A village resurrected

By C Jamsheel.

It had been raining for the last three days. This was not the first time the inhabitants of Kodipunjuvalasa, a village in Northern Andhra had seen a shower of this magnitude. The scene was not unfamiliar, but the tribes of the village knew there was something bad coming their way. On the wee hours of August 4, 2006 the villagers lost everything when the nature showed its face of fury. Most huts were uprooted along with trees and earth when the flowing water consumed everything on its way.

The hill located behind the tiny huts was partially destroyed due to the heavy rain. The rain and flowing water resulted in a landslide eaten away, killing 20 people. Tanks and canals were infringed, resulting in crop loss, and roads were smashed. This dark day has not faded away from the minds of the people here.

“You will never be able to imagine what we went through that day. Big boulders came down, the mud and sand flowed through our fields and some beloved, smiling faces too were washed away,” T Madhu, a farmer from the hamlet wiping his tears. The district administration had acted swiftly and did its best to reduce the damage to life and property. “We were not able to do anything at that time. If we didn’t get the help from the authority and kind hearted people the loss might have been greater”, he added

“The torrential rain not only smashed our huts and took the lives of our beloved ones, but it also wiped out our livelihood. The soil is not useful for cultivation anymore as the land became infertile. We were forced to shift our livelihood to that of a coolie”, rued Janimoddu, an inhabitant of Kodipunjuvalasa.

The tribals had demanded for five lakhs rupees as damages for the families, who lost their beloved ones in the mudslide. The reparation had rightful reason as it was to build their village from scratch. But the government addressed the demands partially.

“Former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajashekara Reddy visited us and announced an ex-gratia of three lakhs to each family, who lost their life in the heavy rain. All victims of the landslide got 95,000 rupees compensation from the government. The compensation includes Rs. 35,000 for construction of houses and Rs. 60,000 for buying livestock.” said Bheemanna, an inhabitant of Kodipujuvalasa village.

The people here hold no grudge against nature for it has always been their provider. They are happy with their present occupation. Their other thought is to put their infertile land to good use. “How can we curse others for our fate, it was really a challenge for us to recover from the untoward incident. But we had to get out from those bad memories as no one will fill our kids’ stomach,” Janirambha, a mother of three, speaking with determination in her eyes. “And life goes on; we shared our pain and worked hard to re build our community burying any differences. It took us around two years to get back on our feet” she added.

This is not a tale but it is a real story of Kodipunjuvalasa tribal village of Araku Mandal in the Vishakapatanam district. How the people of this village overcame this disaster is a symbol of strong will, determination and hard work.

My Movie: “do you dare to dream”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68vaHajZoqI

UoH collaborates with UJ for research

By
Jamsheel C & Sidharth K Varma

Department of Sociology, University of Hyderabad (UoH) and Centre for Sociological Research, University of Johannesburg (UJ) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on January 10. The MoU will facilitate collaboration between the two universities in areas of research, student exchange, faculty exchange and video conferencing.
“The immediate areas that will be in focus are ideas for seminar and workshop and video conferencing,” the delegates decided. Prof. Jairath invited participants from UJ for the annual seminar conducted by the department from March 2 to 4 on Natural Resource Governance.
This tie-up intends to bring together researchers from both departments based on individual research interest or identifying a broad theme such as students, politics, economic survival, identity, sports, family, health, whistle blowers and corruption.
As part of the student exchange programme, two doctoral students per year would benefit both ways. The time period could be flexible up to three months with the best time between September and November.
Faculty exchange could overlap with that of students with one person each year, both ways. The time period could be between ten days and three weeks. Faculty swapping was another area under consideration.The MoU will be seen as a test case with reciprocal arrangement in terms of the finance. The faculty exchange programme is a new venture, it will be an advantage for the teachers to understand and differentiate the academic system of both universities, said Prof. Vinod K. Jairath.
The delegates from UJ were Prof. Rory Ryan, Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Prof. Tina Uys, Head of Department (HoD) Sociology, Centre for Sociological Research.
“The project will be implemented in the next academic year on an experimental basis; further steps will be taken on the basis of the feedback,” says Prof. Rory Ryan. This programme allows the students to conduct their research or plan field work as guest of either university.
UoH was represented by Vinod K. Jairath, HoD Department of Sociology and Prof. Sujata Patel, Department of Sociology. This could also bring about a new phase of academic collaboration among the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) nations, said Prof. Vinod K. Jairath.

Drink Iranian tea with a taste of history

By
Mohammed Anvar T

Hyderabad is famous for its cuisine. If Hyderabadi Biriyani is the King among them, Iranian tea is the prince. Most Hyderabadis, whether they are local or not, will feel mouth watering when they talk about Iranian tea. As the name suggests, the credit of the tea goes back to the famous family of Iranian dishes. In India, Hyderabad is the second largest city in terms of the number of Iranian shops and popularity, after Mumbai. The tasty tea, popularly known as Irani chai, is made from Assam tea leaves in almost all Iranian tea shops.

