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TOI : PUNE: On Sunday, the city woke up to clear skies and the 23rd Pune International Marathon. More than 10,000 runners from all walks of life took to the streets. The 4.5 km Aids charity run, however, turned out to be a nightmare for most runners, as a majority of them ran almost double the distance till way beyond the finishing point.

The charity run saw an overwhelming response, as enthusiasts flocked to the Khandojibaba Chowk in Deccan. Participants included students, corporates and senior citizens with G B Grant being the oldest runner all coming together in support of the cause.

Starting from the Khandojibaba Chowk, the race officially went through Laxmi road, Sonya Maruti chowk towards Modern Bakery chowk, and then a right turn towards the Seven Loves chowk to the finishing line ahead of the Sonmark theatre. However, there were neither indications of where the finishing point was nor were there pilots or officials stopping the runners. As a result, many participants ran almost double the distance, with many ending up at the M G road and a few at the Golibar Maidan.

Finance professional Sandeep Deshpande told TOI, “It was a real test. We were prepared to run the official 4.5 km and never thought we would end up running more than that. Many of us reached M G road, when we finally realised that we had gone beyond the finish line.”

Meanwhile, the glamour quotient went up with Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra flagging off the race at 8.15 am, in the presence of Olympics bronze medallist in boxing Vijender Singh, Olympic swimmer Veerdhaval Khade, shooter Anjali Vedpathak-Bhagwat, Olympian Dhanraj Pillay. Actor Rahul Bose made his third appearance in a row at the marathon and egged the participants on.

Participant Shaunak Deshpande, a college student, said, “We knew about the 4.5-km run, but ended up running almost three kms extra! There was…More

TOI : PUNE: Minister of state for information and broadcasting Anand Sharma said on Sunday that terrorists had no religion and termed the recent Mumbai attacks as audacious.

Addressing a press conference, Sharma said the large number of Indians and foreigners who participated in the marathon on Sunday morning was proof of the country’s resilience in the wake of a major tragedy. “What happened in Mumbai last week was deplorable. The fact that the marathon was dedicated to all the brave people who lost their lives fighting the terrorists is commendable.”

He said that though the attacks had left the country and the whole world shocked, it had also brought the international community together and prompted them to speak in one voice. “What the country needs right now is unity. These are adverse times and there is a need for communal harmony. All political parties should unite and fight against terror.”

He said parties, especially the Bhartiya Janata Party, should not drag this attack into their political agenda. “We urge people to remain calm and assist us in our endeavour to take the country forward. Nothing should be done to demoralise the citizens.”

Terrorism has to be faced, isolated and tackled in all its manifestations, said the minister, adding that India remains a safe and attractive destination for tourists and businessmen among others. “We welcome our guests and assure them that they will be safe here.”

Touching upon the issue of the economic slowdown, he said, “The nation has moved forward at a time when the world is facing a meltdown. We have the vision and the leadership to face any economic problem.” He added that there are measures being taken to tackle the issue, especially through the recent economic and financial stimulus package to infuse liquidity.

Asked about the hoax call made to the Pakistani president by someone who identified himself as Indian external…More

TOI : PUNE: Students submitting examination forms even after the late fee deadline for form submission, will now have to pay Rs 1,000 as a special late fee’ to ensure they can sit for the exams conducted by the University of Pune (UoP).

The move will come into force from the UoP exams scheduled for the first half (between March and May) of 2009, a release issued by the university’s controller of examination (CoE) has stated.

The university has also declared that the form with special late fee ought to reach the authorities within three days from the expiry of the last date for late fee submission. The special late fee amount can be furnished in a fortnight’s time, the release stated.

At least 178 post-graduate and under-graduate exams, besides 116 diploma and certificate course exams involving 12 faculties are to be held between March and May, 2009, according to the schedule released by the UoP.

Examination circular no 428 of 2008 carrying the first half exam schedule details for 2009, has been posted on the varsity’s website, www.unipune.ernet.in.

The university has over 525 affiliated colleges and 250+ recognised institutes spread over Pune, Ahmednagar and Nashik districts and collectively, these institutions account for over 6 lakh students including 14,000 international students.

The university has further directed the principals of all colleges and institutions to ensure that the first half exam schedule is duly informed to the students. Print Emai…More

TOI : PUNE: A 40-year-old private security guard was found dead on Bhosari-Alandi road near Dighi on Sunday afternoon. The police have found that his head was hit by stones. The deceased was identified as Rajan Veliyadan Chetiyar (40), a resident of Kalas.

