5-day festival to showcase Govandi from next week
With a vision to show that there is more to Govandi than just being a poor and often ignored part of the city, the first edition of the Govandi Arts Festival will be held for five days, starting Wednesday.
The festival, among others things, will have local youngsters trained in various art forms showcasing their talents through rap songs, exhibitions, screenings, performances, workshops and walks. The festival, being organised by the Community Design Agency (CDA), along with UK’s Lamplighter Arts CIC and Streets Reimagined and the British Council, is part of the ‘India/UK Together, a Season of Culture’ initiative.
Preparations began nearly six months ago when 45 youngsters from Govandi were selected to work with Mumbai-based artists or mentors. The focus was on art forms like theatre, filmmaking, photography, public art, rap and music, with three of the seven mentors guiding mentees in rap.
Constitution is homegrown, product of self-governance, dignity: CJI
The best and surest way to get rid of the deep inequality in society is by inculcating “the spirit of Constitutionalism in our society”, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud said on Saturday.
The CJI also said that as a governing document, the Constitution’s potential is “tranformative”, and it is a “document which is homegrown, a product of self-governance, dignity and independence”.
Addressing the first convocation ceremony of the Maharashtra National Law University in Nagpur, CJI Chandrachud exhorted the students to be guided by constitutional values in their professional life. “Today, I would like to speak to you on the Preamble to our Constitution. It is a short but weighty part of the Constitution. It states that ‘We, the people of India give to ourselves this Constitution’. This is immeasurably significant because it marks the transition of the people of India from status of ‘subjects’ to the status of ‘citizens’. The colonial masters did not bestow the Constitution upon us as an act of grace. Ours is a document which is homegrown, a product of self-governance, dignity and independence.
A 34-year--old woman allegedly committed suicide in her home in Bandra in Mumbai over dowry harassment, following which her husband and his father were arrested, a police official said.
Pinky Chawla ended her life in her Khatik Wadi locality last week by consuming poison, after which her father filed a complaint alleging his daughter was being harassed for dowry at her marital home, the Nirmal Nagar police station official said. (PTI)
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The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) inaugurated the country’s first electric air-conditioned (AC) double-decker bus on Monday. Commuters, however, may have to wait a few more days before they can avail of its services.
Check the route and fare here
Over 40 per cent of preschoolers’ parents are noticing delay in language development in their children below five years of age, hampering their ability to communicate. This was revealed in a survey carried out by the Early Childhood Association (ECA) as it reviewed pandemic effects on toddlers after witnessing behavioral issues among children. Read more
While urging party workers to maximise their outreach to Mumbaikars, the BJP believes the time is right to dislodge the Shiv Sena (UBT) from the BMC in the upcoming polls to the civic body.
At the Mumbai BJP meet held in Dadar, BJP leaders urged its cadre to approach the BMC polls with the spirit of “Abhi nahin to kabhi nahin (If not now, never)”. Although the dates are yet to be announced, the BMC polls are going to take place this year. Read more
Nagpur police on Monday stopped members of women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) while they were going to the office of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to chant 'Hanuman Chalisa' to draw attention his towards their demands, an official said.
Members of the women SHGs from neighbouring Wardha have been staging protests in Nagpur city, the hometown of Fadnavis, for a week demanding the release of honorarium which they claimed has been withheld by the state government. (PTI)
India’s political system has witnessed several transformative changes in the vocabulary and grammar of political communication with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assumption of office. He continues to be the most successful, incisive, and powerful political communicator of our times. He has proven time and again that no political personality can sense the public’s mood better than him, and take remedial measures to stay far ahead of adversaries. This is clear from some of his recent public utterances indirectly underlining the message of inclusivity and tolerance, which is a key de-radicalisation tool. Read here
The Mumbai police have booked a man in his mid-forties and his wife on charges of attempt to murder, unnatural sex and sections of the Black Magic Act based on a complaint lodged by an IIT-Bombay student. The police registered the FIR Saturday and said they have not made any arrests so far in the case.
Senior Inspector of Powai police Budhan Sawant said the complainant, who is in his thirties, and the accused met on the Grindr app nearly two years ago. The complainant has alleged the accused had unnatural sex with him, and held his neck in a manner that could have killed him. Read more here
A 12-year-old boy was killed Monday in a fire reported in a slum at Kurar village in Mumbai’s Malad (East).
