Dinesh Kamath completes eight years in daily newspaper Newsband

Hi Friends, 

On 31 April 2015, I completed eight years in the daily newspaper Newsband. As I told you earlier, I have completed more than 11 years as staff journalist of Kailashchandra Prakashan and more than three and a half years as Editor of Newsband. Bye!

Dinesh Kamath's news 'Vashi’s Mini Seashore in a mess' that was published in Newsband

Vashi’s Mini Seashore in a mess

By Dinesh Kamath

NAVI MUMBAI: The mini seashore in Vashi is being treated like a dumping ground. It is become a paradise of boozards and beggars. The place is become dangerous for joggers, senior citizens and other city residents who visit this place. Even the lives of marine creatures are in danger owing to the kind of materials that are dumped here.  

Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation has been informed about these happenings but the civic body just doesn’t seem to be in a mood to take any kind of constructive action. NMMC authorities were asked to at least deploy some security guards over here to prevent the unwanted elements from entering this place and to ensure security to city residents and their families who come for recreational purpose over here.

The police department and NMMC should join hands and tackle this problem that exists at the mini seashore, said a resident of Vashi.

There is another problem that residents face just outside the Mini Seashore where plenty of vehicles belonging to the staff members of Fortis Hospital, which is closeby are parked. Owing to this, the people who visit this seashore by cars are unable to find a place to park their cars. The management of Fortis Hospital has been informed about this and so also the NMMC authorities and traffic department have been alerted. The worst thing is that the vehicles are also parked on the path where pedestrians walk. Thus problems are faced by both vehicle owners as well as pedestrians. The traffic department was asked to make the road near Mini Seashore a No-Parking area but the department refused to do so since it would only add to the already existing problem.

Thus the place in and around Vashi’s Mini Seashore is in a total mess. The question is ‘Who will clear this mess?’

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Newsband becomes 8 years old' that was published in Newsband

Newsband becomes 8 years old

Our daily newspaper Newsband has completed eight years. It has been quite a long journey. It was an ambitious project launched by our Publisher Kailash Gindodia on 1 May 2007. During the initial stages, all were wondering whether the newspaper would click or not. All kinds of experiments were tried, trial and error methods were adopted, suggestions of the Readers were studied and analysed etc. etc. Only after this the newspaper began to run on a steady track. All the employees of Newsband heaved a sigh of relief.

Newsband is basically a local daily newspaper of Navi Mumbai. This newspaper tries to cater to the taste of the residents of Navi Mumbai. Hence most of the news that are carried in this newspaper are relating to Navi Mumbai which extends from Vashi to Panvel and from Vashi to Digha.

This newspaper receives both boutiques and brickbats from the readers. While the praises showered on this newspaper excites us, the criticisms many a time hurts. Some criticisms are just unbearable. But we consider very seriously every criticism that is aimed at our Newspaper and accordingly try to improve the newspaper. This practice adopted by us has created miracles since today we are showered with more praises than criticisms unlike during the initial stages when there used to be many people who pointed all kinds of faults in our newspaper.

Now eight years have passed since the newspaper came into existence and when we look back at the performance of our newspaper, we feel a sense of satisfaction and pride. Looking after the newspaper for eight years was like nurturing a just-born baby and making it grow to a stage where it could take care of itself. Today when we sight the newspaper at any newspaper stall in Navi Mumbai or when we witness a resident of Navi Mumbai deeply engrossed in reading our newspaper anywhere on the street, we feel simply great. We feel as if we have achieved something. We feel happy about the fact that our efforts have not gone waste. To be exact, we experience a feeling of fulfillment.

For any newspaper person, the Reader of his or her newspaper is the most important person. If the Reader is unhappy, the newsperson is unhappy. If the Reader is happy, the newsperson is happy. That is the kind of relations that exists between the newspaper person and the Reader. On this 8^th Anniversary of Newsband, all that we the employees of Newsband wish is that we succeed in keeping our Readers happy henceforth too. 

Dinesh Kamath's column 'New movies released in Navi Mumbai' (Sabki Bajegi Band, Gabbar is Back and While We're Young) that was published in Newsband

New movies released in Navi Mumbai

Sabki Bajegi Band

Sabki Bajegi Band (English: Everyone's dark secrets will be exposed) is the first Indian reality film written and directed by Anirudh Chawla and produced by Yusuf Shaikh. The film is presented by Percept Pictures and Yen Movies. The film will unveil deep and dark secrets of the glamour world and may turn out to be one of the most controversial films of 2015.

Anirudh Chawla had hosted a farmhouse party for his friends who are well known names in the party circuit, television and film industry. There were hidden cameras at the venue and candid conversations and confessions got recorded. When Anirudh Chawla and Yusuf Shaikh saw the raw uncensored footage they decided to turn it in to a reality film.

The film depicts a party with some well known names of the party circuit, television and films. It's a small private party and these celebrities are comfortable, uninhibited and happy.

The conversations are light and loose and soon start getting personal, very personal. Soon these celebrities begin to talk, and gossip and reveal their sexual fantasies and other dark secrets about themselves and the people they associate with.

You hear things which are never meant to be said out of the bedroom, or anywhere outside closed doors. Stories that shock you, but are somehow believable because you had heard the whispers and the rumors.... You can now be privy to these revelations that will change the way you look at the people on page 3 and even question the lives, especially the sex lives of the people around you.

