India loves PV Sindhu, but Indians love caste more, says Google. So while a billion of us were rooting for PV Sindhu to outclass Spain’s Carolina Marin in Rio on Friday, about 9 lakh Indians back home were on Google looking up for her caste.
Sindhu’s caste – the search query was relatively slow on Google till August 14 – picked up after the 21-year-old from Hyderabad beat eighth seed Tai Tzu Ying in the pre-quarterfinals
Since that game, the caste search saw a ten-fold jump after her stunning semi-final win over Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara. It just peaked on Friday after her silver.
In fact till Saturday, Sindhu’s caste search topped Google in India over her career and Friday’s final.
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were the two top states searching for Sindhu’s caste and not her silver.
The two states’ tussle over the champion shuttler stems from the fact that Sindhu was born and brought up in Hyderabad but her mother belongs to Vijayawada.
Andhra Pradesh is planning a separate desk to process the investment proposals from South Korea. This will be the second separate desk to be set up at Andhra Pradesh secretariat, the first being a desk for Japan. This was disclosed IYR Krishna Rao, chief secretary of the state today. Speaking at the inaugural of the Korea Caravan organized by Korea Andhra Pradesh (AP) Friendship Forum in Vizag on Tuesday, Rao sought to draw the attention of audience to the ease of doing business created in the State.He said the World Bank had also acknowledged investment friendly environment in the state.
The Chief Secretary said the relations between India and South Korea date back to AD 48 when Princess of Ayodhya married King of Korea and emphasized on the need for strengthening the two millennia old relationship. He invited Korea to partner with AP in building the greenfield capital Amaravati and thanked the Embassy of Republic of Korea for selecting Andhra Pradesh for its first-ever Korea Caravan outside New Delhi. HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao listed out the opportunities in and around Visakhapatnam and invited investment in packaging industry. Ambassador of Republic of Korea to India Joon-gyu Lee said Andhra Pradesh was making spectacular progress and is drawing attention of the world to its performance. The Korean industries had developed expertise in a number of avenues and were keen on investing in Andhra Pradesh in infrastructure, skill development and smart cities, he said.
Minister for information technology and public relations Palle Raghunadh Reddy said chief minister Chandrababu Naidu had expressed his regret that he could not attend the event as he was away in Singapore.
TDP first-time MP Dr Ravindra Babu is known of for unorthodox practice of politics. He forgets that he is a member of a political party and bound by the rules and norms of the party follows. Ravindrababu, an IRS officer turned politician is brimming with the enthusiasm to reform the society overnight. Though his concern is genuine, he is not supposed to put his ideas across as a rebel, but like a member of the political party.
The other day, in a TV panel discussion, the talked something about alcoholism among the forces. Later he stoked a controversy by commenting on the practice of our space scientists who perform pujas before launching satellites and immersion of idols in the water resources. Though he sounded rational he should not forget that he is not a rationalist on mission of debunking superstitions. He represents a party which holds a different policy on such subjects. Can he talk about the vastu mania of his party president and the burden it is putting on the taxpayer?
Since he is a first-time MP his party may be giving long rope for him, or his boss might not have found time to concentrate on these issues, because TDP supremo is caught up in still bigger problems. Now, he raised an interesting subject one should think of.
Now, the MP from Amalapuram, East Godavari district, raised a banner of revolt against the selling of low-spirit beverages to young people freely in the name of Breezer. His target is Bacardi Breezer which contains 4.8 per cent alcohol, covered in fruit flavors. According to Ravindrababu, who is a qualified MBBS doctor, such type of Breezers would serve as gate-way-drinks into alcoholism. Its a genuine concern from a doctor. “We should not forget the fact that Bacardi is an international alcohol major and has been into the manufacture and sale of different varieties of liquors,” he cautions.
He said he had learnt about the abuse of Bacardi Breezer by watching the young people at many places. He personally observed widespread habit of taking Bacardi Breezer among the youth in educational institutes and found that it was most sought-after drink among the youth.
