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106 died after consuming poisonous liquor in Malvani, 8 cops suspended

Holy month of Ramzan

The crescent moon marked the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan on 18th June 2015. A month of fasting and prayers will be witnessed all over the world during Ramadan. Kartik Avatani/Mumbai Weekly

Monsoon hits Mumbai

Family Members of the spurious liquor victims mourn at their residence in Malwani, Mumbai on 20 June 2015. The incident had occurred at Laxmi Nagar slum near Gamdevi Jurassic Park in Malwani in suburban Malad on Wednesday night. Pratik Chorge/Mumbai Weekly

As the monsoon hits the financial capital of India, comes the heavy pouring of problems for the Mumbaikars. The much affected areas of southern Mumbai like Parel, Dadar, Hindmata, Matunga and Sion are the low lying areas which witnessed water logging. Trains, buses and even Airports came to a halt in the city. Kartik Avatani/Mumbai Weekly.

With the death toll of 106 and 44 still hospitalized which included auto rickshaw drivers, rag pickers and scrap collectors, busted the long in process Hooch business being operated in Malwani area. The victims are said to consume the spurious liquor between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, as the reports reached police by Thursday evening. The probe was soon transferred to the Crime Branch unit 11 as the death tolls kept rising. Later the reports revealed that police has received complaints about the same from the residents but no

action was taken in this matter. Taking this in notice, PC Rakesh Maria has suspended 8 cops for negligence towards the complains. The Liquor joint is said to be run by a bootlegger, Raju Fernandes alias Langada who has been arrested along with Donald Shaikh and Mamta Rathod. The Maharashtra Government has provided compensation of Rs. 1 Lakh to 57 families of Hooch victims. Local Police officials along with the support of the central excise department also conducted massive raids and searches, both, to find the source of this

Major fire near Mumbai Port at Wadala A major fire erupted at Wadala last Saturday evening due to a leak of an oil pipeline of a refinery plant in the area.

According to news reports, officials had detected the leak in the pipeline in the morning and the area had been evacu-

A fireman walks towards the fire engine as the fire intensity increases at Wadala, Mumbai on 13 June 2015. Karishma Aidasani/ Mumbai Weekly

ated to avoid any casualties. The fire occurred near Mumbai Port Trust (MPT) area, and due to the industrial usage of the place and the lack of residential buildings, it prevented any loss of life. Due to thick plume of smoke caused by the fire, traffic was interrupted on the elevated Freeway till the fire officials doused the fire. The fire occurred near the technology center of an oil lubricant company and it had been orderly evacuated in the morning following the news of a suspected oil leak. The pipeline belongs to Mumbai Port Trust, which connects to a state-run oil refinery nearby.

spurious alcohol and to narrow down other suspects who might have consumed the same liquor. According to news reports, by the end of the weekend, more than 100 deaths were confirmed while 50 more still battled for life, at various hospitals of the city. Methanol poisoning has been suspected as the reason for this unfortunate incident. It is suspected that methanol was added to spike to alcohol and increase its strength. The last known cases of Methanol poisoning, such as this, were detected in 2004, which took the life of 87 people.

A daughter silently mourns at the death of her father at a slum near Malwani, Mumbai on 20 June 2015. Pratik Chorge/Mumbai Weekly

Train hits buffer at Churchgate Station On Sunday morning, 11.20am, Churchgate station got shaken as the train crashed into the buffer of platform no.3, lifting the first women's coach 3 feet into the air and crashing the

Overhead Equipment wire. The accident is said to happen due to speeding by the motorman as the train entered the station at 36kmph and hit the buffer at 29kmph. The motor-

man, guard and inspector are suspended till the enquiry is on, according to the officials. the fault is less on technical side as the train has 4 brakes and AWS.

Train uplifts as it hits the dead end of the platform at Churchgate Station, Mumbai on 28 June 2015. Satyabrata Tripathi/Mumbai Weekly

2 PEOPLE MONDAY, 20 JULY, 2015

Eid Mubarak!

