THE SHILLONG TIMES, SHILLONG, MONDAY, APRIL 10, 2017
(EIGHT)
STAR GAZING
National Nuggets
By Pandit Ajai Bhambi
I
Being single is like being born
again: Freida Pinto
ndia-born US-based actress Freida Pinto, who was
earlier in a relationship with actor Dev Patel for seven
years, is currently single. She says it feels like she is
born again. ‘For the first time, I finally understand the
concept of self-love and self-care. I'm single and happy,
and busy. I haven't been single for a long time. It's like
being born again,’ Pinto told a website. Freida and Dev,
who started dating during the filming of Slumdog Millionaire, which released in 2008, parted ways in December 2014. ‘You can be with someone and it can be really
good for your growth. That's what Dev was for me. The
seven years I was with him were so impactful. But I ended
up being single when I started thinking about these other
things,’ she said. (IANS)
Kendall hides face as she returns
to LA after Pepsi ad row
S
upermodel Kendall Jenner covered her face from
paparazzi as she returned home to LA following the
controversial protest-themed Pepsi commercial she
starred in. The 21-year-old diva sported a leopard-print
coat, a black shirt with leather pants and white sneakers
as she arrived at Los Angeles International Airport after
spending some time overseas for Paris Fashion Week,
reported Us weekly. She placed her left hand over her
face as her bodyguard escorted her to a car outside the
airport. Jenner's outing came just two days after the
softdrink brand pulled its ad from the airwaves and issued an apology. The commercial showed Jenner ending
a riot by offering a can of Pepsi to a police officer. Many
viewers accused the company of exploiting the Black
Lives Matter movement. (PTI)
A
Cruise films M: I in Paris
ctor Tom Cruise was spotted filming the sixth in
stalment of the popular Mission: Impossible
franchise here. The 54-year-old was seen at the
Bercy district on Saturday morning, where he was commanding attention as on screen character Ethan Hunt,
reports a website. Dressed in a white, prison straitjacket,
Cruise was forced to scale a rooftop surrounded by men
wearing military gear. Cruise looked masculine as he
filmed the dramatic scenes. At one point, a helicopter
could be seen flying into view, which Cruise courageously
ran towards as if to make a bold escape. According to
sources, the shot was filmed for several times to get a
perfect take, a website reported. (IANS)
Tyrese Gibson, from left, Nathalie Emmanuel, Vin Diesel and Ludacris attend the world premiere of Universal
Pictures’ The Fate of the Furious at Radio City Music Hall in New York on Saturday. (PTI)
Farhan rubbishes
rumours on
differences
with Aditya
A
ctor-filmmaker
Farhan Akhtar has
rubbished reports
that he and actor Aditya Roy
Kapur had engaged in an
argument over actress
Shraddha Kapoor.
On Sunday, Farhan took
to Twitter to clear the air and
sort out the rumours with a
photograph of himself with
Aditya smiling from ear to
ear. ‘And that, as they say,
is that. RIP rumours. Last
night, chill times,’ the Wazir
actor captioned the image.
According to reports,
Farhan had a problem with
Aditya’s closeness to
Shraddha, following which
the two actors had gotten
into a fight during an event.
(IANS)
A
man has filed a com
plaint with Delhi Po
lice against Arjun
Rampal, claiming the actor
has assaulted him with a
camera flash at a nightclub
here but the star has denied
it by calling it ‘untrue’. The
complainant,
Shobhit,
claimed that the incident
happened at around 3.30 am
on Sunday when Rampal
was being clicked by a photographer. The actor allegedly grabbed the camera
flash and threw it towards
the crowd injuring Shobhit.
Taking to Twitter, Rampal
said he had no clue from
where the news of him injuring the person came and
that he has ‘not assaulted
anyone’. ‘Woke up to be
Jaya Bachchan’s
Suman inspired
Shabana
to join films
J
Actress Sunny Leone during a presentatio of Fashion
designer Maheka Mirpuri’s summer collection in
Mumbai on Saturday. (PTI)
Arjun Rampal accused of
assault claims, actor denies
aya Bachchan turned a
year older on Sunday,
and Padma Bhushan
awardee Shabana Azmi
credits the Sholay actress’
documentary Suman for
joining the film industry.
