The intitial phase of voting for Maharashtra Legislative assemply elections has begun. Thanks to the Election Commission for their special initiative to allow senior citizens above 85 years of age and people with disabilities to vote from their home.

In Borivali Mumbai, 93 year old retired Professor of Economics and former Principal of a Mumbai College Mr. Manohar Ajgaonkar exercised his right to vote from home. Mr. Ajgaonkar was first approached by Election Commission representative, seeking his permission for the same and then after intimating the day and time, the team of four approached his house with a Policeman with Rifle in his hand.

They made quick arrangement to give his drawing room a feel of a Polling booth by covering his table with partition and offering him ballot paper and allowing him to cast his vote in secrecy. He was then asked to close the envelope and put it in a cover and ballot box. After exercising his right, Mr. Ajgaonkar spoke to Magzmumbai, narrating his experience.

“I am grateful to Election Commission and their local office for giving me this opportunity to vote from home. In the absence of this facility, it would have been impossible for me to go to the polling booth and exercise this precious right given to all citizens of India by the constitution.  I appeal to all the citizens to go to the polling booth on the appointed day and exercise their right. In a representative democracy, every citizen becomes the ruler indirectly, through this right to vote. It is your right and also your duty. If you fail in your duty, you have no right to complain against the failure of the government. So, exercise your right to vote and be an enlightended citizen of India. Once again, I thanl all of you.”

Renowned Veteran Film Press Photographer Pradeep Bandekar passed away recently, due to heart failure. He was 70. He is survived by Wife, son, daughter, daughter in law, son in law and grandchildren.

Pradeep Bandekar with John Abraham

Pradeep who was actively involved as a Freelance film photographer since 70s, had established himself in this film industry with his hard work and sincereity. It was for this reason, many publications and film PRO’s appreciated his work. Right from actors like Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Ajay Devgn, Bipasha Basu, Neil Nitin Mukesh, John Abraham treated him like a close friend.

After hearing the news about his sad demise, many artistes have expressed their grief on their innstagram page. Pradeep will always be remembered for his helping nature and cheerful face. 

Mumbai North constituency is one of the largest Loksabha constuencies of Maharashtra, covering fast developing areas like Borivali, Dahisar, Kandivali, Charkop and Malad. In this constituency we have seen popular BJP Parliamentarians like Ram Naik and Gopal Shetty completing two terms each. In short, this constituency is the stronghold of BJP. And therefore, this time for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls BJP have fielded popular and efficient Mr. Piyush Goyal- the Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, as their strong candidate. Incidentally, Mr. Goyal is a qualified Chartered Accountant and a Law graduate.

So, obviously to welcome this popular personality, big societies and sports clubs from this constituency are inviting him to understand what are his plans for betterment of this constituency. Last week, Mr. Piyush Goyal was invited at the Mandpeshwar Civic Federation ( MCF) Club for an interaction with the club members. But, due to his busy schedule that evening, the programme was reduced to ‘Meet n Greet’ session in presence of Club’s President Mr. Jambusaria, Secretary Mr. Sharma, ex- MP Gopal Shetty and MLA of Dahisar Ms. Manisha Chaudhary.

In his short and sweet speech the Minister spoke about the good work done by his government during the past ten years and keeping the commitment of what their party had promised. He specifically mentioned about the streamlining of Banking sector , abolition of Article 370 and construction and inauguration of Ram temple after the historical Supreme court judgement.”Whatever progress you have seen in this country for the past few years is just a trailer, abhi Puri film baaki hai,” he hinted.  

Speaking about his promises to people of this constituency, he said that he wanted to make Uttar Mumbai Uttam Mumbai. “I will do everything which is permitted as per the rules. BJP believes in clean governance.” He said. Replying to the request of expansion plans of the club to offer better facilities to its 5000+ members and their families, he said that he would offer all the help if the documents were proper and the club submits a concrete plan to also offer something to the poor and needy children in their sports promotion programme.

Finally, he appealed to all to exercise their franchise on the voting day. “Simply showing support to the candidate will not work, you have to cast your valuable vote for country’s progress.” He concluded.  

