A Kaleidoscope Of Men, Matters & Moments That Make The Madness & Magic Of Mumbai
FPJ Can Give A Run For Money
This weekend this reporter was filled with a sense of pride. She was hunting for Free Press Journal at Churchgate station in the morning. After having received ‘NO’ for an answer from five newspaper vendors near the station, she went back to Bandra disappointed. At Bandra station, she again enquired at the Wheeler if the paper was available, but yet again her plea was turned down. She then turned to the last vendor outside the station, and asked for the same. The lady owner replied in English, “It’s got over really soon today. I make it a point to read it daily. I also take it home for my kids to read it.” When asked what she likes the most about the newspaper, pat came the reply, “The GK section. I enjoy reading it. The paper is so good, it can really give a leading newspaper a run for its money.”
Hear Out, It’s Not Harmful
On a fine, sunny day last week when this reporter stepped out of her home to cover a story, she had no idea what was in store for her. She had gone to a civil hospital to interview some doctors. She reached the hospital at around noon and for the next two hours she was only made to run around from pillar to post for a written permission to speak to them. When she was finally given permission and was about to head towards the department to interview the doctors, she was stopped by a police officer from the security office. The police officer started interrogating her about her purpose at the hospital and then asked her to go away. The flabbergasted reporter was not even given a chance to explain herself. This reporter waited patiently for the officer to finish and handed over the letter to him. Only when the police officer read the letter, he realised his mistake and apologized to the reporter; at the same time adding in a very boastful manner, “Madam, you can understand I was just doing my job.” To which the reporter replied calmly, “And so am I. So next time, kindly hear out once.”
Cycle Loses Its Steam?
Republican Party of India chief Ramdas Athavle has been the butt of many jokes circulating on Whatsapp and social networking sites for the past few days. But when the popular politician took a press conference in town recently, he came across as a dejected leader who had to face harsh realities of a changing political scenario. He announced a statewide session in March at that press conference and said that he expected four to five lakh people to turn up. But when the conversation turned towards the much anticipated union cabinet berth to Athavle in the Modi government, journalists sprang up to ask him if he felt he had been cheated by the BJP as well as the Congress. Athavle, with a smirk said, “We don’t have a single MLA in the state. We will have to be patient.” He was also pragmatic enough to say that RPI will not ask for the post of the deputy chief minister in the Maharashtra assembly since they do not stand a chance. These came across as meek submissions from a leader who had once mustered chief ministerial ambitions.
A Drop In The Ocean, A Ripple On The Spot
Being a crime reporter, this reporter has seen both the good and bad sides of the city police. However, what she stumbled upon last week inspired her to believe that a few good can change a lot.
This reporter was pursuing a case for which she decided to meet a top ranking officer to ask certain questions regarding the same. At his office, she was made to wait and was offered a cup of coffee while the officer carried on with his routine work.
Amidst his work, this official stumbled upon the lapses that were projected on the behalf of the police stations that fall under his jurisdiction. He immediately called up the senior Police Inspector of that police station and questioned him about why his officers weren’t carrying out their duties efficiently. The person on the other line said sorry while this officer continued to remain furious and said that sorry wouldn’t change anything.
Within a few minutes, the officer received a call about other two cases that had occurred under his jurisdiction and hadn’t been solved since November.
Making this reporter wait further, he called the concerned person and asked for an update. The person on the other line replied, “Chalu hai, Sir.”
Furious about the previous incident and this one, the officer replied, “Chalu hai is your way of saying the investigations haven’t begun yet.”
He went on to explain to the person on the phone that a case diary is to be maintained in every case where developments of the case are to be noted daily.
“When my father was an inspector in another state, he would sit up late and fill these diaries. When we would ask him what are you writing? He would reply I’m writing my case diaries. If I don’t, I’ll be suspended from work tomorrow,” said the official before demanding to see the case diaries of both the cases with daily registered developments. It had been an hour since this reporter had been waiting to speak to the official. But what he had made her wait for inspired her to believe that a few good people can create ripples in their own tiny ways.
Tail-Piece
Kohli’s first test match as captain has a lot of Sharmas: Rohit Sharma, Karan Sharma, Ishant Sharma and Anushka Sharma
Contributed By Sonam Saigal, Manasi Tahalani,
Tanvi Deshpande, And Lievanta Millar
Compiled By Tanvi Deshpande
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Lady Officer
On January 15, the Indian Army was celebrating the Army Day at the Gateway of India. Many senior officials of the Army and Navy were present. A woman Air Force officer, married to an Army officer, was also present there. She was sitting with her one-year-old baby boy while her husband was roaming around the venue with his fellow officers. The baby kept disturbing her throughout the event. She requested her husband to help her with the baby but he refused. The baby was crying and she was feeding milk to him with a bottle. Frustrated with the situation, she told this correspondent sitting next to her, “No matter what your profession, whether you are an officer, a servant or even a prime minister, if you are a woman, you can’t escape. A child belongs to both father and mother but while the father can escape responsibility, the mother can’t.”
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