Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Real estate position) that was published in Newsband

Real estate position

A survey was made to find the real estate position in six Metro cities: Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai. The study covers units in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) — including Mumbai city, Thane, Kalyan and Navi Mumbai. Here are some interesting findings of the survey. 

Mumbai may be second to Delhi in unsold homes, but it will take longer to sell them. Real estate developers in the financial capital must wait over three years to clear 1.13 lakh units or 120 million sq ft as high prices deter potential buyers.

The real estate market in areas like Gurgaon or Noida attracts a lot of money from neighbouring states like Punjab, UP and Delhi as people invest in residential properties.

Pune homes will be sold the fastest, taking just 14 months to sell its 43.06 m sq ft at the current pace of buying. A steep rise in interest rates in the last 18 months was seen as the key reason for low sales as buyers try to avoid high home loan instalments.

The reason for slow sales in Mumbai is the pricing of property in the city. Pune, which is closer to the Mumbai market, sees higher sales in residential units despite having just half the units Mumbai built. High costs paid for land in Mumbai, coupled with rising construction costs, has skewed the pricing landscape which is affecting sales.

In Mumbai, demand for under-construction homes has fallen significantly. Residential absorption in Mumbai is at 33 million sq ft a year.

Bangalore with 71.29 million sq ft and Chennai 42.75 million sq ft of unsold homes will be cleared off in 20 months. But Hyderabad may take 38 months to sell 33.82 million sq ft residential units as political unrest in the city pulls down sentiment.

There is a lot of upsurge in demand for residential property in cities like Pune, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad because of affordability and jobs creation.

The longer time to get government approvals and high property prices are the reasons for slow sales in Mumbai.

If the government brings down the project clearance time, it will help developers save on input and interest costs which will be eventually passed on to the consumers.

With ongoing delays in the approval process, around 16-18 million square feet of residential space is stuck every year in MMR. There are nearly 500 projects awaiting just environment clearance.

Thus these are the interesting findings of the survey.

Video: Dinesh Kamath talks about the film 'Godfather'

Photograph of Dinesh Kamath, Editor of Newsband, when he was a Custom Officer in Indian Customs

The above is the photograph of Dinesh Kamath, Editor of Newsband, when he was a Custom Officer in Indian Customs. The photograph was clicked somewhere in 1995. 

Dinesh Kamath brings out 200th issue of Newsband as Editor

In the above pictures, Dinesh Kamath, Editor of Newsband, is displaying the 200th issue of daily newspaper Newsband which he brought out as an Editor. This issue got released on  26 May 2012. He once again thanks his family, his staff, his readers, and most importantly, the publisher of Newsband Kailash Gindodia for helping him achieve this feat. 

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (CST to Panvel in just 45 minutes by 2019) that was published in Newsband

CST to Panvel in just 45 minutes by 2019?

The techno-economic feasibility study for the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus-Panvel high-speed corridor has pegged the project's cost at Rs 11,000 crore. It has recommended 9-car services for the corridor and a travel time of 45 minutes by 2019, as against the present 77 minutes.

Rail India Technical and Economic Services Limited (RITES) presented an interim report to the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), which will execute the project in association with the state government through a public private partnership. The corridor will establish rail connectivity between South Mumbai and the Navi Mumbai international airport.

The consultant has recommended halts at 10 destinations, including Navi Mumbai airport. It will halt at elect stations on the Harbour line and can attain a maximum speed of 110 kmph to ensure faster transportation of commuters. Halts have been identified according to the importance of stations or where the interchange facility is available through the rail, metro or mono networks.

The frequency of train services is estimated at 4.5-5 minutes. It will ensure at least 14 services per hour. Due to the continuous automatic train control (CATC), headway can be improved without compromising on safety.

The system is expected to have 21,000 peak hour-peak direction (PHPD) trips by 2019 and 39,000 by 2031. A 30% shift from the suburban line and 20% shift from road traffic are expected once operation begins on the corridor.

The corridor will run on broad gauge, with each coach having a capacity of around 350 passengers. Unlike the seat position in existing rakes, coaches for the proposed corridor will have a longitudinal design, similar to the Delhi Metro. The new terminal for the service will come towards the east of CST.

The elevated route will follow P D'Mello Road/Barrister Nath Pai Marg and will enter railway land just short of Reay Road between the existing track and under-construction eastern freeway. It will be at an elevated level up to Mankhurd, from where it will take the ground level up to Panvel and the Navi Mumbai international airport.

RITES also identified spots where station buildings can come up. The alignment will be more or less final, barring minor changes in the final report that will be submitted a few months later. The project's financial model will soon be submitted too.

The CST-Panvel corridor alignment will skirt Navi Mumbai airport. But the consultant has recommended 8.5 km spur route linking the airport via the Nerul Seawood section.

