India is growing young in terms of Youth Population. As per India’s Census 2011, Youth (15-24 years) in India constitutes one-fifth (19.1%) of India’s total population. India is expected to have 34.33% share of youth in total population by 2020. It’s time to nurture the young minds and channelize their thoughts and actions to make India a Super Power in this decade.
The Onus
The responsibility lies on every parent and teacher in particular and the society in general. While giving them the freedom to learn, inculcating values into them and providing the necessary life skills are of utmost importance. Excessive pampering and shying them away from experiencing failure or hardships will hamper them in understanding the reality of life. Providing platforms at home, school, college and workplace for sharing their minds will give them a feeling of empowerment and self-esteem that would allow them to contribute more for their personal and organizational growth that in turn results in the growth of the society and the nation as a whole. “Ðare to be free, Dare to go as far as your thought leads, and Dare to carry that out in your life” said Swamy Vivekananda.
Employment
The employment rate of India has fallen from 50.8 to 46.8 between 2012 and 2018 as per the records of the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation. This has further increased from 4% to 7% between Jan 2019 and October 2020 though there was a huge spike up to 23.5% in April 2020 due to the pandemic. More alarming is the fact that the youth unemployment is on the rise one of the main reasons being the employability!
Employability
The employability of a person mainly depends on the skills and the attitude. Fortuitously, both the factors can be fostered and refined. Exposing the youth to the skills required for employability is mostly the responsibility of the educational institutions that in turn, should update and upgrade the skills of the faculty. Parenting in a positive atmosphere and helping children understand the life skills would prepare the youth to face the challenges in their life ahead.
Prudence
The youth need to realise that in order to survive and flourish in this highly competitive world, they need to take up any activity that would either be useful to them or the society around. Understanding that life is not a path of roses, the youth should not shun jobs for the sake of comfort as they have to support themselves and their ageing parents. Also, they cannot afford to stay complacent on balancing relationships while climbing the ladder of the career. Taking ownership in any job or assignment that they take up and doing it passionately will better the chances of career growth. May the Youth be inspired by the words of Rabindranath Tagore :
Sridhar Jayaram ·where mistrust, treachery, lies, jealousy prevailed. Many dilapidated structures were razed by the corporation to allow the city breathe easy and one among them was the residence of late Congress MLA Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga Rao, popularly known as Ranga, on the M.G. Road. When sledgehammers struck the decades-old dwelling known as ‘daba’ in 2013, a gamut of thoughts crisscrossed the old-timers as an air of mystery shrouded the building.
The residence (now new looking), was a witness to several dramatic political events, people’s movements, murderous plots and private ‘durbars’ in the contemporary city politics.In fact, it laid the platform for the five sensational murderers (Chalasani Venkata Ratnam, Vangaveeti Radhakrishna, Devineni Gandhi, Devineni Murali and Vangaveeti Ranga) the city witnessed in the 70s and 80s that lowered the city’s image in eyes of the world as a breeding ground of rowdies
.While Ranga ruled one part of the city from the ‘daba’; his bête norie the Devinenis ruled the other part from the ‘doddi” (backyard) from Gunadala, representing two communities and two political outfits.The ascendancy of Vangaveetis in city politics began to crystallise after they moved into the ‘daba’ in the 70s. Ranga’s brother Radha become a force to reckon with after the elimination of his arch-rival and ‘guru’ CPI leader Chalasani Venkata Ratnam (1972).The brothers entered the student union activities by launching an outfit called United Independents (UI) from this very house to counter the CPI’s students’ wing –All India Students Federation (AISF). Radha’s end came in 1974 when he left the ‘daba’ to collect a donation only to be killed by his rivals (and friends) inside a shop inMusuem Road.
.After a truce with the Reds, Ranga emerged as the leader of the faction in which Denivenis (Gandhi and Nehru) were his trusted lieutenants before they broke away in the late 70s.’ “Mistrust, treachery, lies, jealousy and communal feelings began to surface in the house leading to breaking away of Devinenis from Ranga. The formation United Students Organisation (USO), without the knowledge of Ranga, widened the rift. They floated it to counter Ranga’s United Independents (UI),” says Durga Rao, a friend of Sr. Radhakrishna.The battle lines were drawn in 1979, when Ranga men murdered Devineni Gandhi near ITI College in 1979 leading to a series of murders and assaults in the next nine years, including the filmi-style murder of Devineni Murali in March 1988 at Yadlapadu in Guntur District.
