50 Influential people.

50 influential people.

I agree with Arvind Bhide, we should collect names in the city who have contributed to its well-being. However, my list would start from the bottom, not from the top. Those who keep this city clean in spite of low pay and health hazards that involves, those who run the city - the bus conductors and drivers, taxi drivers, motormen of train services in spite of monsoon fury and devastating deluge ( remember 26 July,2005 ?), policemen who are at the mercy of politicians and musclemen, traffic police who manage to bring some order in our chaotic traffic of hand-carts, bullock carts, cycles, auto-rikshas, taxi drivers, drunken brats. These people who keep this city in a relatively good condition. I wish all those who have been mentioned in the newspapers as influential people follow the example of these real heros, Mumbai would have been better place to live.

A response to a newspapers list of influential people.

Auguat 6, 2008.

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Shirdi shrine shows the way.

Shirdi Shrine shows the way.

The report, " Shrdi may soon have world-class education centre" (TOI,30/7) , is a ray of hope in the present dismal educational scene in Maharashtra with so many students not finding seats in colleges in Mumbai and elsewhere. Many municipal schools in Mumbai have been closed and an educational trust which runs two private colleges in Andheri is planning to close these institutions. Shrines like Shri Siddhivinayak Temple Trust should follow the good example set by Shirdi Saibaba Shrine Trust and set up schools and colleges in Mumbai. The least the temple trust could do is to adopt all the Municipal schools in the city, which are mostly attended by the poor, and provide all facilities to the students and the teachers. Special attention should be given to training the teachers so that poor need not go to the private schools for lack of good teaching in municipal schools.

 
A letter to the Times of India,August 4, 2008

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