KAHIHI

1. According to unconfirmed reports, there is a 200m long, undersea/underland tunnel from the fort to the palatial Dhulap house in the village. Supposedly, the roof of the tunnel has been pinched to protect it from landslides and it is also well ventilated. Now the tunnel is partially blocked. If the presence of the tunnel can be confirmed, and the tunnel cleared, it could serve as a tourist attraction of historical and architectural interest.
2. Recent oceanographic evidence supports the existence of an undersea wall, constructed out at sea at a depth of 8–10 m depth undersea. Made of laterite, the wall is estimated to be 122 mtrs long, 3 mtrs high & 7 mtrs broad. Attacking ships often met a watery grave after colliding against this wall.
3. 1.5 km from the fort up the Waghotan Creek, exists the remains of a naval dock carved from rock. This is where Maratha warships were built and repaired. The ships built here were of the 400-500 tonnage capacity. This 109*70 mt dock faces the north side and is an achievement of Maratha naval architecture.

1. Paying fine when you jump a traffic signal or offer a Rs. 100 note to the traffic cop.
2. Not paying any extra money to get your house or vehicle registered
3. Not paying anything extra to get your father’s death certificate so that there is no delay in getting the ancestral property inherited in your name
4. Not getting a “letter of recommendation” from the local politician or MLA or MP to secure your child’s admission in school/college

This land of largest democratic polity
With the greatest economic stability
For long hasn't had single largest majority
On the verge of losing its ancient tranquility
With heads and leaders full of opacity
Ravaging the treasures ostentatiously
Bitten, smitten by a mocking incongruity
For they, who swear by integrity
Will be locked with those ill performing their duty
Yet not ashamed to announce proudly
Yes, I live in such a country
For there is, nonetheless, one who instills unity
One who marches with a solid ethical motivity

Precisely when the information revolution in India is at its peak, the Prime Minister, with the help of his media advisors, has thrown the country back by half a century, say in the days of radio transmission or license raj.
What a fall! Or fallback!
When a quarter and a billion citizens are waiting to hear his few words though sparse and lackluster like that of the draught affected farmers of India and not like not-affected farmers of Israel getting a few inches of rainfall, he is talking to five almost unknown entities called editors who have no concern whatsoever with the aam aadmi, a hollow phrase that the Congress people devised under the impression that it would catch with people.
In the earlier days when means for information circulation were limited, perhaps this age old idea of PM calling the editors piecemeal would have been apt. But, even today? What a regressive step! The lion, instead of roaring to scare, is chirruping and other animals are vociferating trying to suppress his voice. Are the laws of new raj changing?
PM will describe to five unknown editors who will try to disseminate the information to the nation. What a perspective!
How many years it may take to convince the nation?
What proportion of sycophancy would they mix into it?
What’s their influence on the people?
The editors almost were unknown. This too, when a roar, and if unable a whisper on DD, could have been sufficient. In such a situation the administration is working in the same old dumb manner, one would easily surmise. What else?
To get an idea what may come out of such a futile and forlorn exercise can be depicted by a small example:
After the so called press conference was over, one ever ecstatic editor, Mr. Ketkar, fond of his habit of lifting the palkhi of Gandhi family, (He admitted this the same evening to Marathi wing of CNN IBN) tried to steal the show by saying nothing about the conference, ditto a congress spokesmen and what he had been doing since ages and would like to continue in future; obvious from his enthusiasm and hitherto edits and other articles written so far.
In the evening Nikhil Wagle, the aggressive editor of the captioned news channel, asked Ketkar to analyze the follies made by the PM in his conversation with the five editors like continuation in the office and at the same time to vacate for Rahul Gandhi, police action on Ramdev Baba followers in the midnight. Ketkar continued the faux pass, true to the nature of a self-appointed spokesman of a political party, replying that he doesn’t analyze this but he is interpreting it. Further when asked about his duty as an editor to do the job, Ketkar retorted by continuing; in fact I’m doing the same i.e. analyzing but you are failing to understand it. (Spokesman ship certificate dropped on the table of the party chief for signature?)
Half of his dream is fulfilled. Further he criticised the MP and consultant editor Bharatkumar Raut. The reasons are obvious and any regular follower of such programs would know it.
I’ve a feeling one day Ketkar would reveal this in the manner he called himself a palkhi carrier impatiently forgetting that PM may not necessarily be watching his buttering but hundred thousand people certainly are.
Earlier too he made such impatient comment as a panelist on TIMES NOW.
When asked about televising the meetings live on the national channel as insisted by Anna Hazare team, Ketkar opposed, an ardent Congress supporter that he is. He reasoned that the members may play to the gallery in such a situation. Prashant Bhushan, in his exactly opposite to Ketkar’s restless manner, responded patiently that the members of the committee are responsible citizens of this country, asking further you mean they would behave in the manner you describe.
Ketkar nonplussed.
Congress was a lethargic party in past allowing license raj to continue for years. The path of progress was opened when it was out of clutches of Dynasty for a brief time under P. V. Narsimha Rao and his appointed FM Manmohan Singh appointed by him – a truth nobody can deny unless he has vested interests.
By means of the cool coca-cola-like behaviour of the present PM do you think the economy would have moved or would it move any further? He needs a propellant. Narsimha Rao was the best. Thus we could see the fruits that are nourishing us till today.
Both the possible propellants, one that could have been but turned away from the scene and the other one who is waiting to be, are impaired. And if decided to depend on the set of advisors, the scholars of yesterday who are not even familiar with the techniques past IT explosion, forget using or applying them, then God save our country. They must be thrown out as they can’t gather public support and in fact eroding it, nor they are subject wise modern and efficient.
The crop of self-assuming spokesmen in the meanwhile is growing like weeds (Congress grass) that are harmful for the productive growth. It must be strongly sanitized.
In the meanwhile next five editors are waiting like that of Vidarbha farmers looking at the sky. No trace of PM-doot though Aashadhasya Prathem Divas and a week has passed.....
Long live chaatak.