People used to shiver by every mention of ‘Daba” and several remember the ‘instant justice’ Ranga handed over to the wrongdoers. “People, who could not afford courts, used to seek justice from Ranga’s durbar,” says Kota Sankar Sarma, a close associate of Ranga.The security at ‘daba” was impregnable and around 50 ‘followers’ used to give him the security cover. Outsiders were frisked and suspicious characters were dealt with. “Dozens his henchmen used eat and sleep in the ground floor,” recollects Sarma.The building witnessed the transformation of Ranga from a student leader-cum-gang leader to a powerful politician when he won as a corporator independently in 1981. “The Congress which denied him ticket 1981 gave him the MLA ticket in the 1985 by-election and he won hands down during the TDP wave”.Ranga launched agitations when he was out of power from this house. During the TDP regime, he took on the then top cop Vyas and ruling party with grit and his residence was under constant surveillance.
When he made – “Chaitanya Radham” – a film on his elder brother Radhakrishna his house was transformed into shooting spot with Tollywood stars.The house was the rallying point when Ranga organised Kapunadu and Jana Chaitanya Yatra to galvanise the Kapu community against TDP regimmurder.e. “Several Congress national and state leaders frequented the house,” recollects a Ranga follower.Several followers used to spend a good amount of time in the house and they used to follow wherever their leader went. Ironically, Ranga met his death in the hands of his arch-rivals while on fast on early December 26, 1988 – a few yards away from his much-loved house while his dumb-struck wife Ratna Kumari saw the gory incident unfold from the window of the house. The building is also known for shutting its door on the face of then chief minister N T Rama Rao when he came to console Ms. Ratna Kumari, wife of Ranga after Ranga’s murder.
In a society that is interdependent, every person purchases either goods or services from traders or service providers almost every day. If those purchases are not directly related to entrepreneurial or business activities, ie. if it is meant for personal, social, family, household and similar needs, the person making the purchase or availing a service becomes a consumer. Groceries, Household goods, Furniture, Consumer Durables, Drugs & Cosmetics, Packaged Foods & Beverages, Jewellery, Petroleum Products and Real estate are some of the products that people purchase while Insurance, Banking, Travel, Hotel, Telecom, Broadband, DTH, Courier, Cargo, Education, Healthcare and digital payments are some of the services. The buying patterns have gradually drifted from compulsive to impulsive with more and more offers provided by Super Bazaars, Malls and Online Stores. There is every possibility that a consumer gets cheated either by innocence or ignorance in some transaction or the other.
The Protection In order to shield the consumer from being deceived by the traders and to address the deficiency in service, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Government of India introduced the Consumer Protection Act in 1986. That was to provide better protection of the interests of consumers and for that purpose to make provision for the establishment of consumer councils and other authorities for the settlement of consumers’ disputes and for matters connected therewith. Every District had a Consumer forum, at the next level was a State Commission followed by the National Commission. Later, The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), was set up in 1988 as a quasi-judicial commission under the aegis of which the consumer councils operated. With the advent of ecommerce, it became imminent to bring it under the ambit of CPA 2019.
Consumer protection act and gavel on a table.
The Rights Right to Safety, Right to be informed, Right to Choose, Right to be heard, Right to Redressal and the Right to Consumer Education are the six Consumer Rights guaranteed by the Consumer Protection Act. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution has provided a National Consumer Helpline (NCH) with a toll free number 1800114000 OR 14404 which works on all days except National Holidays from 09:30 AM to 05:30 PM. The website https://consumerhelpline.gov.in/ also provides a chat facility for consumers to discuss their problems.
