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Three firemen killed in a massive fire in Kalbadevi

People panic as the policemen try to control the crowd after the fire goes out of control, Mumbai on 9 May 2015. Kartik Avatani/Mumbai Weekly

Firefighters try to control the blaze in Kalbadevi, Mumbai on 9 May 2015. The first fire engine could reach the incident spot only after 45 minutes due to the narrow lanes and market. Kartik Avatani/Mumbai Weekly

Three firemen were killed when a part of a building collapsed after catching fire in South Mumbai’s Kalbadevi area on 9 May 2015. According to newspaper reports, the fire started at around 4:30 pm in the electric meter room on the ground floor of the Gokul Niwas building. A part of the building was undergoing repairs as the building was almost 50 years old.

Five fire engines were present there to control the situation. The first fire engine came after 45 minutes because of the narrow lanes and busy markets of that area. The cylinder blast worsened the situation. The firemen who died on the spot were identified as assistant divisional officer SW Rane and station officer MN Desai… continued on page 3

Salman Khan sentenced to five years in jail, out on bail

Salman Khan gets leaves his residence a day before the verdict in Mumbai on 5 May 2015. Kartik Avatani/Mumbai Weekly

Candlelight vigil held for Nepal Earthquake victims

Students hold placards and candles in Mumbai on 29 April 2015. Kartik Avatani/Mumbai Weekly

Students from various college participated in a candle march held in Mumbai on April 29, 2015, as a tribute to Nepal earthquake victims. Students were seen holding placards which said - ‘Pray for Nepal’, ‘Every day is a new beginning’ & ‘Our hearts go out to Nepal’. They also offered their prayers to the victims and paid tributes to those who lost their lives. The earthquake, which has shaken the whole country of Nepal, hit

on April 25, 2015 followed by several aftershocks. The death toll has been reported to have reached over 8000 with more than 14000 injured. As the government in Nepal is still unable to reach many mountainous regions, it is hard to say the exact death toll. As told to Reuters by PM Sushil Koirala, the death toll may reach up to 10000, as information on casualties and damage from far flung villages and towns is yet to come.

Well known Bollywood actor Salman Khan was found guilty by Sessions Court in the famous ‘Hit & Run’ case, which killed one person and injured four others. He was sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹25000. Mumbai Sessions Court Judge DW Deshpande, on 6 May, found Salman Khan guilty of all eight charges against him, including the more serious charge under Section 304(II) of the Indian Penal Code for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. After the verdict the actor’s

legal team brought in senior counsel Harish Salve to plead the High Court for an interim bail which was granted. The counsel argued that since a copy of the court judgment was not available, bail should be granted till 8 May as per newspaper reports. The case has been in the media limelight ever since the actor crashed his car into a bakery on Hill Road, Bandra, killing one and injuring 4 other people sleeping on the footpath. As per the statement given to police by Ravindra Patil, Salman’s bodyguard

on the night of accident, the actor was not in the state to drive the car, according to newspaper reports. In a huge relief to Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, the Bombay High Court, on 8 May, suspended his 5-year sentence in the hit-and-run case and granted him bail pending his appeal against conviction. The judge told him to surrender before the trial court and fill the fresh bail bond of ₹30000. The court will issue next directions on 15 June, and the hearing on actor's appeal will take place in the month of July.

‘Alleged’ Drug Dealer gets policed by Mumbai crowd Mumbai saw moral policing being doled out on the streets to a Nigerian national, at Ghatkopar station, on the suspicion of a local Crime Branch officer travelling in the same train, as an ‘alleged’ drug dealer. The man’s behavior in the local train created suspicion. When the train approached the station, the officer tried to apprehend the man, but he tried to run away. With the help of the crowd who manhandled, the officer caught him. After interrogation, he was found clean and released. The officer refused to provide details to the Mumbai Weekly phot ographer present at the scene.

