Farooq Sheikh or Farooque Sheikh (25 March 1948 − 27 December 2013)

Farooq Sheikh, The first time I met him was during the 140 years celebrations of St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. Though, many movie stars, business men, foreign dignitaries etc. were present but this was man was something special and different. He stood out among the sea of celebrities.

This celebration was happening a few weeks after the 26/11  attacks and the mood was rather somber, as the family of one of the martyrs IPS officer Ashok Kamte were also present. He was in his trademark style, a pure white trademark kurta and pyajama very calm and composed. Then, I didn't knew that he was also the alumni of our college and he had done some tremendous contributions to Hindi Theatre along with Shabana Azmi during their college days.

We have a larger than life image of a movie star, but here is a man so simple, humble and so respectful. This nature of his was visible to us when he was hosting the show "Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai". He made people feel so comfortable with his mannerisms, impeccable Hindi diction and his knowledge about the society.

I still remember his programs Ji Mantirji and Chamatkar. He was one of the few movie stars who was on TV then and now each and every star are willing to be part of TV.

Not only was he known for friendship, trust and mannerisms, he was also known for his food. Everyone used to savor his sweet dishes, biryani and mangoes.

The last time I met him was few days before release of his movie, Listen...Amaya he was with his co-star Deepti Naval for an interview at Cafe Comic Library, Versova.

I always wished he should work more, in fact he had started working a lot more recently. He is one of the gems of Hindi Film industry. I don't like superstars like Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar etc and the fact that we distinguish between Bollywood and parallel cinema.  for me actors like Pankaj Kapoor, Irfan, Nawazuddin, Annu Kapoor are the real stars they are the real stars of Hindi cinema. I wish these actors take more work and do justice to their talent.

Thanks for your contributions to St. Xaviers College, Mumbai, Theatre, Bollywood and humanity. You are a true superstar and you would be missed.

"Once a Xavierite, Always a Xavierite"

Uttan Beach

Uttan has a very beautiful beach, in fact it has one of the cleanest beaches since ancient days on the coast of Arabian Sea.

This village has predominantly Koli Christian Community, whose main occupation is fishing.As soon as you enter Uttan, you would find huge fishing trawlers on the right hand side and very distinguishing dry fish smell. Koli women busy segregating fish like prawns, bombil, bangara and pomfret from the basket, preparing huge rice rotis, which many of us would find un-common if you have not been to an East Indian village in Mumbai.The quality of fish found in this water is very good since beach is pollutant free. The fish found here is very tasty.There are beautiful gothic bungalows which have some amazing architecture; one of the most prominent things you would observe are the small shrines which have Jesus and Mother Mary. Even the boats here are named after Christian Saints.You can reach Uttan by your car or by public transport. Once you reach Uttan Naka the lanes become very narrow. So it is preferable if you park your car somewhere near the Naka and walk through narrow Uttan lanes to get soaked in this beautiful atmosphere. It would take 20 to 25 minutes to reach Uttan Beach as it has some steep slopes. MBMT buses have recently started a bus service it takes you directly to Our Lady of Vailankanni Shrine, Bhate Bunder. One of the most well-known and it is also considered a miraculous church by locals. You would find many devotees specially visiting Uttan to come to this Church. It was renovated a few years back and was inaugurated by Archbishop of Mumbai. There are many churches in this area.People from Mumbai also come here during weekends to get relaxed, enjoy a nice picnic with friends and family at the beautiful resorts. The night temperature here is generally pleasant and cool





Since, one of the India’s best theme parks like Water Kingdom and Essel World are located in this vicinity you would find many tourists here.

Aam Aadmi Party - 18 issues

Letter to Bhartiya Janta Party and Indian National Congress chiefs by Aam Aadmi Party, The 18 issues are mentioned below:

Lets critically analyze these issues, If these issues are realistic? If at all Aam Aadmi Party manages to get unconditional support, will they be able to resolve and change Delhi.

What do you think?

1. The VIP culture should be stopped in Delhi. No MLA, minister or Delhi official will use a red beacon on their cars. Neither will they live in big bungalows nor take any special security.

My View:  Our elected leaders, will not give up this luxury. It would be very difficult and in fact impossible to implement this. If at all it is implemented, it would take years to change peoples mindset which has been existed for more than 60 years.

