Run by the students of Udaan
MumbaiWeekly Volume 01 Issue 10
metro
FRIDAY, 16 March 2012
feature
arts
sports
UPA govt presents India‟s Rail and Union budget
Defence spending will rise 18 percent to Rupees 1.94 trillion. Revenue and taxes budget in Parliament on 16 Friday 2011. will be Rupees 10.8 trillion, non tax The following was proposed by him in revenue is pegged to be 1.64 trillion and the following sectors. disinvestment should be in the target of Fiscal Deficit will see a drop from 5.9 rupees 300 billion in the year 2012 percent of GDP in 2011-12 to 3.9 2013. Service tax will be raised from 10 percent of GDP in 2014-15. Borrowing percent to 12 percent baring the Gross market borrowing seen at 5.7 seventeen items in the negative list from trillion rupees in 2012-13 Net market 2012 - 2013. Corporate tax structure borrowing seen at 4.8 trillion rupees in will remain the same however income 2012-13, excluding treasury. Total tax exemption limit will be raised to expenditure in 2012-13 seen at 14.9 Rupees 2,00,000 for individuals. Coal trillion rupees, up 29 percent, Plan used by ower plants will be completly expenditure budgeted at 521.25 billion exempt of import duty however gold rupees in 2012/13, up 18 percent.
The finance minister presented the
will be charged double on basic custom duty. It was proposed to keep subsidies under 2 percent of the GDP and futher reduce it to 1.7 percent in the next 3years. On growth and inflation finance Minister mentioned headline inflation for the net few months and stability to set in there after. Economy is expected to grow at 6.9 percent in 2011 -2012 and improve to7.6 percent in the next year. the budget introduced some policy changes namely, airlines will be allowed to raise $1 billion as working capital by external commercial borrowing. (continued on page 2)
Above: A man walks in front of a billboard in Mumbai on 16 March 2012. Pratham Gokhale / Mumbai Weekly. Left: People stand in a crowded sub-urban train compartment in Mumbai on 14 March 2012. The railway budget was presented at the parliament on 14 March 2012, to which there were mixed reactions. Though the budget had plans for modernisation of Indian Railways, it was highly criticized for the hike in ticket fares. Pratham Gokhale / Mumbai Weekly
190 children suffer from Holi colour poisoning India‟s festival of colours, Holi, took a deadly turn in the city with around 190 people including children being hospitalized for colour poisoning. The victims of the toxic celebrations were admitted to Sion Hospital and another 12 to Rajawadi Hospital after they complained of giddiness, burning sensation on skin, nausea and vomiting. The State has set up a high-
level inquiry into the episode. The hotbeds of the colour poisoning, the Police said, were areas like Shastri Nagar, Shahu Nagar and Lokmanya Tilak Nagar in Dharavi, where panic spread fast as news travelled of children fainting, after playing with the coloured powders on Holi. Between 1pm and 2pm, over 100 patients from these neighborhoods were rushed to Sion
Hospital-many in police vans-with similar complaints. Till late evening, there was little clarity on the source of the poisoning or its precise nature. The police suspected the toxic substances may have come from a Dharavi dumping ground where harmful effluents are thrown by the area's leather tanners. Soon after the incident, Maharashtra chief minister
Prithviraj Chavan ordered a detailed probe by a sixmember committee into the incident. The sixmember team is headed by Medical Education Department's Secretary, IS Chahal, and will submit its report in two weeks. The committee will fix responsibility and suggest preventive measures. (Photo feature on „Holi‟on page 5)
Above: A policeman speaks to children affected by color poisoning during the festival of „Holi‟ at a hospital ward in Mumbai on 8 March 2012. Around 200 children and adults were admitted into hospitals in Mumbai after celebrating Holi, a festival in India with alleged toxic color. Chirag Sutar / Mumbai Weekly
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FRIDAY 16 MARCH 2012
budget
Mumbai Weekly
People walk on the platform of a railway station. Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi presented the Railway Budget at the parliament on 14 March 2012. Pratham Gokhale / Mumbai Weekly (continued from page 1) The finance Minister also hoped to reach a consensus on open multi-brand retail sector to foreign investors. Infrastructure will get a boost in the form of contracts to build 8800kms of road in 2012 - 2013. Financing of infrastructure bonds will receive double government for allocation of tax free bonds to Rupees 600 billion in 2012 -2013. Agriculture credit target should be raised Rupees 5.75 trillion in 2012 - 2013 and be self sufficient in urea production within the next five years. The following is a list of items that will be costlier and cheaper in 2012 - 2013:
COSTLIER
CHEAPER
Two-wheelers, cars, commercial vehicles, refrigerators, air-conditioners, washing machines, watches , soaps, cosmetics, homecare items, cigarettes and bidis, packaged food items, pan masala and chewing tobacco, unbranded precious metal, jewellery , imported luxury vehicles, imported bicycles and bicycle parts, imported digital still cameras, imported gold bars and coins of certain categories, platinum, imported cut and polished coloured gem stones, air travel, eating out at restaurants and hotel stays.
