Welcome to the world of Anjali Donna Rego

I have moved

2010-11-21T03:03:00.005+05:30

After four years of blogging, I have moved to WordPress. Since I am new to WordPress, I am still working on improving on the content, layout and design of my blog. Please feel free to contact me with any suggestions

Two Right Feet

2010-10-16T08:08:00.003+05:30

Four years ago, Sant Advani had a heart ailment owing to which he couldn’t walk at a stretch for even half an hour — but he could still dance salsa for two hours. “I think the ‘feel good’ endorphins simply took over,” says Advani. His cardiologist Dr. D B Pahlajani told him he could continue dancing as long as there was no discomfort.

The spry silver has already mastered salsa, cha-cha-cha, jive, samba, rumba and the foxtrot. And now, he’s perfecting the Argentinean tango and waltz. “Thanks to my wife who is a good dancer, I learnt to dance to Red red wine on the day of my wedding,” says Advani. It was on a holiday to Goa six years ago that he started pursuing dance seriously. “The resort had a dance class that I joined for a lark, and today I am an honorary dance instructor there,” he says with pride. “It never takes me long to get people on the dance floor,” he adds. Noting his enthusiasm, four years ago the hotel staff asked him to be their dance instructor whenever he vacationed there.

Advani heads a pharmaceutical and hospital contamination control firm. But life clearly isn’t 'all work and no play'. Every week, he takes time out to groove to his favourite numbers that include Bachata, Oye como vas, Mama kiyelele, Summer of ’69, La bamba, Rock around the clock, Tequila and the pulsating salsa version of Hotel California. “When I dance, I surrender to the moment.”

The Timekeeper

2010-08-30T20:16:00.005+05:30

Bela Shanghvi has been a well-known revivalist of handloom weaving techniques since the last 27 years. She received exposure in this field as her childhood as her father used to manufacture textile machinery. This 46 year-old has not received any formal education in textiles but learnt about textile and design from Charles Russolini under whom she served as a first assistant in USA.

“About 25 years ago, I spotted a collection of textiles dating back to the Moghul era in Washington D.C. When I came back, I realised that these textiles were not there is India,” says Shanghvi. “That is when I decided to revive textiles,” she adds.

Shanghvi has served as the President of the Crafts Council Maharashtra and is the national adviser to the Government of India on policy and design. She is currently working on a book on traditional techniques in textiles. Being familiar with about 300 – 400 different techniques, Shanghvi has helped to revive about 30 – 40 techniques which were dying. Additionally, she is also an honorary member of the World Craft Council

Shanghvi also runs Studio Aavartan – a firm that deals with marketing for handlooms and Purnakala that addresses the issues of craftsmen. “Through Purnakala, I can confidently say that I have touched the lives of more than 2000 craftsmen all over India,” informs Shanghvi.

The Patola and Asshawali are her specialties. Shanghvi has not only been training weavers, but has also been providing them with technical support, design inputs and marketing options in an effort to revive the Patola weaving tradition of Patan, in Gujarat. With improved techniques, she cut production time and labour cost.

The challenges she encounters in her quest to revive weaving techniques lies in the creating awareness among the consumers who are do not know about the different kinds of textiles and the effort that goes into making them. “Craftsmen all over the country face several problems ranging from poverty to unemployment and their welfare is very important,” informs Shanghvi.

Where there is a will, there is a way

2010-06-06T22:38:00.003+05:30

You may have slogged all your life and gathered lots of wealth. But have you ever thought what would happen to your assets after your demise? Advocate Shankar Pai, has a solution to this dilemma.

“It all happened in the year 2001 when the Ambani brothers, Mukesh and Anil were having a dispute over the legacy left by their father Dhirubhai Ambani,” says Pai. “The thought struck me – had the senior Ambani made a will, his sons would land up in such a fix over the distribution of their fathers assets,” he adds. This gave birth to the organisation Make A Will Foundation.

Pai decided to take up the challenge of spreading awareness about making a will. Through his lectures, he advocates the Three 'P' Philosophy – Peace, Prosperity and Progress. “A person lives forever through a will, there is no death. A will is a plan that defeats death. It is a valuable piece of paper that we prepare in our lifetime so that our wishes are fulfilled after we are no more,” says Pai. “A will is something you can reward the person who has taken care of you,” he adds.

Pai, now aged 56, was a branch manager at Dena Bank when he opted for voluntary retirement in 2001. Pai, a qualified lawyer also practices at the Debt Recovery Tribunal in addition to making wills.

Pai encounters numerous problems while spreading awareness about making wills. “A will is a sensitive topic to open up to. In India, people are not comfortable discussing a will. There is a misconception that if someone tells you to make a will, the person thinks that indirectly you are telling him that his end is near or that you are eying his property. However, all apprehensions disappear when I tell them the consequences of not making a will,” informs Pai.

Pai tells people that making a will only eases the burden on the heirs to distribute the assets of the owner. The owners responsibility is to make a will devoid of disparities while the law will intervene only to clear the disparities.

At Pai’s lectures, he clarifies that making a will is not a complex process. All it requires is a plain sheet of paper (not a stamp paper), details of the willed property and the signature of the testator (person making the will). In addition, the signatures of two witnesses are required. It is not necessary that a will has to be registered but, one should try and register it in case it is likely to be challenged in court after the demise of the testator. In case the two witnesses are a doctor and lawyer, then the will is likely to face less legal obstacles. Although not necessary, the doctor’s attestation is beneficial to prove that the testator was in good health while making the will. Pai also clarifies the finer aspects of wills. Contrary to popular beliefs, a will is not irrevocable. It can be revised as many times as the testator wishes to. However, each time the will is revised, a new signature and declaration stating that the will is the final one needs to be added along with the date of the revised will. An executior has to be appointed who will administer the will after the death of the testator.

The foundation, when delivering lectures to corporate reiterates the value of a will in extending corporate social responsibilities by citing examples of Alfred Nobel who institutes the Nobel Prize through his will and Sir Ratan Tata who founded institutes such as the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research through his will. “Today, we encourage the addition of organ donation as a part of the will or an annexure to the will,” says Pai. “If everyone pledges something to society there can be a revolution,” Pai concludes.

“I am addicted to teaching as a volunteer, not to the money”

2010-03-14T10:16:00.001+05:30

“I am addicted to teaching as a volunteer, not to the money,” says 63 year old Lily Sawant. The best way to describe Sawant is that she is a serial volunteer. For the last 40 years, she has been teaching children in Delhi, Aurangabad and Mumbai.

Sawant’s journey began in 1972 when she was at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi with her research scholar husband. “During the holidays, I saw many children playing in the hot sun. That’s when I decided to help these children utilise their time constructively. Since I had graduated in Chemistry and Maths was my favourite subject, I decided to teach the children Maths and English using stories and puzzles,” says Sawant.

Sawant then moved to Aurangabad when her husband got a job at the Aurangabad University. In 1984, Aurangabad and other parts of Maharashtra were affected by drought. At that time, the armed forces had advertised vacancies for entry level posts and many youngsters from peasant families wanted to apply. However, they could do so only if they passed a competitive entrance exam and English was compulsory. A colonel contacted Sawant and requested her to help these youngsters. “All the boys passed,” recalls Sawant. “They came to me with a box and sweets and told me that whichever part of the world they may be, they will never forget me. Till today they come to my house and visit me,” she exclaims.

Sawant and her family moved to Mumbai in 1988. Since then she has been teaching Maths, English and Moral Lessons as a volunteer. “Education is a must, a degree is not necessary and that’s why I did not study B.Ed. and become a professional teacher,” says Sawant. “My husband has done a Ph.D. and my two daughters are currently pursuing their Ph.D. degrees. I am the least educated in my house,” she exclaims.

In 1995, while teaching science to students at a municipal school, she had to use a projector. That’s when she realised that only sighted people would benefit from slide display and not the visually impaired. She then went to Vikas Shorewalla, a visually impaired person who taught her Braille and within the next few months, she started teaching maths at the National Association for the Blind. Today, Sawant can read English, Hindi and Marathi in Braille. Sawant learnt to read Braille and Morse Code at the age of 53.

Sawant takes pride in using innovative methods of teaching her children. She teaches children how to make litmus papers using flowers and demonstrates the solar system with the help of fruits. Sawant does not use a blackboard while teaching. “I don’t believe in showing my back to the class,” she exclaims. While teaching the children, they all sit in a circle.

For the last 40 years, Sawant has taught many children but she has done all of this free as she has never had a job in her entire life and therefore never felt the need to charge anybody for her service. I have taught children belonging to all classes of society. Parents of privileged children have offered to pay her for her teaching but she doesn’t take the money. “Children are children after all. It’s not their fault if they are rich or poor,” says Sawant.

Currently Sawant teaches Maths and Science in English, Hindi and Marathi to underprivileged children at Baljivan Trust near her residence at Santa Cruz. She spends three to four hours a day on volunteering. “I don’t waste my time watching movies or going to hotels. Time is in my hands, my hand is not in time,” exclaims Sawant.

Sawant takes pride in the fact that at the age of 63, she has no health complains. “All my worries and tiredness vanishes when I am amongst children,” says Sawant.

Play it again, Joe

2010-02-06T12:20:00.005+05:30

He's proof that age need not rob you of your deepest passions. A professional musician for the past 84 years, Mumbai-based centenarian Joe Menezes still offers music lessons.

Born in Goa on 4 October 1909, Jose Matias Francisco Menezes - Joe, to friends - greets visitors with a firm handshake. Not surprising for a man who started using the walking stick only after his 100th birthday two months ago. "I give credit to my bicycle that I rode daily all over Delhi and Mumbai," says Menezes. Though cycling helped him stay physically fit, much of his emotional well-being can be attributed to his passion for music. A professional musician, Menezes still offers piano lessons at his house in Bandra, Mumbai.

Menezes's lifelong affair with music started when he was studying at Island School in Malar, Goa, where a Catholic missionary first noticed his sharp ear for deciphering musical sounds. Menezes learnt to play the violin at school, apart from the basics of reading and writing music. At 16, he received an offer to join a musical troupe that played in cinema halls in Malaysia and set sail on a 10-day voyage to Kuala Lumpur, from where he later travelled to Malacca and Seramban in the next five years. "While the movie was going on, our group of five violinists would sit below the screen and play the background music," he recalls.

In 1931, he returned to Goa. Just days after coming back, he received an offer to play violin and saxophone at Bristol Hotel, run by a Goan, in Kanpur. "In those days, musicians needed to have expertise in more than one musical instrument to make a decent living," says Menezes. "I used to play the violin during the lunch session and saxophone at dinner." As British orchestra groups hired musicians on a contractual basis, his job profile kept changing every few months. From Kanpur, he travelled to Indore, Peshawar and Nainital on various musical assignments. "The British changed places according to the seasons," he remembers. "During the summer, they lived at hill stations and in winter they shifted to the plains." Unlike a lot of people, Menezes's memories of pre-Independence years are not tinged with pain. "Those days were tough but I was not involved in the freedom struggle," he says with candour. "Life during the British Raj was better. At least we did not have corruption and terrorism the way we do now."

During one of his visits to Goa, while playing the harmonium in the local church choir, he met a young lady, Retinha. The two fell in love. As Menezes lived in Peshawar, Retinha travelled alone from Goa to Peshawar in 1941 where the two got married without the support of their families. Their son Albert was born a year later and daughter Sophia, in 1948.

Just before World War II, the family moved to Delhi where Menezes got a job as a music teacher at St. Columba's High School, a stint that was anything but easy. "The boys were rowdy and the principal had offered me a year to train them to form an orchestra," he reminisces. "That's when I decided I would never teach boys again in the future if I had a choice." Today he gives piano lessons to three students - all girls.

Disobedient students apart, Menezes recalls the breathless pace of his initial years in Delhi. "I used to go to the school at 6 am, then play at a restaurant during the lunch session, go over to my students' houses to give music lessons and then go back again to the restaurant to play at dinner." His hectic schedule hardly left him with time to think, let alone rest. "I had no weekly holidays and commuted all over Delhi on my bicycle." Life switched to a more sedate pace when he got a job at the government-run Ashoka Hotel in Delhi where he worked for 10 years. It was the most secure job he had ever known. He even received accommodation at the staff quarters at Diplomatic Enclave in the Teen Murti neighbourhood - where then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru lived and Mahatma Gandhi often visited.

In 1968, Menezes decided to move to Mumbai. "My wife was keen to settle in North India but the climate didn't suit me," he says. The couple bought a house in Bandra. A few days after moving into the city, he got an offer to play music for films. Menezes joined the Cine Musicians Association and worked with music composers such as Shankar Jaikishan, Laxmikant Pyarelal and R D Burman. On the side, he also gave private tuitions in violin and piano.

He continued to play music for films till he turned 90, by when the hassles of commuting and the changing norms of the music industry began to get to him. "In my heyday, a large orchestra of 80-100 musicians was quite the rage," says Menezes. "Eighty per cent of the musicians, though, were dummies who only pretended to play the instrument. After the recording session, musicians used to unwind with a drink, but I was always too busy to hang around." He is glad he remained a teetotaller and feels his disciplined lifestyle has been an important contributor to his good health.