Dinesh Kamath, Editor of Newsband, completes five years as staff journalist for Newsband

Hi,

I completed five years as staff journalist for the daily newspaper 'Newsband'. In fact, I had completed five years on 31 May 2012. Before Newsband came into existence I had completed three years as staff journalist in weekly newspaper 'In New Bombay'.  

 I thank the publisher, my staff, my family and, most importantly, my readers for helping me achieve this feat. Bye!

Moods of Dinesh Kamath, Editor of Newsband, captured by Ashok Dhamija, Principal Photo-Journalist of Newsband

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Lalit Modi backs SRK but who'll speak for poor security guards?) that was published in Newsband

Lalit Modi backs SRK but who’ll speak for poor security guards?

Shah Rukh Khan may be facing ire from the MCA, but his old friend and schoolmate Lalit Modi supports him in the wake of the recent scuffle at the Wankhede stadium.

MCA opposed Shah Rukh's version of Wankhede fracas and dictated terms by banning the star from entering the Wankhede for five years from now.

However, the former architect of the cash-rich IPL T20 tournament, Lalit Modi, has slammed the MCA for creating troublesome affairs for IPL from the moment it entered the arena in 2008.

Modi had preferred the DY Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai during his tenure for conducting matches, without being hassled by officials of the stadium. He calls it a sad decision by MCA and says that if he was BCCI/IPL chief he would move all matches to D Y Patil stadium or CCI. He had tasted highhandedness of MCA before too. According to him, MCA had always gone out of their way to make things difficult for IPL matches from day one. That's why D Y Patil Stadium was used.

Supporting the IPL franchises, Modi said that the teams have the right to interfere in the administration of the cricket stadium during the matches, which is mentioned in the contract.

IPL was designed in such a way that Team owners could get to run the stadium as if there's on the day of there matches. Its part of contract. They pay for the rental of ground, security and all costs. They are supposed to get clean stadia. Its up to them how they want their games to run.

Administrators in some Associations want to take all the glory although their input is zero in IPL.

At a time when Shah Rukh Khan has been criticized for misusing his celebrity status in his public life, Modi tries to defend the actor saying that the actor has always been conducting himself in an appropriate manner in public. Modi knows the man better than anyone. He has seen him in extreme situations. He is usually the last to be provoked. So it must have been something that provoked him, he feels.  

Modi is a powerful man in cricket world. He chose to speak for Shah Rukh Khan. But who will speak for those poor security guards who became the victims of Khan’s ire. There is a huge section of cricket-lovers who feel that Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan should not have had a scuffle with security guards since the latter were just doing their duties and Khan had no business to teach them their duties. Would Khan have liked it if someone had to deliver to him lessons in acting? 

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Navi Mumbaikars face threat from foreign nationals?) that was published in Newsband

Navi Mumbaikars face threat from foreign nationals?

The Koparkhairane police in Navi Mumbai recently arrested seven Nigerians for residing illegally in the node after validity period of their visas got over. While the particular action taken by the police was in connection with defiance of norms on part of the foreigners, the residents of the satellite city have more reasons to worry as a section of the Africans is engaged in serious crimes like drug peddling.

It appears that such practices have been and going on in a concealed manner over the past one year. Someone said that one of the pubs in CBD Belapur is a place where drug is sold to youths. It seems that the drugs are brought to the city via Pune from Goa.

In addition to drug peddling, some Africans are allegedly involved in online lottery scams. In 2009, the cops had, in association with a Seawoods resident, arrested a Nigerian in connection with a online lottery scam. People still receive such mails sent by Africans staying here.

Besides Koparkhairane, Nigerians can be found in large numbers in Juhugaon in Vashi, Ghansoli, and nodes like Kharghar, Kamothe and Kalamboli. These men easily get rooms on rent of Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000. For petty monetary benefits, the villagers allow them to stay put illegally. Earlier, Nigerians could be found in Kharghar only. But the number has swelled over one year.

This is evident from the number of Nigerians attending Sunday mass at Sacred Heart church in Vashi. Over a year ago, there would be one or two Africans at mass. Now, there are at least 30-40 of them. The nuisance level caused by them is high, especially for the women attending.

There are people coming to the city with tourist visas, which are not registered with police. Hence, their exact number cannot be established. But the police have a record of around 1,500 foreigners pursuing education and business here.

According to Navi Mumbai police commissioner Ahmed Javed, residents forwarding complaints to cops with specifications will be a big help for the security personnel in cracking down on people involved in drug peddling. He expects Navi Mumbai residents who have knowledge of Africans engaging in drug peddling to raise the matter with police so that action can be taken against them as per relevant law. Navi Mumbai police are keen to know whether residents of this city are really facing threat from foreign nationals.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (The problem with our education system) that was published in Newsband

The problem with our education system

The Right to Education (RTE) Act seeks to demolish the class-centric exclusivity of private schools. It promises better education for slum kids and students from underprivileged backgrounds.

