Pulkit Vasudha Ahmedabad, December 13 With barely two days left for the second and final phase of the Assembly elections, the fanfare of campaigning is at its peak in Maninagar. Both the Congress and BJP workers rallying strong and loud for their candidates—Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dinsha Patel and Chief [...]
Pulkit Vasudha Ahmedabad, December 9 One fine morning in November 2005, Pathan Shamshad was getting ready to go to work, when he suddenly heard bulldozers thundering through the narrow lanes outside his house. Without any notice, the workforce of the Ahmedabad Urban Development Board (AUDA) had descended in the Bakra Mandi area of Ranip to [...]
Pulkit Vasudha Ahmedabad, November 30 The next time you enroll your child to a new school, please make sure the teacher knows his alphabets. According to data released by the state’s education department in reply to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by academician Deepak Patel, over 60 per cent of Ahmedabad’s primary school [...]
Pulkit Vasudha Ahmedabad, November 18 A snuffed-out candle, a half-eaten cake, a little girl’s frock, and a road roller. Strangely these are among the 69 symbols allotted to Independent candidates and unrecognised parties contesting the elections in the state by the returning officer. No wonder, the symbols have evoked murmurs of protest. “Symbols should be [...]
Pulkit Vasudha Ahmedabad, November 14 Low ranking police personnel in Gujarat are now eagerly awaiting the re-recognition of their association by the Gujarat High Court, which was dismissed by the erstwhile director general of police of the state on grounds of low strength and attendance. The association of police sub-inspectors, head constables and constables was [...]
Ahmedabad, October 24 Here’s a look at the fresh blood fighting the elections in Gujarat this year. Whether they stand a chance agaisnt the prominent, politicial heavyweights or not, it is surprising how determined they are in their political stance. Pravin Mishra, 31 The youngest of eight siblings and born into a poor family in Murshidabad, [...]
Pulkit Vasudha Ahmedabad, October 17 Several women organisations from across Gujarat joined hands and appealed to political parties to increase the candidature of women in the coming Assembly elections. They also requested that they promise to address issues concerning women in their manifestos. Over 150 NGOs working for women, represented by Ahmedabad Women Action Group [...]
Pulkit Vasudha Thousands of fish have been swept up the shores of Gujarat in recent years. The incidents have become more common in the last few months. Here’s a quick recap at the latest incident of fish deaths along the shores of Nirmal Gujarat. September 2005: Lakhs of fish die after immersion of Ganapati idols [...]
Pulkit Vasudha Patan/Kutch/Amreli, September 19 No one in Rafu village of Sami taluka in Patan district remembers when the building of the primary health centre (PHC) collapsed. The new set of buildings being financed by the European Union in the name of post-earthquake development programme, are no where near completion. Rafu PHC presently functions from [...]