After retiring, he decided to offer tuitions at home rather than going to his students' houses. Though, over the years, he had mastered the harmonium, piano, saxophone and clarinet - all on his own - he gave up playing wind instruments a decade ago on the insistence of his family who felt he was too old to exert himself. "It was with a heavy heart that I gave away my prized saxophone and two violins to music enthusiasts." Today, he can still play the violin flawlessly, but the fingers that once played Mozart don't comply so easily now. "My fingers and shoulders hurt a little now," he remarks. After giving up his violin, Menezes focused on the piano.

Though he is adjusting to the aches and pains of life, adapting to the changes around him is not always easy. "Now there is noise and traffic everywhere and I rarely move out as there is hardly any space to walk," he says with a touch of resignation. He spends his day playing music; meeting friends; going for a walk; reading; watching TV and teaching music. "Though it feels wonderful to spread the joy of music, I don't encourage my students to pursue a career in music because the profession is riddled with a lot of uncertainty and you don't earn much."

His beloved wife passed away 10 years ago but his life is still filled with the laughter and conversations of four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. His daughter lives nearby, in Khar, while his son, who has a house in Andheri, now lives with Menezes. "I wanted to dedicate my time to him, so I moved over to live with him," says Albert, 67, who enjoys the long conversations they share about the good old days. For Menezes's 100th birthday, Albert and his sister threw a party that was attended by 150 family members from all over the world.

Though Albert keeps him company, Menezes is fully independent. "I don't visit doctors and I don't even remember the last time I had fever," he says. The glaucoma in his eyes is all that bothers him. Both his eyes have been operated upon for cataracts. "I did my second cataract at the age of 95 and the doctor was surprised to see such a good pathology report," he says with justified pride. When asked if he has any dreams left to fulfil, Menezes has one small wish: "All I ask from the Almighty is to give me good health and happiness right till the end."

VOICE of the voiceless

2009-12-09T14:04:00.005+05:30

Raju, a porter at the railway station chooses to study after a hard day of work so he heads to the NGO VOICE for his daily dose of education.

VOICE (Voluntary Organisation In Community Enterprise) was started in August 1991 by the husband and wife team Victor and Rajashri Bansiwar who began teaching beggars, porters, rag pickers, vendors and shoe shine boys at railway stations. VOICE started with just 20 children. After 18 years of serving street children, the couple has touched the lives of over 5000 children into becoming educated and independent individuals.

“During my MSW (Masters in Social Work) course, I was posted as a trainee at Matunga at a remand home. During that time, I felt sad to see the dehumanising conditions of the children who were not looked after properly,” says Virctor Bansiwar, founder of VOICE. “By the time we finished our course, our attention got diverted towards children on the railway platforms,” adds Victor. The Bansiwar couple completed their MSW course from Nirmala Niketan College.

“Initially it was very difficult to start the organisation as we neither had the funds nor the resources to do anything. We registered our trust and opened the office in our residence in Andheri,” says Rajashri Bansiwar, founder of VOICE.

The organisation provides not just non-formal education but also encourage children to join the mainstream schools. “Due to unavoidable circumstances, some children could not go to school hence we give them non-formal education at our centres. “We cater to the needs of the Mumbai street child. We do not focus on book learning but on all-round development of the child such as value education, computers, yoga and music. We start with literacy skills and if they become interested, we send them to municipal schools,” says Rajashri. From its inception till 1996, the volunteers and staff of VOICE were teaching at Churchgate, Dadar, Vile Parle, Andheri, Jogeshwari, Goregoan, Borivali, Bhayander and Virar railway stations. “We wanted to teach children at all railway stations but the railway authorities objected to us being there. Everytime they asked us to leave, we would come back only because of the children,” adds Rajashri. Due to the non cooperation of the railway authorities, VOICE could not continue at railway stations. Instead, they taught all the children in their 1BHK home cum office.

After years of struggle, with a grant from Sir Dorab Tata Trust, the Bansiwars obtained a one acre plot at Virar and have constructed a home in August 2006 called Sanjivani for homeless girls who are particularly vulnerable to rape and molestation. The capacity is for about 100 girls. Sanjivani now has 53 children aged between three years to 17 years, seven volunteers and team of teachers who work along with the Bansiwars. “At Sanjivani, in addition to academic education, we teach the girls cooking, tailoring, gardening, yoga, music, computers and so on,” says Rajashri. The couple has now started reaching out to the Adivasi community in and around Virar. Currently, 30 tribal children go to Sanjivani.

VOICE has devised several programmes for the benefit of children. “One important initiative we undertook is Prayas. Under this programme, bank accounts are opened for the children. This inculcates the habit of saving money. The children are expected to save a part of their earnings into their accounts,” says Rajashri. The children have been taught screen printing on gift wrapping paper, cards, letter heads and to make diyas (earthen lamps) which is sold during Diwali. The proceeds of the sale of the gift wrapping papers and diyas go to the children itself who save it in their bank accounts. So far four children have purchased new bicycles with the money they saved while 14-year old Santosh saved Rs. 15,000 over a period of three months.

Other programmes include counselling sessions, debates on social issues and current affairs, educational camps to places like Delhi, Rajasthan and Dharmsala, yoga, singing and playing musical instruments like the tabla, harmonium, guitar and keyboard.

"Development without security is meaningless. Join the Army"

2009-11-27T23:16:00.003+05:30

“There may be lots of development, but if there is no security, development is meaningless. Therefore, join the army” is the motto of 60-year old Anuradha Gore.

Fourteen years ago, Captain Vinayak Gore laid down his life fighting insurgents at his post near Kupwara during Operation Rakshak. Since then, his mother Anuradha Gore has drawn up a battle plan of her own.

Since the death of her son, Gore took it upon herself to educate and inspire young children about joining the armed forces. During school vacations, she conducts workshops on all-round development, leadership skills, terrorism and about the armed forces as this is her way to keep Vinayak alive. “Values of bravery have to be inculcated in children at a young age so that they grow up to realise the importance of joining the army,” says Gore. She narrates stories of brave war heroes like Shivaji, Veer Savarkar and Mangal Pandey.

On a regular basis, she also tutors students of class 4th – 6th students of Paranjpe Vidyalaya in self study techniques. She has a team of 12 housewives who help her in this mission.

Gore feels that today children are looking out for more lucrative opportunities, but joining the armed forces does not necessarily mean the person will die. The salaries may be less but benefits are tremendous.

She was a teacher at Parle Tilak High School till 2003 and retired as the principal of R. N. Podar High School in 2007. Her teaching profession helped her deal with the death of her only son. “The principal of Parle Tilak High School sent me a letter stating that there are more than 100 Vinayaks waiting for you in school and there will be many more,” adds Gore.

Gore has written a book titled Vaaras Hovu Abhimanyuche on the lives of 19 slain defence persons. In addition, she serves as a columnist for Marathi newspapers.

"We are not slaves of the colour, the colour is our slave"

2009-11-08T00:28:00.004+05:30

The husband and wife duo Satyanarayan Lal Karn and Moti Karn are National Award winning Mithila artists. The couple were introduced to the art by their Mihila artist mothers at a very early age – Satyanarayan was nine and Moti was seven. Today Satyanarayan, 56 and Moti, 49 have mastered the art that their work has won international acclaim.

“We don’t use chemical paints and synthetic brushes. We prepare the paint ourselves by grinding flowers and leaves and use thin broom sticks as brushes. We never buy flowers and leaves or pluck them. We pick them when they have fallen naturally,” says Moti. “We are not slaves of the colour. The colour is our slave. We draw whatever comes to our mind,” adds Satyanarayan.

Mithila derives its name from the birthplace of Sita from the epic Ramayan. There are two categories of Mithila paintings – floor drawings or aripana and wall paintings or bhitti chitra. Floor drawings are done on special occasions like births, first hair cut, thread ceremony, marriage and death while wall drawings are done regularly.

The art is normally handed down from mother to daughter. Moti’s mother Karpoori Devi, is a National Merit Certificate winner while Satyanarayan’s mother is Padma Shree Jagdamba Devi. The couple have two children. “Our younger son is interested in the art. When he paints he uses modern themes but we use traditional themes,” says Moti.

Mithila art involves intricate workmanship. Generally, there are no blank spaces in the paintings. The couple usually concentrates on themes based on nature, society and religion. The Karns work together on every piece of art. They both start on either sides of painting and come together. They have mastered the art so well that it looks like one person has painted the entire piece. Each painting is unique and can never be replicated. The cost of each painting ranges from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 2,50,000.

Today, there are about 150 – 200 Mithila artists in the country. “The government does not promote the art. There is a Mithila art museum in Japan but not in India where it originated,” says Satyanarayan who works at National Bal Bhavan in Delhi where they train students in various art forms.

The couple is planning to start a Mithila academy in their hometown in Bihar where they have already bought land.

Let there be light and a noise-free diwali

2009-10-16T14:37:00.007+05:30

Diwali is the festival of lights and celebrations not of noise. But for animals this could seem like a terrorist attack. Noisy fireworks are frightening to animals as their hearing is far more sensitive than that of humans. Lighting clay lamps are not only beautiful but will also spread the Diwali cheer.

Before buying firecrackers, make sure that you buy them from authorised stores. Check the box for declaration of no involvement of child labour. The government does not allow bursting crackers between 10 pm and 6 am. If you must burst crackers, stay away from silent zones. This year the police will levy a steep fine of Rs. 1 lakh and imprisonment of 5 years under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Have a happy, prosperous and safe Diwali.

Why Should You Vote?

2009-10-12T13:54:00.003+05:30

· Casting a vote allows an individual to express a choice among candidates who wish to become government leaders.

· Failing to register a vote is tantamount to saying you don't care.

· If you don't vote, you are missing out on a great national privilege and a significant personal freedom

· Voting provides a medium for citizens to support the democratic structure. If a majority of citizens choose not to vote, democracy might become a thing of the past and will be replaced by another form of government that might prove more elitist in nature.

· Registering to vote means that you believe in the democratic process and will participate in it to represent your right to freedom of speech.

· Showing that you care with your vote tells candidates that they must be accountable to the public.

· Showing up at the polling booth on voting day sets a good example to others. Remember, your children observe all that you do and will learn from your example, right or wrong as it may be. Civic awareness is an important part of their training and one of the early steps on the road to maturity. Voting also sets a positive example to neighbours, friends, and family who may be uninterested in or unfamiliar with the electoral system.

If you don't vote you really have no right to complain about government decisions you don't like.

Sight for the Sightless

2009-10-07T22:47:00.002+05:30

Tucked away in a bylane near the archaeological site Gilbert Hill at Andheri West is Andhakkshi Ashram. For the people here, their condition is not a deterrent. However they may be, they still strive to live their lives like anyone else would do.

As you enter Andhakkshi Ashram, you are greeted with smiles of children and women. Andhakkshi Ashram is a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) that provides shelter to abandoned women and children.

Fatima Vengurlekar, the 56-year old dedicated director gave up a career as an airhostess for Air India to pursue her inner calling – service to people. Prior to Andhakkshi Ashram, she served as a volunteer in many organisations. “Whatever you may do in life, nothing gives you more fulfilment than serving people,” says Vengurlekar.

Andhakkshi Ashram was started 1937 as a rehabilitation centre for women with schizophrenia. However, today the organisation provides shelter to destitute, blind, mentally challenged and HIV + women and children. The organisation is run by the trust The Association for the Relief and Education for the Street and Needy Blind Indian Female. “Andhakkshi that means sight for the sightless, currently houses about 40 women and children,” says Vengurlekar.

Most of the inmates at Andhakkshi Ashram are mentally challenged and have been abandoned by their families. An example is Prabha who was diagnosed with Schizophrenia and was abandoned by her family. After Prabha took to the streets, she was picked up a social worker and taken to Andhakkshi Ashram in 2002 where she was rehabilitated. Prabha is employed as a cook and that is her source of income. “Even though I am still on medication, my family respects me now because I give money at home and I am productive,” says Prabha.

Most of the women and children, says Vengurlekar, come from well to do families. Because of their mental illness, their families consider them as a liability and are ashamed to care for them. The criterion for admitting women and children into this home is that they have to be either blind, mentally challenged or HIV+. “The organisation provides many facilities that help inmates to get educated and gain skills for life that will help them earn a decent living thus making them independent,” says Vengurlekar. Anshakkshi Ashram gives these children an opportunity to live there, attend special schools and have other requirements met.

Four months back, the organisation has started Andhakkshi School that provides functional therapy for fine motor coordination. They also offer Speech Therapy for the speech and hearing impaired and Occupational Therapy to maximise the skills and ability of the differently-abled. A recent addition to the facilities is Chromotherapy (also known as colour therapy) that uses colour and light to balance energy wherever a persons body is lacking whether physical, mentally, emotionally or spiritually. “Through this physically, they feel better as their pains/aches are reduced and their immunity levels increase. Mentally and emotionally they feel secure, safe and strong. Their anger and irritability is reduced,” says Vengurlekar.

Andhakshi is dedicated to the mental and spiritual health of women and children using medication as well as alternative therapies. To widen their horizons and to reach out to more people, there is a Sacred space in Andhakshi which gives mental, emotional and spiritual guidance to people. This sacred space offers sessions and classes of alternative therapies, stress management courses, group and individual counselling and so on.

Austrian aims to make Mumbai slum-free

2009-04-13T17:43:00.004+05:30

Adolf Tragler has one goal in mind – to live in a slum-free city. Keeping this motto in mind, Tragler started the Slum Rehabilitation Society (SRS) in 1972.