Ramadan (also known as Ramzan), the ninth month of the Islamic Lunar calendar is marked by visual sighting of the crescent moon. This also marks the beginning of one month of fasting and praying by Muslims all over the globe. From sunrise till sunset, refraining from consuming food, liquids, smoking and even sinful behavior completes the act of fasting. The meal after dusk is called 'Iftar',

which is celebrated by feasting with family and friends. The word 'Ramadan' comes from Arabic root 'ramida' or 'ar ramad' which means scorching heat or dryness. One of the teachings of the occasion is to practice self-discipline and dedicating prayers by reading the 'Quran'. The festival of Ramzan ends with Eid -al-Fitr. On this auspicious day people wear new cloths, visit friends

and family and greet each other „Eid Mubarak‟ or „Ramzan Mubarak‟. Markets are lit up with colorful lights, decorations and eateries mainl y full of mouth watering non -vegetarian food items, spreading the warmth of the festival. Mumbai Weekly photographers Karishma Aidasani and Kartik Avatni went exploring the festivities of Ramzan in Mumbai.

Kartik Avatani

Pratik Chorge

Kartik Avatani

3 METRO

MONDAY 20 JULY, 2015

Mumbaikars get hit by Auto-Taxi strike

A physically challenged woman waves for a auto rickshaw to stop in Malad, Mumbai on 17 June 2015. Kartik Avatani/Mumbai Weekly The city saw stranded commuters on the

road waiting for auto rickshaws on 17th

June as the largest Auto rickshaw Union

with about 2 lakh auto rickshaw drivers led by Shashank Rao went on strike protesting against the cab services like Uber and Ola. The Auto Union demands a ban on these cab services as they are eating up their business by providing discounts and fast service. Knowing of the strike in advance, 100 additional BEST services were added and Uber declared no surge charge prices for the cust o m e r s o n We d n e s d a y f o r seamless travel. The passengers at the airport and railway stations had the hardest time as rain added to the harrowing situation. According to the news reports, another taxi

Monsoon showers disappear fast

A boy takes a quick shower, as it drizzles at Reay Road Station in Mumbai on 9 July 2015. Kartik Avatani/ Mumbai Weekly Monsoon reached the financial capital of India with a heavy pouring by mid-June. Affecting the low lying areas of southern Mumbai. Travelling via taxis and buses becomes a

nightmare for Mumbaikars and even trains run late. For now, monsoon seems to be on hold as the weather has become pleasant and cloudy from past few d a ys .

Customized bicycle for Mumbai police

A Policeman seen on a customized bike on his patrol duty at Girgaum Chowpaaty, Mumbai on 12 June 2015. Pratik Chorge/Mumbai Weekly

Mumbai preparing for Ganeshotsav Though celebrated in all over India, the festival of Ganesh chaturthi is very important to every Mumb a i k a r . T h i s ye a r t h e festival is on 17 September 2015, but its preparation have started two months prior. Ganesh idols are being

prepared already almost in every workshop. The booking of idols is also started f r o m n o w o n l y. T o make this idols, laborers from Bihar and other states are specially called to the c i t y. This provides them with a job for

The cit y police received a healthy alternative to the long hours spent patrolling the streets to keep this cit y safe. According to news reports, 24 bicycles have been imported, out of which 16 will be plied on the streets and 8 will help patrol the beaches of the island cit y. In the first phase, the sea-facing promenades of Juhu Chowpatt y, Bandra Bandstand, Worli Seaface, Shivaji Park, Oshiwara Gardens, Gateway of India, Marine Drive and Girgaum Chowpatt y will see the trial bicycles being run on a dail y patrol. According to the newspaper reports more of these bicycles will be used at Juhu beaches as the stretch is longer than other beaches

and four at Shivaji Park. These bicycles also aim to curb the occurrence of crime that is commonl y found in such crowded areas such as chain snatching, eve teasing and bag lifting. Police Comminsioner Rakesh Maria launched the initiative as a trail project. If the results show success then more of these bicycles will be purchased and bring in use. Physicall y fit and police personnel who are good cyclists as well were chosen to try these new bicycles. The patrol bikes will patrol the streets in pairs; one armed with radio and with another would be equipped with a collapsible baton. According to the reports, the project seems to be a success.

Technical glitches overcrowds Metro station

few months of the year. These idols are made in a huge numb e r . N o w a d a ys , e c o – friendly idols are also in demand, for the people who are concerned about the environment, spreading awareness for the same.

Below: A laborer paints Ganesh idol at a workshop in Parel, Mumbai on 25 June 2015. The laborers are called from different states especially to make Ganesh idols.Pratik Chorge/ Mumbai Weekly.

