Towards a Sustainable State (Dharma Rajya)

Spring is that time of the year when all trees are sprouting new leaves of myriad colours and flowers of all hues are blossoming all over. Birds are active with their array of melodious calls and whistles and nature dons a new look after the dull winter. This is a time when the forest is as beautiful as it is just after the rains. This spring I chose the Shilonda trail in Borivli National Park in Mumbai, for a Sunday morning walk. I had with me a friend – Ketan – who was taking a nature trail for the first time. My novice nature loving friend did not fail to notice the sudden change in the atmosphere as we entered the forest on my bike from the Borivli gate. A minute ago the road that was full of honking vehicles, exhaust fumes and cement dust even at that early hour (7.30 am is early on a Sunday morning in Mumbai !), suddenly entered the verdant landscape of the Borivli jungle with all its refreshing charm. We took the bike up to the junction of Shilonda trail and from there began ou...

Recently I saw an interesting new Marathi movie titled "Made in China". It is well made and has an interesting story line. Here is a brief review. In line with the string of good Marathi movies that have come out in the last few months, starting from "Saade Maade Teen" and "Valu", here is one more thought provoking and highly realistic movie "Made in China". The title is a bit confusing and does not give an idea of what it is all about, untill you see it. The movie is about the current topic of SEZs and its repurcussions on the surrounding society. Several thousand acres of prime fertile land has been earmarked for a proposed SEZ in Western Maharashtra and the news spreads like wildfire in this rustic setting. There are prosperous farmers like the nephew of the politician (who has mooted the idea of the SEZ) and there are marginal farmers whose daily bread is dependent upon what they sell daily. The nephew who is truely in love with mother earth...