Antulay: Last Muslim CM in Maharashtra?

Antulay: Last Muslim CM in Maharashtra?

Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Monday, 8 December 2014 AT 08:08 PM IST

    

Blog, Camil Parkhe, Abdul Rehman Antulay, Maharashtra, obituary, Last Muslim CM

For many people in Maharashtra who are now in the late 30s or 40s, the name of Abdul Rehman Antulay may immediately remind the cement scandal to which he was allegedly linked with. Antulay had to relinquish the chief minister's post due to this scandal. Although the Supreme Court later acquitted him  of the charges, Antulay had to pay heavy political price for this scandal as he was moved away from Maharashtra and rehabilitated in national politics. Elected to the Rajya Sabha, he also held the union minister's post two terms.

Antulay was one of the few prominent Muslim faces having pan-Maharashtra appeal and popularity among cross sections of society. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi surprised the powerful Maratha lobby in Maharashtra by appointing him as the state chief minister in 1980. During his short stint as the chief minister, Antulay earned the image as a non-nonsense politician, a leader who could take fast decisions and who had total control over the bureaucracy, some of the traits which he shared with S B Chavan, another politician hand-picked by Indira Gandhi to lead Maharashtra. Having full command over the party organisation, Indira Gandhi then could afford to appoint a leader of her choice – and too belonging to a minority community-  to head Maharashtra government. Indira Gandhi had earlier also selected Abdul Ghafoor as the chief minister of Bihar in 1973.

Antulay shifted fom his Colaba (Raigad) Lok Sabha seat where he was defeated in 2004 to contest from Aurangabad – a seat having a sizable Muslim electorates. But his presence in the election arena had helped the rival parties to polarise votes and Antulay was defeated here too. After this, even the Congress and NCP have been wary of fielding a Muslim or other minor candidates as it now amounts to giving a cakewalk to rival parties, barring the minority-dominated seats like Malegaon and Bhiwandi.

With the demise of Antulay, Muslims in Maharashtra and to some extent in India, have lost a leader to whom they could relate to and bank on representing their interests.

Vasantaro Naik, a member of the Banjara tribe, was chief minister of Maharashtra for a record 11 years. But that was four decades back.  As the political things stand today, it is unlikely that a Muslim or any minority leader  will occupy the chief minister's seat in Maharashtra or any other state in the country in the near future. Presently, there is no minority leader belonging to any mainstream political party who can truly claim to be mass leader or at least a minority leader having well connect to his/ her community. This is bad for the secular fabric of the nation. In the absence of such leadership and political parties ignoring minorities due to vote bank politics constrains, communal forces may be able to create their base among these communities. It is in the interest of the nation that all mainstream political parties give equal representation to all sections of communities, be it in civic bodies, at state or national levels. Antulay should not be the last  Muslim or  minority leader to be the chief minister of  a state in the country. 

Maharashtra needs governance

Maharashtra needs governance

Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Sunday, 30 November 2014 AT 10:55 AM IST

    

Camil Parkhe, blog, BJP, Shiv Sena, seat sharing, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray

To the relief of people in Maharashtra, the BJP leadership has finally started negotiations with its estranged ally, the Shiv Sena, for sharing power in the state. This is expected to end the over a month-long period of political uncertainty in the state. The previous month had witnessed an unprecedented show of political opportunism and vendetta by some parties with total disregard to the interests of the state or the mandate given by the electorates in the recent state assembly elections.

The people's verdict was clearly against the 15-year-old regime of the Congress-NCP front government and largely in favour of the BJP, next followed by the Shiv Sena. Notwithstanding the inevitable political abuses and skirmishes during the hustings, it was expected that the BJP and Shiv Sena would once again come together to form the next government after the fractured poll verdict.

But the BJP fell prey to the shrewd game of unconditional support played by the Nationalist Congress Party and naively thought that it can do without Shiv Sena to form a stable government.

It took over a month for the BJP to know that the NCP's unconditional support will not be without any conditions. But as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis himself has admitted the BJP had to pay a very heavy price for surviving the trust motion with the support of the NCP. The sharp social media reactions indicated that many people who voted against the Congress-NCP front have not taken very kindly to the BJP's plans to provide a stable government with the NCP's support. It is another matter that those voters who gave the NCP 40 assembly seats may have also been shocked to see the party backing the BJP. Soon after the polls, the people in the state had to witness political ideologies and principles taking a back seat when it came to the politics of power.

