Saturday, January 14, 2012
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
सेंट मेरीज चर्चची वास्तू सर्वांत जुनी
सेंट मेरीज चर्चची वास्तू सर्वांत जुनी
कामिल पारखे - सकाळ वृत्तसेवा
Friday, December 23, 2011 AT 04:15 AM (IST)
सेंट मेरीज चर्चची वास्तू
पुणे - पुण्यात पहिले चर्च बांधण्यास माधवराव पेशव्यांनी परवानगी दिली. त्यानुसार 1792 मध्ये क्वार्टर गेटजवळ पहिले चर्च बांधण्यात आले. मातीच्या बांधकामाचे हे चर्च 1852 मध्ये पाडून नव्याने बांधण्यात आले. त्यामुळे 1825 मध्ये बांधून पूर्ण झालेले लष्कर परिसरातील सोलापूर रस्त्यावरील सेंट मेरीज चर्चची वास्तू पुण्यातील चर्चची सर्वांत जुनी वास्तू ठरली आहे.
पुणे व पिंपरी-चिंचवडमध्ये सध्या कॅथॉलिक आणि प्रोटेस्टंट पंथीयांची ऐंशीहून अधिक चर्च आहेत. ख्रिस्ती समाज बहुभाषिक असल्याने अनेक चर्चेसमध्ये इंग्रजी, मराठी, तमीळ, कोकणी, मल्याळम वगैरे भाषांत उपासनाविधी होतात. काही चर्च मात्र केवळ मराठी भाषक ख्रिस्ती समाजासाठी आहेत आणि तेथील सर्व प्रार्थना, गायन आणि उपासनाविधी केवळ मराठी भाषेतच होतात. ही सर्व चर्च सध्या नाताळनिमित्ताने रोषणाईच्या झगमगाटात सजली आहेत.
नाताळनिमित्त शहरातील चर्चचा इतिहासाचा आढावा घेतल्यास अनेक महत्त्वाच्या गोष्टी पुढे येतात. पुण्यात पेशव्यांच्या सैन्यात गोव्यातील, तसेच मूळचे पोर्तुगीज असलेले ख्रिस्ती अधिकारी आणि सैनिक होते. त्यांच्यासाठी पुण्यात चर्च बांधण्यासाठी सवाई माधवराव पेशव्यांनी जागा दिली आणि त्याजागेवर 1792 मध्ये सिटी चर्च बांधण्यात आले. क्वार्टर गेटपाशी असलेले हे चर्च पुण्यातील सर्वात जुने कॅथोलिक चर्च. मातीच्या बांधकामाचे हे चर्च पाडून त्यानंतर तेथे 1852 मध्ये नवे चर्च बांधण्यात आले. पुणे कॅम्पातील सोलापूर रोडवरील सेंट मेरीज चर्चचे 1825 मध्ये उद्‌घाटन झाले, त्यामुळे शहरातील ही सर्वांत जुनी चर्चची वास्तू ठरते. एकोणिसाव्या शतकात शहराच्या विविध भागांत चर्च उभारली गेली. डॉ बाबासाहेब आंबेडकर रोडवरील सेंट मॅथ्यूज मराठी चर्चचा पायाभरणी समारंभ 1893 मध्ये झाला होता. दगडी बांधकाम असलेली ही सव्वाशे वर्षांची वास्तू अजूनही सुस्थितीत आहे. पंचहौद चर्चला गेल्या वर्षी 125 वर्षे पूर्ण झाली, त्यानिमित्त मोठा समारंभ आयोजित केला होता.
प्रामुख्याने मराठी भाषकांसाठी असलेल्या शहरातील प्रोटेस्टंट पंथीय चर्चेसमध्ये क्वार्टर गेट नजीकचे क्राईस्ट चर्च, सेंट मॅथ्यूज मराठी चर्च, खडकी येथील सेंट मेरीज चर्च, गुरुवार पेठेतील होली नेम किंवा पंचहौद चर्च, घोरपडी येथील सेंट जॉन्स चर्च, कसबा पेठेतील ब्रदर देशपांडे चर्च यांचा समावेश होतो. कॅथॉलिक पंथाच्या चर्चमध्ये मात्र बहुतेक सर्व चर्चेसमध्ये इंग्रजी भाषेत त्याचप्रमाणे मराठी भाषेतही वेगळी उपासनाविधी केली जाते. दर आठवड्याला मराठी मिस्सा साजरा करणाऱ्या कॅथोलिक चर्चमध्ये ताडीवाला रोडवरील अवर लेडी ऑफ पर्पेच्युअल हेल्प चर्च, पिंपरी येथील अवर लेडी कन्सोलर ऑफ द ऍफ्लिक्‍टेड चर्च आणि चिंचवड येथील सेंट फ्रान्सिस झेव्हिअर चर्च वगैरेंचा समावेश होतो. या मराठीभाषक ख्रिस्ती समाजातर्फे नाताळानिमित्त यंदा विविध कार्यक्रम आयोजित करण्यात आले आहेत. नाताळाआधी एक आठवडा प्रत्येक ख्रिस्ती कुटुंबाच्या घरी जाऊन नाताळची गाणी म्हणण्याची जुनी परंपरा आहे. सांताक्‍लॉजला बरोबर घेऊन ख्रिस्तजन्माची गीते गाणारा युवक-युवतींचा ग्रुप लहान मुलांबरोबरच प्रौढांचेही आकर्षण असतो. नाताळाची ही गाणी गाण्यासाठी हे तरुण संध्याकाळी बाहेर पडतात आणि रात्री उशिरापर्यंत हा कार्यक्रम चालू असतो.