The film has Sumeet Vyas as Amit, Swara Bhaskar as Jaya, Alekh Sangal as Harsh, Shaurya Chauhan as Savvy, Amol Parasher as Sid, Aman Uppal as Karan, Jhanvi Desai as Pallavi, Samarth Shandilya as DK, Nisha Lalwani as Vasna and Raj Yadav as Randy.

Gabbar Is Back

Gabbar is Back is a Hindi action drama film directed by Krish and produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Viacom 18 Motion Pictures. Featuring Akshay Kumar in the title role, the film is a remake of the 2002 Tamil film Ramanaa directed by A. R. Murugadoss with Vijayakanth in the lead. Shruti Haasan Jaideep Ahlawat and Ishita Vyas did supporting roles, and Kareena Kapoor Khan appears in a cameo.

The film has Akshay Kumar as Gabbar Singh, Shruti Haasan as Shruti, Suman Talwar, Jaideep Ahlawat, Sunil Grover as Constable, Ishita Vyas as Veena, Kareena Kapoor Khan (cameo) as Gabbar's wife and Chitrangda Singh (cameo) as Aao Raja.

The songs of Gabbar is Back are composed by Chirantan Bhatt, Yo Yo Honey Singh & Manj Musik, while the lyrics are penned by Manoj Yadav, Kumaar, Sahil Kaushal, Manj Musik, Raftaar & Big Dhillon.

The film has songs like "Teri Meri Kahani" sung by Arijit Singh and Palak Muchhal, "Coffee Peetey Peetey" by Dev Negi and Paroma Das Gupta, "Aao Raja" by Neha Kakkar and Yo Yo Honey Singh and "Warna Gabbar Aa Jayega" by Manj Musik and Raftaar.

Gabbar Singh Rajput (Akshay Kumar) creates his own vigilante military network called the Anti-Corruption Force (ACF) that eliminates the most corrupt individuals, from all walks of life, in a systematic manner. As pressure builds on Police and Government to track down the man who masterminds these killings, Balbir Singh (Sonu Sood) is specially summoned to head the task. He is aided by Suryam (Prakash Raj) who, though being just a constable in the mammoth Police force, is compelled by his instincts to see through the underlying design.

There's no one more dangerous than a common man on a death wish. This is one such story of a man remorselessly wronged by the establishment. One freak incident results in everything he held dear taken away from him. Predictably, the system doesn't seem to care - let alone resolve. That's when Ajay (AK) takes matters in his own hands. An underground vigilante army, a secret identity, an elaborate modus...all of these combined make a 'GABBAR'- a true hero, with dreadful villainous instincts.

While We’re Young

While We're Young is a 2014 American comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by Noah Baumbach. The film stars Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Adam Driver, and Amanda Seyfried. The film centers on a New York-based documentary filmmaker and his wife (Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts, respectively), who begin hanging out with a couple in their 20s (Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried).

The film has an interesting story. A documentary filmmaker (Ben Stiller) and his wife (Naomi Watts) find their lives loosened up a bit after befriending a free-spirited younger couple (Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried).

Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts shine as Josh and Cornelia, New Yorkers in their 40s. With no children but lots of midlife listlessness, they’re stuck in a rut, feeling a loss of identity. Then Josh, a flailing Park Slope documentarian and part-time teacher, meets a couple sitting in on his continuing-ed class.

They’re Bushwick-dwelling Jamie (Adam Driver) and Darby (Amanda Seyfried), and they are Josh and Cornelia’s opposites — spontaneous and seemingly irresponsible. Jamie and Darby got married in an abandoned water tower. They have a bird and a funky female roommate.

Jamie also makes documentaries, but his offer to co-direct a project with Josh is a sneakier move than you’d expect from a laid-back hipster. As Josh and Cornelia ditch their friends with babies for friends who act like babies, Josh finds, to his surprise, some notable values within himself.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Only AAP can save the country' that was published in Newsband

Only AAP can save the country

It is good to see the bitter internal battle coming to an end within Aam Aadmi Party. The party is now focusing on the governance of Delhi. The party has also revealed its ambition to contest elections in other States.

A significant part of its internal battle may have been a clash of egos and personalities. While Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan wanted to use AAP to make name for themselves, Kejriwal, on the other hand, wanted to focus his energies on ridding Delhi of corruption and ensuring better delivery of services to its citizenry. The future of the AAP now rests on Kejriwal’s performance as Chief Minister of Delhi.

It is true that a farmer committing suicide at a rally organised by it in New Delhi on April 22 is an unfortunate thing to happen. But enough has been reported in the media about how things turned worse for AAP. The problem in India today is, media controls the political discourse and there by governance too. Just see how much of discussions and debates are going on over the farmer suicide. One can’t blame AAP only for this happening. There are many others to be blamed.

Indeed, the future of AAP will depend on the governance in Delhi. The lessons learnt could then be applied all over the country. There is nothing wrong if AAP cashes the current popularity to go nationwide. Every political party or politician has to be opportunistic to a certain extent. Wouldn't it be good for India if AAP brought a new and effective model to apply to the country? Isn’t that best for the people of India? AAP is experimenting today and their method is showing signs of succeeding.  

