a proposed new international airport at Navi Mumbai. Media reports reveal the MMRDA chiefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hope that construction will

begin in 2014. Environmentalists are not opposed to the construction of the bridge per se, but they urge that plans be altered by shifting the location by 800 meters, away from the mudflats in Sewri in order to protect the fragile habitat. Authorities have dismissed this proposal until now.

If not for the birds themselves, we could improve our own quality of life significantly by cleaning up the 10km fragile habitat of Sewri-Mahul. For after all, how many such reserves do we have left in Mumbai? In our rush to develop it is important to ask ourselves what are

the things we value? Do we even consider this habitat precious enough to care? Are we capable of taking protective action for a species other than our own? The above opinions are that of the author and do no represent Mumbai Weekly.

5 FEATURE

FRIDAY, 13 JUNE, 2014

Mumbaikars’ long wait for Metro ends

After a long wait of six years and after missing several deadlines the first phase of the Mumbai Metro became operational on Sunday, 8 June, 2014. The metro will help reduce the journey of Mumbaikars on the 11.4 km Versova-AndheriGhatkopar stretch will reduce to 20 minutes which oth-

erwise takes around 90 minutes at present by road transport.

expected to reduce traffic jams in the Ghatkopar-Andheri – Versova corridor.

This metro will reportedly carry an estimated 11 lakh passengers a day . It has been constructed on a public -private partnership model and with relatively low ticket price and high frequency it is

The Metro will operate from 5.30 am in the morning till midnight . The opening day was filled with inquisitive crowds and officegoers alike as people stood in long queues and pass sequrity

check. Mumbai Weekly photographers Shweta Agrawal, Akshay Vaidya, Vignesh Krishnamoorthy and Alan Marwein documented this historic breakthrough in the city’s development sector.

6 ECONOMY

FRIDAY, 13 JUNE, 2014

BSE metal index gains by 33 percent

A man carries crushed soda cans into a truck to be recycled in Mumbai on 5 June, 2014. For the first time the Bombay Stock Exchange closed at above 25000 mark, the rally was powered by shares of metal, oil and gas, power, PSUs, FMCG and IT out of which BSE Metal index gained the most by surging 3.33 per cent . Souradeep Roy/ Mumbai Weekly

Sports brands prepare for World Cup 2014 Vodafone in tax crisis

A mannequin displaying a T-shirt of the upcoming FIFA World Cup, seen in sports showroom in Mumbai on 5 June, 2014. All major brands are banking on the World Cup that is to begin on Friday 12, June 2014, to boost their sales. Shweta Agrawal/ Mumbai Weekly

With the advent of the FIFA World Cup an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the m e m b e r s of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) , sporting brands are exploiting this opportunity which starts on June 12 and last a month long. Oregon-based Nike

Inc. and Germanybased Adidas AG are likely to spend millions of dollars in marketing shoes, jerseys and other gears. Adidas has been ahead of game for the past few years but Nike is slowly closing the revenue gap and with this year’s World Cup, Nike have utilize their resources wisely. Nike on April 1st launched the first part of their “Risk Everything’ cam-

paign and released the second part “Winner Stays’ on April 25th. Their recent ad ‘Winner Stays’ which featured Portugal football star Cristiano Ronaldo, Swedish international Zlatan Imbrahimovic, England’s Wa yne Rooney, Brazilian Neymar and David luiz, Belgium’s Eden Hazard and C o u r t o is , German y’s Mario Gotze, and also features the famous

cartoon character the incredible Hulk among other well known stars is being followed by 72 million worldwide. While Adidas introduced their World Cup commercial which featured Argentina football star Lionel Messi and American rapper Kanye West during halfway of the Champions League on May 24. This ad saw 30 million views in one week.

For this year’s World Cup Nike is sponsoring ten teams while Adidas is outfitting nine. Coca-Cola, an official sponsor, has focused its marketing strongly on the influences of host nation Brazil and "iconic setting" of Rio de Janeiro to promote their brand. Electronic companies are also looking to this opportunity to increase sales.

A man talks on the phone at a phone booth in Mumbai on 1 June, 2014. Shweta Agrawal/ Mumbai Weekly

Dispute over tax between Vodafone and the government are showing signs of easing. Representatives of the telecom company are trying to resolve a 20000 crore tax dispute and were reported to seek dialogue with the ministry officials. They were also reported

to have discussed about their future investment plans in the country. The meeting came three days after the law and telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad remarked that retrospective changes in law will be avoided as India needs for-

eign investment. Last year former finance minister P Chidambaram had proposed conciliation with the British telecom company which later fell apart. Vodafone is counting on the new pro-industrialization government to resolve the tax dispute.

7 CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT

FRIDAY, 13 JUNE, 2014

Mumbaikars enthralled by Bihu performance

Dance drama chordhora jhumra was performed to highlight the culture of Assam and commemorate the legendary scholar saint of Assam, Srimanta Sankardeva in Mumbai on 18 May, 2014. Shweta Agrawal/ Mumbai Weekly

Film festival : Proud and happy

Vidya Balan launches ‘Bobby Jasoos’

A transgender greets an audience member while performing on the closing day of ‘Kashish’ A LGBT film festival in Mumbai on 25 May, 2014. This is the largest queer film festival in South Asia. Akshay Vaidya/ Mumbai Weekly

Vidya Balan in a playfull mood with Aakash Dahiya seen at the trailer launch of her film ‘Bobby Jasoos’ in Mumbai on 27 May, 2014. Shweta Agrawal/ Mumbai Weekly

Students of Birju Maharaj perform at Nazaakat The much awaited event of the year, Nazaakat, finally unravelled on the 31st of May at the prestigious Nehru Centre. The evening which was organised by Touch Base Entertainment in collaboration with Connect Productions was a grand success. Every segment of the program was well received and appreciated by all.