फराळाची लगबग सध्या मराठी ख्रिस्ती कुटुंबात नाताळनिमित्त फराळ करण्याची लगबग चालू आहे. कुठल्याही मराठी कुटुंबात सणानिमित्त होणाऱ्या मिष्ठान्नांचा या फराळात समावेश होतो. करंज्या, लाडू, शेव, चकल्या, शंकरपाळे आणि त्याचप्रमाणे अनारसे वगैरे पदार्थ या कुटुंबांत केले जातात. दिवाळीनिमित्त या ख्रिस्ती कुटुंबात शेजाऱ्यांकडून फराळाची अनेक ताटे आलेली असतात. नाताळाच्या सणाच्या वेळी फराळाची ताटे पाठवून ही परतफेड केली जाते. गेली अनेक वर्षे ही परंपरा चालू राहिली आहे
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Christmas spl issues get good response
Christmas spl issues get good response
Sakal Times
CAMIL PARKHE
Tuesday, December 27, 2011 AT 05:04 PM (IST)
Cue taken from Diwali issues’ success
PUNE:
Taking a cue from the special Diwali issues which make a turnover of crores of
rupees in the Marathi publication industry every year, some Christian magazines and mediapersons in
Pune and other parts of the State have now started publishing Christmas special
issues, which are getting a good response.
City-based 'Dnyanodaya,' a monthly which is being published since 1842
and is the oldest Marathi periodical, has been publishing a Christmas special
issue for the past few years. The issue edited by Ashok Angre has special
articles related to the Christmas festival. Another Christian monthly 'Niropya,'
published since 1903 and edited by Fr
Joe Gaikwad from Snehasadan here, has also brought out its 72-page Christmas
special.
'Suvarta', a Catholic Marathi monthly published since the
past few decades from Vasai in Thane district too has come out with a special
Christmas issue.
'Marathi Power' weekly which has completed two years of publication
released its December 17 issue as the
Christmas special issue.
The weekly is edited by senior journalist John Gajbhiv. The 154-page
special issue had Pune Bishop Thomas Dabre
as its guest editor. Gajbhiv said
that the special issue has generated more revenue as compared to last year. The
issue has articles by Christian literates Fr Francis D'Britto, Dr Cecilia
Carvalho. Sunil Shyamsundar Adhav and Dr Subhash Patil.
‘Alaukik’ is another Christmas issue published for the first time this
year. The 154-page issue too has several colour pages and articles by Mrudula Ghodke, head of Marathi news division
of Delhi All India Radio station, and an interview of comedian Johny Liver. The issue is edited and published by Akash
Dayanand Thombre.
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Bishop Thomas Dabre's interview
‘A true religion can’t be sectarian or divisive’
Sakal Times
http://www.sakaaltimes.com/SakaalTimesBeta/20111225/4666381285749178313.htm
Sunday, December 25, 2011 AT 06:22 PM (IST)
Bishop Thomas Dabre, who took over the reigns of the 125-year-old Pune Diocese two-and-a-half
years ago, is an exponent of inter-religious dialogue. He completed his
doctorate on ‘The God experience of Tukaram' and taught at the city-based Jnana
Deep Vidyapeeth for many years, till he was appointed as an auxiliary Bishop of
Mumbai in 1990. As the head of the Pune Diocese, he symbolically leads various
social service centres run by the Catholic Church in Pune, Satara, Solapur and
Sangli districts, and Kolhapur city. He
spoke to Camil Parkhe about the need for communal harmony in the backdrop of
Christmas.
What
have been your priorities after taking over as Pune Bishop?
We feel that faith must flow into service and therefore, we have tried to
increase our network of schools and colleges. Our diocese will soon open a new
English school in Miraj and some new school buildings have also been planned.
There are a sizeable number of educational institutions run by the Church in the
city and district. The Church's schools educate children belonging to all
faiths; in fact, a majority of the students in our schools are non-Christians.
We try to provide quality education and also imbibe moral and spiritual values
among children. These schools also ensure that there is no discrimination among
students. Society has indeed appreciated the role of the Church's educational
institutions.
How were you drawn to the issue of inter-faith dialogue and
harmony?
My mother-tongue is Marathi and I was brought up in Vasai, in a locality
that had a majority of non-Christian families. I was influenced by their
lifestyle, social and religious traditions. I feel we should work towards
communal harmony and peace, and it should be our top priority. Recently, the
Diocese had invited a high-powered Vatican delegate to the city for a three-day
inter-faith meet, attended by well-known representatives of Hinduism and other
religions. Harmony among the people of various religions is required to ensure
prevalence of equality, justice and peace in society. We believe that the unity
and integrity of our nation depends on inter-religious and communal harmony. All
our achievements and fruits of prosperity will be reduced to ashes if there is no communal
peace.
As a priest, I feel that Jesus Christ is not for Christians alone; he
wants to work for the benefit of all religious communities. That is why all our
educational, social, medical and charitable activities are open to members of
all religions. A true religion cannot be sectarian and divisive; it is universal
and that is why we have to be very serious about inter-religious harmony.