The deceased has been identified as Prem Tukaram Bore, according to officials. Know more here
Though the Delhi-Mumbai expressway promises to cut down travel time from over 24 hours to just around 12 hours between the two cities for private vehicles, it will still be around 20-22 hours for taxis and tourist buses with pre-installed speed governors, Delhi Taxi and Tourist Transporters Association has complained. Know more here
The Mumbai franchise of the Women’s Premier League, owned by Indiawin Sports Private Limited (a subsidiary of Reliance Industries), was the second-most expensive team to be bought in the team bidding with a price tag of Rs 912.99 crore ($111 million approx). Indiawin Sports, which also owns the five-time Indian Premier League champions Mumbai Indians, is learnt to have outbid three other bidders.
The franchise will have an all-women coaching staff, including former England captain Charlotte Edwards, who will be the head coach of the franchise. She will be assisted by former India captain Jhulan Goswami, who has been named mentor and bowling coach of the franchise, former India allrounder Devika Palshikar, who has been named batting coach. Here is a full list of players
A 69-year-old Non-Resident Indian (NRI), who went missing from Mumbai international airport, has been traced to a suburb and reunited with his daughter after 12 days with the help of two alert citizens, police said on Monday.
The NRI, Dharmalingam Pillai, who has been suffering from memory loss and lives in South Africa, went missing on January 30 a few hours before he and his daughter were scheduled to take a flight from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport here to Durban, they said. (PTI)
The Mumbai Police on Saturday booked a 50-year-old man and his two sons for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl at their residence in the city’s western suburbs for over eight years, said officials. The accused are the victim’s maternal uncle and cousin brothers. Police said that the girl — who lives with her parents and other relatives on the outskirts of Mumbai — would often visit her uncle’s house in the city. Read more here
When coaches in Beed claimed that training Yogeshwari Phad and Nandini Panchal for the Maharashtra police recruitment physical test “would negatively impact the men and women they were coaching”, Yogeshwari made social media her guru, while Nandini started training on her own.
Despite the Maharashtra government opening police recruitment applications for third-gender candidates after a December 2022 Bombay High Court order, trans aspirants continue to face such obstacles with determination, a bit of ingenuity and some kindness. Read the story here
The Marine Drive Police has arrested a 33-year-old man for allegedly duping one of the largest security private limited companies to the tune of Rs 15 lakh, said officials. According to police, the accused — who worked as a payroll officer and was in-charge of issuing salaries to security guards working across eight states — allegedly added names of his seven friends to the list of employees and details of their bank accounts to siphon off money on the pretext of distributing salaries.
The arrested man was identified as Iyappan Muthu, a resident of Vasai. Read more here
The Shivajinagar Police has booked three owners of a cowshed at Govandi’s 90 Feet Road for allegedly ‘pinching cows and letting them out to attack’ the officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) who had come to inspect the animals.
Police said the three accused — Chandrabhan Yadav, Abhayraj Morya and Rajwanti Morya — did not have requisite permission from BMC to accommodate the cattle in the shed. In the last week of January, a team of civic body officials had gone to inspect the cowshed as part of an ongoing anti-irregularities drive, and seized cows and bulls that were illegally kept at various goshalas. Read more here
The biography of Mumbai-based sexologist Dr Mahinder C Watsa was released on February 10, a day before his 99th birth anniversary on February 11, in Mumbai. Titled ‘Dr Mahinder C Watsa: The Sexpert, a Visionary and a Pioneer’ — the book authored by Nilan Singh — is about Dr Watsa’s life beyond the column in a city tabloid, which made him a household name for the last 15 years. In conversation with Sadaf Modak, Singh speaks about Dr Watsa’s life and much more. Read here
Over 40 per cent of preschoolers’ parents are noticing delay in language development in their children below five years of age, hampering their ability to communicate. This was revealed in a survey carried out by the Early Childhood Association (ECA) as it reviewed pandemic effects on toddlers after witnessing behavioral issues among children. What else does the survey say?