Captioning an image of
Jaya from the time of her
younger days, Shabana
tweeted
on
Sunday:
"Salgirah mubarak (Happy
birthday). Jaya Bachchan I
joined films because of FTII
film Suman in which you
played the lead with such
freshness.’ The over 15minute-long documentary
Suman was made by the
students of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII)
in the 1970s. Shabana and
Jaya are alumni of FTII.
Jaya made her acting debut in 1963 with a Bengali
film Mahanagar. She went
on to feature in Hindi films
like Guddi, Chupke Chupke
and Bawarchi. (IANS)
S
flooded by messages of assaulting a fan Man! Where
do people make
this news up
from? Not assaulted anyone
# u n t r u e
#fakenews,’
Rampal wrote.
According
to Delhi Police,
the incident occurred
last
night, when the
actor was playing as a DJ at Privee nightclub located in a five-star
hotel in Lutyens' Delhi.
‘He threw a camera flashlight in the crowd hoping
that someone will catch it.
But it hit a man named
Shobhit, aged between 25-
30, in his head.
He didn’t sustain any
grievous injuries but in the
medical examination that was
carried out, it
has been found
that it is a lacerated wound, a
senior police officer told.
‘He
has
given a complaint but we are
legally examining it. As of
now, no FIR has been registered against the actor,’ the
officer added. Rampal also
posted an update of his arrival in the capital on
Instagram hours before the
party. (PTI)
Janet Jackson splits
from husband
inger
Janet
Jackson,
who
gave birth to her
first child in January, has
split from husband
Wissam Al Mana, say
sources.
While one source
said the split is amicable
and the couple will coparent their son, others
said trouble had been
brewing for months, reports a website.
‘She thought he had become too controlling during
the pregnancy and she had
already allowed him to dictate her appearance and
even the way she performed
at concerts," said the source
who works closely with the
couple.
Other demands that the
singer gave in to included
toning down her 2014 concert tour -- wearing clothing
that covered her body, instead of the skin-revealing
outfits. Jackson also resented the reclusiveness of
her husband, who rarely
met with her friends or family, the source said.
Still, the couple hoped a
baby would help.
They welcomed their son,
'Birthday Forecast'
Mercury retrograde on your solar return chart indicates mixed developments.
You may have to face a lot of obstacles in personal as well as professional
relationships - be it guru-disciple, spouse, friendship, partnership, or any
other critical relationship. However, there will be good results financially. Any
work related to abroad can also fructify. There will be an odd sense of
dissatisfaction in you. This will arise due to you becoming very ambitious or
very emotional. This dissatisfaction will cause you to not enjoy the successes
you do get. It can also cause health problems related to the throat, breathing,
or back pain. So, try to be happy.
'Forecast for Today'
Aries : (March 21 - April 20) It is a great day for you. Your efforts may be
rewarded in terms of cash. You will be inclined towards buying the best of the
utilities for your dear ones! Just be careful of not exhausting out the entire
amount without saving some of it! You may spend most cherish able moments
with your partner today as the encounter will be quite passionate.
Taurus : (April 21 - May 21) Today you may be required to examine thoroughly
the changes you need to incorporate in your lifestyle and food habits for
achieving a better health. Go for walks and yoga sessions in the morning and
in the evening to breathe in some fresh air and adapt a positive attitude. This
will boost blood circulation in your body, thus minimizing the chances of any
likely health issues.
Gemini : (May 22 - June 21) Partnering well in personal life will give you an edge
in professional life as well. The joint venture of you and your partner will turn
out to be a great success in matters of love as well as business. You two have
a very good understanding of each other's differences and hence can get
along very well with each other. Continue to be so always.
Cancer : (June 22 - July 22) This is the right time when your persistence and
hard work will pay off, both in terms of personal matters and professional
issues. You will be noticed by your superiors and will be offered better scope.
This is less due to luck and much more due to your own sincerity. Your career
is poised to take off right now. Be sure to utilize this opportunity to its fullest
extent.
Leo : (July 23 - August 23) Today seems like a very hectic day, with work and
love-related stress hovering over you. You may get emotional for so many
reasons. Your health also need attention. You will think about a new health or
beauty program. Relationship with your colleagues will become very prominent.
Your financial status can also gain attention. This is a good time to find sometime
for your pets as well.
