Football on home turf

Football on home turf


Sakal Times

http://www.sakaaltimes.com/SakaalTimesBeta/20100617/4855837917579914042.htm

CAMIL PARKHE



Thursday, June 17, 2010 AT 04:54 AM (IST)

Tags: Football, television, sport, opinion

I was at home in the evening on my weekly off. My daughter, now in the crucial 10th standard, was also at home as her tuition teacher had given her a holiday. After long, animated chats with friends in the building, she returned and exclaimed, “What’re you doing? The entire world is going crazy over World Cup football and you haven’t switched on the TV?” Soon we were glued to the television set, watching with excitement the moves by South African and Mexican players.

I am no sports buff. I don’t understand the technical terms, rules and nuances of various sports. The other day, a junior colleague stared at me in sheer disbelief when I asked him whether a leading cricket star was a lefthander. But when world cup cricket matches or any prestigious cricket tournaments are on, the cricket fever grips me too. I find myself joining the crowds in shouting, advising some top players how they could have played the shot better and telling anybody ready to listen what the captain should do at that particular stage of the match, without really knowing anything about the game.

Now the father-daughter duo was absorbed in the football match. Suddenly I found myself on home turf. After ages, I remembered how passionately I had played football during my college days in Goa. I was a much-sought goalie when the two captains would begin selecting teams.

As the players intercepted the ball, dribbled it past a couple of rival players, passed it on or tried to head it; as they ran into the rival player rather than the ball, kicked some player with adroitness calculated to put the referee into two minds, I provided a running commentary for the benefit of my daughter. We spent the next hour enjoying the match with much excitement. It was intermingled with my expert comments, which left my daughter much impressed. To me it was a throwback to my school and college days full of fun and joyous abandonment. As I recounted those small details to my daughter, we suddenly developed a new bond. After a while, my wife returned home, interrupting her gossip session with the neighbours to find out what had excited us so much.

She too was hooked on to the game. World Cup football matches have now eliminated the unending family wrangling over the control of the TV remote. The three of us savour a common television programme, besides the CID and some popular serials.

Let West Bengal have their Didi's rule

Let West Bengal have their Didi's rule

CAMIL PARKHE
Sunday, June 06, 2010 AT 12:00 AM (IST)
Tags: West Bengal civic polls, Mamata Banerjee

http://sakaaltimes.com/SakaalTimesBeta/20100606/4845676999552011798.htm

Earlier this week, the news channels started flashing the reports of the West Bengal civic polls and soon I grew anxious about the poll outcome. Having a keen interest in political developments, I invariably find myself glued to news channels during the counting of votes of elections to state assemblies or Lok Sabha. This time, initially I was a neutral observer and did not owe my loyalty either to firebrand Mamata Banerjee or the world's longest surviving democratically elected Left Front government.
But as the days passed, I found the pendulum of my loyalty swinging violently between the two warring groups. On Tuesday, the total picture finally emerged with Mamata didi humbling the Left Front in sizable number of civic bodies. Now the question is: Will Mamata realise her ambition of occupying the throne in the Writers' Building?
I personally have been an admirer of the Left Front government and its leader Jyoti Basu for their success in winning the hearts of the masses in the border state for three decades -- not an ordinary feat when one sees the instability in Jharkhand or Goa. Mamata Banerjee's eccentric nature, her tantrums as a minister in the Atal Behari Vajpayee-led NDA government and now as railway minister in the Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance government made me feel that it would be in the interests of the West Bengal public to keep the state in the trusted and well-tested safe hands of the Leftists. As the updates on the civic poll verdict came pouring in, a colleague said in a lighter vein, let Mamata rule West Bengal, the country can then have a new railway minister who can look beyond the interests of a single state.
Apparently, the image of Mamata Banerjee among the electorate of West Bengal is different than her image in the minds of people in rest of the country. Didi of course will be least bothered about what people outside West Bengal think of her as long as her tantrums in New Delhi are applauded by voters in her home state. Do we not see a similar phenomenon in the likes of Lalu Prasad Yadavs and Raj Thackerays? And so I guess we should keep our prejudices to ourselves and concede that the voters in West Bengal are the best judges to decide which political option suits them the most. If they want Mamata, so be it.

