Dinesh Kamath's news item 'Aage Badho India promotes Marathi theatrical talents in Navi Mumbai' that was published in Newsband

Aage Badho India promotes Marathi theatrical talents in Navi Mumbai

By Dinesh Kamath

NERUL: Many Navi Mumbaikars simply love to watch plays every now and then. But the problem is the price of the tickets. Nerul-based Santosh Waje’s Aage Badho India (ABI) has solved their problem. Waje is the creative head of the group. This organization offers tickets at discounted rates and tries to inculcate in the minds of children the beauty of theatres.

It was in June 2012 that Santosh along with Swati Patil, Pallavi Desai, Pratibha Salian, Kiran Shellar and Shailendra Patil formed ABI especially for the benefit of lovers of Marathi theatre.

These founders of ABI were aware of the fact that producers feared to stage plays in Navi Mumbai for the fear that they might not get good response. They thought that lovers of Marathi plays in Navi Mumbai might not be able to pay about Rs 200 or more for a ticket since this city is full of middle-class Marathi families. Hence what they did was they provided heavy discounts on tickets through their website and thus let them watch the play with their family. All these plays are organized at Vishnudas Bhave Auditorium.

Wah Guru, produced by Suyog, was the first play that ABI staged in Navi Mumbai. ABI stage plays on the week-end by delivering tickets at the doorstep. This way they are attempting to promoting theatre and prevent it from fading with time. Waje and his team put in extremely hard work to keep the theatre alive especially in Navi Mumbai. They display the trailers of upcoming as well as popular Marathi plays on their website so that people can make up their minds whether they would like to watch the play or not. Such a method is being tried for the first time.

Waje also trains children who are interested in theatres. He conducts acting workshops in which he uses his vast knowledge that he possesses about child development. He dwells on all the aspects of theatre like acting and directing skills, voice modulation, tackling stage fear etc. These workshops are conducted at Vishnudas Bhave Auditorium. There were 17 children plays staged all over Mumbai and these plays received massive response from the public. The shows had to be repeated to make it possible for huge number of theatre lovers to watch the plays.

In a matter of one year, Aage Badho India has been able to get 2500 theatre-loving families from Navi Mumbai to be its members. ABI has staged 48 plays in just one year. ABI also encourages budding theatre groups, actors and directors and teaches them to set up shows and display their theatrical skills in Navi Mumbai itself. Now it is spreading its wings to Thane too.   

Dinesh Kamath's news item 'CIDCO destroys mangroves at Seawoods, invites wrath of environmentalists' that was published in Newsband

CIDCO destroys mangroves at Seawoods, invites wrath of environmentalists

By Dinesh Kamath

NAVI MUMBAI: CIDCO is intending to make a massive commercial complex near the Seawoods railway station. Hence they are getting rid of mangrove trees which exist in large number over here. This has invited the wrath of environmentalists and citizens. This is another case of how eco-sensitive areas are being compromised in the name of development.

Earlier there used to be a lot of green mangroves here. Now these mangroves are reduced to a great extent. The CIDCO authorities are flattening the area with earth and debris. This has stopped the water supply to the mangroves and they are dying in big number.

It is a good thing that there will be a tower coming up in front of the station, but should we sacrifice nature to have more infrastructures?

Some environmentalists did file a petition in the Bombay high court against the rampant damage and destruction of precious mangroves and wetlands. People celebrate World Environment Day but no attempt is being made to protect the green zones in Maharashtra, which has a huge coastline. It is high time we protected wetlands.

The state environment department, the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) and the Konkan commissioner should take tough action against the eco violators.

It is not enough to celebrate World Environment Day only once a year. In fact, every day should be a World Environment Day. If we don’t stop this rampant eco violation we stand to lose our priceless forests, wetlands, and also the quality of air we breathe.

There is urgent need to conserve our ecosystem and also reduce water wastage. 

Dinesh Kamath is the Number Two man of Daily Newspaper Newsband. Kailash Gindodia is Number One.

Dinesh Kamath, Editor of Newsband, is the Number Two man of Daily Newspaper Newsband. He has been occupying the Number Two position for around two years till now. Kailash Gindodia, Publisher and Owner of Daily Newspaper Newsband, is the Number One man of Newsband. 

The photograph was clicked by Photo-journalist of Newsband Ashok Dhamija. 

