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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

Shinde dilutes demand

Likely to be content with Deputy Mayor’s post in Mumbai Mumbai: In a decisive shift that redraws the power dynamics of Maharashtra’s urban politics, the standoff over the prestigious Mumbai Mayor’s post has ended with a strategic compromise. Following days of resort politics and intense backroom negotiations, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has reportedly diluted its demand for the top job in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), settling instead for the Deputy Mayor’s post. This...

Shinde dilutes demand

Likely to be content with Deputy Mayor’s post in Mumbai Mumbai: In a decisive shift that redraws the power dynamics of Maharashtra’s urban politics, the standoff over the prestigious Mumbai Mayor’s post has ended with a strategic compromise. Following days of resort politics and intense backroom negotiations, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has reportedly diluted its demand for the top job in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), settling instead for the Deputy Mayor’s post. This development, confirmed by high-ranking party insiders, follows the realization that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) effectively ceded its claims on the Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) to protect the alliance, facilitating a “Mumbai for BJP, Kalyan for Shinde” power-sharing formula. The compromise marks a complete role reversal between the BJP and the Shiv Sena. Both the political parties were in alliance with each other for over 25 years before 2017 civic polls. Back then the BJP used to get the post of Deputy Mayor while the Shiv Sena always enjoyed the mayor’s position. In 2017 a surging BJP (82 seats) had paused its aggression to support the undivided Shiv Sena (84 seats), preferring to be out of power in the Corporation to keep the saffron alliance intact. Today, the numbers dictate a different reality. In the recently concluded elections BJP emerged as the single largest party in Mumbai with 89 seats, while the Shinde faction secured 29. Although the Shinde faction acted as the “kingmaker”—pushing the alliance past the majority mark of 114—the sheer numerical gap made their claim to the mayor’s post untenable in the long run. KDMC Factor The catalyst for this truce lies 40 kilometers north of Mumbai in Kalyan-Dombivali, a region considered the impregnable fortress of Eknath Shinde and his son, MP Shrikant Shinde. While the BJP performed exceptionally well in KDMC, winning 50 seats compared to the Shinde faction’s 53, the lotter for the reservation of mayor’s post in KDMC turned the tables decisively in favor of Shiv Sena there. In the lottery, the KDMC mayor’ post went to be reserved for the Scheduled Tribe candidate. The BJP doesn’t have any such candidate among elected corporatros in KDMC. This cleared the way for Shiv Sena. Also, the Shiv Sena tied hands with the MNS in the corporation effectively weakening the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s alliance with them. Party insiders suggest that once it became clear the BJP would not pursue the KDMC Mayor’s chair—effectively acknowledging it as Shinde’s fiefdom—he agreed to scale down his demands in the capital. “We have practically no hope of installing a BJP Mayor in Kalyan-Dombivali without shattering the alliance locally,” a Mumbai BJP secretary admitted and added, “Letting the KDMC become Shinde’s home turf is the price for securing the Mumbai Mayor’s bungalow for a BJP corporator for the first time in history.” The formal elections for the Mayoral posts are scheduled for later this month. While the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA)—led by the Shiv Sena (UBT)—has vowed to field candidates, the arithmetic heavily favors the ruling alliance. For Eknath Shinde, accepting the Deputy Mayor’s post in Mumbai is a tactical retreat. It allows him to consolidate his power in the MMR belt (Thane and Kalyan) while remaining a partner in Mumbai’s governance. For the BJP, this is a crowning moment; after playing second fiddle in the BMC for decades, they are poised to finally install their own “First Citizen” of Mumbai.

From Abundance to Waste: India’s Food Paradox

Chaitra, the first month of the Hindu calendar, falls between March and April. It marks the arrival of spring in India. The season brings renewal and fresh energy. Flowers bloom, fruits ripen, and nature flourishes. These are seen as signs of growth, prosperity, and spiritual richness. This day and month hold a deep significance for farmers also, as it marks the beginning of the season for crop harvest. Such harvest festivals and seasons are a vibrant ode to the land, marking gratitude for nature’s abundance and celebrating our country’s deep agricultural roots.


Unfortunately, in countries like India, food thus harvested is subjected to huge losses and wastage through the food supply chains, even before it finally reaches the platter of retail consumers like you and me. Food loss could be due to managerial and technical limitations, such as a lack of proper storage facilities, cold chain, proper food handling practices, poor and inadequate infrastructure, packaging, or inefficient marketing systems.


Food waste refers to the removal of food from the food supply chain which is still fit for human consumption. This happens either by choice or after the food is spoiled or expired due to poor stock management or neglect. Food waste typically—but not exclusively—happens at the retail and consumer levels, whereas food loss takes place at the earlier stages of the food supply chain – during production, post-harvest, and processing stages.


The food supply chain begins with farmers and producers who are the backbone of the system. Indian farmers, often small-scale, produce a variety of crops like rice, wheat, pulses, fruits, and vegetables. They are responsible for the first stage of the supply chain—growing the food that eventually reaches our plates. After the food is harvested, it is further marketed through a chain of intermediaries before it reaches the consumers.


India has both traditional markets, like street vendors and small shops, and modern retail outlets, including supermarkets and e-commerce platforms, which sell processed and fresh foods. This retail network is vast, catering to millions of customers daily. However, the distribution and processing stage also highlights one of the major issues—that is, food wastage. Due to insufficient storage facilities, particularly cold chains, a significant amount of food gets spoilt even before it reaches consumers. Solving this issue is crucial for improving the efficiency of the food supply chain.


It is estimated that of the total quantity of food produced in India, 40% is wasted due to an inefficient food supply chain. This is especially true for perishable goods like fruits and vegetables, which require proper handling and refrigeration to remain fresh.


Apart from inefficiencies, issues like global warming and subsequent changes in the climate are also having an adverse impact on the food supply chain. We all know very well that Indian agriculture is very much dependent upon the monsoon. In the last few decades, we are observing bizarre and erratic changes in rainfall patterns, owing to climate change. This has a devastating impact on food production.


Additionally, natural calamities such as unseasonal heavy rains, hailstorms, flash floods, and droughts—mostly associated with climate change—are taking a heavy toll on food production.


On this background, don’t you think and feel that we should use food that finally reaches our platters more wisely? More about this, in my next article. Till then, have a good weekend.


(The author is an environmentalist. Views personal.)

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