People flooding against the exit gates, as metro staff manually blocks the exit at Ghatkopar metro station, Mumbai on 11 June 2015. Pranav Akkala/Mumbai Weekly The ent r y and ex i t t urns t i l es at Ghat kopa r m et ro s t at i on s t opped f unct i oni ng for a p eri o d of t en m i nut es at around 06: 40 pm on 11 J une 2015. The t urns t i l es di s pl a ye d “Em er ge nc y – P l eas e l e ave t h e s t at i on” and al l t he gat es were l eft open due t o whi ch t he m et ro s t aff res ort ed

t o s t al l i ng t he p as s enge rs f rom ex i t i ng. Infuri at ed co m m u t ers s t art ed s hout i ng and m ad e wa y t hrough t he ex i t gat es wi t hout pa yi n g he e d t o t he m et ro s t aff. a ft er a whi l e. Though t h e p robl em was s ol ved s ooner, but t he m i s m anage m ent of t he m et ro s t aff c reat ed a huge confus i on and

chaos . The gat es s t art edfun ct i oni ng onl y aft er a l ot of c rowd gat h ered caus i n g i n conveni enc e and del a yi n g t he com m ut ers . Ac c ordi ng t o t he n ews re port , t hes e t ec hni cal fai l ures have be com e f req uent duri ng t he m ons oons , t hough i t get s s ol ved at t he earl i es t .

4 EDITORIAL

MONDAY, 20 JULY, 2015

POINT OF VIEW: UNWELCOME

Karishma Aidasani They‟re welcome nowhere; being ridiculed, mocked, laughed at, even thrown stones at is practically just a part of growing up for them. Yes, we‟re talking about the most taboo topic even to this day- the transgender community or hijras as we know them better. There are two ways of becoming a hijra. The first is to be born with as an intersexual or hermaphrodite, and the second is to be born with a male body but with a feminism gender identity. Most hijras, undergo castration (removal of the testicles). Therefore, traditional hijras today still see „the operation‟ as the important feature to legitimize one as a “true hijra”. However, today, many hijras do not undergo castration or prefaces hormones, but still regard themselves as part of the hijra community. They are dressed usually in woman‟s attireover the top and bright, highlighting their breasts and hips, with heavy make-up on their faces,

exaggerated movements and loud gestures like clapping, cracking vulgar jokes; but deep within they have feelings just like anybody else. Unfortunately, this is a harsh truth that society has very conveniently forgotten long ago. With not much choice left, hijras earn their living by begging, dancing or prostitution. Sex and sexual behaviour is always instantly associated with them, even before acknowledging the fact that they‟re humans. Stories idolizing transgender characters are not uncommon in Hindu mythology, nor were transgender people uncommon in ancient Indian society. Today‟s transgender community live in a very different reality. They usually live in groups. In Mumbai and Thane, many such ghettos exist in neighborhoods like Dharavi, Ghatkopar, Bhandup, Byculla, and Malad. the city of Mumbai, The hijras disperse toward townships like Navi Mumbai where survival is a bit easier. The hijras are a family. The guru is the mother. Then there‟s the dadguru who is the grandmother, and the purdahguru who is the great-grandmother. The guru and his chelas comprise a family. A guru selects a successor and trains him. If a guru fails

Muskan (left) and Rahul (right) poses for a picture at their residence in Mumbai on 25 June 2015. Karishma Aidasani/ Mumbai Weekly to choose a successor, the panch, or the leaders of the seven hijra gharanas, choose him. All crucial decisions are made by the panch making a world filled with their own kind. In some areas, the Hijras are arrested, beaten, raped, kept illegally in the police station and no one is willing to be a surety for bail. Things are changing, even though very slowly. But the day-to-day struggles continue for the transgender community. Despite growing awareness and small signs of

acceptance, there are many challenges yet to be addressed. A recent legislation brought about more hope for acceptance and anticipation of a certain degree of normalcy in their lives. Nothing short of a milestone in the transition of attitude towards the transgender community, on April 15th, 2014, the Indian Supreme Court passed a landmark judgment, which now permits transgender people to legally identify themselves under a “third gender” option. In India there are an estimated two million

transgender people who, until now, have been unable to obtain official government documents due to exclusion from the legal system. In the past, a hospital could turn away a Hijra due to confusion over which ward to place them in. But under this ruling, transgender individuals may legally register for health care, bank accounts and passports. In addition, they now fall under a protected group called the OBCs, or Other Backwards Castes, who are extended a 37% reservation for government po-

sitions. In a path breaking move on 26th May, 2015, Manabi Bandopadhyay, a fifty-year-old transgender activist from West Bengal was appointed as the principal of Krishnagar Women‟s College in West Bengal.. It also goes to show just how the mind-set of this nation is broadening. More importantly, there is hope that sooner they will be more accepted and less unwelcome into the society as we know it. The above views are personal views expressed by the author of this article.

