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"Vox populi, vox dei" goes the Latin saying that means "People's voice is God's voice". On this vox populi page, we bring you the voice of the people of Pune, their comments and suggestions for a better life and their complaints about the present state of affairs.This is your space. Tell us. The letters published here are unedited and the views expressed in them are the senders' own and not those of Punecity.com or Interactive Digital India Pvt. Ltd. |
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From: Sapna Gosalia sapna_gosalia@hotmail.com
Hi,
Sapna Gosalia |
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From: 701612@sympatico.ca 701612@sympatico.ca
Once again Hindu pilgrims to Amarnath have been attacked and several killed.BBC of England describes it as massacre of Indians.Obviously the Home Minister of the Governemnt of India is totally incapable of providing security to the Hindus.Under the ciscumstances he is not COMPETENT to remain in that portfolio and must tender his resignation forthwith.Why isn't everybody clamouring for this.Stop being so gutless and backbobeless and start acting or you will lose the country to the................. GEERISH |
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From: Pawan Jain pawanjain@vsnl.com
Dear Prime Minister,
Pawan Jain
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From: himanshu.patwardhan@db.com himanshu.patwardhan@db.com
Dear Sir, After reading about the main problems in pune city like
It seems that the PMC and the corporators are all asleep and their inactivity is directly linked to the casual behaviour of the citizens. They are really not concerned how their tax money is utilized or if the problems facing the city are dealt with. It seems, only if a major disaster strikes (By god's grace may this not happen), then people will wake up and do something constructive. The corporators are not answerable to any authority right now. This seems to be a major flaw in the system. Like in most private companies, there is a 6 monthly review of performance, we should have some mechanism to evaluate all the corporators of the city. And take proper action if they are not working satisfactorily. This would make them more conscious of their duties. Also the citizens have to do something constructive for the city every year. Like tree plantation. Drives to keep the city clean. Keeping vehicles polluton free. Unless, the people of the city take some sincere efforts, problems will not solved, since it is the people who have in the first place created the problems. A citizen (like all of you !!!!!!!!!) |
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From: Venkatnarayan Hariharan venkatnaraya.hariharan@oracle.com
Everyone knows that water is the worst enemy of asphalt roads. Inspite of that the PMC is building roads on the Mutha river bed!! (refer photo at www.punecity.com on 7/14/2001). I mean, is the PMC insane? This could be an outright waste of money. When the river is full in the monsoons, the road is going to be submerged. And when the water subsides after the monsoons, do you really believe the road will be in a motorable condition? I see this as a big scam to make money.
Its high time the people of Pune realized that Pune is not a laboratory where the PMC can *try* out their experiments. The taxpayers money cannot be used for such *foolish experiments*. While I agree that its good to be trendsetters once in a while instead of always following trends, you cannot just start setting trends for the sake of setting trends. The lives and living standards of the 4 million people of Pune are not chemicals or equipments in a laboratory that one can experiment with. Instead, if there are proven, time-tested ways that other cities have used to solve civic problems, there is *absolutely nothing* wrong in using those ways.
Venkat
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From: Steve Harris sharris_007@yahoo.com
See
Where is Pune? Sleeping? Full article follows:
UNITED NATIONS, JULY 10: Bangalore has scored 13 out of 16 points as the global hub of technological innovations ranked by a United Nations report. The human development report which identifies 46 locations as global hubs has placed Silicon Valley in the United States at perfect 16 points followed by Boston (US), Stockholm-Kista (Sweden) and Israel which get 15 points each. Austin, San Francisco and Taipei are also placed at the 13th position followed by Raleigh-Durham-Chapel (US) and London which score 14 points. The lowest score is four which is assigned to El Ghazala (Tunisia) and Gauteng (South Africa). The points are based on the ability of area universities and research facilities to train skilled workers or develop new technologies, the presence of established companies and multinational corporations to provide expertise and economic stability, the populations entrepreneurial drive to start new ventures and availability of venture capital. The United States has maximum of 13 hubs followed by Britain which way behind with only four hubs. Germany has three hubs and Finland, Sweden, Japan and France with two each. South Korea, Canada, Australia, Norway, Ireland and Belgium have one each. India does not find position among technology leaders or potential leaders but is listed among 26 dynamic adopters. Pakistan is listed along with Nicaragua, Senegal, Ghana, Nepal, Tanzania, Sudan and Mozambique as marginalised. (PTI) Steve Harris |
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From: Vivek R. Khare vivek_khare1@rediffmail.com
An Open Letter To Railway Minister Subject : Rs. 17000 crore Govt. support for safety works of Indian Railways. Respected Shri. Nitish Kumar,
As regards the safety of common passengers prime responsibility lies with civil engineering and mechanical departments of Railways. Therefore at this stage I confine myself to the functions of these two only as below:
You have been a student of engineering. You will therefore agree that above these are the issues which are at the core of reliable and safe functioning of railways. If these issues are not addressed thoroughly then at the end of the day even if you spend Rs. 1,70,000 crores, it will be futile exercise and safety of common passengers will remain a distant dream. Broadly these issues have come on the proceedings of public interest litigation (PIL) filed by me in Delhi High Court in March 1997 challenging procurement of 140 Ton cranes required for rescue operations. Quiet a few of these issues could have been resolved much earlier before the court of law, but railways are until now successful in keeping the Hon' ble courts attention mainly on trivial issues like dubbing me as a proxy or contempt of court done by me. I am confident that in due course of time these issues will be looked into and dealt by the court. Also recently C. B. I. has registered a case against a few persons in the same case. It can be established that topmost officials of the railways do not hesitate to give false and misleading information even to the PMO to protect the interest of a caucus at the cost of passengers' life and heavy burden on public exchequer. Considering these, I propose an open debate with railway authorities at any forum which will give them an opportunity to put the record straight of this nerve of the nation. Before I conclude this letter, I would like to draw your attention towards the observation made by a British engineer in a technical paper entitled " signaling on Indian Railways" submitted before institution of civil engineers in London during first quarter of 20th century. " Refuting the charge made by another British engineer that 'native operators are less intelligent compared to their English counter parts' the refuting British engineer says, and I quote, ' the native operators are in fact more intelligent than their English counterparts and that is why absolute block working was introduced on Indian Railway before it was introduced on English railways. However their intelligence is utilised mainly to hide their own faults and to incriminate some one else." I hope you will take a serious review of the above mentioned points and it will be a first step to prove British engineer wrong who while admitting to the superior intelligence of Indians adversely comments on the mentality. Thanking you,
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From: Geerish Pandya 701612@sympatico.ca
Geerish |
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From: Jayant Limaye jlimaye@hotmail.com
Hello Friends from Pune,
Jayant |
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From: Manjiri
I would like to see the day that PPS would launch a behaviour code for men and boys. Set up counselling classes for them and teach them not to participate in eve teasing, not to harass or rape women, even to stop someone who is doifamily: 'Courier New'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Shame on them for neglecting the side if the issue which should be addressed most urgently - teaching men to respect women. Manjiri |
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From: Sachin Shelar sachinshelar@hotmail.com
Hi all,
Neighbour's pride
------ek Punekar
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From: Geerish Pandya 701612@sympatico.ca
People who are able to take necessary steps better heed Police Commissioner Kashyap's warning about the visual media and its UNSUITABILITY(and its corruptibility of our young men) for Indian culture very seriously.Peddlers of smut and pornography in the U.S. would have us believe every country in the world must observe and obey the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution , which , while doing some good also gives the smut peddlers unfetterted right to spread pornography thus corrupting young minds in the U.S. and many other countries.