Virgo : (August 24 - September 22) You can expect some of your old contacts
to make an entry back into your life. It can be people from personal or
professional domains as well. There can be increased amount of
communications too. When people from the past come to you, then you should
not blindly embrace them. You should wait for some time and should analyze
the scenario.
Libra : (September 23 - October 23) You will have new beginnings in personal
and professional life. Your old pals can come back. You should understand
why they left you and whether they deserve to be back in your life. All personal
and professional life will become important and it matters a lot whether you
are taking the right steps to deal with them.
Scorpio : (October 24 - November 22) You may feel scattered. Any matters
related to your health and love life should not be taken lightly. This may not be
a great time to form a new relationship. Even if you want to sign an agreement,
then you have to take an expert advice if you are unsure about the scenario.
You need to focus on your financial matters.
Sagittarius : (November 23 - December 21) You may try to get a new financial
project. You are actively looking for a passive income. This house deals with
your self -esteem, you will have to be very careful with your speech. The
current astro-setup may make you to hard decisions and you may deliver
harsh dialogues. This situation may create a crisis at home and work.
Capricorn : (December 22 - January 20) Today your focus will be at work and
your health. Your health will require your attention. You will try to change your
diet and think about a new healthcare regime. Your work will gain attention. You
may have serious conversations with your colleagues. New projects can come
up. You may even complete some important projects. Some of you will try to get
a new pet.
Aquarius : (January 21 - February 18) You could be in an intense mood today.
Try not to become involved in any arguments related to money because
chances are your calculations are incorrect. At home, stress seems to be
increasing, and some of you may have to deal with physical or mental decline
of those you love. Try to see the positive side of life and stay calm. Meditation
will help you.
Pisces : (February 19 - March 20) You are thinking about your past and
researching for your better future. It will bring new beginnings in your personal
and professional life. You will find new opportunities to improve your selfconfidence. At the same time, you should consider your health issues as well.
You have to think twice about forming new relations and on your expenditures.
SUDOKU
Eissa Al Mana, on January 3 after nearly five
years of marriage.
After much deliberation over whether to have
a
lavish
wedding,
Jackson gave in to Al
Mana's demands for a
simple and private ceremony, sources said.
Jackson even made
London her home after Al
Mana, a billionaire Qatari
businessman, insisted the
family live under strict Muslim custom, which included
prohibiting the new mother
from being seen in public
while nursing the baby.
The source was not
aware of any prenuptial
agreement and declined to
say whether Jackson would
seek spousal or child support. (IANS)
Down
2 Swift (5)
3 Unfriendly (4)
4 Set of clothes (6)
5 Underprivileged (8)
6 Sharp in retort (7)
7 Release pent-up feelings (3,3,5)
8 Oppressed (11)
13 Pest (8)
15 Large house (7)
17 Smaller in size or amount (6)
20 Infectious fright (5)
21 Top of a slope (4)
Girl born with heart outside
body in MP, shifted to AIIMS
CHHATARPUR: A newborn girl in Khajuraho town of
Madhya Pradesh has been diagnosed with a rare medical
condition with her heart beating outside the body. This
rare medical condition occurs in 8 children per 10 lakh
births. The baby born with the rare congenital medical
condition has been shifted to AIIMS in New Delhi for
treatment, an official said on Sunday. "The girl was born
on April 5 at Khajuraho Health Centre in the district. She
has a rare congenital medical condition called Ectopia
Cordis (heart abnormally located either outside of the
thorax)," Chhatarpur district hospital's civil surgeon Dr R
S Tripathi told. The newborn's father Arvind Patel works
as a security guard at a world heritage site in Khajuraho.
Chhatarpur Collector Ramesh Bhandari said the girl was
first referred to a hospital in Gwalior where the doctors
advised that the baby be taken to All India Institute of
Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. "The doctors at
Chhatarpur had earlier referred the newborn baby to
Gwalior. The doctors in Gwalior further referred her to
AIIMS, Delhi. The baby's treatment would be carried out
with financial assistance under the state government's
Mukhyamantri Bal Hriday Upchar Yojana (CM's Child
Heart Treatment Scheme)," Bhandari said. (PTI)
Wrap up time for weekly
cattle market in Pink City?
