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"We had the better opportunities and clear openings.
"The game ebbed and flowed, it was a tough game for both teams."
A video of Parliament posted on Facebook by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lawmaker Bhagwant Mann led to uproar in both Houses on Friday and triggered calls from the security establishment for a prompt overhaul of safety measures.
Mann, a popular stand-up comedian, furnished an unconditional apology but experts say the damage has been done as the breach committed by the Punjab MP is “serious in nature” and a revamp of security is needed immediately to ensure there are no loopholes.
Officials referred to the 2001 suicide attack on Parliament that killed nine people and led to strengthening of security with better-trained personnel, sophisticated arms, new detector gadgets, sniffer dogs and armoured patrolling vehicles.
The terrorists failed to enter the main building as they could not find the way in.
“One irresponsible act by an MP has exposed the security apparatus. With fears of security being compromised the entire mechanism needs to be upgraded now,” said a government official.
Sources say the under vehicle scanning system (UVSS), positioning of quick reaction teams, the system for radio frequency identification tags (RFID) that allows swift access for cars of parliamentarians need advancement.
The UVSS delivers the full picture of a vehicle’s entire length and width while the RFID identifies and tracks tags attached to objects and individuals.
The issue has given AAP’s rivals ammunition to attack the party ahead of next year’s Punjab polls where it has emerged as a strong contender and a threat to the ruling SAD-BJP combine.
Mann showed in the video the different tiers of checks a car with an “MP” tag passes through at various points, right up to the main entrance of the building.
While those in the security establishment grapple to make quick changes, the issue sparked angry disruptions in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Friday. Mann tendered an apology even as his party rallied behind him.
The AAP accused the BJP of creating hype over a “non-issue” to deflect attention from attacks on Dalits in Gujarat.
The lawmaker toned down his stand from a day earlier when he said he will repeat his filming act as it was in public interest.
“I have tendered an unconditional apology to the Speaker over the video. My intention was not to compromise the security of Parliament,” he said.
However, the Speaker, who saw it as grave misconduct, was not impressed by his apology as she felt it was not enough.
“Mann’s action is seen as violative of two specific rules of Parliament rules — 334(A) which 'prohibits advance publicity' and 352 which says 'inter alia video/tape recording should not be done',” Sumitra Mahajan said.
The Speaker added that she would have not hesitated in taking swift action if the matter was related to proceedings inside the House, but since it is a matter pertaining to the Parliament complex, she needed to consult political parties for appropriate steps.
The fiasco over the video is expected to initiate action on an earlier report that found gaps in Parliament security.
Two years ago, the Speaker had set up a committee headed by former Union Home Secretary and MP from Bihar RK Singh to look into the security of the Parliament complex.
The committee had Satyapal Singh, MP from Uttar Pradesh and former Mumbai Police Commissioner, and Harish Chandra Meena, MP from Rajasthan and formerly the state’s DGP, as its members.
According to the panel’s report nearly 100 of the 450 CCTV cam eras were not functioning, apart from other shortcomings.
The findings, submitted to Mahajan with a copy marked to the Home Ministry, had suggested enhanced security at 12 gates in the Parliament complex.
MONTROSE, Pa.—Since his days as a New York City Council Member in 2008, New York State Sen. Tony Avella has fought vigorously to ban hydraulic fracturing in New York State.
He has called it the most serious environmental issue the state has faced in 100 years. The Marcellus Shale, which overlaps with New York City’s watershed, holds vast natural gas reserves. A moratorium on the practice is in its 5th year.
Avella will continue his fight in the Senate at least another year, after dropping his run for Queens Borough President on Aug. 14. The Senator, who refused to take campaign contributions from lobbyists or developers, could not keep up with opponents Peter Vallone, Jr., and Melinda Katz, who had over three times more m...
While the move surprised many in political circles, Avella said his constituents, unions, as well as good government groups were leery of him leaving his post in the Senate. As Queens Borough President, the job would mostly deal with land use development, and his powers would largely be limited to issues in the borough...
Staying in the Senate will give him more time to pursue the nine Senate bills related to fracking with his name on it, ranging from a ban, to worker safety, to waste disposal.