Review of Book on Fr Jacquier, MSFS

Faith and humanity

Sakaal Times
Monday, May 17, 2010 AT 12:00 AM (IST)
Tags: Literature, book, Camil Parkhe,  missionary

Journalist Camil Parkhe has retraced the journey of Fr Gurien Jacquier — a French missionary, who arrived over a century ago in Ghogargaon, Auranagabad, to sow the first seeds of Christianity there in the book Fr Gurien Jacquier of Ghogargaon. The revered missionary made that place his home and did his best to uplift the downtrodden in the region.
Parkhe offers anecdotes about the missionary’s early life and how his contemporaries portrayed him. There are also chapters on missionaries, like Fr Forel and Archbishop Doering. Along with some rare photographs of the missionaries and places, the book tells us how Fr Jacquier dealt with the prevalent social malaises in Marathwada — the exploitation of the tamasha artistes, and the humiliation of the dalits. In all, it is an interesting book about faith, humanity and a noble soul.

Fr Gurien Jacquier of Ghogargaon
By: Camil Parkhe
Publisher: SFS Publications, Bangalore, 2009
Pages: 144

http://www.sakaaltimes.com/SakaalTimesBeta/20100517/4974060955087910067.htm

Marathi monthly 'Niropya' enters 100th year

Marathi monthly Niropya enters 100th year


Times of India

Camil Parkhe, TNN, Dec 26, 2002, 10.37pm IST

http://maillogout.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Marathi-monthly-Niropya-enters-100th-year/articleshow/32495109.cms

PUNE: Niropya, a Marathi monthly launched by a German Jesuit priest in an obscure village in Ahmednagar district in 1903, has today earned a distinct position among Marathi periodicals.

The monthly, presently being published from ‘Snehsadan’ in the city, is among the handful of Marathi periodicals which have reached the century mark. Niropya (Marathi word for messenger) was launched at the Walan-Kendal village in April 1903 by Fr Henry Doering, who later rose to become the vicar apostolic of Hiroshima in Japan and the archbishop of Pune.

The monthly, owned by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), has grown from its initial four-page bulletin form to its present 32-page format. The magazine now boasts of a circulation of 20,000 copies.

Most of its subscribers are its third, fourth or even fifth generation readers — a feat rivalled by few other Marathi periodicals. The history of Marathi journalism begins with the publication of Darpan, a periodical launched by Balshastri Jambhekar in 1832.

Monthly Dnyanodaya, published from Ahmednagar since 1842, is the oldest surviving Marathi periodical, followed by daily Kesari, published from Pune since 1881.

Doering shifted Niropya’s publication to Pune when he was appointed the second bishop of Pune diocese in 1907. During the First World War, the British government declared bishop Doering, a German national, as persona non grata. His monthly was also banned.

The Holy See then shifted Doering as vicar apostolic of Hiroshima in 1921. After the end of hostilities, Doering returned to Pune in 1927. Soon after his return, the archbishop resurrected his baby in 1927 and since then, Niropya is being published without a break.

Doering, who died in 1951, was interred at St Patrick’s Cathedral in the city. The inscriptions on his grave, which highlight his contributions to various fields are, however, silent on the archbishop’s role as the founder editor of Niropya, or his contribution to the history of the Marathi press.

During the last 100 years, the monthly has been published from Sangamner, Shrirampur, Panchgani, Karad, Aajra and Nasik, based on postings of its Jesuit priest-editors.

“Niropya has played an important role in creating social awareness among Catholics”, says Fr Joe Pithekar, the monthly’s executive editor.

Routine Oct 19 for these ( Missionaries of Charity) nuns

Times of India , Pune


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Routine-Oct-19-for-these-nuns/articleshow/237444.cms


Routine Oct 19 for these nuns

Camil Parkhe, TNN, Oct 17, 2003, 12.56am IST


PUNE: It will be “business as usual” for the local nuns of the Missionaries of Charity (MC) on October 19, when churches in the country and abroad celebrate the beatification of their founder, Mother Teresa.
Beatification is a step prior to the declaration of sainthood. The Pope has chosen October 19 — the day he celebrates the silver jubilee of his own Pontificate — for Mother Teresa’s beatification.

The Catholic church all over the country has arranged many programmes to commemorate the beatification of Mother Teresa on Sunday. But the nuns from the MC’s two city houses will — as always — be busy on that day, attending to their 200-odd sick and dying destitute inmates.

The “Mother Teresa sisters” — as the MC nuns are popularly called — personally look after the needs of the destitute at their homes. A group of eight nuns at the Tadiwala road home attends to the needs of over 120 female destitutes, while six others take care of over 100 male destitutes at the MC’s home in Chinchwad.

A visit to these homes will testify the selfless service offered by these nuns to people belonging to all castes and religions.