Tragler, born and raised in Austria, had a wish to study in a foreign country. He had many options in mind and settled for India after having visited the country along with a missionary group. Thus is 1962, Tragler set foot to India, where he completed his Bachelors of Arts from Fergusson College in Pune and then came to Mumbai to complete his Masters in Social Work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).

“The first time I came to Mumbai, I was shocked to see the plight of slum dwellers and that is when I decided that I had to do something for them,” says Tragler. SRS targets individuals and families who have been forced to live in slums due to the absence of affordable housing facilities.

SRS works only in Mumbai under the ‘Free Housing Policy’ of the government. The main areas of operation are Kandivali, Oshiwara, Bandra, Dharavi, Dindoshi, Mahalaxmi and Chembur. “We think of what can be done on the land that they are already occupying. In cases where the slum dwellers are occupying land reserved for open spaces then we try to relocate them to the nearest place available,” informs Tragler.

SRS normally meets the slum dwellers and helps them form an association and elect representatives from among themselves who could approach builders to rehabilitate them. According to the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) guidelines, a slum can be rehabilitated only with the consent of 70% of the occupants. If the land is a private land, the No Objection Certificate (NOC) has to be obtained from the owner of the land so that slum dwellers can apply for acquisition of the land.

When asked about the Free Housing Policy, Tragler says, “Real estate prices are skyrocketing for the common man. Why should a certain section of people get free houses? We are against free housing but we promote affordable housing. Distributing free houses is not a form of development.”

SRS adopted a slum in Mahalaxmi and each family from the slum contributed Rs. 25,000 and collected an overall total of Rs. 40 lakhs. Seeing the level of commitment, HDFC Bank sanctioned a loan of Rs. 1 crore for the project. “When people pay for their house only then they will realise the value of it,” says Tragler. “We encourage slum dwellers to develop the land they are already occupying to reap maximum benefits from the land. Getting a builder to do it often benefits the builder more than the slum dwellers,” he adds. This was the first major project approved by the SRA where residents themselves financed their own housing rather than depending on builders.

Another activity of SRS is post-rehabilitation. “There are people, after getting free houses, sell it off or lease it and come back on the road. In such cases we counsel them into keeping their own houses because a permanent residence always helps them raise their social status. However, sometimes these people need ready cash say to pay for their daughters marriage and are hence forced to sell their houses,” says Tragler. As part of post rehabilitation, SRS has also mobilised women to approach authorities for adequate water supply and cleaning drainage systems around the buildings.

Today, Tragler, aged 70 lives with his wife in Bandra and can speak fluent Hindi and Marathi. He has an Indian citizenship and visits Austria every 3-4 years to visit his family. “I have to obtain a visa like any other Indian to visit the country of my birth,” he says.

Where History Meets the Arts

2008-12-23T12:20:00.007+05:30

The thought of the East India Company surely brings back unpleasant memories of our freedom struggle. However, with the passage of time, the company just made it to History books. At present, the East India Company is owned by UK based Indian Sanjiv Mehta and the furniture division called the East India Company Home is owned by Anurag Kanoria.

Located in Byculla, just around the zoo in New Great Eastern Mills, stands a sprawling 9,000 square feet double decked showroom known as the East India Company Home.

The East India Company is the oldest company in the world that was formed on 1st January 1600 when the East India Company started colonising India. During its existence from the year 1600, the East India Company specialised in the trade of several commodities such as jute, sugar, saltpetre, cotton, silk, indigo dye, opium and tea. This company even had the largest defence force. After the uprising of 1857 against the East India Company, the British monarch took away the assets of the East India Company in order to prevent the latter from becoming more powerful. About four years ago Sanjiv Mehta acquired a 100% share in the East India Company from the original heirs. The furniture division is owned by Anurag Kanoria.

Tucked away within the premises of a crumbling mill, where the wild grass and broken walls show no sign of activity, an eager client will find his way along the tar road. The East India Company Home today, boasts of elegant pieces of furniture with intricate works of art handmade by their own carpenters and craftsmen. “Each piece of furniture is made of rosewood, walnut wood or Burma teak which is of very good quality,” says Anurag Kanoria, the owner of East India Company Home.

The East India Company has its head office in London. The company showrooms are currently in Mumbai and in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. The third showroom will open shortly in Thailand. By the end of next year, the company plans to open showrooms in London, New Zealand, Moscow and the United States of America.

Konoria holds a masters degree in Aesthetics and doctorate in Literature with Aesthetics as a specialisation. Thus, giving him an edge in furniture design. Kanorias furniture company earlier specialised only in high end furniture and interiors. After taking over the furniture division of the East India Company, Kanoria began to stock premium antique furniture.

Every piece of furniture is crafted in a limited edition. “Since the clients pay a premium for our furniture, they expect exclusivity from us. Therefore, we do not repeat models. If it is single model furniture, we do not make more than 12 pieces. However, the higher the price of the furniture the lesser number of units are made,” says Kanoria. “Even if we do repeat the furniture, we ensure that it is well spread out and does remain in the same showroom. In this way, the chance of someone spotting an identical piece is negligible,” says Kanoria.

The store is not just unique for its furniture but also for its collection of crockery and panels. Right from dinner plates and side plates of 22 carat to glasses, candle stands and napkin rings; the store has it all. Each dinner plate is hand painted. Even the embroidery and crochet on the upholstery of the furniture has been completed manually.

The store also specialised in Art Nouveau style of furniture. “We are the only manufacturer of art nouveau style furniture in the world,” says Kanoria.

Wood being the core raw material for the furniture could pose as an environmental hazard. “We are an environment friendly company. We make use of recycled wood obtained from government authorised plantations,” says Kanoria. “90% of the wood that we use is obtained from the wood that has been used in buildings. There are many buildings built during the British rule which are now being demolished. The quality of wood back then was very good. Our evaluators evaluate the wood and then recycle them for making furniture,” he adds. The variety of recycled wood is Burma teak.

The furniture sold by the company is very elaborate and given the fact that real estate prices are increasing at an alarming rate, people try their best to save every inch of space. “Our clients include industrialists, NRIs, expatriates and people across the world that has sprawling houses and spending power. We advise people to take crockery or just single unit furniture in case they have a space crunch,” says Kanoria. Since the company also deals with interiors, the company provides flooring, upholstery, curtains, lights and taps that would suit the theme of the furniture.

Kanoria feels very privileged to be associated with the East India Company. “The name of the company holds a lot of weight and depth. Not only does it carry along with it history and culture but also a feeling of nostalgia and worth,” says Kanoria. As the owner of the East India Company Homes, Kanoria uses the symbol of the Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I. Thus, on the first floor landing, there is a stained glass window with the imperial Coat of Arms of the East India Company with the words “originally established in 1600 by a Royal Charter from Queen Elizabeth I”. In addition, Kanoria is one among the privileged few to have access to archives of the Royal family and of the East India Company in London. Sourced from the archives, hanging on the walls of the showroom are black and white photographs and maps of the East India colonies and books on the company history are placed on the tables kept on display.

Signs of Change: The SMS Way

2008-10-03T17:32:00.004+05:30

Thirty-five year old Divya Bhandari was born with a severe hearing impairment. Today, in spite of being unable to hear or speak, she has no qualms about confidently approaching people with a bright smile and handing over her business card for Divya Soft Toys, an initiative she took to venture into the world of business thus making her self-reliant and financially independent.

Being handicapped in India is discouraging due to scarcity of good jobs for challenged individuals. Despite her limitations, this Andheri resident has completed her SSC from the state board and went on to complete her diploma in Home Science. In addition, she developed new skills by enrolling herself in short term Yoga, beautician, soft toy making and computer courses. Her small home-run business enterprise keeps her totally occupied. During the lean season, she prepares herself to organise exhibitions and to sell her soft toys during the busy seasons. “I am completely independent. I can travel all over the place even in an auto rickshaw without getting cheated,” says Bhandari in sign language. “I do my own shopping and purchase things only on maximum retail price,” she adds.

Bhandari is blessed with many friends who have hearing impairment and they have all come together to form a support system for one another and for other individuals with such impairments. Pragati Shah and Ashutosh both aged 21 recently joined the group. While Ashutosh is currently taking lessons in computer animation, Shah has successfully completed her graduation in Economics. “All this while I used to travel alone by bus from my home in Andheri to college in Malad. It is only now that I have started going out with people like me and learning to become self reliant,” says Pragati Shah.

The oldest in the group are 40-year old Ajoy Kumar and Mandeep Chawla. Kumar is married and works at a petrol pump. His wife and children are hearing individuals and have learnt both the American Sign Language and the Indian Sign Language to communicate better. Chawla studied at the English Language Institute at Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. He is currently involved in his family business.

Despite of their limitations, these individuals make an earnest attempt to speak. For Bhushan Yadav and his younger sister Shweta Yadav, their parents were very strict and did not allow them to completely depend on sign language. Instead, the brother-sister duo studied in a regular school and can converse with speech irregularities. Today, Bhushan works as an editor for a popular television production house and Shweta is in college.

Among the hearing impaired, age is no bar. “Even though I am 40 and the youngest one is just 21, there is no generation gap between us as we can connect with each other very easily. We hang out together and help one another,” says Ajoy Kumar. “Our condition brings us closer to each other,” adds Chawla. Kumar, Chawla and Bhandari being the older ones have seen much of life and often help the younger ones in all ways whether it is looking out for a job or even if it is about self reliance and independence for daily living.

“The mobile phone has helped us tremendously. Since we cannot speak on the phone, SMS is the biggest blessing to us,” says Vaibhav Darkonde who assists a doctor. “Earlier we used to ask out family members to pass on our messages to one another but now, we plan our meetings and outings on our own through SMS,” adds Radhika Goyal.

One of the biggest hurdles these hearing impaired individuals have to tackle is lack of disabled friendly facilities. “I completed my Std. X from a school for the deaf in Juhu but I had to move to a regular college as there were no colleges exclusively for the deaf,” says Pragati Shah. “However, my classmates and professors were cooperative. I used to copy notes from their books and if I had doubts used to write down my queries to my professor who used to reply in writing,” she adds.

This group of hearing impaired individuals meet informally every alternate Sunday in Andheri. The main purpose of the group is to form a support system for one another and to extend it to others like them.

Chronicles of a Story Teller

2008-09-17T17:10:00.004+05:30

As Russi M Lala, veteran journalist and author walks into the Princess Victoria Memorial Gymkhana near Churchgate, delighted cries of “Russi, Russi” greet him from all sides. People walk up to him and shake his hand. He answers them all with an old-world friendly formality that seems to be characteristic of him.

It is difficult to associate this lively 78-year-old with age or disease. And yet for Lala, his battle with cancer has been the turning point in his life. “I was in the lift one day, when I felt the lump on my neck,” he says. Lala was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but he was not disheartened. JRD Tata, whose biography has been written by Lala, was the person who sent him abroad for treatment. “My confidence stemmed from my ignorance,” he recalls. “I was so stupid and busy that I did not realise the gravity of the situation. But when the treatment started, it was horrible.” Lala gives credit to Freny, his wife, for having been his strength and support during those trying times. To this day, the love and affection that he feels for her is visible. He revels in pampering her and being attentive to her every need.

“When cancer strikes, your approach to life and your own personality come alive. You focus on what you are within yourself,” he says. “The disease was an interruption in the busy hum of my life.” His positive attitude not only got him through the ordeal of the disease, but also inspired others around him.

Vandana Gupta, another cancer patient, who met Lala during the course of her treatment, had completely lost hope in life. Her conversations with Lala gave her back her zest for life and she went on to start a support group for cancer patients called ‘V Care’. Lala later wrote Celebration of the Cells, which is a book about his battle with the disease. The book is in the form of letters to Vandana Gupta. However, the book that he is best known for is Beyond the Last Blue Mountain — The Life of JRD Tata.

Lala considers himself quite fortunate for having got the opportunity to interact with JRD, and he is obviously very influenced by him. “He was a great human being. To have known him and been with him was a source of refinement,” Lala says. He recounts how while working on the biography, he had told JRD, “I am neither going to call you good nor great. Let the reader judge,” to which JRD responded with “That is as it should be”.

Lala started his career as a journalist with newspapers like the March and the Current in 1948 at the age of 19. “At that time, there was hardly any competition and very little advertising. We refused to print cigarette and liquor ads,” Lala observes. He has seen the field grow over the years and feels that journalism today is lighter and more interesting. He became the manager of the first Indian publishing house in London, the Asia Publishing House, and by 1964, he had co-founded the Himmat Weekly with Rajmohan Gandhi. “I was the only investigative journalist then,” he says.

His work in the Himmat Weekly was highly appreciated by the then director of the Tata Company, SA Sabavala, who invited Lala to write about the Tatas. This marked the beginning of his association with the company. Lala liked meeting people. “As an editor, I would meet people very often, but now, I am unable to go out frequently due to old age and illness,” he says. He wrote about 26 personalities, whom he had met during the course of his life and career in his second book, titled, Touch of Greatness: Encounters with the Eminent. Vinoba Bhave, Mother Teresa, Dalai Lama, Jayprakash Narayan and many others he met have inspired him.

