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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Modi’s ‘Melody’ diplomacy stuns the world

Overjoyed investors buy shares of a wrong company after the PM’s gift Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday gifting his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni 'Melody' toffees, reviving the light-hearted "Melodi" wordplay associated with the two leaders on social media. Meloni thanked Modi and shared a video on the social media in which she could be heard saying, “Prime Minister Modi brought as a gift, a very, very good toffee - Melody.” Modi, who was also seen in the video, burst...

Modi’s ‘Melody’ diplomacy stuns the world

Overjoyed investors buy shares of a wrong company after the PM’s gift Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday gifting his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni 'Melody' toffees, reviving the light-hearted "Melodi" wordplay associated with the two leaders on social media. Meloni thanked Modi and shared a video on the social media in which she could be heard saying, “Prime Minister Modi brought as a gift, a very, very good toffee - Melody.” Modi, who was also seen in the video, burst into laughter as Meloni jokingly referred to the "Melody" toffee while showcasing the gift. The hashtag "Melodi", a blend of Modi and Meloni's names, was coined by the Italian prime minister during the COP28 in Dubai in 2023 and later went viral on social media following the warm interactions between the two leaders at global events. Modi, who arrived in Rome on Tuesday, is on the final leg of his five-nation tour to the UAE, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy from May 15-20. Modi’s gift not only floored the social media, but also earned gushing gratitude from the manufacturer of the sweet candy, Parle Products, in Vile Parle, Mumbai. “Thank You. Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for taking Parle Melody to the global stage. A proud moment for all of us at Parle Products to see an Indian favourite being shared across borders,” said a social media post from @ParleFamily, a 97-year-old company. Parle Products describes Melody: “Parle Melody brings to you an irresistible layer of caramel on the outside & a delightful chocolate filling inside. Open & pop it in your mouth & relish the unique experience. It won't be too long before you start asking yourself the age-old question "Melody Itni Chocolaty Kyun Hai?”.” Cong Attacks Modi Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several other Congress leaders also attacked Modi saying he continues his PR even when the economy is suffering. However, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal hit back at Gandhi, accusing him of "hating India" and refusing to tolerate the "global respect" the country has garnered under Modi's leadership. Gandhi, who is on a visit to his constituency Raebareli and Amethi, said on X, "This isn't leadership, it's a gimmick." At a time farmers, labourers, traders and others in the country are all in tears, the prime minister is laughing and making reels while BJP folks are clapping along, the former Congress president said in his post in Hindi. "An economic storm is raging over our heads, and our prime minister is busy handing out candies in Italy!" he said. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge attacked Modi over issues of "rising" prices, unemployment, paper leaks, "dampening" investment and "sinking" Rupee, saying the prime minister continues his PR even as the economy is suffering. Shares turn sweet but the company was mistaken Shares of Parle Industries Ltd saw frenzied buying on Wednesday, surging five per cent to hit the upper circuit limit after Meloni posted the video. Investors wasted no time and flocked to the counter to buy the stock. Shares of the firm jumped to Rs 5.25 - the highest trading permissible limit for the day - on the BSE. On volume terms, 8.57 lakh shares of the firm were traded on the BSE during the day. But, there is a catch! Investors mistook Parle Industries for the maker of Melody toffees. Parle Products, the FMCG major, is the manufacturer of Melody toffees and is not listed on the stock exchanges. Parle Industries Ltd is a diversified commercial services provider, engaged in the business of infrastructure & real estate, and paper, waste paper and allied products. The history of swadeshi toffee is entwined with the country’s Independence and the company, House of Parle was founded in 1928 by Mohanlal Dayal Chauhan, a tailor from Pardi near Valsad, then part of the Bombay Province. As the country was flooded with imported sweets and confectionery, he decided to give it a ‘desi’ touch and flavour, and with a band of 12 workers, he launched the Parle products from a musty old warehouse near Vile Parle east station, when large parts areas of Vile Parle west were still marshes dotted with a few old bungalows and chawls. Later, he visited Germany to master the art of confectionery and returned with machinery worth Rs 60,000 to churn out simple sweets, toffees and locally flavoured Indian confections at affordable prices – willy-nilly challenging the imported British offerings. It was in 1983 that the chocolate Melody toffee. -WITH PTI

Giving Plastic a Second Life: From Hazard to Resource

Instead of letting plastic waste reach landfills, we recycled it into reusable materials, turning a hazard into a resource for the circular economy.

