Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Pic/Anurag Ahire

I'm all eyes

A child accompanied by family marvels at the world outside a balcony in a building in Grant Road.

Cube champions

Ethan and Annie Singh with the artwork

For Mira Road-based teenagers and siblings Ethan and Annie Singh, solving the Rubik's Cube, or hundreds of them for that matter, is all in a day's work. The duo assembled a mosaic artwork comprising 399 cubes to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the popular Rubik's Cube on Sunday. "It began as an experiment with nine cubes in 2023 to make national flags. Soon, I realised that they needed a bigger canvas," recalled their mother Zeenie Singh, an enthusiast. Each artwork is assembled in a 19x21 grid, and takes the duo only two hours to assemble. "The handy puzzles have given us many moments of shared joy. The latest artwork is a tribute to Ernő Rubik, the creator of the original Rubik's Cube," she shared.

Critical actions

Siddhesh Gautam's illustration

Visual essayist Siddhesh Gautam's latest illustration is part of a new project, Critical Zones that aims to spread awareness and safeguard critical zones. "Climate justice cannot be talked about without talking about social justice. Going ahead, there will be intersections of caste and critical zones. This project will feature podcasts, newsletters, blogs, and videos that highlight the need to protect them," he revealed to this diarist. In this illustration, a man holds up a mirror to show a reflection of the zones, and our responsibilities towards them.

The 100-year club

Sheila Gomes casts her vote; (right) celebrates her birthday. PIC/KIRTI SURVE PARADE

Amid reports of delays and glitches at polling centres across the city on Monday, two centenarians from the city offered us a glimmer of hope. For 100-year-old Byculla resident Sheila Gomes, her 100th birthday celebrations were a day before Mumbai voted. "The experience was smooth and the personnel at the centre were friendly. When you have all the help at hand, you must reciprocate by playing your part. You can do it," shared Gomes over a short call.

Rampati Sharma flaunts her inked finger

"She hasn't missed a single general or state election in her lifetime," revealed her son, Christopher Gomes. In Andheri, 107-year-old Rampati Devi Sharma exercised her right to vote from her residence on May 12. Her daughter-in-law Rita Sharma told us, "She has always been an opinionated, vocal, and fearless woman. She spent a good part working for women empowerment in Ludhiana, which is her hometown. While she can't speak very clearly now, she often reminds us how Indira Gandhi, her favourite Prime Minister, would have been as old as her today."

Building an equal workplace

A moment from the previous edition

City-based queer rights group The Humsafar Trust has its eyes set on making workplaces a shade better for members of the LGBTQiA+ community. The third edition of Saksham, a job fair, will introduce candidates from the community to verified employers late next month.

"Many workplaces are not equipped to be sensitive and inclusive towards the queer community. We review and suggest changes to the internal policies of such companies as a part of the initiative. Once verified, we match candidates with the recruiters," revealed Suditi Srinivasan (above), advocacy officer at the trust. Those interested, can log on to @thehumsafartrustofficial.

Sea and read

Participants interact at the event

The Mumbai Readers' Mixer is everything you'd expect from a book club. Everything, that is, except books. The group's second meet-up last weekend witnessed readers hop onto a luxury yacht in Colaba for a sundowner session on the. "Readers often like to hang out with other like-minded individuals even when they're not reading. As the sailing season was coming to an end, we thought a yacht would be the perfect choice," revealed Abhimanyu Lodha, founder, adding that the evening featured an ice-breaking session, games, and book recommendations. As for the reading part, that continues to be the focus at Lodha's other venture, Bandra Reads. Those interested, can log on to @mumbaireadersmixer for details.