With his schedule freed up from campaign events, Avella was finally able to drive to Susquehanna County, Pa., the home of Montrose and Dimock Township where fracking has already occurred, and where some residents are saying the practice has harmed their water supply. It was a trip he had tried to make for most of this ...
“There is nothing like seeing it firsthand and getting someone to tell you how bad it is,” Avella said on Aug. 28.
Despite having never stepped foot on a fracking field, the senator has been one of the most outspoken critics of fracking in the legislature.
Despite having never seen fracking firsthand, Avella is well versed on the issue, having hosted two Senate Democratic Conference Public Forums in 2012 in which scientists, medical professionals, and economic experts testified. In addition, he has met with industry representatives to discuss his concerns.
The trip to Pa. allowed him to put a face on the data he had been studying for years.
The tour was hosted by Craig Stevens, a 6th generation land owner in Silver Lake Township, and Vera Scroggins, a local activist. Both are vigorous opponents of fracking, but with good reason. Each of them watched their home turn from a quiet sleepy town with picturesque landscapes, to the epicenter of an industrial mov...
Avella does not want to see the same fate befall upstate New York.
New York State is currently reviewing regulations designed to keep water contamination from fracking from hitting the water supply, but Avella has been a staunch proponent of an all-out ban.
On the tour Avella met Ray Kemble, a Dimock Township resident whose tap water supply was ruined weeks after a well was fracked near his home. Kemble, who has no gas drilling on his property and therefore receives no monetary benefit from fracking, has water brought in from outside to drink and shower with.
Kemble turned on the water from his well, pouring it into a jug. The water appeared clear, however a strong odor and bubbles could be seen.
The EPA ran tests on Kemble’s water and ruled it safe for consumption, however Kemble says the tests were done two years ago. Kemble also says he offered the EPA agents a glass of his water they had ruled safe, but the EPA agents refused to drink it.
For Avella, the trip provided context for a story he has long been familiar with: what a compressor station sounds like; how close the drilling pads are to the homes; how much truck traffic the two-lane roads experience; what it is like to be followed by oil and gas company security teams; what exasperated residents wh...
The trip didn’t change his mind—it only made his convictions stronger.
Over the past few months, we have been revisiting the origins of some of the most illustrious empires in India and retracing their family trees.
Most of these families were intertwined with the struggle for independence and the idealistic fervour of nation-building. And today we will narrate the story of yet another empire with roots that run deep and can be traced all the way back to pre-independence India.
Yes, we are talking about the Wadia family.
But before we delve deep into that story, here is an interesting bit of trivia.
Neville Wadia, one of the Wadia scions married Dina Jinnah, the only daughter of Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Rattanbai Petit.
Nusli, the son of Neville and Dina, now helms the Wadia Group of companies. The Wadia family has traditionally had stakes in three main realms. Textiles, shipping, and jewelry. But the company has expanded to include a lot more and we will talk about all of it in a short while.
As we have been saying every week, in most of the companies founded before independence, the descendants contributed not just to business but to community building as well. The Wadias were no exception and many generations have gone on to play varied roles and made their contributions as entrepreneurs, doctors, scholar...
In popular culture, the Wadias are most remembered for creating the glamorous ad campaigns associated with their flagship brand Bombay Dyeing starring Karan Kapoor. And also with famous model turned actors like John Abraham, Dino Morea and Lara Dutta who won the famous model hunt organised by Gladrags, a magazine start...
It is crucial to understand that the fight for freedom as well as the subsequent activities of nation building were spun out of the combined efforts of multiple communities in India. The Parsis in India were one such community who lent their entrepreneurship skills to the development of the country. Families like the W...
A family that has nourished various aspects of integrated Indian existence for over 250 years is that of the Wadias.
More than a hundred and thirty eight years ago, a certain Nowrosjee Wadia began dreaming of an empire that would become synonymous with national identity and global relevance. Bombay Dyeing has of course today realised that dream and is one of the most easily recognised brands in India. Bombay Dyeing also happens to be...
The Company has expanded over the years beyond textiles to include Realty Sector, Aviation, Polyester Staple Fibre and Retail.