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From: A. Joseph George josephg@satyam.net.in
As another year remembers the Babylonian story of persecution and hate, few merrily exploit society. Not the politician alone. It is the priestly order and their alibis in middle-class Indian homes. Several congregations claiming exclusive channels to the Blibical centre-figure have assembled over the last few decades. They stem themselves in the uncertainties of life and reap for themselves the certainties of good living. To assert unrecognised and power hungry sections of Church-goers, the Christian Order has split itself many times over. Pastors and priests of such sects lead a comfortable life, unchecked by society. Members ignorantly protect these figures, for fear of losing right to their beliefs. Most feed on the crumbs of their superiors' offices and their seductive words of calm and heavenly promise.
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From: A. Redkar redkar62@123india.com
Congratulations Mr. V.B. Patil of Kolhapur who bagged Presidents Gold Medal at 100th NDA cadet cources.
A. Redkar
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From: monikat@pune.tcs.co.in monikat@pune.tcs.co.in
Hi,
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From: Geerish Pandya 701612@sympatico.ca
Let me refer you to the site www.corpwatch.org to read about Enron/Dabhoy.For evryone of you who cares even a little about India must make it known to the Government of Maharashtra and the Government of India that our country should have nothing to do with companies like these and sooner steps are taken by us to throw them out of India the better.Don't let this calibre of companies set foot on our soil or else we shall be in bondage forever.
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From: Geerish Pandya 701612@sympatico.ca
Many a time I wish you would give out contact email addresses of people or organisation you refer to in a news story;case in point/ how about telling us how to get in touch with the organisers of the Tehelka Party so that we may be able to congratulate them , ask for further information and , if so inclined , join the party.How about it?
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From: Suresh Shiv suru51@hotmail.com
THE EDITOR,
Thank you,
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From: Geerish Pandya 701612@sympatico.ca
People who are able to take necessary steps better heed Police Commissioner Kashyap's warning about the visual media and its UNSUITABILITY(and its corruptibility of our young men) for Indian culture very seriously.Peddlers of smut and pornography in the U.S. would have us believe every country in the world must observe and obey the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution , which , while doing some good also gives the smut peddlers unfetterted right to spread pornography thus corrupting young minds in the U.S. and many other countries.
Geerish |
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From: A. Joseph George josephg@satyam.net.in
As another year remembers the Babylonian story of persecution and hate, few merrily exploit society. Not the politician alone. It is the priestly order and their alibis in middle-class Indian homes. Several congregations claiming exclusive channels to the Blibical centre-figure have assembled over the last few decades. They stem themselves in the uncertainties of life and reap for themselves the certainties of good living. To assert unrecognised and power hungry sections of Church-goers, the Christian Order has split itself many times over. Pastors and priests of such sects lead a comfortable life, unchecked by society. Members ignorantly protect these figures, for fear of losing right to their beliefs. Most feed on the crumbs of their superiors' offices and their seductive words of calm and heavenly promise. In my immediate neighbourhood live people who cloak themselves in pious desire. In fact, my neighbours would vouch unequivocally that these impostors deny their immediate society subscriptions for even basic needs such as common electricity, water and cleanliness in the neighbourhood. These pretenders collect tithes for the upkeep of the pastors' registers and the subtle marketing of God. The regard they have for their piety can hardly be inferred from unruly behaviour such as attempts to cause physical harm (armed and unarmed), choice abuse on children and women and the disruption of civic harmony. "Jesus Loves You" is a sticker on their entrance doors. I suspect the Lord is happier on the door itself, refusing grace to inhabitants of the house and allowing His counterpart - the Devil all say outside the home. The Church by its calendar timed predictability; has gone to peoples' heads. The priesthood, it appears is all the more gleeful by such sicker-label believers and coffer keepers. After all, it is not easy for a 21st century bread-winner to spare time for archaic revenue-generation for 'religious purposes'. Just as idle minds like Advani, Thackeray, Fernandes and others were incrementally encouraged by the perverse psyches of ignorant citizenry, several (not all) such idle minds are engaged within the Christian institutions like Blibical Seminaries, the Orthodox Churches of Kerala, Catholicates urban and rururban and their offshoots all over the world. In masked existence and exploitation, these small-time power-mongers are like criminals who've been given special sanction to exist amongst us as God's soldiers. They are more often social leeches. To take their cause further, politicians and believers even attribute natural calamities like the Gujarat Earthquake and the Orissa cyclone to the perfect interventions of their God on populations selected by their misdeeds on Christians. Newspapers today refer to the commercialisation of the Church. Well, this is not new. But our widespread awareness of this phenomenon is new. I should like to emphasise that alternatives to one religion over another is not the likely answer. Nor is a mystical and hypnotic appeal of an Indian Church under a saffron tinge. Debunking religion is already on the rise with the filthy power of consumerism. Jurisprudence is limited by the process of law, and rarely strengthened by methodical enquiry into phenomena as they occur. Priests are increasingly vulnerable to the strides of science. A mere offer of an antithesis of societal disorder can swing faith into play, and power to the hungry goes with it. They however do not examine social disorder with the tools of science and cleverly discourage their congregations from doing so. We should caution fanatics (religious and otherwise) from hardening their stances, just a much as we should respect their choices in examining their world around them. An administrative choice for example, is to licence religious activity on the strength of members' Income-Tax Returns. If religion-mongers are true to themselves, we should expect them to be honest to the Church and to our society. Parishioners cannot take social credit for propagating religious tenets amongst black moneyed businessmen and incorrigible religious administrators. A political correction is underway, on the basis of economic offence (The Tehelka tapes). Religious institutions cannot be far behind. Priests and politicians are after all the most powerful beings on our planet. And that power goes out to them from inactive and unconscious citizens. In the recent past, these two species of the human race have lived in cosy nexus and sleaze of the unholiest kind. May we awaken into their lowly lives. Happy Easter! |
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From: Vinayak Chitragar vinayak_chitragar@hotmail.com
The Shameless Ruling Party and an Equally Shameless Opposition
Good Luck People........