Tuesday 2^nd April 2024 saw the historic moment of the first direct flight from Mumbai to Tashkent being flagged off by Mr Sardor Rustambaev, Hon’ble Ambassador in the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, New Delhi and Mr Vijay Kalantri, Honorary Consul of Republic of Uzbekistan. With this, Uzbekistan Airways JSC, the national carrier of Uzbekistan, launched twice weekly direct flights from Mumbai to Tashkent. The flight every Tuesday from Mumbai leaves at 5.40 am to reach Tashkent at 9.10 am local time and on the return leg, the flight leaves Tashkent at 11.20 pm to land in Mumbai at 4.10 am local time. The second flight operating every Saturday shall leave Mumbai at 3.05 pm to land in Tashkent at 6.35 pm local time. On its return, the flight leaves Tashkent at 8.50 am, to land in Mumbai at 1.40 pm local time.

The airline has been operating regular flights to New Delhi since over two decades now, and currently operating daily flights to Tashkent with onward connections to Europe, USA, Middle East and all of Central Asia. For Mumbai route, the airline has deployed its A320 Neo aircraft on the route. Better connectivity helps in promoting trade and tourism.

“The allure of Uzbekistan lies in its blend of ancient Silk Road wonders and Soviet-era legacies. Travelers can immerse themselves in the country’s enchanting atmosphere boasting a tapestry of architectural marvels including glittering minarets, intricate mosaics, and majestic domes,” says Mr Sardor Rustambaev.

The growing trade and commerce between the 2 countries has spurred the need for a direct flight from Mumbai to Tashkent and back and will also encourage tourists to savor the unique fusion of classical Russian architecture alongside remnants of Soviet-era constructions.

“One cannot overlook Uzbekistan’s vibrant markets, where centuries-old traditions come to life through exquisite handicrafts, ceramics, and textiles. From intricate needlework to vibrant silk cloth, these markets offer a treasure trove of souvenirs for travellers to cherish,” said Vijay Kalantri, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Reaching Tashkent, a fast-growing business hub and the gateway to ancient tourist destinations like Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva etc from the heart of India viz, Mumbai or Bollywood will now be a matter of 3 hours via these non-stop flights. These flights open up a gateway to Uzbekistan – one of the most captivating destinations in Central Asia with its rich history, stunning architecture, and warm hospitality. These flights will also ease access for people of Uzbekistan to the film capital of India where life is colorful, hectic and dynamic.

With its rich tapestry of history, culture, and hospitality, Uzbekistan promises an unforgettable experience for those willing to explore its hidden gems. All passenger sales for Uzbekistan Airways are managed by its New Delhi-based PSA, Aero World Travels & India Sales & BSP Consolidator Arya Enterprises. For group bookings and inquiries, please contact on Tel: +911141506400/402/403/405 or log onto https://www.uzairways.com/en

Krish Melodies actively involved in presented musical programme in aid of deserving people since last ten years, recently performed their grand musical programme in Andheri, Mumbai in aid of Samanvaya – A Senior Citizens Association located in Andheri West. This Association headed by president Chandrakantbhai Doshi, Vice President Praveen Sanghavi and Prakash Nayak as General Secretary, has reputed people like Dr. Ajit Gandhi, CA Nilesh Gandhi, CA Pankaj Majithia and Shri. Praveenbhai Dalal as its trustees.

This musical show was professionally managed by a Core Committee comprising of M.S. Krishnan, Mr. Mukul Shirke and Mr. Kishore Prabhu, a team of Samanvaya’s volunteers. But more than that the talented singers comprising of Kishore Prabhu, Dr. Pooja Bandekar, Atul Salvi, Dinesh, Sharmily, Anushree, Manas, Shivani Shirodkar, Radhika Hathi, Hitesh Bhagat & Vibhor in the company of four musicians headed by Music director Chetan Upadhyay and entertaining anchor Akshada Vichare stole the limelight. Speciality of this team was the father and son combo for music , mother and daughter combo of Sharmily- Anushree singing a duet and Gynaecologist Dr. Pooja finding time for singing despite her busy schedule.