Integrated Services
The Integrated Grievance Redress Mechanism (INGRAM) portal was launched for bringing all Stakeholders such as Consumers, Central and State Government Agencies, Private Companies, Regulators, Ombudsmen and call centres etc. onto a single platform. The portal also helps in creating awareness among consumers to protect their rights and inform them of their responsibilities. Consumers can also register their grievances online through this portal. Grievances on Misleading Advertisements can be filed online through https://gama.gov.in/
The Empowerment Consumer empowerment has been done by the government through various laws, rules and regulations. But it is the duty of the consumer to be aware of these provisions, stay alert and assertive while making any purchase or utilising any service. ConfoNet (Computerization and Computer Networking of Consumer Forums in Country) is yet another initiative by the government. The portal https://confonet.nic.in/ caters to a wide range of beneficiaries with disparate needs and requirements including Consumers, Consumer Activists and NGOs, Members of Consumer Fourms, Bar Councils and Advocates. ConfoNet aims at improving operational efficiency, co-ordination, accessibility, speed in judicial administration and to set Information Communication Technology (ICT) Infrastructure at Consumer Redressal forums all over India.
The latest feather in the cap of Consumer Empowerment is the provision for e-filing of cases through the https://edaakhil.nic.in/ .
Be an Assertive Consumer For a consumer to be empowered and to assert the rights, the consumer must first ensure the quality and quantity of the goods being purchased, check the dates of manufacture and validity, know the maximum retail price and discounts, collect bills and warranty certificates, understand the terms of agreement and scope of services before availing services from service providers and above all, make it a habit of preserving The latest feather in the cap of all the documents. A consumer should never hesitate to raise the voice in assertion against any trader or service provider when cheated.
Telengaana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) came out with a report,on the quality of water,in Hussein Saagar lake at Hyderabad,after immersion of Vinaayaka idols this year.As per their report,only 8903 idols a were immersed,this year,due to COVID-19 regulations,compared to 1.2 lakh idols immersed last year.The oxygen levels,in the lake,is conducive this year,for aquatic life.This lake is used for recreational purpose. This year,the lake has remained,near normal,as told by Mrs.J.Sumathi,scientist of TSPCB.She said,the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Bio-Chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD),have shown a decreasing trend.Dissolved Oxygen (DO) levels also have improved,at all six locations,from where samples have been collected.‘’We consider a lake polluted,if standards of COD,BOD and DO are stagnant.But,if there is fluctuation,in these quantities,it is an evident sign,that some form of reaction is taking place,in the water.”the scientist said. As per the report prepared by the board,there has been no significant change in heavy metals,within the lake,before and after immersion of idols.‘’Due to outbreak of COVID-19,the Ganesh festival,this year was celebrated,with regulations and restrictions.Moderate to heavy rainfall was recorded,throughout the state which resulted in dilution of water bodies,through in flows of storm water.”the report said.Drawing comparison with water quality last year,the report went on to say that levels of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) have decreased compared to last year.From the above report,prepared by TSPCB,it is very clear,that a pandemic like Corona,has taught some lessons,to people of Hyderabad,to realise their mistakes,regarding environment .After all Hussein Saagar,is a lake, made artificially,along with Charminar,400 years ago,by the Muslim king who ruled this area at that time.Like we preserve Charminar,we have to preserve Hussein Saagar lake also,as a Heritage lake.Since,Hyderabad,does not have a beach,this lake has to be maintained well.It is the responsibility of every citizen,who lives in this city.I was thinking that,I am the only person,who did not buy Vinaayaka idol,this year,for the festival.I casually mentioned this to my sister,as well as cousin who live at Chennai.My sister said,she has not been Vinaayaka idols,during the last four years.My cousin said,she did not buy the idols,during the last ten years.On account of not buying the idols,nothing has happened to both of them.That means,this unwanted practice,of filling lakes,with idols,is dying a natural death.Awareness is increasing amongst people.They would no longer,listen to selfish people,who would like people,to do things blindly,without thinking.
Our society boasts of treating woman as Goddess! The Dusserah season celebrated with fervour across the nation is all about worshiping womanhood in the nine forms of Goddess Durga. From ancient times, people had been worshiping her as Adi Shakthi. While all this had been happening in the pretence of religion, the ground reality appears grave!