He is planning to write letter to Prime Minister Modi, union health minister and other officials of union health department.
The dreaded disease of killing oneself in the name of special status appears to be becoming endemic in Andhra Pradesh. On Thursday, two people committed suicide for the sake of special category status to Andhra Pradesh, taking the toll to five since Muni Koti committed self-immolation in Tirupati on August 10.
On Thursday while a 55-year old Ramisetty Laxmaiah hanged himself in Vedayapalem in Nellore district with a suicide note, a youth by name Rajasekhar from Chintalapudi, East Godavari district committed suicide expressing disappointment over the denial of special status. With this the number of suicides reached to three after CM-Modi meeting failed to reassure people on the much talked about special category status to Andhra Pradesh. Also, on Wednesday, Chavali Subbarao, an electrician from Pamarru, took his life for the same cause of special status.
This type disturbing trend is unheard of in Seemaandhra region while Telangana witnessed a spate of suicides of youth during the T-movement. Political heat and undue stress the parties are laying on the special status as if there is no life without special status seems to be working on these innocent public who are already neck-deep in the poverty. It is high time the political parties stopped dubbing the special status as the sole savior of Andhra Pradesh and stop playing with emotions of people.
Responding to the toning down of demand for special category state status by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, YSR Congress today categorically said there was no substitute for special status.
The party said it would not settle for anything short of Special Status to Andhra Pradesh and stated that TDP Government was trying to prepare people in the direction of some alternative package.
“Special package can never be a substitute for special status and Chief Ministers made an attempt to dilute the issue and asked the people to settle for less. This will not be tolerated as there would be a yawning gap between the two,” party senior leader Dharmana Prasada Rao remarked on Thursday.
Strongly reacting to the remarks of Chief Minister made at a press conference at Vijayawada, he said the remark clearly indicated that the CM was leaning towards settling for a special package.
“We won’t tolerate this and fight it tooth and nail,” Dharmana announced.
The TDP leaders, who called on finance minister Arun Jaitley a day after YS Jaganmohan Reddy’ dharna in national capital, came out silently and started harping on special package, he alleged. “Many states have benefited from the special category status. AP will also get an opportunity to forge ahead under special category status. We will condemn the TDP’s changed attitude towards special status,” he said.
Water experts urging the Indian parliament to stop ‘mindless’ Westward diversion of Krishna basin water by Maharashtra which is being drained into sea . By this Karnataka, Telangaan, Andrha pradesh could be saved from looming severe drought. It is not too late, say Himanshu Thakkar and Parineeta Dandekar of SANDRP (Sourth Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People. We carry their warning to the nation posted in SANDRP website. It is an emergency call to the governments of AP and Telangana as well.
Large parts of Krishna basin spanning Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are facing massive rainfall deficits, drought like conditions and crop failures. The tail-end reservoirs of Srisailam and Nagarjun Sagar are almost empty. Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are already thinking of conserving the available water for drinking water. They are not even thinking of releasing any water for saving the crops in delta farmers. In Upstream Maharashtra itself, The Ujani dam has minimum storage and perennially dry Marathawada has the highest rainfall deficit. Shockingly, in this very period from July 1 to Aug 6, Maharashtra has diverted more than 350 Million Cubic Meters of water (at most conservative estimates) FROM this very Krishna and Bhima basin to the High Rainfall area of Konkan and down to the sea! If this diversion was stopped since July 1, when the signs of severe monsoon deficits in the three states were already there, this water would have been available to save crops in lakhs of acres in the river basin, and some it would have also flowed to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and water may have been available for saving this crop. How can continue such wasteful use of water in deficit basin, at the cost of livelihoods of lakhs of farmers? Even now it is necessary to URGENTLY review this situation and consider stopping diversion of water FROM Krishna basin to sea. This may save crops and livelihoods of lakhs of farmers.