Even the Supreme Court has certified the constitutionality of the Act. The jury is still out on who would benefit more or suffer more — the students from the disadvantaged background or the kids from better off families, whether the 25 percent reservation idea would run into scandals after a period or whether it is more political grandstanding than real concern for the poor.

But the RTE Act is nowhere close to addressing the genuine problems of the education sector. Its basic flaw lies with the presumption that education is better in private schools. A few quality private schools do not represent all private schools. In fact, most of these are money-making enterprises aimed at fleecing parents. It is also not true that all government schools provide sub-standard education.

Egalitarianism is okay, but the RTE Act is nowhere close to addressing the genuine problems of the education sector. If we are looking at the RTE from the perspective of quality education, then it does not provide any solution. There are too many problems with our education sector, starting from poor infrastructure in schools to poor teacher-student ratio to lackadaisical school managements to abysmally low quality teachers. The RTE Act is designed to address the broader issue of inequality in society, well, it makes a nice point, though not a very convincing one.

A Navi Mumbaikar’s kid studies in a private school in Navi Mumbai which has branches in Mumbai. The school management in a span of eight months has thrown out five teachers of his son’s class. Thus, there’s a new teacher to handle the class every month-and-a-half. Every teacher takes time to get familiar with the students and starts studies afresh, in her own way. Sometimes, the new teachers are not qualified for the job; they are in because they are available for cheap. That the quality of teaching is bad is obvious.

The principal is difficult to meet and there’s a risk of the student getting victimised by the teachers and the management once a complaint is lodged. The Parent-Teacher Association is of little help since it is disinterested. Shifting his son to another school is also not a good idea since most other private schools are as bad and the good one have few seats to accommodate new students. The entrance test is tough — sometimes five hundred applicants for a single seat — and ‘influence’ is an important factor.

So he has to suffer watching his son getting bad education. Meanwhile, the school keeps increasing the fees under different pretexts. His story could be that of thousands of other parents.

The problems with the system as evident from the friend’s story is threefold: first, there is a shortage of quality teachers; second, there are no options for the students who want to shift schools; and three, the power with the schools to harass students and parent. Magnify this. It could be the story of the education system across the country. In villages and small towns, the situation is worse.

The country does not discuss these problems much. The political class will have its own calculations in changing the education system but the real effort should come from civil society groups working in this sector.

Dinesh Kamath's article on film 'Department' that was published in Newsband

Department is an upcoming Hindi action film directed by Ram Gopal Varma. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Rana Daggubati in lead roles. The film was shot using several Canon EOS 5D cameras. The movie has been given an "A"certificate.

The film has Amitabh Bachchan as Sarjerao Gaikwad, a gangster-turned politician, Sanjay Dutt as Inspector Mahadev Bhosle, the leader of an encounter squad, Rana Daggubati as Inspector Shivnarayan, an encounter specialist, Anjana Sukhani as Kammo, Shivnarayan's wife, Vijay Raaz as Sawatya, Mumbai don, Abhimanyu Singh as D.K., right-hand man of Sawatya, Lakshmi Manchu as Mrs. Padmini Mahadev Bhosale and Nathalia Kaur in a special appearance.

Nilesh Girkar is the writer of story, screenplay and dialogue. The soundtrack is composed by Dharam Sandeep, Bappi Lahiri and Vikram Nagi. The album had amazing response. Musicperk.com rated it 7.5/10 quoting "Get ready for an out and out dance fest with not a single song giving your legs and hips even a tiny break".

Department focuses on conflict of interest in police department. Exploring in his films the dark underbelly of the underworld is what Ram Gopal Varma is known for. After making underworld dramas, the filmmaker puts the spotlight on the dark secrets of the police department through his film Department, releasing Friday.

Department focuses on a group of encounter specialists working with the Mumbai Police force and their different perspective towards the underworld.

Concerned about the underworld`s increasing terror and other criminal activities, the top cops along with the home secretary and the home minister hold a secret meeting and decide to form a special unit called - The Department. The team includes inspector Mahadev Bhosle (Sanjay Dutt), leader of the encounter squad, and Shivnarayan (Rana Daggubati), an encounter specialist. Both the cops have different ways of dealing with the gangsters. While Shivnarayan follows principles and ethics, Bhosle is completely opposite. The film shows conflicts of interest and struggle for power among the cops.

The film has been extensively shot with the 5D and 7D cameras, and the filmmaker fondly calls it "rogue filmmaking".

Department is a hard hitting action drama and RGV wanted to apply a completely new language of cinema in terms of both its camera work and editing. The technology and methodology he adopted in the course of filming Department is what he would call `rogue filmmaking`. Department has not been shot with canon 5D alone... it`s just one of the 7 types of cameras used. It`s been shot in multiple formats with 5D, 7D Lumix Gopro Sony Nx5 and 60D... each camera was used for its own uniqueness in capturing a shot. Even Sanjay admits he was amazed to see the minute details that the camera has captured.