What is the role of the Indian Catholic Church in the world
church?
The Indian Catholic Church is playing a significant role in the universal
Catholic Church. Many Indian clergymen and nuns occupy vital positions in the
church hierarchy and some of them even hold the highest posts, like the superior
general or mother general of their respective religious congregations. For
example, Fr Sebastian Vazhakala, the father general and co-founder along with
Mother Teresa, of the Missionaries of Charity Contemplative Brothers, is based
at the organisation’s headquarters in Rome. There are many Indian priests and
nuns working in the USA, Europe and other parts of the world. In the past, India
used to receive a large number of missionaries from European countries and now
there is a reverse trend as Indian priests and nuns belonging to various
congregations are called to serve in different parts of the world.
Tell us something about your recent meeting with Pope Benedict
XVI?
It is mandatory for all Catholic
Bishops to meet the Pope individually and in groups once in five years. It is
called an ad limina visit. There are 175 Bishops in India and the group-wise
visits to the Vatican were arranged this year. I was among a group of 35 Bishops
who met Pope Benedict XVI in September. The pontiff addressed us in a group and
later also met us individually. During the individual meeting, we present a report on various
activities of our respective Diocese to the Pope, who is the the leader of the
worldwide Catholic Church. Thus, the ad limina visit helps the Pope to meet each
and every head of the Diocese in any corner of the world and know their issues
and problems. Our meeting with the Pope - group and individual sessions - lasted
nearly two hours. The Pope has appreciated the Indian Church's work, especially
in the field of education. This was my first interaction with Pope Benedict
since he took over the reigns in April 2005, although I had two ad limina
sessions with Pope John II .
What are your impressions of the two pontiffs?
I found Pope John Paul II a very contemplative person. In his later
years, he liked to listen to the views of those he was meeting and spoke little.
Pope Benedict is scholarly and very articulate in expressing his views. With a
long administrative experience as a Vatican official, he knows the issues of the
churches all over the world.
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Monday, December 26, 2011
Pune, a city of churches
Pune, a city of churches
CAMIL PARKHE
http://www.sakaaltimes.com/SakaalTimesBeta/20111224/4887065021209739371.htmhttp://www.sakaaltimes.com/SakaalTimesBeta/20111224/4887065021209739371.htm
Sakal Times
Saturday, December 24, 2011 AT 06:44 PM (IST)
One of the significant aspects of Pune’s multi-culturalism is the
presence of more than 80 cathedrals, churches and chapels in the city itself,
and perhaps another fifty more in the district. The oldest ones go back more
than 220 years in the history of the city. On Christmas day, tomorrow, these
churches will be lit up, giving the city a resplendent glow. Sakàl Times tells
the story of these magnificent structures
The presence of Christian soldiers in the Maratha and British armies in
Pune necessitated the construction of churches catering to their religious
needs, which led to the establishment of some of the oldest churches in the
city, in the early and mid-19th century.
St Mary’s Church on Solapur Road in Pune Camp, which was built in 1823
for soldiers and officers in the British army, is the oldest church structure in
the city. In keeping with the tradition that time, a capsule containing the
names of British India’s governor general Warren Hastings, Mumbai governor
Mountstuart Elphinstone and other East India Company officials was buried at the
church site during the stone-laying ceremony in June, 1821.
The Church of Immaculate Conception or City Church is the oldest Catholic
church in the city. The land was gifted by Peshwa Madhavrao II and the first
Mass (religious gathering) was held on Christmas day in 1792, and a structure
made of mud and mortar was built in 1794. The present structure was constructed
only in 1852.
St Patrick’s Cathedral has been built on the land gifted by the British
government in 1850. While St Paul’s Church, located behind the police
commissionerate, was erected in 1867 on the lines of the St Chapelle Church in
Paris. The cost of construction came up to Rs 90,000 at that time. The
structure, however, suffered heavy damages in a fire on July 5, 1900.
The foundation stone of the St Mathew’s Marathi Church on Dr Babasaheb
Ambedkar Road was laid in 1893. This church catered to the city’s
Marathi-speaking population.
St Andrew’s Church near the Race Course, which bore the brunt of a major
fire in October this year, was built by the Church of Scotland in 1861. The
church had a seating capacity of 500 people at the time.
Christ Church near Quarter Gate, which was built in 1896, is also one of
the oldest churches in the city. A majority of the old Catholic and Protestant
churches are in Pune Camp, Wanowrie and Khadki where the British military
establishments were located.
The Panch Haud Church, Brother Deshpande Memorial Church (Kasba Peth) and
St Crispin’s Church near Nal Stop on Karve Road are the only churches in the
heart of the city. The Catholic Church’s major religious institutes – the Papal
Seminary and the De Nobili College – were started at Ramwadi on Nagar Road six
decades ago. A large number of Catholic religious congregations also established
their centres near these two institutes. This led to the concentration of the
migratory Christian population in Yerawada and Vadgaonsheri on Nagar Road. So,
many churches came up in these areas over the last few decades.
St Francis Xavier’s Church, which was built in 1973, was the first
Catholic church in Pimpri Chinchwad and it catered to the Goan and Tamil
populations who had migrated from the neighbouring Ahmednagar and Aurangabad
districts to the industrial hub. Subsequently, four more churches were opened in
Pimpri-Chinchwad to meet the needs of the growing Christian population.