The Indian National Trade Union Congress’ (INTUC) Maharashtra unit — one of the oldest labour unions in the country — is under fire over its leadership. After the death of its state president and senior Congress leader Jayprakash Chhajed, a number of political groups have staked a claim on the position. Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole, too, is lobbying for his men. With its conference scheduled around February-end, the trade union is likely to witness fiery sessions. Read more here
The Annual Vintage Car Fiesta organised by the Vintage and Classic Car Club of India (VCCCI) in association with the Western India Automobile Association (WIAA) and Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) took place at the World Trade Centre (WTC), Cuffe Parade, on Sunday. See here
The BJP leadership Sunday urged party workers to wholeheartedly make efforts to defeat the Shiv Sena (UBT) in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls.
At a party meeting held in Dadar, BJP leaders asked the cadre to approach the BMC polls with an “abhi nahi toh kabhi nahi (if not now then never)” spirit.
Read the full story here
Maharashtra this week (February 6-12) saw the exit of Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, who was replaced by Ramesh Bais, a day after the country keenly watched Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating two Vande Bharat trains from Mumbai’s CSMT railway station. Meanwhile, the alleged murder of journalist Shashikant Warishe in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri sent a wave of shock through the state, prompting reactions from leaders across political parties.
Here is the top news of the week
An 18-year-old first year student at the Indian Institute of Technology, Powai, died by suicide after jumping from the eighth floor of the hostel on Sunday afternoon.
The Powai police said that the incident took place at around 1 pm, after which the police station was informed and a case of accidental death was registered.
A police officer said the student was a native of Ahmedabad, joined college three and half months ago and was pursuing a Bachelors in Technology course. An officer said, "There is no foul play in the incident. We have eye witnesses who saw Solanki jump from the refuge area of the hostel building. We are recording statements of his roommates and are trying to ascertain the reason."
The BJP's Maharashtra unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said his party would register a record win in the Mumbai civic polls, which are due since early last year.
He said his party was confident of a "record win in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation due to the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and (Mumbai chief and MLA) Ashish Shelar". "Every BJP worker in Mumbai must visit at least 2,000 homes and increase the reach of the party. It is a now or never situation as we have governments that take good and quick decisions at the Centre as well as in the state," he claimed. (PTI)
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said "truth shall prevail" and slammed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over his remarks that the Supreme Court will rule in their favour, in reference to a disqualification plea filed by the Sena (UBT) faction against MLAs of the Eknath Shinde-led group.
“What we have done was legal, as per the Constitutional norms and the law was properly studied, and therefore, the result will be in our favour," Fadnavis had said, after Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction predicted the collapse of the state government which came to power in June 2022 after Shinde pulled down the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. (PTI)
Ruckus prevailed as members of Hindu outfit Sakal Hindu Samaj (SHS) clashed with the Mumbai Police during a mass gathering in Andheri to protest 'land jihad' or alleged land grabbing in the name of religion.
The SHS members had called for a mass gathering at Marol in Andheri east to protest the presence of a burial ground adjacent to a Hindu Ram temple. Keeping in mind the security concerns, the crowd were asked to assemble peacefully on a ground. However, clashes between the police and SHS members broke out as people tried to force themselves out the ground.
Earlier, the Sakal Hindu Samaj held a rally against ‘love jihad’ in Mumbai on January 29.
The Central Railway (CR) said on Saturday that all seats in the Vande Bharat Express from CSMT to Shirdi have been booked for Sunday, while the CSMT-Solapur Vande Bharat Express has so far witnessed a booking of over 85 per cent seats.
The two trains were flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday from CSMT. Read more
The BMC has planned several projects which are set to give Girgaon Chowpatty a makeover.
The plan includes installing an 8-feet sculpture of a squirrel, which is the state animal of Maharashtra, metallic art structures of four Barasinghas and ‘Speaking Trees’, where moving images will be projected on trees as part of a light and sound show. Read more
Twelve states and the Union Territory of Ladakh will have new Governors, the Centre announced on Sunday (February 12). This includes both first-time appointments as well as transfers of Governors from one state to the other. Read how a governor is appointed here
President of India Droupadi Murmu on Sunday appointed governors in 12 states and a Union Territory while accepting the resignation of two — Maharashtra’s Bhagat Singh Koshyari and Ladakh’s Radha Krishnan Mathur. Of the 13, Meghalaya and Nagaland are election-bound states.