If you miss this famous beverage while you are in Nizam’s city, you will miss a fine opportunity to 'taste' the Iranian culture as well. There are many interesting stories behind the origin of Iranian restaurants. The 65 year old Hajji Mansoor Ali recalls one of such stories like this: During Nizam’s era, Iranians who had come to Hyderabad in search of better prospects usually came together for casual talks in the evenings. Gradually, natives also started to come and they were occasionally provided with refreshments such as tea. Soon, this tea became an inevitable item in the evenings. When these gatherings began to grow, the popularity of tea also spread.

People rush to Iranian tea shops in the cold evenings of the winter to enjoy the hot and savoury flavour of Iranian tea. “There will be big crowds in front of the tea shops in the winter. People warm themselves by drinking tea,” says Arun, a daily customer who works in a private company.

Chotta samosa and mirchi bhaji are the 'close friends' of Iranian tea in Secunderabad while people prefer Osmania biscuits in Old city. “People usually eat chotta samosa and mirchi bhaji with iranian tea,” says Mansoor, waiter of Hotel Alpha, opposite to Railway station. “Here we serve osmania biscuits with the tea,” said Amarudhin, the supplier of Hotel Shadab, near Charminar.

There are hundreds of Iranian tea shops in the twin cities. We can see a cross section of Hyderabadis in the shops. People from every walk of life including students, professors, doctors, advocates and bureaucrats are among the customers of Iranian tea. Tourists, within and outside the country, go in search of this famed beverage.

If one ask whether all Iranian tea shops have an Iranian cook, the answer is no. “Many Iranian hotels don’t have any relation with ‘real’ Iranians who came here long back. Real Iranian hotels are very rare nowadays. Cooks from Iranian tradition are no longer available. So we ourselves prepare Iranian tea and serve it,” explains Ayyub, cashier of Nimrah cafe & Bakery.

Understanding the popularity and 'market' of Iranian tea, other hotels like Paradise in Secundearbad also started serving it. The only difference is, of course, the cost. Old city hotels Irani chai cost Rs. 4 to 7 while city hotels charge you Rs.10/-. “Here we prepare more than 2500 pots of tea every day,” says Krishna Reddy of Alpha hotel, opposite to Secunderabad railway station. This shows the popularity of the beverage.

Even In the busy city life people flow to hotels for their favourite beverage. “Since it is a general eatery, many people come daily. But for Irani chai we have a special counter inside the hotel. Sometimes we can’t control the crowd in this counter, especially at evenings,” says a waiter of Alpha hotel at Secunderabad. Hotel Paradise is famous for its special Hyderabadi Biriyani. “Though people prefer Paradise to eat Biriyani, most of them taste of Iranian tea. Definitely people will love it once they taste it,” opines Anoop after taking a sip of hot Iranian tea from Paradise.

The legacy of Irani chai continues in the twin cities. Drinking the chai has become a fashion rather than a habit for some people. This beverage has brought popularity for the twin cities and it recalls the culinary tradition of Hyderabad during the time of Nizams. Thus, for Hyderabadis, Iranian tea is not only refreshment but also reminder of its past. The saga of Iranian tea will never end in these cities as it has many stories to say, many experience to share and many people to taste its flavour.

Now let us hold the hands together

By
Musthafa and Jamsheel

One more students’ union election has over in our campus without much noise and disturbances. The new students, union body elected with high margin majority. As the last year’s election voters elected all the candidates from the same panel. Out of 4343 total voters 2738 votes were polled, it comes around 63 percentage.
Election held as per the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations 2006, which meant for regulating the students’ politics and controlling students’ union elections in colleges and universities. When we analyzing this years’ election, we can find that the political awareness of the students are really pathetic. It is very dispiriting to know that students from a top ranked university are politically unconscious. Our knowledge should go beyond the back covers of the books and walls of the lab. It gives a wrong message to a society that our future citizens are depoliticized.
Another important factor is the lack of women students’ representation in the panel lists. Out of 14 candidates for General posts, we had only one women candidate. Every party have their own women cadres for campaigning and protest demonstrations, but knowingly or unknowingly we couldn’t find much women representation in their panel list except one women student for the post of cultural secretary. The time exceeded to ask does it sound enough to say that our politics is not male dominated.
The whole mess which happened in the last years’ election might teach some lessons to the student leaders and to the authority. These years’ election seems very peaceful and couldn’t hear any unwanted noise from any corner of the campus. New political formation and changing equations of campus politics might helped to conduct such a peaceful election. Let us congratulate newly elected union members, students’ union election committee, who conducted the election peacefully and transparently and also the students they vote for marking their commitment to the students’ community as a whole.
Now let us forget the political differences, let us hold hands together for our own progress.