Varma`s films are incomplete without a raunchy number and this time he has roped in Brazilian model of Indian descent Nathalia Kaur to perform on the song Dan dan Cheeni, which is a tribute to Tamil superstar Rajinikanth. The song was earlier offered to Sunny Leone, but she couldn`t do it.

A new version of Amitabh`s iconic song Thodi si jo pee li hai from 1982 release Namak Halal has been used. In this number, Sanjay shakes a leg with the megastar.

Also Varma`s films are incomplete without controversy. Here too screen-play writer Danish Raza filed a police complaint against the director for allegedly not paying him his dues for the film.

Department would be the first film in all probability where the lead actors or rather all the performers have enacted the role assigned to them without talking into the camera. Department has democratized the art of cinematography by introducing a series of cameras to shoot a sequence. The consequence is that the actors do not know which camera to talk to, to enhance their performance, rather they would have to let their acting skills do the talking and let the camera pick up the skill and allow the audience to be a judge of the narrative.

If one were to talk in the context of Department, it is a film based on the life of policemen, and the trials and travails that they face day in and day out, the use of the imaginative camera angles could turn out to be a USP. For the actors of the likes of Big B who talks through the camera with the audience, filming of the Department was a big challenge as he did not know which one to talk to! So, one could see one of another hallmark of the performances in the acting career of Big B in Department.

Department is a story of a power struggle between the police and the gang lords, and in such kind of a canvas the element of surprise related to action is facilitated in a big way through imaginative camera angles. Crime stories indeed become fascinating when the camera explores imaginative positions.

If the experiment of Ram Gopal Varma succeeds in Department, it indeed would be a watershed day in the history of film making in India as anybody who has content in mind would be able to shoot a film through the cameras available in the market. One would not have to rely on heavy cameras to make a movie, rather the new generation cameras would help the filmmaker to realize the dream.

The film has five songs. RGV has used three music directors (Dharam Sandeep, Bappa Lahiri, Vikram Nagi).

The first song is Paroma P. Dasgupta's song Dan Dan Cheeni which is like any other item song. Kammo is the next song which is sung by Mika. It is nice to hear Sudesh Bhonsle after a long time. Next is The Theme of Department sung by Sandeep Patil; the song does justice to the title given to it and takes you deeper in the plot based music. Movie moves forward with another of the forgettable numbers Bad Boys. Ritu Pathak's voice is able to hold listeners. Last song is Mumbai Police and on many counts can be called the highlight of the film. Sung by Sanjay Dutt and Farhad Bhiwandiwala, the song will demand attention. Voiceover and the lyrics complement each other and are fun to listen to. Overall, the music of Department is another great product out of RGV camp.

Thus the film focuses on an elite group of encounter specialists working within the Mumbai Police force to eliminate the underworld. It is a classic police drama based at a time when the Mumbai mafia is at its peak. It is a hard hitting action drama. RGV didn't use any lighting while shooting Department…It was shot in 80 days, by six 20-year-old still photography and visual effects students who had never set their foot inside a movie set. Do watch the film Department when it gets released on 18 May 2012. You'll like it.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (In the world, football is more popular than cricket) that was published in Newsband

In the world, football is more popular than cricket

Cricket is a gentleman’s game but it doesn’t have as much global reach as football does.

India is a cricket crazy country. Nonetheless, India was a very good football playing country in the 50s and 60s. We were the Asian champions but unfortunately there has been a decline in Indian football in the last three to four decades.

This is one sport played by every country on this planet. But cricket is played by only few countries in the world. We are indeed a great cricketing country and we are high among the ranking in just 10 cricket playing nations. But that doesn’t clearly make us great among the number of countries,

Praful Patel, the president of The All India Football Federation (AIFF), announced the opening of the AIFF Regional Academy in Navi Mumbai. This is a great news. There is a quandary before the AIFF as to whether build the game first or wait for the money to flow in given that the two are interconnected. It is a long haul. It is like a chicken and egg situation. What comes first? Build the game, the money will flow. But if you want to build the game you have to have the money. And before you build the game, the money doesn’t come. Cricket has all the money in the world; other sports don’t have that much money.

The current emphasis is to develop the football sport in India and also bid for the under 17 World Cup which would in turn enable getting important infrastructure for the country. The AIFF along with the Dutch government, Orange Sports Forum and Walnut Sports Media have entered into an agreement to provide expertise to develop the game.

In 2017, India is likely to host the under 17 World Cup; this is something which India is aspiring for. India needs to set a goal and if Indians don’t set a goal, they won’t achieve anything. It is an ambitious bid before the FIFA Congress in Budapest around the third week of this month. Unless and until India doesn’t have a strong youth development programme in place, Indians will not have the bid or even do justice to the bid even if it comes through.