Murmu has appointed Lieutenant General Kaiwalya Trivikram Parnaik (retired) as Governor of Arunachal Pradesh; Lakshman Prasad Acharya as Governor of Sikkim; C P Radhakrishnan as Governor of Jharkhand; Shiv Pratap Shukla as Governor of Himachal Pradesh; Gulab Chand Kataria as Governor of Assam; and Justice (retired) S Abdul Nazeer as Governor of Andhra Pradesh. Read more here
Bais was previously the Governor of Jharkhand. A veteran BJP leader from Raipur, his political career began in 1978 when he became a municipal councillor. Bais gradually ventured into state-level politics, his first Assembly election being the contest from the Mandir Hasod constituency in then undivided Madhya Pradesh in 1980. He won that election but lost the following one in 1985.
Known for his loyalty and commitment to the organisation, he was chosen to represent Raipur in the 1989 Lok Sabha election. He went on to become a Lok Sabha MP six straight times after that – in 1996, 1998,1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014. Know more here
Opposition parties in Maharashtra – the Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena – have welcomed the exit of Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari who, they said, worked under pressure from the BJP-led central government and violated the Constitution. Read more here
State BJP vice president Prasad Lad said that he welcomes the appointment of Ramesh Bais as new governor of Maharashtra.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said "truth shall prevail" and slammed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over his remarks that the Supreme Court will rule in their favour, in reference to a disqualification plea filed by the Sena (UBT) faction against MLAs of the Eknath Shinde-led group.
Fadnavis on Saturday said the ruling Eknath Shinde-BJP coalition in Maharashtra is a legitimate government. (PTI)
The former governor courted a controversy by mocking the child marriage of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule. “Savitribai was married off when she was ten years old…and her husband (Jyotiba) was 13 years old. Now imagine, what would the boy and girls have been doing after marriage. What would they have been thinking?” Koshyari had said while cackling with laughter during the inauguration of a statue of Savitribai Phule in Pune.
He also made a statement saying that the exit of Gujarati and Rajasthani people from Mumbai and Thane will no longer make Mumbai the financial capital of the country. Days after, he said that his statement was misconstrued and he never meant to offend anyone. Two months ago, his statement on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj terming him as a “thing of the past era” and comparing him with others had the Opposition registering a protest and demanding his ouster.
In February 2022, Bhagat Singh Koshyari triggered a controversy by claiming saint Samarth Ramdas was a guru of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. “Many maharajas and chakravartis (emperors) were born on this land. But, who would have asked about Chandragupta had there not been Chanakya? Who would have asked about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had there not been Samarth (Ramdas),” said Koshyari at a function in Aurangabad. Maratha organisations strongly reacted to his remarks and issued a statement saying Shivaji’s guru was his mother Rajmata Jijau.
In November 2020, the Maharashtra cabinet recommended the names of 12 leaders to be appointed to the state legislative council. As per the procedure, the governor is expected to clear the file paving way for appointments. For one and half years, despite various reminders and requests by cabinet ministers and even the Bombay High Court’s suggestion, Koshyari did not clear a single name. It further escalated the cold war between him and the MVA.
In February 2021, a new row erupted after the MVA government denied permission to Koshyari to use the state government aircraft for his travel to Mussoorie for a function. Thackeray’s office clarified the government had committed no mistake in the episode and further stated the Raj Bhavan secretariat should have verified whether the permission was granted before proceeding to board the flight. More than his confrontations with the government, his statements created an uproar in political and social circles.
Speaking about former governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, NCP (MP) Supriya Sule said what she found the most objectionable was his remarks on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Jyotiba Phule and Savitri.
'Now, it is not just about Maharashtra, no governor anywhere in any state have done this', added Sule.
On the appointment of Bais as governor, NCP (MP) Supriya Sule said, "We welcome new governor of Maharashtra Ramesh Bias. I have worked with him in parliament. He comes across as a balanced and cultured person. I will surely meet him in Raj Bhawan. My expectations from him is being the head of state, governor should work within the constitutional parameters. He should be neutral."