Once with the Tata company, he served as director of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust for almost 18 years. He helped in setting up the JRD Tata Centre of Ecotechnology in Chennai and the Sir Dorabji Tata Centre for Research in Tropical Diseases. At present, he is the Chairman of the Centre for Advancement in Philanthropy in Mumbai, an organisation that assists other philanthropic institutions by advising them on various issues like legal matters, fund raising and so on. Currently, he is working on his next book, The Role of Purpose in Life.

His encounter with cancer led to the renewal of his faith in God. “When I was undergoing the last radiation, I suddenly realised that there is nothing more important than God. That moment of realisation has been the most important in my life,” he says. Today, Lala begins each day in solitude to strengthen his faith. Lala advises, “Live each day as if it were your last. You will then have no regrets, no enemies — only peace of mind.”

“I find satisfaction in teaching underprivileged children”

2008-09-09T12:26:00.003+05:30

Maria D’Souza, a resident of Bandra retired from St. Stanislaus High School in May 2008 after completing a fruitful teaching career of 21 years.

Post retirement, life could not get any better for this teacher who taught English and History to students of Std. 10th in addition to music and drama to students of St. Stanislaus High School in Bandra. D’Souza joined the Bandra based NGO Aseema that is an educational centre for street and underprivileged children as an education officer. D’Souza now teaches at the Pali Chimbai Municipal School that was adopted by Aseema in 2001. In addition, she also oversees the administration of the school that currently has 426 students. The Pali Chimbai Municpal School was earlier a Marathi medium school but when English medium education became the need of the hour, many students dropped out. The school now offers education till Std. 7th with English as the medium of instruction. D’Souza now teaches English, History and Geography to the students.

“Teaching at Pali Chimbai Municipal School is a big challenge in itself. The students here are first generation learners of English and their parents don’t have a concept of education whereas St. Stanislaus was a mainstream English medium school with students who were smart and affluent and could grasp easily,” says D’Souza.

After the students complete Std. 7th, they move to the Santacruz Municipal School, another school adopted by Aseema that is located at Santacruz and offers English medium education from Std. 8th to Std. 10th.

Maria D’Souza has been associated with Assema since 1998. She used to conduct social service activities in St. Stanislaus. Post school hours in St. Stanislaus, D’Souza along with the social service students used to tutor the underprivileged students. “I feel very happy now. I now feel I should have done this long back and not waited for so long till I retire. But it is human nature to stay back for material things like pension and provident fund,” she adds.

D’Souza lives with her husband and sons at Mount Mary’s Road in Bandra. She is also an active member of the Mount Mary Road Advanced Locality Management (ALM).

Even though the children come from humble backgrounds, the quality of education they receive is not compromised upon. “Most of the students don’t understand what the teacher is teaching them. Hence, we use teaching aids like charts, slides and movies wherever possible. Recently, we conducted out first practical lesson on democracy by conducting elections for the class monitor through secret ballot,” informs D’Souza.

Aseema has several other volunteers who teach the underprivileged students. Most of the volunteers are school students who study in the International Baccalaureate board of education. These student volunteers donate their old reference books to the Pali Chimbai Municipal School Library for the use of the students.

“I find immense satisfaction in teaching these underprivileged children. Even though they are weak and backward in studies, they are very loving, affectionate and ready to learn. Even though they don’t pay high fees, they still know and appreciate the value of education. For these students, their teacher means everything to them,” says D’Souza.

The Karvi Flower Visits Mumbai

2008-08-27T13:38:00.007+05:30

The forests of Mumbai have borne a new look. After a long gap of eight years, the Karvi plant peculiar to the Western Ghats has bloomed. The flowers can be spotted throughout the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivali and at some parts of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) area near Film City in Goregaon. The last bloom was seen in August 2000.
The botanical name for the plant is Strobilanthes Callosa while the common man knows it simply as the Karvi plant. The Karvi has an interesting life cycle. “Each year, the plant comes alive with the onset of the monsoons and once the rains are over, only the dry and dead looking stems remain. This pattern repeats itself for seven years and in the eighth year, it blooms into mass flowering thus giving the entire area a lavender blush,” says Priti Choghale, Education Officer of BNHS. The lifespan of a single Karvi bloom lasts for 15 – 20 days. The Karvi season begins by mid-August and ends by the end of September. “After the flowers bloom, it enters the fruiting phase. The fruits take a year to dry up and will germinate by next monsoon. During the next monsoon, there will be loud cracking sounds of the Karvi seeds as they open,” explains Choghale.
The plant was first discovered by Nees, a resident Britisher of Mumbai during the last century. The plant grows about two to six metres tall while the leaves are about 10 – 20 centimetres long.
The Karvi plant has many uses. The plant prevents soil erosion. Medically, the plant also acts as a blood purifier. The leaves can be crushed and the juice when drunk is a cure for stomach ailments. After the Karvi season, the leaves and the stem are used for thatched roofs also known as Karvi Huts.

Invitations with a Special Touch

2008-08-21T19:20:00.004+05:30

As one walks through the by lanes of C.P Tank in Girgaum and enters Khadilkar Road, a line of invitation card shops greet you on both the sides. Khadilkar Road is an invitation card market where people come from far and wide to get that special card for all occasions according to their specifications. These shops also provide an array of handbags and gift boxes in addition to invitation cards. In these shops, the occasion and religion is no bar.

Meena Agencies was among the first few shops to open in the area in 1964. This retail shop stocks a wide variety of cards ranging from textile design, embroidery and handicrafts to the printing technology. “Earlier an invitation was a mode of information or an invitation. Today it has become a style statement as the invitation creates the first impression of the event,” says Anand Thakkar, the owner of Meena Agencies. This store has around 1000 different varieties of invitation cards within the price range of Rs. 5 to Rs. 150 that is affordable to the idle class society. The shop targets people who want to customize their card. “In this business, creativity and tradition have to merge,” says Gopal Shah, owner of Vardha Enterprises, a relatively new player in the industry. This shop sells cards at wholesale rates and has distributors across the country.

The peak season of business for all these shops is between March to May and October to December. The owners do not worry about competition as each shop is unique in its products and designs. Every shop is filled with customers round the clock. “I have come all the way from Mumbra to select a card for my big day. It is a tough choice as there is a wide variety to choose from and I feel like giving each of my guest a different design,” says Monisha Chatterji, a customer.

A shop that caters to high end customers especially for the elite and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) is Mars Arts. “Everlasting standard of quality, intricate detail workmanship and immense creativeness is the strength of our company,” states the owner, Mahavir Shah. Mars Arts has been in the business since 16 years and has established a good rapport with its customers. The company boasts of an in-house design studio and customer service centre. The price range of a card in this shop is Rs. 45 onwards. “The most expensive card we have made was for Rs. 1000. it was gold plates and had intricate embroidery,” adds Mahavir Shah.

The next time you want to send out invitation cards you know where to go to – Khadilakr Road near C. P. Tank.

Mumbai Resident Trains Autisitc Children Only

2008-08-14T15:40:00.003+05:30

Mumbai resident, Dinesh Kumar is on a mission to impart music to children with autism. It all began five years back, when he saw an advertisement inviting applications for the post of a music instructor for Priyanj Special School for autistic children for which he had applied. “I did not know who special children were and thought a special school is for high profile kids and for those who have extraordinary talents and abilities,” says Kumar. When he entered the school, all the children there looked like anybody else and later on got to know the condition about the children

“When I began teaching, I thought that the children were deaf as I was not sure if they were listening to me,” adds Kumar. As time passed, Kumar read about autism and devised a plan of action on how to teach them.

“Initially I had to observe the behaviour of the children and see if they respond to music,” says the 30-year old Kumar. Kumar started by imparting music sense by making them clap their hands and bang the table tops to a rhythm. “If they clapped or band according to the beat or rhythm, I could gauge the musical abilities,” he adds.

This resident of Kandivali, a suburb in Mumbai now knows all the minute details about the condition of autistic children. No more does he feel as though something is wrong with them. “If the children do not respond, I feel as though something is wrong with me and my teaching,” says Kumar.

Since the students have a difficulty in deciphering the notes and chords, Kumar teaches them to play by the ear. Kumar makes it a point to teach the children popular Hindi songs. He just gives them the starting note and the pitch and they can play with ease. In order to teach the children the notes and the lyrics, Kumar has to teach them over and over again for them to retain and remember. “Sometimes it takes over a year for the children to learn one song,” Kumar mentions.

Thirty-year old Kumar feels that music has made a difference in the lives of these children. Music has increased their concentration and even started keeping eye contact with others.

Today, Kumar has come a long way. He currently teaches music to 60 children in Priyanj Special School and visits 20 children at their homes to teach them music. He plays the guitar, keyboard, bongo and the tambourine. However, he teaches the children just the keyboard as that is the easiest way the children can learn to play music.

Kumar has many invitations to teach others but he refuses as he has decided to teach children with autism. “Anyone can teach music to normal children but teaching autistic children is challenging as you have to keep up to their pace and wait for them to respond to your teaching,” says Kumar.

Kumar has also benefitted by teaching autistic children “Teaching these children requires lots of patience and tolerance and hence my patience and tolerance levels have increased,” he adds.

Italian Nuns serve leprosy patients

2008-08-08T22:30:00.005+05:30

Located in Andheri, a suburb in Mumbai is the Vimala Dermatological Centre run by the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate which provides care to leprosy and tuberculosis patients.

Both born in Italy, 69-year old Sr. Bertilla Capra and 64-year old Sr. Lucia Pala belong to the congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate also known as PIME – Pontificio Instituto Missioni Estere (Pontifical Institute for Foreign Mission). After joining the convent, they completed their nursing courses in Italy and had a mission to serve the sick and the needy. Their compassion for fellow human beings brought them to India leaving their hometown Italy. “I had a desire to go to either India or Bangladesh to help leprosy patients because they are neglected and shunned away by society,” says Sr. Lucia. After expressing her desire, she was deputed to India in 1977 and Sr. Bertilla in 1970 to serve leprosy patients in India. The duo worked in Bimavaram at Eluru in Andhra Pradesh caring for leprosy and tuberculosis patients. Sr. Bertilla came to Mumbai in 1981 and Sr. Lucia in 1985 to join the Vimala Dermatological Centre. Their dedication towards their mission even led them to learn languages such as Telugu, Hindi and Marathi to help them to communicate better.

“In Italy, we never saw leprosy. In India, leprosy is still a stigma. Nobody is ready to help people affected with leprosy. It was difficult initially as the patients would smell and had worms all over their bodies as they lost sensation,” says Sr. Bertilla. “But it was our desire to serve these people and the dignity of the human being was much more that their dirtiness,” adds Sr. Lucia.

Sr. Bertilla and Sr. Lucia have completed 27 and 23 years respectively at Vimala Dermatological Centre. The centre was established in 1976 and has three wards for men, women and for the children of leprosy patients. The centre aims to detect all existing cases of leprosy and tuberculosis and to treat these ailments. The centre also offers hospitalisation facilities and surgical treatments as well.

“Our main endeavour is to spread awareness and educate people about leprosy. We conduct talks and seminars on leprosy care,” says Sr. Bertilla, superintendent of Vimala Dermatological Centre. To begin with the sisters clarify the myths associated with leprosy. “People believe that leprosy is a curse from God. However, leprosy is not only for the poor. It can attack anybody,” informs Sr. Lucia who stresses that leprosy is curable and does not spread through touch.

Vimala Dermatological Centre has well qualified teams specialising in medicine, surgery, rehabilitation and paramedical activities. After treatment, the patients are adequately rehabilitated. They are taught how to carry out their daily activities even if their finger or toes or limbs are amputated. Most of the patients receive help for housing, employment, loans and training in tailoring, screen printing and motor mechanics.

The centre provides counselling sessions for the families of those suffering from leprosy which includes education on leprosy. “In spite of this, some families want the patients to stay here forever and do not want to take them back home. Fear is not the key – treatment is,” adds Sr. Lucia.

Sr. Lucia feels angry with the families of the leprosy patients who refuse to touch the person or even change the bandage or dressing. “Till the 1990s, nobody ever stepped into our compound with the fear of contracting leprosy. However, now people have started coming and spending time with our patients here but they still have to overcome that fear,” says Sr. Lucia.

The children’s ward was started in order to give shelter to girls between the age of four – 15 years whose parents are suffering from leprosy and cannot afford to give them education and a decent living. 12-year old Lata (name changed to protect her identity) was in her first stage of leprosy when she came to Vimala Dermatological Centre. She was expelled from school due to her condition. After undergoing treatment at the centre for two years, she stays in the children’s ward and now goes to a regular school without traces of her past ailment.

Sr. Bertilla and Sr. Lucia visit their hometown Italy once every four years. During their visit back home, they educate the people in Italy about leprosy and collect funds to run the hospital here as they do not receive any grant from the government. Former leprosy patients have been employed in Vimala Dermatological Centre to stitch clothes, bags and make Christmas decorations. These clothes, bags and decorations are taken to Italy where they are sold in order to generate funds.

Ad man by day, traffic controller by night

2008-07-31T18:26:00.005+05:30

Vijay Kastoori, a of Andheri is the Director – Media Planning and Analysis for Situations Advertising and Marketing Services Pvt. Ltd . by day and controls traffic in Andheri by night.

“It all happened one and a half years back when my neighbour had a fall and suffered a fracture. It took almost two hours for the ambulance to reach because of the traffic,” says Kastoori. From then, Kastoori began analysing the traffic patterns. He then bought a camera, clicked photographs and shot videos. “I then realised that the root cause of the traffic jams in the area is that people drive in wrong lanes hence blocking the smooth flow of traffic,” he adds.

