Blast victims commemorated

Around 100 people joined the candlelight march organized by Dr. Mansi Jadhav at German Bakery recently to commemorate the victims of the blast which took place two years ago. Cityplus spoke to some of them….

Dr. Mansi Jadhav had organized the candle light march at German bakery to pray for the victims of the bomb blast which happened 2 years back. Her then 5-year old daughter Jija is the youngest survivor of the blast.
Dr. Mansi runs her clinic just above the bakery. She had sent her daughter to buy a cake at the bakery while she was busy attending her patients. She says, "I called my daughter and she came up just 10 minutes before the blast. I felt like the luckiest person on earth for my daughter. She was sitting close to the table which had the unknown bomb bag. I have emotional attachment with this bakery. With my clinic being on the first floor I was of course a regular customer of this bakery. We all are eagerly waiting for the bakery to get started.  And it has been a long wait now."
Many Police constables also lighted the candles which were distributed by Jija. Many residents visited the place to see the present state of the bakery.
 One of the oldest residents of Popular Heights, Leena Choudhary 68 years old says,
"I came here every day. This was the perfect meeting place for all my friends. I have been visiting this place for 15 years and it was a second home for me. When the blast happened, around 100 people called me to confirm that I was ok as I visited this place regularly. I felt very peaceful sitting here. I miss the Aloevera Juice and  apple beet root cake made in the bakery"
 Nirmala Shelar, a maid in one of the Koregaon Park society says, "I came here to fetch something for the people I worked. The atmosphere of this bakery was so pleasant that I loved to come here. Now I am waiting for the bakery to start again."
Snehal Kharuse who is the owner of the German Bakery said, "I am overwhelmed by the love and concern of the people. Around 80 percent of the work is done now. Hopefully the bakery will be reopened in 45 days."

Pune Municipal Corporation Election Results
Koregoan Park, Ward 21-A:
Rajendra Wagaskar, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), won by 5,700 votes
Ward 21-B:
Vanita Wagaskar, MNS, won by 2,500 votes
Viman Nagar, Ward 3-A:
Mahadev Pathatre, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), won by 450 votes
Ward 3-B:
Usha Kalamakar, NCP, won by 1,000 votes

--Jyoti Nalawade