Kith and kin feel entering their hypothesized heaven

A leader, one who leads, as the word suggests, is supposed to be an icon, a confident example for the youth, and a strong shoulder for the old to rely on. Recently, one such man who personifies these qualities visited Mumbai, a city which is in dying need of a good leader and able administrator.

Barack Obama was in Mumbai. A man whom people have willingly elected as their President and given him the reigns of the most powerful office in the world. A man who when speaks has fullest of attention drawn to him, people listen without any hesitation and with pin drop silence interspersed with claps and applause. Back home, we have an equally mesmerising speaker-leader, who shares a similar stature and charm - Raj Thackeray.

Obama, a change America believed in and a change world saw. At his Hampshire speech, he upped the crowd frenzy with his words “change is what happening in America right now”. Every time he speaks, Obama seamlessly disseminates his energy to the crowd. And he does it the best. He conjures his vision of doing the best for America and that Americans deserve the best with the crowd that makes the entire environment zealous. That is what is needed in a speaker, a leader. And India lacks such a leader.

There are many leaders qualified to lead India, but we lack a man who shares his zeal, his love for India through his words, through his talks, and no doubt through actions.

There is one such marvellous speaker here in India, on the wrong path though, Raj Thackeray, whose objectives match that of Obama’s, of doing good for his men, however, his steps seem to have set off in the wrong direction. When he speaks, the crowd moves to his words, when he takes his patent pause the audience, all his nemesis miss their heartbeat.

“Yes We Can, three words that will ring from coast to coast and from sea to sea” and these three words did undoubtedly create a new chapter in history not only in America but in the whole world. He motivated people for a change through his words, through his speeches. And when he recently visited Mumbai, his interaction with the youth at St. Xavier’s College was inspiring for us young Indians to bring into politics a leader like him. The dialogue he held with the students, his tact of answering them – taking a pause, pondering over the question, composing an apt answer – show the great orator inside him.

One lucky student who got a chance to ask him a question, remarked, “Sir, someday I wish to be half as good as an orator you are”.

This reaction piteously exposes the dearth of good orators we have in our politics. And the handfuls that we have lack the charisma of holding people together merely by use of effective words. Some speak with accents we can’t understand, some way too loud and some like they are sharing a secret with the microphone. India needs charismatic leaders, who hold the public to their every word, who make people stand at their speeches without hesitation, who inspire the youth, who charge them up, and so on. Raj Thackeray fits into this description of orators. It is simply impossible to ignore him, though you may hear a lot of his hateful-stories. Allies or opposition people take notice of him, he makes them listen and everybody appreciates his oratory, though a few do so cowardly.

