The Beautiful Life

Dr. Anil Kakodkar looks on as Mr. Anand Ganu lights a lamp at the 6th anniversary of Garje Marathi Global (GMG) Stimulating the essence of fellowship, saluting the Marathi spirit, urging Maharashtrians to assist in raising the Human Development Index of India, sharing heartwarming success stories, and launching a new project, Garje Marathi Global (GMG) celebrated its 6th anniversary in Mumbai. Lauding the contribution of Garje Marathi Global (GMG), a platform that bonds Maharashtrians spread across the globe, for its people-oriented progressive initiatives, the former Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar, who was the chief guest on the occasion appealed that there must be an awareness on the “need to bridge growing income disparity gaps and increase the income of those at the bottom of the pyramid”. Stressing on the growing dominance of technology in our daily lives, Dr. Kakodkar, said, “India needs to improve its Human Development Index (HDI) and science and technology play...

Daily soaps have a clear set of gender roles with patriarchy blatantly evident in them. Women characters are either submissive or there is an overdose of scheming vamps. The trend seems to be getting more complex as even educated women characters are shown working hard to impress the family members or win acceptance of society. With Ratris Khel Chale, a daily soap series telecast on Zee Marathi, it has hit a new low.  Shot in a Sindhudurg village, Ratris Khel...is a horror show toasting black magic. It showcases most of its women characters not just weak, powerless and stereotyped but extremely superstitious. It makes us wonder if the writers of the soap have tried to portray the real Malvan/Konkan, its people and especially the women? To read more please click  https://www.thebridgechronicle.com/lifestyle/art-culture/decoding-kanyadaan-an-insight-into-the-most-argued-custom-in-indian-weddings  

  In the last few years, many states in the country have witnessed an increase in the number of newly constructed toilets. However, several hundreds of these have remained unused or are being used by many for multiple purposes other than the reason they have been constructed for. Some people cite genuine reasons like unavailability of water for not using toilets, while for some, the saying ‘old habits die hard’ holds true. While the problem persists, there are a few examples of such initiatives being effectively implemented.  ; To read more please visit https://www.thebridgechronicle.com/opinion/changing-mindsets-people-usage-toilets-villages-40425 Published on  :  08 Sep, 2019, in Sakal Times

Dr Manasi Shirgurkar addressing the inaugural session of 'Japan Calling'  The term ‘Made in Japan’ conjures visions of world-class, high-quality, durable, innovative, creative products. Likewise, the Japanese language is also different, interesting and unique, reflecting the humble way Japanese live and interact among themselves. It is the ninth most commonly spoken language in the world.  The online era has ushered in easy ways to learn languages. Banking on available resource persons, Garje Marathi Global Foundation (GMG) has launched “Japan Calling”, an initiative offering a platform for students from economically challenged backgrounds for free to help them learn, and understand not only the Japanese language but its culture and mannerism. The sole purpose of this programme is to elevate the lives of these bunch of youngsters by nurturing and grooming them so they pass the Level 3 -- Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) by January 2024.  California based GMG fo...