Kejriwal is absolutely right in wanting to focus his efforts in ridding Delhi of corruption and proving better services to the citizens. This is pragmatism. If he is successful in doing what he is intending to do, then no political party, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, can stop their going places.

Like charity, popularity and governance begin at home. Kejriwal should focus first on local issues and at the appropriate time go outside the home. First he should go across the road by looking to LEFT and RIGHT and then he could cross the road ignoring LEFT and RIGHT. As far as others are concerned, they should give AK time to build his credibility by demonstrating results.

The AAP's position at the all-India level today is not bad. There are vast numbers of people in the rest of the country (outside Delhi) who are disgusted with dynasty politics. They are also frustrated with the conventional politics of patronage & hierarchy based on black money-funded elections. They are no longer attracted by the politics of caste leaders. Our democracy has now reached a stage when a political movement like that of the AAP, which is transparently funded, can impart a radical turn to the democratisation process. For that to happen the AAP should "formulate a position on several matters of national import." If the AAP, as a political movement, does not seize this historic opportunity, then all indicators are that we will be heading towards a "nationalist dictatorship."

Dinesh Kamath's news 'Struggle for Mayor’s post still going on' that was published in Newsband

Struggle for Mayor’s post still going on

By Dinesh Kamath

NAVI MUMBAI: Mayoral election will take place on May 9. Nationalist Congress Party appears to be favouring independent candidate Sudhakar Sonawane who appears to be the favourite to win the Mayor’s post. The strange thing is that his own wife Ranjana too might bag the Mayor’s post as is being speculated by some political pundits.

Shiv Sena was willing to support Sonawane for Mayor’s post. But Sonawane preferred to be backed by Nationalist Congress Party obviously because NCP has won much more seats than Shiv Sena in Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation. It is not surprising that Sonawane preferred to be backed by Ganesh Naik’s men rather than by Sena.

But Sonawane might receive a tough fight from NCP's Nivruti Jagtap who is also the favourite of Naik’s camp. In case Jagtap wins the Mayor’s post, Sonawane might regret having not accepted Sena’s support.

In the meantime, NCP are in search of five independents to form a majority in NMMC. The bargaining is going on since the Independents seem to be demanding a price, in the form of post or cash, for supporting NCP. If the price they demand is reasonable then it will not be a problem for NCP to reach the magical figure of 56 and thus form the majority in NMMC.

The Congress has 10 corporators in the civic body. Congress had remained separated from NCP while fighting the NMMC election. Although Congress and NCP are having good relations at National level, the story at the local level is just the opposite. In Navi Mumbai, the local NCP and Congress leaders just cannot get along well with each other.

The local Sena leaders are just not revealing their mind. When asked by the Reporter as to what their strategy will be, the answer was ‘Wait and see’.

The interesting thing is Sena-BJP alliance has 44 seats in NMMC. If the Congress along with a few independents decide to support this alliance then this new alliance will be in a position to become the majority side in NMMC. But NCP being the party with most seats will get the first chance to form the ruling government in NMMC. If only all the independents and the Congress Party refuse to ally with NCP and are bought by BJP-Sena alliance by being promised the posts of mayor and deputy mayor, then there could be an unexpected turn in the event. Thus it is still anybody’s game.  

Dinesh Kamath's news 'Lessons on environment imparted to children of Navi Mumbai' that was published in Newsband

Lessons on environment imparted to children of Navi Mumbai

By Dinesh Kamath

NAVI MUMBAI: An attempt is being made to teach children of Navi Mumbai the importance of environment. To achieve this goal a programme called Mr Green has been initiated. Dr Aseem Gokarn is the brain behind this project.

A person who is associated with this project said, “Children need to be taught the importance of flora and fauna in the city. For this purpose they are being taught to create their own gardens. By doing this they come to know the value of plats. The children are made to go outdoors and study the greenery wherever it exists. Importance is given to both theory and practicals.”

Going into details, he said, “In our project we are laying stress on Environmental protection. Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the natural environment on individual, organizational or governmental levels, for the benefit of both the natural environment and humans. Due to the pressures of population and technology, the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently. This has been recognized, and governments have begun placing restraints on activities that cause environmental degradation. Since the 1960s, activity of environmental movements has created awareness of the various environmental issues. There is no agreement on the extent of the environmental impact of human activity, and protection measures are occasionally criticized.

Academic institutions now offer courses, such as environmental studies, environmental management and environmental engineering, that teach the history and methods of environment protection. Protection of the environment is needed due to various human activities. Waste production, air pollution, and loss of biodiversity (resulting from the introduction of invasive species and species extinction) are some of the issues related to environmental protection. Environmental protection is influenced by three interwoven factors: environmental legislation, ethics and education. Each of these factors plays its part in influencing national-level environmental decisions and personal-level environmental values and behaviors. For environmental protection to become a reality, it is important for societies to develop each of these areas that, together, will inform and drive environmental decisions. So these are the things we are trying to impart to the children of Navi Mumbai.”

Dinesh Kamath's news 'Some youngsters make it as corporators of NMMC this time' that was published in Newsband

Some youngsters make it as corporators of NMMC this time

By Dinesh Kamath

Above Picture: Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation

NAVI MUMBAI: One of the interesting features of the NMMC election this time is that it has been able to send to the civic body 11 members who are below 30 years of age.