The disturbing truth
It is extremely frightening to understand the different types of crimes against women recorded by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) which include Dowry Deaths, Abetment to Suicide of Women, Acid Attack, Cruelty by Husband or his relatives, Kidnapping & Abduction, Kidnapping for Ransom, Kidnapping & Abduction of Women to compel her for marriage, Human Trafficking, Selling of Minor Girls, Assault on Women with Intent to Outrage her Modesty, Insult to the Modesty of Women, Procuring, inducing Children for the sake of prostitution, Seducing or soliciting for purpose of prostitution, Publishing or Transmitting of Sexually Explicit Material, Other Women Centric Cyber Crimes (Ex. Blackmailing/ Defamation/ Morphing/ Fake Profile), Sexual Harassment, Indecent Representation of Women, Murder with Rape/Gang Rape. Such crimes are increasing at an alarming pace in every nook and corner of the country.
Gravity of the Situation
Politicians, religious leaders, human rights activists and women’s organizations continue lecturing on women empowerment and equal rights for women while the crimes against women continue unabated. The statistics of the NCRB reveals the harsh reality! “A total of 4,05,861 cases of crime against women were registered during 2019, showing an increase of 7.3% over 2018 (3,78,236 cases). Majority of cases under crime against women under IPC were registered under ‘Cruelty by Husband or His Relatives’ (30.9%) followed by ‘Assault on Women with Intent to Outrage her Modesty’ (21.8%), ‘Kidnapping & Abduction of Women’ (17.9%) and ‘Rape’ (7.9%). The crime rate registered per lakh women population is 62.4 in 2019 in comparison with 58.8 in 2018.”
Well, let’s understand that all the above numbers are only the reported crimes of 2019 and try to figure out the fate of those that are not reported at all.
The depressing reality
Apart from crimes, women also face a huge disparity in every home and the society at large right from a very early age. The irony is that every woman wishes that her daughter leads a blissful and independent life while the same women do not want their daughters-in-law to be so! Starting there, the differences continue in the distribution of household work, food, clothing and other amenities between boys and girls within the same family. The elders in several families turn a blind eye towards the abuse of the girl child by relatives and friends. Even today, many families curtail the freedom of girls in terms of education, extra-curricular activities, games, sports, friendship and hobbies.
Isn’t it time for all of us to be fair towards the fair sex?
Extremely huge rainfall on 12, 13 and 14 October 2020, and later in Hyderabad will be stuck in the pages of history. After the floods in 1908, Hyderabad faced limited area floods in 2000, in 2006, and in 2016. It is true that the floods in 2020 have exceeded all such events, in terms of spread, intensity and devastation. For the first time, the floods were seen in almost all areas across Hyderabad city. Water drain system in the Old city of Hyderabad was good. With increased population, this old system does not have enough capacity for the precipitation brought by current rains, where the water flow has become rapid and causing severe losses. Normally, natural disasters are unexpected, untold, unknown. But, in the last two months, there has been a considerable rainfall across Telangana, especially in Hyderabad.
Warnings were given. Yet there is no preparation from the Telangana government. We have modern communication systems and satellite-based forecasting forecasts, but have ignored flood forecasts. Government did not wake up from its slumber even after disastrous floods in Warangal, Karimnagar, Mulugu and other districts. There is no prior preparation or post event review. In Hyderabad, prior to October floods, rains have been frequent over the last few days and all the tanks have been filled. Water was released from Hussain Sagar in the heart of Hyderabad city twice in recent period. With such situation, more rains would have resulted in floods. Even though it is known that the rain will worsen, government machinery remained under-prepared. People were not taken into confidence, mobilized and made aware of.
Weather is no longer the same as before. We have many signs of such extreme weather. However, we have not prepared ourselves for such changes. The heavy rainfall in July 2005 in Mumbai city was not limited to that year. That was huge rainfall in 100 years. Yet, every year there was a heavy rain. In 2020 also Mumbai received the second highest rainfall. Chennai city also suffered heavy rain in 2015 and caused loss of life and property. Records say that this was more than the rain in 1901. Bangalore city also received 129 mm of rainfall after 127 years on August 15, 2017, in just 3 hours. We have seen heavy rains and subsequent floods in Delhi. There are heavy rains in Calcutta. When it comes to city planning and infrastructure, Calcutta is not better than Chennai. In fact, every Indian coastal city is stressed by heavy rainfalls.