Mobile phone parts, branded silver jewellery, branded garments, imported LCD and LED TV panels of over 20 inch, matches, footwear below Rs 500, adult diapers, soya protein food products, probiotics, writing instruments, imported medical equipment. The markets did not take well to the budget announced. The BSE sensex dropped 209 points closing down 1.19 percent. Inital reactions to the budget mentioned it as flat, giving it a thumbs down.
Shankar Narayan / Mumbai Weekly
Shailesh Andrade / Mumbai Weekly
Shankar Narayan / Mumbai Weekly
Pratham Gokhale / Mumbai Weekly
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metro
FRIDAY 16 MARCH 2012
Mumbai Weekly
Eid e Ghousia observed in Mumbai
The death anniversary of Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani, a Persian Islamic preacher, was observed on 12 March 2012, also called Gyarvee Sharif. The devotees of Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani and the followers of Qadiri Order celebrate gyarvee Sharif by holding Majlis and Mehfils
(public gatherings) where recitation of the Holy Qur‟aan takes place and the life and works of Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani is made known to the people. Replica‟s of Masjids and other Holy places were placed on carriages and taken in procession around the city. The
tradition of feeding the poor by Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani is also observed in this day. Mumbai Weekly photographer
Pratham Gokhale was in the midst of the arrangements, capturing the flavours and the essence of the festival.
Just 7 paisa per kilometre! In probably the lowest fare per kilometre in the world, Mumbai‟s suburban railway commuters pay 7 paise per km for a second class season ticket (pass) that offers them unlimited monthly travel. A commuter pays just 25 paise per km on a single journey second class ticket, while a first class monthly season ticket costs a mere 25 paise per km. Former Railway Board Chairman Vivek Sahai, who conducted a study on fares in public transport in
Mumbai, said a reasonable hike is necessary for quality public transport. “In the last two decades or so, Mumbai has grown northwards well beyond its peninsular structure. Areas like Lokhandwala, Versova, Powai and Aarey Milk Colony are quite far from existing railway lines. Also Bandra-Kurla Complex is developing as a major institutional area where several service sector companies have mushroomed. People residing in these areas have high purchasing power,‟‟
Sahai added. In fact, it is the lowest fare per kilometre in the world for any form of transportation. He added that there is an urgent need for a coherent policy for an integrated multi-modal transportation infrastructure for Mumbai. All modes of transports, from cycle rickshaws, autos, taxis to large-scale public transportation systems like buses, trains, sea-based systems, need to be seen from an accessibility and affordability perspective. People look at the fare list at a train station in Mumbai on 5 March 2012. Arkadripta Chakraborty / Mumbai Weekly
Differently-abled women demand dignity
Participants sit at a campaign on the occasion of Women‟s Day in Mumbai on 7 March 2012. Shailesh Andrade / Mumbai Weekly
Holding placards over a hundred differently-abled women on wheelchairs celebrated International Women's Day by demanding the right to be treated with dignity and equality. They gathered at Mumbai‟s Marine Drive on the eve of International Women‟s Day on 7 March 2012. “Women's Day is not just to cheer our achievements but to introspect what we lack. And as women with disability, we seek lot more from the system that we are
a part of so that we can live our life to our full potential,” said a teenager on a wheelchair holding a banner that read -”You see a wheelchair, We see a person.” The rally also campaigned the cause of differently-abled women who are easy targets of attacks and rape. There was also a signature campaign which is to be submitted to the Government demanding stricter legislation and punitive action to any offence against women.
