Date:14/08/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/08/14/stories/2007081459010300.htm

Most of the chief guests at public functions seem to suffer from the problem of not being able to contain their speeches to shorter duration. Many a time, their long-winding speeches put off the organisers as well as the audience, forcing them to just grin and bear. But, deviating from this tradition, Additional Commissioner of Income Tax E.S. Nagendra Prasad finished his speech at the inaugural function of the AP ranking table tournament at Vijayawada Club recently in less than a minute. He simply wishes the players all success and declared the tournament open. Naturally, he received the loudest of the applause, especially from children. But, media persons who arrived late expecting prolonged speeches were taken aback and had to gather the details of the inaugural function from others.

Joining the issue

To every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Some Andhra leaders have started applying this law apparently to counter the rhetoric repeatedly used by Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K. Chandrasekhara Rao and other separate Telangana seekers and enthusiasts. At the Jai Andhra Udyama Samithi conference on Saturday, speakers kept saying that the TRS leaders’ comments were often in the nature of hurting the sentiments of the Andhras. “The Telangana enthusiasts are talking the language of culture, food habits, literature and so many things. Down the decades, injustice is done to us. Is our plight so hopeless now that even ‘they’ should be commenting on our culture?” asked one speaker rather derisively. A clash of cultures?

‘Catch them young’

The traffic wing of the City Police seems to be heading towards the right direction, as far as inculcating traffic sense among people in the city is concerned. Putting the newly created traffic development centre at the Police Control Room to the best use, traffic cops are busy implementing the proverbial ‘catch them young’ mantra. The first batch of students for traffic

awareness programme was selected from the Bhashyam Public School in the city. Explaining traffic rules with the help of moving images on the screen, the organisers apparently left a profound impact on the young minds. “I’ll tell my father not to violate traffic rules henceforth, since I know its dangerous consequences now,” remarked a worried boy, while his friends endorsed his views. The cops let out a content smile, as they knew that their goal had been achieved.

(G. Ravikiran, P. Sujatha Varma)