From among these youngsters, the credit particularly should go to those persons who have managed to make it as corporators in NMMC without having any political background. The others are those whose parents have been in politics for a long time.

Out of the eleven under-30 corporators, seven are Shiv Sainiks, three are from Nationalist Congress Party, Bharaitya Janata Party and Congress respectively, and one is an independent and a woman.

Nanda Kate, Chetan Naik, Rucha Patil, Kavita Agoned, Rupali Bhagat and Ujjawala Jhanjhad are some of the corporators who have not turned 30 yet. 

Dinesh Kamath's news 'A playground to come up in Airoli?' that was published in Newsband

A playground to come up in Airoli?

By Dinesh Kamath

Above Picture: Corporator Hemangi Sonawane

NAVI MUMBAI: Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation is seriously considering constructing a playground at sector 4 Airoli especially after the residents of this place have pressurized them to do so.

The local corporator Hemangi Sonawane wishes to persuade NMMC authorities to come up with a playground which is the urgent requirement in Airoli. She has decided to make this demand in writing and thus make it official.

The fact is at one stage the work on the playground had begun here. But suddenly the work stopped.

The parents of the children residing in Airoli are the worried ones owing to the fact that their children tend to play on the roads owing to the absence of a playground. According to them, playing on the roads is dangerous for their children and hence considering the seriousness of the situation, NMMC should construct a playground over here.

A spokesman for NMMC said that there are talks about coming up with a playground at Airoli and this project might cost around Rs 2 crore. “NMMC will have to work upon certain things like completing the tender formalities etc. before implementing their plan. The civic body has already chosen the land for the said work,” he said.

The news that NMMC is most likely to come up with a playground at Airoli has brightened the spirits of residents, particularly the children, over here. The local corporator Hemangi Sonawane has agreed to take up the initiative to compel NMMC into keeping their promise of constructing the playground in Airoli.

Dinesh Kamath's news 'Traffic policemen told not to spare even women who violate traffic rules' that was published in Newsband

Traffic policemen told not to spare even women who violate traffic rules

By Dinesh Kamath

NAVI MUMBAI: There is a common belief that men are the ones who flout traffic rules all the time. But the fact is that now the time has changed. Nowadays many girls and women are found violating the traffic rules many a times. They could be girls from colleges or housewives who drive mo-bikes.

The policemen tend to overlook the violation of traffic rules by females and they are left just with a warning. But violation of traffic rules by women has become so common that the authorities of Navi Mumbai traffic department have issued orders to all the traffic policemen to not spare women even if they break the traffic rules. They have been told to take to task women who violate MV Act. They have been ordered not to fine just male violators of traffic rule but also the women who fail to abide by traffic laws while driving. The authorities said that such stringent measures will create fear among the women drivers and they will drive carefully to avoid paying the penalty in case they get caught.

It has been found that just like some men, women too violate traffic laws by not wearing helmets, indulging in triple riding or speed-driving, on talking on mobile phones while driving. The authorities of traffic department have given orders to all the traffic policemen to penalize all these female culprits who violate MV Act.

There are women who drive two-wheelers with more than one school-going kid sitting behind them. They neither fear the possibility of meeting with accident nor do they care if they are caught violating MV Act by the traffic policemen.   

But now the traffic police is determined to implement traffic rules extremely strictly and be equally strict with both men and women violators of traffic laws. The thing is there is no provision in the law which says that women are allowed to violate the traffic laws which men break. The traffic law is the same for both men and women. The traffic department has now started posting police women too on the roads so that they can tackle the women violators of traffic rules.

An expert on traffic matters said, “Traffic on roads may consist of pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars, buses and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using the public way for purposes of travel. Traffic laws are the laws which govern traffic and regulate vehicles, while rules of the road are both the laws and the informal rules that may have developed over time to facilitate the orderly and timely flow of traffic. Organized traffic generally has well-established priorities, lanes, right-of-way, and traffic control at intersections. Traffic is formally organized in many jurisdictions, with marked lanes, junctions, intersections, interchanges, traffic signals, or signs.

Traffic is often classified by type: heavy motor vehicle (e.g., car, truck); other vehicle (e.g., moped, bicycle); and pedestrian. So women almost all the time belong to the second category – the ones who drive mo-bikes. Rules of the road and driving etiquette are the general practices and procedures that road users are required to follow and these road users include women too. They are not made exceptions. These rules usually apply to all road users, though they are of special importance to motorists and cyclists. These rules govern interactions between vehicles and with pedestrians. As a general rule, drivers are expected to avoid a collision with another vehicle and pedestrians, regardless of whether or not the applicable rules of the road allow them to be where they happen to be. In addition to the rules applicable by default, traffic signs and traffic lights must be obeyed. These rules should be distinguished from the mechanical procedures required to operate one's vehicle.

