In the death of Manohar Joshi, the city has lost an affable politician. He was a neta with hardly any enemies. He had the rare ability of taking everyone along with him. In front of the microphone he was rabid, but post the bhashan he was all smiles. He started Kohinoor coaching classes. Once his mentor Bal Thackeray asked him to open shakhas all over Maharashtra.
After some months when he met the Sena chief, the latter asked him if he had opened the branches. Joshi replied in the affirmative. Later it turned out that he had opened branches of Kohinoor classes. Incidentally, even though the Shiv Sena was anti-south Indian, Joshi preferred the batatawadas made by Raja, the south Indian canteen contractor at Shanmukhananda Hall.
Monkeying Around
A girl poses for a picture at Bandra Bandstand on Sunday | VGP
Is BMC Chief On His Way Out?
There are reports that BMC Commissioner IS Chahal is on his way out. His tenure was marked by controversies. However, there is no denying that he handled the unprecedented Covid crisis in an effective manner. The commercial capital of the country was crippled. Fear gripped the populace. Despite the odds, Chahal rose to the occasion and led from the front. There were reports that Dharavi, the biggest slum in the country, was going to be overrun by the virus. If that had happened thousands would have died. Chahal mobilised all his resources and averted a disaster. In fact, Dharavi was the first area of the metropolis to show signs of recovery. Best wishes to you Mr Chahal.
Desi Lifesavers
Summer is here again. It is as if we are already in the month of May. Its a torture travelling in overcrowded trains, buses or in kali peelis. One of the best ways to beat the heat is to keep yourself well hydrated. Instead of downing bottles of sugary Coke, Pepsi or Fanta it is better to go for desi drinks like lassi, jal-jeera or plain nimbu sherbet.
There are umpteen handcartwalas selling fresh lime juice mixed with soda and pudina leaves. The stall near Canon pav-bhaji at CST sells the best kalakatta in town. There is this kiosk on Platform 1 of CST which vends cold apple juice for just Rs10, which is all very refreshing. Amul's masala buttermilk in large Tetrapack are another life savers.
Tailpiece
A wag commented: “It is ironic that a government steeped in corruption is calling for deep cleaning of streets!”
Compiled by S Balakrishnan