People harass the Nigerian national in presence of railway police in Ghatkopar station, Mumbai on 11 May 2015. Satyabrata Tripathy/Mumbai Weekly

2 PEOPLE MONDAY, 18 MAY, 2015

A tale of sleeping on the street

Above: Homeless people sleep on the street ignoring imminent danger of a vehicular mishap in Byculla, Mumbai on 15 May 2015. Pranav Akkala/Mumbai Weekly A man sleeps beside the road while a car passes by near Byculla, Mumbai on 15 May 2015. Mrinmoy Choudhury/Mumbai Weekly

Below: A woman sits as other people sleep beside the road near Byculla, Mumbai on 15 May 2015. Pranav Akkala/Mumbai Weekly

A man sleeps on the divider in the middle of the road next to moving traffic in Mumbai on 13 May 2015. Pranav Akkala/Mumbai Weekly

Homeless people sleep on the street in Mumbai on 14 May 2015. Pratik Chorge/ Mumbai Weekly

A woman and her child sleep on the street in Byculla, Mumbai on 17 May 2015. Pratik Chorge/Mumbai Weekly

3 METRO

MW Commuter falls from moving train, dies due to apathy

MONDAY, 18 MAY, 2015

Local residents and passengers watch the man who fell-off a local train near Chunabhatti railway station. Railway officials were late to respond to the situation even after receiving information about the incident. Satyabrata Tripathy/Mumbai Weekly

A man fell from a moving train a few metres after Chunabhatti railway station on 25 April 2015 at around 11 am. The train was stopped and the loco

pilot informed officials at Chunabhatti about the incident after which the train proceeded. In an act of utter negligence, no one from the railway sta-

Three firemen killed in a massive blaze

tion appeared at the scene to help even after thirty minutes of receiving information although the station is not even 100 metres away. Locals and

Railway medical attendants carry the dead body of the man who died on the spot. Help arrived only thirty minutes after the railway officials were informed. Satyabrata Tripathy/Mumbai Weekly

other passengers were unwilling to help and the man passed away by the time railway staff arrived on the scene. Some money and a phone number were

retrieved from the man’s clothes. The identity of the man could not be found immediately as there were no identification papers on person and

the number was not reachable. The body was sent to Sion Hospital for autopsy. The man was later identified as Prakash Sonawane aged 30 years.

RPF cop manhandles a senior citizen

A severely burnt firemen at the Kalbadevi fire being rushed to the hospital for treatment Kartik Avatani/Mumbai Weekly Continued from page 1… The other two fire officials, city’s fire brigade chief Sunil Nesrikar and deputy chief fire officer SG Amin, suffered 50% and 90% severe burns respectively. They were admitted to National Burns Centre at Airoli. Sudhir Amin died on 13 May, 2015 at around 4:15 pm after battling for his life for six days at National Burns Centre in Airoli. It was reported that he died due to multiple organ failure. He was admitted in the ICU and was on ventila-

tor the whole time. Amin's body was brought to Byculla Fire Station at around 8 pm for colleagues and other people to offer their respects, the same day. Amin, who was awarded the President's Gold Medal for meritorious services during the November, 2008, Mumbai terror attacks, was on May 11 belatedly granted a promotion due since over five months by the BMC. The other fireman, Sunil Nesrikar is reported to be still critical according to newspaper reports.

An R.P.F policeman manhandles a senior citizen amidst people waiting in a queue outside Malad Railway Station, Mumbai on 1 April 2015. Sudden surge in the crowd was seen as the Indian railways has revised advance reservation period for booking accommodation in trains from 60 days to 120 days. Kartik Avatani/Mumbai Weekly

Mumbai celebrates Maharashtra Day

Maharashtra home-guards stand in attention on the occasion of Maharashtra Day celebrations at Shivaji Park, Dadar in Mumbai on 1 May 2015. Pratik Chorge/ Mumbai Weekly Mumbai celebrated the inception of its statehood on 1 May 2015, marking the occasion as Maharashtra Day at Shivaji Park. Maharashtra came into formation on 1st May in 1960. Before at-

taining statehood, Maharashtra was part of a super state that included present day Gujarati-speaking areas of Saurashtra and Kutch along with Marathispeaking areas of

Marathwada which was collectively known as the ‘Bombay State’. A widespread movement called Samyukta Maharashtra Andolan was instrumental in the achievement of the sta-

tus of statehood for Maharashtra. Each year parades and celebrations are held at Shivaji Park with a lot of pomp and gaiety among crowds. Shivaji Park was bustling with activity since

morning on 1st May, as the entire city’s uniformed men from all armed services such as the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), Brinhanmumbai command force, home guards, civil defence,

fire brigade and city police were gathered in full regalia ready for their elaborate display. The procession was inaugurated by the Governor of Maharashtra, Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao.

4 EDITORIAL

MONDAY, 18 MAY, 2015

OPINION: Beef ban - Preservation of cattle or religious propaganda?