What was worse that governance and administration have been totally ignored during the past few weeks with only 10 BJP ministers managing the show on an ad hoc basis. Perhaps this scenario could have lasted longer if the winter session of the state legislature was not so imminent.

It will be in the larger interest of the state that both the BJP and Shiv Sena keep aside their animosities and provide a stable coalition government at the earliest. Most important, both parties should shun outsmarting each other for the next five years. The people in the state have voted in favour of change, better and transparent governance. Their hopes should not be belied.  

Vasai priest Pereira is new Jammu bishop

Vasai priest Pereira is Jammu bishop

Sakal Times Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Thursday, 4 December 2014 AT 11:37 PM IST

    

 

pope francis, priest, Ivan Pereira, bhishop, Thomas Dabre, Pune, Camil Parkhe

PUNE: Pope Francis on Wednesday appointed Vasai-born priest Fr Ivan Pereira as the new bishop of Jammu-Srinagar diocese.

Fr Pereira (50) will succeed Bishop Peter Celestine who resigned after turning 75.

As per the canon law, bishop's retirement age is 75 while cardinals retire after turning 80.

Pune Bishop Thomas Dabre, in whose presence Pereira was ordained a priest in 1993, has congratulated the new bishop-elect.

Fr Pereira, who has chosen Jammu-Srinagar diocese for his work, had served as the vicar general and secretary of the Jammu-Srinagar bishop from 2004-2009. Presently, he is serving as the principal of the Burn Hall Higher Secondary School in Srinagar.

Pereira will be the seventh priest from Vasai taluka in Thane district to be elevated as bishop, an important post in the Church.

Bishop Dominic Abreu was the first Vasai clergy to be appointed by the Vatican as bishop.

He was appointed as Aurangabad diocese bishop. Ignatius D'Cunha, who succeeded him in Auragabad diocese, was also from Vasai.

The other Vasai-born priests to be elevated to the ranks of the bishop are Pune Bishop Thomas Dabre, also the first bishop of Vasai diocese, Vasai archbishop Felix Machado, Amravati Bishop Elias Gonsalves and Aurangabad Bishop Edwin Colaco.

ST COMMUNITY CONNECT
CHRISTIANITY AND VASAI
- Christianity in Vasai dates back to mid-16th Century when Portuguese established their rule in Vasai and nearby areas on the west coast.
- Tradition claims that Jesus Christ’s apostle St Bartholomew came to the neighbourhood of Vasai and preached Christianity near Kalyan nearly 2,000 years ago.
- Pereira will be the seventh priest from Vasai taluka in Thane district. 

 

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Comments

Vincent Bagul - Saturday, 6 December 2014 AT 03:44 PM IST

Congratulations Bishop Elect Fr Pereira. Thanks to Mr Camil Parkhe for bringing to us all the news through media coverage.

 

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Lloyd - Saturday, 6 December 2014 AT 02:41 PM IST

We all vasaikars are proud of our beloved Bishop Ivan and especially being 'Neighbors' we feel double excited.his lordship has been extremely humble and down-to-earth catholic priest and I am glad to mention that ever since his ordination to priesthood in 1993,when-ever he comes for holidays,he has been regularly visiting the village & parish families and always inquiring about everyone's well-being...God Bless you Lordship Bishop Ivan!

 

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Goa set for exposition of St Francis Xavier’s relics

Goa set for exposition of St Francis Xavier’s relics 

Sakal Times Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Thursday, 20 November 2014 AT 01:22 PM IST

    