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From: Dr. N. Sudhirkumar nskumar@ip.eth.net
All vechiles tail lights working should be checked by the Toll collecting people. |
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From: Suresh Babu paksbabu@hotmail.com
It was very good to use this road. but why additional toll then why the govt.asking for a road tax so if u want it stop road tax. |
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From: Geerish Pandya 701612@sympatico.ca
Somebody please tell the Government of Mharashtra and the Government of India to forget about negotiating with Enron and kick them out of the deal and the country as soon as possible.When it comes to crookedness nobody can beat the American companies and the Government at state level and the Center must form a team of negotiators for whom the interest of India is paramount ; members of this team must be uncorruptible and untouchable.This team must be the final arbiter of any large investment projects especially by the U.S.A.
Geerish Pandya |
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From: Soccer nskumar@ip.eth.net
Atal Behari Vajpeyee should immediately sack Bangaru Laxman and remove him from the party.Stop tying with Samata Party and begin purification drive in BJP then only image will come back. Rastrapati should ask resignation of the Vajpayee Government. |
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From: Soccer soccer@mantraonline.com
Hi
Arshad |
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From: Geerish Pandya 701612@sympatico.ca
I have addressed this letter to Aditi Bhave and the views are all mine and I take full responsibility for them.
Saw your letter in Vox populi punecity.com and I hope you do not mind my writing to you to express my thoughts briefly will perhaps write to you at length later but this will suffice for now.
Geerish |
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From: Dhananjay Kulkarni kulkarni@cs.ucr.edu
Hello Sir/Madam,
We all know that this Mela has gained international attention and that is really good for the country's exposure. But what about the downside of it? It will definitely let the world know that India is not a place of snake charmers and elephants anymore, but a very fast developing nation. But it will still have a negative effect! No sadhus are ambassadors to the world and no sadhu will ever know what goes around the world (well, maybe with the cell phone in the hand thesedays..they do). Makes me think. Is Kumbh Mela really a place where one visits to wash off all the sins? If so, why do sadhus flock there all the time - rather than the 'sinners' like you and me? The question is not - "To sin or not to sin?", I would say it is rather - "To smoke ganja or not to smoke?". Oh yes, this does not apply for all who visit the Mela. I very well appreciate the courage and devotion of the devotees to be at the Kumb Mela. They come from far and near, to wash away all the sins and at the same time watch helplessly what thir sadhus or gurus are upto. God have mercy on Kumbh! Dhananjay Kulkarni
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From: Geerish Pandya 701612@sympatico.ca
Services of Enron are urgently needed in California.Please send that Company packing back to the U.S. so it can start gouging the people of California and Texas and leave my fellow countrymen alone.(Gouging=a large amount of money extracted or extorted--Am.Heritage Dictionary).U.S.has enacted vast amount of laws and rules and regulations to keep their corporations in line and honest and even so they have only partially succeeded.Unless India can do the same they are no match for the crooked Corporations flocking into India from abaroad.Globalisation is nothing but colonisation with all the economic benefits of it without the burden of doing anything for the people of the country.Geerish Pandya , Ft.Gratiot Michigan Geerish Pandya
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From: Geerish Pandya 701612@sympatico.ca
I very much hope the Government of Maharashtra will not buckle under various threats issued by the Government of U.S. and the Enron. It is the primary duty of an elected Government is to look after the interests of the people who elected it and the country at large and not to please and feed the greed of some crooked foreign and home grown corporations. The National Government in Delhi and the Sate Government must do what is right for the country without wavering in any way. The looting and plundering of dear India must be brought to an end. If we don't do it who will; if not now when? Geerish Pandya
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From: Suresh Shiv suru51@hotmail.com
The Editor,
It's rather pathetic that the most modern democracy has been "Bushwhacked". The candidate with the most votes from the people, was not elected President. The US constitution lays down that the President is to be elected by the people directly, yet strangely, a mockery of the constitution was made, as the Electoral College decided the Presidency. The people of the United States of America were held to "Ransom" by the Judiciary. GOD BLESS AMERICA.
Suresh Shivdasani
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From: Amit Gadkari amit@nasikmail.com
Hi,
PMC can provide cement road but not water why????