The musical evening beganwith lighting of lamp at the hands of Pravinbhai Sanghavi, 95 year old Vice President and other Sr. members of this group. This was followed by Grand Ganeshvandana with Saptasuron Ki Rang Ki mehfil presented by the singers.  

Mr. M.S. Krishnan the one of the presenters of this musical programme said, “ All this was possible because of the sponsorship coming from New India Assurance Co. Ltd, UTI Mutual Fund for Inverstor Awareness Programme & Sona Cosmetics. Help was also received from many well wishers likeMr. Prakash Borgaonkar, Helpage India, Ms. Sangeeta Shirke, Rohit Shirke, Bhushan Vartak, Raju Shah, Sham Gandhi, Suhas Amberkar, Sreejeet Shivkumar, Vijay Vaidyanathan, Prakash Nayak and others.”  

It was a well organised programme with lucky prizes to many among the audience and refreshments provided to all those present for this programme.

Samanvaya Senior Citizens Association, which offers various indoor sports facilities like Chess, Carrom and Scrabble to senior citizens, also offer Homeopathy and Allopathy Clinic at concessional rates. There is also healing facility like Yoga, Accupressure, Accupuncture in tie up with Lions Club. There is free legal aid and counselling provided besides entertaining activities like Screening of classical Hindi films, TV, Karaoke. Members of this group go on regular visits to Old Age Homes to make the people living there happy.    

25 year old Dhriti Pandit with down’s syndrome represented India at the Special Olympics World Summer Games 2023, Berlin , Germany and secured 4^th place in the game of Table Tennis. After missing out the previous competitions 25 year old Dhriti had faced distress when she couldn’t qualify for Abu Dhabi games  but found hope again for the Berlin Games.

It may be recalled that having diagnosed with down syndrome in Grade 3, Dhriti’s dependence on parents grew when she couldn’t continue at her vocational training centre, when she turned 18. So, Dhriti joined SO Bharat , playing Table Tennis and showing interest in Handball and Baseball. She practiced Table Tennis regularly at a Sports Club near home named ‘Guru Table Tennis Centre’ , which enabled her in improving her skills with the help of International Table Tennis Federation Level 3 star Certified Coach , Mr. Gurcharan Singh Gill ( Popularly Known as Guru Sir) for more than 7 years.

The bond between Coach and Dhriti is very strong , with trust and understanding . Her Coach believes that sports brings positive change , going beyond the limitations of school syllabus and benefitting athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Dhriti’s life is meaningfully occupied. She works as an assistant Chef in a Bakery and continues her Table Tennis practice after her job.

Dhriti’s  dream of competing on the world stage has come to reality, bringing smile to her face as she sees her progress. The entire team at Guru Table Tennis Academy and Arogyam Dhanasampada Foundation team wishes her grand success. Dhriti has been felicitated by Hon. Governor of Maharashtra Shri. Ramesh Bais.

During the recent Inter Club First division Table Tennis league which concluded recently, the youngster who invited the attention of TT lovers was Dhruv Shah. This 15 year old youngster from Hiranandani International School, Powai impressed everybody with his skills in this game to prove his supremacy.  Dhruv won all the important matches for his team Prabodhankar Thackeray Kreeda Sankul, Vile Parle, to lift the 1^st Division Men’s trophy  for his team.

On the final day of this tournament, when there was a big event of auction of players for the forthcoming Mumbai Premier League scheduled to be played from 16^th June 2023, young Dhruv Shah was the player in big demand. He was finally brought by Team ‘Underdogs’ for maximum price in this auction.

Magzmumbai met Dhruv little before the start of his final league match. Dhruv will be studying his 10^th standard during the coming academic year and therefore our obvious question was as to how he would find time for his TT practice. But, the passionate youngster said that there will be no compromise with his TT practice hours. “ For my studies, I have already joined tution classes and therefore my TT sessions will continue as usual.” Finally, when asked about his demand during the MPL auction, he simply reacted saying, “ Yes, that was a big surprise for me. ”

Unlike other students of his age, this soft spoken youngster dosen’t seem to be worried about his higher education and career at present. “I haven’t decided anything about my higher studies yet. This decision will be taken by me when I am in 12^th,” he said.