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EDITORIAL
FRIDAY 16 MARCH 2012
Mumbai Weekly
OPINION : Celebrating every woman
A woman walks before a illuminated billboard in Mumbai. Pratham Ghokale / Mumbai Weekly
rape, dowry demands been a part of my life or domestic violence. India is racing towards providing love and care - nurturing me to change, progressing the man I am today. It rapidly in the fields of hurts me to see in the science and infrastructure yet its news everyday some woman somewhere has social outlook towards been hurt physically or women remains emotionally by either primitive and stuck in
Women have always
time. Not yielding to this opposition, women have moved forward pioneering their way into male oriented roles - even becoming national leaders. While women in urban areas have more or less found
equality in society, women in rural areas still suffer discrimination and are taught to be submissive to the men in their families and in society at large. Basic health care, education and other facilities are
often denied to women in rural areas. Along with this the problem of female infanticide and girl child abandonment still exist. Its time men and women collectively capitalize on India‟s development and
economic growth and make a push for change in the general outlook towards women in the rural sector. Stronger laws and more punitive action should be introduced for offence towards women and
their rights. While the world celebrates a single day in the year as International Women‟s Day, we should cherish the womanhood, in its every avatar throughout the year. After all, is just one
day enough to express our gratitude to our mothers, grandmothers, teachers, wives and the thousand women that made our lives better? Let us show our gratitude by being the change.
POINT OF VIEW : Electrifying India Almost
People stand in front of a light source in Mumbai. Shankar Narayan / Mumbai Weekly
one third of India does not have electricity yet and to fill this void the government has chosen to build nuclear power reactors to generate electricity. Nuclear power will definitely fulfill the country‟s power requirement but has met with a lot of protest from locals and environmentalists. Does nuclear power pose a threat? The world still remembers the Nagasaki and Hiroshima victims who were bombed almost six decades ago using basic atomic energy. Generations after this incident are still affected being born disabled at birth. The recent Fukushima Nuclear Power Reactor disaster off the Japanese Coast raises safety issues and the primary question is electricity generation worth life? Radiation from a live plant can leak causing havoc and destroying life around it. Although government agencies and companies have fulfilled all safety standards to keep a Nuclear Reactor completely fool proof and safe it always leaves a nagging what-if doubt to people living around it. Keeping aside the risk factor, safety issues and the high cost of setting up the plant another large issue looms of nuclear spent fuel disposal. On an average a Nuclear Plant will produce approximately 300 metric tons of waste annually. There are two ways of destroying this waste either it is stored of reprocessed. India has chosen to reprocess its nuclear waste and the method is believed to be not fool proof. While science and technology has the answers to all doubts, new challenges can arise at anytime. Is it all worth the risk? Many countries in the world have opted for cleaner sources of energy production like wind energy, tidal energy and even solar energy. The power consumed in rural India is so less that alternate sources of power can easily light up villages. Maybe it is too early for India to venture into Nuclear Power generation. Maybe we should first spend our resources on getting electricity to villages where people haven‟t yet used electricity. Maybe Nuclear power reactors are not such a good idea anyway. Energy shortage will persist in the country and we will continue seeing images of villages in the dark living decades behind time but once again I raise the question: Is electricity generation worth putting human life at risk?