JAIPUR: It may soon be the end of the road for the weekly
cattle market in Hatwara area here following a drop in
footfalls and earnings after the deadly attack on a man on
his way home from the dusty market teeming with bovines.
Nearly a week after Pehlu Khan was attacked by cow
vigilantes in Alwar while on his way home after purchasing cattle at Ramgarh, it is not business as usual at the
cattle fair held every Saturday Jaipur Municipal Corporation sources say that cattle market used to do business
worth Rs 2 to 2.5 crore every week but it has come now
down by more than 50 per cent following the lynching of
Pehlu Khan. The cattle market has also witnessed a dip in
footfall, leading to resentment among traders. The Jaipur
Municipal Corporation (JMC) is now mulling to stop holding the weekly cattle market in Hatwara area The Jaipur
Mayor has tasked his deputy commissioner to give a
thorough report before making a final call on stopping
the weekly cattle market. "The receipts that were found
from cattle transporters in Alwar revealed that the cattle
were purchased from Hatwara.We have also found that
the cattle market serves people from outside the state
including those from Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Haryana.
We will soon decide whether to run the market or not,"
Mayor Ashok Lahoti said. (PTI)
Man kills wife over petty issue
THANE: A 40-year-old woman was allegedly killed by
her husband over a petty issue in Bhiwandi township of
the district, police said on Sunday. The accused, around
50 years of age, was unemployed. The couple used to
survive on the earnings of the woman who worked as a
maid in Sanjay Nagar locality in Bhiwandi, Police Inspector R T Dikhle, Shanti Nagar police station, said. The man
used to regularly demand money from his wife for various expenses, including for consuming liquor, he said.
Yesterday, he asked his wife to get him some hot water
for taking bath. As there was some delay in providing
him the hot water, he got angry and allegedly hit his wife
on her head with a hammer, the officer said. He then came
out of the house, locked the door from outside and informed the neighbours that he would return shortly, he
said. When he did not return for a long time, the neighbours got suspicious and opened the door by force only
to find the woman lying dead, Dikhle said. (PTI)
(FIVE)
Bhagwat demands central
law against cow slaughter
NEW DELHI :RSS chief
Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday advocated a nationwide law against cow
slaughter, calling it a
‘vice’ that must be removed, but condemned
violence by cow protection groups as it ‘defames’ the cause. He also
pitched for stepping-up
of cow protection efforts
by bringing more people
in the drive while
‘completely obeying the
law and the Constitution’.
His remarks at an event
to observe the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir came
against the backdrop of the
lynching of a Muslim man
by cow vigilantes in Alwar
in BJP-ruled Rajasthan that
sparked protests from opposition parties and put the
saffron party on the defensive.
"Nothing should be
done while protecting cows
that hurts the belief of some
people. Nothing should be
done that is violent. It only
defames the efforts of cow
protectors...
The work of cow conservation should be carried out
while completely obeying
the law and the Constitution," Bhagwat said.
He said many states
where RSS functionaries, a
reference to BJP leaders
with RSS background, have
MP Bypolls: Two
firing incidents
reported in Ater seat
BHOPAL: Firing incidents
were reported from at least
two places after Congress
and BJP workers clashed
during the bypoll in Madhya
Pradesh’s Ater assembly
seat on Sunday.
The State Electoral Office dismissed reports of
booth capturing. Two more
Special Armed Forces (SAF)
companies (nearly 200 personnel) have been pressed
into service at Ater, where
34 per cent polling was recorded by 1 PM. In
Bandhavgarh (Umaria), another assembly segment
where polling is underway
today, voter turnout was 37
per cent by 1 PM. "The firing incidents were reported
from two places.
The security personnel
fired in the air at Sankri village booth to avoid a clash
between the BJP and Congress workers. ‘Another incident of firing was reported
near booth number 172
(Goarkala)," State Electoral
Officer of Madhya Pradesh
Salina Singh told reporters
at a press conference.
‘The incident of firing
took place one kilometre
away from booth number
172 and as of now more details of this incident are
awaited,’ said Singh.
She denied any boothcapturing in Ater and
Bandhavgarh. ‘There was
no booth capturing incident
reported from Ater and
Bandhavgarh. (PTI)
been in power have enacted
such a law and expressed
confidence that other
governments will follow
suit by dealing with local
"complexities".