Traffic going in opposite directions should be separated in such a way that they do not block each other's way. Vehicles often come into conflict with other vehicles and pedestrians because their intended courses of travel intersect, and thus interfere with each other's routes. The higher the speed of a vehicle, the more difficult collision avoidance becomes and the greater the damage if a collision does occur. Therefore, the traffic department has limited the maximum speed allowed on their roads. Vehicles are not supposed to be driven at speeds which are higher than the posted maximum. To enforce speed limits, two approaches are generally employed. It is common for the police to patrol the streets and use special equipment (typically a radar unit) to measure the speed of vehicles, and pull over any vehicle found to be in violation of the speed limit. Nowadays there are computerized speed-measuring devices spread throughout the city, which will automatically detect speeding drivers and take a photograph of the license plate (or number plate), which is later used for applying and mailing the ticket. So both men and women speed-drivers should be extremely careful.”

Video: Dinesh Kamath during the get-together function of Top Politicians, Top Policemen and Top Journalists of Navi Mumbai

From among the new Marathi actresses, Dinesh Kamath likes Shruti Marathe

Dinesh Kamath's news 'Flop parties together form a new party' that was published in Newsband

Flop parties together form a new party

Six different elements of the erstwhile Janata Dal have together formed a new party, more than 20 years after splitting away. This marks a political development of some significance. This was the only alternative for them since they had reached a stage where they had to consolidate or perish. This new party will pose a challenge to the Bharatiya Janata Party especially in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar where BJP won a bulk of its Lok Sabha seats.  This new party in fact has a significant presence in Haryana and Karnataka too. These regional parties which have come together to form a new party will have the status and appearance of a national party, like BJP and Congress. Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav was elected president of the new party. It is left to be seen whether this new party will rule at the Centre one day.

If this six-faced political party works in coordination and collaboration, it can strengthen the democratic system of our country. Even if this party succeeds in becoming a strong opposition party in the parliament India will be on the way to become progressive Country.

There is no doubt about the fact that this party is a marriage of incompatible groups but it is capable of adjusting with one another in national interest, sacrificing personal ambition. Only poor performance by NDA will create space for the new group as a national party. Modi’s government has still time to prove that they would deliver what they promised.

The negative aspect of this party is that it is a coalition of like-minded corrupt parties, and it will have no hesitation to align with mega Corrupt party to either support or take support to form government to continue the corruption business. All those pillars of the Janata Parivar are a geriatric bunch of socialist minded, family-oriented politicians, whose ideas are outdated and have no place whatsoever in the 21st Century India and the world. Both Socialism and Communism, as they were known in the 20th Century are either dead or are on the verge of extinction, even from the Indian soil.Their sole aim is to keep power to their families and enjoy it, while shedding crocodile tears for the poor, the minorities, backward classes etc.

India badly needs a party which will work for all the people - rich and the poor, backward and forward classes, developed and under developed states, Hindi language and other languages people, men and women, old and young, industrialists and farmers, employees and employers etc. The leaders of the newly formed party are known for their narrow interests and hence the formation of the party is not a welcome development.

Dinesh Kamath's news 'Accidents on highways worry the traffic department' that was published in Newsband

Accidents on highways worry the traffic department

By Dinesh Kamath

THANE: There is a rise in number of accidents that took place on highways touching Navi Mumbai in the year 2014. This is what the traffic police department has to say after referring to the statistics.

Navi Mumbai had recorded 1,365 accidents in 2013. In 2014 the number of accidents was 1,871.

A senior highway police officer says that the Mumbai-Pune Expressway passing through Navi Mumbai is becoming more and more prone to accidents and that something drastic has to be done to prevent these mishaps. The number of vehicles plying along this highway is huge. On this road, multi-axle vehicle cause most number of fatal accidents.

The roads of the highway are so wide that the motorists tend to speed up their vehicles the moment they arrive on this road and this leads to accidents – sometimes fatal ones.

An expert in matter of accidents said, “A number of factors contribute to the risk of collision, including vehicle design, speed of operation, road design, road environment, driver skill and/or impairment, and driver behavior. Worldwide, motor vehicle collisions lead to death and disability as well as financial costs to both society and the individuals involved.

Human factors in vehicle collisions include all factors related to drivers and other road users that may contribute to a collision. Examples include driver behavior, visual and auditory acuity, decision-making ability, and reaction speed.

Driver error, intoxication and other human factors contribute wholly or partly to major number of crashes.

The accidents are owing to many drivers showing overconfidence in their abilities. Nearly all drivers who had been in a crash did not believe themselves to be at fault. One survey of drivers reported that they thought the key elements of good driving were: controlling a car including a good awareness of the car's size and capabilities, reading and reacting to road conditions, weather, road signs and the environment and alertness, reading and anticipating the behavior of other drivers.

Although proficiency in these skills is taught and tested as part of the driving exam, a 'good' driver can still be at a high risk of crashing because the feeling of being confident in more and more challenging situations is experienced as evidence of driving ability, and that 'proven' ability reinforces the feelings of confidence. Confidence feeds itself and grows unchecked until something happens – a near-miss or an accident.”

Dinesh Kamath's news 'Will the hawkers’ policy be implemented now?' that was published in Newsband

Will the hawkers’ policy be implemented now?

By Dinesh Kamath

NAVI MUMBAI: Hawkers policy was to get implemented after the civic polls. Now that the civic election is over, will the policy be put into practice? If the policy gets implemented, the pedestrians will heave a sigh of relief since at last they will have more space to walk. The hawker policy prohibits any vendor from setting up shop near markets or footpaths or near major traffic junctions.