OPINION: Monsoon in Mumbai - Boon or bane?

Kartik Avatani The infamous Mumbai rains unsurprisingly made the city almost come to a halt on 18th June, 2015. The bustling city witnessed heavy rainfall and subsequent waterlogging at low lying areas like Hindmata, Matunga, Lower Parel, Dadar, etc. From the monsoon of 2005 that was thought to be worse, though the pictures tell the same story each year, people seem to be quite familiar with the drill to be followed during these monsoon days. The monsoon always come as 2 sides of a coin, for some its reason to be kids again and for some it becomes a nightmare to reach work on time; and maybe for few its something else. Like the colors of rainbow,

people have different thoughts behind the whole idea of Mumbai monsoon. Post the warnings by the government officials and news channels about the heavy rainfall in the city, people still came out with friends and families to enjoy the first heavy pouring of 2015 monsoon. Water logging didn't seem to be posing any problem for such people as it rather became a boon for them. Along with the younger generation, the above 50 too became friends with the kinder garden children, as the city known for crumbled spaces seem to be a playground for people. Mumbaikars were seen playing volleyball, kids were swimming, splashing water at each other, dancing on footpaths and what not. But as we turn to the other side, people were shutting their shops to save their belongings, taking out water from their houses, getting stuck in the traffic, waiting for trains at the platform, waiting for buses, taxis or auto rickshaws to get back home. As it was

my first monsoon in the city, I saw this mesmerizing contrast in the same frame. The most hitting part for the people was the travel as the trains had stopped due to waterlogged on the tracks and the only savior were the taxis and buses trying to

push through the waterlogging areas. The taxi drivers took advantage of the situation by not charging according to the meter and asking triple the amount from each passenger for even short distances. People were seen standing on the roof of the

buses as they got stuck in the water logging areas, cars got almost drowned in the flooding water, trees got uprooted and roads almost seem to disappear. But between all this people still found ways to enjoy and be happy wherever they are.

Monsoon becomes a learning experience for many as it teaches patience, survival techniques and realizes the importance of helping others in need. The above views are personal views expressed by the author of this article.

A group of friends gets drenched at the waterlogged area near Hindmata, Mumbai on 18 June 2015. Kartik Avatani/Mumbai Weekly

5 FEATURE

MONDAY, 20 JULY, 2015

Pratik Chorge

Farewell to Victoria Carriages

Mrinmoy Choudhury

Victorias, as popularly known, the light horse carriages being one of the highlights of South Mumbai shall become a thing of the past. The PIL filed by Animal and Birds Charitable Trust and other animal rights activist against the horse carriage in-

dustry concerns over the ill treatment of the horses. According to the activists' research, horses were found to be malnourished or having ligament ruptures due to walking on the hard pavements. The Bombay High Court has declared Victorias Mrinmoy Choudhury

Pratik Chorge

as illegal and gave one year to phase out and to plan the rehabilitation for Victoria horses. Mumbai Weekly photographers Pratik Chorge and Mrinmoy Choudhary spent time with Victoria Horses and there owners to know more about them. Mrinmoy Chaudhury