Since the Christian community in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad is
multi-lingual, most Catholic churches celebrate the Mass in English, Marathi,
Konkani, Tamil as well as Malayalam. A few churches also cater exclusively to
the Marathi, Tamil and Malayalam speaking communities in the city.
WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM?
The construction of any church is financed by its members who contribute
their own share, while also raising a building fund. The Pune Catholic Diocese
offers a share of the construction cost. If the local community undertakes the
building of a new church, the Pune diocese offers 50 per cent of the
construction cost. The new churches that came up on Nagar Road and in
Pimpri-Chinchwad during the last decade were built on this principle.
Fr Simon Almeida, who has presently undertaken the construction of a new
building for St Francis Xavier’s Church in Chinchwad, says, “It is the
responsibility of the local people to build a church for themselves. The
priest’s job is to build the community. Therefore, the lay leaders undertake
various activities to raise the construction funds.” Sometimes, when local
parishioners are unable to raise 50 per cent of the construction cost, the
diocese has to bear more than its share of the amount. The diocese receives its
funds from monthly collections given by various churches under its jurisdiction.
Fr Almedia says that every Catholic church is required to give its
donation collections of two Sundays of every month to the Pune diocese. The
diocese utilises these funds for various activities. “Besides this, parishioners
of other churches are also expected to contribute for the construction of
churches in other localities,” he adds.
–Inputs by Camil Parkhe
ROYAL GESTURE
It was Peshwa Madhavrao II who gifted a piece of land for the
construction of a church for the Catholic soldiers in the Maratha army. The
Catholic soldiers included Goans, British and Portuguese nationals. The Peshwa
also contributed a sum for building of the church, which eventually came to be
called City Church. Later, when the British came to rule over Pune, they gifted
one bigha (three acres and 14 gunthas) land to build the present structure of
the church that we see today. The Portuguese government in Goa had offered a
substantial subsidy in its construction. The British government had also gifted
land and a grant of Rs 2,000 for the construction of the St Patrick’s Chapel,
the present cathedral and seat of the Pune diocese. Records show that many
Catholic soldiers in the British army donated a full month’s salary too.
CHURCHES IN PUNE AND
PIMPRI-CHINCHWAD
CATHOLIC CHURCHES
- Church of Immaculate Conception (City Church) (1792)
- St Ignatius Church, Khadki (
1833)
- St Patrick’s Cathedral, near Empress Garden (1850)
- The Church of Holy Name, Guruwar Peth
(1885)
- St Xavier’s Church, Pune Camp
(1862)
- St Crispin’s Church, Nal Stop, Karve Road (1901-02)
- St Joseph’s Church, Ghorpuri
(1959)
- St Teresa’s Church, Guruwar Peth
(1963)
- Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Tadiwala Road (1965)
- St Anthony’s Church, Model Colony
(1969)
- St Francis Xavier’s Church, Chinchwad (1972)
- Our Lady of the Afflicted Church, Pimpri
(1978)
- St Anne’s Church, Solapur Bazaar
(1983)
- Sacred Heart Church, Yerawada
(1984)
- St Alphonsa Church, Kalewadi, Pimpri (1986)
- Resurrection Sub-Centre, Kalas Gaon
(1987)
- St Francis De Sales, Ahmednagar Road
(1988)
- Mother Teresa Centre, Hadapsar
(1996)
- Holy Cross Church, Dapodi
(1998)
- Infant Jesus Church, Nigdi
(1998)
- Holy Trinity Church, New Sangvi
(2000)
- Divine Mercy Church, Vadgaonsheri
(2004)
- Good Shepherd Church
(2011)
- Christ The King Church, Vadgaonsheri
(2011)
- St Sebastian’s Chapel, NDA *
- Holy Family Chapel, Lohegaon *
- Wakad Mass Centre, Wakad *
- Holy Redeemer Malankara Catholic Church, Kalewadi *
- St Anthony’s Malankara Catholic Church, Vishrantwadi *
- St Mary’s Malankara Church, Khadki *
- St Mary’s Malankara Catholic Church, Warje, Malewadi *
- St John’s Marthoma Parish, Pune-Mumbai highway, Khadki *
PROTESTANT CHURCHES
- St Mary’s Church, Solapur Road, Pune Camp (1823)
- The Church of Holy Name, Guruwar Peth
(1885)
- Christ Church, Quarter Gate
(1896)
- St Paul’s Church, behind Pune police commissionerate, Pune Camp (1867)
- St Mathew’s Marathi Church, Dr Ambedkar Road, Pune Camp (1893)
- Poona Diocesan Council Church of North India, Staveley Road, Pune Camp
*
- All Saints Marathi Church, Khadki *
- Bethel Church, Vadgaonsheri *
- Brother Deshpande Memorial Church, Kasba Peth *
- Church of Holy Angel, Rasta Peth *
- CNI Church, Dhanori *
- St Anne Church, Solapur Bazaar *
- St Luke Church, Phule Nagar *
- St Mary Church, Khadki *
- St Paul’s Malayalam Church, Khadki *
- Sutarwadi CNI Church, Pashan *
- United Church of Christ, Pimpri *
- Hindustani Methodist Worship Centre, Khadakwasla *
- Methodist Kannada Church, Khadki *
- Methodist Marathi Church, Yerawada *
- Methodist Marathi Church, Bhosari *
- Methodist Tamil Church, Nigdi *
- Methodist Tamil Church, Khadki *
- Oldham Memorial Methodist Church, East Street *
- Methodist English Church, Khadki *
- St Andrew’s Hindustani Church, near Race Course *
- Vineyard Workers Church, Dapodi *
* Exact year of establishment not available
Monday, October 24, 2011
Tarumitra - NGO for young eco-activists
Sakal Times
How did Tarumita come into existence ?