Kastoori, armed with his photographs and videos, then began doing the rounds with officials of the Mumbai Traffic Police. “I met most of the officials to discuss the traffic problem and learnt the techniques of traffic control from them,” informs Kastoori.

Kastoori’s office which is located at Link Road, Andheri West, also witnesses frequent traffic jams. On his way back from office, either by the company bus or BEST bus, he alights from the bus and makes sure the traffic moves and then walks back home.

Kastoori controls the traffic every evening. His usual areas are the signals at Amboli naka, Andheri station and Andheri east – west flyover. He also stands at Andheri subway where there is no signal. According to Kastoori, the worst affected area is Andheri subway because if Andheri East is jammed then the flow of traffic from the west to the east is restricted. When that happens, motorists going to the east halt in the lane of motorists going straight on S. V. Road towards the station. Hence, the traffic continues even till Jogeshwari station.

“Whenever there is heavy traffic jam, I contact the traffic police and ask them to send a policeman. Within five minutes, a policeman comes and only then I move to another area where the traffic is held up,” says Kastoori. Kastoori cannot fine erring motorists as he is not authorised to do so. “Even the traffic police in this area do not always stop motorists unnecessarily because if he will end up spending almost five minutes on one motorist and in that much of time, the traffic goes haywire,” he informs.

Kastoori does not have a uniform but stands at the traffic junction armed with a whistle. “Initially I felt awkward when people used to stare at me and wonder who I was, what I was doing and with what authority I was controlling traffic but now I am use to it,” says Kastoori.

Controlling traffic is not an easy task especially when motorists are in a hurry and cut lanes. “I shout at some erring motorists but ultimately it is just a fraction of them who do not follow road discipline. Most of them are very cooperative and many appreciate the fact that at least somebody is doing something,” says Kastoori. “Now I have become a familiar face at traffic junctions so motorists listen to me and do not take me lightly anymore,” he adds.

Retired doctor couple from Bandra adopt village to serve people

2008-07-23T11:41:00.004+05:30

For Dr. S. Shrinivasan and his wife Dr. Usha Shrinivasan, life could not get any better at this stage of their lives.

The 64-year old Dr. S. Shrinivasan and his wife want to make a small difference to the world around them. They have adopted the Khanavadi village in Purandar taluka of Pune district which is approximately 40 kilometres from Pune city. “We wanted to do something for society and we had two ways of doing it, either donating money or doing something ourselves,” says Dr. Usha Shrinivasan. “We could have done cheque book charity but we chose to do it ourselves as it was more fulfilling,” says Dr. S. Shrinivasan. Khanavadi is the birthplace of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule.

The couple met years ago during their MBBS course at B. J. Medical College, Pune. Dr. S. Shrinivasan further went on to pursue the MD course in Pharmacology while Dr. Usha Shrinivasan pursued MD in Pathology. The need to do something worthwhile for those in need brought them together. “We have fulfilled our family commitments and our two children are well settled abroad with good jobs,” says Dr. Usha Shrinivasan.

Dr. S. Shrinivasan took an early retirement from the post of Vice President at the pharmaceutical company Aventis in 1998 while Dr. Usha Shrinivasan who worked at Tata Memorial Hospital has set up her cancer diagnostic laboratory in their home at Bandra. In 2001, they set up the Shastri Memorial Foundation in memory of Dr. S. Shrinivasan’s father, Pandit K. A. S. Shrinivasan who was conferred the Rashtrapati Award for life-time contribution to Indian values in 1977.

The couple spend their weekend at Khanavadi village working for the village. During the week, Dr. S. Shrinivasan receives honoraria for writing and editing medical journals. He also conducts seminars and workshops on education, healthcare and human values while Dr. Usha Shrinivasan attends to her laboratory. “We need to earn in order to sustain our organisation. My father always told me to think high and live simple. We live a very simple life and we do our own household chores as we do not have any maids working for us,” says Dr. S. Shrinivasan.

The couple adopted Khanavadi village in January 2007. Prior to that, they have worked with several NGOs that worked in Kasara and in Raigad. Since then, the couple have set up an office at Khanavadi village and they provide uniforms, books, notebooks and other educational material to needy students. They also provide calcium and multivitamin tablets to needy women and children. In addition, Dr. Usha Shrinivasan talks to the women in the village about issue concerning women’s health.

Dr. S. Shrninivasan is trained in Hindustani vocal music by Pandit Askaran Sharma and late Pandit Datta Kerkar. He has been an Aakashwani artiste for over three decades. He has now begun focussing on music as a tool for value based living through the lyrics of songs written by saints Tukaram and Dhyaneswar. Dr. S. Shrinivasan has also authored books such as ‘Value-based Wellness for the Service Sector executive’, ‘Value-based Management in the Indian context’ and ‘Health @ Your Finger Tips’.

Mumbai resident creates BEST route guide through a mobile phone application

2008-07-16T07:27:00.005+05:30

Standing at a bus stop and wondering about the route the bus takes is a common occurrence. Imagine having a device that would guide you through all the bus routes in the city. To ease this difficulty, Kandivali resident Raxit Sheth has created a mobile phone application that helps you get the bus routes and bus route numbers on your mobile phone. “Bus routes are available on the internet but today everybody carries a mobile phone so they would prefer it that way,” says Sheth. This project is titled ‘Mobile 4 Mumbai’.

The idea struck Sheth about four months ago when somebody at the bus stop asked him about a bus route. “I am new to Mumbai and have lived in Gujarat all my life. If a local person is confused about routes, imagine the plight of a newcomer,” says Sheth. He casually mentioned his desire to create such an application to his colleague at Polaris Software Labs Ltd., Deepa Kapadia who liked the idea and the duo began programming the application two months ago.

Raxit Sheth and Deepa Kapadia had several options in mind while creating the prototype for the application. “We could have it SMS based where users could send the query through an SMS and get the answer through the SMS but people may not want to spend their time and money keying the SMS,” says Sheth. “The other option was through GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) but again not all handsets are GPRS enabled or even if they are, it may not be active and it is expensive,” he adds. Finally, Sheth and Kapadia decided to create a simple application that could be installed on Java enabled handsets. “Today Java enabled handsets are really affordable. The cheapest handset is about Rs. 3000 with a bill,” informs Sheth. Sheth is a C++ programmer while Kapadia is a Java programmer. Mobile 4 Mumbai will be very light and just requires about 180 kb – 200 kb free memory space on the mobile phone.

Even though GPRS users can access the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) website on their mobiles, the Graphic User Interface (GUI) is not suitable for mobile phone browsing.

Sheth and Kapadia, both computer engineers, have been working on the mobile phone application during the weekends and after office hours. Even though they have invested lots of time and energy, the duo will wants to give out the application free to their families and friends who in turn could give the application to others.

The duo has not decided whether they will present the prototype to the BEST once it is ready. “This is a very good idea. We did not realise that we could even reach out to mobile phone users. It will be good, if Sheth and Kapadia approach the planning department of the BEST. We can give them all the possible support,” says a BEST official.

The application is currently in its final stage of creation. By next month, the beta version will be out and only after three months the application will be available to the public.

If this mobile phone application is successful, they will adopt the same prototype for bus routes in Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Pune.

Bandra Fort now bears a cemented look

2008-07-10T23:15:00.003+05:30

The 400-year old Castella de Aguada, popularly known as the Bandra Fort at Bandra Bandstand now wears a cemented look. The fort, a Grade I heritage structure was deteriorating. Hence, the state archaeological department undertook the task of restoring the ruins of the fort. However, during the process of restoration, they have completely cemented the walls.

“There were many small cavities in the walls which was destroying the fort. Since the fort is located near the sea, we had no choice but to use cement to strengthen the walls,” says an official from the state archaeological department on the condition of anonymity.

The state archaeological department and the Archaeological Survey of India follow the method of retaining the original look and feel of any heritage site while restoring it. Cement is usually avoided as in the past, cement was never used.

The fort was originally built by using rubble stone masonry and lime-mortar plastering which gave the fort is unique look. “We could not use lime as it is not available easily in such a large quantity. Moreover we had to carry out the restoration work immediately to save the fort. We plan to give the final touches using lime plastering when the stock arrives,” adds the official.

The restoration work began late last year with a budget of Rs. 60 lakh. The restoration work is supposed to be completed before the monsoons begin this year.

“It is good that the state archaeological department noticed the deterioration, took interest in the matter and started the restoration work. But being a Grade I heritage structure, they should have retained the original look and the character of the fort rather than using cement,” says P. Kapur, trustee of the Bandra Bandstand Residents’ Trust, the trust that manages the entire area starting from the Bandra Bandstand promenade till the Amphitheatre and the fort. “If not the entire fort, at least the original look of the entrance to the fort should have been retained,” he adds.

In the 16th century, the fort was used an important watchtower between the Salcette Island annexed by the Portuguese and the islands held by the British. Over the years, due to lack of maintenance and continuous deterioration, the fort saw a dwindling number of visitors and thus became the haven to couples and drug addicts.

“The fort was dilapidated and on the verge of collapsing. As a resident of the Bandra Bandstand area, I come here often. The fort does not look the same anymore. It does not look like a Grade I heritage structure; instead it looks just like a new construction,” says Nandini Joshi, a resident of the area.

Mercedes McLaren Comes to Mumbai

2008-06-26T15:40:00.004+05:30

The famous Formula One racing car McLaren Mercedes visited Mumbai this month. The car was exhibited at Hakone Racing Circuit at Powai, Phoenix Mills at Lower Parel, Oberoi Mall at Goregaon and Nirmal Lifestyles at Mulund.

The car is an exact replica of the car driven by Formula One ace driver Lewis Hamilton. The McLaren Mercedes team is one of the most successful teams in Formula One. They have won over 150 races. 11 Drivers’ Championships and 8 Constructors’ Championships.

The Plight of Refugees

2008-06-20T17:36:00.004+05:30

Every year 20 June is celebrated as World Refugee Day in order to highlight the plight of all the refugees in the world. In order to commemorate this day, I am dedicating this week's post to the cause of refugees.

According to Euripides, "There is no greater sorrow on earth than the loss of one's native land". This is often the case of a refugee. A refugee' is defined as "a person who has fled his country owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable or, owing to fear, is unwilling to avail himself the protection of that country." This definition is according to Article 7 of the 1951 Convention and Protocol relating to the status of refugees. However, India being home to about 3,30,000 refugees, considers them as "aliens". India, despite completing 60 glorious years of Independence, does not have any special laws for the protection of these refugees. India deals with refugees under the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939 and Foreigners Act, 1946 which is applicable to aliens.

However, the Government of India is empowered to regulate the entry, presence and departure of these aliens. In India, wage earning rights and work permits have no meaning for refugees. Hence, they have no way of supporting themselves and thus remain in poverty. When they just enter India, they are taken to a transit camp. There the necessities are not easily available. Over a period of time, they muster courage to move freely within the country and hence they do not have to live in transit camps.

People flee from their mother countries due to civil conflicts, massive violations of human rights, foreign aggression and occupation, poverty, famine, disease and natural calamities. Reasons such as famine, disease and natural calamities are just passing phases. After this, they return to their own countries whereas the other reasons are long standing anxieties that may or may not be solved.

The Sikhs and Hindus migrated from Pakistan to India and the Muslims migrated from India to Pakistan during the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. India and Pakistan readily accepted and rehabilitated these migrants. People of Indian origin were forced to leave Burma (now Myanmar) under the programme of Burmanization. During Bhutanization, the people of Nepali origin were pushed to India and Nepal. Sri Lanka upon becoming independent sent the Tamil plantation workers who were taken to the island by the British back to India. Bihari Muslims were sent to India during the liberation war of Bangladesh though they wanted to enter Pakistan. India continues to host and assist refugee population from different countries especially Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Tibet. Thus, India is diverse of refugee population.

Refugees undergo many trials and tribulations. There is arbitrary arrest of newly arrived young men on suspicion of rebel connection. Sometimes, they are even deported for security reasons. The host country does not welcome them willingly and hence they do not develop a sense of belonging towards the host country. When the refugees flee and seek asylum into another country, they come empty handed leaving behind their belongings. They have to start their life in the host country right from scratch. They are not granted refugee status or given citizenship easily as they are considered liabilities to the country. They are often targeted and accused in case of thefts or terrorist attacks. They are subjected to assaults, both physical and mental. Since they come empty handed, they do not have documentary evidence of their educational qualifications, income, proof of residence and so on. Sometimes even if they have documentary evidence, it is seized upon arrival in the host country. They are often denied accommodation, health facilities, education, protection and the like. Sometimes, they are separated from their families. Though they want to go back to their country, they have no option but to stay at the host country hoping that their own country will become safe one day. Sometimes, the country builds high walls to shut out refugees and asylum seekers. This insensitive gesture is not justified. The Sri Lankan refugees in India face problems of a different genre. They are firstly labeled as terrorists as people consider them as members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ellam (LTTE). A large number of them happen to be Dalits. They are forced to flee because of their caste, only because they are Dalits. They face the problem of apartheid.