6 BUSINESS & ECONOMY

MONDAY, 20 JULY, 2015

Stock Market crashes despite government aids With the fall of 483 points, or 1.72%, Sensex settled below 28000- level, marking the lowest over a period o f m o n t h o n 8 J u l y. Adding to Greek's fall out, the Shangai shares resulted in rattled investors, resulting the subsequent fall. According to the investors, Major selling in metal and auto shares was witnessed which resulted in crashing the NSE benchmark Nifty below 8,4000 point, closing the session at 147.75 points, or 1.74% . According to the news reports, Despite measures t a k e n u p b y t h e go v t t o uplift the market, there was a major sell -off in other Asian markets with a 6% crash in shangai shares. The sec-

toral indices too, fell by 3.89% which led to change in market sentiments. S i m i l a r l y, J a p a n 's Nikkei fell 3 . 1 4 % a n d H o n g K o n g 's Hang Seng 5.84%, its biggest one-day drop since October 2008. 29 out of 30 marked a fall at the end of day while only Hind Unilever ended in positive zone. After the fall out of 661 points on June 2, even the broader markets, mid-cap and small-cap indices closed lower by 1.30% and 1.28%, respectively followed by Tata Motors, major falling happened for Vedanta, lowering by 7.85%. T h o u gh s e c t o r a l l y, t h e metal index fell the most, followed by auto, r e a l t y, b a n k i n g , P S U , o i l a n d g a s a n d IT .

A man looks at the indicator, outside The Bombay Stock Exchange, Mumbai on 8 July 2015. Pratik Chorge/Mumbai Weekly

Hike in electricity tariff

The residential electricity charges are increased from 5% to 11 % in Mumbai. Karishma Aidasani/ Mumbai Weekly. The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has approved the reduction of state‟s power tariff b y

5.72 percent for the ind u s t r i a l a r e a . La s t ye a r the approved reduction was only 2.44% percent. The charges on express

feeder for industries is decreased from Rs 8.41 to Rs 7.21 per unit and that of on non- express feeder, the tariffs dropped from Rs 7.60 to Rs 6.71 per unit, as per the newspaper reports. The newspaper reports also state that the hike f o r a gr i c u l t u r a l a r e a a n d residential customers is very nominal. The MERC approved 5.2 percent hike for Reliance Energy consumers and 3.9 percent hike for Tata Power consumers. The a gr i c u l t u r a l user are suppose to pay Re 0.06 per unit where as the residential user will pay Re 0.01 to Rs 1.49 per unit.

Mumbaikars to pay 8% extra for water Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to increase the water rate by 8 percent. This change of rate is the part of regular annual hike of BMC. This will also increase the sewera ge c h a r g e s w h i c h i s t h e 70 percent of the water charge. As per the news reports, the slum dwellers will pay Rs 3.49 per 1000 liters instead of Rs 3.24 a n d b u i l d i n gs a n d s o c i e ties need to pay Rs 4.66 per 1000 liters instead of Rs 4.32. The non – commercial institutes will be charged Rs 18.66, commercial institutes Rs 34.99, industrial area Rs 46.65 where as hotels and race course will be charged Rs 69.98 per 1000 liters, according to newspaper reports. Other c h a r g e s l i k e e l e c t r i c i t y, establishment and administrative are also increased, hence to recover on them, water charges are improved.

MSP increases to encourage farmers

A man checks the quality of pulses at a grocery store in Thane, Mumbai on 15 June 2015. Nupur Bandre/Mumbai Weekly The Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA) increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for cotton, paddy and pulses to check price rise of these consumables products in the market. Minimum Support Price is the rate at which the government buys grains from the farm-

ers. An increased MSP is aimed at encouraging farmers to sowing of the crops on a larger scale. The MSP‟s for pulses such as Tur and Urad saw a steep hike of Rs. 275 per quintal, according to news reports. The MSPs for cotton is now Rs4100, paddy is Rs1410. Tur is Rs4625

and that of Moong is Rs4850, per quintal. The decision of increased MSPs, on these crops, is in accordance to the recommendation given by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), a government advisory body according o the news report.

Mercedes to launch 4 new SUVs in India

A man drinks water from a plastic bag in Mumbai on 9 July 2015. The water tariff has been hiked to 8% in Mumbai by BMC. Karishma Aidasani/ Mumbai Weekly

Mercedes Suv is seen parked near Marine Drive, Mumbai on 26 June 2015. Mercedes plans to launch four new models- GLE, GLE Coupe, GLS and GLC by the end of 2016 in India. Pranav Akkala/Mumbai Weekly

7 ART, CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT MONDAY, 20 JULY, 2015

A musical night with MH43 India A musical night was organized at Cult Lounge in Belapur, Mumbai on 3 July 2015 which saw a huge crowd gathered to groove on the music of the famous band MH43 India. The concert was organized by the YUVAA entertainment with the motive to create a base for the young talents across the city, under the same name YUVAA project as told o the press. The project is believed to provide a chance to youngsters to not only show their talent but also to make a name for themselves by playing maximum number of operands.