But even before Nowrosjee Wadia, was Lovji Nusserwanjee Wadia who initiated the Wadia shipbuilding dynasty in 1736. This was of course in congruence with British East India Company. He obtained a contract for building docks and ships in Bombay. While many of the Wadias became inextricable with the history of Mumbai, so...
It would surprise you to know that the lyrics of The Star-Spangled Banner, the national anthem of the United States, were written in 1812 on board a Wadia-built British Navy ship, the HMS Minden. The Bombay dry-dock, the first dry-dock in Asia, was built by Lovji and his brother Sorabji in 1750. Lovji is now known to b...
By the 1840s, the Wadias became a dominant name in the Indian shipbuilding industry and crafted over a hundred warships for Britain. They were also astute enough to build trading networks around the world.
Nowroji Nusserwanji Wadia was born in August 30, 1849 and was the next big game changer in the family.
Educated in England, he utilised his global exposure and engineering smarts by establishing Bombay Dying & Manufacturing Co. in 1879. His trusteeship was vast and expansive and he went on chair many government and educational bodies. To him is attributed the introduction of the kindergarten system of education in India...
His sons Cusrow and Ness expanded the textile empire into the largest textile operation in India, and continued with the family tradition of philanthropy. In the 1920s, Ness established a wireless service, the India Radio and Communication Company, linking India and Britain for the first time.
After independence, the Wadias started exploring business opportunities with chemicals, engineering services, lamination and precision springs.
In 1952, Neville Wadia, the father of present-day chairman Nusli Wadia, joined the business after the demise of his father Ness Wadia. Twenty-five years later, in 1977, Nusli Wadia entered the business.
The Wadia women were no wall flowers either and their philanthropy was far reaching and multi-pronged.
Motlibai Maneckji as a young widow, not only managed the family estate but contributed to various charities. She established many dispensaries as well as the Bai Motlibai Obstetric Hospital.
Jerbai Nusserwanji Wadia was a pioneer of low-cost housing complexes that went on become a symbol of Zarathushti existence. In 1917 she established the Naoroji N. Wadia Building Trust Fund. After she passed, her sons built the Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children in her memory.
Lady Hirabai Cowasji Jehangir opened nursery schools, the Wadia-Vatcha School and the Sir Cowasji Jehangir School in Bombay. She set up the Sir Cowasji Jehangir Rural Home for boys and also for girls. She also established the Cowasji Jehangir Nursing Home in Poona. She promoted the arts and sciences extensively and set...
Dina however remains one of the most memorable figures among the Wadia women. It was in the 1930s that Dina, the only daughter of Mohammed Ali Jinnah confided in him that she was in love with and wanted to marry Neville Wadia. The heir of a well-known, affluent Parsi family from Bombay. Yes, the same one that had built...
The father in question was not at all happy about his daughter's decision and when he suggested to her the possibility of a marriage within the community, she reminded him that he too had married for love. Like his daughter, Jinnah too had chosen a mate from the Parsi community and married Rattanbai "Ruttie" Petit.
The marriage did not last but he had set a precedence and his daughter was not about to let him forget it.
She went on to marry Neville Wadia and did not follow her father to Pakistan post Partition.
She had seen how hasty marriages can crumble and also never forgotten the severe isolation and heartbreak suffered by her mother post the end of her marriage with Jinnah. It is said that as a child Dina was neglected to such an extent in the messy marriage between her parents that nobody remembered to give her a proper...
By marrying Neville on November 16, 1938, who was the only son of Sir Ness and Lady Wadia, Dina claimed love, a family and a name that nobody would ever forget. Unfortunately, her parents' story was repeated with her and despite the birth of two children, the couple separated.
She visited Pakistan only after Jinnah's death in September 1948. In 2004, Dina visited Jinnah's tomb in Karachi, along with son Nusli and two grandchildren. And went on to mentor and support Nusli through a turf battle he fought with his own father Neville. She knew what it was like to stand for what is right even if ...
Here are some more interesting bits of trivia about the Wadias, their trusteeship and their influence on academia, cinema and more.
Among their many activities of trusteeship, the Wadias founded the Nowrosjee Wadia College in Pune.