T Pranav Akkala

he Maharashtra govt. recently banned beef in the state after re-

ceiving the President’s go ahead which has been pending since nineteen years when the bill was first submitted to the President for approval on 30 January 1996. The ban expressly prohibits the sale, consumption and possession of the meat of cows, bulls and bullocks. Now the question arises where one might ask, “Why does the ban only apply to beef and not promoting vegetarianism in general?” The government states that the ban is for the conservation of cattle under the Maharashtra Animal Preservation bill, 1995. This doesn’t explain why the possession or consumption of meat of cows slaughtered outside Maharashtra should be deemed illegal as cows slaughtered outside the state do not hamper the preservation of the state’s cattle in any way. The ban led to a lot of unemployment and the state has not made alternative emplo yment arrangements of the hun-

A man feeds a cow with crushed wheat balls in Kaanchpada, Malad, Mumbai on 5 May 2015. Kartik Avatani/Mumbai Weekly dreds of people working in slaughter houses in the city who were affected by the ban. Around 10,000 cows, bulls and bullocks used to be slaughtered in the city before the ban. Petitions have

been filed stating that the law infringes on basic human rights. The petitions state that every man has the right to eat meat and argue that beef is a rich source of protein. Some ask why beef can’t be

imported from other states. Why has the state termed conservation of cattle as the reason for the ban and why are other animals excluded from the ban? Why aren’t other animals still

being slaughtered not part of Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act, 1995? To answer all these questions, one might only assume religious propaganda as the root of the ban. When the coun-

try is built as a secular state, how can this act of religious partiality be justified? The above views are personal views expressed by the author of this article .

POINT OF VIEW: Running for 13 years and more...

Salman Kahn returns to his residence in Bandra prior to the day of his verdict in Mumbai on 5 May 2015. Kartik Avatani/ Mumbai Weekly c o n v i c t i o n i n t w o d a ys q u e s t i o n s t h e f a c t t h a t p r o v e d n o t h i n g b u t a t i l l J u l y, w h a t t o o k 1 3 i f i t w a s n ' t S a l m a n m a s t e r s t r o k e o f t h e P R hort ye a r s o f t r a i l s . G i v i n g K h a n , t h e s u p e r s t a r o f C a m p a i g n a s S a l m a n ’ s lived was the a n e w t w i s t t o t h e c a s e , B o l l yw o o d , w o u l d a l l l a w ye r w a s s e e n s i n g faith people the witness on wheels, this support from ing the song of charity beheld in the Kamaal Khan is the across the country still work to make the Judge Justice of our new target now. From be there? As many reduce the quantum of country as the uproar on social tweet about Salman be- sentence. But no raised short was Jayati Kataria t h e o u t r a g e m e d i a a n d s u p p o r t o f i n g a g o o d g u y a t a r g u m e n t c h a n g e s t h e the film fraternity to heart, it brings in no- fact that an innocent of Salman Khan's fans the dance and celebra- tice all the philan- man was killed on the over the conviction of tion outside Salman's thropic acts S a l m a n f o o t p a t h t h a t n i g h t . In the actor in the Hit and residence, uncondition- did, but evidently only fact the real argument Run case 2002, as High al was the support he after 2002(Being Hu- is how far the actor Court suspended the received. But this man started in 2008). It plans to run from this

r e a l i t y? T h e o n e m a n a r m y, s u p e r c o p , h e r o l i k e f i g u r e p o r t r a ye d i n movies account as his move to clear his criminal acts indirectl y, though the 'Robin Hood P a n d e y' i n h u m a n l y f l e d from the Crime scene when accused in reality having trust in the corr u p t s ys t e m a n d t h e power of money and position to settle things; and is still running, are proofs of cowardice and shamelessness. Does the actor wants to set the example for criminals-tobe, giving out a clear message that power of money and position was and is, still above law and humanity? As many powerless people are still waiting for bail which the actor g o t i n t w o d a ys . B u t i f his real life is to be p o r t r a ye d on Reel, doubtful is the praise for the character. On the other hand, the not much taken in consideration victims of the incident, Abdullah Rauf Shaikh, Mannu Khan, Mohamad Kalim Pathan, Muslim Shaikh o n r e c o r d s a ys , t h e y don't want Conviction but Compensation accounting to the fact that it’s been 13 long ye a r s a n d c o n v i c t i o n

won’t make much difference in the victim's life now, as it could have made earlier, as many see ‘justice delayed is justice denied’. Maybe, Salman did change after the incident; perhaps, he did a lot of charity work to compensate his crime but evidentl y, no help was offered to the victims in last 13 years. At the end one questions the fact if it is the 300 crore movie projects riding on him, his humanitarian work or his Super Star image that coned the public to raise him at a pedestal so high to reasons out the fact that killing an innocent is a 'heinous crime' and a character flaw. Are we too blinded with his characters in movies that it overpowers the ground reality and are willing to forgive him? It also questions the blindfold of justice in our country; are the obsolete laws full of loopholes or is the money that creates holes in the pocket of law? The above views are personal views expressed by the author of this article.

