Warsa

Shrikant Barhate “Shikoba” is my friend, philosopher and guide. We’re classmates and soulmates. Currently, he sits in the World Bank Headquarters solving the poor’s problems. A boy from Wardha near Nagpur, he moved abroad some ten years ago. Here’s a brilliant piece of his poetry – see how he portrays the father-son-grandson phenomenon. He wrote this to me when I was mourning my father’s death a couple of years ago. So far, this creation was my personal treasure. I have decided to make it public…


are bapacha bapacha
pidhya-pidhya warsa
lekrachya dolyamamadhye
shudhha premacha aarsa

are babpache bapache
dukkhha manamadhe dache
natawachya mukhawar
hasya nagde ga sache

are bapachi bapachi
bhint pathishi mayechi
porane dili loka
marmagath warshyachi

are bapacha bapacha
put adbhut mayecha
shikobachya dilawar
shikka kayam madhacha

Mumbai meri jaan?

Rain, train and strain. mumbai has it all. when it's raining, you don't dare step out of your home. and if you do, please don't look back at your dear ones, whose 'worried' eyes follow you till you disppear from their sights. I experince this every heavy rain. Your wife and kids are not sure when and how (i mean safety here) you will return home.

What angers me is administration's apathy towards everything. it was shameful when all agencies (their bureaucratic heads) involved in city's development tried to blame each other for the mess. i think, they should join hands to make the city better and safer for living.

Mumbai's neighbour, Thane is no different. i moved their three years ago thinking that it would give me peace of mind though the distance i travel everyday is too hectic. it takes more than an hour to travel 8-9 kms from station to ghodbunder road by a local transport bus. a bike ride is too dangerous (i do that every day).

I pay taxes. I'm not a defaulter (so are all of us). But what do i get in return?

Premala upama nahi!

My author-dramatist-poet friend Shyam Pethkar sent me this marathi poem... you will enjoy it...

Premala upama nahi
upmyala sakhar nahi
shakharela uus nahi
uusala pani nahi
panyala pump nahi
pumpala veez nahi
veezela paisa nahi
paisyala kaam nahi
kaamala degree nahi
degreela college nahi
collegela pora nahi
poranna prem nahi
premala upaman nahi...

Dream, Nagpurians Dream!

Imagine a train traveling the 837km distance between Mumbai and Nagpur in three and a half hours flat. The Maharashtra Cabinet has plans to make it possible.

On Thursday, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh approved a proposal for surveying high-speed route between the state’s capital and its second capital. Currently, the Mumbai-Nagpur train travel time is 14-15 hours (that doesn't include time between Kalyan and CST).

The State would appoint a team of international experts to prepare feasibility report for trains that would ply at 350-500km per hour using magnetic levitation (maglev) technology.

The dream project is based on the maglev trains that are now running in China, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom and few other European countries. The project would be a public-private partnership.

The Chinese maglev commercial train that started in 2004, covers the 20 miles from Pudong International Airport in Shanghai to the outskirts of the city in a blistering seven minutes and 20 seconds. The venture cost more than $1 billion.

Any takers? Write in please...