Journalist Dinesh Kamath's pictures captured by the camera of Photo-journalist Ashok Dhamija during the celebration of 6th anniversary of Newsband at Vishnudas Bhave Auditorium, Vashi, Navi Mumbai

Journalist Dinesh Kamath's pictures captured by the camera of Photo-journalist Ashok Dhamija during 6th anniversary of Newsband at Banquet Hall at Raghuleela Mall, Vashi, Navi Mumbai

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Elders need justice' that was published in Newsband

Elders need justice

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was observed just recently. We hear news about elders being denied care and aid, abused and attacked. The problems of the elderly are primarily economic. They are also affected by Health-related problems. Lack of safety and security are added perils, especially in urban settings.

It is sad to know that there are in India a big number of elderly who are subjected to some form of abuse or neglect, abandonment, and physical, financial or emotional abuse, often by their own family members. Many are left lonely. Even crimes are committed against the elderly.

There should be proper focus on this issue. The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, placed a legal obligation on children and relatives to enable the elderly to live a normal and dignified life. Senior citizens who are unable to maintain themselves financially shall have the right to apply to a maintenance tribunal for an allowance from their children and relatives. The Act also has provisions to ensure the state takes care of them.

There should be a comprehensive policy and programme made for older persons. There should be free healthcare, more old age homes, other kinds of affordable housing, and financial assistance in the form of pension and other payouts, especially to widows, have to be provided for. The right of an elderly citizen to live a life of dignity must be respected. Programmes to enhance skills and knowledge in geriatric care are needed. Infrastructure facilities are essential.

Social life of men and women in old days was ideologically designed and every body followed it religiously. Medical Science has eased our life but it has also prolonged our life span. We have abandoned balancing idea of Vanprasthashram wherein after discharging all family responsibilities aged ones used to disown everything that is material in nature and followed spiritual advice of departing away from near and dear. But the same is not the case today. Today even old people have the right to be ambitious and pursue their ambitions like their younger counterparts.

Most of the problems for the elderly ones occur when they are beyond 75. They need attention because they are helpless due to aging and health problems. Unfortunately at this age and beyond, the close relatives and family members are also old and have their physical and mental problems. It becomes a strain on them to look after elders. And the longevity is going higher and higher and hence the society as a whole is facing this problem.

In such a situation, either government or social service organisations duly funded by all could evolve a practical solution which could help majority of the real elders needing attention in all aspects.

A 'demographic revolution' has been taking place in the world population as the number of elderly people has been on a rapid growth. National policy for older people introduced in 1999 and revised in 2005 has not been able to achieve the purpose of social, judicial, political and economical empowerment of the older population in the country. The parliament made a landmark development by enacting the maintenance and welfare of parents and senior citizens act, 2007. The act legally binds the children and the relatives (in case there are no children) to assist the older people.

Everything would be alright if the care and upkeep of elders became the responsibility of government. Corporate houses should also assist in this effort.

Dinesh Kamath's news item 'Why do thieves target woman commuters?' that was published in Newsband

Why do thieves target woman commuters?

By Dinesh Kamath

NAVI MUMBAI: Some Navi Mumbai woman commuters have found themselves targeted by thieves and loafers while traveling in trains. This has created a necessity for the police to put more men or women on duty in ladies compartments particularly. The hooligans find that it is easier to attack women in the ladies compartment especially when they are traveling at the time when it is not peak hour. This has led to many women preferring to travel by general compartment since at least there they can feel secure among men. It is found that these hooligans do not dare to terrify women when they are traveling in the compartment along with men.

Some of the women from Navi Mumbai also have found themselves become the victims of such shady characters. For example, here are the cases of two women of Navi Mumbai who had a terrifying experience in the Mumbai local train. But both of them put up such a brave fight that they managed to score over their attackers although not without sustaining injuries. 

Shikha Shedde (28) is a Navi Mumbai resident, who in the month of October  2012 was traveling in the second class ladies compartment of a Vashi-Thane Harbour local. She was attacked by a thief with a knife. The thief had taken care to cover his face with handkerchief to escape from being identified. The thief attacked her and asked her to part with her necklace. When she resisted, the thief began to hurt her. But the brave lady managed to jump out of the running train at Sanpada railway station. She sustained bruises on her both hands and legs.

Priya Durgale (20), an MBA student, was traveling in the second class compartment of CST-bound local in November 2011. Suddenly she was attacked by a thief who made desperate attempts to snatch her bag. The thief attacked her with a blade but she resisted and put up a brave fight. She managed to make the thief retreat. She sustained injuries on both the hands.

Such cases of women who put up a brave front against the thieves inspire other woman commuters not to fear the criminals who target them in the trains but instead put up a brave fight against them.