Legacy lesson for callous children

They didn’t bother to find out how she had been doing. Now, when they suddenly seem more than interested, Vatsalaben Bakhta has decided to teach her callous children a lesson they aren’t going to forget in a lifetime.

The 76-year-old widow has willed all her assets to Tata Memorial Hospital. “Three months after my son’s death, my three daughters and my daughter-in-law, who had neglected me so long, developed an interest in me and my will,” says the lady from her small flat in Malad.

Vatsalaben can’t hide her disgust when she recounts how her daughter-in-law — estranged from her son — started frequenting her when it emerged that the will was being drawn up. Earlier, she had even refused to let the septuagenarian meet her grandson.

“My husband’s hard-earned money should help the ailing,” she said. Vatsalaben has fixed deposits worth Rs 12 lakh, besides some jewellery and the flat.

Ratings for heritage houses

Heritage buildings in Chennai will now have a pecking order.

The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority has sought public feedback to a plan on grading the old structures. The aim is to arrive at a basis for the classification and take steps to protect the buildings legally.

The cherished symbols of the past will be assessed in terms of their historical importance, architectural style, public utility and their association with historical figures.

Among the structures is a bungalow on Pycroft’s Road where Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose had stayed when he had visited what was then the Madras presidency.

Once the guidelines are in place, structural modifications to the buildings and their demolition will require prior permission from the authority. Consultations with a heritage conservation committee, appointed by the government, will be held before a clearance is given. Conservationists have welcomed the move.

PR firm for Jama Masjid

Communications strategies aren’t limited to messages from boardrooms.

This week, the Jama Masjid United Forum in Delhi hired a public relations company for an international seminar on Islam and terrorism.

The NGO, associated with the mosque, held a smaller discussion on the issue this week ahead of the big event on October 26. “A public relations firm will help improve our efficiency in conveying information about the seminar,” Yahya Bukhari, the president of the forum, said.

The objective behind the seminar is to explain that Islam has nothing to do with terrorism. The job of the public relations company is to reach out to the domestic and international media.

“It is not often that we get a call from the Jama Masjid,” said an official of the PR firm.

Rain check

Mumbai is ready to face the might of the monsoon. At least, civic authorities say so.

The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai claimed 75 per cent of the sewers in the city have been cleaned. Work on the rest is expected to be over by this month.

“Areas that are prone to flooding have been targeted and measures taken to ensure it does not happen this year,” commissioner Jairaj Phatak said last week.

ut he still had a warning: all systems are geared up to withstand normal rains, but there could be flooding in some areas if the downpour was heavier than expected. Special measures to widen and deepen the Mithi, Poisar and Dahisar rivers in the suburbs have been taken. This should help in draining out water easily.

Delhi: Those missing Bengal in Delhi can embark on a musical journey back home. The India International Centre will present an evening of Rabindra Sangeet by Santiniketan’s Soma Ray, a disciple of Kanika Bandopadhyay, on May 27.
The show begins at 6.30 pm. Passes at the desk.