Tag: mumbai

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CM wants mini Press Council for Maharashtra

Rising attacks and mounting pressure from journalists prompts CM to promise to push for Bill in the next Cabinet meeting.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Rising attacks on journalists in the State have got Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan promising a string of measures to protect journalists. Precipitated by a need to have a stringent law in place to ward off attacks on journalists, especially after the February 2012 attack on The Times of India building in Mumbai by the Shiv Sena, a Committee Against Attacks on Journalists had been set up to push for a law to protect journalists.

In a meeting with the Committee in Nagpur yesterday, where the State Legislature is currently in its Winter Session, Chavan assured the delegation that he would review and further discuss the need to implement a law that protected journalists in the State. “We will also look into the setting up of a body like The Press Council of India which is unique to Maharashtra, and which will look into the welfare of journalists in the State,” Chavan said during the meeting.

Members of the Committee had been sitting on an indefinite fast to have their demands met – the Committee has been increasingly frustrated by the State Government’s inaction in the matter. Chavan said, “No doubt there needs to exist a law that protects journalists from attacks. However, such a law and its implications need to be studied in great detail before it can be effectively implemented.”

In February this year, the CM promised to push for the Bill in the Cabinet, and appointed State Industries Minister Narayan Rane to the panel that would formulate the law. Interestingly, Rane was one of the ministers opposed to such a Bill in the first place.

Maharashtra has had quite a few examples of journalists clashing with politicians, builders and others, especially in the mofussil areas, where journalists are said to be targeted routinely. As per records of the last 10 years, 11 journalists have been murdered and six media organisations have been attacked, with a majority of these attacks perpetrated by political parties. From 2010 till date, there have been 212 attacks on journalists and media houses in Maharashtra.

 (Picture courtesy criticalppp.com)

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Event

Schools play rugby at Bombay Gymkhana

Colaba Municipal School, Yashodham High School win in the U-17 Boys and Girls category. A pitch report of the event.

Rugby is still not played as often and as intensely as it should in the country, but Mumbai is taking things to the next level – its schools are competing and winning big.

Yesterday, the Rugby Association of Maharashtra (RAM) hosted the seventh edition of the Mumbai Inter-School Touch Rugby Championship 2012 at the Bombay Gymkhana Ground, under the auspices of the Western Indian Rugby Football Union (WIRFU). Over 50 teams participated from across Mumbai city and suburb schools. Both boys and girls in the Under-12, Under-14 & Under-17 age categories participated. Actor and rugby player Rahul Bose was the chief guest for the event.

The U-17 winners were Colaba Municipal School (boys) and Yashodham High School, Goregaon (girls), while the U-14 winners were Lokhandwala Foundation School, Kandivali (boys) and St Mary’s Convent High School, Mulund (girls). The U-12 boys winners’ cup was lifted by NM Joshi Municipal School.

Speaking on the occasion, Nasser Hussain, Secretary, Rugby Association of Maharashtra said, “We were pleased to see the enthusiasm, participation and eagerness in representatives from schools across Mumbai, suburban and Thane district to adopt and support the game. There is no dearth of talent in these areas, and today’s Championship asserted that the next breed of national players will come from here. As flag bearers of the sport, we are committed to nurture new talent and simultaneously increase awareness about Rugby as a noble sport.”

The first Mumbai Schools Touch Rugby Tournament was organised in 2006 at the Bombay Gymkhana grounds for Under-14 Boys and Under-16 Boys age categories. The main purpose of the school programme was the grassroots development of the sport and to target the youth. In 2010, with growing interest, popularity and enthusiasm for rugby, the tournament was sub-divided into the Mumbai City Schools, Mumbai Suburb Schools and Thane district categories.

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Trends

Expect cold nights this weekend

Weather bureau pegs expected minimum temperatures at 17 degree Celsius for Mumbai. No major departures in temperature, humidity are expected.

After hot days and nights last week, precipitated by warm Easterly winds, Mumbai is back to having some seriously cold nights and cool evenings. As per the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the city and its suburbs will have minimum temperatures of 17 Degree Celsius for at least the next two nights.

The IMD anticipates that “the temperatures will not fall further.” The current cold weather is seemingly a result of western disturbances, which are low pressure weather systems originating from Central Asia. Temperatures yesterday were as follows: Colaba, maximum: 30.6 degree Celsius, minimum: 21 degree Celsius; Santacruz: 32 degree Celsius, minimum: 17.8 degree Celsius.