In my earlier article, I shared how our biomedical waste facility in Thane grew from humble beginnings into a recognised, multi-district service network. But the journey was about more than just machines and compliance. Alongside building a state-of-the-art treatment centre, we transformed the surrounding debris-strewn land into a thriving green space—what would become Ankur Theme Park. This initiative turned barren soil into a living classroom, where students, citizens, and environmental enthusiasts could learn directly from nature, explore innovative waste management techniques, and witness sustainable practices in action.

Our commitment to sustainability extended from greening the land to managing hospital waste responsibly, particularly medical-grade plastics that could be recycled rather than discarded.”

Recognising their potential, what began as a simple need to manage waste responsibly evolved into a full-fledged journey: setting up recycling units, upgrading facilities, and navigating regulatory and operational challenges over the years.

Various plastic items or devices used in hospitals during treatment are made from high-quality, medical-grade plastics, including polycarbonates, polypropylene, and polyethylene. Generally, these are collected and transported in red-coloured bags to the common facility and sent to the landfills after proper treatment. This results in the loss of precious resources. This plastic can be recycled and reused following a circular economy path.

When we realised the importance of this plastic, we started our own plastic waste recycling unit in Murbad MIDC after obtaining all the necessary permissions and authorisations from the concerned authorities. Our team used to disinfect plastic waste received in red bags from the hospitals in an autoclave. Such disinfected plastic was then shredded into pieces in a mechanical shredder.

These pieces were then stored in gunny bags and transported to our own recycling unit. For operating this plant, we had employed a few people from the Murbad tribal area. After the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, came into force, operators were allowed to collect biomedical waste from hospitals within a 75 km radius. New facilities were subsequently established in Vasai-Virar and other areas.

By 2013, we wanted to replace our incinerator, as it had almost reached the end of its life. We wanted to buy a new machine with modern technology. As per the rules, we now needed a bigger place for the installation of new machines. We applied to the concerned authorities in Thane Municipal Corporation for a suitable plot and to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board for authorisation to install new machines, particularly the incinerator.

As per the law, the Thane Municipal Corporation was responsible for providing suitable land. We were allotted a plot of about three acres in size in Daighar, near the ShilPhata area. All paperwork was done. We got the land in our possession and started planning for erecting the required infrastructure on that plot. We hired an architect and started working on it. However, one fine day, suddenly, we were asked to surrender the plot, as the said plot is to be allotted to a company for their highly ambitious waste-to-energy project. We were stunned and unsure how to proceed.

Then the 2019-2020 coronavirus pandemic struck humanity all over the world. The number of patients admitted to hospitals due to coronavirus infection started growing. In that proportion, the volume of infectious waste also started growing. This waste comprised of personal protective robes, gowns, masks, and other disposables, which were extremely hazardous.

Our workload increased manifold, as this was in addition to our regular workload. All our workers did an amazing job working almost around the clock to make sure that the waste was properly treated. To our surprise, none of our workers caught the coronavirus infection.

By the time the pandemic was over, we received a notice from MPCB asking us to stop the work in this facility because we were not taking any measures to upgrade our systems. We pleaded that unless TMC provides us with suitable land as required by the law, we cannot upgrade our system.

MPCB and TMC went on tossing the ball in each other’s courts, and finally, in 2022, with heavy hearts, we were compelled to close down our facility.


(The author is an environmentalist. Views personal.)

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