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Deal with it

State bats for responsible Holi this year

Government wants the State to celebrate an environment-friendly Holi this year. You can buy natural colours at the Mantralaya, too.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

There’s a severe drought on in the State, the likes of which has not been seen for several years. The situation is set to spiral totally out of control, with farmers letting livestock go, and people looking for water to drink far and wide.

Meanwhile, the rest of the State is gearing up for Holi.

It is indeed a worrying dichotomy that while one of Maharashtra grapples with even small quantities of drinking water, cities like ours have water in plenty, and which we will use to the maximum limits when Holi arrives. Anticipating the unprecedented wastage of water that is soon to take place as the Holi celebrations get underway, State Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan wants us all to celebrate responsibly.

What Chavan wants

“Please avoid the use of water to celebrate Holi this year,” Chavan said via a statement released earlier this evening. “Opt for natural colours and celebrate a water-less Holi if possible. The cities tend to celebrate also with plastic balloons and synthetic colours, which damage the environment and which are dangerous for health as well.”

So committed is the State to a responsible and environmentally-conscious Holi this year, that a stall selling natural colours will be set up for the public at the Mantralaya on March 21 and 22. Apart from this, public service announcements will be made through all radio and TV channels (private and government-controlled), as well as in 205 cinema theatres across the city and State. The Government will also flash these announcements on local trains and BEST buses.

Plans are also afoot to have Chavan and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will communicate, via voice calls, with about one crore mobile subscribers and talk about using non-chemical based colours during Holi, apart from considering a water-less celebration. A letter bearing the public service message will also reach Government offices, editors of newspapers and channels, schools, colleges, courts, etc.

(Picture courtesy handmaidliset.blogspot.com)

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Deal with it

8-year-old donates Rs 5,000 to CM Relief Fund

Kanishk Dongre gave up the money earmarked for his birthday celebrations, plus some personal savings, to CM’s drought relief fund.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Who says the youth is totally self-centered? An eight-year-old boy, Kanishk Dongre, today did something so sweet, that even the Chief Minister of the State, Prithviraj Chavan, was all smiles.

Today, Kanishk handed over a cheque of Rs 5,000 to Chavan, towards the CM’s Relief Fund for drought-affected villages in the State.

Kanishk’s father, Raju, works with the State Government’s Director General of Information and Public Relations (DGIPR) department. Kanishk, a resident of Badlapur and a class two student of Carmel School, went with his parents to visit the CM at the Vidhan Bhavan this afternoon to hand over the money; the State Legislature is currently in Session and the CM was present there at the time. It turns out that the Rs 5,000 was actually earmarked for the boy’s birthday celebrations this year. However, the boy decided to donate the money, along with some prior personal savings, towards the drought relief fund.

Who says you need to make a grand gesture to make a difference?

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Deal with it

Mumbai Police HQ on terrorists’ list?

Are terrorists planning on doing the dirty with the Mumbai Police Commissioner’s office? Our Police chief seems to think so.

The Mumbai Police anticipates trouble.

As per a directive issued to his men by Mumbai Police Commissioner Dr Satyapal Singh, there may be a threat to the Mumbai Police Headquarters located near Crawford Market, south Mumbai. “All vehicles arriving at the HQ must be asked to slow down even before they approach the main gate, and once at the gate, they must be thoroughly screened,” his missive says.

The directive comes on the heels of the recent serial blasts at Hyderabad on February 21. Following the blasts, Delhi and Mumbai were immediately put on high alert by security agencies. However, the Mumbai Police HQ has surely received a specific threat, which has prompted this action.

This move is aimed at vehicles loitering outside the HQ as well.

Meanwhile, a non-bailable warrant (NBW) has been issued against Indian Mujahideen (IM) founder Yasin Bhatkal – IM is believed to be behind the Hyderabad blasts. A Delhi court issued the NBW today against Bhatkal and nine other operatives of the IM.

(Picture courtesy mumbailocal.net)

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Deal with it

Raise IT exemption limit, says the salaried class

Survey across the country’s metros and Tier II cities reveals that people want more exemptions on HRA, transport allowance and health.

Budget 2013-2014 will soon be upon us, and people are already awaiting news of new tax slabs. However, a comprehensive survey by the Associated Chamber of Commerce (ASSOCHAM) across the country reveals that a vast majority of the salaried class employed in a host of trade and industry sectors wants Finance Minister P Chidambaram to raise the exemption limit of income tax to at least Rs 3,00,000.

The survey reveals that people also want him to increase deductions such as medical and educational allowances in the Union Budget, so that they are left with more purchasing power.

The survey was conducted in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Chandigarh and Dehradun, and was titled, ‘Budget 2013: Common man’s expectations from the FM’. About 2,500 employees from different sectors were covered by the survey from each city.