Kharif crop planting across majority of Marathwada has failed due to lack of water availability. Lakhs of farmers are staring at crop loss even after double and at places triple sowing. Some parts of Marathwada are still deploying tankers for drinking water supply since last year.
Koyna and Tata Dams in Maharashtra:The westward diversion of water from Krishna basin to Konkan and further to sea is happening through the four-stage Koyna Dam with total installed capacity of 1920 MW. These projects, as per the daily reports of Maharashtra Load Despatch Centre, generated 337.47 Million Units (MU) of power between July 1 and Aug 6, 2015. As per Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal Award, Koyna is annually diverting 1911 MCM (Million Cubic Meters) of Water.
So assuming proportionate diversion, Koyna project would have diverted 216.7 MCM during July 1 to Aug 6. Why we can afford to forgo the loss of power now It is interesting to note that during this period from July 1 to Aug 6, 2015, wind power generation in Maharashtra was 1378.1 MU, almost three times the power generation from Koyna and Tata dams that would have been forgone if the diversion was stopped.
Moreover, as it well known during this period, the power demand across the country was so low that the Plant Load Factor of Thermal Power projects have come close to 50% from peak of over 80%, NTPC is talking about poor off take of power and the cost of power at power exchanges have come down below 2.5 per unit, from 7.5 per unit a few years ago.
All this indicates that this loss of power could have been compensated, but there is no way to compensate the losses due to loss of water for the farmers.
We have raised this question earlier too. It is high time that we review this mindless practice of diverting water from a known water deficit situation, at least in such severe drought like situations and consider stopping this diversion when country’s power situation allows us to forgo the power loss from stoppage of diversion.
We hope in the interest of lakhs of farmers Maharashtra government will urgently review this situation and stop this mindless diversion of water from the water deficit river basin to sea. At least let us have a public debate on this.
It has not been even two weeks since Andhra and Telangana have retreated from the raging fight on cash-for-vote and telephone tapping.
The two states seem to have struk a deal that it would be better for the ruling partes to be in perpetual state of conflict.
Neck deep in problems arising out of their failure to implement the massive poll agenda given to the people of two states, the TDP and TRS governments appear to be diverting the people’s attention to emotive issues. The ruling parties grill each other and make big noise as if some disaster is going strike them.
They fight in newspapers and news channels. Their cronies carry foward these fights to streets -stage dharnas and burn effigies. And take a break for some time after filing a petion in court.
Today, T irrigaion minister revived the war of words on two letters AP chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu wrote to centre three months back against the two projejects, Palamuru-Ranga Reddy and Dindi.
Now TRS government, which is facing ire of the people for its Osmania Hospital-Demolition move and on the way the free education from KG to PG is being implemented. And Naidu also badly needs distraction from the special status controversy.
This is how T Harish Rao reacted.
Racting to the letter Naidu wrote to Central Water Commssion opposing the taking up of two projects, Telangana irrigation minister the Pattiseem lift irrigation project taken up on Godavari
Assailed Naidu in strongest terms, Harish said AP chief minister Naidu was staging a drama opposing the two porjects only to divert the attention of the people from Special Status issue.
” You can write any number of letters. You can’t stop the Telangana government from taking up these projects crucial to people Hyderabad and other districts of Telangana.” Harish warned.
Questioning TDP government’s argument that no project should be taken up in Telangana without taking AP into confidence, Harish aked, “Does Pattiseema have permission. Tell us how many of your projects have permission?’
He said Naidu was desperate as he failed in his attempt to get special status bestowed on Andhra Pradesh which cuased resentment all across the state among the people.
“People are losing hopes on Naidu,” he said.
Now, to divert the attention for his failure, AP Chief minister was opposing the implementation of Palumuru-Rangareddy and Dindi projects.
Ridiculing the letters of Naidu , the T-irrigation minister said, the letter had neither head nor tail.
“You had opposed Telangana formation. You had written hundreds of letter. What happened ultimately,” Harish asked.
