FELICITATION OF LOCAL IDOL APPOINTED RAJYA SABHA M.P.

In a rare display of affection, citizens from Western Mumbai got together and felicitated Mr. Javed Aktar (Padma Shri -1999, Padma Bhushan - 2007 and dozens of other Film and National awards), on Sat. 08^th May 2010, on his being nominated M.P. to the Rajya Sabha. What was unusual was that the local politicians too were present with greetings for Javed Saab as he is popularly known. There were the local MP and Union Minister – Mr. Gurudas Kamat, local MLA – Mr. Ashok Jadhav, local Corporators – Mr. Adolf D’Souza and Mr. Devendra ‘Bala’ Amberkar. All know Javed Saab as a Urdu writer-lyricist-poet, but now he showed his thinker-reformer-politician side, during his acceptance speech. The audience of about 120 was made up of many Activists and well wishers from all over Western Mumbai, including Mr. G.L. Raheja a well known local businessman and philanthropist.

Volunteers from the Juhu NGO: Juhu Citizens Welfare Group, namely: Ms. Zahida Banatwala, Ms (Dr.) Sindhu Daftary, Ms. Bindu Parikh and Ms. Shabana Azmi took pains to organize the program with the support of local anonymous donors. A special plaque was presented to Javed Saab and saplings of the Lakshmi Taru (Simarouba glauca DC) were presented to the honoured local elected politicians. The Paradise Tree as it is also known is very good in CO2 absorption among other things. More can be found at the web links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simarouba_glauca http://aswathikasimadom.blogspot.com/2008/07/lakshmi-taru.html

A civic activist of decades Prof. Hansel D’Souza made a presentation, covering some of the local needs of consumers and citizens, cutting across all social strata. The idea was to present the focus areas to the new Rajya Sabha MP who is also a resident of the western suburbs. The issues covered implementation of: highway through the Pawan Hans Airport (instead of a Juhu Beach highway which would destroy the beach which happens to be the haunt of the poorer social strata and cost some twenty-three times more); re-development of local agro-markets (to reduce the incidence of illegal hawking on the new pavements); further development of local Municipal School (in view of increasing population and need for English medium education for the lower strata); control on illegal slums and encroachments along with cheaper mass housing; protection of mangroves, open spaces and Irla Nulla Beautification; development of a local Sports Complex at the location shown in the DP-1981 plan; further strengthening of the Nagar Raj Act in the local zone; banning of plastic bags of all sizes and specifications and banning of paan and gutka; decongestion of the city by development of the hinterland by a Central Planning Authority; stricter implementation of the ban on ‘land reclamation’ in view of Mahim Beach being lost to the monsoon seas; a common Beach Authority for the city and an integrated city transport authority for the extended business district of Greater Mumbai.

Local MP and Union Minister Mr. Gurudas Kamat after congratulating Javed Saab, mentioned the secular principles of the INC lead UPA Govt. at the Center and also the coalition Govt. in Maharashtra State. He expressed his willingness to sit with citizens for a dialogue and impressed on all the need for balanced development with minimum pain for the project-affected-persons (PAPs). He informed the august gathering that only the Union Govt could bear the costs of subsidizing the city rail-transport system which has not increased costs in the past six years and the impossibility of a ‘bullet train’ to cover the extended hinterland of Greater Mumbai. He confirmed that he was regularly visiting the constituency every weekend and interacting with citizens to understand their problems and guiding them.

The new MP - Javed Saab, talked of the need for all citizens to recognize the concept of ‘my country’ also being the ‘local area’ where ever the citizen resides and said patriotism also meant doing the best in ones’ own area instead of only looking for some big picture. He too showed interest in meeting with citizens to discuss in detail, their needs and plans for the area.

During the general fellowship following the felicitations, Mr. Adolf D’Souza, a first in India, consensus elected Corporator while congratulating the local hero Javed Saab, told the citizens of the need to be ecologically friendly and showed a Rs.2 cloth bag that he had just introduced as a viable alternative to the eco-polluting plastic bags. A token lot was launched the same day earlier, in the presence of over one hundred citizens from the Western Suburbs. The local MLA Mr. Ashok Jadhav interacted with many of the activists who knew him well. Mr. Shankar an activist from the local Nehru Nagar slum also interacted with the guests.

The program was anchored by Ms. Nita Bajpai and the vote of thanks was offered by Ms. Bindu Parikh, both local civic activists.