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FRIDAY 16 MARCH 2012
feature
Mumbai Weekly
Women of the Koli community carry earthen pots on their head during celebrations of the Hindu festival Holi at Mumbai on 6 March 2012.
Shailesh Andrade / Mumbai Weekly
HOLI: A splash of Color
Shankar Narayan / Mumbai Weekly
Shailesh Andrade / Mumbai Weekly
Holi - the festival of colors - is undoubtedly among the most funfilled and boisterous of Hindu festivals. It's an occasion that brings in unadulterated joy and mirth, fun and play, music and dance, and, of course, lots of bright colors. Holi was celebrated over two days in the city on 7 & 8 March 2012 this year to signify the end of winter. On the night before the games with color, people light bonfires and offer prayers. On Holi day people play with colors and water celebrating the festival. Thandai, a traditional drink made of milk and dryfruits is served along with Indian sweets. Holi has also taken a commercial turn with flamboyant parties and Bollywood themed events planned all over the city. Mumbai Weekly sent its photographers all over the city capturing the essence of the festival. Shankar Narayan / Mumbai Weekly
Shankar Narayan / Mumbai Weekly
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BUSINESS
FRIDAY 16 MARCH 2012
Mumbai Weekly
Slow, but steady: Two wheeler market picks up
A man walks through a two-wheeler parking lot in Mumbai on 7 March 2012. After a period of sluggish sales during January, India's two wheeler market has picked up pace. According to news reports, the February 2012 month has seen sales of more than 1.29 million units. It seems that the industry may grow at double digit but the growth rate will be around 10-12% for the rest of the financial year. Pratham Gokhale / Mumbai Weekly.
India lifts cotton export ban
A man fills pillows with dyed cotton in Mumbai on 8 March 2012. Twisha / Mumbai Weekly.
India has decided to remove the ban on cotton export. Earlier, within days of imposing a ban on cotton export, the Commerce Ministry is considering revoking its decision, say news reports. Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Gujarat CM Narendra Modi had raised strong objections on the ban, and had asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene. Ironically, Government delays in deciding on grains and sugar exports have left traders facing falling global prices while its fickle policy on cotton exports had last year hurt its role as a steady supplier, news reports said. The change in position on the ban on cotton exports followed a meeting of group of ministers (GoM) headed by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Slowest growth of Indian economy at the end of 2011
Labourers work at a construction site in Mumbai on 6 March 2012. Indiaâ€&#x;s economy grew at its slowest pace in past two years at the end of the year 2011. According to Siddhartha Sanyal of Barclays Capital, the overall growth number is expected to turn weak as construction, industrial and mining sectors are badly affected due to tight monetary conditions. Arkadripta Chakraborty / Mumbai Weekly
Mobile sales surge as India connects According to CyberMedia Research, the overall India mobile handsets market sales increased by 10 percent on year over year (YoY) basis at 183 million units in 2011. Nokia was the leader in the mobile handset segment with a market share of 31 per cent. Handset manufacturers Samsung and Micromax were the second and the third contenders. Figures mentioned by CyberMedia Research suggest that a whopping 172.2 million feature phones were shipped at 7 percent Y-o
-Y growth, and India smartphones market in particular witnessed the launch of 150 models by over 30 vendors. As far as a mobile service subscribers go, news reports mention that India had 903.73 million mobile connections as of January end. In comparison, China, the world's largest mobile phone market, had 987.58 million mobile subscribers. Today, close to 75 percent of the population in India has access to cellular phones.