5 FEATURE MONDAY, 18 MAY, 2015

A day at the salt pans

In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi turned salt into a powerful symbol of freedom for Indians. These salt pans are mostl y located in the coastal areas of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu etc. In Mumbai itself, these salt pans are stretched over an area of 5000 acres which is nine times the size of defunct mill lands. These salt pans along with its thick mangrove forest are considered as its defence against ocean floods. The salt pans are open

onl y for the month of September till May. Being the seasonal work, the salt pan workers are left unemployed for the rest of the months. The work at salt pan starts at 3 am. Most of the workers here are not locals. They have come from the villages of Gujarat, Panvel, Karjat, Dahanu, and Palghar. Their work requires them to stay near salt pans in small huts. The working habitat is not very suitable for people to stay as m ost them are in isolated

places. With no proper electricit y and water around, the worker suffers a lot. Also there is no doctor provided to them in case of emergenc y. Most of these workers possess skin issues because of working there. While fulfilling India â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s salt needs comes at a price, as the salt pan workers face problems such as abnormall y thin legs which become so stiff that even after death, they do not burn in the funeral pyre. Their legs are then collected by their

relatives and buried separatel y in a small grave with salt so that they can decompose naturall y. They are given shoes and gloves to protect themselves but it â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of no use. The monsoon takes their employment for that period. With no choice left, they have to return back to their places and search for other options of work. Mumbai Weekl y photographers Pratik Chorge and Kartik Avatani took turns to spend time at the salt pans.

6 BUSINESS & ECONOMY MONDAY, 18 MAY, 2015

Want more? Shell out more!

A plane takes off into the air while two boys gaze at it in Mumbai on 26 April 2015. Pratik Chorge/Mumbai Weekly

The second hike in petrol and diesel prices State-run fuel retailers raised petrol price by ₹3.13 a litre and diesel by ́ ₹ 2.71, on May 15, 2015. The price was reported to be increase due to increase in the rate of international crude rates and falling of the rupee against the dollar. The increased rates will vary in different states, depending upon their local

taxes. After the latest revision, petrol costs 74.12 ₹/ltr in Mumbai and diesel ₹59.86 from May 16, 2015. This is the fourth increase in fuel prices this year and second in a row in the last 15 days. The rates were last hiked on May 1. On March 1, petrol price increased by ₹3.18 and diesel by ₹3.09. Be-

Airlines operating out of the country have now been allowed to charge customers for the preferred seat of choice apart from other ancillary services. DGCA or Directorate General of Civil Aviation recently finalised on this decision in order to boost the fail in growth of the aviation industry and to simultaneously provide the consumer with freedom of choosing services they wish to avail and paying only for those. “Considering the fact that unbundling of services and charges thereto has the potential to make basic fare more affordable and provides consumer an option of paying for the services which he/she wishes to

MW avail," was mentioned in a recent circular of DGCA, according to newspaper reports. Unbundled services would be a fixed rate and would not be subject to change in order to increase the affordability of air travel in the country. However, airlines have been allowed to charge for extra luggage, preferential seating, meal/ snack/drink charges (except drinking water), airline lounges, check-in baggage, sports equipment, musical instrument carriage and special declaration of valuable baggage. Seat selection was earlier limited to a percentage of the seats in the airplane which has now been made applicable on all seats.

30k crore “avoidable loss” for Indian Railways

fore that, petrol had become costlier by 82 paise and diesel by 61 paise on February 16. Overall, petrol prices had been reduced by ₹17.11 a litre in 10 reductions between last August and this February. D i e s e l prices were brought down by ₹12.96 in six cuts between last October and February.