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From: Aditi Bhave adt_bhave@usa.net
I'm writing from USA, experiencing a total conflict of thoughts within myself...my vision of US, before I came here was very different...I live in New Jersey and work in New York...New Jersey can ideally be renamed "Little India" and the language of this state can be declared as any Indian language or dialect...it's that bad...New York city is worse, it's the big brother of our very own Bombay...crowded, stinking, filthy...can you believe there are cockroaches roaming freely on the streets and rodents the size of rabbits, in the under-world?? "under-world" of NY consists of subways (Bomaby ki local trains), uneducated, dirty panhandlers (bhikari) who can be any of "kallus" (Black Americans), "hispanics" (Immigrants) and similar hideous races and creeds...my co-commuters on the train to work are blue-pink-green haired, black-silver-grey nailed, golden-purple-yellow lip-colored Americans (I am a true New Yorker, traveling by trains and buses, just as a person is no Bombayite if he lives Colaba life, goes around in imported cars, dines in Holiday Inn, the essence of Bombay lies in areas like Dombivli, Byculla, Girgaon, local trains, road-side tinpats)... American teenagers are not even half as mature, garve-thinking as our SSC children...they have no aim in life like our youth do...they have no personal-social problems like our youth do, they have no thirst for knowledge, no interest in any of the things that are "good" and "pure" in God's world...all they worry about is who was my girlfriend/boyfriend yesterday, who do I sleep with today...it's disgusting...there's such prosperity in this country that all needs are seen to without lifting a finger...a square meal comes in less than 5$ which a teenager here can earn by working in shops, working as a telephone operator, washing windows, moving furniture, there's no need for a high class degree to earn 50$ a day! In 50$, he can spend as well as save a dime or so...4 litres of milk costs just 3$, good quality clothing is inexpensive too...there's ample, abundance of everything...2-3 by-gone generations (forefathers of today's wasted American teenagers) have faced 2 world wars, strifed for progress, building infrastructure, facilities, systems which have made US such an empire, the leader of the nations...but today's youth needn't worry about anything...their forefathers planted the sapling, they are reaping the fruits coz today the tree stands tall and strong...no wonder US needs fresh, warm-blooded, brainy, sincere labour from other countries like India to "care" for the tree...there's such a mix of cultures and it's resulted in a terrible mess...the sanctity in thoughts and actions that Indians have is rare to find here...India has such a vast history, rich culture and traditions... Unfortunately, when you ponder on the state India is in today, you realise that just hankering after our heritage, traditions is not enough, until the socio-economic conditions in India don't improve, we have no hopes of survival...it's upon us, the people of India to do it...Indians like me who have had a wee bit of life abroad, should bring back to India, all the sense of organisation, systematic-ness that one finds here in developed countries...(right from garbage disposal to queues at the ticket window, all systems are worth understanding and implementing in India...but most Indians still behave in typical "deshi" fashion even after landing in another country...heaving and pushing their way to grab seats in trains, not rewinding video cassettes before handing them back, disregarding the US "honor-system" by taking leave from office on false pretext, "using" a product and then returning it to the store and taking full refund, are simple examples)... It's hard to believe that "Bharat" was once a powerful country, we were the world rulers in terms of might/force, trade, knowledge...the world looked towards Bharat for hope, support...like US today, which can take upon itself the role of a mediator in world affairs...and why not?? Isn't US a mix of races, cultures, creeds?? So if scientists of 10 different countries bring their heads together in NASA and invent something ultra-superb, it shouldn't be a wonder, a surprise...the skill, vision, perception of 10 different countries was involved in the invention's making...so it's like this afterall...people from all over the world need some place, some space, where they can exercise their own will, make their dreams come true...that place, that space, is USA or any developed, global village like it! And come to think of it, isn't this the "Kaliyug"?? Can anything "good", "positive" be expected from any country, any person in Kaliyug?? No, the world has started rolling down the road to doom, the END is near, very near folks!!! Aditi Bhave
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From: Dr. Prasad Rajhans jpmt@vsnl.com
Please visit
Please let more and more people in Pune know about this website as it will give them a detailed information on how to use the free ambulance service if they suffer from a heart attack. Thanking you
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From: Suresh Shiv suru51@hotmail.com
The Editor,
One finds it rather strange that, most everyone blames Israel, for the Excessive use of force, the impasse and the present state of tension in the middle east. No one analyses, as to why any kind of Force is to be used. No sane Individual restores to force, unless provoked. Provocation we have seen a plenty, by the Palestinians. Youngsters pelting rocks and throwing fire bombs, unabated. The Palestinian Authorities have made the minimal effort, if any, at restraining such actions. The United Nations and other agencies condemnation of only Israel, as the guilty, in the present situation, is not only one sided but unfair. One has to view both sides of the coin, and an old Indian adage is definitely apt here "ONE CAN'T CLAP WITH ON HAND." It's time saner minds prevail and emotions take a back seat, the World is handling a Time bomb, which if not defused, by cooler, clear actions, without going about blaming one party or the other, we may not have time to reflect on the Aftermath of the Situation.
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From: Suresh Shiv suru51@hotmail.com
The Editor,
As published today, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Suresh Kamlakar's Concept of having Prepaid Rickshaw Stands, is a Sound and Excellent Proposal, We the Citizens should and must support this whole heartedly. Bravo Shri.Kamlakar, do not let this be a Concept only, bring it to fruitation. GOOD LUCK SIR.
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From: Suresh Shiv suru51@hotmail.com
The Editor,
Further to my Comment on Shri.Narasimha Roa and Butta Singh, as published on the 13th. One wishes to point out the Audacity of the Attorneys for both defendants. Before the Trial Judge pronounced sentence, the Defense Attorneys prayed to the Learned Judge for leniency in the Sentence to be pronounced,(emphasis is on 'leniency') this was reported both in the Print and Visual Media. At no stage, before the pronouncement did they state that their Clients were not guilty. Sir, this important fact,only underscores that the Accused were accepted to be Guilty. Now we learn in the Media that the Attorneys are to Appeal to the High Court and above, not only for reduction of the Sentence but argue and plead that their Clients are not guilty of the charge leveled against them. Their Audacity, to content that their clients are innocent, is indeed commendable. Will the People of this Country believe and forget? or is memory to short, when politics come into play?
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From: Amrut amrya@webveda.com
I have been thinking about a diffrence that rickshaw made to pune and I was shocked to get the answer even it caused bit of problem commuting But the air was much cleaner better I live in kothrud so while passing dashabhuja ganpati their used to be a thick layer of smoke and visiblity was low but it was not their for couple of days that lead to conclusion that rickshaws are one of the main reaseon for pollution (air). So I request you to make people alert that they should tell the rickshaw driver that he should tune his vehical whenever they see smoke ( alot )comming from his vehical and when people tell them to do so pune will be a lot better place to live
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From: Suresh Shiv suru51@hotmail.com
The Editor,
Each day One reads, hears and sees only news about Strikes, Municipal Employees, MSEB Employees, Bank Employees Strike, Auto Rickshaws Strike, Taxi Strike. In fact anyone and everyone, who so ever has any cause, restores to Strike. Surprisingly the one's who should Strike, THE CITIZEN, have not, it seems as yet realised the Potential of this (legal blackmail) Forum. We the citizens should have the Mother(as Sadham Husian says) of All strikes, A non -coperation action against any Strking Organisation, true BAPU style!