Temples are sacred places. Hospitals have many patients. Educational institutions have many children. Hence the requirements of flowers, fruits and coconuts are felt urgently here. Hence, vendors who sell these things will be allowed to do their trade near the above mentioned places.  

The hawkers’ policy puts forward many terms and conditions. No shop can come up on footpaths that are less than nine-feet wide. Now that the elections are over, a new standing committee will be formed and this committee will appoint a firm to conduct the survey and issue certificates to the vendors. 

Video: Dinesh Kamath entertains

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Will Hillary Clinton become the next US President?' that was published in Newsband

Will Hillary Clinton become the next US President?

Will Hillary Clinton become the first-ever woman President of the United States? The 2016 election will be her second presidential run. Though her entry into the Oval Office not entirely certain as of now, the greater challenge for her may be knowing what to do once she gets there.

The rise of Islamic State will certainly dominate her attention. She also promised, in a 2010 speech, that the administration would think “smart power” and focus on multilateralism, regional architectures and broad-strategic engagements with countries such as India, Russia and China. Hillary Clinton could do much to close the gender pay gap, tackle America’s rape crisis, and upgrade its education system to help the millennials thrive in the workforce.

Hillary Clinton is a woman on the move. Her focus is extremely strategic; middle class, women welfare, education, gender pay inequality, rape - the greatest malaise of society. She has the advantage of not having a tough adversary this time unlike the much younger and charismatic Obama earlier. American history is likely to be rewritten: it will have its first woman President.

With her rich political and administrative experience, Hillary will make an outstanding President. She has very good acumen, diplomacy, policy and ability to be one of the best Presidents. Let us hope that she creates history by becoming the first woman President as well as first husband and wife Presidents. As far as India is concerned, she could be a reliable ally.

A woman President - first in US history - whatever it may mean to the US or the larger world, for India it will be of great advantage, as it will mark the continuation of the new found friendship between US President Barrack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in addition to a further boost to the growing economic and diplomatic cooperation between the two greatest and largest democracies of the world. Moreover, Hillary Clinton also does not seem to be unduly close to the Chinese. She is also expected to support India's membership of the UN Security Council, as has been repeatedly done by Prseident Obama.

On the whole, it will be a win-win situation for India and for Prime Minster Modi as he will be able to work with Hillary Clinton closely which will prove mutually beneficial. As a woman, she will also be welcomed by Indians at large.

The journey from being candidate Hillary to President Hillary right now appears easy as the Republican Party has not thrown up a serious challenger. On the Republican side Jeff Bush is comparatively a fresh face and brings to the campaign two terms as a successful state executive of Florida. Hillary's popularity both at home and abroad will stand her in good stead in the ensuing presidential election. Her nomination for the White House assumes significance as it signifies the woman empowerment that the US has been an ardent protagonist of.  She can be an ideal President of America.

Dinesh Kamath’s column ‘New movies released in Navi Mumbai’ (Jai Ho! Democracy, Marvel Avengers Age of Ultron, Ishq Ke Parinde, Kung Fu Killer, Kagaz Ke Fools and Lateef) that were published in Newsband

New movies released in Navi Mumbai

By Dinesh Kamath

Jai Ho! Democracy

Jai Ho! Democracy is an Indian comedy film. The movie has been written and directed by Ranjit Kapoor, who was also the dialogue writer of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro and has been produced by Bikramjeet Bhullar of Indian Production House. It is a dark satire on Indian politics and takes a dig at the existing social and political morass India is staring at currently. It stars an ensemble cast that includes the likes of Om Puri, Annu Kapoor, Satish Kaushik, Adil Hussain and Seema Biswas.

It is about the murky world of India's political class, where ministers and leaders procrastinate over everything, even on something as grave as border security. Jai Ho! Democracy also takes a satirical look at the media's desperation to stay ahead in the TRP game, sensationalizing even the most trivial situation without any qualms.

The movie has an interesting plot. A freak incident in an Indian camp along the LoC triggers a war of words with their Pakistani counterparts on the other side of the no-man’s land. News of this standoff between the two camps gets leaked to a super-enthusiastic news reporter and in no time, news spreads on national television that India and Pakistan are on the brink of a war.

This sensational disclosure, with no concrete evidence whatsoever, takes both the public and the government by surprise. The international bodies are alarmed, too. The Home Minister, in a bid to buy time, sets up a committee meeting to discuss the situation, submitting that they will decide whether India should go for war or not.

Chaired by an ex-Supreme Court Judge, the committee consists of members from the parliament, ex-servicemen and NGO workers. What follows is a series of hilarious events in the committee meeting, where the members, relying on silly excuses of so-called parliamentary rules and etiquette, go full throttle to tear each other apart. Within no time, the actual matter for discussion is lost in the chaos and they indulge in unbelievably petty and personal ego clashes. All this… even as the army, the government, the public and the world bodies wait with bated breath for their decisions. Till finally, the venue of the committee meeting turns into a battlefield, with the members going for each other’s throats.

The film takes a comic look at the way the powers-that-be love to procrastinate and maintain status quo, unfazed by the gravity of situations at hand. It explores the hilarity of the levels to which the media can go to sensationalize issues. It also gives a message of hope to peace through a glimpse of a Utopian possibility, albeit momentary, between the armies of the two neighboring nations.

