05 March,2015 07:58 AM IST | | Contributed by: Dharmendra Jore, Chirag Waghela, Vidya Heble
The city — sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
CM gets food for thought
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis did a Rahul Gandhi the other day. The Congress vice-president had spent a night in a Dalit hut in Uttar Pradesh. Fadnavis on Tuesday both dined at a farmer's place in Yavatmal district of Vidarbha, and stayed there overnight too.
It's an unknown number, maybe. Pic/Chirag Waghela
Farmer Vishnuji Dhomne's wife served the CM a simple meal of jowar bhakri, brinjal bharit, daalbhaji and rice. After the dinner he stayed overnight at Dhomne's semi-pakka house and had a bath there the next morning before visiting other distressed farmers in Vidarbha and Marathwada.
We're told the farmers were happy to have the CM among them, but the visit also invited its share of criticism. We heard many people asking, "Did the CM, who belongs to a farmers' family, need to copy Rahul Gandhi? " We expect Fadnavis will face some unpleasant questions on the issue, just like the Gandhi scion did some years ago.
Department of lost numbers
Sometimes, there seems to be a gap between the intention and the implementation. This signboard is one example.
CM Devendra Fadnavis dining in simple style
Placed on the divider at the Western Express Highway, post the Dahisar check naka near Thakur Mall, this and another similar board about 200 metres away tells motorists, in both English and Hindi, to be safe.
In case of an accident, the board says, you should try to save lives and call this number. The only problem is that there is no number mentioned on either of the boards.
There's an APP for that
A certain town near Mumbai was once notorious for making appliances similar to major brands. A sprawling slum in the city is still known for producing fakes, especially in the leather segment. And we have read interesting stories of corporates going the extra mile to protect their brands from entrepreneurs who try to fool gullible consumers.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), now an immensely popular brand, has inspired some folks in Mumbai to register a regional party which bears the name APP (Aim Political Party). The party sent us a communication along with a registration certificate from the Election Commission of India.
We thought their inspiration would be AAP's Arvind Kejriwal. But the regional party's national president seems to have modelled his working strategy on the lines of one of the city's most well-known icons.
His letter said, "It may be pertinent to note that a legend in cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, did not become Sachin Tendulkar in a year or two and we shall also try our level best to brighten the name of our party."
Play Safe On Holi
The festival of colours can also bring an unwanted spree of allergic reactions to the harsh chemicals used. But originally, Holi was played using natural colours derived from plants and flowers, which are safe for our skin.
One of these is the Palash flower (Butea monosperma), also known as Teshu or Flame of the Forest. The national flower of Jharkhand, it is extensively found (and used) in that region as well as all over India.
You may not be able to get enough Palash-derived colour for Holi, but you can still choose the safer alternative and buy organic colours which don't damage the skin or irritate the eyes.
Yes, they are more expensive than cheaper chemical colours but think about it, do you want to save money or save your health? And remember, Holi colours hurt animals, so stick to playing with your human friends. Happy hues!