Senior inspector Anil Ghuge of the Vishrantwadi police said, “Rajan’s body was found on Sunday morning behind the Saibaba temple on Bhosari-Dighi road. He was hit by stones in his head. The police are yet to ascertain the reason behind the apparent murder.”

He added, “Rajan, who was a private security guard, was an alcoholic. He had to leave his job due of his drinking habits. Since the last three months, he was staying with his family.”

His wife Jayashree has filed complaint against unidentified persons in this regard.

This is the third case of alleged murder in the last 15 days in the jurisdiction of the Vishrantwadi police. On November 22, a 22-year-old woman was found murdered and dumped in a trunk at the parking lot of a godown on Pune-Alandi road. The police are yet to ascertain the identity of the woman or the reason behind the murder as well as the suspects.

On December 1, a massage parlour owner, Seema Yadav (40), was found dead in her flat at Dhanori. According to the police, her body was lying there since November 29. The incident came into light after the body started to rot and smell. The Vishrantwadi police have claimed to have solved the case by arresting two suspects. Print Emai…More

TOI : PUNE: The Regional Transport Authority (RTA) has decided to restart prepaid autorickshaw booths soon at the Pune railway station and the Shivajinagar and Swargate bus depots.

In a statement issued on Saturday, RTA member Baba Shinde said the lack of pre-paid rickshaws at these places was causing severe inconvenience to the public owing to overcharging by rickshaw drivers. “Thus, keeping in mind the convenience and safety of citizens, it has been decided to restart the booths at the earliest,” he said.

Shinde also appealed to ex-servicemen’s associations and private organisations to apply to the RTA to operate the booths on a round-the-clock basis. The contracted party will earn a service charge of Re 1 per autorickshaw, he added.

The pre-paid booths were first introduced in 2003, but were later discontinued due to various reasons. Print Emai…More

TOI : PUNE: Tension prevailed at Chikhali near Dehu road on Saturday after an irate mob set ablaze three dumpers following the death of a 57-year-old resident, who was knocked down by one of the dumpers. The deceased was identified as Mahendra Nevale (57) of Nevale vasti, Chikhali.

According to the police, when Nevale was waiting to cross the road near his farm at Nevale vasti, a dumper on reverse gear ran over him. Nevale died on the spot and the driver fled from the scene.

Soon, a mob gathered at the accident spot and set the dumper on fire. They also pelted stones at two other dumpers parked bearby, before setting them also on fire.

The Dehu road police filed a case against the unidentified driver for rash and negligent driving. Print Emai…More

TOI : PUNE: One may wonder why a South African story on infidelity should be presented in Punjabi language. However, The Suit,’ a theatrical fable by director Neelam Mansingh Chowdhury, which was staged at the Theatre Beyond Words’ festival on Saturday evening at the Yashwantrao Chavan auditorium, was more than an interplay of Punjabi words.

The extraordinary use of space, time and body language in the play showcased Neelam’s ability to go beyond the language and come back to it again for further exploration of the senses.

An alumnus of the National School of Drama, Neelam is credited with kickstarting Punjabi theatre in Punjab. Back in 1984, her maiden production, Kissa,’ was based on the legendary romance of Heer-Ranjha. Neelam decided to present it differently by depicting the gatka, the martial art form of the Nihangs or the Sikh warriors. “It created a flutter because this was just past the insurgency era,” says Neelam, who belongs to a Sikh family.

Though educated partly in the UK, she grew up reading Punjabi from the verses of Guru Granth Sahib and enjoying Sufiana poetry. “So, coming back to Punjab was like being reintroduced to my roots. Also, there was major image-distortion of the state and its people. For me, it was understanding my people through the language I speak, because all along I wondered how and where the distortion had taken place,” she says.

Therefore, to Neelam, language is not mere words spoken and heard, but comprise cultural, historical and social connotations. While working at the Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal, Neelam was exposed to various art forms and was inspired by theatre greats like B V Karanth and Ebrahim Alkazi.

That got her into thinking and that was the beginning of her theatre career. Back then, just in the aftermath of the insurgency, the Punjabi language was being rejected by its own people. But over the years, Neelam…More

TOI : PUNE: It may sound intellectual, but going beyond the obvious while on centrestage only means returning to the basics. That’s what theatre director Veenapani Chawla has been working towards for the last two-and-a-half decades.