Goa, Saint Francis Xavier, relics, veneration, Bom Jesus Basilica, congregations

Old Goa (Panaji):Goa is set to receive lakhs of devotees for the exposition of relics of Spanish Jesuit St Francis Xavier, at Old Goa, starting on November 22.
Hectic activities including painting of centuries-old church buildings and erection of pandals and stalls are presently taking place at Old Goa, often called as the Rome of the East. This will be the 17th decennial exposition of sacred relics of St Xavier who preached Christianity in Goa and other parts of Asia in the 16th century.
The relics, which are permanently placed at a pedestal in Bom Jesus Basilica, will be open for veneration at the Se Cathedral, the largest church in Old Goa, for 44 days from November 22 to January 4.
A large number of Christians and people of other faiths from India and abroad are expected to visit Goa for the exposition, arranged by Goa government in association with the Goa Church. The government administration is presently busy raising special pandals to shelter the thousands of devotees waiting in long queues in front of Se Cathedral and Bom Jesus Basilica.
The rush of devotees is expected to be more during the novena prayers preceding the feast of St Xavier on December 3 and during the Christmas holidays and last four days of the exposition.
The Church has denied rumours that it will be the last time the sacred relics will be opened for veneration.
Vagator-based Sr Leena, belonging to the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, told Sakal Times that nuns of various religious congregations in Goa will share their charism at the stalls in Old Goa during the exposition. The congregations will showcase their spiritual and various kinds of social works, to the visiting devotes.

Pilgrimage arranged for Puneites 
The Pune diocese, which has arranged pilgrimage tours for devotees, has said that accommodation at various church centres in Goa has already been booked well in advance. Coordinator Fr George D’Souza said that two buses carrying people from various parishes in Pune diocese will leave Pune for Goa on December 10 and 14. Some parishes in Pune have also arranged their own tours for the exposition, Fr D’Souza said.

Now, all eyes on Delhi polls

Now, all eyes on Delhi polls

Sakal Times Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Saturday, 8 November 2014 AT 01:10 PM IST

    

Delhi state assembly, Delhi polls, Jammu and Kashmir, BJP, Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Camil Parkhe, blog

Finally, elections to Delhi state assembly will be held soon. The state assembly  which was in suspended animation for the past over seven months has been dissolved, much to the chagrin of the BJP  which had been avoiding the fresh polls under some or the other pretext. Although the elections to the Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand will be held prior to Delhi polls, the elections in the national capital are of more vital importance due to obvious reasons.

The three major political powers in Delhi- the BJP, Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party- are already preparing for the state polls even before the declaration of the election schedule. It is clear that the poll campaign in this tiny state will be keenly watched by political observers and also people in the rest parts of the country.

Soon after formation of the Delhi state, the BJP had formed the first government  in the new state. But the party gave three chief ministers to the new state, Madan Lal Khurana, Sahib Singh Verma and Sushma Swaraj in a short period of 1993 to 1998. Swaraj who quit her Union minister's post to be the chief minister to lead her party's poll campaign lost the state elections, thanks to the high prices of onions in Delhi at that time.

Sheila Dixit of the Congress wrested the power in 1998 and retained it for a record 15 years. The 49-day regime of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal following the hung assembly in December 2013 elections and subsequent political incidents are too fresh events to forget. The question now is which of the three main political players will emerge the winner in the forthcoming Delhi poll battle.

The hesitation of the BJP government at the Centre to hold fresh polls and thus end political uncertainty in the state – even after its impressive show of winning all six Lok Sabha seats in Delhi- was clear indication of the party's lack of confidence in winning the assembly polls.

On the other hand, the AAP which was humiliated in the parliamentary polls has been working overtime to do well in the state polls. The Congress has its organisational network which may help the party in wooing its traditional votes. The BJP will again have to harp on the Narendra Modi magic to wrest power in this politically most  important state. The warm-up to the Delhi elections has just began and it promises to offer an interesting poll battle. 

Maharashtra Voters perhaps may be the worst losers

Voters perhaps may be the worst losers

CAMIL PARKHE Sakal Times Blog

Wednesday, 22 October 2014 09:29 PM

The verdict of the multi-cornered Maharashtra state assembly polls has not been totally unexpected. The route of the ruling Congress-NCP group was clearly forecast after the Lok Sabha polls results. But  the state experienced many high intensity political tremors a fortnight before the voting days which have influenced the assembly poll results .

Both the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance and Congress-NCP front broke off, hoping to do better than its ally in the polls. It's interesting to see who have benefited the most by the mutually agreed separations. The assembly polls have thrown a hung assembly.  The BJP's gamble to go it alone in polls has succeeded but the voters have denied it clear majority, much to the chagrin of the Shiv Sena and also the NCP.