Pt. Birju Maharaj (Maharaj Ji). His choreography in Hindi and regional films was well portrayed by his students from all around India. After performances by his students, Maharaj Ji himself lit the stage on fire with his beautiful pieces accompanied by live music.

The grand saga depicted the Bollywood renditions of

This was followed by a felicitation of the three grand art-

ists of the evening, Maharaj Ji, Bhajan maestro Anup Jalota and renowned painter Geeta Dutt Post the felicitations, festive mood and fervor was kicked off by Anup Ji with his beautiful bhajans including the famous Aisi Lagi Lagan and Achutam Keshavam. Maharaj ji finally came down and met the audience

Students of Pandit Birju Maharaj perform on his choreographed Bollywood numbers at Nehru Centre in Mumbai on 31 May 2014. Shweta Agrawal/ Mumbai Weekly

8 SPORTS

MW Checkmate : Mumbai Mayors International Chess Tournament

FRIDAY, 13 JUNE, 2014

A player concentrates during a game in the 7th Mumbai Mayor’s Cup International Open Chess Tournament in Mumbai on 5 June, 2014. . Vignesh Krishnamoorethi/ Mumbai Weekly

The 7th Mumbai Mayor’s Cup International Open Chess Tournament started on 2 June and twenty two Grandmasters (GM’s) took part.

Grandmaster Mchedlishvili Mikheil (ELO 2621) of Georgia is the top seed in the tournament followed by GM Amonatov Farrukh (ELO 2609) of

Tajikistan . This is the first time that the tournament will be held in three categories.Players from 16 foreign countries - USA, Uzbekistan,

‘Winner’ takes all

Ukraine, Tajikistan, Sweden, Sri Lanka Russia, South Africa, Portugal, Poland, Nepal, Indonesia, Georgia, Bulgaria, Bangladesh - was part of

the event which carries Rs 24 lakh in prize money. Indian chess player Cheniram Pegu won the tournament and received a sum of one lakh rupees.

Cheniram Pegu is congratulated by his opponent after wining in Mumbai on 5 June, 2014. Vignesh Krishnamoorthi/ Mumbai Weekly

Resilient Dadar XI victorious against Vintage United

Viraj Sawant (green jersey) of Vintage Dahisar United fights for possession of the ball against Revelino Fernandes (red & white jersey) of Dadar XI during the Mumbai District Football Association (MDFA) Division 1st Play Off at Xavier’s Ground in Mumbai on 5 June, 2014. Alan Marwein/ Mumbai Weekly

Indian football star & player, Sunil Chhetri bounces the ball on his head in an event organized by a sports brand in Mumbai on 29 May, 2014. Alan Marwein/ Mumbai Weekly

'Winner Stays' a football tournament hosted by Nike Corporation saw a total of 192 teams participating from all around the city. The theme of the tounament was Townies Vs Suburbans. On the final,

only 16 teams qualified for the knockout & the final match was Sajid FA against Rafa, Sajid Fa won by 2 goals to 1. The MVP of the tournament was awarded to a 14 yr old boy, Surender Tamang. Tamang will get the opportu-

nity to train in F.C Internazionale Milano Camp in Italy for a week. The tournament featured Marco Materazzi, Italian football player, as the main guest alongwith Indian football players Sunil Chhetri and Robin Singh.

The final game of the First Division ‘Super Six’ of the Mumbai Division Football Association (MDFA) League 2013 –14 was between Vintage Dahisar United and Dadar XI. The first half of the game was dominated by Vintage. The first goal of the game came at the 11th minute from a shot inside the D by Richie Matthew. Dadar XI struggled

as they kept losing possession and could not find an equalizer in the first 35 minutes.

50th minute they were able to take the lead when Sunny D’Souza scored.

The whole game changed in the 2nd half of the game after Vintage United conceded a silly penalty. The equalizer was converted by Dadar’s Alex Ambrose in the 40th minute. After this Dadar XI showed resilience & started taking control of the game and by the

Things got worst for Vintage United after their goal keeper made a silly mistake when clearing the ball. He left the goal wide open and Dadar ‘s Pranit Kadam put the ball in the net. Although after conceding two goals back to back, Vintage United showed their fight-

ing spirit and they were rewarded with a goal in the 66th minute and it was Richie Matthew’s second goal. Vintage United fought hard to find an equalizer for the next 5 minutes. As they searching for this equalizer, they were hit back with a counter attack and Kundan Chandra took advantage of this situation & converted the late goal which sealed the

game in the 70th minute. In the other league matches : Sellebrity FC were held in a one-one draw against HDFC. The first goal was scored by HDFC’s Nelson Cardoz & the equalizer for Sellebrity was Subodh Khandgle. Sellebrity FC are now assured of a place in the semifinal and promotion to the Super Division next season .