At St. Xavier’s, Obama gripped those present, with his alluring style, presenting the youth with three questions to answer and making us want for some more. One of his best answers was about whether material wealth, in very crisp words he just said, “Never preach an empty stomach”. He even remarked that he fell short of examples when making references to people like Gandhi and Dr. King. This shows his humbleness. This is something that Raj may have to work on; a little essence of humanity added to his words will make sampoorna Mumbai fall at his feet. Obama left an impression upon us youth that will last forever and a path that will be walked upon.

Politicians, in my generation, will not commit the mistakes of the older generation, but our own mistakes, in the President’s words. This grappling effect of the youth leaders will certainly make new icons among this generation that will fill in the gap that Indian politics and society desperately need. Raj and Obama can be our “Adarsh” to bring about the change that we have been waiting for long, way too long!

Maharashtra has a ved (mania) for celebration. Of any kind! Come September or August, people of Maharashtra are charged for ten days. They don’t do anything but sing songs in haphazard manner with no mercy to rhythm, they play loud speakers defying 50 decibel limit to express their joy with delirium. Come October and they are ready to repeat the fruitless act. Then Diwali and other single day celebrations follow. Joy one should take, but not to the extent of wasting huge time and expense of keeping one’s career waiting.

Obama came to the city. Far away from the city of Illinois his media managers might have chalked out the itinerary of his India visit. However, imagine Michelle Obama mingling in the crowd of boys of an English medium school in Fort and straight heading to dance to the tunes of an ethnic Koli Marathi song – you’re under loss of state of mind.

It’s never so with Americans at the upper hierarchy and I’m grieved to say, always so, with Indian political counterparts. A fresh like pomphret example of Common Wealth Games in Delhi!

So they planned from a distance that is exactly on the opposite of the globe and executed the plan in filthy Mumbai without a wrinkle on the face. Soon our shameless politicians, with their crest fallen faces, may visit US to study how to reciprocate the gesture in a comparatively clean city. However, let us keep aside the political analysis by the analysts with crooked and favourable angles expressed as a running commentary.

Michelle’s dance! The scene kept cheering the mind. Michelle is a good dancer. She caught to the tunes immediately with Madhuri Dixit’s ease. It’s in their blood. To catch the rhythm. But Barrack was not at ease. Doesn’t matter. In last few, about 20 seconds he tapped on the tunes. That was a symbol of humility. How many of our politicians with their dogmatic face and vain pride could have shown this gesture?

That achieved two purposes. It tickled the hearts of rich and at the same time created a feeling of pride among the original tribes of Mumbai. Bichchare Bhandaris and Pathare Prabhus, other original tribes! Would have the tour planners thought of this? Congress the ruling party of Maharashtra may be able to draw a benefit from this gesture.

Owing to sincere and persistent requests, Obama danced with his sleeves folded and with fastened necktie.

We were taught to button the sleeves while meeting seniors. To fold full shirt sleeves was supposed to be uncouth. The British tight upper leaps are able to gulp the morsel? The Korean and Chinese taken over the garb of dark suits would be able to digest it?

Our Marathi entertainment channels don’t care of President of India and new chief of the state who is a M.S. from California. The dissuading Marathi entertainment channels thumping hideous programmes in the name of humour on the face of the Marathis evading the intro and life portrait of a so educated chief minister. They were accompanied by relatives, the journos in high places, like that in Adarsha Society. Are they not equally sinful in their act?

I had regards about the British stiff upper lip. But in Bush’s time that was burned out by Tony Blair.

It’s said that: a true American never accepts anything for free. He pays for it and pays for best quality. Despite their depleting resources they’ve not given up the habit. Prima facie Obama has made a provision for 50 thousand jobs. BPOs are not affected as the fear loomed a month ago. Go, grab them.

Analysts are not catalysts. Throw them in the recycle bin.

Though so, we have our own iconic example, still intact. Years ago Indira Gandhi danced to the tunes of folk songs of Adivasis in a remote village. She sincerely believed to be a daughter of an Adivasi in her earlier birth. With her grace and a little smile, the impression is as live in my mind as then was.

