Armoured Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Guard launched

Armoured Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Guard launched

Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Thursday, 10 March 2016 AT 02:12 PM IST

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Date=20160310&News

Title=Armoured%20Mercedes-Maybach%20S%20600%20Guard%20launched

    

Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Guard, armoured vehicle, luxury vehicle, automobile,business, Delhi, Camil Parkhe

NEW DELHI:Mercedes-Benz has launched the Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Guard, a luxurious armoured vehicle in the country, labelled as the most protected vehicle.

“The exquisite Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Guard is the first civilian vehicle to be certified with the highest ballistic protection level VR10, and is one of the safest luxury vehicles in the world,” Roland Folger, Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes Benz India, said.

The Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Guard was launched by Folger and German Ambassador in India Dr Martin Ney here on Tuesday.

Speaking at the launch, Folger said, “Mercedes-Benz remains the most trusted brand globally in manufacturing ‘Guard’ vehicles since 1928. Most of the global heads of states, top diplomats, business tycoons and celebrities prefer a ‘Guard’ vehicle. We continue to follow our ‘top of pyramid’ approach for the discerning Indian customers.”

Folger said, “In 2015, we completely redefined the highly exclusive luxury sedan segment with the launch of the Mercedes-Maybach. With the introduction of the Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Guard, we have now created an unmatched offering in the segment and strongly reiterated our ‘technological leadership’ in the field of special protection vehicles.”

“The launch of the Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Guard symbolises our unsurpassed commitment of giving the best to our customers,” he said.The Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Guard was launched in India within 15 days of its international debut.

A series of special technical features also ensures that the Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Guard remains mobile during and also after an attack and is able to exit the danger zone.The new Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Guard has been officially certified by the Ballistics Authority and, for the first time, meets the very highly stringent requirements for VR10 protection rating. These guidelines specify that the bodywork and windows must be able to withstand hardened steel core bullets fired from an assault rifle.

SALIENT FEATURES
- Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Guard is the most expensive car available in the Mercedes-Benz portfolio in India
- The vehicle is priced Rs.10.50 crore onwards (Ex-showroom Delhi)
- Opaque roller blinds all-round in the rear | heated windscreen and side windows
- Easily operated panic alarm system
- Fire extinguisher system with automatic activation
- Emergency fresh air system protecting occupants from the ingress of smoke or irritant gases
- Hydraulic power for the heavy side windows
- LED reading lamps in the rear 

Mandatory use of helmets for two-wheeler riders

‘To wear or not to wear’ cannot be the question, it’s a must!

Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Thursday, 4 February 2016 AT 10:33 PM IST

    

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Maharashtra government, CAMIL PARKHE, helmet, two-wheeler riders, Pune

At last, the Maharashtra government has decided to enforce the rule of compulsory helmets for all two-wheeler riders all over the state. The rule of mandatory use of helmets has been there for many years but not implemented due to the apathy of the administration in implementing it. This has led to avoidable deaths of a large number of people, especially youngsters.

There has not been a consistent policy of the government administration and especially the police department in enforcing the rule on mandatory use of helmets. A few years ago, when a new police officer took over the charge of the traffic wing in Pune police commissionerate, he announced the strict enforcement of the rule. Accordingly, for a few months two-wheeler riders were fined for not observing the rule. This had naturally the desired effect as all those who had helmets at their homes started using them and those who did not have helmets purchased them immediately. But the enforcement was again relaxed later and now the drive on helmets rule has been totally called off. This inconsistency on the part of the police and also the government administration is totally inexplicable.

What is most important is that some major automobile giants and other industries in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad have been for the past many years strictly enforcing the rule on use of helmets on their campus areas. Having no other option, employees of these industries and also those desiring to enter these premises have been following the rule.

Use of helmets is also mandatory on campus of all defence establishments all over the country. The helmets rule has been enforced most stringently in Maharashtra’s capital, Mumbai. Why is the same rule not enforced in other cities and highways in the state?

A couple of years ago, traffic police authorities in Pune police commissionerate started strictly enforcing the rule on wearing seat belts for four-wheeler drivers and have been consistent with this policy. As a result, the rule has been observed by most four-wheeler drivers in the city. It is strange why the police authorities are not consistent with the helmet rule as well.