Asking Naidu to refresh his memories, Harish said the Palamuru project was promised when Chandrababu Naidu was chief minister last time.
” Naidu as chief minister admitted that Telangana had 290 tmc of assured water, out of 360 tmc of water available in Krishna River. Kiran kumar Reddy’s government issued a GO initiating the survey of the Palamuru Project for an allocation of 70 TMC. Can you say this is not documented,” Harish asked Naidu.
Opening a new front in the on going war of words with Telangana, Andhra Pradesh welfare minister Ravela Kishore Babu accused Telangana chief minister of creating hurdles to the flow of investments to his state.
He said the Telangana chief minister KCR was sending mails to the prospective investors against investing in Andhra Pradesh stating that AP’s financial situation was not good and AP was not a suitable location to set up new units.
Kishore Babu, a vocal minister in Andhra Pradesh cabinet, said jealous about the global response to the effort s AP Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s, KCR was trying to prevent the investors by spreading canards about the state finances.
“The TRS government in Telangana is hell bent on scuttling progress of new Andhra Pradesh which is reemerging a powerful economy after the bifurcation. So, the TS government is trying to persuade some investors against choosing to invest in AP,” Ravela alleged.
He said the Andhra Pradesh government had enough evidence to prove that KCR was trying to scuttle the investors from making Andhra Pradesh their destination and added the the T-chief minister would get disappointed.
Telangana Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Ro raised ‘Andhra’ bogey again.
This time round, it was municipal workers’ strike that became the arena of sentiments politics. KCR pulls out the ‘Andhra’ specter whenever there is trouble and thinks T- sentiment is the best tool to hit upon his enemies in the region.
On the day, when GHMC employees called off their strike following the announcement of hike of salaries, on Friday, KCR in his inimical style blamed ‘Andhrollu” for the 12-day long strike of municipal workers across the Telangana. The municipal sanitary workers have been on strike in both Telangana and Andhra for about 2 weeks demanding pay hike. In stead of raising wages of employees across the state, KCR announced a 47 per cent hike only to GHMC employees. The employees in districts are left out. They are continuing their strike.
Talking on the occasion of GHMC bodies calling off their strike, he said some useless unions were misleading the employees and were responsible for the strike. ” Employees have been misled” he said to the employees who came to him to thank for giving a hike in their salaries.
“There are some Andhra leaders behind the workers’ strike.,” the CM declared asking them not fall prey to such designs. He assured them that the government would construct 1000 GHMC 2BHK houses for the employees every year and would be allotted on priority basis.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu invited Japan PM Shinzo Abe to the foundation stone-laying ceremony of new capital Amaravati. The Chief Minister informed Abe that Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi also would write to him inviting him for the ceremony.
In the high-powered meeting, the Japanese Prime Minister meeting assured the Chief Minister that Japan will extend all technical and possible financial assistance to AP for infrastructure and building of capital Amaravathi. Abe appreciated Andhra Pradesh’s efforts in attracting investments.
Further, the Chief Minister made a request to make some institutionalized arrangement for AP-Japan relationship. The Japan PM replied in the affirmative.
Later, Chief Minister presented Tirupati prasadam and a sacred shawl from Lord Balaji’s abode. The Prime Minister recalled that during his earlier visit too, the Chief Minister had presented it during his election campaign.
Before meeting the Prime Minister of Japan, the Chief Minister also had a brief interaction with Yoshihide Suga, Chief Cabinet Secretary.
Life in reel world is easy. One need not break one’s head to figure out who is a hero or a villain. Heroes are extremely benevolent while Villains vile- always conspire, kill, rob, and booze as if they have nothing to do in life. They live like two different subspecies of Homo Sapiens-Homo Heroicus and Homo Villainus. Like the Neanderthals, villainus is overpowered and eliminated by Heroicus. The problem with real life is tad confusing. Here, heroes and villains are indistinguishable. They look alike in every aspect of life- in dressing, talking, loving, hating, abusing, cheating people, amassing wealth etc. You will never know who is a villain. One’s villain is another’s hero and vice versa. Today’s hero is tomorrow’s villain. This region’s villain is hero in the other region. Sometimes villains are resurrected as heroes and heroes are condemned to dustbin. Ordinary people are subjected to extreme anxiety in figuring out a hero or a villain. They fail and vote to somebody thinking he is a hero only to repent later.