Karachi Biscuits: The Taste of Hyderabad

By
Noufal Koduvally and Jameela Aboobacker

Hyderabad is famous for its delicious flavors varying from a wide range of hot and sweet dishes. This makes the city a lovable place for many of the food lovers of the famous brands of Hyderabad. The one famous for sweets is the Karachi Bakery. This Bakery is famous for the unique Karachi biscuits – fruit biscuits, Badam and Almond biscuits. Many of the city’s visitors often get to this bakery for buying the special biscuits, when they return to their families, back home.
The Karachi bakery has six decades experience in this area and still going strong, they have emerged as an icon of Hyderabad baking with a reputation that is unmatched to the core. It focuses on innovation, developing new products while improving their existing products to evolving consumer needs.
Karachi bakery is situated at the Mozzamjahi Market, Nampalli. Now a new branch has been opened at Banjara Hills. The bakery is always seen crowded. When we get inside the shop, by excitement, we see a good number of people rushing to the counter at one end. This is where we get the unique biscuits. Verities of delicious biscuits are arranged in packets of 500gm, ready to deliver. Out of the different flavors, fruit biscuits are the most demanded by the customers. Cashew flavor came second to it. If anybody enquires, which one to take, to any of the city

Residents, they will definitely suggest these two. The other verities available are Badam, Almond and Chocolate. All verities cost at a range of 120-200 rupees. So the customers are satisfied with the taste and cost. Usually one tries different verities at a time.
The taste of this biscuits usually makes the customers return for their favorite flavors. And those who once experience it will spread the word among their friends and family. Usually one customer suggests his friend to get to this bakery. The mouth publicity makes the brand name more famous than any advertisements.
The Karachi bakery also features, many type of usual bakery item, in its own flavor. A good number of cake items are available there. Those who love to have dry fruits can also have them. Apart from this, the counters are filled with top branded sweets and biscuits.
Another counter inside the bakery where people usually crowd is the one of the pickles. These pickles are also famous as the biscuits. Good verities of pickles are available at low cost. Fruits biscuits and pickles are the main items in the customers’ baskets while them waiting at the counter for payment. Once you go there, these items will attract you again there. That is the magic of the taste of Karachi bakes. In addition, Karachi Bakery maintains good working relationships with suppliers and customers fortified by appropriate employee care towards a common goal of mutual proficiency.

Beware of thieves on campus

By

Jamsheel

University of Hyderabad Campus: India’s top ranked university, University of Hyderabad’s students is facing the everlasting threats from thieves. These thefts are making headache for both students and authority. Bicycles and mobile phones are the favorite things for the thieves. It seems that bandits are so social, so that from the valuable things like laptops and iPods to cheaper things like T-shirts and daily utensils are there in their stolen account.
“In this ongoing academic year three cases were formally reported from hostels, and one laptop recovered in raids by hostel officials,” says The Chief Warden, Prof. R S Sarraju, when asked about the matter. Thefts issues come under the University’ Security Section, not only from the students’ belongings but from hostel equipments also are missing regularly. As of this university is spending a lot of money to reconstruct the things, he added.
The only solution is nothing more than the self vigilance on own things. The security is still insufficient and there is no security person in some hostel even now, he maintained.
There are lots of thefts are happening in the campus is a reality, but the security section is not responsible for the missing of personal belongings of students and staff as security persons are only responsible for university’s properties, says G Victor Kumar, the Security Officer of UoH .
Missing of Bicycles is mainly because of the carelessness of the students. There are no sufficient security persons and no proper mechanism to prevent thefts in the campus. All reported thefts cases are dealing by Chandha Nagar Police station directly, we have no role in it, he revealed.
Some students argue that the bandits are outsiders but others opine that inside thieves are more threat than outsiders. I lost my Bicycle when I parked it on near the university main gate, it was happened in front of the security persons, said Asfar, IInd year M A History student.
Nine mobile phones have stolen from Men’s Hostel H only within one year, no one get back their phones so far, said Mohammed Shafi, General Secretary of Men’s Hostel H. I lost my mobile phone from my room itself when I went to my friend’s room to take my book, within a fracture of minutes I lost it, said Preema Paul, IInd year M-tech student.
Both my T-shirt and jeans pant stolen by someone when it kept in the outside of the room for washing, said Aneesh, 1st year M A History.
The lack of proper mechanism in the campus to prevent theft issues is one of the main helping factors for the thieves. Students are now carrying their laptops every time with them as afraid of bandits. And now it is also becoming a daily practice to putting ‘lost notice’ in hostels and public places in the campus. The number of thefts in the campus is increasing while recoveries are rare.