At the national level, too, there is no consistency on implementing the helmets rule. In some metropolitan cities and states, the rule has been enforced while other cities ignore this rule. Implementation of the rule has been left to the whims and fancies of the in-charge police officials in these cities. This is despite the fact that over 1,50,000 people die in road accidents in India every year. In Pune police commissionerate area comprising Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, every year 400 people are killed in road mishaps and of them, 200 are two-wheeler riders. Of the total 479 two-wheeler riders who were killed in road mishaps during the past two years, 477 had not worn helmets.

Deaths of these two-wheeler riders would have been surely avoided in most cases had these people worn helmets. Indeed, there are many people who understand the importance and need of wearing helmets and would use the helmets even if there is no compulsion to do so. But a large number of people would be inclined to use the helmet only if it is mandatory. During my recent visit to Goa, I witnessed a large number foreign nationals zooming fast on two-wheelers without wearing helmets. I was sure that in their own countries, these foreigners would never dare to ride even a bicycle without a helmet as otherwise they would be penalised there. That is why we cannot afford to make use of helmets as optional or voluntary. There would be a heavy price to be paid for that. There is urgent need to enforce the helmet rule all over the country and that too consistently.

Marathi Sahitya Sammelan

An annual literary meet that had too much politics and little literature!

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Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Tuesday, 19 January 2016 AT 02:48 PM IST

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=Blog&NewsTitle=An%20annual%20literary%20meet%20that%20had%20too%20much%20politics
%20and%20little%20literature

    

89th All-India Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, Camil Parkhe, Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, Marathi literary festival,

The 89th All-India Marathi Sahitya Sammelan which concluded in Pimpri Chinchwad on Monday truly has lived to the legacy and tradition of the nearly 125-year-old Marathi literary festival. Those people who have attended the earlier Marathi Sahitya Sammelans and who attended this Sammelan would vouch that this was the most expensive, most celebrated and most hyped literary meet. Justice M G Ranade, who had convened the first session of the Marathi Granthkar Sammelan in Pune in 1887, may have never imagined that the seed of the event he sowed would achieve such a remarkable height over a century later. But there were many controversies too and some feeling in the literary sphere that the whole event was too politicised!

Marathi Sahitya Sammelans, like the Diwali special of issues of Marathi periodicals, are unique not only among Indian languages but perhaps also all over the world. This is the only literary event which is being held on a regular basis for more than a century and is patronised by book lovers, littérateurs, publishers and all those associated with the books publishing industry. However, the downside was that including the Sammelan President’s speech to most events, everything revolved around politics and at many stages before the meet and during the three-day meet, it became an NCP versus BJP game! The whole literary meet had a super political undercurrent with literature and creativity taking a back-seat!

In the past, popular literary giants have been honoured with the coveted post of president of this literary festivals. They include Pu La Deshpande, Acharya Atre, Veer Savarkar and Shanta Shelke. Some of these Sahitya Sammelans like the one held at Karad during the Emergency period and presided over by firebrand author Durga Bhagwat, have turned out to be milestones in the struggle for freedom of expression in the country. That is why the post of the president of this literary festival has an aura and many writers and poets vie to win this honour.

The process for electing the president of the literary meet has however dissuaded the veteran littérateurs from seeking this post. The election process has always drawn criticism as less than a thousand registered persons are involved in the poll process which often denies the post to veteran littérateurs. There was open grumbling that not many people had heard of Shripal Sabnis until he was elected to preside over the Sammelan. In the game of numbers, veterans like poet BB Borkar had to face a humiliating defeat in elections and therefore many literary giants shun entering the poll arena.

Controversy is yet another invariable aspect of the Marathi Sahitya Sammelan. Soon after being elected as president of the literary meet, Shripal Sabnis lived up to this legacy with his comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Fortunately, much to the relief of the organisers D Y Patil University, the row over his remarks turned out to be a storm in a tea cup.

