Andhra Pradesh

Was it coincidental or intentional?

Controversy continues to dog the Hyderabad brothers. Whether it’s coincidental or intentional, Sanathnagar legislator M. Sashidhar Reddy, who enjoys the status of a Union Minister of State, is never given the recognition according to the blue book. When the President arrived in the city, the security staff stopped Mr. Reddy and when he protested, the State protocol officials reportedly kept mum. Though allowed inside later, he reportedly went up to the APCC in-charge president and enquired from him whether the security staff had also questioned about his identity. Obviously, the security staff had allowed him without questioning and the APCC leader was certainly embarrassed about the whole episode.

Till a few years ago, members of their ilk were endangered species. However, in recent times the same can’t be said of morning walkers.

It’s as if everybody is bitten by ‘walk-your-way to a healthy life’ bug. What’s more gladdening to see is the ‘young crowd’ taking the lead and joining the brigade.

The huge media attention given to obesity, cholesterol and its affects on heart, modern lifestyle seems to have galvanised the ‘young’ to take up morning walks and jogs. In western countries, a jog or a walk is a favourite pastime. Sometimes in such countries, the park turns into a social place for chatter and banter.

To a great extent, even in Hyderabad a similar trend of socialising during the morning walks is being seen.

It was supposed to be a website launch programme but turned into a platform for visitors to show-off their talent in singing and cracking jokes.

The programme was scheduled to commence at 11.30 a.m. but as usual with the high and the mighty turning up late, the host arranged for some cultural programmes to provide entertainment for the visitors.

As the time passed by, visitors were losing patience and so was the host. Ultimately, he decided to throw the stage open by inviting the visitors to take over and exhibit their talent in cracking jokes, performing skits and singing songs etc.

So next time around if you happen to visit such programmes make sure you have bag full of jokes and skits.

After Ganesh gala, now is the turn of Navratri mela. Pandals with Durga idols could be seen at many places . Not much time would be lost before the Devi idols assume proportions on par with the Ganesh idols in terms of size and number. What the authorities failed to achieve regarding the size of Ganesh idols could not be hoped with Devi idols too because similar objections would crop up from similar quarters. What they can do however, is to control the damage during the in itial stage itself by limiting the number of pandals. Otherwise Goddess Lakshmi will soon claim her share in Hussainsagar on the pretext of Deepavali.

K. SRINIVAS REDDY,

M. SAI GOPAL, S. SANDEEP KUMAR, SWATHI. V

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