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From: Suresh Shiv suru51@hotmail.com
The Editor,
A Nation of One Billion People, with one of the best Cricket Teams and yet WE have Not a single person to COACH our Team. Our fascination for Everything Imported has reached new heights. MERA BHARAT MAHAN.
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From: B shankarnarayan snarayan@giaspn01.vsnl.net.in
The undependable Pune Telecom Directory on the web. I checked it out today. Numbers are all old. No updates. No listing of changes in numbering scheme. I'm going to send a fax to Mr. Nirmal Saroop, PGM of Pune Telecom Circle. All thinking citizens should also do the same. It might persuade him to take corrective measures and bring it up to date. His fax # is 4453646.
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From: dmoorthy@bflpune.com dmoorthy@bflpune.com
I just read the article by Shobha Hirawani about "Door Step Schools". It is undoubtedly a very noble and interesting initiative. Not many people know that there is a somewhat similar project that has been launched recently in Pune. It is known as PRATHAM. Pratham Pune Education Foundation is a charitable institution that has been formed through the co-operation of the Pune Municipal Corporation, the local community and some of Pune's leading industrial houses. The programme is aimed at providing primary school education to children in the age group of 3-10 belonging to underprivileged sections of society. This is being done through the medium of Balsakhis, Balwadis etc. The programme is being administered at the various PMC schools by an experienced implementing team. Pilot projects were launched in January 2000. The response has been so heartening that the programme has spread rapidly to various parts of the city. The Pratham programme affords an opportunity to all who wish to make a difference, participate and contribute in an important social mission. More information on Pratham and the work that it is doing would be available from Mrs Jayashree Shidore on tel no. 5443134. Please contact her for details.
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From: Suresh Shiv suru51@hotmail.com
The Editor,
This is a party which has been guiding the destiny of the Indian Nation for over 40 years, a Party that will not take care of it's own, could it have taken care of the Nation.? It still has the audacity to wanting to come to power, so it may as yet line it's pockets. Are we as a Nation, Fools? One does not believe so. Sir, the adage "POLITICS IS A DIRTY GAME" has been proved, by the very Party that claimed to be Clean. Surely the Congress High Command, must have been IN on the Bribery scandal, Narasimha Roa and Butta Singh would not have the Guts to act on their Own. The Entire High Command should be held Accountable, as accessory to the Fact. Thank you,
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From: B shankarnarayan snarayan@giaspn01.vsnl.net.in
Autos on Expressway!! Earlier today I was shocked to see a 3 wheel autorickshaw with passengers merrily driving in the centre lane of the Lonavla - Pune section of Mumbai Pune Expressay. I stopped the the auto and told him off. He seemed quite unperturbed. I informed the police control chowkey beyond the Kamshet tunnel but the cop made no move to radio a message to the patrol. He said the auto will be fined if and when caught. I suppose this heralds a free for all on the Expressway. Six seaters will soon follow. Paydirt for the cops. Also note that the much tomtommed surface of the Expressway is not a patch on some of the sections of bitumen surface of the old highway. My Amby is sensitive to the extreme to bad surfaces.
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From: Suresh Shivdasani suru51@hotmail.com
Sir,
Politically but Economically too. India at this juncture of Strength and Growth, both Political and Economical, in relation to the World , can ill afford to have an Unstable Government. The price of Petroleum Products has had adverse ramifications, not only in Europe, The USA but all over the Globe, Politically and Economically. The cost of a liter of petrol is around $1/- in Europe, and the tax is 70%, i.e.70cents. In the United States the same is 40cents a liter and the tax is 22% i.e.8.8cents(The USA prices it's petrol in gallons, the liter price is for comparison only)In India the average price is 85cents and the Duty plus tax must be at least 70%(logically in line with Europe) if not higher. hence the tax would be 59cents. Sir, it's quite clear that Governments all over, have been reaping the maximum benefits. Not the Oil Companies and Distributors as claimed by the Governments.There have been Protests at the high cost of Gasoline products, all over Europe(Blockades in France, The UK, Belgium, Holland, Spain to name a few. And quite o few of these have turned violent. The french government agreed to reduce the taxes by as much as 9%)The Economies of All these countries have suffered enormous Political, Economical and Moral damage. The US government has thought it wise to dip into it's Oil reserves, to stabiles the price domestically.(The Price of Products in the USA are in tune with Market Forces, Supply and Demand) Most unfortunately, the price of petroleum products have always being rising in India, for decades the Mantra used by the Government(of every political party)is that the cost of OIL has gone Up in the International Market. A clever ploy this, to keep the masses at bay? Are we that Dumb, that we can't question or judge?( We are supposed to enlightened, at least the Urban Elite or are WE?) The Powers that be are well aware, that India has Bi-lateral Trade Arrangements with quite a few of the OIL producing Nations, whereby the price of a barrel is lower than that of the International price. To the best of One's knowledge and recollection, there has never been an downward change in the price of Petroleum products, even when the Price of OIL has gone down Internationally.(In the late 80's and early 90's the price was around $10/ - $15/ a barrel, even a few years ago it was around $18/ - $25/ a barrel, yet the prices were never lowered domestically) The Government has no justifiable answers, definitely not. A great injustice has been done to over 700 million Indians, by raising the price of Kerosene, Cooking Gas and importantly, Diesel.(multiple Taxation come into play, when Diesel prices go up)Newton's theory, that whatever goes up must come down,has been proved wrong, in this context, and hold no water, thanks to the(various) government of India. Sir, if Fertilizers, Electricity and Seeds can be Subsided for the Agricultural Sector(being the largest underprivileged section of the population, as claimed by the government, and Totally misused)then surely the price of Kerosene, Cooking Gas and Diesel, which effects the vast majority of the population, too should be Subsided. It's time that the Government stopped protecting 10 to 15 percent of the population(Urban Elite and The Rich)that is economically well off, and can very well afford to bear a greater burden of Taxes.(48% of the Tax Revenue is derived from the Salaried, and only 8% to 10% from the Rich)It's time for the Government(claiming to be for the masses)to rethink its Taxation Policies and be in Tune with Reality and the Times. P.S. All prices are in US Dollars.