Despite the heavy rainfall events in every modern and mega city, dangerous and horrific experiences therein, the Telangana government ignored the need for preparation in Hyderabad city. Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai are coastal cities. On the other hand, Hyderabad city is located on the Deccan Plateau, 600 meters above the sea. Floods came in a geographical location where water was difficult to find. Hyderabad city managers did not learn from the experience of other cities. Drainage system was not planned properly. Presently, water drainage system in this city is in shambles.
Climate change is happening. There has never been such rainfall in just two days. This heavy rainfall was caused by a climate change. All the metropolises are eco-destructive centers. Air pollution generated in cities is one of the major causes of the increase in earth’s temperature. While climate change caused by environmental destruction is the cause of the intensive rainfall, let us not forget that the problem faced by the city of Hyderabad is due to human errors. Every time it rains, we see incidents of submergence of roads and houses in one area or the other of Hyderabad. However, it is sad that GHMC is not clearly prepared to deal with the floods in the city. Had the GHMC been prepared and took necessary action when the problem was small, it would not have been a disaster. Millions of people would not become victims of this horrific disaster. Loss of life and property could have been avoided.
Floods caused by sudden stress on the local drainage system (drainage network) are different from the river floods. In many places, nala encroachment has reduced the flow of water to less than two meters wide. Causes of this disaster are obvious to all. The water storage capacity in the lakes and tanks in Hyderabad city (impounding capacity) has decreased drastically due to encroachment of water sources, ponds, lakes and kuntas and other water sources, causing floods. Large tanks like Hussain Sagar, Osman Sagar, Himayat Sagar are shrinking with active occupation by government and private people. Their area is decreasing. Secondly, the flow and speed of water has also increased due to concrete structures and roads throughout the city. Low lands were flooding with minimal rains. There is no open land, not enough space between buildings, which leads to water inundating roads. With encroachment of drains and choking by garbage, water flow is taking to the streets. In the recent past, even though GHMC and the government have announced that encroachments would be removed on war footing, field situation has not changed.
In fact, it is the government that has encroached water bodies. Government agencies throughout the city have occupied water resources. The Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS), the Municipal Waste Transit station by the GHMC in the Musi River, the sewerage treatment plant set up by HMWSSB, the station built by Hyderabad Metro Rail Company in the bed of River Musi, Maithrivanam Building in Ameerpet, the Necklace Road around Hussain Sagar, Lumbini Park and other monuments are some examples. Once Hyderabad was known for lakes and parks. In the last 20-30 years, many tanks, ponds and canals that linked lakes and kuntas have been encroached and transformed themselves into huge houses and buildings. Whenever there is rain, water reaches these low lands. For people living there, this natural accumulation is a flood phenomenon.
The Musi River has also been severely encroached in many places. From Sangam to Nagole, the width of the river has decreased by 70 per cent in many places. After the High Court building, river width has been reduced by the government and government agencies to just 6 meters. Encroachment by private people has reduced the river width by more than 50 per cent near Chadarghat Bridge. From there, the encroachment continues to Moosarambagh Bridge. Because of encroachments, normal flow of water becomes a flood. With increase in flows caused by heavy rainfall, flood intensity and extent of flooding increases. Heavy rainfall on 14th October, 2020, caused this situation.
The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Plan is under-developed. There is no comprehensive, sustainable, long-term plan. Even as Hyderabad became “Greater”, Telangana government’s interference in local self-government increased. There is no regulation of building construction, as permissions and approvals became simplified. Lack of adherence to engineering principles in newly constructed flyovers and viaduct of Hyderabad Metro Rail have also created floods and new types of ponds in many places and have adversely affected the city’s life and travel.
Overall, the Telangana government was unprepared for these floods, even though there was have been warning signs. It did not even mobilise the people. GHMC lost the ability to take its own decisions. Lack of coordination between the various government departments and government agencies was evident. Even after the disaster, with floods spread throughout the city, response from the government is not on par. Even though there are 5 lakh cameras across Hyderabad city, the delay in information collection is palpable. There are doubts if there will be a proper post-disaster assistance programme for the families who have been impacted adversely and displaced severely.