Looking at his game, his variety of strokes and concentration in this game, he is certainly one of the most promising youngsters from Mumbai, who is very soon expected to prove his mettle at the national and international level. Wishing him all the best.

92 year old Manohar Ajgaonkar from Borivali, Mumbai is a former Professor of Economics, known for his unusual teaching techniques. Magzmumbai recently met Prof. Ajgaonkar at his residence at Dattani Park, Borivali, where he lives alone with caretaking assistance. But, at this age he is active enough to offer his services and guidance as a Chairman of his housing society. His mantra in life is to remain active. In the past he has written books on economics and served as Principal of Sadhna Education Society’s L.S. Raheja College of Arts & Commerce. Even after his retirement, he has served as a part time guest lecturer for Post Graduate students in reputed management insitutions in Mumbai. 

Talking to Professor was a real delight, as he made his point on any subject with relevant example. When we asked him the secret of his fitness, he gave us an example. “ Be curious to know more about the things around you.”  Professor gave us an example of a 3^rd year student, when he was taking a class in a college. “Her surname was ‘Sane’. So, I asked her whether she had heard of Pandurang Sadashiv Sane. And her reply was ‘No’. So, I asked her to check with her parents. Next class, I asked her whether her parents were familiar with this name. But, she said, ‘No’. I was surprised that she did not ask me, who this person was ? I expected her to be curious to know, Pandurang Sadashiv Sane, who was a renowned author, teacher, social activist and freedom fighter from Maharashtra and was also referred to as ‘Sane Guruji’ – the National Teacher of India.”

Talking further on the topic of‘Curiosity’ he added, “If Sir Isaac Newton had ignored the natural happennings around him, there would not have been laws of motion and universal gravitation, whicht formed the dominant scientific viewpoint. So, curiosity keeps the person on the move in life.Leo Tolstoy, a Russian writer is regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time . Tolstoy not only drew from his own life experiences but also created characters in his own image.”

Professor narrated to us an interesting short story written by Tolstoy. “How Much Land Does a Man Require?” It is about a man who, in his lust for land, forfeits everything. Here this man goes to a generous landlord who gifts his lands to the needy at a throw away price. When this man approaches him , the landlord puts a condition that he can walk around an area as large as he wants, starting at daybreak, marking his route along the way. If he returns to his starting point by sunset that day, all the land his route encloses will be his. The man keeps walking with the confidence that he would be able to return to the starting point before sunset. But, while returning, he realizes that he walked too far and therefore runs fast to reach the starting point. He finally arrives at the starting point just as the sun set time. But, exhausted with the run, he collapses and dies on the spot. So, he was buried in an ordinary grave only six feet long, thus answering the question posed in the title of the story.”

Professor Ajgaonkar recently lost his wife, after living together for 65 years. But, his reading habits and active interest in his society matters, keeps him busy during the day. He likes to communicate with people and shares his extensive knowledge & experiences with simple examples. During our meeting, he narrated few such short stories and essence of every story was that a person should keep learning new things, till the end of his life. 

Talking about his favourite subject of Economics, Professor told a story of a village, where there was a tradition of inviting all the villagers for lunch during marriage ceremony of their daughter. So, those who could not afford, borrowed money to serve lunch to the villagers. One such villager who had five daughters the youngest 5 year old and eldest 13 year old;  decides to get all his five daughters married at the same time. When asked as to why he had thought so, he replied, “For every marriage I had to borrow money. And with the price rise every year, it would have been difficult for me to manage the expenses. So, this was a better option.”

Prof. Ajagaonkar made the subject of Economics look easy with his teaching techniques. Those who were fortunate to be his students, still remember him and are in touch with him. Reading books and keeping himself busy with his day to day society matters, keep him on the go. On behalf of magzmumbai we wished him a long heathy life.