"Our wish is that there
should be a law against
cow slaughter across India," he said. In several
northeastern states, including some where BJP
is in power, cow slaughter is not banned while
beef is consumed widely
in states like Kerala and
West Bengal where the party
is working to emerge as a
strong political force.
The RSS chief suggested
that enactment of such a law
everywhere will take time
due to the complexities of
politics. If there is a law, it
will be for promoting nonviolence not violence, he
said, noting, "There cannot
be a law that says you do
violence. It is impossible."
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YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS
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Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath
arrives at the 11th Standing Committee meeting of
the Inter-State Council in New Delhi on Sunday. (PTI)
J&K Bypoll
SRINAGAR: Violence
marred polling in the
Srinagar Lok Sabha byeelections on Sunday as six
people were killed and several injured in firing by security forces on rampaging
mobs in various parts of the
constituency, with merely
5.84 per cent voters' turnout
recorded till 1500 hours.
While two people each
were killed Pakherpora in
Chrar-e- Sharief and
Beerwah areas of Budgam
district, one death was reported from Chadoora area
of the same district and another in Magam town, which
is known as the gateway to
Gulmarg. Almost 70 per cent
of the polling booths in
Budgam district were abandoned by the polling staff
due to the spate of violent
protests in several areas,
officials said.
Army was called out to
help security forces quell a
rampaging mob which
pelted stones and hurled
petrol bombs to set a polling booth ablaze in the
Ganderbal district of the
Srinagar constituency.
Hundreds of protestors
stormed a polling station at
Pakherpora in Chrar-eSharief area of Budgam district and ransacked a building housing a polling booth,
officials said, adding the
security forces fired several
warning rounds to disperse
the mob, which did not re-
lent. Six persons were injured in the firing, of whom
two,
20year-old
Mohammad Abbas and 15year-old Faizaan Ahmad
Rather, succumbed to bullet wounds. In another incident, security forces
opened fire to quell a stonepelting mob in Ratxuna
Beerwah area, leaving one
Nissar Ahmed dead. At the
Daulatpura in Chadoora assembly segment of Budgam
district, one person, identified as Shabir Ahmed, was
killed in firing by security
personnel. A youth, Adil
Farooq, succumbed to multiple pellet injuries in the
Magam town, about 20 kms
from here. One Aqib Wani
was shot dead as police
opened fire on a crowd of
protestors in the Beerwah
area in the afternoon.
The officials said the
BSF, deployed for security
of the polling stations, fired
live rounds as they were not
provided with pellet guns.
Security force personnel
were forced to abandon two
polling
stations
in
Chadoora area as they came
under heavy stone-pelting
by mobs, they said.
Violence marred polling
in some other parts of the
Srinagar parliamentary seat
as stone pelting incidents
were reported from over two
dozen other places across
the three districts of
Srinagar, Budgam and
Ganderbal which constitute
the Srinagar constituency,
they said. (PTI)
Irani attacks Rahul, says he
has no time for Amethi people
A woman has her tongue pierced with a metal rod during the annual ‘Kavad yatra’
procession in Ahmedabad on Sunday. (PTI)
AMETHI: Stepping up attack on Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Union
Minister Smriti Irani on Sunday said the Amethi MP has
no time for the people of his
constituency. She also accused the Nehru-Gandhi
family of doing little for the
development of the district.
‘When I came here in
2014, I saw that it is in the
grip of a political family. The
political family has not
thought about the development of Amethi and its people. Another point of concern is that a Member of
Parliament does not have
any time for his constituency and people,’ the BJP
leader said.
Irani, who had unsuccessfully contested the
2014 Lok Sabha election
against Rahul in Amethi,
was addressing a bakery
training programme on the
campus of Dr Bhimrao
Ambedkar University on the
second day of her two-day
trip. She also said that addressing the Congress vicepresident as ‘Yuvraj’
(prince) is an ‘insult’ to democracy.
‘In a democratic country
like India eulogising Rahul
Gandhi with the title of
Yuvraj is an insult to democracy,’ the Union Textiles
Minister said.