The film has Om Puri as Pandeyji, Annu Kapoor as Ramalingam, Satish Kaushik as Choudhry, Seema Biswas as Mohini Devi, Adil Hussain as Major Baruah, Aamir Bashir as Bashir Baig, Grusha Kapoor as Dulari Devi, Rajni Gujral as Mrs. Bedi and Benjamin Gilani as Gen. G. S. Sandhu.

The music for Jai Ho! Democracy is composed by Ray N Brotherhood and includes 3 tracks. The lyrics have been done by Yash Bhardwaj and Sreekanth Agneeaswaran. Sound design has been done by Hitesh Chaurasia. The film has songs like Jai Ho Democracy, Committee, Lambee Ho Jaye Raat and Lambee Ho Jaye Raat - Goa House Mix.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Avengers: Age of Ultron is a 2015 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to 2012's Marvel's The Avengers and the eleventh installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was written and directed by Joss Whedon and features an ensemble cast that includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie, Hayley Atwell, Idris Elba, Stellan Skarsgård, James Spader, and Samuel L. Jackson. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, the Avengers must work together to defeat Ultron, a technological enemy bent on human extinction.

The movie has an interesting story. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.

Ishq Ke Parinde

Ishq Ke Parindey - Love Surpasses All Borders is a Hindi film starring Rishi Verma and Priyanka Mehta. This movie portrays Indo-Pak conflict against the backdrop of a powerful love story. The film strongly sends out the message of peace for the constantly warring neighbouring countries – India and Pakistan.

The film has an interesting stoy. There are lot of things that bind India and Pakistan together and their tragic history is definitely one of them. A history which changed the lives of millions...a history which re-wrote the destinies of millions. Ishq Ke Parindey is a love story of Indo-Pak love birds – Sheen and Faiz who protect the flame of their sacred love from hatred and violence. An innocent and beautiful Pakistani girl, Sheen arrives in Lucknow along with her family. It is in the royal city of Nawabs that she meets her soul mate – Faiz. Love blossoms for both of them and what follows is a deadly fight against their families. Ishq Ke Parindey is a soulful journey of Sheen and Faiz’s love story.

The film has Rishi Verma as Faiz (Male Lead), Priyanka Mehta as Sheen (Female Lead), Manjul Aazad as Bhaijaan, Yasir Iftikhar Khan as Shadab, Monisha Rai as Ghazala and Pran Dawas as Chhoroo.

Soundtrack is taken care of  by Vijay Vermaa, Rashid Khan and Sajjad Ali. The film has songs like "Ishq Ke Parindey (Part- 1)", "Tumse Mil Ke", "Rab Se Maang", "Ek Hatheli", "Saiyyan", "Dil Tod Ke", "Qawwali- Maula Karde Karam", "Ishq Ke Parindey (Part- 2)", "Ek Hatheli (Sad)", "Ek Hatheli (Remix)" and "Rab Se Maangi (Remix)".

Kung Fu Killer

Kung Fu Jungle, previously known as Kung Fu Killer and Last of the Best, is a 2014 Hong Kong-Chinese action thriller film directed by Teddy Chan and starring Donnie Yen, Wang Baoqiang, Charlie Yeung and Michelle Bai.

The movie has an interesting plot. Hahou Mo, a martial arts expert and police self-defense instructor (Donnie Yen) is incarcerated for involuntary manslaughter during a fight with an opponent. Three years later, a vicious killer (Wang Baoqiang) emerges and starts killing retired martial arts masters that Hahou knows. With his own personal agenda, Hahou reveals he knows the killer's next intended victims and offers to aid Inspector Luk Yuen-Sum (Charlie Young) in capturing the killer with his martial arts skills and knowledge in exchange for his freedom.

Kagaz Ke Fools

Kaagaz Ke Fools is a 2015 Indian Bollywood comedy film. The film is directed by Anil Kumar Chaudhary, produced by Faisal Kapadi. The film has Vinay Pathak, Mugdha Godse, Raima Sen and Saurabh Shukla as the main actors.

The movie is about the desire to emulate or live their neighbor's life, which has seduced people into swimming vast oceans, walk barren lands and climb unending mountains! Yet, at the end of every excruciating journey, the only truth that has dawned upon mankind is - that his neighbour's life is as boring as his own!! Therefore, the essence of happines lies not in pursuing what others have, but in cherishing what one possesses...

Lateef

Lateef is a film produced by Amina Ahmed and directed by Israr Ahmed.

Lateef (Nawazuddin Siddique) is a middle class youngster whose dream is to become a doctor... He gets caught in drug raid where he was just present without knowing the fact... he is jailed and when he returns back after seven years of punishment his whole life and future is ruined... ACP Sawant (Mukesh Tiwari) wants to wipe out drug peddling but he has to face obstacle from corrupt minister (Akhilendra Mishra) and drug mafia Zafar Dongri (Murli Sharma)... on the other side Lateef is in dilemma as to what to do as he loses his mother... drug is spreading like cancer in society and destroying life of those who comes into clutches of drugs... Lateef too opts for drugs out of frustration... whether he is able to come out and fight back is all about Lateef.