The seeds for the foundation of Tarumitra, a students’ environmental movement, were laid in 1988 with my talk at a school in Patna on the issue of pollution. The talk clicked, and one of the students was so inspired and motivated that he suggested that the school students take out a rally in Patna to create awareness on the need to save the Earth. The rally did take place with students enthusiastically campaigning for the need to care of Mother Nature. The students felt that there should be an organisation exclusively devoted to create awakening among the student community. They named the organisation ‘Tarumitra’. Most of the student activists in the organisation are from eighth to the tenth standards.
How do you function ?
In 1994, the St Xavier’s School in Patna offered Tarumitra a 10-acre plot for a plantation. We have transformed it into a thick forest with over 450 varieties of trees including some very rare medicinal and other plants. It is indeed a paradise for botany students and other researchers. Tarumitra’s office is located here and the premises is also used for conducting residential camps for sensitising students coming from different parts of the country. At a time, 50 students reside there for three to four-day camps. Before returning to their respective cities, most of the students take with them saplings of some rare medicinal plants (sold at a very nominal prices of Rs 5 each).
What activities are taken up by Tarumitra members ?
Tarumitra students have taken out massive rallies, organised demonstrations, resisted felling of trees and forests, built roadside gardens, raised rare trees in genetic nurseries on campuses of schools and other institutions. They also undertake long nature-treks, clean up garbage dumps, work for protecting migratory birds, campaign for proper repair of roads for reducing vehicular pollution and launch crusades to protect bio-diversity.
The Brahmakumaris at their headquarters in Mount Abu in Rajasthan have shown what care needs to be taken to be ecologically sensitive. The Brahmakumaris have used various environmental-friendly means to cater to the lakhs of visitors to their headquarters. The large solar panels there cook meals for nearly 24,000 visitors everyday.
Tarumitra, working with a Swiss physicist Wolfgang Scheffler, has also set up a plant to fabricate parabolic solar cookers along with the traditional solar panels to harness solar energy. The students have set up parabolic solar cookers in a park in Patna to demonstrate non-conventional, clean forms of energy. Tarumitras activists also cook hot snacks on the solar cookers for interested passers-by.
Tarumitra student activists have turned over a dozen garbage dumps into beautiful roadside gardens and named them as ‘oxygen belts’. There are a total of 38 roadside green belts in Patna. Each garden is ‘adopted’ by a school or a plant nursery. The students clean the sites, work the soil, plant seeds, flowers and trees. The students also campaign against use of plastics and polybags. They distribute specially made cotton bags as a substitute for the polybags. The Buddhist monks of Bodhgaya have also supported the campaign.
Which are the major ecological issues you take up ?
Conservation of bio-diversity, organic farming and conservation of energy are the three major issues Tarumitra has been concentrating on in the recent past. The importance of plantation has been well understood in society with many organisations taking up the cause. But the issue of conservation of electricity has been much ignored. Our natural resources are bound to dry up in future and everyone needs to save power as much as possible. So much coal is utilised to generate one megawatt unit of electricity and if people realise this, they may think twice while illuminating their rooms, houses or other structures.
Shveta Mirandi, a Tarumitra volunteer studying in eighth standard, has been very active in popularising use of CFL bulbs to conserve electricity. She also met Patna archbishop Wilson D’Souza to urge him to avoid illumination of churches during Christmas. The archbishop was so moved by the girl’s appeal that he issued letters to all churches in the archdiocese, asking them to avoid illumination, and instead conserve electricity ! During Diwali, Tarumitra volunteers urge people to light up their houses with earthen oil lamps rather than electricity bulbs.
Tarumitra volunteers work actively for better roads in order to decrease the level of vehicular pollution. They formed a seven-kms long human chain to draw people’s attention to the poor condition of the city’s roads. Once, a badminton match was held in the middle of a main road in Patna, attracting thousands of students and onlookers to highlight the sorry condition of the road.
Since 2005, the Bihar government has granted a license to Tarumitra to check vehicles and issue Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates. A van equipped with the machines (co-sponsored by Caritas) moves around the city in Patna and checks polluting vehicles with active support from the ministry of transport. Students from the schools learn to operate the machines.
What have been major achievements of Tarumitra ?
Tarumitra has succeeded in inspiring lakhs of students all over the country to voice their concern on ecological matters. Yugratna Srivastav, a ninth standard student from Lucknow who has been an active member of Tarumitra since 2006, was selected to speak at the United Nations Environment Programme in New York in 2009. This was for the first time an Indian girl student got an opportunity to speak at the world forum, where and even US President Barak Obama took note of her speech. She also interacted with the United Nations Secretary General Ban-Ki-moon. We want more and more youths to be ecologically sensitive.