Addressing the gathering, minister of state for Vocational Education and Skill
Development Suresh Pasi
said that very soon four Industrial Training Institutes
(ITIs) would come in
Amethi, which have been
approved by the government. ‘The buildings of the
ITIs will be ready by June
this year,’ Pasi said. Referring to Pasi, Irani tweeted,
‘A moment of pride for me
to witness a samanya
karyakarta of Amethi Suresh
Pasi giving his first public
address as Minister of State,
GoUP.’
Earlier in the day, Irani
held meetings with officials
of Amethi district administration to ensure that
schemes including those
related to education, water,
health and irrigation are implemented in a time-bound
manner.
The Union minister also
tweeted that she facilitated
interaction of citizens with
the DM and the SP of
Amethi and both assured
speedy redressal of their
grievances.
On Saturday, Irani in one
of her tweets said, ‘Day
ends on a celebratory note,
as I meet birthday boy
Harshit - a karyakarta's son
who turned 8 on Sunday.’
The 41-year-old Union
minister also held a community meal for party workers.
‘Adding special touch to the
evening was Banwari ji's famous meetha pan,’ Irani said
in her tweet. (PTI)
Jinnah House in spotlight over conflicting demands
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BERHAMPUR (ODISHA): The much awaited mass
hatching of Olive Ridly turtles has started and the baby
turtles are emerging from sandy pits and then crawling
sea-ward near the mouth of river Rushikulya off Ganjam
coast. The much awaited mass hatching of Olive Ridley
turtles started yesterday. The mass hatching was delayed
for about five to six days due to unseasonal rains in the
area recently, said Divisional Forest Officer of Berhampur,
A K Behera. Baby turtles generally emerge about 45 or 50
days after nesting. The delay, however, has not affected
the turtles, he added. Mass hatching is likely to continue
for another four to five days and forest personnel are
trying their best to ensure the safety of the baby turtles,
Behera said. A record number of over 3.70 lakh Olive ridley
turtles had laid eggs near the river Rushikulya river mouth
in a mass nesting that took place from February 14 to 22
this year. Besides the mass nesting of the Olive Ridleys
is the old rookery that stretches from Purunabandh to
Gokkharkuda, a stretch of about 4 kilometres, thousands
of other endangered species also laid eggs en mass in
the two kilometre stretch from Podampeta to New
Podampeta area, this time. After laying eggs, the female
turtles return to the sea. Baby Olive Ridleys grow without their mothers, in a rare natural phenomena. (PTI)
"I am confident that wherever RSS workers are in
power, they will deal with
local complexities and work in
that direction," he said. Cow
protection
should
be
promoted in such a way that
it wins over more and more
people to the cause and
brings praise for those doing
it, Bhagwat said. Non-violent
efforts will only help change
the law accordingly, he said.
Whether there is a law or not
if the society's behaviour
changes, cow slaughter will
stop, he said. Bhagwat said
as a veterinary doctor he is
aware of a 'desi' cow's utility,
including the usefulness of its
urine and dung, and claimed
that even scientific bodies
have come to accept this.
Underlining that nonviolence was an essential part
to Mahavir's teachings, he
said these can unite a society
that has people of different
faiths and behaviour. (PTI)
Six killed, several injured as
securitymen fire on mobs
Much awaited mass hatching
of Olive Ridley turtles start
CLUES
Across
1 Daybreak (5,2,4)
9 Daring feat (7)
10 An Italian sauce (5)
11 The chances (4)
12 Disagreement (8)
14 Celebrated (6)
16 Gentle breeze (6)
18 Hard metal, aka wolfram (8)
19 Made haste (4)
22 Relating to birds (5)
23 Unfamiliar (7)
24 A few times (4,2,5)
THE SHILLONG TIMES, SHILLONG, MONDAY, APRIL 10, 2017
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MUMBAI: Can history be
wished away by demolishing buildings - this searching question asked by
cricket legend Imran Khan
sums up the sentiment of
historians for Jinnah House,
witness to Jinnah-Gandhi
talks and meetings of the
Muslim League that shaped
the subcontinent's destiny.
The sprawling palatial
structure spread across 2.5
acre at Malabar Hill in South
Mumbai was built by Mohammed Ali Jinnah in 1936
at a cost of Rs 2 lakh. He
personally supervised the
construction brick by brick
and lived there till the partition of India in 1947.
Lying vacant for nearly
three decades, the mansion
was designed by architect
Claude Batley in European
style, complete with Italian
marble and walnut woodwork.