Over 89 per cent of respondents said that the slab of tax-free income has not moved up in line with real inflation. “The current basic exemption limit of Rs 2,00,000 should be increased to at least Rs 3,00,000, with the exemption limit for women going up to Rs 3,50,000. This will increase the purchasing power of individuals and stimulate demand,” the survey reads.

“Pushing the basic exemption limit will also align it with the proposals made by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Direct Taxes Code (DTC)”, the survey noted.

With increasing healthcare costs, the existing tax free limit of Rs 15,000 should be increased to Rs 50,000; the same also needs to be considered in the Budget, said 89 per cent of respondents.

The transportation allowance granted by employers to employees (for commuting between the place of work and residence) is tax-free to the extent of Rs 800 per month. This limit was fixed more than a decade ago, and definitely needs to be revised upwards to at least Rs 3,000 per month, given the rising commuting costs across the country, finds the survey.

“Additional benefits related to housing, the deduction limit for payment of interest (on self occupied property) has remained constant at Rs 1,50,000 since 2001. There is an increase in property prices and accordingly the amount of loan. An increase in the exemption limit to Rs 2,50,000 will be a welcome change.

“Section 80C of the IT Act provides a deduction of Rs 1,00,000 for certain investments. This provision helps people in making forced savings that helps them in the future. A common man expects this limit to be increased to Rs 2,00,000 with sub-limit of Rs 50,000 exclusively for insurance and pension,” says DS Rawat, Secretary General, ASSOCHAM.

The survey was able to target employees from 18 broad sectors, with maximum share contributed by employees from IT/ITes sector (17 per cent). 11 per cent of the respondents came from financial services. Employees working in engineering and telecom sector contributed 9 per cent and 8 per cent respectively in the questionnaire. Nearly 6 per cent of the employees belonged from market research/KPO and media background each.

Around 55 per cent of the survey respondents fall under the age bracket of 25 to 29 years, followed by 30 to 39 years (26 per cent), 40 to 49 years (16 per cent), 50 to 59 years (2 per cent) and 60 to 65 years.

“Investments in infrastructure bonds are currently not allowed as a deduction up to Rs 20,000. These bonds have proved to be quite popular and the limit should be increased to Rs 50,000, considering that the Government needs massive funds for the development of the infrastructure sector and also the lock in period be restricted to five years,” added 82 per cent of respondents.

Over 71 per cent of respondents demanded for national pension system (NPS) brought under the EEE (exempt-exempt-exempt) as against EET (exempt-exempt-tax) at present. This means that investors get a tax exemption at all three stages of investment, appreciation and withdrawal.

(Picture courtesy profit.ndtv.com)

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Guest writer

Why there can be no other Madhubala

A fan speaks about her fondness for yesteryear actor Madhubala, reminiscing about the late beauty on the latter’s birthday yesterday.
by Mamta D

February 14 is a day that has become popular in recent times as Valentine’s day. Few people know that this day also marks the birth of one of the most beautiful Indian actresses ever to have graced the silver screen. Madhubala, or if you prefer her real name, Mumtaz Jahan Dehlavi, was born on February 14, 1933.

I was but a child when the movie Mahal was being played for the umpteenth time at a local open air theater. It had first released in the ’50s, but was very popular even in the ’70s and ’80s. I still remember the awe with which I, as a child, first saw her stunning beauty. The pure innocence of the song ‘Aayega aayega aanewala’ overrode the surrounding suspense (the movie was a suspense thriller). The child that I was, I couldn’t comprehend the suspenseful story but was captivated by the gorgeous beauty who lit up the screen.

In the ensuing years, I came across many other movies starring this beautiful actress and I learnt to look beyond her obvious beauty at the talent she possessed. Those were the days long before the advent of the Internet, and all we had were film glossies if we wanted to know more about stars and their human personas (aside from their celluloid personas, that is). Some of these glossies carried write-ups on yesteryear actresses. It was in one such glossy that I chanced upon an article about my favorite actress. I read about early successes (she was a child artiste before she went to do lead roles), her relationship with Dilip Kumar, her marriage to Kishore Kumar, and finally her tragic death at a young age. Reading about her personal struggles only served to increase my respect and love for this iconic actress who, if she had lived longer, would have continued to rule the silver screen.

Even back then or until much later, I had no clue about her illness or about how she suffered for years.  I just knew that she had died young. Born with a heart defect, a “hole in the heart” condition as it is commonly called, she kept her ailment hidden from the film industry and cinema audiences, which though full of adulation for a beautiful and successful star, could also be cruel and insensitive.  Stoically, she continued to make films despite the illness getting worse with time. In her personal life too, she faced many hardships and unhappiness. A fallout with the man she truly loved, a short-lived marriage to Kishore Kumar, and a terribly demanding shooting schedule all took a toll on her.

