The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Taking no chances

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Tuesday, Jun 16, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Taking no chances

PHOTO : P. V. SIVAKUMAR

The Government General and Chest Hospital at Erragadda is teeming with people wearing masks as patients with swine flu are being admitted there.

The scene is such that media persons who lined up at the hospital with their cameras and OB vans walked around the hospital wearing surgical masks. However, some presspersons did not cover their faces and wandered around. Seeing this, the duty doctors told them to take precautions while in the hospital, to which the journalists immediately covered their faces with handkerchiefs. Talk about a clinical approach to cover things.

Two weeks into June and there’s no rain yet. It’s as if the State including its Capital is facing an extended summer. By this time, at least 60 per cent of the State should have been covered under the South West Monsoon (SWM).

The sluggish SWM has put MET officials in a spot. Till now, they have not come out with a plausible technical reason for the slowdown of monsoon. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) New Delhi MET had predicted near normal monsoon this year in the country.

However, on Monday, the IMD said that SWM is likely to gain strength by June 20. Let’s wait and see!

Governor N.D. Tiwari was at his poetic best the other day. Inaugurating the birth anniversary celebrations of Salar Jung III, he walked down the memory lane, often turning emotional about the old culture and traditions. He put aside his written English speech and spoke in chaste Urdu. He brilliantly summed up his feelings by reciting this famous couplet:

Ujale apni yaadon ke mere saath rehne do

Na jane kis gali mein zindagi ki shaam hojaye

He had now turned 84 but every time he visited the museum he got fresh energy, Mr. Tiwari said. He referred to the research going on in genetic engineering and said how efforts were on to prolong the lifespan. Then in a choked voice he recited another couplet:

Ye zindagi ke mele duniya mein kam na honge

Afsos hum na honge

Mr. Tiwari’s address was very touching from the beginning to end and the Urdu poetry only added to its poignancy.

Politics is a different ball game. Some toil for years to get recognition but still the corridors of power remain elusive, while a few lucky ones emerge from nowhere and make their mark.

Former Indian cricket captain Mohd. Azharuddin perhaps falls in the category where power comes searching for them. After making a sensational debut in 1984, he went on to become one of the most successful players in the country’s cricketing hist ory. But that was a result of hard work and determination. But his entry into politics was much smoother and with little effort he is now an MP!

Describing his journey in the two different fields, he said, “It took 21 years to get a place in the Indian cricket team and just four months for Parliament.”

Well, here’s a course where one can learn the art of dying! Intrigued? Read on... According to a press note circulated recently, ‘dying methods’ and ‘tie and die’ (was it hanging or marriage!) are among the courses offered by a person who teaches dyeing (and not dying) at Shilparamam. Vocabulary, for one, can kill anyone!

It is generally journalists, who are keen on learning about transfers of government authorities or taking up new jobs. But with more news channels being launched in the State, even the government authorities are now keen on learning about journalists switching jobs.

Recently, when a couple of journalists called on the new CPRO of SCR to wish her, the officer asked journalists about their future plans. “These days most of the reporters are switching organisations and it is getting difficult for us to identify individuals and the organisations they represent,” she said smiling.

Glamour always has the upper hand. This was proved at an event held last week where a Minister, a Principal Secretary and a well-known Tollywood hero shared the dais. Bouquets were given, the Minister was praised by the organisers etc and the audience clapped.

But soon, their presence was forgotten when the actor entered the hall.

In fact, the organiser’s focus too drastically shifted to pleasing their brand ambassador.

While they posed for photos, the Principal Secretary was seen looking lost.

So much so that at the end of the event he even expressed his angst, though in a diplomatic way. “We seem to have become invisible for the audience thanks to the charm of the actor,” he said.

Wanting to make the most of the opportunity, the Principal Secretary requested the actor to contribute to their programmes too.

Looking quite happy at having cornered the actor, the official was zapped when the actor tactfully wished everyone and simply ignored the request!

ABHIJIT DEV KUMAR,

M. SAI GOPAL, J.S. IFTHEKHAR, R. RAVIKANTH REDDY, YOGENDRA KALAVALAPALLI, S.SANDEEP KUMAR &

D.V.L. PADMA PRIYA

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