Awards come too late: Vinda karandikar

Awards come too late




CAMIL PARKHE

Sakaal Times
Sunday, March 21, 2010 AT 03:12 PM (IST)
Tags: Vinda Karandikar, Jnanapith award, Konkani

http://www.sakaaltimes.com/SakaalTimesBeta/20100321/5522482249938926835.htm


Four years ago when Govind Vinayak alias Vinda Karandikar was selected for the Jnanapith award, the first thought that struck my mind was: why did the selection committee wait for so long to honour this literary giant. Vinda was 88 when he was chosen for the prestigious literary award.

When Vinda's name was announced the spontaneous general reaction was that he truly deserved the award. Another common refrain was that the award had come too late. The late conferring of the award may be condoned as better late than never but that does not justify honouring a littérateur for his two or three-decade-old literary creation.
The Jnanapith award is given every year for literature from any Indian language recognised by the VIII Schedule of the Constitution. It is understood that the selection committee has to go scrutinise books written in various languages or review literary contribution of a large number of littérateurs. Nonetheless, the literature lovers will like to see that the creators of literary masterpieces are given their due at the right time, when the writer or the poet is physically fit to enjoy basking in the glory.
Only three Marathi littérateurs have received the Jnanpiths during the over 50-year history of the coveted award. Vinda was lucky that he lived long enough for the Jnanapith committee realise that he was worthy of the honour. But this may not be the case with all deserving writers and poets. And as there is no practice of awarding Jnanapith posthumously, works of many towering literary figures may miss the singular honour of receiving the Jnanapith award.
When V.S. Khandekar received the Jnanpith for his novel Yayati in 1975, he said he would have enjoyed the honour more had it come earlier. Khandekar was almost blind during the hour of his glory. Kusumagraj alias V.V. Shirwadkar was fortunately in the pink of health when he received the award in 1987. Just last year, veteran Konkani writer Ravindra Kelekar was chosen for the award -- the first ever such award for a Konkani work. I used to read Kelekar's work with avid interest when I was in Goa during 1970s and 1980s. Even during those days, many believed that Ravindrabab, a recipient of Sahitya Akademi award, was a top contender for Jnanapith for Konkani litterature.
In 2008 when Kelekar bagged the award, he was in his early 80s. This state of affairs calls for serious introspection on the criteria for choosing a writer for the award. If a Salman Rushdi and an Arundhati Roy or A.R. Rahman can win world level literary or music awards at a much younger ages, why can we not honour our literary geniuses at a younger age?

Why govt funds for Marathi sahitya sammelan?

Why govt funds for sahitya sammelan?


CAMIL PARKHE

Sakaal times
Friday, March 05, 2010 AT 12:44 PM (IST)

Tags: Point of view, ABMSS, fund, VSS, Sahitya sammelan

http://www.sakaaltimes.com/SakaalTimesBeta/20100305/5497755909320607061.htm


The next all-India Marathi Sahitya Sammelan will be held in Pune later this month. Like every year, the state government will act generous and patronise the literary meet by doling out funds for organising the meet. The Vidrohi or rebellious cultural movement leaders have once again expressed vehement opposition to this largess. There is some logic in the stance adopted by the Vidrohi leaders. The Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, a 135-year-old cultural legacy, is a unique literary phenomenon in the country. It is a feast for Marathi literature fans and book publishers. But that is no justification for the political rulers to allot huge funds for the extravaganza and in reciprocation expect to be on the dais and hog the limelight during the sammelan.

The Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Mahamandal, the apex Marathi literary body which conducts the sammelan every year, has crossed the country's borders from last year to hold a worldwide Marathi sahitya sammelan. This is in addition to the over-100 Marathi literary conferences held annually or on an irregular basis. These include Vidrohi sahitya sammelan, rural sahitya sammelan, Konkan sahitya sammelan, Khristi sahitya sammelan, Dalit Khristi sahitya sammelan, Muslim sahitya sammelan, Bal sahitya sammelan, and Kumar sahitya sammelan.

All these promote Marathi and so it would not be wrong for their hosts to seek government funds. The government may not be averse to helping the hosts of all these sammelans. The all-India Marathi Sahitya Sammelan's organisers cannot claim that they have a right to government aid. The annual sahitya sammelans are a jamboree for the publishing industry, a self-promoting event for the political host, if the activities and the menu at the three-day events are any indications. There is no reason why the state should sacrifice public funds to satisfy the appetite of these people. The popularity of a literary work does not depend on recognition by the government or by any government-sponsored body. The government bearing the major chunk of the financial burden of the all-India or the worldwide literary meet will not boost Marathi literature. It will only further pamper the ego of the sammelan hosts and those associated with it. If the government is really keen on promoting Marathi literature, it should use the funds to subsidise literary works which win the state government's annual awards as the Vidrohi movement leaders have suggested.