Visitors to the four-day literary festival thoroughly enjoyed the ambiance at the venue. The hosts had indeed worked hard to make this literary event a ‘celebration’. The huge statues of Sant Dnyaneshwar, Sant Tukaram and others created the desired atmosphere for a literary fest. The presence of youngsters at the literary festival was most striking and these also included students from various institutes of the D Y Patil University campus. The red carpets spread at the various pandals of the festivals, at the two sections of the books exhibition comprising hundreds of books stalls and also on the long passages leading in various directions also underlined that this was one of the most luxurious Marathi Sahitya Sammelans.

Most book stalls at the venue were crowded. The literary meet offers the Marathi book industry a golden opportunity to showcase its products and as usual, sales of crores of rupees were registered during the four-day meet. Most publishers this time were taken aback with the huge demand for some books and were required to get refills from their godowns in Pune on day-to-day basis. Last year, the book industry had to miss this opportunity when despite protests, the Marathi Sahitya Sammelan was organised at Ghuman in Punjab where there were hardly any takers for the Marathi books.

Notwithstanding the criticism, charges and counter-charges levelled before and during the literary meet, this Sahitya Sammelan will be remembered for a long time by those attending it. And as is the tradition, in future too there will be attempts to organise the Sammelan in a more lavish and impressive style. Readers too would not mind it as long as the literary fest also serves to help the interests of Marathi literature. The hope for the future is that the meet is less about politics and more about literature, language and creativity.

RSS decision to introduce change may pay political dividends

RSS decision to introduce change may pay political dividends

Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Wednesday, 6 January 2016 AT 11:58 AM IST

    

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blog, RSS, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, media, Pune, Camil Parkhe

The nine-decade-old Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has shown some signs of changes in the recent past. For a long time, the functioning of this organisation was shrouded in mystery. The common people or even the mediapersons were never familiar with this body’s office-bearers or senior functionaries as it was their policy to shun the media and thus they deliberately kept themselves away from the limelight. It was almost a taboo for the RSS functionaries to brief the media on their activities. This had an adverse impact on the image of the voluntary body. It had encouraged rival organisations like those affiliated to the leftist ideologies or the so-called secular forces to treat the RSS like an ‘untouchable’ body. The RSS was banned post assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and during the Emergency period and even now some or the other bodies repeat the demand to impose a ban on it. But now RSS is showing signs that it may be changing.

The RSS has for the first time shown some signs of opening up when its leaders along with its Parivar bodies had joined hands with the socialist and various other centrist parties to form the Janata Party after the Emergency. The honeymoon, however, was short lived with the socialist leaders raising the bogey of ‘dual membership’ of the erstwhile Jan Sangh members, leading to the first break-up of the Janata Party.

After that, the RSS had returned to its shell and continued consolidating its base among the masses.

In the recent few years however, breaking from its traditions, the RSS has been holding media briefings. It has also been conducting workshops for mediapersons and others to dispel the myths, apprehensions and fears related to this organisation. The mega event hosted by the RSS at Marunje near Hinjewadi recently was another manifestation of the transformation of this organisation.

The apex body of the Sangh Parivar has always professed to be an all-inclusive Hindu organisation, representing all sections within the Hindu community. The RSS has now decided to expand its base in the areas and among the communities which used to treat it like an anathema. To achieve its objective, the RSS is shedding some of its old baggage in order to be more receptive to majority sections of the Hindu community. For the past few decades it has been making conscious efforts to remove the tag of being a party of the Brahmins.

The organisation has long back welcomed dalit icon and the architect of Indian Constitution Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in the list of persons most venerable. This was indeed to eliminate any kind of apprehension the dalits may have had towards the RSS. It has been doing so without compromising on its hardline Hindutva ideology. It is an heartening sign that this cadre-based organisation is in the process of a makeover to win the hearts of a large section of society.

The conscious decision to undergo transformation in its structure, mindset and openness to the society  may be paying rich dividends. Those who are now being exposed to the functioning of this organisation are normally left in awe about the discipline of the RSS cadre, their organisational capabilities and dedication to their mission in various fields. Transparency in its functioning and an all-inclusive policy will indeed help the organisation in reaching out to larger sections of society and earn their goodwill and also dispel any kind of misgivings.