Dinesh Kamath's cartoons on 'Alooramji' that were published in Newsband

Dinesh Kamath's news "Water Kingdom to celebrate its 17th Anniversary with ‘War of DJs’" that was published in Newsband

Water Kingdom to celebrate its 17th Anniversary with ‘War of DJs’

By Dinesh Kamath

Above Picture is of Water Kingdom

Water Kingdom, Asia’s largest theme water park is celebrating its 17th Anniversary announcing  a  7 weekend musical  ‘War of DJs’ – the longest anniversary celebration ever, along with other exciting activities.

Water Kingdom has been enchanting patrons for 17 years with summer special ‘Gila Fun’ and back-to-back concerts. This year’s anniversary celebration will yet again bring back the ONLY water park music concert summer celebrations on every summer weekend, starting 25th April through 7th June.

Whats more, apart from the patrons, this year, young DJ’s too have something to celebrate! For the first time, Water Kingdom is opening its doors and offering a platform to young, talented DJs who can show off their mixing skills and make the crowd go wild this summer, only at the Water Kingdom anniversary concerts - DJ weekends. Water Kingdom  is all set to present ‘War of DJs’ a battleground for most promising DJs out there. The winner gets a chance to win V Moda headphones worth Rs. 25000 with a golden trophy. Not only this! He/she also gets a chance to showcase their talent in front of a huge crowd by opening the show for Holi’2016 at Water Kingdom. The qualified DJ’s will be shortlisted after an initial screening process and will get a chance to perform live at the water park, starting  with the quarter finals on 25th April 2015, leading to finals on 7th June 2015.

Along with the war of DJs patrons will experience a month long anniversary celebration with the best of entertainment and craziest rides at Water Kingdom. Be ready to get enthralled by the electrifying music mixed by some of the India’s top rated DJs such as DJ Shilpi, DJ Akhtar, DJ Notorious, DJ Ramji, DJ Rink, DJ NYK and DJ Akbar Sami every weekend starting 25th April right upto 7th June 2015.

So get ready to splash and rock this summer at India’s first theme water park, as it celebrates 17 years of enchanting patrons.

Date: 25th April to 7th June 2015                                                                                            

Timings: 10.00 am to 8.00pm                                                                                                

Venue: Water Kingdom, Gorai Village, Borivali (W), Mumbai – 400091                                    

Ticketing: Water Kingdom- 900/-

Book Online: www.waterkingdom.in

For more info call 022 6528 0305

Dinesh Kamath sings 'Kaun Hai Jo Sapno Mein Aaya'

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'India-France relations get a boost' that was published in Newsband

India-France relations get a boost

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France was a great moment for both the countries. India-France relations represent the cultural affinity and historic relations between two vibrant democracies. But although more than a thousand French companies have a total investment of about $20 billion in India, bilateral trade is worth just $8 billion. This deserves attention,

Prime Minister put the spotlight back on defence ties by making a surprise announcement on the purchase of 36 Rafale aircraft as the highlight of his talks with President François Hollande. However, his critics say that the deal detracts from Modi’s “Make in India” initiative. According to them, to claim that HAL cannot manufacture Rafale is hilarious and that we as a country can successfully launch rockets to mars can very well manufacture in India. ISRO is highly efficient organization, they add.  

But 'Make in India' is useless if we can't 'Defend India'. The IAF squadrons are down and may even lose its superiority in the immediate neighbourhood in the near future if concrete and immediate steps are not taken. Transfer of technology and capacity building takes a lot of time. No wonder the PM asked for the jets as quickly as possible. The fact is that most of the strategic analysts are praising the deal.

"Make in India" must not be pursued as a dogma, particularly for technologies and products where "making in India" will result in sub-standard products or the infra-structure cannot sustain production. The pilots who will fly the Rafales would be heaving a sigh of relief that the aircraft were made in France and not by the government run, yet-to-develop and bureaucratic HAL.

Anyway, Prime Minister Modi's first visit to Paris has been a grand success both in terms of trade and investment as well bilateral relations in other matters. Like Japan, India has much in common with the French and Modi has rightly stressed on that aspect and desired further strengthening of these ties for a long lasting friendship between the two countries. Since France is a world power and has been playing important role in world affairs, good relations with it may be to India's advantage in achieving its ambitions of a suitable role for itself both at the UN as also in world affairs. Besides, India also stands to benefit from the advances made by France in various areas of Science and Technology. With France and Germany on its side, India will also have a greater say in other European markets. Narendra Modi has proved himself a great diplomat within a short span of nine months contrary to expectations.

The India-France ties are very broad-based and have been so for decades now, encompassing everything from space science to art & culture. The breadth and depth of this relationship has been emphasized once again by this visit where agreements have been signed on cooperation in space, railways, nuclear energy, student exchange, French investments in India etc. Of course, the Rafale deal was expected to occupy a prime space because it is a big ticket item that has been languishing for three years now and needed a push from the very top and that has happened. Besides, what is wrong if spotlight falls on defence ties? Is defence an abominable thing to be discussed? On the impact on 'Make in India', one fails to understand how purchase of an extra squadron off-the-shelf affects that.

Anyway, were we to carefully analyze Modi’s visits to France, Germany and Canada, they have proved be beneficial for India.