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From: Venkatnarayan Hariharan Venkatnaraya.Hariharan@oracle.com
I've noticed Puneites always turn a blinds eye toward's Pune's shortcomings. Thats not healthy for our city. We should be open to criticism so that something good comes out of it. I've noticed PMT conductors not returning back exact change and rickshaw drivers overcharging. Puts you off when yu find such things happening after a hard day's work. Such things never happen in Mumbai.
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From: Vithaldas P Divecha adivecha@bigfoot.com
This refers to the news reports about the fate of Indian Navy Ship, Vikrant, whether it should be scraped or preserved as naval museum. This reminds me of my U.S. tour in Oct.-Nov. 1998. While in Boston, we went on a sightseeing tour in an amphibian-landing vehicle made during World War II. Perhaps, it had been used in the legendary landing of Allied troops at Dunkirk, which celebrated its anniversary a few days back. The vehicle moves on land as well as in water. We went around the city and then in the Charles river that flows between Boston and Cambridge-Harvard. The driver also functions as guide commenting on historic buildings and their roll in the independence struggle of the U.S. He asked a question and added that in three years only two persons had correctly answered it. The question was: what was the famous maxim said by James Otis of Boston? Despite having quoted it an umpteen times in 25 years, once twenty years ago in a letter citing even his name, I just sat there wondering. The maxim is, "No taxation without representation." Over passage of time I had come to attribute it to Thomas Paine, the pamphleteer of New York who published the 'Common Sense'. The consequence of that maxim was the Boston Tea Party. 342 chests of tea, each weighing 400 pounds were dumped in the sea from the Dartmouth in protest against import duty of 3 pence per pound imposed by the British Parliament, which had no American representation. The ship is preserved as a tourist spot. The guide attired in the liveries of the British army unfolds the history in a capturing narration. 'Suppose you are the citizens of Boston and are gathered here in Town Meeting..... As patriots, what would you do.? ' He asks for the date of the Party. I was the only one from amongst about 50 international tourists to reply, '16th December, 1773'. Such ships, vehicles, buildings and other things in the U.S. earn their own 'living' and help other humans keep alive with dignity. They are very well maintained. The Vikrant can in a like manner be developed into a tourist haunt. But then we seem to be more concerned with the health of those dilapidated useless structures called past presidents, prime ministers, MPs and so on and so forth, on whom we spend an unspecified unlimited amount of money without any reference to the taxable salary drawn by them while in office. The reason: we are not as conscious as the Americans of even two
centuries before, about the taxes borne by us. Nor do we ever discuss
taxes that are extracted even from the beggars without their knowledge
by the so-called representatives, thanks to blanket aesthesia of
indirect taxes. If today he were to visit India, -the so-called
democracy, James Otis would be a bewildered man.
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From: Amita Pandit amita@ip.eth.net
Dear Mr. Dev Nadkarni,
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From: Nithin Nagesh nignes@hotmail.com
Dear Mr. Dev Nadkarni,
The above quote of yours should, may I say, be taken with a pinch of salt. There are hundreds of rickshaws in Pune that transport school children to the schools and each rickshaw will have a minimum of 10 students piled into them. The question is who is to blame - the rickshaw drivers, the police or the parents? The rickshaw drivers are out to make money, the police on most occassions will keep a blind eye and the parents, they just want a means of transport to take their children to school. It is a shame that the ones who suffer are little children for no fault of theirs. If parents insist that the rickshaw drivers take the limited amount of
passengers in their rickshaw I think we could put a stop to this
overcrowded rickshaw menace, but will that happen is a big question.
Also I wonder if the RTO authorities bother about the condition of the
vehicles that they pass for renewal of registration each year. One
look at the condition of the vehicles plying the roads and you will
notice that there is some problem somewhere in the system.
Wake up people, let us make Pune a nice place for ourselves and for our
children.
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From: Nithin Nagesh nignes@hotmail.com
Dear Mr. Nadkarni,
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From: Venkatnarayan Hariharan Venkatnaraya.Hariharan@oracle.com
We had been to Pune in May'2000 and I am sorry to say that Pune has not changed much since the last time I visited Pune in May'1998. Just across the ghats is Thane. I had been to Thane too in 1998 and this time when I visited Thane, what a change I saw! Almost every road in Thane has footpaths on both sides, storm water drains on both sides, almost every road has been widened. The city has been greatly beautified. Main roads have been concretised. Lanes and pedestrian crossings have been clearly marked. Traffic signals work well. Street lighting is excellent. Bus transport is excellent. Let me highlight the negative points I noticed in Pune in comparison to Thane. I challenge you to take this down and verify for yourself point by point the next time you have a chance to visit Thane, Mumbai, and Pune:
It smells of corruption to me. There is too much corruption in Pune. Lastly, on positive side, I can quite clearly say that the garbage situation has improved. The garbage trucks seem quite modern and seem to be doing their job well. Puneites, wake up. I've fought for you long enough. I have spoken to
PMC commissioners and PMT chairmen in the past. I have decide to stop this.
Its your city. If you want to improve it, do something about it.
Otherwise, I am shifting my residence out of Pune. I will move to
Bangalore. Besides, Pune in general seems to be closed for
non-Maharashtrians. You see it in the way everything is written in
Marathi like bus route names, shop names, forms printed in
Marathi-only,
etc. I'd rather move on to Bangalore, that accepts people from any part
of India. I loved Pune and its people, I will be sorry to leave it, but
I think I've waited long enough.
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From: P G Kulkarni uttam@emirates.net.ae
I felt that Pune Municipality have got to their senses now. In U A E before bulding permit is issued, for all services "no Objections" are obtained
Each officer's name is printed so as to make it sure that the responsibility lies with him. In case the information found to be purposefully given then all the bunch of that sanctioning service department are held responsible & can be sued in court.(with immidiate effect of termination of services till the enquiry & findings are declared) if found guilty then the court vedict to be followed AFTER the building is constructed then the same permissions are renewed to seek FINAL COMPLETION CERTIFICATE for allowing occupation of the building Our Pune Municipal "services" organisation can come together & take this decision. I left India in 1979 .
Atleast after 21 years some sort of descipline is being thought .
Good news for the future but the damage has taken place since last 20
years
it is the time for the authorities to sit down & form the norms
considering the corruption at all levels & its mode of operations.
