Prof. Vikas Mathkari

Unprecedented and an unmanageable pace of growth means the next four years will go a long way in deciding the future of our city! Over the last few years we have mostly experienced the good side of growth, next few, if we don’t pay attention to will certainly expose us to the ugly side of it…

For many amongst us I am sure, situation is already ugly with traffic congestion, increasing crime rate etc. Today, Pune needs a leadership with a pragmatic vision…and more importantly with an ability to execute that vision!

Over the last five years, as a cooperator and an opposition leader in PMC, I have tried to bring up and fight for every problem that bothers the common man. While working for various developmental issues, I could clearly see two problems with the current elected political leadership – MLA’s and MP in areas such as Shivajinagar, Kothrud etc. One this urban leadership had no or very limited expertise, so to speak, in handling urban problems. Two, the single most dominant trait exhibited by office bearers, was a consistent opportunistic approach. Both have been equally responsible for erosion of this once healthy town. Therefore, I strongly believe, that this election is an opportunity for voters to bring about the much needed change in leadership.

The vision-less leadership always prompted me to research the urban problems in depth before fighting for the same. I have been putting up my research, thoughts on the developmental paradigm required for Pune over the last decade at various platforms. My views and plan for the city and my constituency are in public domain for both scrutiny and suggestions.

With the elections at this point, I felt that there was a need to come forward and take up a larger leadership to first off have and then implement a better vision for the city. I was more than happy when my party, well wishers and above all people in Shivajinagar extended an overwhelming support to my candidature as an MLA.
Today, as a candidate for MLA from Shivajinagar constituency, I appeal to all citizens to come out and vote for a leadership that has a vision for our city, that has always sought and will continue to seek participation from you in articulating and implementing the developmental plan for Pune.

I sincerely believe that this elections is an opportunity for all of us to give Pune that much needed change from a non-performing, promises only leadership to one with a pragmatic vision and honest character. This is my appeal to all you knowledgeable citizens to vote for BJP and allow me an opportunity to nurture our constituency for better future.

Website www.VikasMathkari.com inaugurated at the auspicious hands of Shri L. K. Advani on 19th July 2009

Suspend all talks with Pak: Advani

Criticises Centre For ‘Compromising’ India’s Stance In Talks With The Neighbour

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Pune: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Lal Krishna Advani said here on Sunday that the Indian government has ended up helping Pakistan to project itself as a victim of India-sponsored terrorism by way of allowing Pakistan to mention Baluchistan in a formal India-Pakistan statement. 
“For the first time in the history of India’s diplomatic engagement with Pakistan, the Indian side has allowed Pakistan to mention Baluchistan in a formal statement and that too in such a way that India is made to look like the sponsor of terrorism in ‘Baluchistan’ and also ‘in other’ areas,” said Advani. 
“In other words,” Advani said, “the perpetrator of terrorism, which is what Pakistan really is, has succeeded, with the Indian government’s help, to project itself a victim of India-sponsored terrorism.” 
Advani was addressing a function jointly organised by the Pune Vikas Foundation and Vyaktivedh for the release of the Marathi edition of his autobiography ‘My Country, My Life’. The book was released at the hands of educationist S B Mujumdar. Spiritual head of Sadhu Vaswani Mission Dada J P Vaswani and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) organisers’ (pracharak) chief Madan Das Devi were guests of honour.
Advani described the government’s latest stand on agreeing for a composite dialogue with Pakistan on ‘all outstanding issues’, as a diplomatic capitulation. “How can the government reconcile such stance with its previous position that Pakistan must bring the Pak-based masterminds of the 26/11 terror attacks on Mumbai to book before any meaningful dialogue?” he wondered. 
The latest Indo-Pak joint statement was a climb down on the part of the Indian government from its own oft-stated position that “action on terrorism should not be linked to the composite dialogue process and these should not be bracketed,” Advani said. 
He wondered what big change had occurred over the last seven months since the terror attacks on Mumbai for the Indian government to shift its position. “The attacks were no ordinary incident. For three successive days, people across India felt like the country itself was under attack.” 
Advani said that cross-border terrorism had always been the biggest concern for India and that, this was also the key issue on which the talks in Agra between the then Prime Minister A B Vajpayee and then Pakistan president Gen Pervez Musharraf could not proceed to a meaningful result. “Pakistan’s insistence that elements sponsoring terrorism in India were freedom fighters from Jammu and Kashmir, was a key impediment in the Agra talks going further,” he added. 
Advani went on to demand that India must suspend all official talks with Pakistan, including secretary-level talks, until the country gets credible proof that the government of Pakistan has taken necessary action against the masterminds of the terror attack on Mumbai. 
He also demanded that the Indian government must seek the extradition of all those involved in such cross-border activities in the country, besides insisting on a time-bound dismantling of the entire anti-India terrorist infrastructure based in Pakistan. 
Advani said, “We have admission from no less a person than Pakistan’s president Asif Ali Zardari, who stated two weeks ago that terrorists were created and nurtured in his country in order to achieve some short-term tactical objectives.”