Disclaimer: The opinion expressed within this blog is personal opinion of the author. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the blog do not reflect the views of Sakal and Sakal does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

Sharad Joshi a true farmers’ leader

Sharad Joshi a true farmers’ leader

Sakal Times Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Monday, 14 December 2015 AT 11:03 PM IST

    

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Sharad Joshi, Shetkari Sanghatana, reminiscences

In the early 1990s, the journalists in Pune and Mumbai were often required to visit Ambethan near Chakan in Pune district. That was because Sharad Joshi, who was fighting for the farmers’ causes had chosen to set up the headquarters of his Shetkari Sanghatana there. The journalists interested in meeting him had to travel through rural parts to reach Ambethan. This was one of the ways of the farmers’ leader to be away from India and be in the midst of Bharat, the rural India on whose behalf he was fighting.

When I along with a group of journalists met Joshi at his headquarters, I was impressed with the dedication for the farmers’ issues. Later on I covered his functions on various occasions and my admiration for him kept on increasing.

Joshi had given up his job at the UNO to return to India to take up the farmers’ issues. His study of the farmers’ issues and agrarian economy was astounding and many political leaders were taken aback with his organising skills and writings on the agrarian issues. Joshi, who was also an eloquent orator, succeeded in organising the farmers’ movement in Maharashtra on an unprecedented scale. At that time, he emerged as the first non-political leader leading a strong farmers’ movement in Maharashtra.

In 1990s, Shetkari Sanghatana became a powerful force in Maharashtra and during those days, a large number of people in villages and small towns were seen moving with pride, flaunting the round-shaped white and red badge of the Shetkari Sanghatana on their shirts.

The long drawn agitations launched by Sharad Joshi on the issue of prices for onions and his famous Chakka Jam stirs in Maharashtra brought the farmer leader into national limelight. However at time Joshi was against forming a political front or joining the electoral politics. Later, he also shared space at the national level with farmer leader Mahendra Singh Tikait and Devi Lal. In recognition of his knowledge of farmers’ issues, the then prime minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh had appointed him to draft the national agricultural policy.

Joshi is one of the few experts in the country who has written a large number of books, articles and delivered hundreds of speeches on the agrarian economy in the country. He has written a lot in English and Marathi on these issues. Joshi’s demise has left a huge vacuum, for there is no other high stature farmer leader like him in the whole country.

Disclaimer: The opinion expressed within this blog is personal opinion of the author. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the blog do not reflect the views of Sakal and Sakal does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

Pope to open Holy Door today

Pope to open Holy Door today

Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Monday, 7 December 2015 AT 11:03 PM IST    

St Peter's Basilica, holy doors, opening

Pope Francis will ceremoniously open the Holy Door at St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Tuesday, December 8, marking launch of the jubilee year of the mercy. This reminds me of the moments I spent at the famous Holy Door when I visited the Vatican a couple of years ago.

When one is visiting St Peter's Basilica, one needs a guide or someone who is well acquainted with the importance of the sculptures, paintings and other artefacts at this pilgrim site. For example, as I entered St Peter's Basilica, I was shocked when I noticed at the right side, La Pieta, a master piece of veteran sculptor Michelangelo. The 15th century marble sculpture was covered with a bulletproof glass, following an attempt to damage the statue of Mother Mary grieving with the corpse of her crucified son, Jesus.

I carefully looked at the Holy Door and the carvings at the bronze door only when I was informed of the door's significance by a priest who was guiding me and my family members during the tour to the holy city.

Incidentally, a Holy Door is one of the many important monuments or heritage works at the impressive St Peter's Basilica. A Holy Door is an entrance portal located in the Papal Major basilicas in Rome. The doors are normally sealed by mortar and cement from the inside so that they cannot be opened. The pope ceremoniously opens these doors with symbolic knocking with a silver hammer. The Holy Door at St Peter's Basilica was last opened by Pope John Paul III on December 24, 1999 and closed on January 6, 2001. Prior to that, Pope Paul V had opened the Holy Door St Peter's Basilica on the eve of Christmas in 1975.

There are no accurate historical records to indicate when the tradition of opening of the holy doors began. But it is certainly not more than five centuries old. In the past, the doors used to be opened after 100 years, later after 50 years and more recently it was reduced to 25 years.