Tarumitra - NGO for young eco-activists
Sunday, October 23, 2011 AT 08:48 PM (IST)
Tags: TARUMITRA, ROBERT ATHICKAL
Tarumitra (friends of trees), a nationwide students’ movement, has been campaigning for sensitising various sections of society on ecological issues. During the past two decades, Tarumitra has motivated lakhs of school students to speak out on the need to save the Earth, not only in different parts of the country but also at world forums. Patna-based Tarumitra coordinator Robert Athickal, who has been associated with the organisation since its inception, was in Pune on Saturday to address school principals, students and teachers of 50 schools in the district. CAMIL PARKHE spoke to him.How did Tarumita come into existence ?
The seeds for the foundation of Tarumitra, a students’ environmental movement, were laid in 1988 with my talk at a school in Patna on the issue of pollution. The talk clicked, and one of the students was so inspired and motivated that he suggested that the school students take out a rally in Patna to create awareness on the need to save the Earth. The rally did take place with students enthusiastically campaigning for the need to care of Mother Nature. The students felt that there should be an organisation exclusively devoted to create awakening among the student community. They named the organisation ‘Tarumitra’. Most of the student activists in the organisation are from eighth to the tenth standards.
How do you function ?
In 1994, the St Xavier’s School in Patna offered Tarumitra a 10-acre plot for a plantation. We have transformed it into a thick forest with over 450 varieties of trees including some very rare medicinal and other plants. It is indeed a paradise for botany students and other researchers. Tarumitra’s office is located here and the premises is also used for conducting residential camps for sensitising students coming from different parts of the country. At a time, 50 students reside there for three to four-day camps. Before returning to their respective cities, most of the students take with them saplings of some rare medicinal plants (sold at a very nominal prices of Rs 5 each).
What activities are taken up by Tarumitra members ?
Tarumitra students have taken out massive rallies, organised demonstrations, resisted felling of trees and forests, built roadside gardens, raised rare trees in genetic nurseries on campuses of schools and other institutions. They also undertake long nature-treks, clean up garbage dumps, work for protecting migratory birds, campaign for proper repair of roads for reducing vehicular pollution and launch crusades to protect bio-diversity.
The Brahmakumaris at their headquarters in Mount Abu in Rajasthan have shown what care needs to be taken to be ecologically sensitive. The Brahmakumaris have used various environmental-friendly means to cater to the lakhs of visitors to their headquarters. The large solar panels there cook meals for nearly 24,000 visitors everyday.
Tarumitra, working with a Swiss physicist Wolfgang Scheffler, has also set up a plant to fabricate parabolic solar cookers along with the traditional solar panels to harness solar energy. The students have set up parabolic solar cookers in a park in Patna to demonstrate non-conventional, clean forms of energy. Tarumitras activists also cook hot snacks on the solar cookers for interested passers-by.
Tarumitra student activists have turned over a dozen garbage dumps into beautiful roadside gardens and named them as ‘oxygen belts’. There are a total of 38 roadside green belts in Patna. Each garden is ‘adopted’ by a school or a plant nursery. The students clean the sites, work the soil, plant seeds, flowers and trees. The students also campaign against use of plastics and polybags. They distribute specially made cotton bags as a substitute for the polybags. The Buddhist monks of Bodhgaya have also supported the campaign.
Which are the major ecological issues you take up ?
Conservation of bio-diversity, organic farming and conservation of energy are the three major issues Tarumitra has been concentrating on in the recent past. The importance of plantation has been well understood in society with many organisations taking up the cause. But the issue of conservation of electricity has been much ignored. Our natural resources are bound to dry up in future and everyone needs to save power as much as possible. So much coal is utilised to generate one megawatt unit of electricity and if people realise this, they may think twice while illuminating their rooms, houses or other structures.
Shveta Mirandi, a Tarumitra volunteer studying in eighth standard, has been very active in popularising use of CFL bulbs to conserve electricity. She also met Patna archbishop Wilson D’Souza to urge him to avoid illumination of churches during Christmas. The archbishop was so moved by the girl’s appeal that he issued letters to all churches in the archdiocese, asking them to avoid illumination, and instead conserve electricity ! During Diwali, Tarumitra volunteers urge people to light up their houses with earthen oil lamps rather than electricity bulbs.
Tarumitra volunteers work actively for better roads in order to decrease the level of vehicular pollution. They formed a seven-kms long human chain to draw people’s attention to the poor condition of the city’s roads. Once, a badminton match was held in the middle of a main road in Patna, attracting thousands of students and onlookers to highlight the sorry condition of the road.
Since 2005, the Bihar government has granted a license to Tarumitra to check vehicles and issue Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates. A van equipped with the machines (co-sponsored by Caritas) moves around the city in Patna and checks polluting vehicles with active support from the ministry of transport. Students from the schools learn to operate the machines.
What have been major achievements of Tarumitra ?