The five-year target has been designed to create a base for the grassroot footballers and AIFF has identified the stadiums which will host the event. In five years AIFF has to set a goal and within five years it will be able to have the infrastructure in place and it has identified 5-6 venues. AIFF has the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi, the Salt Lake Stadium and the stadium in Goa which would be ready and also Balewadi in Pune.

So that’s a great news for football lovers of India. Let’s hope that Football will attain as much popularity as Cricket has in our country.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Attempt to discipline the students?) that was published in Newsband

Attempt to discipline the students?

In a bid to make its students serious about attendance, the management of Mahatma Gandhi Mission’s College of Engineering and Technology in Kamothe, Navi Mumbai, had asked those with less than the mandatory mark to submit an undertaking on a stamp paper.

This was the first time that a college, at least in Mumbai University, had done this. While most colleges let students off with a warning, some debar them from taking the final exams.

Students across nearly 10 departments at the college with less than the requisite 75 per cent attendance were asked to take an undertaking on a non-judicial Rs 100 stamp paper.

The undertaking states: “If I am found to be a defaulter in the future, I am liable for any sort of action taken against me as per the university norms.” The move, which will only affect the students’ internal markings, is applicable to students from all four years.

Of the institute’s 2,500 students, 800 were in the defaulter’s list. While students queued up outside photo copy shops to buy stamp papers, most didn’t approve of this disciplinary measure.

Most students’ attendance is in the 70-75 per cent range. This was for the first time that the college had taken this step. The college was not prepared to accept these students’ assignments if they didn’t give this undertaking. Since that would impact their internal marks many students had already given it.

The college had also asked defaulting students to solve question papers of the last three years and submit it along with the undertaking.

Initially, the college wanted to fine the students but decided not to go ahead with that as many of the students protested. The students feared that they might get detained in the future for no reason if they took this undertaking. Most of the students were not comfortable with this proposal.

The college’s principal Santosh Narayan Khedkar compared the measure to a Supreme Court order last year which asked students and parents across institutes to take an undertaking on anti-ragging. It appears that the college was following the same analogy. The objective, according to the principal, is to implement discipline among students. The college authorities want to make the students to understand how important lectures and practicals are and that this step was for their long-term benefit.

Now, there is no guideline that asks defaulting students to take an undertaking on a stamp paper. The university should ask the college as to what prompted it to take this step. The university authorities should also meet the principals of all engineering colleges to look into issues faced by them and bring in uniform rules for them to follow.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Congress and NCP betray each other) that was published in Newsband

Congress and NCP betray each other
 Will the disputes between the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Thane Municipal Corporation have any bearing on their alliance at the state and national level? State NCP chief Madhukar Pichad had asked the Congress to decide whether it wants to continue with the alliance or not.
NCP president Sharad Pawar admits that there has been bickering between the Congress and NCP at a local level, but he is sure that it is not going to have any impact on the Congress-NCP alliance at the state and national level. He has no doubt that both Congress and NCP will contest the next Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections as an alliance
After contesting TMC elections as an alliance, the Congress recently grabbed the post of leader of Opposition with the help of ruling party Shiv Sena. This is what made Pichad doubt whether the Congress wanted NCP as allies. The way the party has behaved in Thane is not in keeping with the principles of a coalition.
Earlier, the NCP had joined hands with the Sena and BJP to defeat the Congress candidates in the election of presidents and vice-presidents of zilla parishads.
However, Sharad Pawar sought to play down the recent differences which had arisen between his party and the Congress, saying the two parties would stick together. A war of words had broken out between state leaders of the Congress and the NCP over decisions taken by both the parties against each other in the recently held urban local body and zilla parishad elections. Things had reached a flashpoint after the Congress decided to break its tie-up in Thane with the NCP and got its own candidate elected as leader of the opposition, even when the latter had a larger number of seats.
Pawar likes to believe that these things happened because of local issues and factors. In fact, Pawar is also sure that the current row between the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will not affect the stability of the ruling coalition government in the state. He is confident that the latest round of bickering between the allies will not threaten stability of the state government. He has no doubt that as the elections approach, the two parties will totally unite. He denies having any differences with Congress. He expressed his confidence while talking to reporters at Navi Mumbai recently.
But Madhukar Pichad could not stand the betrayal by Congress and he had no hesitation in lashing out at the Congress for getting its candidate elected as the leader of opposition in the Thane civic body with Shiv Sena's support. This was in spite of the fact that the NCP had more councillors in the house than the Congress and also both had contested the Thane civic polls together.
The friction between the two partners is very obvious. Earlier, the NCP had joined hands with the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party to defeat the Congress candidates in the election of presidents and vice presidents of zila parishads. This time Congress took its revenge.
This gives rise to the question as to how secular-minded parties like Congress and NCP go to the extent of joining hands with a communal party? Have both Congress and NCP thrown their principles to the wind?