Lovji Nusserwanjee Wadia's great grandsons, JBH Wadia and Homi Wadia founded Wadia Movietone in 1933. The company had a ship as its logo, honouring their family legacy.
Homi Wadia born in 1911 went on to become film director, screenwriter and producer and married the superstar actress who came to be known as Fearless Nadia.
Bahman Pestonji Wadia , a theosophist and labour activist.
Darashaw Nosherwan Wadia, a geologist.
In 1834, there was another pioneering member of the illustrious family. A man named Ardeshir Cursetji Wadia who was the first to introduce gas to Bombay. He also became the first Indian Fellow of the Royal Society of London in 1841.
Some of the other significant institutions of research and learning are the Ness Wadia College and the College of Technology in Pune, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Neville Wadia Institute of Management Studies and Research (1991) and counting.
Current chairman Nusli Wadia is on the Managing Committee of the Nehru Centre, Mumbai and funds many charitable endeavours.
The Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation (BBTC) .
Bombay Dyeing - Textile company.
Bombay Realty - That handles the land management and development of Wadia Group land ownings.
Go Air – A low cost airline operating from Bombay.
National Peroxide Limited, a hydrogen peroxide manufacturer in India.
We have of course already mentioned the fashion magazine Gladrags and the annual Gladrags Megamodel hunt.
Two of the group’s four publicly traded companies have been listed for over a a century. Bombay Dyeing and Manufacturing Co. Ltd, incidentally has consistently declared a dividend for more than 125 year.
In 2005, the Wadias ventured into the aviation business and launched GoAir, a low-fare airline. The airline today commands a market share of about 10% and operates over 19 aircrafts.
In 2011, the family decided to make use of their 10,000 acres of land and initiated Bombay Realty, a real estate business to develop office spaces, hotels, residences, serviced apartments and public spaces.
Nusli Wadia is still at the helm of the group and a Ness Wadia and Jehangir Wadia (Jeh), Wadia’s sons, are now actively involved in the business though the succession plans are a bit hazy.
Nusli Wadia, has been called many names by the media. A cookies and airline tycoon. A corporate samurai. And has inspired some unauthorised versions of himself in popular cinema as well. He is of course known for his grit and gumption in boardrooms and beyond and for good reason.
Not for him the genteel politeness of keeping family business within family because when challenged, he has fought turf wars with his nearest and dearest ones as well. Including his father Neville Wadia in 1971 when the latter decided unilaterally that he would sell Bombay Dyeing to Kolkata-based industrialist R P Goen...
Nusli was just 26-year-old and his mother's son as far as acting single-mindedly on the promptings of conviction went. Just as Dina had defied a man of Jinnah's stature to choose her path in life, Nusli stood up to his father and refused to buy into this tepid dream of living a cushy live in Switzerland without any fur...
For moral support, Nusli fell back on the insight of his feisty as well as the wisdom of his mentor J R D Tata. To ward off the imminent sale of the flagship company, Nusli painstakingly cornered 11 per cent of the shares and convinced the employees to buy even more shares if they wanted to save a brand they all felt w...
The second big war of his life came in the late 1970s. Bombay Dyeing was still ruling the roost as the biggest textile company in India but another big brand was finding its feet. And it had its origins in what came to be known as the great big 'Polyester War’ of the eighties.
There are reports that multiple politicians and media houses took sides and Wadia faced many challenges including multiple court cases, the confiscation of his passport and even a deportation order. Regardless of all of this though, he has managed to survive and is still right in the fray, doing things his way.
Today Bombay Dyeing though not as invincible as a brand as it once was, continues to grow and the acquisition of Brittania in the nineties proved to be a triumph as well.
Britannia was once controlled by British biscuit giant Huntley and Palmer but then big American cookie conglomerate Nabisco took over. During negotiations for a buy out, they edged out Nusli and instead installed Rajan Pillai as the chairman of Britannia.
A bloodbath followed between Pillai and his French partners Danone and subsequently, Nusli joined hands with Danone as its Indian partner and became the Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Britannia Industries Limited. Since then the company has thrived and according to a report, and we quote, "it has a market capit...

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