Contractor never wants to cheat. It is the municipality workers who make
them
wait for decisions & ultimately catch the contractor in trap.
There is a lot to say for each department's method of operations but
space
is very less & i dont know the prsent mentality of the Municipla
decision makers.
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From: Narendra Deshpande nvdeshpande@ksb.co.in
Dear Sir,
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From: Suresh Shivdasani suru51@hotmail.com
Mr.Dev,
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From: Suresh Shivdasani suru51@hotmail.com
Sir,
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From: Suresh Shivdasani suru51@hotmail.com
Sir,
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From: Sameer Athalye samath@glue.umd.edu
I think that you have misunderstood what I was saying.... I was never against intelligent solutions to traffic problems. Coming up with efficient public transportation systems is the best thing that one could do. I completely agree with you. (By the way: about being overawed by the US, well i have lived in the gulf countries since my childhood and so I am not exactly star struck by the US or by their roads. And I have certainly not lost my perspective. So there is no reason to picture me as an awestuck guy roaming around the US with my jaw wide open!!) In my email i had repeatedly said that proper town (urban)planning was the only definitive answer. But given the lethargy and corruption which is ingrained in the system, it doesn't not look as if this is going to happen in the immediate future. Also, when I said remove some monuments, i was not talking about the Buckingham palace or the Pyramids, etc. There is no need to get too carried away about the size (importance) of the monuments. I will cite one typical (read: 'real') example to state my point. I was a resident of Kothrud. There was one point on paud road where there was a temple situated right next to the road. That temple was a point of contention for quite some time. The road was literally winding AROUND the temple. Needless to say, that was a bottleneck. Only after many months and months of disputes was it removed. And I have to say from my personal experience, that the situation improved. Maybe some people were not pleased by the displacement of the temple, but I definitely thanked God for that. We are dealing with a situation where even after knowing that roads
like J.M. road can be built (which does not have a single pothole till
now except those dug by the electricity board) authorities still only
decide to "patch up" the existing roads every year (which, i assume,
allows them to misappropriate funds on a regular basis). It is
difficult to imagine that really intelligent urban planning (even if
feasible) will ever take place. I sincerely hope that there are more
Dhanashree Pawars out there who are working to make a difference.
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From: Dhanshree Pawar dhanaritz@hotmail.com
I am an urban planner who worked on the Pune Development Plan 1999-2000 (Extended Area). I wholeheartedly agree with your opinion that we need to work out new matehmatics of transportation planning. And yes, it indeed is very difficult to plan in an already developed area!! I have been studying in Bangkok before working as an urban planner and the traffic in Bangkok is legendary although it is one of the most developed countries in Asia!! And the only problem is too many cars. I too am currently living in the US and it is right that one must not
blindly follow or propagate what one sees without understnding the full
eceonomic and cultural considerations that exist in India.
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From: Geerish 701612@ican.net
We received this in response to Sameer Athalye's letter (vox populi, June 7)
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From: Sameer Athalye samath@glue.umd.edu
Hello fellow puneites,
I would like to contradict the stated opinion. Widening of roads is not just a question of reducing the time to travel from place A to place B. It has implications on the pollution in the city, fuel consumption etc. So just stating that 'since the traffic is always going to increase, we should just sit down and do nothing' is ridiculous. I am currently living in the US and have seen the roads here. The problem in pune is not just the width of the roads but the way the city was planned ( if it was ever planned!!) With proper town planning, congestion on the roads can be maintained under a certain level. For eg: If I have all the amenities that I want right in kothrud, why would I ever go to deccan or laxmi road etc? There is a "Town Planning" department in Govt. College of Engg. I wonder if they are allowed to do anything by the PMC. Given the fact that the roads are the way they are...the only way to solve this problem is to plan properly. And also, in regions where it is impossible to widen the roads...it is imperative to remove the 'monuments' which are in the way. This need not hurt the religious or patriotic sentiments of anybody. You will never be able to forgive yourself if tomorrow you kid suffers from lung cancer because of the pollution. monuments are made by man....they can be remade again.
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From: Vishvesh vishvesh@axess.com
I had quite an unforgetable experiance today. I dropped my parents to the Pune station in our maruti car. I was heading out of the station. It was pretty crowded. Suddenly I saw this military truck coming towards my non-driver door in reverse. Since there was a maruti ahead and an auto rickshaw behind me, I could not move my car. All of us were blaring our car horns but to no avail. There was even a military man sitting behind the truck who seemed unfazed by what was happening. In the next second the truck rammed into my car and sent glass flying all over me. I was shocked for a little while and then somehow managed to get out of the car and confront the driver. He said that he was not reversing at all and that he swears to his car that he was not reversing. I managed to get him out of his vehicle. Quite a few people were shouting at him since they had witnessed what had happened. He kept insisting that he was not reversing his truck !! The police came on the scene and confronted him. He was mocking them as well ! he said that he is only answerable to the Military Police and no one else. This was going on for about half an hour. People passing by were telling me to forget about it and not get involved in this since the military people will beat me up. I was adamant to geta case filed since I had done nothing wrong. After a lot of debate the police told the driver to
After another half hour, the MCO told me to come to his office alone and that they will settle this matter. The police advised me not to go. The police said that the military people are 'thick headed' people and there is nothing the police could do about it. I had no choice but to make my way home. On my way I could not help but think about this situation. I felt so damned impotent not being able to do anything even when I was in the right ! Only after coming home I saw that I had cuts on my hand. Are these the sort of people who are in the military ? Are there no decent people left. The Military authority even threatened me with dire consequences. If the military of a country can behave like this, how can one expect the people to behave any better ? Is there no place for truth in this country ?
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From: Nithin Nagesh nignes@hotmail.com
Dear Editor
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From: Vinay Sambare vinaysambare@yahoo.com
Sir,
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From: Vithaldas Purushottam Divecha
Sir,
At home, we see scores of instances where people behave as if no law exists. It is out of such 'necessity', law or no law, that people have to live in slums and use roadsides or railway tracks as toilets. Not only ordinary legislators but even past prime ministers agitate against enforcement of the law that slums should continue. How long, 5 or 50 years that they do not specify, nor do they strive to change the law to suit the hard facts. Thus they prove the law to be impotent against the facts, the 'necessity'. The gravest 'contempt of court' is to make law and not have the might, money or mind to enforce it. In an article 'The How and When of the Republic', published by the Hitavada on January 26, 1988, I wrote:
The Pak military rule is thus sovereign in its field and cannot be wished away by any court or the world at large. The question of legitimacy does not arise, the doctrine of necessity being superior to the law.