Some time back, Chiranjeevi stepped into this real world as Homo Heroicus of tinsel world. He thought he would kill with a single stroke the Homo Villainus and become “Captain Andhra Pradesh”. He could not succeeded and quickly realized that he was only a movie Heroicus. So, peeled off his costume and returned to his elements only to find that fighting in real life is not remunerative. So he joined Congress and which rewarded him with a glittering gift of post of union minister which can’t be bought with any amount of money.
Chirajneevi’s brother Pawan Kalyan, another member of Homo Heroicus, unmindful of the fate of his brother, stepped into real life battle, straight from the sets, amid too much background war cries and mobilized fan-army. He was a bit wiser in not entering fray in 2014. Why? He can’t dream of becoming “Captain Andhra Pradesh.” Because the state was about to be divided. He tapped key ‘ wait and watch’. So, that he could enter as Homo Heroicus if 2014 election throws split verdict. Unfortunately for him, Andhra and Telangana gave a clear verdict to TDP and TRS respectively. Now he is not wanted in successor states. If he were to carve out some space, he has to figure out who is a villain in two states and declare war against the Homo Villainus. Like his brother he gave up war before it is fought and settled for a compromise for peace of mind. This was what he did in the press conference he addressed last Sunday. The press conference was lacking in many things- clarity, direction and politics. It clearly shows Pawan is beating a retreat for his early position Homo Heroicus in movie land . Why?
French Social Psychologist Sergi Moscovici talks of Social Representations. Social representation is the meaning you develop to negotiate with the society. Each person possesses multiple representations. Depending upon the context, one representation becomes pronounced collapsing all others. It is difficult to strike a balance, this was exactly Pawan Kalyan did in the press conference and failed. Pawan Kalyan is a bundle of contradictory social representations. He is caught in the web of these representations. To become a political leader, he has to disentangle himself from this web and come out with one clear social representation. Given his predicament it is impossible. For example he has Kapu, Andhra, Telugu movie star and Hyderabadi social representations. If he attacks Naidu’s TDP government, it would be immediately construed as an attack on Kammas by Kapus- which is not advisable now. If he attacks KCR’s TRS government, he would dubbed as Andhra settler and physical attacks not ruled out. If he questions phone tapping and supports section 8 being an Andhra his identity as a resident of Hyderabad would be in jeopardy. He can’t back Andhra farmers in capital zone nor can he bite TDP. Similarly, he can’t criticize Telangana government and survive in Hyderabad. He beat a hasty retreat by advising both parties restraint. He did not touch cash-for-vote stating sub judice as it has two sides of Andhra and Telangana. Remaining as Pawan Kalyan, the movie star, is the best bet for the time being as he needs the support of both AP and TS fans. He chose a middle path and bought peace with both sides. Probably this press conference might be end of the road for Pawan’s political dreams.
Opposition leader in Andhra Pradesh Assembly YS Jagan Mohan Reddy wondered how TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu clings to the post of chief minister despite his direct involvement in the cash-for-vote scam. Jagan worked more hard than any TRS leader to get Naidu implicated in the cash for vote scam as accused number 1 or 2. He rushed to New Delhi, met President Pranab Mukhejee and Home Miniser Rajnath Singh and submitted memoranda to this effect. He also demanded a high level inquiry by a central agency.
However, both parties in the cash-for-vote scam seems to be withdrawing slowly from the warpath. So, Jagan has chosen to tour Andhra Pradesh.The opposition leader is in Kakinada on Odarpu Yatra to console the families of those fishermen who died recently in cyclone. Jagan accused chief minister of spending the ill-gotten wealth for horse trading in Telangana State.
