Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce

Sir Don’s death and Mid-day’s famous Page 1

A commuter holds the paper in his hands at Churchgate station. Pics/Getty Images

Exactly 20 years ago, this newspaper was in the forefront of coverage for cricket legend Sir Donald Bradman’s death.

The news of his demise appeared on the news wires on the night of February 25, 2001. Taking it as the Page 1 lead story in the first edition was a no-brainer. 

Enhancing the coverage for the second edition was more of a challenge. Not long after sending the first edition to print, the Mid-day reporter and photographer were at The Taj in Colaba, where the Indian and Australian teams were put up for the following day’s Mumbai Test match.

Porters reading mid-day at a railway station. Pic/Wikimedia Commons

We woke up Sachin Tendulkar via the house phone at 7 am, and he obliged us with a reaction. Remember, the connection between Tendulkar and Bradman grew manifold after the Indian master visited the great Australian for his 90th birthday in 1998. Sachin’s reaction and other tributes made it in time for our second edition. And that’s the one you see in these pictures of our Page 1 on the streets of Mumbai, captured by Getty Images.

The paper being sold at an AH Wheeler stall in a railway station

We remember that time with sadness because cricket lost its greatest batsman, but with pride as well, since we were the first to do justice to the occurrence. That Channel Nine, Australia, chose to interview the said reporter and photographer to enhance their all-day coverage made it memorable too.

Cheers to 25 years of Internet

A flipbook of stories collected from netizens; photographs of abandoned cyber cafés; short videos exploring the impact of Internet shutdowns and throttling — these are among the 25 creative projects that have stemmed from India Foundation for the Arts’ (IFA) 25x25 initiative, set to go live online today. The initiative marks 25 years of grant-making by IFA, and 25 years of Internet in India, shared Menaka Rodriguez, head of resource mobilisation and outreach. “We felt it would be the appropriate theme considering how reliant we have become on the digital world in the past year,” she said, adding that IFA will be hosting live interactions with the artists on their creations. Tune in to explore this web of projects at Facebook/IndiaIFA.

All packed and raring to go

Representation pic

News of the vaccines being rolled out has Indian travellers ready to pack their bags and embark on trips, found a recent survey conducted by a pan-Indian tour operator. The survey, which was taken by more than 2,000 online respondents in January 2021, revealed that more than 65 per cent of respondents are actively searching for and planning a vacation within the next two months. To date, more than 70 per cent of respondents have taken a trip since Phase 1 of Unlock. As many as 40 per cent have gone on one or two mini-vacations, and 18 per cent have taken more than three trips during the pandemic. Once vaccinated, 81 per cent of respondents would travel for leisure, while 55 per cent sought to visit friends and family. 

On the other hand, 46 per cent would travel for business or work purposes. Interestingly, the survey also found that while most travellers preferred the company of their spouse and families in the months following the lockdown, with the vaccine on the horizon, they are now keener to travel with friends or by themselves. More than 70 per cent favoured road to air travel. We wonder if the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in the city will make travellers reconsider their plans?  

Running for child abuse

A common misconception about child abuse is that it only happens in the lower socio-economic strata of our society; however, child abuse happens everywhere and must be addressed in more pressing terms, said Insia Dariwala, a child rights activist and founder of The Hands of Hope Foundation. 

Her foundation is conducting a virtual run to engage participants across the country. “Our goal is to get every citizen involved. We also want to support NGOs working in various spheres of child abuse — from sexual violence to trafficking — to raise funds,” she told this diarist. Pranav Joshi, one of the organisers, said that the run will benefit 35 NGOs. The event kicks off on February 27. You can choose a route as per your convenience, log your kilometres online and express your solidarity. Register online at racetime.ml/event/hopeRun

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!