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Shocking incident) that was published in Newsband

Shocking incident 
Just a few days back, seven youngsters from Vashi's Sector 28 were hauled up by the Navi Mumbai police, who took them to the police station and detained them for a long time. The boys were just 11 to 13 years of age and their only crime was that they played cricket in their building compound. One of the residents who didn't like the boys playing cricket and had enough political connections, called up the police. The policemen picked the kids up, took them to the police station, and detained them there.
These children are aged between 11 and 13 years. This type of police action is shocking. The thing is all these children were minors and police didn't even bother informing their parents when they took the children to the police station. The parents should discuss this issue with the Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner so that action can be taken against the concerned beat constables. The thing is since the constables didn't inform the parents about the detention their act amounts to abduction.
The summer break from school is largely meant to be spent outside the house playing with friends. The boys had stepped out of their homes at 4 pm to play. While most of them stay at Sun Villa, a couple stay in other nearby buildings. Since there is no open space around their Sun Villa building, they play cricket within their colony compound. Around that time the police got a call from a female resident complaining of the noise the children were creating. Two beat marshals came to the compound somewhere between 5.30 pm and 5.45 pm, and rounded up the children and took them to the police station in the complainant's car. The parents, who had no clue about the police action, found out nearly 40 minutes later after which they rushed to the police station.
The children said that the cops were rude to them. When they were trying to reason with the beat marshals asking why they were being asked to get inside the car, the officers told to shut up and do as was told to them.
The parents are upset with the police attitude. What the police did is outrageous. They could have called the children's parents and told them to take their children away. It is vacation time. What will the children do, if not play?
While the police did not lodge a formal complaint against the children, and let them off with a warning, the incident has scarred the children. They are asking all sorts of questions: 'Is it wrong to play? What wrong did they do? Will they not be able to go down now? Some children are too scared to even step down now. It's not just the children who were hauled up by the police, but others from the colony are also afraid that if they step down to play they will be taken away by the cops.
The police have defended themselves by saying that it was just a normal complaint which police attended to and that they just spoke to the children and that the matter has been resolved. Since they sent the children back with their parents after a warning, they didn't consider it as a big issue.
The parents were agitated initially but now they have withdrawn their complaint. But what about the children? What impression about the police will they harbour throughout their lives?

Dinesh Kamath's review of film 'Safe' that was published in Newsband

Safe is an action film written and directed by Boaz Yakin and starring Jason Statham.
The film has an interesting plot. A former NYPD cop rescues a 12-year-old, abducted Chinese girl, then must fight the Triads, Russian Mafia and high-level corrupt New York City politicians as well as police.
Let me be clearer. Safe is an action thriller replete with gun battles and car chases. Mei is a little girl with a great memory. And Luke is man who has lost hope to live. And destiny has it to bring them together. What follows of course, are umpteen number of 'Stathamisms' that leave the audience waiting for more. Little Mei is so good with numbers, she can even correct her teachers. And she is a perfect 'safe house' for a numerical code that computers today fail to be. She is then sent to America where Russian mobsters and corrupt police men want to get the code from her, to lay their hands on an elusive booty. Statham gets involved in the game, and then what follows is what makes the movie what it is – little emotion, less talking, and even less silence.
Statham is interested in the money of course, but apart from it, is also concerned about Mei. No wonder he goes out of his way to make sure the big beasts don't lay a finger on her. His one-liners are to watch out for and his action scenes are to die for.
Thus the film has Jason Statham as Luke Wright, Catherine Chan as Mei, Chris Sarandon as Mayor Tremello, Robert John Burke as Captain Wolf, James Hong as Han Jiao, Reggie Lee, Danny Hoch, Danni Lang, Igor Jijikine as Shemyakin, David Kim as Triad #1  and Anson Mount as Alex Rosen.
The website's consensus says that "while hard-hitting and violently inventive, Safe ultimately proves too formulaic to set itself apart from the action thriller pack – including some of its star's better films." Peter Travers, the film critic for Rolling Stone, gave the film 2 stars out of a possible 4, and said that "the trouble with Safe is that you know where it's going every step of the way". He also added that "Between the fists, kicks, bullets, car chases and broken trachea, the movie could have milked the sentiment of that relationship until you puked. But Statham and the scrappy Chan play it hard. The restraint becomes them. Statham is still playing it safe in Safe, but vulnerability is showing through the cracks." Claudia Puig of USA Today gave the film a moderately positive review, saying that "Yakin's slick direction, marked by quick cuts, unstinting energy and a lack of sentimentality, makes the action scenes satisfying," but thought the dialogue was "riddled with clichés." Robert Abele of the Los Angeles Times scored the film 3/5, saying "Yakin gives his star plenty of room to look mean, think fast, drive faster, punch, quip, mow down and charismatically bond with the most imperiled child character in screen memory."
On a $30 million budget, principal photography of Safe took place from October to December 2010 in Philadelphia and New York City. Filming scenes in Philadelphia on Broad Street was done on the nights and early mornings of November 17th, 18th and 19th. A class from a Catholic School in downtown Philadelphia was used for a scene depicting a class in China.
Thus Safe is an interesting film to watch. So don't miss it.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Attack against CM not justified) that was published in Newsband