Tarumitra has succeeded in inspiring lakhs of students all over the country to voice their concern on ecological matters. Yugratna Srivastav, a ninth standard student from Lucknow who has been an active member of Tarumitra since 2006, was selected to speak at the United Nations Environment Programme in New York in 2009. This was for the first time an Indian girl student got an opportunity to speak at the world forum, where and even US President Barak Obama took note of her speech. She also interacted with the United Nations Secretary General Ban-Ki-moon. We want more and more youths to be ecologically sensitive.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Dalit factor in Maharashtra civic polls
Sakal Times
October 18, 2011
Dalit factor in Maharashtra civic polls
Athavale has emerged the strongest Dalit leader in state
The process for preparing the voters lists for the forthcoming elections to the eight major municipal corporations in Maharashtra including Mumbai, Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad has began and all major political parties have also began the preliminary preparations to face the electorates. These elections to be held early 2012 would indeed be a rehearsal for the state assembly polls scheduled to be held in 2014. The civic polls are being held in the backdrop of the nationwide spontaneous protest on the issues of corruption and a stronger version of the Lokpal Bill. The protests which saw younger generation and even apolitical persons arriving on the streets to express their dissent over the issue of corruption is bound to be reflected in the outcome of the civic polls. Another new factor which is likely to swing the poll fortune is Dalit and Republican Party of India leader Ramdas Athavale crossing over the NCP-Congress boat to join the saffron alliance camp of the Shiv Sena and BJP. The ruling Congress-led Progressive Democratic Front in Maharashtra has strong reasons to be jittery over these two issues.
The current tempo on the Jan Lokpal Bill may not prevail when the electorate cast their votes for the civic polls six months later. Much to the delight of the Congress and its ruling partners, the Team Anna camp has already shown many signs of breaking up. By the time polls for Uttar Pradesh and other state assemblies are conducted, the heat generated over the Lokpal bill issue may be blown over but this will not be the case with the Dalit votes in Maharashtra. Athavale distanced himself away from his two-decades-old ally - the NCP - after his humiliating defeat in Shirdi reserved Lok Sabha seat and the NCP's refusal to rehabilitate him with a seat in Rajya Sabha and a berth in Union ministry. Athavale was peeved when his repeated efforts to win an entry into the UPA-I Government failed despite he going all out to appease Congress president Sonia Gandhi. His decision to breakaway from the secular front and ally with the right wing Shiv Sena although most shocking was therefore quite understandable.
Dalits are a formidable force in electoral battles in Maharashtra and their votes can swing the hustings outcome some or the other way. Fortunately for the non-Dalit political parties, Dalit votes have been split into several factions. The Republican Party of India came into existence after the demise of Dr Ambedkar and it has come to be recognised in Maharashtra as the political legacy of Dr Ambedkar. But the none of the Dalit leaders have been successful in politically uniting their community under this umbrella. Knowing the power of the Dalit votes, all political parties have tried woo to their camps leaders of various Dalit factions. The personality and thoughts of Dr Amebdkar has been a unifying factor for the Dalit community but their leaders' personal ambitions and designs of other political forces have kept the Dalit community divided and away from political power in Maharashtra for many years. It was Dr Dadasaheb Gaikwad, a close confidant of Dr Ambedkar, who first fell prey to the machination of non-Dalit politicians and left the Dalit plank in 1960s to become a Congress MP. Dadasaheb Rupawate was another Dalit leader to abandon the RPI banner to be a state minister in the Congress government. R S Gawai, present Kerala governor, who has always occupied some or the other elected or constitutional posts - be it chairman of the Maharashtra state legislative council or Rajya Sabha member – thanks to his proximity to the ruling Congress party notwithstanding the independent banner of his RPI faction.
The present generation of Dalit leaders, Athavale, Dr Ambedkar's grandson Prakash Ambedkar, Jogendra Kawade or Namdeo Dhasal have independently failed consolidate the Dalit votes. It has been proved time and again that the victory of the Dalit candidates is certain if all these leaders come under one banner. History was made Sharad Pawar of the Congress succeeded in forming an alliance with all these Dalit leaders in 1998 Lok Sabha polls and for the first time, Athavale, Kawade, Gavai and Ambedkar were elected to the Lok Sabha from reserved as well as general seats. Unity of the Dalit factions is a major threat both to the Congress-led and Shiv Sena-led fronts but this realisation has not forced the Dalit leaders to suppress their personal ambitions for the cause of the Dalit community.
Prakash Ambedkar has been consistent in shunning both the Congress and the saffron fronts but he has not been able to increase his influence beyond Akola district. He has not played any active role in increasing the influence of Bharatiya Republican Party- Bahujan Mahasangh all over the state. He has
the charisma associated with his surname but he has failed to exploit for his political good. Among all Dalit leaders in Maharashtra, it is only Athavale who had been in the corridors of power for nearly two decades, thanks to his association with Sharad Pawar. This has enabled him to emerge as the strongest Dalit leader in the state. His party has presence in various municipal corporations and councils in the state. The question is: How many Dalit voters will side with Athavale and vote for the saffron alliance. The Dalit community is certainly dismayed over the factionalisation of their votes and their marginalisation in political power. Both the Congress and the NCP have vied with each other in consolidating their Maratha votes while the BJP and Shiv Sena has in the recent past wooed the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The Dalit votes, on the other hand, are divided among various parties, leading the community leaders nowhere. It is possible this realisation may lead to disillusioned Dalit voters to rally around Athavale – the only RPI faction leader who can pull maximum votes- no matter with which political party he decides to go along. Unlike the earlier Dalit leaders, Athavale has not sank the boat of his faction of the Republican Party of India and that stands his greatest advantage to attract those Dalits voters very conscious of their independent identity. This factor is likely to consolidate the Dalit votes in favour of Athavale's faction and prove beneficial for the saffron alliance. But if Athavale fails to win over the majority Dalit votes, that would put a question mark over the very existence of the united Dalits vote bank in the state.