Soham Basu of Mh43 India band performs at the Cult Lounge in CBD Belapur on 3 July, 2015. The night also sees the performances by the band Aflatunes and Voice of India fame Manmeet Singh. Pratik Chorge/ Mumbai Weekly.

Amitabh Bacchan launches

MH43 India is a Bollywood punk rock band with metal core breakdowns. The band includes four members- Keyoor (lead vocalist), Kunal Singh (Drummer), Soham Basu (Guitarist) and Kamal Soni (Bassist). During their college days, they also managed to impress the Bollywood music director Anu Malik. So far, the band has won many contests.

Bajrangi Bhaijan’s trailer launched

a Marathi book Bol l ywood m egast ar Am it abh Bachchan inaugurat ed t he book, S hi lpkar Charit ra Kosh on 16 J une 2015 i n Mumbai. Maharasht ra C hi ef M inist er Devendra Fadnavi s was al so pres ent on t he occas i on. The surprisi ng m om ent of the event cam e when Mr. Bachchan gave speech i n M arat hi for t he fi rst t im e. Other t han hi m, m an y s eni or act ors from t he M arathi fi lm frat erni t y l i ke S achi n

P il gaonkar, Ashok S araf, and R am esh Deo wi th wi fe S eem a Deo, Varsha Usgaonkar, and Di li p P rabhaval kar were al so present for t he event . The book was com pl et ed under t he gui dance of Di li p Karam bel kar, whi ch i s t he seventh i n i ts seri es. The book covers fam ous personal it i es who have gi ven thei r pri cel ess dedi cati on to t he musi c and fi lms i n Maharasht ra. The book i s di vi ded i nto t wo

Salman Khan’s shares a gesture at the trailer launch of his upcoming movie ‘ Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ on 18 June 2015 at PVR Juhu, Mumbai. The movie is suppose to be released on the occasion of Eid . Sneha Kharabe/ Mumbai Weekly.

Folk dance festival held in Mumbai

Amitabh Bacchan greets media at the launch of the book ‘ Shilpkar Charitra Kosh’ on 16 June 2015 at Vile Parle, Mumbai. The book introduces many famous artist from Maharashtra. Pranav Akkala/ Mumbai Weekly.

The student of Kalakar Institution of Dance performed various folk dances which includes Lavani, Garba, Kathak etc; in Mumbai on 4 July 2015. “Kalakar” dance group choreographed and managed by Prof. Arun Chandiwale. The group is now invited to perform at the International Folk Dance Festival that is to be held in Poland in the month of July, this year. The professor himself

has been hugely appreciated for his solo classical performances in more than 25 countries. During the initial years of the Institution, he was invited to perform at the International Youth Festival in Tokyo. The “Kalakar” Dance group has also received accolades overseas. Recently the group performed in London with 27 dancers at the Maharashtra Mandal of London and received lots of

appreciation out of all the four zones. They have also been invited to perform at international cultural festivals such as the Children‟s festival in Turkey in 1990, at Hongkong and Bangkok in 1992, Columbia (South America) 1999 and Spain in 2001. Over the years, they have toured around Europe quite extensively to perform at various countries like France, Bulgaria and Rome..

Right: A dancer from the Kalakar dance group performs Maharashtra’s folk dance Lavani on 4 July 2015 in Mumbai. The group will perform in the international dance festival in Poland. Pratik Chorge/ Mumbai Weekly.

8 SPORTS

MONDAY, 20 JULY, 2015

Triple victories for Hardikar, Double for Ashlesha

Chess championship : Desai bags under 8 title

Mandar Hardikar won three titles in the men‟s, youth and junior boy‟s categories to emerge victory at the 4Star Vasant Chiplunkar Memorial Mumbai District Ranking Table Tennis Tournament, at University Pavilion. Hardikar, a student of Sathaye College, is also a student of India junior coach Sachin Shetty and trains with him at Khar gymkhana. Ashlesha Trehan won junior girl‟s and youth girl‟s titles to emerge victorious with two titles under her belt.

