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Journalism of Courage
Laughing all the way to work
While the laughter clubs inaugurated in Pune in Bund Garden and Aundh last Sunday by Dr Madan Kataria are similar to the 200-odd such clubs that exist all over the country, the one that was flagged off in Pimpri a day earlier has bagged the honour of being the first of its kind in India. This is by virtue of the fact that it is the first Corporate Laughter Club of the country. Taking a cue from the supposedly beneficial effects accrued by following a regular laughter routine, as advocated by Kataria, Anil Bokil, managing director, Litaka Pharma Ltd, Pimpri, decided that 10 minutes of laughter a day would probably keep dissatisfaction away in his company. So he requested the good doctor for a session at his factory. Such was the success of the one-day workshop that it was unanimously decided that every employee at the factory, from the managing director to the peon, would start the morning at the work place with a laughter session. 8220;This has been a dream come true,8221; enthused Kataria, 8220;for a long time Iwanted to introduce this concept in the work place.8221;
While admitting that the laughter philosophy is not new to Pune, since the Osho Commune International does hold similar sessions, Kataria, however, insisted that his inspiration was not Osho but American Norman Cousins, who apparently cured himself of various medical ailments simply by a laughter therapy he had devised himself. 8220;Osho8217;s laughter sessions have more to do with meditation while mine are therapeutic,8221; he explained.
Make way for the cycle!
The smoke-signals from vehicles are spewing the message clearly 8211; the lungs need more breathing room! If Sai-Seva Trust and Teamwork, a clinic, had its way, everyone in Pune would do away with motorcars and ascend on bicycles, pedalling away furiously to work or home! The medical team which makes up Sai-Seva, Dr Shirish Patwardhan, Dr Neelam Patwardhan and Dr Vaidya Herlekar have formed the group 8220;to promote the use of bicycles in day-to-day activities.8221; They want to project the bicycle as the new messiah to combat the deadly evils resulting from growing noise and vehicular pollution. The eager Sai-Seva group feels people should start using bicycles for short distances.
It is a custom in many European countries. They have persuaded early morning walkers to convert their ground into a vehicle-free zone. And want to spread the message throughout the city. The idea seems logical enough, what with pollution levels having risen by leaps and bounds.
Artistic endeavour
The Ravi Paranjpe Foundation Pune has announced the late K R Paranjpe Gunijan8217; award for 1998. It proposes to reward eminent artists achieving excellence in various visual arts. The first award will be given to artist Shivajirao Tupe, a senior artist from Nashik on Sunday, May 10. Arvind Inamdar, director general, Police, Maharashtra, will present the award at a function to be held at Sabhagriha, Model Colony, Shivajinagar.
Tupe is a well-known landscape artist, who uses opaque and transparent water colours. His black and white ink drawings are also noteworthy. In addition to this, he teaches budding artists the art of creativity. The foundation has also organised an exhibition of selected works of the artist to be held from May 10 to 13 from 5.30 pm to 8.30 pm at Ritika Apartments opposite the Model Colony post office.
Contributed by Sunanda and Shaan