Obama speeches have always astounded me. I am yet to see his words translating into actions, in an effective manner, about the “change” he keeps mentioning about. However, let’s limit to the wonder of words and the mesmerizing effect it has on his audiences.

Trying to decipher the Obama effect one would often deduce that it is all about his oration and the ability to connect. He does that in US every single day perhaps, and he did it here in India too few weeks ago. Everything of his is so finely chiseled – language, diction, gestures, pauses, posture – all adding up to an excellent presentation that leaves a lasting effect on the people listening to him. And his wit of course. During some conference his name plate fell off the desk while he was exhibiting his oratory. His secretaries, body guards, assistants rushed to get the plate in place. Obama waved his hand signaling them to stop and said that it’s ok, don’t bother about the name plate, they all know me. Classy example of being a champion orator coupled with wit. Obama seems to have been bestowed upon with the skills of persuasive communication that many are not equipped with.

It is said that world’s finest leaders had this common trait of subconscious persuasion, and they have used persuasive communication techniques to accurately “change” or “loosen” the state of mind or way of thinking of the masses.

Hitler was one such example who could brilliantly use that technique of anchoring people’s thoughts to his. Obama uses it too.

The motives may seem to differ though. Our very own Raj Thackeray too is an expert of persuasive communication. Perhaps that is one reason why they can be classified under one category of “effective leadership”, men who can influence a group of people to put their (leader’s) words into action.

Sound oratory also takes into account assessment of the audience. Though the words in the speech remain same, the presentation style is flexible in order the stir up the listener. For some group things are put across with some rationale, for e.g. if the listener group is educated and intelligent. However, if the audience is some mediocre mass of people then the oration is soaked in emotions and presented. Adolf Hitler said, “I use emotion for the many and reserve reason for the few”, something that both Obama and Raj practice; Obama in a mellow tone while Raj in aggressive tenor.

Leaders are also often identified by the ideologies and objectives they follow. Taking forward Obama’s and Raj’s example, their struggle too is for their own citizens, Americans and Marathis respectively. Both want to create a paradigm shift in the systems in their respective territories, fighting for the cause of their own people – a “change” that they want to bring about. Much like Obama shook the world emerging as the first black President of United States, Raj also has been creating tremors in the political base of Maharashtra.

With their quality of excellent oratory and helping hands for public administration, it is now only to be seen how effectively, the “change” is brought about.

In cricket, it is said that the hook shot, though most marvelous, is the most dangerous to play. Slight misjudgment and the delivery can hit you like an uppercut, enough to bruise you for rest of your life.

Quite similarly, Ms. Arundhati Roy, our very own, who gave India its first Booker, has been smartly facing the deliveries and surviving at the benevolence of many benefit of doubts.

However, this time, she seems to have missed it. She tried a hook at the Kashmir issue, which unfortunately didn’t go well off the boundary. The timing was wrong perchance. Or maybe the tact; one shouldn’t be playing every delivery between mid-wicket and backward square-leg on the leg side. Some other shot could have possibly made Ms. Roy win praise akin Tendulkar – “pride of the nation”. However, that did not happen so and instead Arundhati had to derogate herself with a taint of “traitor of the nation”.

While her Booker might make us feel proud about the zeal, Ms. Roy’s subsequent acts have only made us feel sour about her ubiquitous performances. For no rhyme or reason, she has been pouncing on every opportunity that she thought could get her publicity and media attention, possible smitten by the honour and reputation that her cousin enjoys.

Arundhati Roy has many times critiqued on the right things. However, more than that, she opined about something that made her image and intellect spiral down. Whether she does it for publicity or to flaunt her astuteness, is something only she can answer or the media can speculate. However, parachuting between issues, like Narmada Andolan, Maoism, Kashmir, and similar, does give a sense of chasing media attention. Given that she has the caliber of winning a Booker, it doesn’t require any super intelligence about how to diplomatically tackle sensitive issues like that of Kashmir and Naxals-Maoists; she can be superbly imaginative about how to conjure up things.

The Guardian, New York Times, TIME, may all praise for the analytical views she has given on Afghanistan, Israel, Sri Lanka, Nuclear Policy but her words in India are certainly taken in a bitter tone, which if continues, can turn out to be a debacle for the pride & prestige that she once enjoyed in India.