He said the fiver crore offer to a Telangana nominated MLA was stands testimony to the money politics Naidu was going to unleash in Andhra and Telangana. “It is unprecedented in the history of the country for a Chief Minister to involve directly in a bribery case involving crores of rupees to buy a vote of an MLA,” he said.“I fail to understand,” he said, “though there were audio visual proofs of the involvement of Chandrababu Naidu in the scam, as to why he is not being arrested and Chandrababu Naidu has no moral right to continue as Chief Minister,” he said. “Chandrababu Naidu has preached morals and ethics and demanded for the recall of the Governor. When he and his follower were caught on the video tape the tune suddenly has changed. He has no moral right to continue in the office,” Jagan said. (jnr)
As cash-for-vote scam involving TDP legislator from Telangana region is intensifying with ACB reportedly getting a letter from the election commission asking its sleuths for a stringent probe, TDP leaders are trying to use all their brahmastrams.
It is known that TDP folks recently brought in section eight of AP Reorganisation Act into the picture. As Governor ESL Narasimhan is not responding despite TDP supremo Chandrababu meeting him time and again over the implementation of governor’s law and order in Hyderabad, the party leaders chose to target ESL Narasimhan, the constitutional head of the state.
TDP senior leader Acham Naidu recently, in a press meet, addressed the governor as ‘you’ (without a pinch of respect) and said that he was acting as a ‘gangireddu’ (meaning a bull). Lashing out at governor, Acham Naidu said why governor was tight lipped when KCR said that Andhra Pradesh police cannot execute their duties in Hyderabad.
Centre Serious:
The Centre, which noticed these severe objectionable comments made by Acham Naidu against the governor of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states, has reportedly warned AP chief secretary that TDP leaders were launching verbal attacks against the governor.
Acham Naidu Apologizes and Withdraws:
After learning that Centre expressed its serious concerns over derogatory comments he made against governor, Acham Naidu spoke to the media and said that he was apologetic about the statements he made. He elucidated that he made those remarks only in agony after he looked at the situation of Andhra Pradesh. In case my statements had hurt governor, I withdraw them immediately, added Acham Naidu.
Need for Naidu to Control Leaders:
It is known that TDP leaders are speaking whatever they want that are sometimes lacking logic and sounding contradictory. Earlier, Parakala Prabhakar, who spoke about cash for vote scam has said that the voice in the audio tapes was not that of Chandrababu Naidu. Shortly, Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said that the audio was fabricated.
Even as these leaders continue to make contradictory statements, TDP MLC Somireddy went a step ahead and said that TRS was obstructing the bail of Revant Reddy. How can a political party influence the court was the question then. He was allegedly trying to send wrong messages to people on courts, which was again a matter of serious concern,
This confusion among leaders must be curtained. It is high time for Chandrababu Naidu to bring in a proper code of conduct within the party. Verbal attacks on political leaders are at times acceptable as criticism, however, using the same policy for courts, constitutional heads and constitution is highly not acceptable.
The Telangana Government faced disappointment at the High Court on Friday as the court granted stay on the guidelines of the government regarding the division of AP electricity employees.
It has to be mentioned here that the electricity joint action committee today moved court objecting the government’s decision to divide the employees between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana stressing that Kamalnathan Committee report is yet to give its final report.
Earlier, Telangana Government released a government order allotting at least 1,100 electricity employees to Andhra Pradesh.
Why Andhra employees have objection?
Many employees who are settled in Hyderabad apparently are not ready to leave behind their homes and work in residuary Andhra Pradesh, whose border is at least six hours of road travel from the capital city of Hyderabad.
Even though Hyderabad is the common capital for ten years, if government decides to move its capital to proposed capital Amaravathi anytime in near of far future, Andhra Pradesh employees need to work from there. This is presumably one of the main reasons as to why employees are buying time from the court in the form of stay, observed experts.