After my comeback to competitive Table Tennis in the year 2017, I participated in 4 National Masters TT Championship, One National Games Championship and One South Asian TT Championship at Colombo, besides State Championship and State Ranking TT Tournaments in Maharashtra. And, most of these tournaments earned me medals. But, it was always my wish to participate in the World Veterans’ TT Championship. Last time I could not participate in Las Vegas due to domestic reason, but this time I was in all preparedness to play this competition, which was to be held between 15^th January and 21^st January 2023 at Muscat.

The preparations began immediately after National Championship in Srinagar, which concluded at end of August 2022. So, for little more than 4 months I focussed on my exercises with My Physio Dr. Yuvraj Singh and his associate Masumi who helped me to avoid injuries. It was a well planned programme twice a week at his clinic. The other 2-3 days a week I practiced my game, playing 15 games continuously, to develop stamina for this championship.

For any big tour your travel arrangements should also be well planned. My friend Prakash Kelkar suggested me the name Travscope Holidays , New Delhi, as he had good experience of travelling with them with suitable package in the past. I only opted for Muscat, instead of Muscat+ Dubai, as I had visited Dubai in the recent past. So, there was less worry about our stay in Muscat , internal travel to and fro hotel- stadium and sight seeing on the rest day including breakfast at the hotel and dinner at nearby restaurant ‘Taste of India’. Most of the staff at this 5 star hotel ‘Royal Tulip’ and at ‘Taste of India’ were Indians and they looked after us very well.

The representative of Travscope Mr. Jagdeep who was with usin the same hotel,  took very good care of the entire group. Only suggestion to them is that the return journey booking should not be on the final day of the tournament, as many Indian players this time had reached the final stage of their respective events. And hence, vacating room in the morning , playing their final matches till evening and then caching the return flight at mid night without rest, was very hectic for those especially above 60 years of age.

The venue of the tournament was 13 kms away from our hotel, but there was well organised bus service every hour from morning till evening to and from hotel and tournament venue. And, it took just 20 minutes to reach this place.For the first time I was exposed to such a big tournament with 100 tables for matches and another 20 tables for practice in a huge hall, which could have been further extended to accommodate more tables if required. So, playing in such conditions itself was a great experience. The tables were good and so was the proper lighting arrangement and perfect flooring, to meet the World Championship standard. Above all, the matches were conducted as per schedule. Thanks to the latest technology.We had to use the barcode on our badge for scanning, to know the schedule of our next matches and table number.

 During my qualifying league matches I met players from different countries like Germany, USA, Japan, Ukraine, Poland &CZE. After qualifying for main draw in Singles, I first played against an attacking player with a pen holder grip Mr.Hiro Tachikawa from Japan, in a well contested match that stretched to five games before winning. However, in Pre quarter finals I lost to ASI Sayed Ali Asg from Iran, who played with  slow inverted rubbers on both the sides. There was some confusion, understanding his returns and by the time I tackled his return, it was all over for me. A good lesson to learn, – ‘How to play against the slow inverted rubbers’. Luck was however on my side in Men’s Doubles, partnering Pinakin Sampat. As both of us use minimum top spin, it wasn’t difficult for us to tackle various players in opposition using anti spin rubbers. Our combination really worked very well to win Gold for India. It was a dream come true for me, which cannot be explained in words.

During the course of this competition, I came across many well wishers. The first one was my hotel neighbour Prasad Dunakhe from Pune who came at a right time to advise me  in my first main draw match against Japan player. Prasad was there for my crucial doubles matches and even shot videos, besides offering tips. His wife Madhuri, My former Jaipur Nationals doubles partner Shivanand Kundaje, his wife Leena and many others were always there to ecourage me during my matches. They were very much sure that I would bring at least one gold medal. Thanks for their support. We all had become good friends during National Championship at Srinagar 4 months ago, when my wife had also accompanied me.

