Ulhasnagar
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| ?Ulhasnagar Maharashtra • India |
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| Coordinates: | |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area • Elevation |
• 19 m (62 ft) |
| District(s) | Thane |
| Population | 472,943 (2001) |
| Codes • Pincode • Telephone • Vehicle |
• 421001-5 • +STD code 0251 • MH-05 |
| Website: www.umc.gov.in | |
Coordinates: ULHASNAGAR (Hindi/Marathi : उल्हासनगर) is a city located on coast of the West India, approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles) northeast of the City of Mumbai (Bombay), in the Thane district in the state of Maharashtra. Ulhasnagar, also referred as Sindhunagar , has an estimated population of 472,943 people (2001).[1] The name derives from the Ulhas river which flows through it.
Over the years, the city has grown a reputation for lawlessness, and is known for its gang warfare; it is said that "There was a time when there would be a killing in Ulhasnagar every Tuesday."[2] While its image has improved in recent times, it remains one of the cities that has continuously sent a gangster to the legislature; don Pappu Kalani has won four state elections here, two of them while he was in jail on charges including several murders.[3]
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[edit] Geography and Demographics
Ulhasnagar is located at .[4] It has an average elevation of 19 metres (62 feet).
As of 2001 India census,[5] Ulhasnagar had a population of 472,943. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Ulhasnagar has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 80%, and female literacy is 70%. In Ulhasnagar, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.
[edit] History
After the partition of India, over 100,000 Sindhi speaking refugees from the newly created West Pakistan were relocated to deserted military camps five kilometers from Kalyan. The area was converted into a township in 1949, and named Ulhasnagar by the then Governor-general of India, C. Rajagopalachari (literally 'city of joy'; ulhas=joy; nagar=city).
A suburban railway station was built in 1955. Five years later in January 1960 Ulhasnagar Municipality was formed, with Arjun K. Ballani as first chief, and a municipal council was nominated. In 1965, elections to this council were held for the first time. Now this 22 square kilometer area has 350,000 people of Sindhi descent, the largest enclave of this ethnic group in India. The town lies outside Mumbai city but within the Mumbai Conurbation.
The Sindhi community flourished as a business group, though it became well known for duplicate products, often on the borders of legality: for a good part of the 70s and 80s ‘Made in USA’ meant ‘Made in Ulhasnagar Sindhi Association’. While this helped the local businesses flourish for a while, the city was seen as nothing more than a counterfeiters’ paradise and soon the rot set in. Illegal construction, unauthorized industrial units and high levels of pollution, all began to plague the town.[6]
Business grew, and the Ulhasnagar turnover was estimated at Rs. 1,000 crores (US$ 200 million) in 1995. The duplicate goods image gradually wore off, but the lawlessness continued, particularly in illegal construction, unauthorized industrial units, and high levels of pollution. Consequently, politicians started to charge money to look the other way, and by 1999, each corpora tor in the municipality was said to be making 5 to ten lakhs in "protection money".[7]
[edit] Gang Wars
In such an atmosphere, musclepower and organized crime also emerged, often under political patronage. The president of the local unit of Indian National Congress, Dudhichand Kalani, and his brother Keemat Kalani, who ran a number of liquor distilleries, employed a gang headed by Chiman Tejwani,[6] while the opposing parties, under politician Gop Behrani, employed the services of Govind Vachani and Gopal Rajwani. It is reported that both gangs were connected to the Dawood Ibrahim gang. Use was also made of the media, and hush money were regularly paid to journalists.[7] Violence flared up occasionally, and a journalist was hacked to death in August 1983.
In April 1989, Dudhichand Kalani was murdered, allegedly by the Vachani gang. This led to reprisal killings - as many as 22 murders in five months.[6] A figure that emerged in this gang warfare was Pappu Kalani, the nephew of Dudhichand, who soon took over the Tejwani gang. Pappu Kalani joined the Indian National Congress, while rival gangster Gopal Rajwani joined the Shiv Sena. In April 1985, Pappu Kalani had Gopal arrested in an extortion case,[8] and Rajwani eventually jumped bail and went to Dubai under Dawood Ibrahim's protection.
In 1986, Pappu Kalani was elected president of the Ulhasnagar Municipal Council (UMC), and the same year, Ulhasnagar elected him to the state legislature as a candidate of the Indian National Congress.
In February and April 1990, nephews of Gop Behrani, Ghanashyam and Inder Bhateja were shot dead, despite having been given state police protection.[9] In 1992, when the political winds changed, Pappu Kalani was arrested for these murders and in eight other cases, and he was jailed under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA). He spent nine years in jail. However, since he has not been sentenced to more than two years for any crime by a court, he was free to fight elections. Thus, despite being in jail, he kept winning the assembly seat from Ulhasnagar.