It is unarguable that a writer like Arundhati will have myopic and distant imaginative about everything that is happening around and that she is born in a democratic-republic gives her right to expression. However, why do so through petty things that invoke more of blasphemy than eulogy. Ms. Roy has been and is a good writer – a story teller, which one of the most respected literary awards (Man Booker) also has testified. It is then surprising that her quest stalls at winning just one. Her research work too seems to be good, given the fact that she dig up issues that appeal to the masses. However, why not make use of those same research skills to come up with an unthinkable narrative that can fetch her a “Pulitzer”, may be. Or simply be like Hilary Mantel of Wolf Hall (2009 Booker Prize Winner), whose ultimate piquancy is to write, write, and write; keeping all other transient issues at bay.

It would rather be appreciated that Ms. Arundhati Roy gets evolved from and not involved in these issues of national unrest. Taking cues from these issues, glorifying them, building up characters, brewing up a fictional tale, and marching your way to the next the “Booker” or a “Nobel for Literature”, possibly looks more sensible at this time.

Your fans and book lovers surely don’t want to look at you as a “single book surprise”.

- Amol Redij

Hinjewadi, a large land mass made of farms, hillocks, mountains, and greenery all around, has witnessed staggering growth in last 6-7 years. The property prices have gone up 300 times. A farmer at one time who hailed his bullock cart as his pride, today drives Boleros, Scorpios, Fords – plurals because a single farmer owns and has the capacity to maintain multiple vehicles. The only greenery or the green shades you can see today are the green paints, if at all used, on the exteriors of the constructions that have sprouted like a swarm of locust on the same farmlands.

Jai Ho IT, Information Technology or simply said Software, Computers et al.

Hinjewadi and the surrounding areas are now thickly populated with IT professionals, an elite mass enjoying the pride that banking professionals enjoyed once upon a time. By elite I mean, one who doesn’t care how much is spent and being ignorant of the fact that they are the biggest contributors to the prevailing inflation, at least in Hinjewadi and surrounding areas – one kg of tomato in a near remote area costs Rs. X, the same will cost Rs. X+2 in an area where IT professionals reside; just because vendors think IT guys are rich, and also because IT guys don’t bargain, it’s against their pride to negotiate.

Yes, it does sound foolish.

While this habit of IT professionals does agitate me, I might still pardon them for negotiation is skill, and not everyone can master it. However, what stirs me up ecstatically is that these professionals who pledge to work “for the logic”, “by the logic”, many a times go “off the logic”.

Once a beautiful, peaceful pensioner’s paradise has now turned into a mess full of traffic, pollution. While the advent of IT in Pune has kept India shinning, the residents of are left whining. I have heard many lament about “amchya velela hey asa nhavta” (it wasn’t like this during our times). I will explain.

Reaching Hinjewadi IT Park requires you to cross a bridge, if you are coming from Wakad or Aundh. That the traffic chokes at the ends of the bridge requires no logic to understand. Also it is exciting and despicable of course to see that a bridge has been built perpendicular to the Mumbai-Pune-Bangalore highway, imagine there is a signal on a national highway. I don’t understand which engineer’s (again a class that takes pride in being logic and calculations maestro) analysis and implementation that is.

Now these IT guys flock to office in the morning and are rushing home in the evening. Everyone is in a hurry. Thus begins overtaking. Bikers are experts in this (Pune has also been known for its two wheeler population), they don’t leave a narrowest gap in which they don’t creep in, perhaps they can even ride their two wheelers on Shilpa Shetty’s curvy narrow waist. In the angst and the quest to find gaps, each one tries to get into the opposite lane thus blocking the traffic coming from opposite direction. A long serpentine queue progresses then on their side. It gets real chaotic on the middle of the bridge from where neither can you take a U turn nor can you jump off the bridge. In the haste to save few minutes, hours are wasted in that traffic congestion. But nobody understands this logic. No one wants to follow the traffic rules or the lane discipline. And all this by the same IT professionals who when in foreign countries (onsite) follow minutest of the rule. However, as soon as they land in India, discipline shreds off, logic is dumped in the trash bin, and hypocrisy creeps in.

“Oh it’s so pathetic in India. Go and see in that country, how everything is perfect, no traffic, no pollution,” they crib sitting in the car on the same bridge on which they had once tried to overtake and now are spitting out gargles of Bisleri water.