Any person seeking refugee status has to approach the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). In spite of not being a member of the 145 - nation signed 1951 Geneva Convention, India has allowed the UNHCR to function in India through its offices in Delhi and Chennai. Many refugees have spent years waiting for resettlement but end up becoming a burden to the government. They are pleading with the Indian Government to grant them protection and refugee status.

The lack of legal provisions and policies on refugees is one of fundamental flaws of protection in India. At the same time, India cannot be blamed for this because many people take advantage of the hospitable nature of the Indian Government. They flee for better prospects and to enhance their quality of life. This is not forced migration but migration out of choice. Thus, the Government is very careful in granting refugee status.

I feel that safeguarding the refugees is the responsibility of the international community. It is high time India becomes a part of the UNHCR Convention of 1951. India should also consider amending its Foreigners Act, 1946 and differentiate between a "refugee" and a "foreigner". We should realize that refugees are not born refugees; they are made refugees. Hence, we should not ostracize them. This will be possible only through awareness in refugee issues that will sensitize the people to give the refugees a hassle - free stay in India.

Will I ever get a credit card?

2008-06-12T23:54:00.004+05:30

Journalists, lawyers, actors, politicians and the police are always envied for the kind of connections they have. This class of professionals have their way of getting things done in their favour. But these privileges do not coming knocking on their doors everytime. There are times when doors are shut only because of whom they are and the work they do.

Journalists, lawyers, actors and politicians and the police are black listed professions for banks when it comes to issuing credit cards and loans. Even if you want a credit card, it is a luxury. However, some of them have their way out.

I have applied several times for a credit card and have been refused every single time for the reason "profession not desirable" or "not credit worth". What do banks mean by this? Am i engaged in some black business or something? I am a tax paying citizen of India. If I come within the tax bracket how can they classify me as not credit worthy?

After speaking to a number of banker friends, I got to know the real picture. Banks choose to harass the common man. In case journalists, lawyers, politicians, actors and the police default on payments and the bank uses harsh methods of recovery, the journalist will expose them in the media, lawyers will file a suit against them for harassment, the police, actors and politicians will use their connection against the bank.

Issuance of credit cards is the at the sole discretion of the bank but does that give them the right to deny credit to these professionals?

Shoe Problem?

2008-06-09T13:49:00.005+05:30

Being big made or small made is a problem in India especially when it comes to buying shoes. If you don't get your correct size, you are left unsatisfied. There are very few shops that have the option of selling custom-made shoes.

I have a problem buying shoes of my size. I am very short and my height is 149 cm. My shoe size is 4. The normal shoe size of ladies is 5-10. Whenever I got to buy shoes, the shopkeeper sends me to the kids section and I get shoes with bows and buckles. During Christmas, I can get a variety of shoes with Christmas Trees, Santa Clause, Elves, Mistletoes and what not. Being a woman and an impulsive shopper, I cannot indulge in impulse shoe shopping. I am forced to order shoes. The good part about ordering shoes is that I can play around with the design and increase or decrease the height of the heel.

Fazal Shaikh is a Maharashtra State level basketball player and stands feet 10 inches tall. “My shoe size is 12 and this size is available only in a few shops and most of the time I have to order my shoes.”

Sruthi Gotipatti feels that the attitude of the shopkeepers must change. "My shoe size in 10 and I find it rather annoying when shopkeepers tell me that my feet are abnormal. Moreover, the shoes of those sizes are too 'aunty-like'. It is high time shops stock adequate shoes of plus or minus sizes,” states Sruthi Gotipatti.

When it comes to clothes, the number of tailors and plus sized clothes’ shops in the city are many. “The plus sized stores do not have my size. Hence, I get all my clothes stitched. There are only t-shirts of my size available at select outlets” adds Fazal Shaikh.

Shopkeepers feel that they lose out on revenue when they stock odd sizes, the investment and infrastructure costs are high but the sales are low. But there are some shops which cater to people who have big feet or small feet. “We provide the facility for ordering shoes from any of our designs at no extra cost. The shoes will be ready in a week”, says Vipul Chheda, owner of an Adidas showroom at Parel. “We take order of shoes but we charge about Rs. 50 – Rs. 75 more depending on the nature of modification. We can make minor adjustments provided the design is similar”, adds Iliyaz of Bombay Shoe Mart located at Crawford Market.

Charge Your Mobile Phone as You Exercise!

2008-06-07T12:30:00.009+05:30

Bhaskar Ajgaonkar, a third-year information technology engineering student of Rajendra Mane College of Engineering and Technology, Ratnagiri, has developed a bicycle that when pedaled produces electricity and charges mobile phones of any brand.

This 19-year old resident of Dombivli, a distant suburb of Mumbai, was inspired by the two-seater cycle ridden by Shashi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan in the movie Shaan. He was in Class VII then. It was his father Vijay Ajgaonkar, an electronics engineer, who encouraged him. The bicycle with mobile charging facility took nearly two years and around a thousand rupees to build.

Bhaskar describes his device: "The circuit is so flexible that you can connect a cell phone of any brand for charging. The electricity generated through a dynamo is regulated through the circuit. Therefore your riding speed will not affect the current flow."
An extra chain is attached to the rear wheel, which is connected to a micro-dynamo attached to the cycle carrier. As the cycle is pedaled, the dynamo rotates to generate electricity. The electricity is then passed towards the circuit fixed on the bell attached to the handle. The circuit has an LED that confirms reception of electricity.

A cable coming out from the circuit has a plug, which can be connected to a mobile phone to charge it. A chain is connected to the micro dynamo and cycle’s gear box. As you pedal the cycle forward, the chain rotates the gear box. The invention thus not only saves electricity but also helps the rider stay fit while he charges his mobile phone.

Bhaskar’s skills have brought him three national awards and several state awards. His most recent award is the KDMC mayor’s award. He has more than 25 innovative cycle designs to his credit. He has won a national award for presenting a prototype of this bicycle at a seminar conducted for Alternative Energy Sources at VPM Polytechnic in Thane in 2005. He took his project further by designing the micro-dynamo with the help of industry experts.

When asked why he decided to work on a cycle instead of cars, Bhaskar said, "The Wright brothers had a vision. They wanted to fly. Similarly, I felt there should be some innovation in cycles too."

By December this year, Bhaskar hopes to complete the prototype of a talking cycle, which will have photo sensors fixed on it. "The bicycle will warn cyclists about potholes ahead and will say sorry to the rider if it misses one. In addition, this talking cycle will caution riders against unnecessary jerks and accidents.

Though his father Vijay Ajgaonkar is currently undergoing medication for cancer, it hasn't deterred Bhaskar from pursuing his dream. He has written a book titled Cyclecha Zagat Mi which is due for release in December.

The budding inventor now hopes to to come up with a flying bicycle based on the airplane model created by the Wright Brothers.

Music therapy with a special touch

2008-06-06T14:17:00.005+05:30

“Music . . . can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable”. This line by Leonard Bernstein holds true for the children of Priyanj Special School located in Goregaon West. As you enter the school, you are greeted by the smiles of enthusiastic children singing, banging the desk and making noise. These children look any other children but in reality they are autistic.

Apart from their regular sessions of special education, art and craft training, speech and language therapy, occupational and sensory integration therapy, individual counselling, self-help training and computer education, music sessions has made a big difference to these children in improving their social skills.

Eight-year old Raveena Poojari can play on the keyboard just any song that she has heard on the television while Vedant Roy, also eight-years old, can play on the keyboard any tune that a person hums. For Deepayan Dasgupta, music has made him talk; his speech has improved through music. Prathamesh Naik, Deepanyan Dasgupta and Devansh Rathor, all of nine years can learn any song and immediately sing in tune. “Music has made these children more verbal and has improved their social skills. Earlier getting them to talk was very difficult but now they have started responding to people,” says Dr. Reesha Dhulap, the school principal. Saurabh Jadhav can barely speak but once the bongo is handed over to him, he gets engrossed with it. “The children here are immensely gifted. They have never attended any formal music class but they have the knack of playing music just by ear. I just teach them the notes and give them the pitch. Raveena has the ability to remember song lyrics and has even written them in her exam answer paper!” adds Dinesh Kumar, the music instructor.

The school that started in the year 2000 has recently formed their own band that performs at various places. The school band consists of singers Devansh Rathore, Deepanyan Dasgupta, Vedant Roy, Ritika Shetty and Prathamesh Naik accompanied by Raveena Poojari on the keyboard, Saurabh on the bongo and Ingrid Lobo on the tambourine. The children are now in the process of learning to play the guitar.

When asked about the difference in teaching music to autistic children Dinesh Kumar answers, “While teaching these children, I have to wait for them to respond. I had never heard about autism before and after getting involved in teaching these children, I have gained lots of patience and satisfaction.”

Though these children have their limitations, they have emerged victorious with their special gift of music.

Today’s aeromodeller, tomorrow’s pilot

2008-06-05T12:32:00.008+05:30

Take a trip to Mahalakshmi Race Course on a Sunday morning and you could witness an exciting sport practiced there – aeromodelling. When the horses are not in action, aeromodelling enthusiasts fly radio-controlled, scaled-down versions of airplanes and helicopters. Aeromodelling is the art of making miniature aircraft models that look and fly like real aircrafts. It is a combination of craft, a bit of engineering expertise, coupled with creative imagination.

“Aeromodelling is highly developed in the United States of America. With the lack of open spaces here, the hobby is suppressed,” says Ashok Baijal, the Deputy General Manager of State Bank of India, who frequents the race course every Sunday. “The race course is the only open space in Mumbai where we can fly planes for free”, says S. K. Mishra of Indian Hobby Centre. The Mahalakshmi Race Course has started a Flying Club that provides third party insurance for an annual fee of Rs. 200.

Categories of aeromodels

Static aeromodels are replicas of airplanes that exhibit minute details of real airplanes. They are incapable of flight. These serve as learning tools in the world of aircrafts. Construction of these models demands a high level of engineering expertise, craft, carpentry and knowledge about the aircraft. Flying aeromodels are capable of actual flight. They need considerations of weight, balance and strength. Their main focus is on the aerodynamics than just external appearances. Balsa wood, polystyrene foam, bits of glass fibre, cloth and plywood is required for its construction. Some plastic moulded parts like the propeller and spinner cones may be incorporated. Glow fuel (70% methanol, 10% nitromethane and 20% castor oil) is used to fly these airplanes.

It is beneficial for beginners to use kits rather than trying to build models from random sheets of balsa wood. The hobby is prevalent in India since almost three decades. However, aeromodelling kits are being imported since the last seven years. In Mumbai, aeromodelling kits are available on retail only at India Hobby Centre. The kit includes a plan of the airplane, pre-cut strips of Balsa wood and a manual on how to get started.

“There is no joy in buying readymade airplanes. When you create your own airplane, there is immense satisfaction. You’re first crash motivates you to rework on your airplane,” says Ashok Baijal. Mehernosh started aeromodelling with a zero budget. “I went to the race course and watched others flying. There is a skill to operate the remote control and I learnt it by watching others and flying their planes,” he says. His interest in aeromodelling initiated him to study aeronautical engineering. TYBSc student, Ralph Cornelius worked at India Hobby Centre and earned the body of an airplane which he assembled. His passion has motivated him to invest in a chopper.

Benefits of Aeromodelling

Aeromodelling is very useful for defence purposes and disaster management. “Through these airplanes, manless flights are possible during wars. Also, by attaching a camera, one can survey a disaster prone area and capture images,” says Ashok Baijal. “The government can start by encouraging aeromodelling as a sport and then look into its commercial benefits,” he adds.

Escort Services: A Mere Click Away

2007-09-04T09:53:00.001+05:30

"Do you want to earn Rs. 20,000 – Rs. 50,000 in a day? For more details call us on XXXXX XXXXX" says the ad on the site. Sounds like an advertisement of a placement company. Doesn’t it? A further look into the site reveals - "I offer the ultimate girl friend experience escort service to males, females and shemales. We can lose all our inhibitions and explore our fantasies together (sic)," says a banner on the website of an escort service operating in India. While another says "My vital stats are 40D-30-39. I can give u the perfect girl friend experience of a lifetime, because I am hot and h**** (sic)".

The Internet is an enormous marketplace to sell products and services including the services of women. We often blame social networking sites as a source for delinquencies. However, it is the easy and unrestricted access to the Internet that has exposed minds to enormous unsolicited content.

When the words “escort services” are typed in a search engine, or on the very popular Orkut for that matter, the results obtained are deplorable with sexually explicit pictures and brazen text. These sites contain contact numbers and e-mail addresses of the agents or coordinators which is easily available with a click of the mouse. The sites also invite applications from “young and sexy women” to apply for positions as escorts.

Orkut has been in the limelight after being linked to the murders of TCS employee Koushambi Layek by Manish Thakur and the latest Adnan Patrawala case. The site is not new to cases of cloning of profiles and misusing pictures and searching for escort services on Orkut, well, isn't exactly rocket science.

While authorities are busy playing net nanny, Orkut remains easily accessible to a large section of society dominated by youngsters.

Following are the transcripts of a telephone call made to a Mr. Verma whose number was procured form one such site.

