Thanks for the rides
Amateur Riders’ Club members perform the traditional Ashwa Puja, honouring the bond between horses and their riders, at Mahalaxmi Racecourse
Rest easy, fighter
Dr GG Parikh. FILE PIC
In the early hours of October 2, on the birthday of the man he idolised, veteran Gandhian leader and freedom fighter Dr GG Parikh breathed his last. Chandan Shukla, a close friend and committee member of the Yusuf Meherally Centre (YMC) that was established by Parikh in 1961, told us, “His passion burned bright till his very last breath. I received a call from him at 8.30 pm on the night before his passing. The 101-year-old was keen to talk about an ongoing yatra for democratic rights. He’d assured me we would talk the next day. I learnt this morning [Thursday] that I was the last number he dialled.” Parikh’s body was moved to Janta Kendra in Mumbai Central for public homage on Thursday, following which, his mortal remains were donated to JJ Hospital for medical research. Even in his passing, those close to Parikh are holding on to fond memories. As Belapur-based YMC member Richard Jacob puts it, “He was more enthusiastic than most teenagers I’ve met.”
Our time with Jane Goodall
(Left) Jane Goodall with Zidaan Castellino during her visit to CSMVS in November 2024; (right) marine conservationist Ajay Sawant in conversation with Goodall. PICS COURTESY/ZIDAAN CASTELLINO, AJAY SAWANT
The loss of celebrated conservationist Jane Goodall hit too close to home for two budding environmentalists in Mumbai. In 2024, City-based marine conservationist Ajay Sawant found himself seated right next to Goodall during her four-day visit to Mumbai. “When I had a brief chance to speak with her about my work, I asked her what kept her going. She told me she believes in a better world because she sees hope in young people like my generation. That stayed with me,” Sawant revealed to us. During her visit to the city from November 16 to 19 last year, Goodall had met Mumbai’s eco-warriors at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, a children’s museum in Lower Parel, and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) in Fort, among other venues. “I met Dr Jane at CSMVS. She was soft spoken, yet stern. I introduced her to the climate action initiatives that environmentalists in Mumbai were working on at grassroots level,” said 17-year-old environmentalist Zidaan Castellino. “The video of Wounda, the female chimpanzee she rescued from illegal bushmeat trade, has always stayed with me, especially the moment when it embraced her in a long hug,” Sawant added. Now seems like a good time to re-watch and learn from her acts of empathy.
Garba for all
A moment from the garba event. PIC COURTESY/MUMbai for PEACE
Amid cases of intolerance at Garba pandals in the city and its suburbs this year, a group from Dadar is offering us a sliver of hope. Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti and Mumbai for Peace organised the Samtecha Garba (Garba for Equality) event on Wednesday. “The idea was to remind Mumbaikars that our festivals are our cultural heritage and must not be tainted by discrimination. We saw an overwhelming response from nearly 150 participants. We were pleasantly surprised to see a majority of young revellers embrace the idea,” said Sameer Wagle, a Mumbai for Peace volunteer.
Wonder years at Cathedral
A section of the wall. PIC COURTESY/NANDINI SOMAYA SAMPAT
Alumni of The Cathedral and John Connon School who walk in to soak in the 165th year celebrations might find their report card posted on the school wall, provided they submitted it on time. A collaboration between architect Nandini Somaya Sampat (right) and principal Dr Sonal Parmar has created an archival timeline of objects, documents, and nostalgic collectables to spruce up the foyer of the senior school building.
“All the artefacts we have are from alumni. It was very heartwarming to see the enthusiasm and affection with which they held onto these memories. I was surprised to see that they had report cards going back decades,” Parmar said. As for Somaya, an alumnus along with her husband, and her mother Brinda Somaya, it was a delight to relearn the history. “We even found logbooks from the late 1800s, and old report cards. It is amazing how certain things have remained the same,” she shared.