Left: People use their mobile phones to take images in Mumbai on 7 March 2012. Chirag Sutar / Mumbai Weekly
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FRIDAY 16 MARCH 2012
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Mumbai Weekly
Vintage cars roll down memory lane
Above: Car enthusiasts stand at the display area during a Vintage Car Rally at Mumbai on 4 March 2012. Left: A couple attired in traditional outfits poses next to their vehicle on 4 March 2012. Shaliesh Andrade / Mumbai Weekly On the first Sunday of March, the annual vintage car rally in Mumbai saw some of the city's oldest, and shiniest, motors parade before an awestruck public. Neither fast nor furious, these timless beauties on wheels basked in the morning sun gleaming in pride for the years gone by. Over a hundred and forty vintage and classic cars rolled out on Mumbaiâ€&#x;s roads this Sunday. The Mumbai Vintage Car Rally is an
Laughter Therapy in Dharavi Asia's largest slum Dharavi was visited by Clowns Without Borders (CWB) on March 3, 2012 for a special performance and workshop. Based out of Germany, the group of Georgia Huber, 39, Alexander Straub, 42, Christine Berger, 41,
Andreas Schantz, 44 and Stefan Knoll, 46 offers laughter as a way to relieve people from their suffering. Mumbai weekly photographer Shailesh Andrade was there capturing all the laughter and the fun times the children had.
annual affair organized by the by the Vintage and Classic Car Club of India (VCCCI) where proud owners polish and grease their retired wheels for this grand exhibition at Horniman Circle in the financial hub of the city. A welcome reprieve from regular Mumbai traffic, the rally is more than just an opportunity for owners to show off their envy-inducing wheels. For the hundreds that gather along the streets to
watch them roll by it is a chance to glimpse a preindependent India when the only cars on the roads were imported ones. Most of the participants had bought their vehicles in scrap and painfully restored them over years to the shining beauties they now are. Parking is a major issue in the city and most vintage car owners are forced to park their vehicle in the outskirts of the city.
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SPORTS
FRIDAY 16 MARCH 2012
Mumbai Weekly
Mumbai team in World Series Hockey Hockey fever is back in the city with the launch of the World Series Hockey (WSH) league an initiative by the Indian Hockey Federation. Eight franchisees from around the country representing different cities will participate in this exciting tournament
playing home and away games, terminating in play offs for the finals. Mumbai is home to the Mumbai Marines captained by goalkeeper Adrian D‟souza and owned by Ashish Bharatram (SRF Group) and Harish Thawani (Nimbus). Matches are played
every evening at 7pm and 9pm and broadcasted live on TV by Neo Sports. Cheer the Mumbai Marines live in their coming matches at the MHA stadium Churchgate on 11th, 14th, 16th and 30th March 2012. Mumbai Weekly
An archer takes position during practice in Mumbai. Pratham Gokhale / Mumbai weekly
Photographer Shailesh Andrade was there at the Mumbai Marines match against the Chandigarh Comets in Mumbai‟s MHA stadium capturing the essence of a fast action packed game .
Pratham Gokhale / Mumbai weekly
Mumbaikars aim for the bull‟s eye In a country where cricket is a religion, for any other sport to survive remains a challenge. Mumbai's well-known landmark, Shivaji Park, where cricketing icons like Sachin Tendulkar is known to have practiced, is also a home to many other sports - one of them is the lesser known archery. "People ask me what is this game about because there are many who haven't even heard of it," says Swapnil Parab, a state level player of Archery from Mumbai, who runs Savarkar Archery near Shivaji
Park. It might be surprising for many, but India is considered as one of the top contenders of archery internationally, opines Parab. "Deepika Kumari had won gold at the Common Wealth Games in 2010 and there are so many others who have shown remarkable skills in international competitions. Unfortunately, in India, the facilities required to play this sport are not ample - it's not sport which can be played where people constantly move around - one needs a dedicated
space," he rues. Maybe not hundreds, but Parab has a modest number of students from different walks of life showing enthusiasm towards the sport, "There are school going children, and there are also grown-ups who have taken it up only as a hobby." Unlike other sports, archery does not demand huge monetary investments. "We provide the gear required to start. However, if one pleases, he or she can invest in a decent kit which comes for about four thousand rupees," he says.
Pratham Gokhale / Mumbai weekly
Published by: Udaan School of Photography. Editor: Shailesh Andrade Photo editor: Gitartha Goswami Chief Photographer: Pratham Gokhale Email: editor.mumbaiweekly@gmail.com