October 18, 2011
Dalit factor in Maharashtra civic polls
Athavale has emerged the strongest Dalit leader in state
The process for preparing the voters lists for the forthcoming elections to the eight major municipal corporations in Maharashtra including Mumbai, Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad has began and all major political parties have also began the preliminary preparations to face the electorates. These elections to be held early 2012 would indeed be a rehearsal for the state assembly polls scheduled to be held in 2014. The civic polls are being held in the backdrop of the nationwide spontaneous protest on the issues of corruption and a stronger version of the Lokpal Bill. The protests which saw younger generation and even apolitical persons arriving on the streets to express their dissent over the issue of corruption is bound to be reflected in the outcome of the civic polls. Another new factor which is likely to swing the poll fortune is Dalit and Republican Party of India leader Ramdas Athavale crossing over the NCP-Congress boat to join the saffron alliance camp of the Shiv Sena and BJP. The ruling Congress-led Progressive Democratic Front in Maharashtra has strong reasons to be jittery over these two issues.
The current tempo on the Jan Lokpal Bill may not prevail when the electorate cast their votes for the civic polls six months later. Much to the delight of the Congress and its ruling partners, the Team Anna camp has already shown many signs of breaking up. By the time polls for Uttar Pradesh and other state assemblies are conducted, the heat generated over the Lokpal bill issue may be blown over but this will not be the case with the Dalit votes in Maharashtra. Athavale distanced himself away from his two-decades-old ally - the NCP - after his humiliating defeat in Shirdi reserved Lok Sabha seat and the NCP's refusal to rehabilitate him with a seat in Rajya Sabha and a berth in Union ministry. Athavale was peeved when his repeated efforts to win an entry into the UPA-I Government failed despite he going all out to appease Congress president Sonia Gandhi. His decision to breakaway from the secular front and ally with the right wing Shiv Sena although most shocking was therefore quite understandable.
Dalits are a formidable force in electoral battles in Maharashtra and their votes can swing the hustings outcome some or the other way. Fortunately for the non-Dalit political parties, Dalit votes have been split into several factions. The Republican Party of India came into existence after the demise of Dr Ambedkar and it has come to be recognised in Maharashtra as the political legacy of Dr Ambedkar. But the none of the Dalit leaders have been successful in politically uniting their community under this umbrella. Knowing the power of the Dalit votes, all political parties have tried woo to their camps leaders of various Dalit factions. The personality and thoughts of Dr Amebdkar has been a unifying factor for the Dalit community but their leaders' personal ambitions and designs of other political forces have kept the Dalit community divided and away from political power in Maharashtra for many years. It was Dr Dadasaheb Gaikwad, a close confidant of Dr Ambedkar, who first fell prey to the machination of non-Dalit politicians and left the Dalit plank in 1960s to become a Congress MP. Dadasaheb Rupawate was another Dalit leader to abandon the RPI banner to be a state minister in the Congress government. R S Gawai, present Kerala governor, who has always occupied some or the other elected or constitutional posts - be it chairman of the Maharashtra state legislative council or Rajya Sabha member – thanks to his proximity to the ruling Congress party notwithstanding the independent banner of his RPI faction.
The present generation of Dalit leaders, Athavale, Dr Ambedkar's grandson Prakash Ambedkar, Jogendra Kawade or Namdeo Dhasal have independently failed consolidate the Dalit votes. It has been proved time and again that the victory of the Dalit candidates is certain if all these leaders come under one banner. History was made Sharad Pawar of the Congress succeeded in forming an alliance with all these Dalit leaders in 1998 Lok Sabha polls and for the first time, Athavale, Kawade, Gavai and Ambedkar were elected to the Lok Sabha from reserved as well as general seats. Unity of the Dalit factions is a major threat both to the Congress-led and Shiv Sena-led fronts but this realisation has not forced the Dalit leaders to suppress their personal ambitions for the cause of the Dalit community.
Prakash Ambedkar has been consistent in shunning both the Congress and the saffron fronts but he has not been able to increase his influence beyond Akola district. He has not played any active role in increasing the influence of Bharatiya Republican Party- Bahujan Mahasangh all over the state. He has
the charisma associated with his surname but he has failed to exploit for his political good. Among all Dalit leaders in Maharashtra, it is only Athavale who had been in the corridors of power for nearly two decades, thanks to his association with Sharad Pawar. This has enabled him to emerge as the strongest Dalit leader in the state. His party has presence in various municipal corporations and councils in the state. The question is: How many Dalit voters will side with Athavale and vote for the saffron alliance. The Dalit community is certainly dismayed over the factionalisation of their votes and their marginalisation in political power. Both the Congress and the NCP have vied with each other in consolidating their Maratha votes while the BJP and Shiv Sena has in the recent past wooed the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The Dalit votes, on the other hand, are divided among various parties, leading the community leaders nowhere. It is possible this realisation may lead to disillusioned Dalit voters to rally around Athavale – the only RPI faction leader who can pull maximum votes- no matter with which political party he decides to go along. Unlike the earlier Dalit leaders, Athavale has not sank the boat of his faction of the Republican Party of India and that stands his greatest advantage to attract those Dalits voters very conscious of their independent identity. This factor is likely to consolidate the Dalit votes in favour of Athavale's faction and prove beneficial for the saffron alliance. But if Athavale fails to win over the majority Dalit votes, that would put a question mark over the very existence of the united Dalits vote bank in the state.
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