TV WATCH
July 2011. Week 1
MCA Elections was the news of the Week |
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In the absence of any major happennings, the news about Mumbai Cricket
Association took the front seat in the news section of Marathi news channels
during the week. Initially, it was to be a triangular contest among Mr. Sharad
Pawar, Mr. Vilasrao Dehmulkh and former Test cicketer Dilip Vengsarkar. But,
later it was observed that the laid down rules do not permit anyone staying
outside Mumbai and suburbs limits to contest the elections of this body. Since,
Mr. Pawar's permanent official residence is not in Mumbai, he was prevented from
contesting the elections. This resulted in a straight contest between a
Politician and a Cricketer.
As per the latest news coming in, Mr. Sharad Pawar's Panel( though he himself is
not contesting) will be supporting Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh, clearly indicating
that it was a battle between Politicians and actual cricketes for taking control
of the Cricket body in Mumbai. Both the panels have declared their candidates
and it has become clear now that popular cricketers like Karsan
Ghavri,Chandrakant Pandit and Balwinder Singh Sandhu will be fighting for
diffeent posts on behalf of Dilip Vengsarkar's panel. Most of the news channels
have argued the presence of Politicians in a sports body and have even predicted
them as heavyweights, but none have cited the example of Karnataka Cricket
Association, which is now ruled by all former cricketers. When a Cricket
association like KCA have successfully driven out the Politicians from
controlling their Sports body, will our local clubs learn a lesson from them? Do
we have former cricketers also as their club's resentatives, who will be casting
their valuable votes or there too it will have political influence ? It remains
to be seen.
While the fight in Cricket Association goes on between these two, at the actaul
political front MNS Chief Raj Thackeray has taken on Dy. Chief Minister Mr. Ajit
Pawar in war of words, where the former has suggested Mr. Anna Hazare to expose
the latter, expressing his full support to him, if he did that. Mr. Pawar has
however challenged Mr. Thackeray him to prove the charges. And this news was
repeated for the whole day on Thursday 7th July 2011 on all Marathi channels.
On the other front, there is a street war going on over the sale of Vada Paav.
Mr. Nitesh Rane's Swabhiman has come out with their own brand, only to oppose
the operation of Shiv Sena sponsored Vada Paav, which accordding to them is
illegal. All the channels highlighted this news; but no one asked the BMC as to
how so many other non authorised food stall vendors were also operating
illegally. All that the news channels suggested that it was a big show to prove
their supremacy in the forthcoming Municiapal elections. Now, coming to actual
Cricket news, the news about Harbhajan Singh taking his 400 Test wickets did not
receive the required attention on Marathi TV news. The MCA elections coverage
almost sidetracked his achgievement. He has become only the third Indian to
create this new record.
During the week, the price rise had one more area to target and that was the
State Transport in Maharashtra. The S.T. Bus Management have announced the rise
in their bus fare w.e.f. 7th midnight. This was necessary due to rise in diesel
prices, according to their management. This will certainly affect the regular
travellers from poor and lower middle class, who are using this transport, being
afordable till now. Even the fares of Shivneri have gone up. The Pune-Mumbai
fare going up by Rs.50/- which is a steep hike.
by Ulhas Shirke © MMW
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