Telangana government needs to improve the Hyderabad water drainage system to prevent future disgana.asters. There is a need to protect the tanks. The encroachment on water resources has to be removed, through implementation of a planned and the rehabilitation scheme for poor and middle-class families. Heavy rainfall can occur in Hyderabad, again and again, given the unpredictable global weather patterns. No one guarantee that there will be no such rainfall again. In view of that, it is necessary for the government, municipalities and citizens to be prepared in Telangana
“Mineral Water” is a misnomer for the water that is filtered through RO systems and supplied for drinking purposes. The so called mineral water has become fashionable in every home, office and for many individuals too. As a matter of fact, most of the domestic and commercial water purifiers using the Reverse Osmosis technology for filtration remove many essential minerals such as calcium and magnesium from the water. Most of these commercially available models boast of filtered water with very less TDS levels! This actually means that the vital minerals in the form of dissolved salts are being removed from water thus reducing the Total Dissolved Solids. Water is a universal solvent. Therefore, when we consume water with very less TDS, it takes away (dissolves) some of the salts available in our body and drains them out. This creates an imbalance of essential minerals in the body for which supplements need to be consumed!
Quality Parameters of Drinking Water
As per the WHO standards the TDS of potable water can range between 100 and 1200ppm (parts per million). The International Standards Organization specifies the TDS at 500 as acceptable limit and 2000 as permissible limit as per the IS-10500-2012.
To do or not to do!
Many studies have revealed that drinking water with TDS less than 50, which has very low proportions of requisite minerals, is unacceptable. Though 50-150 is acceptable, the range of 80 to 100 is preferable. TDS ranging 150-250 is considered the healthiest for cardiovascular health. Many parts of India have a range of 250-350, as anything falling below 500 is acceptable. TDS ranging between 500-1200, though in the permissible limit, is not palatable and therefore requires filtration such as RO. Water with TDS more than 2000 cannot be purified by household water purifiers
Environmental Concern
A reverse osmosis (RO) system removes larger particles and dissolved solids when water passes through a semi-permeable membrane under pressure. In the process, the water that is filtered through the membrane is consumed and the rest of it is drained. Most of the household and commercially used RO systems give only around 40-50% output which means around 50-60% of the water is drained. Thus for every litre of water purified by a household RO system, one litre is wasted. Therefore, a family of four, which consumes around 30-35 litres of potable water a day (drinking & cooking), wastes an equal amount of water resulting in around a 1000 litres in a month. As the efficiency of the filter reduces with the paucity of time, the wastage increases. This is an alarming trend of wasting a very precious resource! The water thus drained from the RO systems has a very high TDS that affects the aquatic life in drains.
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Illegal exploitation of ground water
As the fad for packaged drinking water even in households grew, there is a mushrooming of small water purification plants in every colony. The source for most of these units is ground water. With no strict rules in force, these purification plants exploit the ground water, process them with cheap RO systems and drain lots of water which goes un-noticed. As this high TDS water enters the drain and reaches the sewage treatment facilities having a biological treatment method, it becomes very difficult for the facility to treat this water, which actually requires a different approach. Consequently, the functioning of the STPs too get affected.
Action 2020
National-Green-TribunalThe National Green Tribunal ordered that the RO systems are prohibited where the TDS of the supplied water is below 500 mg per litre (500 ppm). To comply with this order the Union Ministry of Environment published a notification in February 2020 stating “Installation or use of MWPS [Membrane based Water Purification System] shall be prohibited, at the point of use or at the point of entry for purification of supplied water which is subjected to conventional flocculation, filtration and disinfection process or is from any sources which are in compliance with acceptable limit for drinking water prescribed by Bureau of Indian Standard 10500:2012”.
Vijayawada’s Gandhinagar was considered the ‘Mecca of film distribution’, and it is now a shadow of its past, as just a handful of companies are involved in the business.Film distribution is now restricted to an elite few who decide the fate of Tollywood. Once abuzz, with more than 70 companies selling and buying films, Gandhinagar now wears a deserted look.
Barring the first-day-first-show frenzy, there is nothing much to talk about.Many still remember their stroll in Gandhinagar as kids collecting edited film clippings from the streets which they used to watch and enjoy in their tiny bioscopes.Bioscope was quite popular with children in the sixties before the arrival of TV. The hawker will move it on the trolley and would attract children to see the moving pictures. He would play 78 RPM records. He would crank roll of pictures which could be magnified through lens fitted on viewing window and gives running commentary as well. These days we can only in some fairs. Thanks to the invasion of technology and changes in rules in the trade involving producers, distributor and exhibitors and modernisation of theatres, the usual hustle-bustle in the once buzzing hub have fallen silent.