An attendant picks up a fuel nozzle in Mumbai on 09 May 2015. Kartik Avatani/ Mumbai Weekly

Maintenance workers work on a train bogie in a railway workshop in Sandhrust road, Mumbai on 18 May 2015. Pratik Chorge/Mumbai Weekly According to newspaper reports, Indian Railways lost nearly ₹30,000 crores (approx. 4.7 billion USD), failing to adhere to strict regulations and balances based on the transport of iron ore, which was indicated in the recent report issued by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. Dual Freight Policy (DFP) has laid down two specific categorizations for the transport of iron ore, based on its usage. Iron ore used

FCI scraps storage policy due to poor grain quality

in domestic consumption is charged a freight rate that is a third of the rate charged for iron ore meant for exports. Separation of the freight rates helps to control the price of iron ore consumed within the country and to stay in accordance to international ore prices for which higher revenues can be generated by increasing the freight rate for the iron ore to be exported. Negligence in obtaining and verifying proper documentation for iron

ore during loading/unloading by the Indian railways has led to a loss amounting to ₹29,237 crores (approx. 4.5 billion USD), as iron ore meant for exports was also passed under the ore meant for domestic consumption which resulted in such heavy losses. This failure in revenue of the Indian Railways also appears at a time when the Indian Govt. refused a recent proposal to privatize the rail-road transportation within the country.

Mumbai: Another hike in auto, taxi fare

Women clean food grains near a Chawl in Dana Bundar, Mumbai on 09 May 2015. Kartik Avatani/Mumbai Weekly

A customer pays an auto-rickshaw driver for the ride in Mumbai on 18 May 2015. Nupur Bandre/Mumbai Weekly

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has decided to supply wheat which has been procured from farmers to Public Distribution System (PDS). The quality of grain is impacted by the unseasonal rains. The FCI will

Another hike in the fare of auto rickshaw and taxis in Mumbai has been announced and will be effective from June 1, 2015. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA)

follow the practice of ‘First In First Out’ policy as the procured wheat can’t be stored for long according to newspaper reports. Due to rains, the grain suffers lusture loss due to which pesticides cannot be used to store

the crop for longer period. Hence the food ministry has given relaxation in quality norms of wheat with respect to lusture loss. Till now, 22.5 million tons of wheat has been purchased by FCI and state owned agencies.

took a decision increase the price by ₹ 1. Once the Bombay high court gives a nod to the decision, the new rates will be applicable next month. This is the second fare revision for auto rick-

shaws and taxis in less than a year. The last revision was in August 2014 — auto fare had increased from ₹15 to ₹17 and t a x i f a r e h a d gone up from ₹19 to ₹21 according to newspaper reports.

7 ARTS, CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT

MW ‘Aamchi’ Mumbai celebrates International dance day

MONDAY, 18 MAY, 2015

A participant at the dance competition practices his moves before performing on the stage in Carter road amphitheatre, Bandra, Mumbai on 29 April 2015. Pratik Chorge/Mumbai Weekly

The International Dance Day was celebrated on 29 April, 2015 worldwide. On the occasion, The Rotaract Club of Jai Hind collage organized a street dance competition ‘The Streets 2015’ at the Carter road amphitheatre in Bandra. A huge crowd was seen at the event. Various crews from all over Mumbai came to participate in it. The three groups qualified for the finale but D ynamic Dance crew emerge as the ultimate winner of ‘The Streets 2015’. The International Dance Day was introduced in 1982 by International Dance Council and celebrated every year on 29 April across the world. The purpose of these events is to attract people to the art of dance especially those who are new to it. In 2014, around 50 classical dancers got together to perform a flash mob at Chennai and performed dance. It i s said to be the first flash mob of classical dancers for the same event.

Sanskruti Arts Festival enthralls Mumbai & Thane residents

Rahul ram, a bass guitarist and a vocalist for Indian Ocean sings during their performance in Sanskruti arts festival 2015 held in Thane on 25 April 2015. Pratik Chorge/Mumbai Weekly

Vijay Ghate’s performance at the Sanskruti arts festival 2015 held in Thane on 26 April 2015. Sneha Kharabe/Mumbai weekly

Keeping traditions alive

The festival was organized by Sanskruti Yuva Pratishthan Trust whose chairman is MLA Pratap Sarnaik.The festival ran for 3 days from 24 April 2015 to 26 april 2015 at Upvan lake Thane. Chief Minister Devendra

Fadnavis inaugurated the event on 24 April 2015. On the last day Grammy award winner Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt performs Mohan Veena along with Pt. Vijay Ghate who played tabla. Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam also

came as Chief Guest for the event. He appreciated the effort taken by Pratap Sarnaik to organize the event and also declared to provide two crore for the Upvan Lake improvements within 8 days.