2. Passing of the Janlokpal Bill, the same version for which Anna Hazare held fasts.

My View:  All of us are aware, What is means to pass the Anna Hazare’s version? I don’t think all the points will be included in the new bill.

3. People will take decision directly in 'mohalla sabhas', which will be held in every locality and colony.

My View: There will be selfish interests and local politicians who would try to dominate. As we all know, People participation is the biggest issue.

4. The AAP demanded complete statehood status for Delhi. Central government's hold on DDA and Police should end.

My View: It’s not that easy as it seems, as whoever control’s Central Government would like to have control on Delhi irrespective of who controls Delhi government.

5. The party also demanded a special audit of all electricity companies in the national capital from the time these were privatised. The companies that refuse to participate, their licenses should be cancelled.

My View: Would it be so easy to get the original balance sheets and the account books? On, What grounds will they cancel the licenses, What are the plans AAP they cancel the licences 

6. Electricity meters should be checked.

My View: How fair will be the monitoring? What steps will they take to ensure that the meters are not tampered in the future?

7. There is 220 litres of water available for every person daily. Where is it?

My View: Its obvious the water mafia takes everything away? What will they do to break the mafia? However who gives water to this mafia?

8. AAP wants unauthorised colonies should be regularised. Thirty percent of Delhi's population lives in such colonies and these should be regularised.

My View: Is this Vote Bank politics? AAP was blaming BJP and Congress? Don’t you think this is a populist measure? Are they really thinking about common man the Aam Aadmi?

9. The party demanded to know if the Congress and the BJP will support its decision to give clean and affordable 'pakka houses' (built up houses) to those living in slums.

My View: Who is taking advantage of this? Is Aam Aadmi building their Vote Bank?

10. It also sought their support to give regular jobs to those working on contractual basis.

My View: How will they do this? Will the corporate agree this? Who will bear the cost?

11. It wants to give infrastructural facilities like roads, electricity, water and basic facilities to the ordinary trader.

My View: What will they do to ensure they are fair and the best practices are followed to build them?

12. AAP said it is against FDI in retail.

My View: Why are they against? Can they clarify? Who are they trying to protect?

13. The party wants to provide facilities and subsidies to farmers in the villages in the national capital.

My View: Facilities is fine, But subsidy? Again we are trying to please a particular section of society? Will the subsidies reach the needy?

14. The party also demanded to know the Congress and BJP's stand on opening 500 government schools, stopping donations in private schools and making the fee system transparent.

My View: 500? Is this a realistic figure? Is there land available? If there is what will be the cost and when would it be developed? Don’t tell me 2030?

15. The party said it wanted to open new government hospitals with better facilities.

My View: Again, We want to open new hospitals? Why are they not talking of upgrading and improving the facilities? The poor are still denied best of treatment.

16. It also wants to have special security units for women and wants all harassment cases to be tackled within three months.

My View: Very Novel Idea, Where will these cases be heard? Do we have the judiciary machinery in place? Where will the security units be deployed? The problem doesn’t lie that we don’t have a special security unit for women? But what will you do to educate those men who still doesn’t respect women?

17. It wanted to set up enough courts and appoint judges so that all cases are dealt with within six months.

My View:  Seriously, Is this possible? What about the millions of cases which are pending since years? Is the judiciary competent enough to take care of all the cases? Do we have the machinery in place? More important who has the will to do it? Government? Police? Judiciary?

18. The AAP wanted to know whether the municipal corporations of Delhi will support them on these issues.

My View: What is they don’t support? Because these people don’t survive of the salary but there are other sources of income? Why will they support Aam Aadmi Party.

Why should you support Aam Aadmi Party, Congress or BJP?

Are these demands realistic? I don’t think so? There are too many problems to be discussed, debated and resolved.

Please Mr Kejriwal, Think Again! We want to support you, But don’t get stuck or these people will not allow you to function.

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Jai Ho - Salman Khan is back!

I just watched Salman Khan’s new movie trailer “Jai Ho”.

People’s Man, Star of the Masses is back!!!

One word that stood out in the whole trailer was the word “AAM AADMI”. We shouldn’t take common man for granted and if someone does he would have to bear the consequences.