Attack against CM not justified
 Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had recently come under attack from both the ruling coalition and opposition parties for his alleged inaction and a prevailing “policy paralysis”. A tweet by Union minister Milind Deora that a decision deficit was delaying the implementation of major infrastructure projects in state capital and the rest of Maharashtra led to CM getting attacked.
But the fact is that since he took over in November 2010, major infrastructure projects have gained momentum due to a systematic approach.
This point can be substantiated if you just refer to the list of such projects such as Navi Mumbai International Airport, Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Dharavi Re-development Project and cluster development of dilapidated buildings. The government has also finalized the pricing and allotment policy regarding houses for mill workers.
Chavan and his dispensation have taken several decisions that were for long remained pending. The last one-and-a-half years has given impetus to various projects of larger public interest. An amendment in the Development Control rules is an example. Also, transportation project such as metro and mono were underway in a bid to minimize road traffic congestion. The proposed water transportation projects, along with Mumbai's coast, will be a treat for daily commuters.
The much talked MTHL project linking Mumbai with Raigad is very much on schedule, and the tender process will be completed next year. Six consortiums, comprising 18 Indian and foreign companies, have shown interest in building the link, which would provide faster connectivity to the Navi Mumbai International Airport. The 22-km sea link, connecting Sewri in South-Central Mumbai with Nhava Sheva in Navi Mumbai, will have six-lane road bridges along with provision for building two metro lines.
As for the Navi Mumbai airport, a proposal to commence construction on the airport site (after giving consideration to the mangroves) in the project area is in its “final stage” of approval. In January 2011, the City and Industrial Development Corporation Board had approved modifications to the Navi Mumbai Development Plan for the airport zone. A year later, a draft request for qualification was discussed at the meeting held in Delhi. The bidding process will start on the receipt of an approval.
Further, the government has given priority to a project on Dharavi, and decks have been cleared for this project aimed at redeveloping the vast slum. The government has changed the eligibility criteria for the slum dwellers by protecting pre-1995 structures. The final amendment to the development control rules has paved the way for the redevelopment of Dharavi as well as cluster development of dilapidated buildings in the city. The amendment to DCR 33(9a) and 33(10), especially issued for Dharavi, provides global FSI of 4 to the shantytown.
To enable redevelopment of dilapidated buildings in the metro, the government has made amendments in Section 33(9) of the DC rules. The buildings would be developed cluster-wise. Till now, the authorities have given five permissions for the cluster development. More such proposals would require consent from 70 per cent cluster residents and 100 per cent of their owners.
Thus Chavan's government is indeed going strictly by rules and regulations and is studying every proposal in detail. So attack against CM is not at all justified.

From Dinesh Kamath's stock of photographs

From left to right are Publisher of Newsband Kailash Gindodia, State Excise and Non Conventional Energy Minister and Thane Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik and Editor of Newsband Dinesh Kamath. The occasion is 5th anniversary of Newsband, 15th anniversary of In New Bombay and 18th anniversary of Aaple Nave Shahar. Venue is Vishnudas Bhave Auditorium, Vashi, Navi Mumbai. Photographer is Ashok Dhamija, Principal Photo-journalist of Newsband.

From Dinesh Kamath's stock of photographs

Thane Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik addressing the audiences while Editor of Newsband Dinesh Kamath, Publisher of Newsband Kailash Gindodia and Chief Guest and Editor of Navshakti Sachin Parab listen. The occasion is 5th anniversary of Newsband. Venue is Vishnudas Bhave Auditorium, Vashi, Navi Mumbai. Photographer is Ashok Dhamija, Principal Photo-journalist of Newsband.

From Dinesh Kamath's stock of photographs

State Excise and Non Conventional Energy Minister and Thane Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik addressing the audiences at Vishnudas Bhave Auditorium at Vashi, Navi Mumbai, on the occasion of 5th anniversary of Newsband, 15th anniversay of In New Bombay and 18th anniversary of Aaple Nave Shahar.  Photographer is Ashok Dhamija, Principal Photo-journalist of Newsband.

From Dinesh Kamath's stock of photographs

On the dais, from left to right, are Editor of Aaple Nave Shahar Shailesh Jadhav, Chief Guest and Editor of Navshakti Sachin Parab, State Excise and Non Conventional Energy Minister and Thane Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik, Publisher of Newsband Kailash Gindodia and Editor of Newsband Dinesh Kamath. The occasion is 5th anniversary of Newsband, 15th anniversay of In New Bombay and 18th anniversary of Aaple Nave Shahar. The venue is Vishnudas Bhave Auditorium, Vashi, Navi Mumbai. Photographer is Ashok Dhamija, Principal Photo-journalist of Newsband.