High hopes for ‘Piku’

Mumbai enjoyed Lavani performance by a noted Lavani dancer Shakuntalabai Nagarkar on 30 April 2015. She gained immense popularity as a lead dancer in Lavani and Tamasha performing with the troupe of Shri Keshav Rao Badge, a well-known folk singer and dancer who himself was honored by Sangeet Natak Academy with its award.

Shakuntalabai Nagarkar, a famous Lavani dancer performs at Sangeet Bari organized at Prabodhan Thackrey mini theatre in Borivali, Mumbai on 30 April 2015. Kartik Avatani / Mumbai Weekly.

Lavani is performed to the beats of dholak and table. It is noted for its powerful rhythm and erotic sentiment. The word Lavani is derived from the word lavanya which means beauty and is performed by wearing a nine– yard long saris and adorned with jewelry.

The team of the movie ‘Piku’ pose for photographs during a promotional event at JW Marriot in Juhu, Mumbai on 2 May 2015. Kartik Avatani/Mumbai Weekly

8 SPORTS MONDAY, 18 MAY, 2015

Age is just a number for these athletes

Above: Rohinton Metha jumps over a hurdle during 100-metres hurdles event in Mumbai on 09 May 2015. Satyabrata Tripathy/Mumbai Weekly Right: Olivia Roberts runs in a relay race event which her team won at University Sports Pavilion in Mumbai on 09 May 2015. Satyabrata Tripathy/Mumbai Weekly Lata Alimchandani, a participant in the category of 55+ age group took part in 200 m, 400 m, 800 m, and 1500 m and won all the competitions to become the winner of most events. Ashwini Mangekar won 100 m in 30+ categor y, Olivia Roberts won 100 m

in 40+ category and Cicilia John won 100 m in 50+ categor y. India Masters Athletics organized an athletic meet from May 8 to May 10 for the first time for the benefit of the employees of the various organizations. The National Mercantile/ Corporate Mas-

ters Track and Field Championship was for both men and women who were in the age group of 30- 60 years. The main events included running, walking, hurdles, long jump, high jump, pole vault, shot put, discus throw, javelin throw and relay race.

Gubbala becomes the youngest to win gold at Table Tennis tournament Siddhesh Gubbala, Soumyajit Roy & Hamraaj Singh in under 10, under 12 and under 14 years of age respectively were the winners of a table tennis tournament organized by Navi Mumbai sports and Samajik Vikas Mandal for beginners was held in New Panvel at CIDCO community center on April 19, 2015. The event has an entry fee of ₹100. Around forty chil-

dren across Mumbai came to participate in the event which started at 11:30 am and went on till 4:00 pm. The participants were grouped into three categories viz. under 10, under 12 and under 14 years of age. There were seven tables and participants were paired back to back. The winners of the competition were given participation

Action in silhouette

certificates and awarded medals respectively. According to Sanjay Kadu who was the chief guest of the event and president of Raigad District Table Tennis Association, such competitions are very important to spread table tennis around the world. T h r o u gh s u c h c o m p e t i t i o n s h e w a nt s t o c r e a t e a b a t t a l i on o f t e nn i s .

Boys enjoy a game of volleyball while the sun takes a dip into the horizon at Shivaji Park, Mumbai on 12 May 2015 Pratik Chorge/Mumbai Weekly

Vikramaditya Kulkarni wins first Maharashtra open FIDE tournament

Dev Shah, the youngest participant in the tournament plays a game at the tournament, Mumbai on 24 April 2015. Nupur Bandre/Mumbai Weekly

Debjeet Chakraborty, an under 14 participant serves the ball at CIDCO community centre, Panvel on 19 April 2015. Satyabrata Tripathy/Mumbai Weekly

Vikramaditya Kulkarni won the tournament by 8 points and ranked 2313 in the first Maharashtra Open FIDE tournament that took place from 22 April to 26 April at Dahisar.

The Fédération Internationale des Échecs or World Chess Federation is an international organization that connects the various national chess federations around the world and

acts as the governing body of international chess competition. The event was organized by Dahisar sports Foundation and Chanakya Chess Academy. More than 300 participants took part in all the categories. The tournament was held under FIDE Laws of Chess. He was declared International Master (IM). In the under-16 group, Sagar Tejaswini was declared Woman Candidate Master (WCM) with the rank 2008, whereas in S -50 group, Avinash Awate with the rank of 2136 was declared FIDE Master (FM), and Dev Shah with the rank of 1496 in under -8 groups was declared Candidate Master.