As artistic director of the Puducherry-based Adishakti Laboratory for Theatre Arts Research, Chawla has, over the years, endeavoured to train herself in the physical aspects of an artiste’s presentation. The Hare and the Tortoise,’ presented by her troupe on Saturday at the Theatre Beyond Words’ festival at the Yashwantrao Chavan auditorium, was an out-of-the-box interpretation of inter-civilisational dialogue between Mahabharata’s Arjuna and Shakespeare’s Hamlet.’

It was an eloquent presentation that went beyond mere sights and sounds. “For me, presenting a play is akin to going on an internal journey; it’s beyond the colourful sights on stage. The journey is about knowing the intangible that makes theatre complete,” says Chawla, who started Adishakti in Mumbai in 1980.

Belonging to the urban milieu, Chawla had to understand her roots to present theatre to a larger audience. “For me, theatre is a quest for identity. I felt the need to go beyond my roots and gain the best from other cultures, languages and art forms,” she says.

Hence, Adishakti, a theatre company with a difference, engages not only in indigenous theatrical productions, but also serious research on the aesthetics of performance. From traditional Indian dances to martial arts, Chawla’s directorship has incorporated them all to present a kaleidoscope of fine artistry.

From 1990 onwards, Adishakti started creating its own works, which were interpretations of traditional texts which often reflected the disparate ways of viewing particular themes, in plays such as Greater Dawn’ (1992), Impressions of Bhima’ (1994) and Khandava Prastha’ (1996).

Chawla feels certain classical repertoires in India are incomplete in today’s time. “Especially because after Independence, the country strove to establish its own image through politics, the arts and social changes….More

TOI : PUNE: Open Space (OS), the public education programme of the Centre for Centre for Communication and Development Studies, has organised a fortnight-long campaign to raise awareness about violence against women (VAW) starting December 9.

“We want women to break the silence that surrounds violence against women,” lawyer and social activist Asim Sarode said at a media conference on Saturday.

“The deep-rooted belief that women are subordinate to men sanctions VAW, which affects women’s lives, their rights and their opportunities in almost every sphere. We want to sensitise people and bring a change in their beliefs and attitudes,” he further said.

As part of the campaign, an open forum will be organised on November 9 to discuss the issue of domestic violence against women. The discussion will be held at Sneha Sadan’ in Narayan Peth from 5 pm to 7 pm.

On December 10, a solo theatrical performance on the subject of violence against women by Chennai-based theatre artist Pritham Chakravarthy will be staged at the S M Joshi Foundation hall off Shastri road from 6 pm to 8 pm. The performance will be followed by a discussion with the artist.

Sarode said OS’ White Ribbon Campaign’, which began on Friday, will continue till December 10. “We urge everyone to wear a white ribbon and declare that violence against women is not right,” he said.

OS has also launched a Vox pop film project’ where people can capture people’s response to ending violence against women on camera. To participate in the activity, email rakesh@openspaceindia.org. Print Emai…More

TOI : PUNE: When 50-year-old Vishwas Sodi experienced sudden numbness in one side of his head, difficulty in lifting his right hand, heaviness in his legs and blurred speech, his wife dismissed it initially as something minor. As the symptoms refused to subside, they called their family physician and he prescribed blood pressure pills. But all signs continue to linger. It was only after the diagnostic tests that the doctors found that he had suffered a brain stroke.

Doctors warn that the deceptively simple symptoms of brain stroke which are often ignored result in high mortality rates. “While 80 per cent of brain strokes are preventable, low awareness about the disease only makes it fatal,” said senior neurologist Sudhir Kothari, who heads the department of neurology at the Poona Hospital and Research Centre.

Patients need to reach the hospital ideally within one hour of being afflicted by stroke so that investigations can be undertaken rapidly and clot buster drug tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) can be administered. The TPA can not be given more than three hours after the onset of stroke, said Kothari.

“Every single minute is crucial for saving the life of a stroke victim. In fact, every second after a stroke, the patient permanently lose more than 30,000 neurons ( brain cells),”said Kothari. Also nearly 14 billion synapses (connections between nerve cells) and myelinated fibres (nerve fibres), approximately 7.5 miles, are lost in just a single minute following the attack, he added.

In the study carried out by the Poona Hospital’s department of neurology, it was found out that 387 stroke cases were admitted in the hospital between May ‘07 and May ‘08 which means at least one case per day.

“Of all these cases, only 28 reached the hospital within three hours following the attack,” said Kothari. And only 4 per cent patients were eligible and actually thrombolysed (breakdown of blood clots) with…More