<h2>There are no fences facing</h2>
<p>With fingers holding on to the fence, anxious parents watch the final of the Ahmed Sailor inter-school hockey tournament at the Don Bosco High School ground in Matunga</p>
<h2>The book of her dreams</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jan/Bahadur-book_e.jpg" alt="(From left) Panels from Bahadur&rsquo;s book that was inspired by her mentors, Amin and Sara Sheikh&rsquo;s young son. Illustrations courtesy/Soundarya Gottapu" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>(From left) Panels from Bahadur&rsquo;s book that was inspired by her mentors, Amin and Sara Sheikh&rsquo;s young son. Illustrations courtesy/Soundarya Gottapu</em></strong></p>
<p>Over the last three years, Alumelu Bahadur (below) has been doing more than just overseeing the Little Guru&rsquo;s Nest Preschool and Daycare in <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-residents-force-cops-to-file-fir-in-goregaon-lift-mishap-23611728" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Marol</a>. She has been writing a book. The title, The Boy Who Dreamt of Change, will now be launched at the Bombay to Barcelona Cafe on January 17, and serve to raise funds for the NGO Street Angels Foundation.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jan/Alumelu-Bahadur_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>&ldquo;The caf&eacute;, with Amin and Sara Sheikh, helped me find my feet. I come from a difficult background, and they helped me pursue my passion of teaching. We started the school with a view of teaching kids the value of empathy and kindness. The book was an extension of the effort using the narrative of a story,&rdquo; the 33-year-old author shared with us.</p>
<h2>Generational tunes</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jan/Ustad-Amjad-Ali-Khan_e.jpg" alt="Ustad Amjad Ali Khan performs alongside his grandsons. Pic Courtesy/@aaksarod" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><em><strong>Ustad Amjad Ali Khan performs alongside his grandsons. Pic Courtesy/@aaksarod</strong></em></p>
<p>The stage of Janfest 2026 at the iconic quadrangle of St Xavier&rsquo;s College (autonomous) will be the evidence of a rare legacy in Hindustani music as Ustad Amjad Ali Khan will join his sons, Ayaan and Amaan Ali Bangash, as well as his grandsons, Zohaan and Abeer Ali. The two-day festival that begins on January 25 will also feature a strong line-up of vocalists including Padma Bhushan Award-winner Begum Parveen Sultana, the celebrated Trichur Brothers, Mohammad Aman Khan, as well as Dr N Rajam (violin), a member of the organising committee told this diarist. Readers keen for details about donor passes, can reach out to 9930543121.</p>
<h2>Ready to vote</h2>
<p>Tuesday was all about KYC &mdash; Know Your Corporation, we mean &mdash; at the Lala Lajpat Rai College in Haji Ali. A voter town hall organised by Mark Your Presence, in collaboration with NSS Mumbai University cleared the air around pertinent questions about the powers of the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/bmc-election-2026-mumbai-civic-body-gears-up-for-72-hour-continuous-operations-ahead-of-january-15-polls-23611894" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">BMC </a>and its corporators, alliance structures, contesting candidates, and previous results. &ldquo;The aim was to ensure that young voters clearly understand what they are voting for, and why their vote matters at the local level,&rdquo; founder Chaitanya Prabhu told this diarist.</p>
<h2>Rockstar rewind</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jan/Imtiaz-a_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>While the stage at the National Centre of Performing Arts (NCPA) has seen its share of rockstars, the fan-meet of filmmaker Imtiaz Ali&rsquo;s (above) Rockstar (2011) might just be a different kind of experience for the classical stage. On January 16, The director will join cast members as they celebrate the landmark musical drama with a curated experience, and in-depth panel discussions about its making and memories. The event will also feature a curated musical storytelling performance led by Laksh Maheshwari, reimagining the film&rsquo;s narrative.</p>
<h2>Deep-dive with Dr Lobo</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jan/Aaron-Savio_e.jpg" alt="Dr Aaron Lobo. Pic Courtesy/meenscientist.com" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Dr Aaron Lobo. Pic Courtesy/meenscientist.com</em></strong></p>
<p>Those who have read Ghost-Eye, the eponymous new title by Amitav Ghosh will know that fish is at the heart of the book; Bengal&rsquo;s diverse marine fauna, to be precise, in case Mumbai&rsquo;s fish-eaters decide to do an instant ecstatic jig. However, if you&rsquo;re a discerning foodie, like this diarist, we&rsquo;re sure that it will draw your interest. During our interview with Ghosh, an academic came in for special mention &mdash;Dr Aaron Lobo.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jan/Amitav-Ghosh_e.jpg" alt="Amitav Ghosh. Pic/Ashish Raje" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Amitav Ghosh. Pic/Ashish Raje</em></strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Aaron and I talk a lot about fish. It&rsquo;s an enjoyable process,&rdquo; he revealed, when we prodded about research on the subject, hinting at Lobo&rsquo;s influence. Turns out, the marine conservation scientist and Ghosh had co-authored a seminal piece titled,<a href="mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/low-pressure-area-forms-over-bay-of-bengal-odisha-braces-for-cold-wave-and-dense-fog-23610811" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"> Bay of Bengal</a>: Depleted Fish Stocks and Huge Dead Zone Signal Tipping Point for The Guardian in 2017. We learnt that the two will discuss the book at Calangute&rsquo;s popular Literati Bookshop and Caf&eacute; on January 17, giving this association the perfect platform to talk shop. Or shall we say, fish?</p>

Alumelu Bahadur, founder of Little Guru’s Nest, launches her book “The Boy Who Dreamt of Change” on January 17 to support Street Angels Foundation

Mumbai Diary | Wednesday Dossier: Little Guru’s Nest founder Alumelu Bahadur releases book to raise funds for NGO

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