Salman’s dialogue make his presence felt with the superb dialogue delivery "Aam Admi sota hua Sher hai, jag Gaya Toh cheer phad dega…” 

Salman will cash on this theme, he has a mass appeal and also since the “AAM AADMI” is back in the reckoning. This is for sure will have an emotional connect with the masses.

Don’t be surprised if some sought of a Revolution starts with this movie!

I am expecting this to be good, Even this movie is as half good as 3 Idiots or MunnaBhai 1! Watching our Sallu Bhai in this movie will be a complete pleasure.

There are some actors who would be seen for the first time and some after a long time. Like Tabu, Yash Tonk, Ashmit Patel, Sana Khan and Santosh Shukla.

Happy to see Danny Denzopa in a negative role, he looks menacing.

Also expecting our very own Himesh Bhai, to sing some nasal chartbuster songs. Tera Tera Suroooooor…

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Bandra Fort - Citizens Conned!

An incident occurred during Bandra Fair this year,

 

I had raise the issue on all the major news channels FB page and also updated this case on the IBN Live CJ's blog I have still not received any response.

 

Only Aam Aadmi Party replied, asking me to get in touch with 2 people and the contact numbers were provided.

From Mid Day, Saurabh Vaktania replied on an email he said "send me ur mobile number will cover the issue if accepted in our office. send me ur number so i can speak to u and understand the issue properly." It has been approximately 3 months now. NO response. 

 

Rest of the media and political parties choose to ignore!

 

I hope we can all take up this issue. This can happen to anyone. In fact this can happen to anyone of us anywhere in Mumbai from Colaba to Andheri to Dahisar.

These people are mis-using the power and they are very discriminatory.

 

I had sent the below message to most of the news agencies:

 

Clean Up! Mumbai.

 

Yesterday (8th September, 2013), I visited Bandra Fort and Bandstand after I attended the Mass at Mount Mary Basilica in the morning at 10am.

 

While I was walking through the Bandra Bandstand Promenade, I observed that there were many Clean Up Marshals deployed, as they were expecting to do brisk business as thousands of pilgrims were visiting Mount Mary Church during the feast and there is bound to be littering.

 

There were many things that I have observed:

1) People are not allowed to eat and drink inside the Bandra Fort.

2) However, vendors are allowed to sell food items inside the Fort.

3) There is a shop of fast food items right outside the fort premises.

4) Also a shop is inside the fort premises.

5) If food items are not allowed inside the premises, why are people not stopped at the gate and informed that it is not allowed inside the gate.

6) After visitors starts eating these guys appear from somewhere and citizens are fined.

7) Clean Up! Marshals were not wearing uniforms (it is mandatory for them to wear uniform) and they were only wearing an ID card around their neck and were roaming with a slip book to fine people so that visitors are caught unaware.

 

These Clean Up Marshals, Keep a close watch on people around and are very subjective with their actions of catching people red handed while they are littering.

1) These guys don't fine people who look educated as they might be in trouble. As they themselves are breaking the law.

2) People who look middle class, not educated and especially who are with their family are fined.  As these people pay because a) They would not like to be embarrassed in front of their family b) They are not aware of the rules and they end up paying.

 

My concern is:

1) These people allow vendors to sell food and later when the citizens buy these food items, they charge them for eating in public places.

2) They are very subjective in actions

3) There are some slums on the bandstand where people bathe and cook food. There is no action been taken against them?

4) Citizens who come to these places once in a year are fined for not following up the rules.

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Matheran Hill Station - Maharashtra.

In my earlier blog, I had shared as, How we could reach Matheran and some important and vital details about travel.

You can read my blog on http://troikamanagementservices.quora.com/Matheran-Hill-Station-Troika-Management?__snids__=234314572&__nsrc__=1 and http://troikamanagement.wordpress.com/2013/11/16/matheran-hill-station-troika-management/

I will share some more information as,

What happened after we reached Matheran?

If you are visiting Matheran first time please continue reading, If this is not your first this info will still help.

When I came out of Matheran station, I could see a lot of shops of agents who were trying to sell hotel rooms at an inflated price and you would also find them spreading rumors that in Matheran all the rooms are booked and they have few rooms which are available but at a premium price. They will show some photographs of those rooms and hotels. There was a gut feeling I should walk and explore Matheran before deciding if I want to pay a premium price for a room which is not even worth Rs 1.5K.