Anjali: Hello Mr. Verma I would like to book an escort for my boss
Verma: Your boss???? (laughs)
Anjali: Can you supply a girl aged around 18-25 at J. W. Marriot?
Verma: Yes I can. Shall I e-mail you some pictures? Ask your boss to select.
Anjali: What is the cost of a girl?
Verma: Rs. 25,000 for one session that it two hours. Room rent and gifts are separate. Virgin girl Rs. 40,000 and firangs Rs. 50,000
Anjali: Is there any discount?
Verma: This is not a khirana shop to ask for discount. When shall I confirm the booking?
Anjali: How can I make the payment?
Verma: Cash or blank cheque. I will write the name.
Anjali: Ok thank you. I will speak to my boss and call back later.

On calling up the number on the website, the agent divulged all possible information without any qualms or actually verifying who was on the other side of that call. Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 says that whoever publishes or transmits in the electronic form, any material which is lewd and lustful or appeals to that interest shall be liable to punishment. The punishment on first conviction is imprisonment which may extend to five years and fine which may extend to one lakh rupees. In the event of a second or subsequent conviction imprisonment may extend to ten years and fine may extend to two lakh rupees.

The Information Technology Act, 2000 was enacted to provide legal recognition of electronic communication in India. On questioning an official from the Cyber Crime Investigation Cell in Mumbai, the official (on the condition of anonymity) said, “We are aware of the existence of escort services. Adult prostitution is not illegal in India. Child prostitution and those who live off the income of prostitutes is illegal. We are arresting such people frequently. Even after the arrests, their aides continue to operate in full swing.”

In spite of the “arrests” made by the Cyber Crime Investigation Cell, the persons running these escort services are unperturbed by the laws and the enforcers of the law.

The official further said, “The internet is an international source. This business has a large network. These websites are hosted abroad and we do not have much control over such sites.” But Section 75 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 says that this Act applies to any offense or contravention committed outside India by any person if the act or conduct constituting is located in India.

To this the official added, “We have been blocking escort services websites but after some time, the agents unblock them or they operate under another domain name. We can put an end to this nonsense only with the co-operation of the people.”

Though the process of investigation was not divulged the official maintained that certain things could to be to prevent children from "bumping into these sites."

Set up a password to prevent children from accessing the internet without adult supervision
Activate a web locking system in the computer that blocks access to these sites
Activate the adult content filter option especially in Peer2Peer file sharing software
Display warnings mentioning “adult content” where blocking is impossible
Check the internet history regularly to monitor the content viewed.

Some cybercafés in India have blocked such sites but most of them thrive by serving customers who need a daily dose of pornography. Parents are aware of the kind of content out on the Internet. “I know my children are vulnerable to viewing such content. Therefore, the computer is in my bedroom under lock and key. I have also set a password for the computer and my children can use the computer only under my supervision,” says Richa Mehta, mother of three school children.

“I trust my children though they are smarter than me when it comes to the computer and internet. I don’t know about the existence of blocking softwares,” says another parent Lily Fernandes.

2007-05-22T23:22:00.001+05:30

Railways out to track sportspersons

The Indian railway network is among the largest in the world. With more than 600 crore passengers travelling every year and almost 10,000 trains running daily, it offers a tremendous scope for making a lucrative career on the tracks. The Indian Railways provides varied opportunities for a secure and satisfying career. There is a Rail Sports Promotion Board within the network. There is a special quota for sportspersons and the Indian Railways recruits almost 1200 people from different sports backgrounds every year. Railway employees enjoy many privileges as well.

The job of a ticket collector is no mean task. “Whenever I look at Ticket Collector, I feel hat they are public servants and have no other source of income hence they wait to collect fines from people,” says Virgil Sequeira. However, in reality, the ticket collector has definitely achieved much more in life as compared to the common man.

Sportspersons are generally offered jobs in Group C which consists of ticket collectors and commercial clerks. The Indian Railways is known to have produced many eminent sportspersons and has 103 Arjuna Awardees to its credit so far. Some of the sportsperson in the railways are

Faiyyaz Ahmed

This 25 year-old power lifter weighs only 67 kgs but he can carry weights of almost three times his own weight. He has won the Junior National Championship four times, the Junior Asia Championship once and the Junior World Championship for three consecutive years. He has 53 gold medals, 14 silver medals and seven bronze medals to his collection of medals and trophies.

Iqbal Maindargi

He started his career in Badminton at the age of 17 years playing for Kolhapur district. He has represented Central Railway, Indian Railways and Maharashtra State for more than 30 years. He represented Maharashtra in the year 1972-73 and won the Single’s Championship from 1973 – 1976. He participated in the Thomas Cup in 1975 in Pakistan and in 1976 in Jalandhar. In 1976, he won the award for the best badminton player in Maharashtra. He ranked No. 2 after Prakash Padukone from 1975 to 1977. “My most memorable moment was when I defeated Prakash Padukone in 1975 at Cricket Club on India at Mumbai,” says Iqbal who is one of the few players to defeat Padukone. Maindargi is currently the Chief Ticket Inspector and is coaching the Maharashtra Badminton Team.

Simon D’Souza

Simon D’Souza is a medium distance athlete and represented Indian Railways from 1977-1983. D’Souza is a bronze medallist in the 1500 metres race in the 1979 National Games held at Hyderabad. He completed his Diploma in Coaching from National Institute of Sports and coached the Indian Railways athletics team for six years. He also represented MaharashtraSt. Joseph High School, Juhu. state for 9 years in 800 metres and 1500 metres. “I am 54 years old now and I keep myself fit by jogging everyday at Juhu beach,” states Simon who is also currently coaching the students of St. Joseph's High School, Juhu

Onkar Singh

This Divisional Chief Ticket Inspector had the privilege of sharing the hockey field with Ajit Pal, Ashok Kumar and others at the 1975 Hockey World Cup at Kuala Lumpur. “I was only 18 years old then and was the youngest player in the team,’ adds Singh. He started his career in International hockey in 1974 till 1983. He joined the railways after the World Cup and continued to play for the railways till he was 35 years old. His exposure in the field of sports had given him an edge over others at the time of recruiting. This 54 year-old has Mumbai, Pune, Solapur, Bhusaval and Nagpur under his jurisdiction and is unable to devote time to his first love – hockey.

2007-01-08T20:06:00.000+05:30

A DEATH BEFORE THEIR DEATH

They do not come with guns, nor are there any midnight knocks. They come armed with smiles, lies and promises of course, money; robbing people, of what a thousand armed wo/men would fail to do.

India is considered to be the origin, transit and destination for human trafficking. Human trafficking is apparently the 3^rd largest illegal trade in the world after drugs and arms. Trafficking is an unorganized sector in the market. Traffickers use coercion, deceit, fraud, debt bondage to force the victims in forced sex, domestic bondage, begging, organ donation, unsafe agricultural labour, sweat shop labour, construction or restaurant work and other forms of modern day slavery. Being away from home can be a reason for exploitation. The poor accept it because the rich want it. Traffickers take advantage of the shortage of women due to the skewed sex ratio.

These jobs involve long work hours and immense exploitation. It affects the freedom and dignity of women and girls. They are thus deprived of their fundamental human rights such as right to liberty and security; right to home and family; right to freedom from torture, violence. Cruelty; right to education and employment, right to health care and right to live with dignity and respect.

When the victims are displaced from their cultural background, they develop a sense of anonymity and moral deformity. When they are thrust into a different cultural ethos and when language becomes a barrier, they feel lonely and alienated. They feel different from others. "I he traffickers take undue advantage of their^- vulnerability. Their personal safety is in danger. This is because women and children are considered as submissive polite, obedient, unresisting and ones us ho can be controlled.

Girls are sometimes sold to Arabs as slaves. Some of them also end up being mistresses. They are sexually exploited as they have their fir^st sexual encounter at an early age. They arc highly susceptible to Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). They cannot free themselves as they have no voice and nowhere to go.

When girls are sold to brothels, they are immediately forced into commercial sex work. The brothel environment is very oppressive. If they decline or refuse, they are subjected to extortion, physical beating or assault with hot iron rods, torture, gang rape, sexual assault isolation in dark rooms, injuries, starvation and the like. They are even forced to consume drugs and alcohol. They are subjected to sadistic inhumanity accompanied by sexual harassment. Trafficking is resulting in gradual and complete destruction of a woman's identity and the right to live as free human beings. The victims are left with life-long effects of mental and physical trauma. They are not given any kind of protection or job security. When a trafficking racket is busted, and girls from other countries are rescued, they are deported immediately as they are considered to be a liability to the country. Thus, they do not even enjoy any legal protection. Traffickers know that a source of earning is their daily bread. It is more important than the daily injustice meted out to them. They are treated as objects, commodities and nonpersons. They are left without rights, no legal protection, no bargaining power, no provision for leave and no time for leisure. Trafficking disempowers women and makes them vulnerable.

Trafficked victims are further traumatized by their experiences. They suffer from depression and have suicidal thoughts. The mental and emotional state of the survivors involves hostility, defenselessness, withdrawal, detachment and self-criticism. They are highly distracted and their span of attention decreases.

Poverty and malnutrition make them anaemic. When victims are trafficked for organ donations, their treatment is often left incomplete as are not provided sufficient post-operative care. In case of victims trafficked for commercial sex work, most of the clients do not adopt precautionary measures. They fail to use contraceptives, so there is high risk of multiple pregnancies and HIV/AIDS. They undergo forced abortions. This creates complications in conception and affects their reproductive health. They are denied access to information related to reproductive health and STDs.

Children are mostly trafficked as jockeys in Arab countries to participate in camel races. There they are subjected to high-risk physical injuries. They are also trafficked for organ donations and beggary. The latest trend in trafficking in children is for pornographic films. They are highly exposed to sexually explicit materials at a very early age, which is why they cannot understand their sexuality. Sometimes they are also exploited by paedophiles. In this globalised world, there is a demand for cheap goods and commodities. Child labour comes cheap and hence they are exploited with long working hours, insufficient pay and dental of basic education. In some red-light areas, the children of commercial sex workers see their mothers having their time with different men daily. Hence, they do not respect sex, as they cannot understand its beauty. Therefore, it becomes difficult for them to differentiate between love and lust. In this way, they become exploiters and can even turn into rapists.

The victims are the best witnesses to the crime committed on them. If they are tried in court, their cases are pending for many years. They have to relive the same trauma during every appearance in court, as they have to repeat their ordeal every time. Generally, the authorities consider the victims as criminals as the actual traffickers manage to escape and defend themselves.

Mostly, the trafficked victims go home only to deliver money. That is the only contact they have with their families. When the trafficked women are rescued, they are rehabilitated first. The remand homes are not permanent shelters but just rescue homes. There they meet people who have experienced the same ordeal. Thus, they are able to form support groups among themselves. However, this does not happen always. Most remand homes are not equipped with adequate facilities. Sometimes, the nature of the rehabilitation does not reduce their trauma. In most rehabilitation processes, the impact on the mind of the individual tends to be overlooked. Their personal tragedy is buried under innumerable `feel good' activities like workshops, seminars, visitors, short-term financial aid or celebrations.

When the victims return home, they face new obstacles and insecurities. They face material deprivation, social stigma and rejection from their own families and communities. They are victims of a heartless society. Their families and communities blame them for their misfortune that led to them having such traumatic experiences. The victims are considered the vamp. The victims die many times before their real death. Women have to bear the responsibility of upholding their family honor through sexual purity and innocence. They face additional stress because they are labeled as immoral, characterless, outcaste and so on. The outside world sees only the trafficked victims and blames them. If they are trafficked at an early age, they do not have sufficient education to find alternate employment. Victims are declined marriage proposals because the whole issue of morality and virginity crops in. They are seen as commodities and not as human beings with dignity, rights and duties. They have to make a conscious effort to reestablish their lost identity. Therefore, most of them return to commercial sex work. The `growth' and `promotion' from victim to exploiter usually takes place due to lack of alternative livelihood options. It is not easy for the victims to undo the damage. If they have a distorted view of their experience, they will find it difficult to feel empowered.

The road to prevent trafficking is difficult but not impossible. The victims are exploited, not defeated. They are human persons just like any one of us. Help them to live with dignity and respect.

2006-12-05T19:11:00.000+05:30

NOT AMBITION, BUT LOW AIM IS A CRIME

It is said that when you aim for the stars, you reach the mountains; when you aim for the mountains, you reach the treetops; when you aim for the treetops, you remain on the ground. Every person is special, unique and gifted with different talents. We are all ambitious and determined to succeed in life by developing our talents to achieve our goals. Ambitions differ from person to person; one may want to become a doctor, another an engineer and another a journalist and so on.

The history of the world and mankind is a fascinating tale of numerous and diverse changes. The change that occurs for the benefit and development of mankind is termed as ‘progress’. Progress is a result of planning, preparation and perseverance. All these factors together constitute the word ‘ambition’.

It is very important to have goals. Having a goal in life will enable us to determine the direction in which we are moving, in order to achieve success. According to Dr. Robert H. Schuller, “Success is never ending and failure is never final”. Having a goal and working towards it always brings us rewards.

Without goals it is nearly impossible to discover our capabilities and achieve lasting success. Therefore, it is beneficial and necessary to have a goal. Though final results belong to a few, it is worth trying. Once we aim and achieve it, we should not be satisfied but keep on aiming higher, to reach greater heights.

It is said that success consists of dreams being turned into reality. In the year 1960, at Alabama, Georgia, Dr. Martin Luther King, the leader fighting for civil rights for the black people in the United States of America, titled his famous speech, “I Have A Dream”, in which he looked forward to the day when people, irrespective of colour, would walk together in equality and freedom in the United States of America. We should therefore fix our goals and work in that direction. Thus, it is not a crime to aim nor is it a shame if we aim and do not succeed. But it would rather bold and brave of us to aim.