The Shiv Sena which hoped to retain its role of the elder brother has been left with less than half of the seats garnered by BJP. The Congress and NCP who were expected to face a total debacle in the Lok Sabha polls have surprisingly done much better, they together winning over 80 seats.

Those who left the sinking ships of the Congress, NCP and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena have won entry into the House, albeit with the lotus symbol and their number is over 20. Raj Thackeray-led MNS has turned out to be a pauper with a single seat. And so is the case with the much hyped smaller allies who after debates in full media glare finally decided to go with the BJP. 

It is a verdict delivered by the electorates. These voters perhaps may be the worst losers as they will now witness repeat of the one-upmanship experienced earlier during the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance and Congress-NCP front governments.  

Meeting Pope Francis was memorable: says waste picker Rebecca from Pune

Sakal Times, Pune, Reporter CAMIL PARKHE | Wednesday, 5 November 2014 AT 10:34 PM IST

    

Pune: Interacting with Pope Francis for over an hour and later shaking hands with him has been the most memorable moment for city-based Kagad Kach Patra Kashtkari Panchayat (KKPKP) waste picker Rebecca Thomas Kedari who recently returned here from Vatican City.
Speaking to Sakal Times at her Gandhinagar slum residence at Bopodi, Rebecca (56) said that she was thrilled when the Pope conversed with her and other delegates of a convention in Vatican City last week.
KKPKP had deputed Rebecca to attend the convention hosted by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences from October 27 to 29.

In her address to the convention, Rebecca said, “Hum apna haq mangte, nahi kisi se bheek mangte.” (We are just demanding our rights, we are not begging.)

During the interaction, Rebecca spoke in Marathi for 20 minutes about her struggle for livelihood as a waste picker and the help provided by KKPKP to her. She also said that other waste pickers should secure identity cards, jobs and most important - dignity to their profession.

Rebecca was the lone delegate from the city’s wastepicker’s trade union, KKPKP, at the conference which was attended by 150 organisations from across the globe.

At the conference, Rebecca shared how she has transformed from being a waste picker to a service provider. The audience was quite moved to hear the challenges to the formation of the KKPKP through her lens and the discrimination faced by waste pickers. She said that despite 25 years of the existence of the KKPKP, waste pickers in Pune are still fighting for their basic human rights like inclusion in social security schemes and education for their children.

In her speech in Marathi was translated into English by Aparna Susarla, a KKPKP activist who had accompanied her to the convention and the foreign tour.

Rebecca, who has studied up to Standard X, has been a waste picker for 30 years and associated with KKPKP for 20 years. Her married son, Lazarus, who recently lost his job, helps her in waste collection and their total earning is over Rs 10,000 per month.
This has been the third time Rebecca has been delegated by KKPKP to represent the organisation at conventions of marginalised sections at world conventions. She had attended a convention at Senegal in Africa in 2010 and another one at Belgium in 2012. 

Leaders from grassroots organisations and movements of waste collectors, excluded workers, migrants and young people’s groups attended the meet, besides bishops and church workers.

The meet was aimed at discussing ways of promoting social inclusion by reflecting on organisational experiences of popular movements of the most disadvantaged and excluded across the world. Addressing the delegates, Pope Francis assured support to all social movements and said the structural causes of poverty, inequality, denial of social and labour rights need to be combated.

"We are pleased that Pope Francis was very positive about strengthening the struggles of the underprivileged sections of society. He has made strong remarks on inequality and capitalism and stressed the need to support popular movements. We look forward to strengthening these movements at the global level."

— Laxmi Narayan, KKPKP member

Felicitation

The Pune Diocese felicitated Rebecca Kedari in recognition of the waste pickers’ eco-friendly role at a rally organised to protect environment at St Vincent’s High School in Pune Camp on November 12.e pickers are playing a great role in protection of the environment, said Pune Bishop Thomas Dabre.

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Comments

prakash - Monday, 10 November 2014 AT 09:02 AM IST

camil it was nice to read that ordinary people make extraordinary work and leave their mark on society