Meanwhile, in January 2000, arch rival Gopal Rajwani was shot dead in a hail of bullets as he was coming out of a car at the magistrate's court to attend a case.[8]
[edit] Politics
In 2004, Pappu Kalani again won the assembly elections, as a candidate of the Republican Party of India (Athavale).[2]
In 2005, the Bombay High Court ordered the demolition of 855 illegal structures, Pappu Kalani, whose livelihood depended on permitting illegal constructions, passed a law permitting most of them to be legalized.[10]
In the municipal elections of 2007, despite very little electioneering by opposing groups, Pappu Kalani's group mustered only 15 seats (out of 76) in the election, and it is thought that the influence of musclepower may have waned considerably in Ulhasnagar.[11]
[edit] Places to Visit
The city is served by 5 pincodes 421001 to 421005 and these sections are referred to as camps 1 to 5 by the local residents.
There are interesting places to visit in Ulhasnagar like temples, gardens and shopping areas. Camp 2 and 3 have areas marked for local shopping. Ulhasnagar is a good place to bargain and get good deals on clothes, furniture & electronics.
There city also has gardens and parks like Gol Maidan, Sapna Garden, Netaji Garden etc. The biggest one is Gol Maidan (Gol means Circle) which has rides for children, cricket ground, jogging track, and also some yoga and meditation centers.
There are various famous temples and landmarks in and around Ulhasnagar like Saint Satram Dham, Swami Shanti Prakash Temple,Nutan Nagar, Swami Shanti Prakash Chowk, Statue of Swami Shanti Prakash, Puj Jhulelal Mandir - Temple (Jhulelal is God of water worshiped by Sindhis).
[edit] Shopping
Ulhasnagar is famous for its products, be it clothes or furniture or electronics or jewellery. Earlier it was infamous for being a smuggler's haven and duplicate item sales but this has changed in the recent past. Today people from Mumbai or Thane come to Ulhasnagar for shopping. Bargaining is the mantra and one can get some of the best deals around in wholesale or retail.
There is a famous saying "The person who can trade in Ulhasnagar, can trade in any part of this world". Goods are exported throughout the nation and some parts of world.
[edit] Transport
One can reach Ulhasnagar by road or railway. By using Mumbai suburban railway (Central branch) one can reach Ulhasnagar by alighting at either of Kalyan and Shahad station which are near camp 1 and 2 or Ulhasnagar and Vithalwadi stations which are close to rest of the camps. The city is serviced by autorickshaw for travel from Mumbai and Thane as well as intra city transport.
[edit] References
- ^ Mumbai Councils
- ^ a b Dionne Bunsha. "The States: Dons in a new role", The Hindu, 2004-12-17. Retrieved on 2007-05-24.
- ^ Tanushree Chakraborty. "Pappu Kalani is free: bluster intact, not his base", Indian Express, September 6, 2001. Retrieved on 2007-05-24.
- ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Ulhasnagar
- ^ Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns. (Provisional). Census Commission of India. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
- ^ a b c Girish Kuber. "Pappu's Ulhasnagar gambit may backfire", Economic Times, 2007-01-09. Retrieved on 2007-05-24.
- ^ a b Yogesh Pawar. "Three Ps rule Ulhas: Pelf, Politicians & Pappu", Indian Express, 1999-03-03. Retrieved on 2007-05-24.
- ^ a b Jake Khan, Ulhasnagar. "Sena leader Gopal Rajwani shot dead", Ulhasnagar: India Abroad, 2000-01-25. Retrieved on 2007-05-27.
- ^ "Tada charges against Kalani dropped in Bhateja murders", Indian Express, 1999-10-28. Retrieved on 2007-05-24.
- ^ Pappu Kalani: Hero of Ulhasnagar (December 28, 2005). Retrieved on 2007-05-24.
- ^ "Beginning of the end for Kalanis?", Indian Express, 2007-02-09. Retrieved on 2007-05-24.
[edit] External links
- First online reference to Ulhasnagar
- Ulhasnagar Online Business Directory
- Very Informative site for Ulhasnagar
- Ulhasnagar on WikiMapia
- Ulhasnagar Maps
| Ulhasnagar | ||||
| Next station south: Ambarnath |
Mumbai suburban railway : Central Railway | Next station north: Vithalwadi |
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| Stop No: 25 | KM from starting: 58 | Platforms: 2 | ||
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| Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus • Masjid • Sandhurst Road • Byculla • Chinchpokli • Currey Road • Parel • Dadar • Matunga • Sion • Kurla • Vidyavihar • Ghatkopar • Vikhroli • Kanjurmarg • Bhandup • Nahur • Mulund • Thane |
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