‘Ambition’ actually means desire for power, fame an honour whereas ‘aim’ can be defined as an effort made in order to reach a particular goal or a target. These two words have different meanings. Over ambition is likely to lead to greed and selfishness.

Fulfilling an ambition is like making a dream come true. To make our dream come true, we should aim at excellence – giving our best efforts in whatever we do. Thus, we will obtain the result, which we have expected or even more. If we have a low aim, we will achieve less than our expectations or even fail in our endeavors. In order to convert our dreams into a reality, we should have an optimistic attitude and self-discipline.

Having an ambition and not working towards it, is foolish; but having a low aim and having high hopes of succeeding is definitely a crime. If we have a low aim, we are committing a crime. In order to prevent us from turning into ‘criminals’, we should always aim higher, think positively, and rationally; be confident of ourselves and in our capabilities.

Therefore, the proverb that “NOT AMBITION BUT LOW AIM IS A CRIME” is a reality.

2006-12-02T14:01:00.000+05:30

IF I HAD WINGS

If I had wings, I would fly
I would soar high
And touch the sky

I would know not how to run
I would fly and have fun
And reach the sun

If I had wings, I would fly
I would know not how to look at people in the eye
Looking from above I could try

My eye I would cast
To get rid of the past
And in the sky I would have a blast

If I had wings, I would fly
With relief I would sigh
As I watch, the passers-by.

2006-11-30T00:16:00.001+05:30

Is Mumbai ready to include the excluded?

Every year the world celebrates International Day for Disabled Persons on December 3. The celebration of this day gives me a reason to create this post. I am somehow against the term “disabled”. Having a limitation does not disable them but differently ables them from performing a certain task. So I choose to use the term “differently abled” because disability is all in the mind.

The question here is “How differently abled friendly is Mumbai?”

Mumbai may be a Shanghai in the making but not for all. According to the Government of India statistics, 5 per cent of Mumbai’s population suffers from some disability. This 5 per cent is often given low priority or are excluded from official statistics. Many forms of disability are difficult to capture in statistics, often due to under-reporting. Differently abled persons are often excluded from school or the workplace and are forced to depend on others in the family and community for physical and economic support. The limitations of the differently abled persons are misunderstood and they are considered as non-productive persons.

There are many parameters where the differently abled are included as well as excluded.

Access:

The BEST, Indian Railways and all airlines provide special concessions for the differently abled.

BEST buses have only 3 seats reserved for them with very little legroom. Differently abled persons often complain of the steps being too high. That is when the BEST came to their rescue by introducing Starbus which has a low floor and a ramp. This new feature has come as a saviour but the numbers of Starbuses plying on the road are very few. However, the Starbus does not have a wheel-chair lock facility so that the wheel-chair remains stationary even thought the bus is moving. But the differently abled’s woes do not begin here. Waiting for buses is another nightmare as most bus-stops do not have seating arrangements.

Indian Railways has a separate compartment reserved for the differently abled but how many of them can actually find such compartments? There is neither a fixed location for the compartment nor there is any indication on the platform. One obviously cannot expect a differently abled person to run around looking for their designated compartment. Before getting onto the platform, buying a ticket and waiting in the serpentine queues is very difficult. Climbing foot-over-bridges and subways is another gigantic task for them. Also, the distance from the train to the platform is high. Hence, most of them avoid travelling by trains. For outstation train travelling, the Railways has been a little easy on them by providing a separate queue for booking tickets and are the preference for lower berths. In addition, there is special concession to one escort. Differently abled people suggest installing 'ambulifts' (platforms designed to accommodate a wheelchair that can be elevated by the press of a button) or a ramp instead of staircases. This will not only help them but also senior citizens and people carrying heavy luggage.

Airports are supposed to provide wheel-chairs but more often than not, they have to struggle their way to the aircraft. In the aircraft, the facility of a differently abled chair is absent.

Taxis and auto rickshaws are very uncomfortable owing to the limited leg space. In the private automobile sector, Maruti recently unveiled 'Solio', a disabled friendly car at the 8th Auto expo. However, Maruti is yet to decide if 'Solio' will be launched or not. Other Car manufacturers are planning to come up with similar models but the market for such cars is not very lucrative, but in order to make it so the government could give some benefits to the manufacturers.

Infrastructure and architecture:

Roads and footpaths are uneven because of the constant digging by different companies such as the MCGM, MTNL, Bharat Gas and so on. Footpaths in some areas are either missing, encroached by hawkers or are just too high. Differently abled persons avoid foot-over-bridges and subways to avoid climbing stairs. Many important junctions and busy roads do not have signals installed for pedestrian safety. Differently abled persons feel that the duration of the signal is so less that it does not give them sufficient time to reach the other side of the road.

In places of worship, the approach roads are encroached. There are many steps thus making it almost impossible for the differently abled to reach to the top.

In most places, staircases do not have railings till the end of the flight of stairs which makes it even more difficult for them to climb. Differently abled persons feel that very little modifications can be done to alter old constructions but at least the new constructions could be more sensitive towards their needs.

Public toilets are definitely not designed to suit their needs. They are not equipped with grab-bars and anti-skid flooring.

Entertainment:

Fortunately, malls are well-equipped with sufficient wheel-chairs, escalators and elevators, thus making it easy for the differently abled persons.

Most tourist spots in the city are old structures and not all of them have ramps to accommodate wheel-chairs. Most staircases are steep and high and there is no provision for escalators and elevators. Even if there are elevators, admission is reserved only for employees. Some of the tourist spots even do not have adequate seating arrangements. Amusement parks and water parks do not cater to the differently abled segment. They do not have any rides or pools specially designed for them.

Most tour operators have custom-made tour packages for the differently abled but the schedules are so tight that they often complain of exertion. Also, these tours are enormously expensive.

Support:

Most differently abled persons often face humiliation as person constantly label them for their limitations and shortcomings. They are looked down upon my society. Most of them have experienced exclusion and oppression all their lives. They have been belittled by the attitude of people who do not believe that even differently abled persons want to achieve their dreams and aspirations. There needs to be an education system that is inclusive rather than segregationist since children who study in special schools are over-protectively nurtured and unprepared to take on the world. Activists feel that sending such children to regular educational institutions is the best way to prepare them for the normal world. Though there are many organizations that work towards the welfare of such persons most of the organizations do not provide emotional support. Differently abled persons do not have the benefit of an equivalent of a Nana-Nani park where they can interact with similar people.

In India, the term 'barrier-free environment' has come into use only in the last decade. The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, commonly known as the Disability Act, enforced in 1995 acknowledge the need for easy access to services and public places. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, takes up the matter of barrier-free environs with the Ministry of Urban Development once every four months at an inter-ministerial council meet. Most of these people are unaware of their rights and hence do not fight for them.

A few examples to create a barrier-free environment for the differently abled could be:

Marking the first and last steps on a stair flight with contrasting paint
Anti-skid rubber mats in bathrooms
Anti-skid floors in public places
Sufficient seating arrangement and wheel-chairs
No thresholds in doorways
Grab bars in rooms and in trains
Proper ramps and ambulifts in public places
Better signage including Braille signage
Separate queues at places that require a ticket.
Providing support to help them help themselves.

On the whole the differently abled persons in Mumbai are denied equal access to information, education, employment, buildings and public transportation.

2006-11-28T01:06:00.001+05:30

SUPPORT INDIAN INDUSTRIES

You see them everywhere for cheap, FM pocket radios, batteries, CDs, floppies, torches, keychains, pens, pencils, erasers, glue, note-books, combs, tooth-brushes, mirrors, knives, spoons, forks, toys, writing pads, staplers, paper-clips, hair clips, sewing kits, show pieces, curios, etc.

These are just a few goods. Indian markets are filled with the influx of these goods. But do you know where these goods are coming from?

The goods are coming from China. They are made by Chinese prisoners and Tibetan hostages who live in inhumane conditions and are exploited. The returns obtained from these goods go to the Government of China whereas the workers get a minimal wage that is insufficient to satisfy their basic needs.

On the other hand, Indian small-scale industries and cottage industries manufacture the same goods that are of a better quality for a slightly higher price. The people working in these industries belong to the lower economic strata of society and their goods are not selling due to the influx of Chinese goods in the Indian market and the industries are dying with poverty and unemployment on the rise. Hence,

‘STOP EXPLOITATION,
REJECT CHINESE GOODS AND
SUPPORT INDIAN INDUSTRIES’

2006-11-26T10:25:00.001+05:30

The Undiscovered Reality

Earlier, 'Tsunami' was just a word for me. But now it is an experience...

It was a privilege for me to be one among the chosen four to represent Maharashtra at the Tsunami Rehabilitation Work Camp. This camp was held from 20th May to 5th June, 2005 at Chennai and Nagapatinam village which was organized by the All India Catholic University Federation, (AICUF) in collaboration with an NGO called South Asian People's Initiative (SAPI). I participated in the camp because although I heard lots about the Tsunami and the relief work but being geographically far away I was unable to comprehend the gravity of the situation. The camp would give me a first-hand experience and an opportunity to understand the survivors by stepping into their shoes. Through this camp I was personally able to contribute towards the rehabilitation efforts by devoting my time for a worthy cause. 35 participants froma all over India were divided into three groups to work in three villages namely Puddupetai, Perumalpetai and Kodiyakadu in Nagapatinam district. I was posted at Puddupetai village.

On the first two days, we were briefed on the scientific and psycho-social aspects of the Tsunami, the difference between relief and rehabilitation and about how women, children, students and Dalits are affected by the Tsunami. This orientation was done in order to inform us on what to expect when we go to the villages.

In the villages, we stayed in shelters constructed by a Delhi based NGO just like the villagers. The shelters are made, of bamboos and tar sheets which do not provide any ventilation. They are very small and can comfortably accommodate only 6 - 8 people. There is place neither for a kitchen nor for storing clothes and utensils. There was only a bulb in each shelter and we lived without fans in the scorching summer heat. Each group took along with them brooms, sickles, crowbars, rakes, spades, gamelas, buckets, mugs, plates, tumblers and mats. In the absence of toilets, we took our buckets to the fields to relieve ourselves in the open with weeds and flies bothering us all the time. This was an extremely difficult task. We had to pump water from a borewell because there were no taps. We used that water for bathing and washing. The water had become very salty and our washed clothes had a layer of salt on them. We had an extra shelter so the girls had the 'luxury' of a bathroom while the boys had to draw water from a well and bathe there.

We met the village head and as directed, we performed the tasks assigned to us. Playgrounds outside Balwadis were being used by the villagers as dumping grounds. We cleared all the garbage and restored the playgrounds. It was rather strange to see the villagers complain about not, having a place of worship because they defecated and disposed garbage inside the temple. We cleaned the temple and made it useful The seashore is lined with tall and thorny shrubs and spiky shells which enter the flesh of a person if stepped onto them. When the Tsunami occurred, people especially women and children could not escape because their long hair and saris got entangled in the shrubs. We dumped the shells and the shrubs into a pit and covered it. People were disposing garbage into a canal that supplied water to the fields making it a sewage canal. We spent two whole days removing the garbage so that water could flow freely. Soon after, it was very disheartening to see a lady dump garbage into it right before us.

There was a cyclonic rain and the water entered the villager's houses. They panicked as they thought that another Tsunami had occurred. People were scared because it was 26^th May and coincidently the Gujarat earthquake occurred on 26^th January and the Tsunami on 26^th December. With our implements, we immediately made a path to drain the excess rainwater. Since we became wet while doing this, the villagers offered us dry clothes to wear.

We visited the members of the Dalit community. The Dalit village is secluded from the main village. Post Tsunami, each family was given just one sack of rice which got over very fast. They also got Rs. 4000 which was spent in reconstructing their houses while some women complained that the money was squandered on alcohol by the men folks. They do not own any land thus they work on other people's land. Now they are unemployed because after the Tsunami the agricultural land has a thick layer of salt rendering it useless for the next 5 years. They support themselves by doing menial jobs. Their children die of starvation and malnutrition due to poverty. In some places, women were denied their share of relief materials under the pretext of having lesser physical strength than men.

We received immense support from the villagers. During our work, they kept drinking water for us. They also offered us tea, coffee, cold-drinks and food. Though they had little, they were very hospitable and gave us the best they could afford. The villagers taught us generosity.

From this camp, I learnt how to live in the most basic human conditions it taught me simple living because I am blessed with comforts at home. At the end of the day, I knew I had a house to go back to but these villagers would have to live like this forever. It has sensitized me towards the discrimination of the marginalized sections of society. I was indifferent about the sufferings of the tsunami survivors but now I can connect with reality. This camp has taught me the dignity of manual labour. We should also be sensitive to people's needs and cultures. I feel that if I could live with minimum human conditions, I can live anywhere in the world. Ultimately, life prevails and all that comes out of life prevails despite any calamity.

I'm a blogger too

2006-11-24T20:41:00.002+05:30

I never really intended to be a blogger. Inspired by many bloggers, finally im here. Today I have found my space in this cyberworld. I have now become a part of the bloggers bandwagon. The scariest thing about creating a blog, according to me, is that I do not know what I will post next. However, I am very excited and I hope I will continue posting stuff regulary.