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From:Kamal Dutta kamaldut@omantel.net.om
So finally the MSEB has entered the computer age and has arranged to send bills by email. What a joke! Why can they not ease the sufferings of the consumers waiting in long queues to pay bills. I fail to understand the duplicity of work. The MSEB cash collection counters collect cash, prepare statements and then (possibly) deposit the cash in bank(s). Why cannot, consumers directly pay their bills in all branches of identified banks? or maybe in post offices? It is a shame to see consumers standing in long queues bearing the weather waiting patiently to PAY money. If the telecom dept. can do it why can't MSEB?
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From:701612@ican.net 701612@ican.net
Regarding your poll "Should the roads be widened at the expense of old monuments"the response of the public should be a resounding "NO".Let me enunciate Geerish's Law.Simply put it is"Traffic will always increase to jam all the roads no matter how wide they are."This has been the experience of all the countries with super duper highways such as Germany , Italy,England, Canada and the U.S.A. Why demolish our heritage when we are aware that the "need" for roads will forever be insatiable.
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From:Sumedh Thakar sumedh_thakar@yahoo.com
Slogans will not solve pune's traffic problems and definitely not if they are in english and only 5% people can read them. Chances are that those who are able to read them are already following the rules.
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From:Dhananjay Brahme brahme@earthlink.net
Dear Editor
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From:Vipul Patel vipulvallabh@hotmail.com
Gentlemen,
These people have small dams which caters to a certain area. But if due to some reasons there is an increase in population in that area, they increase the water level of the dam in proportion. That seems to be no where in Pune. The three dams ar now sufficinet for the population of Pune, but in the future considering the pop growth in Pune, I think they would not be enough. And resulting in a situation like the one in Gujarat and Rajstan today. However the govt should act now, though there is not an immediate need, but you never know the future. The govt can raise the hieghts of the dam, or build a larger and bigger one. Coz at the time of crises we Indians are very famous to point fingers, rather than accepting responsibilities or mistakes. We Indians first fight, to know who is the problem creator, and then think about acting on the problem. But the British have a difft way, they first rectify the problem and then discuss in a gentlemen fashion, as if whos mistake was it. An entrepreneur comes up with one proposal and there are hundreds against.
The point here I am tryinig to make is, we guys have a serious attitude
problem, and unless we change it, I doubt if Pune will ever carve out a
name for itself.
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From:Rishikesh Rotiwar (CTS) RRishikesh@PUN.CTS-CORP.COM
Dear Sir/Madam, This is with reference to the recent death in the swimming pool and subsequent articles/letters written by people from various walks of life. While all of us are blaming the authorities for not mainitaining the pool properly, not following the appropriate procedure for upkeep of it, we are forgetting it that these were the very people (MP's/MLA's & Legislators) whom we had voted for. These people are just there to filll their own pockets and nothing can be done by us. If one analyzes the reason behind this inability is :
The only one inference one can draw is we are also to be equally
blamed. If the people do not support such institutions like the swimming
pool in this case, there might be fewer such cases in the future. It would
be no surprise to see the pool open next year & people sending their wards
to it.
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From: Geerish 701612@ican.net
Dear Sir/Madam,
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From: N. V. Deshpande nvdeshpande@ksb.co.in
NON AVAILIBILITY OF BASIC AMMENITIES within PMC limits. 'Andhere main jo baithe hain, Nazar unpe bhi kuch dalo arey O roshani walon' Dear Sir/Madam,
THERE IS NO ELECTRICITY IN THIS AREA TILL DATE. Around 150 (One hundred fifty) HUMAN BEINGS reside in this area and do not have electricity. People have been staying here for past 10-12 years. Earlier this area was under Warje Gram Panchayat and with the inclusion of 36 villages in PMC, we are under PMC for past 2-1/2 years. TILL NOW THERE IS NO DEVELOPMENT. Till April 1999 the people here did not have DRINKING Water also. People had to fetch water from wells / Borewells as and when available or stay without water for days together. Thanks to the World bank scheme which brought water to this place in March / April 1999.. Till date we DO NOT have any approach ROAD to our place, and the concerned authorities in PMC just do not bother to look into this for providing even some temporary solution either. Each year during Rainy Season it is HELL commuting from this location. We have been paying all the required TAXES to PMC and earlier to Grampanchayat. Is it not the duty of PMC to render us the basic facilities after collecting taxes? Who is responsible for this?
On the MSEB issue we (my brother, father & society members) have been following up rigorously with MSEB Kothrud / Rasta Peth authorities to get electricity installed. But the MSEB do not bother to take necessary action even after paying them their estimated money.
We have paid MSEB, Kothrud Rs. 4,35,000/- (FOUR LAKH THIRTY FIVE THOUSAND rupees) in December 1999 to lay the required infrastructure for proviosion of electricity. But TILL DATE the MSEB is unsuccessfull in doing so.
May I request you to pass on my VOICE to concerned authorities/agencies who can resolve above issues.
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The most striking images that catch my eye are not the one in which the sadhus walk naked, but the ones in which they are smoking ganja (or marijuana). I would call this Mela a farce rather than a festival for these people. In a country where smoking tobacco or drinking itself is still not well accepted and in a country that has strong religious and traditional values, this feature of smoking ganja at the Mela really shadows the culture that our country exhibits. Indians and all Indian religions are very well respected all around the world. Infact there are thousands of people who want to follow some faith and learn from the Indian culture. I have a strong feeling that exhibiting such unwanted and uncalled behavior at a Mela such as Kumbh Mela is totally against the purpose of the Mela. Ofcourse as a national newspaper ToI has done a very good job of getting down to the middle of the excitement in Allahabad and capturing these images. I congratulate you for that. My views are not against ToI, but for the sads and those who go to the Mela for the ganja. These images not only show the elderly sadhus but also a young (well..a prospective sadhu) smoking ganja in the open. Doesnt it make sense to just put these smokers behind the bars or atleast warning them instead of publicising what they are practicing in the open?