The prime property has
been a bone of contention
between India and Pakistan
for long with the neighbouring country demanding that
it be handed over to it to set
up its consulate in Mumbai.
Pakistan recently voiced
concern over the demand
by a BJP legislator for demolition of the bungalow and
reiterated its claim for the
"ownership" right over it.
Situated on the Bhausaheb
Hire Marg at Malabar Hill
opposite 'Varsha', the official
residence of Maharashtra's
Chief Minister, the spot
used to be known as Mount
Pleasant Road during the
Britsh rule. After Independence, it was leased to the
British High Commission as
the residence of the Deputy
High Commissioner till early
1980s.
In 1983, the Jinnah House
was declared an unoccupied property and kept under the upkeep of the state
Public Works Department.
The building was in news
recently when the Malabar
Hill legislator from BJP,
Mangal Prabhat Lodha, demanded that the structure
be pulled down and a cultural centre highlighting the
tradition and history of India and Maharashtra raised
in its place.
Dubbing it as a "symbol
of partition", Lodha said
that Jinnah House was witness to the history leading
to the partition of India as
the Muslim League leader
held several important meetings there to take his twonation theory forward from
1944 to 1947. Reacting to the
suggestion, Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran
Khan termed it as "disturbing" and said that "history
cannot be wished away" by
demolishing buildings. History enthusiasts make a
strong case for preservation
of the majestic structure, as
a witness to many events,
including the Mahatma
Gandhi-Jinnah
talks.
Jawaharlal Nehru and
Subhas Chandra Bose were
among the visitors to the
bungalow.
Lokmanya Tilak Swaraj
Bhoomi Trust's Prakash
Silam wanted the bungalow
to be handed over to the
organisation for it to build a
memorial in honour of the
nationalist, famously known
as "Lion of Maharashtra."
‘Jinnah helped Tilak in
the freedom struggle and
considering their friendship,
Jinnah House should be
given to the trust,’ he said.
Jinnah practised as a lawyer
in the Bombay High Court
last century and even defended Bal Gangadhar Tilak
in a famous sedition case
slapped on him by the British rule.
Jatin Desai, secretary of
the India chapter of Pakistan India Peoples Forum for
Peace and Democracy, said
it is ironical that Jinnah, who
mooted the idea of a separate nation for Muslims, was
a Mumbaikar at heart and
could never imagine settling
down in any other city.
"Even as he moved to
Karachi after partition,
Jinnah wished to spend his
last days in his beloved
house in his beloved city
Bombay. However, he
passed away few months
after Pakistan's creation,"
Desai told.
He suggested that the
building be used to house a
centre to promote peace and
friendship between India
and Pakistan or a SAARC
cultural centre. Nehru understood Jinnah's attachment to his Mumbai house
and declared it as an
evacuee property instead of
"enemy property" after
Jinnah died, he said. When
former Pakistan President
General Pervez Musharraf
came to India in 2001 for the
Agra summit talks with the
then Prime Minister Atal
Bihari Vajpayee, he proposed that Jinnah House
could be used to set up the
Pakistani Consulate. How-
ever, India rejected the demand.
Deepak Rao, a Mumbaibased historian, said Jinnah
was exceptionally fond of
the city and wished to maintain his connect with the
place even after partition. He
recalled that it was earlier
maintained by Indian Council for Cultural Relations
(ICCR). Another historian
Rafiq Bagdadi said Jinnah
House should be converted
into a museum.
"Jinnah lived and practised law in Mumbai. He
wrote to Nehru from Pakistan urging him to preserve
his bungalow," he said.
"His correspondence
should be seen in the context of the times, and the
persona of leaders like
Nehru. They could disagree
on many issues but agree to
be polite and write letters to
each other," he said. A museum would be a reflection
of the period and the
younger generation can
have an idea of political leaders from Mumbai during
that period, Bagdadi said.
In 2010, the Central government told the Bombay
High Court that it had gained
total legal ownership of the
Jinnah House. The Ministry
of External Affairs, in an affidavit before the high court,
claimed that the government had acquired the
Jinnah House in Mumbai as
an evacuee property.
‘The property vests absolutely with the Central
government and there is no
residuary right or reversion
in favour of either evacuees
or their heirs,’ the affidavit
said. (PTI)