So, all these well wishers were like my extended family. And, how can I forget our Ace Photographer TT friend Prasad Naik, who not only clicked good action photos, but was also there to advise, whenever he was free. I am thankful to my doubles partner Pinakin Sampat and was happy to see him win a silver in Mixed doubles with his partner from Japan. What is to be appreciated is that he played his back to back matches without any rest in the finals. I was also happy to see the achievements of my friends Yogesh Desai and Mangal Saraf  from Mumbai winning Gold for India in their Singles and Doubles events respectively. It was bad luck of our Prakash Kelkar to lose in Quarterfinals of main draw. He however won the Consolation Men’s 65+ Doubles along with Percy Mehta.

During our Doubles Final match against Poland and Cze pair, there was good support coming from friends like Jayant Kulkarni , Neeta Kulkarni , Sanjay Mehta, Dr. Anagha Joshi and others. I am also thankful to all the family members of my partner Pinakin Sampat, who were all there to cheer for us during all our doubles matches. A gentleman dressed in traditional Omani attire, gave me a big surprise. Prior to my finals, we were watching a semi finals doubles match of Anagha and Shilpa playing against  Denmark women’s pair. I heard his comments in Marathi. So, out of curiosity I asked him whether he knows Marathi? He was all smiles and introduced himself as Dr. Narayan . He also introduced his wife Dr. Devyani a Gynaecologist , saying that she was a Maharashtrian. Dr. Nayayan an Orthopaedic surgeon had migrated to Muscat 34 years ago and had served for Military Hospital, Oman. His wife also served as a Gynaecologist there. Now, both are doing private practice. Both of them had played hosts for  Dr. Anagha and others during this tournament, being close family friends. Dr. Narayan lived in Sion and his wife lived in Mahim prior to their moving to Muscat.

During our Doubles matches, I had misplaced my Bat , which was found at the certificate issuing counter later. But, for that one match my friend from Pune Shrisaila came to my rescue. He offered me his spare bat and with that we won our crucial qualifying doubles against the German pair. Later, while talking to R. Shrisaila about his own experiences, he pointed out the moment when he faced a Chinese opponent playing with a long handled bat. “Though his ply was okay, he played with worn out Pimpled rubbers. I don’t know how it was allowed. I did not object, but did point out to him. After all I was representing India and didn’t want to make an issue. But, I was satisfied with my performance in that match,” said Shrisaila.

I always enjoy talking to multi talented people. One such couple I met on this tour was Dr. Ashutosh Kelkar a Surgeon and Dr. Sujata Kelkar a Gynacologist. Both of them being music lovers, entertained us before dinner playing mouth organs.It was a real treat after a tiring day.  They were simply wonderful. Dr. Ashutosh had a terrific sense of humour. On the rest day, we were taken around the city for sight seeing by our tour operators Travscope. Thanks to Jagdeep and Sushil for arranging this trip. Really enjoyed in the company of Prakash, Rajendra, Shivanand, Leena, Prasad Madhuri, Shravani, Sunita, Swati, Suhas and others  during sight seeing and daily breakfast in our hotel and dinner at Taste of India. There were many from India for this big competition, who lived in our hotel  and one of them was a renowned National Shooting Coach Mr. Sumeet Sanghavi, who also played TT very well.

At this five star hotel, we had a very comnfortable stay which was made possible by some of our Indian staff at the reception and room service. Special Thanks to Janhavi and Sanjana from Ratnagiri Maharashtra. At the roof top hotel, my friend Prasad Dunakhe introduced me to another girl Rose from Darjeeling, who was more than happy to serve us Special Masala tea, while we enjoyed capturing the sun set in our cameras. 

What is worth mentioning is that after my return to hotel on the last day, I saw that real happiness on their faces, while handling that Gold medal won by me. Before leaving the hotel that night for airport I brought a pack of Dates chocolates from a shop across the road and distributed to them. They were all there to say Good Bye to us. I am glad that out of those six gold medals won by India in this World Championship, that one medal was won by me. By the way, for the first time in World Veterans’ TT Championship, India has won so many medals ( i.e. 6 gold, 6 silver and 13 Bronze) . Mera Bharat Mahaan!