Unaware of all these details, back then, all I (and countless others like me) could see was the beauty we beheld before us, and the talent that shone through. Bedazzled and smitten, we yearned for more. When she giggled and pranced, our hearts sang with delight. When she became melancholic, we grew somber and gloomy. Such was the power she held over us. The mellifluous songs picturised on her are hummed even today. And yet she had been long gone by the time I was born. Unlike the stars of today, whom you can spot in person, interact with on Facebook or tweet with on Twitter, in those days, there was no means to contact the star. Madhubala, in particular, was quite reclusive, in that she even declined to make public appearances or give interviews.

Despite some of her films not being huge box office successes, she was still one of the most sought-after actresses. Many actresses in recent years have been said to be new-age Madhubalas. But to hardcore Madhubala fans like me, no one can even hold a candle to her.

Mamta D works in the IT industry. Beyond her job, she writes, travels, paints and experiments with various side projects, among other things. 

(Picture courtesy indya101.com)

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Achieve

Rural journalism goes Web 2.0

The Khabar Lahariya newspaper, born in the Hindi hinterland and run entirely by women, launched its website in Mumbai yesterday.
by Nidhi Qazi

What happens when a group of 40 women journalists come to the city for the launch of online edition of their newspaper Khabar Lahariya? A platform full of experiences, energy and enthusiasm opens up for discussion.

Wednesday witnessed women empowerment when the all-women’s team of the publication travelled from the districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to Mumbai. From impact journalism to personal histories and journeys, they all had something to say.

Take the case of Meera, Editor of the paper, and who hails from Banda district, UP. She narrated how she is now at ease with the big machine that is the computer. In her own words, “I never thought I could operate this machine. In fact, I always used to think that something would go wrong if I touch it. But that fear is gone. We use computers to search for information, making pages and what not.”

For the uninitiated, Khabar Lahariya is a weekly newspaper produced by women from the marginalised sections of society. It is the brainchild of Nirantar, an organisation that works towards empowering women through education.

Launched in 2002 in Chitrakoot district of UP, the newspaper has expanded to Bihar and today runs six editions. The editions are from five districts of UP – Chitrakoot, Banda, Lucknow and Benares and Sitamarhi district in Bihar. The newspaper is published in regional languages such as Bhojpuri, Awadhi, Bundeli, Bajjika and Hindustani. With a readership of 80,000, the paper has its presence in 600 villages and sells for Rs 2.

With its print edition well in place, what made the newspaper launch online despite the fact that villages don’t have easy Internet accessibility? “The idea behind the online edition is to not just spread the newspaper, but the phenomenon that Khabar Lahariya is,” said Meera. “Apart from visibility, the online edition will also provide information on various rural developments and news which the mainstream media doesn’t report much,” she adds.

Khabar Lahariya uses social media marketing as a major tool. From Facebook to Twitter, they use it all. And all this is managed by the women themselves. The reporters are given an ICT workshop which includes training in the use of the Internet.

The newspaper depends mainly on funding from such sources as the Dorabji Tata Trust and UN Democracy and Equity Fund, though a sustainable model is what they aim for in the long run. Their margin for advertising revenue is low and they also get funded through the various awards they win.

As for the recruitment of staff, the team gives out ads. “The prospective reporters are selected after a formal interview process. We then train them for a week in writing, editing, video-making, photography and page-making,” says Kavita, who joined the paper in 2002.

Short stories

For Shanti, one of the paper’s oldest reporters and who has been associated with the publication since its inception, “It’s a privilege to have travelled so far when all others from my community (she belongs to the Kol tribe of UP) haven’t even dreamed about it.” She also takes pride in the impact the paper’s stories have made. “Our efforts for three months resulted in the suspension of a police officer who refused to entertain us ‘women’ in the case of violence against a woman,” informs Shanti. It is this attitude of ‘How can women be journalists?’ that bothers people around, she adds.

Susheela, a Benares-based reporter, talks about personal issues. “My mother-in-law didn’t approve when I decided to work in 2012. She boycotted us and eventually I, my husband, three kids and husband’s grandmother had to leave our family house. But mother-in-law imposed a condition that if I give her Rs.3,000 every month, she would accept us back in the house. I refused.” For Susheela, her husband has been a big support.

For many, reporting gives a chance to explore and experience all that is around them. From MNREGA payment issues, pension hassles to civic problems, women’s issues and success stories, these women report it all.

Khabar Lahariya is now live on www.khabarlahariya.org.

(Pictures courtesy Nidhi Qazi)

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