I reached the taxi stand, where cabs were available on per seat basis. While I was standing there I spoke to few drivers who were very helpful , they told me not to believe these people and rooms are indeed available. They are just spreading false rumors, this gave a me a huge relief.

I reached Dasturi Naka, When I started walking, I met an agent at Aman Lodge, He says he will arrange a room for me in a nearby hotel for Rs 4000/- and that is without food. I told him that it is too costly as I had read on the travel websites that you get the best of the rooms for less than 4K and that includes food and stay. After not exactly arguing, but I was trying to prove a point to him that I knew about this place and don’t try to fool and cheat me. He took us to a hotel which was at distance of 10 mins from Aman Lodge, Fortunately all the rooms were booked in that hotel.

The manager at the hotel was very kind, he explained us that we should avoid such agents and we should visit the hotels ourselves and bargain. We would get good rates and also some added benefits. He had also suggested some places so we thought, Why not try these places?

These agents are local people, if you go with these agents to these hotel/resorts the owners of these places will increase the per day price by Rs 500 or 1000/-.The best advice is to avoid such people.

We found his advice very useful and started walking on the tracks.

The manager told us that on the way to Matheran we will meet many owners who would rent a room in their row houses for as less as Rs 1000/-, We did check few row houses rooms, But we didn’t seem to quite like it, As we are coming for Picnic/Vacation? Why should we stay in a row house? So we dropped that option, Here again we meet one more agent who assures that we will get everything what we want?

He asks us what is our budget, We tell him “Rs 2500 to Rs 3000” he says in Marathi, that at “this budget it is impossible that we would get something in Matheran”. We gave him company to 2 hotels, But we got a surprise there, One of the managers there quoted a rate of Rs 4500/- for a couple without food.

Later, we asked him politely, Please leave us alone we will find a place for ourselves. He was not ready to listen and was following us, My friend explained him in Marathi sternly then he left.

After walking for 5 mins, we got a very good room in a resort for Rs 4K, He was asking for Rs 4.5K but he later agreed for Rs 4K, after confirming we are not with any agents.

Rules to follow when you are in Matheran:-

a) Bargain hard for each and everything from check in – check out to food to room rates.

b) Don’t take assistance from agents.

c) Plan your stay

Hotel Managers will agree with do some adjustments with the check in - check out time, just be little persistent and be assertive. You might well even get an extra lunch, dinner or breakfast.

Book through well- known portals after reading the reviews, most of the reviews are very useful.

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Aam Aadmi Party

Aam Aadmi  Party as we all know the party which started after Anna Hazare distanced himself from Mr. Kejriwal and his ambitions to fight corruption in the society by contesting elections.

Last year, 26^th November 2012, when AAP was born, Considered not a very auspicious day in the history of India, but nevertheless now exactly after a year these guys have made history and the whole nation and in fact the world is taking notice and appreciating the efforts of these young men, I consider them young soldiers of modern India who are using their voice as a weapon, education as a weapon and they are channeling our youngistans anger in the right directions. That is to change the society.

Founder members and I consider them as pillars of Aam Aadmi Party are:-

Arvind Kejriwal: Former IRS office who was born in Haryana. He came in the limelight when he won the Prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2006 for his contributions to RTI and the weaker sections of society.

Shanti and Prsahant Bhushan: Advocate’s Father and Son, One of the most well know faces in AAP. They have given judicial strength to this team.

Yogendra Yadav: We have seen Yogendra Yadav on News Channels sharing his opinion on exit polls. His opinions on Exit Polls are very much respected in the news fraternity.

Kumar Vishwas: You would always see him on stage actively involved in various activities, A poet, professor, There is also news that he will be contesting elections against Rahul Gandhi from Amethi.

Shazia Ilmi: A well-known news Anchor of a popular channel, She belongs to a respected family from Kanpur and some of her family members are also related to politicians.

Manish Sisodia: A social activist, he is a Rajput from Uttar Pradesh and now an MLA from Patparganj.

Aam Aadmi Party was also named as Char Aadmi Party by some politicians, It would no longer be considered as that since more than 1 lakh people have registered on their website as volunteers since they won the elections.

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