From Dinesh Kamath's stock of photographs

Publisher of Newsband Kailash Gindodia addressing the audiences while Editor of Newsband Dinesh Kamath, Thane Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik and Chief Guest and Editor of Navshakti Sachin Parab listen. The occasion is 5th anniversary of Newsband. Venue is Vishnudas Bhave Auditorium, Vashi, Navi Mumbai. Photographer is Ashok Dhamija, Prinicipal Photo-journalist of Newsband.

From Dinesh Kamath's stock of photographs

Chief Guest and Editor of Navshakti Sachin Parab addressing the audiences while Editor of Newsband Dinesh Kamath, Publisher of Newsband Kailash Gindodia, Thane Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik and Editor of Aaple Nave Shahar Shailesh Jadhav listen. The occasion is 5th anniversary of Newsband. Venue is Vishnudas Bhave Auditorium, Vashi, Navi Mumbai. Photographer is Ashok Dhamija, Principal Photo-journalist of Newsband.

From Dinesh Kamath's stock of photographs

Compere Mahendra Konde addressing the audiences while Editor of Newsband Dinesh Kamath and Publisher of Newsband Kailash Gindodia listen. The occasion is 5th anniversary of Newsband. Venue is Vishnudas Bhave Auditorium, Vashi, Navi Mumbai. Photographer is Ashok Dhamija, Principal Photo-journalist of Newsband.

From Dinesh Kamath's stock of photographs

On the dais, from left to right, are Thane Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik, Publisher of Newsband Kailash Gindodia and Editor of Newsband Dinesh Kamath. The occasion is 5th anniversary of Newsband. The venue is Vishnudas Bhave Auditorium, Vashi, Navi Mumbai. Photographer is Ashok Dhamija, Principal Photo-journalist of Newsband. 

From Dinesh Kamath's stock of photographs

From left to right are Editor of Raigad Observer Vishwarath Nair, Publisher of Newsband Kailash Gindodia and Editor of Newsband Dinesh Kamath. The occasion is 5th anniversary of Newsband. The venue is Vishnudas Bhave Auditorium, Vashi, Navi Mumbai. Photographer is Ashok Dhamija, Principal Photo-journalist of Newsband.

From Dinesh Kamath's stock of photographs

Left to right are Publisher of Newsband Kailash Gindodia and Editor of Newsband Dinesh Kamath. The occasion is 5th anniversary of Newsband. The venue is Vishnudas Bhave Auditorium, Vashi, Navi Mumbai. Photographer is Ashok Dhamija, Principal Photo-journalist of Newsband.

From Dinesh Kamath's stock of photographs

To the extreme right is Editor of Newsband Dinesh Kamath. To the left is Vishwarath Naik, Editor of Raigad Observer. The occasion is 5th anniversary of Newsband. The venue is Vishnudas Bhave Auditorium, Vashi, Navi Mumbai. The occasion is 5th anniversary of Newsband. The venue is Vishnudas Bhave Auditorium, Vashi, Navi Mumbai. Photographer is Ashok Dhamija, Principal Photo-journalist of Newsband. 

From Dinesh Kamath's stock of photographs

From left to right are Ex-Editor of Newsband K R Bhat, Professor of Somaiya College, Ghatkopar and columnist of Newsband Dr. Kanak Tiwari, Publisher of Newsband Kailash Gindodia and Editor of Newsband Dinesh Kamath. The occasion is 5th anniversary of Newsband. Venue is Vishnudas Bhave Auditorium, Vashi, Navi Mumbai. Photographer is Ashok Dhamija, Principal Photo-journalist of Newsband.

From Dinesh Kamath's stock of photographs

Manoj Jalnawallah of Maharashtra Times receives 2012 Nave Shahar Best Journalist Award from Thane Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik while Publisher of Newsband Kailash Gindodia and Editor of Newsband Dinesh Kamath applaud. The occasion is 5th anniversary of Newsband and the venue is Vishnudas Bhave Auditorium, Vashi, Navi Mumbai. In another photograph, Manoj Jalnawalla is addressing the audiences. Photographer is Ashok Dhamija, Principal Photo-journalist of Newsband.

From Dinesh Kamath's stock of photographs

Representatives of Prakalpgrast Mahila Aghadi (Project Affected Women's Front) receive the 2012 Nave Shahar Bet Social Organization Award from Thane Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik. Looking on are from left to right Chief Guest and Editor of Navshakti Sachin Parab, Publisher of Newsband Kailash Gindodia and Editor of Newsband Dinesh Kamath. The occasion is 5th anniversary of Newsband. Venue is Vishnudas Bhave Auditorium, Vashi, Navi Mumbai. Photographer is Ashok Dhamija, Principal Photo-journalist of Newsband.