Clear skies are expected over the weekend as well.

(Picture courtesy sacbee.com)

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Event

Rally around for human rights

NGO to hold rallies, informal meetings and lectures to spread awareness of human rights violations. Human Rights Day was yesterday.

The Students’ Islamic Organisation (SIO) of India’s Mumbai chapter yesterday held a meeting to brief the press and the public about its programme to spread awareness of human rights violations, both in India and abroad. A major talking point for the meeting was the ongoing crisis at Gaza, and the numerous reported human rights violations happening there.

As per a member of the SIO, Mumbai, “On the occasion of World Human Rights Day, we decided to hold a meeting to discuss the ongoing human rights violations in Gaza, as well as the State-sponsored imprisonment of several Muslim youth in jails on the wrongful accusation of them being terrorists. Besides this, we are also addressing such issues that affect the society in terms of education and employment, as also the effect of extremist speeches and writings on people and the loss of personal liberty.”

The SIO plans to implement its programme through a series of events, such as public lectures, essay writing competitions, lectures in colleges, youth meets, ‘corner meetings’, discussions and analysis of the Human Rights Charter, displaying human rights posters, and human chains at various points in the city.

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Eat

Food for 2012’s last month

Ziya at the Oberoi Hotel starts a six-day ‘Z’ menu from today; all dishes served will incorporate the letter ‘Z’.
by The Diarist | thediarist@themetrognome.in

It’s the last month of 2012, and for most of us, 2013 can’t get here soon enough. So while we’re waiting for the year to end, why not dig into a specially-designed menu with a twist?

Twice-Michelin starred chef Vineet Bhatia has created a fun new menu – the Z menu – for patrons of Ziya, The Oberoi, Mumbai. Inspired by the last letter of the alphabet, it is being served from today to December 16, with each dish incorporating the alphabet Z.

As per a release from Ziya, “Guests will begin their dining experience with Zafran, saffron shorba, Charmagaz marbles and naan malai bruschetta, followed by a choice of either Zucchini Bekti with Bengal gram masala and zucchini korma or Zucchini‐chilli paneer, with Bengal gram masala and zucchini korma.” The next course will offer Zattar chicken tikka with Punjabi paratha and papaya chutney or Zattar saag corn seekh with Punjabi paratha and papaya chutney, followed by Zeera, Cumin lamb pasanda, rice gattas, cumin potatoes, and lamb jus or Zeera, Cumin aubergine gujiya, rice gattas, cumin potatoes, and panch‐phoran tomato sauce.

The restaurant will let you end your meal “with a dose of death by chocolate, by trying Zeher, which is mocha coffee‐chilli choco cheesecake with Cookie kulfi, and sesame butter truffle.” Other vegetarian and non-vegetarian fare will also be available during this time.

(Picture courtesy pioneerwoman.com. Picture used for representational purpose only)

 

 

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Big story

1,374 Bangladeshis caught in Mumbai this year

They crossed over into the country and later, Mumbai, without valid papers. 250 Bangladeshis were deported in 2012 by cops.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The numbers of illegal migrants to India show no sign of dwindling. Bangladesh, especially, is guilty of sending the most numbers of migrants to India every year, as police records show, and many of these make their way to Mumbai. This year alone, the Mumbai police have apprehended 1,374 Bangladeshis, of which 250 have been deported.

Last month, too, the I Unit of the Special Branch of the Mumbai Police had rounded up close to 250 Bangladeshi workers employed on major infrastructure project sites in the city. The workers were caught after a series of surprise raids were conducted on these sites, one of which was an MMRDA project, and none of those caught had valid work permits in their possession.

What’s more, illegal Bangladeshi migrants have been found to reside in across the length and breadth of the city. Last week, in a series of raids conducted by the I Unit in such locations as Mankhurd, Ashok Nagar (Borivli east), Thane rural, Navi Mumbai (Kharghar, Kamothe village and Ghansoli), Vasai, Turbhe (Indira Nagar slums), Mira Road, Naigaon, Bhayander and Nalasopara, among others, 328 migrants were apprehended for staying in the city. These comprise over 70 children as well. The raids were conducted by special teams on December 6 and 8, 2012.

Mumbai alone accounts for 1,374 arrests of Bangladeshi migrants this year. We wonder what the numbers add up to in the rest of the State and the country.

(Picture courtesy flapsblog.com. Picture used for representational purpose only)

 

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