In October 2020, the Shiv Sena was riled after the Governor had written a letter to its leader and then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray over the delay in the reopening places of worship, shut due to the coronavirus pandemic, and sought to know if he had turned “secular”.
Soon after the Governor’s letter, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar had written a letter to PM Modi objecting to the language used by Koshyari in his letter to the CM. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had later said the Governor could have avoided certain words. After Shah’s remarks, Pawar had said that anybody with self-respect will not continue in the post alluding to the Governor.
The NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said, "Very thankful to the Honorable President of India for accepting the resignation of Mr Bhagat Singh Koshyari..."
Weeks after Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari said he has conveyed his desire to step down to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his counterpart in Jharkhand Ramesh Bains was appointed to the post in the state.
Koshyari, 81, had said in a statement released by Raj Bhavan in January about his “desire to be discharged of all political responsibilities and to spend the remainder of my life in reading, writing and other activities.” Read more here
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray, in a Twitter post, said that the appointment of the new governor was a big win for Maharashtra.
In 2022, Bais returned the Prevention of Mob Violence and Mob Lynching Bill, 2021, with two objections: one on the mismatch in Hindi and English versions of the legislation, and another on the definition of ‘mob’.
Then came the controversy involving Soren allotting a mine to a family company, which could now lead to his disqualification from the House. It was the BJP’s letter to Bais over this, that led the Governor to seek the EC’s opinion on the matter. Even as the above row played out, Bains asked police to put out names of those involved in the violence in Ranchi in protests over BJP leader (since suspended) Nupur Sharma’s remarks against Prophet Mohammed.
One of his first points of conflict with the Hemant Soren government was over the 2021 notification framing new rules for the Tribes Advisory Council (TAC), a body under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, after the power to constitute the committee was transferred from the Office of the Governor to the Office of the Chief Minister.
Ramesh Bais served as the party’s MP unit vice-president, and as Minister of State in the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to whom he was close. Bais had also made a place for himself in the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah dispensation by siding with Modi when he was still testing the waters for his prime ministerial bid. Bais had surprised everyone because he was seen as closer to L K Advani.
Bais moved into the Raj Bhavan in Ranchi in July 2021, after the BJP lost Jharkhand in one of its rare defeats since 2014, especially in a state ruled by it. He replaced Droupadi Murmu – who recently took over as the first tribal President of the country – after Murmu had pushed back on some legislation passed by the previous BJP government that was seen as anti-tribal.
Reacting to Bais's appointment of new Maharashtra governor, NCP state president Jayant Patil said, "Maha Vikas Aghadi had a demand to remove the governor who disrespected state's idols and worked against constitution by officiating the swearing in ceremony of an unconstitutional government. Therefore we welcome the news of arrival of new governor. We hope that the new governor will not be the BJP's puppet like the previous one."
Among the leaders Ramesh Bais defeated at the hustings was the late Congress bigwig, V C Shukla, and current Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. In Bais’s first poll loss in Raipur after 1989, Shukla had defeated him in 1991 by a meagre 900 votes. Bais had challenged the verdict in the High Court – and won.
Ramesh Bais has been appointed as the new Governor of Maharashtra by the President of India on Sunday.
Bais was earlier the Governor of Jharkhand. Governor Ramesh Bais, who started out as a councillor in Raipur Municipal Corporation in 1980, went on to win the Raipur Lok Sabha constituency seven times for the BJP.
In a new development, Ramesh Bais was appointed as the governor of Maharashtra today. Bais replaces Bhagat Singh Koshyari. An official release said that the President had accepted the resignation of Koshyari.
To improve visibility of heritage buildings in the Fort precinct and boost pedestrian experience in south Mumbai, the BMC has kickstarted the second phase of its footpath and visibility improvement project around Kalaghoda. This phase will see work being undertaken on footpaths between Lion’s Gate and Jehangir Art Gallery. Know more here
The Bombay High Court (HC) this week rejected an application filed by an accused facing trial for the murder of lawyer Shahid Azmi, seeking to transfer the trial to another court. Read more on this case
The Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA) organised this year’s first national Lok Adalat on Saturday, disposing over 12 lakh cases across the state. Know more here