International Fide chess championship was organized on 26 June 2015 in Dadar, Mumbai in which around 106 children participated. It was organized for the age group of below 14 under different categories. The youngest champion, Kush Bhagat won

In the Cadet girl‟s category, second seed Sampada Bhiwandkar defeated top seed Avril Saldanha to win the title at the tournament. In other categories, Havish Asrani won Midget boy‟s title, Dev Shroff won Sub Junior boy‟s title, Pearl Amalsadwala won Midget girl‟s title, Manushree Patil won Sub Junior girl‟s and Divya Deshpande won the women‟s title at the sports

Jash Modi returns a shot at 4 star Pro TT tournament on 10 June 2015 in Mumbai. The finals was won by Mandar Hardikar by 13-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-9, beating Paresh Murekar. Nupur Bandre/ Mumbai Weekly

by scoring 5 points defeating Kshatriya Venkhade (4.1), Jaiveer Mahendru (4) and Soham Inamdar (3). The under8 champions were Gaurang Bagwe, Siddhesh Desai, and Dhruv Shah scoring 5, 4.5 and 4 points respectively. In the under- 10 category,

Shreyas Ghadi( 5), Sahil Gothi (4.5) andDevansh Mhatre (4.2) were the winners. All the participants came from different parts of Mumbai except Thane, Palghar and Raigadh. The participants were given ranking under International Fide Chess.

Siddhesh Desai of the U– 8 group, thinks before making his next move in the Fide Chess Tournament in Dadar, Mumbai on 26 June 2015. Nupur Bandre/ Mumbai Weekly

Nagraj clinches gold in 3000m at Maharashtra athletics meet

Pawan Ghodke takes a jump at pole vault in Mumbai on 28 June 2015. Pratik Chorge/ Mumbai Weekly

Na graj Khu rs an e won t he gol d m edal i n 3000 m et ers s t eepl e ch as e. He al s o won a bronz e m edal i n 1500 m et ers on t he t hi rd and l as t da y of M aharas ht r a S t at e S eni or At hl et i cs C ham pi ons hi p at S port s Aut hori t y of Indi a (S A I) i n M u m bai . Khurs ane bel on gs to Na gpur. He fi ni s he d hi s bronz e m edal run i n 3 m i nut es 56 s econd s , as per t he ne ws pape r report s . For t he l ong j um p, S hraddha Ghul e bags gol d b y t aki n g t he hi ghes t j um p of 6.27 m et ers , where as Bh avi s h and won s i l ver and br onz e

res pe ct i vel y. W i t h t he t i m i ng of 2 hour 16 m i nut es , S heet al C havan of P une cove rs 20 ki l om et er wal k t o wi n gol d i n wom en‟s c at e gor y a nd i n m en‟s cat e go r y t he s am e t i t l e was wo n b y Dadas ah eb Khi l a re. The 5000 m et er run was won b y Kal i da Hi v ar e i n m en‟s c at e gor y whi l e S wat i Gadhave won from wom en‟s cat e go r y a t t he t ournam ent . B al j endra S i ngh and N eha P a rdes i cl i nched gol d i n s h ot put wi t h 16.26 m et e rs and 11.21 m et ers r es pec t i vel y. Ar chan a J adhav s ecures gol d i n 800 m et er

run and Gau ran g A m bre won gol d i n 100 m et er run. Aks ha y Khot and R ucha pat i l won 200 m et ers run i n t hei r r e s pect i ve cat e go ri es . Th e at hl et es from N agpu r cl i nched one gol d, one s i l ver and one bronz e i n t he overal l t ourn a m ent where as P une t eam em er ged as wi nne r wi t h M um bai and Dhul e achi evi n g s econd and t hi rd pos i t i on at t he s port s event . S uch event s gi ve m ot i v at i on t o t he upcom i ng at h l et es i n t he ci t y and pro vi des a pl at form t o s ho wcas e t hei r t al ent and s ki l l s .

MFL: Naidu, Swami create history for Black Panther

Panner Selvam (Right) of Black Panther tries to take the possession of the ball. The team won the finals by 2 -0, defeating Sony Eleven of Parel. Nupur Bandre/ Mumbai Weekly. Published by: Udaan School of Photography | Editor-In-Chief: Kartik Avatani | Photo Editor: Sneha Kharabe | Chief Photographer: Pranav Akkala | http://www.facebook.com/Mumbai.Weekly | Email: mumbaiweekly2015@gmail.com