Although this is not a jubilee year, Pope Francis has, as a special case, declared Jubilee of Mercy and so the holy doors in Rome and at a few places outside will be opened this year and will remain open for a year.
The jubilee year is expected to provide time to the faithful for their spiritual renewal.

Marking another break from the past, Pope Francis has also instructed opening of a Door of Mercy in each diocese to enable the faithful all over the world to celebrate the Jubilee of Mercy. In Pune, Bishop Thomas Dabre will ceremoniously open the Door of Mercy at St Patrick's Cathedral at 6 pm on Sunday, December 13.

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Has Bihar voted against communal polarisation?

Has Bihar voted against polarisation?

Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Wednesday, 18 November 2015 AT 09:10 AM IST

    

Sakal Times Pune

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One of the highlights of the recent Bihar assembly poll is that the voters have completely rejected attempts of polarisation on communal grounds. The number of Muslim MLAs has risen from 19 of the previous house to 24 but a party which wants to identify itself as one with minority community politics has been rejected by the people. What is most striking is that of these 22 belong to the JDU, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD and the Congress while the BJP has only one Muslim MLA. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) led by Asaduddin Owaisi which had fielded its candidates in the Muslim dominant region has failed to make its debut in the Bihar assembly. The AIMIM was hoping to win some seats in the Bihar assembly which would have served as an entry point to the Hindi belt.

Almost all parties in the poll fray had played the caste cards to woo the voters but the Nitish Kumar-led Grand Alliance has outsmarted the rivals. Some parties, in addition, had also tried various games to bring in communal polarisation to improve its seats tally.

Bringing in the Pakistan factor and pulling in the cow in the election arena were expected to divide the electorates on communal grounds and thus ensure the BJP victory in many constituencies. If the AIMIM were to be prominent player in the polls, the BJP would have been a beneficiary of this outcome. Both Hindu and Muslim voters refused to bite the bait and instead preferred to vote for centrist parties like JD (U), LJP and Congress.

In the recent few years, the AIMIM has been harping that all parties like the Congress, Samajwadi Party, JD (U) or RJD are taking this community for a ride and that only a Muslim party would safeguard the interests of the Muslims. This campaign had succeeded in Maharashtra with AIMIM winning two seats in Maharashtra assembly and securing sizeable votes in some other constituencies. Then why did this party failed to make inroads in Muslim dominant region of Bihar?

Obviously, the Muslim voters in Bihar did not feel the need of supporting a party with a certain communal identity or certain leaders to protect their interests and felt secure supporting JD (U), RJD and Congress. The majority Hindu voters, too, rejected BJP’s attempts to divide the electorates on communal lines to win the poll and instead voted in favour of the Nitish Kumar-led Grand Alliance which had put up the agenda of development and good governance.

India’s secular credentials were best proved when Manmohan Singh, a member of a minuscule minority Sikh community, was elected Prime Minister in 2004 and five years later his government was voted back to power for a second term. The victory of certain parties in Bihar polls would have boosted the growth of this party and would have sent an ominous signal. By refusing to be carried away by vicious communal propaganda, both Hindu and Muslim voters in Bihar have proved their political maturity.

Comments

Fr. Anil Chakranarayan, SJ - Saturday, 21 November 2015 AT 02:51 PM IST

U r right. Njoyed the article. Secular India wud continue ruling Indians despite caste, creed, language, Ilks, fraternity, Wings, Outfits, Fringes, u name it. *Muslim ministers in BJP didn't raise an alarm@the riot, massacre in Muzafarnagar, later Dadri killing, other attacks, inflammatory mouthings against Muslims. Muslims mite'v thot that their own brother-ministers in BJP, joyously sang the same fascist song that BJP & their ilks sing. 'Two legs good 4 legs bad". Thus Muslim too'v realized that 'Known devils are better than unknown angels'. *Latin adage:'Homo homini lupus'.What happens in Syria, in Ireland, corruption is done by a religious minority against their own majority poor. It’s happening all the time in the world. So called 'our own'(same religion, caste) can persecute us. Why elect them? *Humans r’nt fools. But Politicians like to think so. They don't learn. voters tot them ‘Those who live by violence will die by ‘no-votes’.

 

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