PLACES OF WORSHIP MUST BE PRESERVED

September, 2014 | Vol. 1
www.babasiddique.com
“ All that we are, is a result of all that we have thought. ”
PLACES OF WORSHIP MUST BE PRESERVED
from the BMC commissioner Mr Kunte to the Chief Minister to ensure
justice prevails,” says Ahuja.
DAYANAND AHUJA
Meet Dayanand Ahuja, the able and responsible trustee of the ‘Shree
Parmanand Bhandar Ashram’, a temple which has been in Khar since 1958. This
temple, in existence since many decades, recently had the misfortune of getting
in the cross hairs of the BMC when a road-expansion operation was proposed; in
this exercise, structures around the road were required to be demolished to make
way for the roads, and this included the temple wall. But Ahuja was not going to
let this happen.
In the interim, the BMC sent a demolition team to the spot, but
Baba intervened and prevented them from bringing down the wall.
“The way he helped our temple was overwhelming. It was a validation
of his extreme commitment to his duty and to his people as an elected
representative and as a leader who has won hearts.” Ahuja concludes
with a relieved smile. Places of worship must be preserved, and Shree
Parmanand Bhandar Ashram continues to stand in Khar.
Says Ahuja, “All those who stay in the nearby locality have been coming to
this temple for years. The residents of the locality not only supported us against
this proposed action but also signed a letter with about 500 signatures stating
that this wall should not be broken as it is a part of the temple.”
But saving the temple wall was not an easy task as the municipal authorities
had received a hand-written complaint letter from MLC Ashish Shelar, asking them
to demolish the temple wall.
When asked about this, Ahuja said that it was the local MLC who had
complained and the same had been reaffirmed through a RTI application. After
exhausting all possibilities of stopping the demolition, the trustees finally decided
to approach Baba Siddique, who is known for helping his constituents against all
odds. Continues Ahuja: “Baba lent us a patient ear and promised to do everything
in his capacity to see to it that the demolition doesn’t take place. He turned out
to be a godsend for the temple trust. Once when we needed his help, he was in
the hospital as he had to undergo a surgery, but he came to our side irrespective.
At times, it was as if he was more worried about the temple wall than all of us.
His dedication to selfless service was quite touching as he approached everyone
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TIPS FOR
SAFE DRIVING
DISTRIBUTION OF SUBSIDIZED RATIONS
AS PER FOOD SECURITY BILL
As a result of inflation, food grains, cooking oil and other items used in the kitchen daily have become
costlier, affecting the common man adversly, who has to cut down on other expenditure to put food on his table.
Following the Food Security Bill passed by the then UPA Government, a drive was launched wherein rations
were distributed to people of the BandraKruz area at subsidized rates. The drive was immensely successful as
such an initiative was much needed by the lower-middle class section of the society, who are battling inflation
every passing day.
The Food Security Act (also known as the Right To Food Act) is an Act of the Parliament which aims at
providing subsidized food grains to approximately two thirds of India’s 1.2 billion people and was implemented
by the past UPA Government.
• Wear Seat Belts : A very important
rule for four wheelers, seat belts
save lives in case of accidents.
• Obey all traffic rules : Understand
all the road signs and signal rules
and obey it seriously.
• Use side and back indicators when
changing lanes and positions while
driving.
• Never talk on your cell phone while
driving.
• Obey speed limits as written on sign
boards.
•Do not Drink and Drive - it’s
dangerous for you as well as for
others.
SPONSORING OF EDUCATION KITS
AT CAREER FEST
In today’s world of cut-throat competition and a competitive job market, it is imperative for everyone to have
an edge over others and in order to provide this, sponsored education kits were donated to students from the
BandraKruz area, who had attended the Career Fest held some time back.
Over 15000 students from around 200 schools participated in the career fest and were quite delighted about
the education kits that were made available to them. The career fest, which was organized by the AMP, was a
huge success and benefitted many people who had attended the event.
“ We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not a single act but a habit. ”
INAUGURATION OF THE ANNUAL
SEPTEMBER GARDEN DURING BANDRA FAIR
The annual Mount Mary Fest is one of the most awaited events in Bandra and the area surrounding the
INAUGURATION
OF MAHABODHI
BUDDHA VIHAR
venue sports a festive air.
One of the gems of the Bandra Fair is the September Garden, which was earlier titled the ‘Carmel Mela’. The
place is known as an entertainment hub of the Bandra Fair that sees close to 5,000 people at any given time. The
September Garden offers Ferris wheel rides, games for adults and children and jam sessions, apart from food
stalls selling delicacies, the proceeds of which go to charity.
The September Garden is frequented by everyone from common people to local celebs, who are out to have
a good time.
The
Mahabodhi
Buddha
Vihar, which is an institution of
great importance for the Buddhist
community, was recently inaugurated
at Carter Road, Danda Khar (W),
Mumbai 400052.
THE ANNUAL VAILLANKANI PROCESSION
The Vaillankani Association organises an annual procession in Bandra in the month of September on the
nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
This is conducted at Rizvi Complex and a large number of people, not only from BandraKruz but from all over
Mumbai participate in this procession, which is celebrating 20 years this year.
Though it is an event of great importance to Christians, it also brings together people from different faiths
who believe in the power of Mother Mary.
For this purpose, a ‘Bhoomi
Pujan’ ceremony was conducted
recently in the presence of people
of the Buddhist community from the
BandraKruz area for the inauguration
of the Buddha Vihar and also for
the addition of a ground plus one
structure for community activities at
the location with resources from the
MLA/NDVSY fund.
In our effort to support the
Buddhist community in BandraKruz,
we have also constructed a ‘Balwadi’
for the benefit of children and to
conduct additional cultural programs.
Baba Siddique also participates in this procession on a yearly basis.
‘The whole purpose of religion is to facilitate love and compassion, patience, tolerance, humility, forgiveness’
- Dalai Lama
“ Creativity is seeing what everybody has seen, but thinking what nobody else has thought. ”
COCHLEAR IMPLANT PROGRAM INITIATIVE
A cochlear implant (CI) is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who
is deaf or severely hard of hearing. Baba Siddique and Salman Khan were present at Holy Family hospital to support
the Cochlear Implant Program on its second anniversary and help spread awareness about the availability of this
treatment at the hospital.
At the event, which was initiated by Dr. Chris D’Souza, a renowned ENT specialist, both Baba Siddique and Salman
Khan were seen interacting with children who have undergone this treatment, bringing big smiles to their faces. A
hearing disability is often considered crippling, but thanks to cochlear implants, many children and adults have a
chance to lead a relatively normal life. Our endeavor to create awareness for this program is a continuous exercise.
“ The best way to predict the future is to create it. ”
ANNUAL CRIB COMPETITION
Christmas is a special time in the BandraKruz area and everyone celebrates this beautiful festival
with a lot of fanfare. The spirit of Christmas is felt by everyone and citizens from every community love
being a part of Christmas.
X’mas lights adorn houses, Christmas trees are decorated carefully by families and gifts and well
wishes are exchanged. In addition to this, Cribs are created, which is a very important element of
Christmas.
The citizens of BandraKruz put in a lot of hard work and exhibit creativity when it comes to making
Cribs for Christmas. Keeping this in mind, we have been arranging an Annual Crib Competition since
the last 8 years. Following the event, a prize distribution function is held at Chapel Road. The function is
judged on the basis of individual, community and institutional.
All the local residents look forward to this event every year and this initiative has found appreciation
among the citizens of BandraKruz.
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