Gandhinagar turned into a film hub owing to its proximity to the several theatres close by. It was easy to carry reels from one theatre to another by auto rickshaws. That is one reason, a cluster of halls came up in Gandhinagar.The introduction of district-wise business has killed film distribution. The concept was meant to help producers meet the production cost in the mid-eighties. Now, everyone is a distributor,” rues septuagenarian Agnihotram Narasimha Chary, a veteran in the field.With five decades of experience, Mr Chary, who works as the manager of Hansa Films, says the shifting of film trade to Hyderabad led to job losses. “Film distribution is now restricted an elite few who decide the fate of Tollywood,” he says.Take a stroll along the lanes and by-lanes, and one finds more than a dozen cinema halls, screening old as well as new movies. Though some single-screen theatres downed shutters owing to losses, others are giving tough competition to even to multiplexes. A classic example is Sailaja Theatre, which is undergoing a makeover.“The first three days [Friday, Saturday and Sunday] are crucial in the modern-day film business, as they decide the collections.
It has now become difficult to meet expenses. Several theatre owners, who are not able to run the show, are leasing out the halls,” says a theatre manager on condition of anonymity.Grandhi Viswanath, managing director of Urvasi Cine Complex, presently Inox, says since multiplexes have the wherewithal to provide state-of-the-art facilities, managements of single-screen theatres focus on better amenities to attract viewers.Introduction of an online booking system, better air-conditioning, spacious parking and cafeteria are among the facilities provided by single-screen theatre managements. “Improved amenities are the only way to attract an audience,” says R.V. Bhupal Prasad, proprietor of Navrang theatre.Mr Chary, meanwhile, is candid in his observation. “Earlier, watching movies in theatres was the only form of entertainment. Now, youngsters have several options. Owing to rampant piracy, even the latest flicks are available at a click of a button,” he says.Gone are the days when film buffs used to flaunt their craze for heroes at new releases.
Interestingly, fans used to decorate theatres and take pains to get tickets for their friends. But, for the last few years, the euphoria has been missing at single-screen theatres. The reason: the influx of swanky multiplexes.Another reason for dwindling collections is the change in the format of releasing movies. “Earlier, four theatres used to screen a movie with two prints. After the introduction of digitisation, new films are released in as many theatres as possible, thus affecting collections,” Mr Viswanath says.“Despite the ups and downs, highs and lows, the show must go on,” signs off Chary, with moist eyes.Real estate is a factor, too. Many fourth and fifth-generation owners of the cinema halls feel no sentimental affinity to the movie business.
Daamodhar JN Even in this century ,people indulge in this sort of killings,on the basis of caste.Periyaar was against caste divisions in India.He was unhappy,that our constitution prohibits only untouchability.Since caste is not prohibited in our constitition,he burnt the same and went to jail. Draavidar Khazhagam party people burnt,sections 25 and 26 of our constitution,which is protecting castes in India.Ten thousand DK party people and sympathisers were arrested and were kept in jail for three years.Out of them,few people have died,while they were in jail.Draavidar Kazhagam party had advised,people of Thamil Naadu,not to add caste tag,behind their names.When M G Ramachandran was Chief Minister of Thamil Naadu,he ordered removal of caste tags,in road names.Accordingly,G.N.Chetty road became G.N.Road.Dr.Nair Road became Dr.Road.Pulla Reddy Avenue became Pulla Avenue.
Recently,when a case came up in Supreme Court,for getting bail,the Chief Justice,L.A.Bobbde was surprised.One murder took place ,in the year 2015,in a village called Pallipaalayam ,in Thamil Naadu.One Gokulraaj,belonging to lower caste,was murdered by one Yuvaraj,belonging to higher caste.Chief Justice was surprised,since Periyaar was born in Thamil Naadu.Periyaar preached against caste divisions in India.In such a state,how such a murder took place,was the cause for his surprise.In the year 2016,as soon as AIADMK came back to power,in Thamil Naadu,the recorded honour killings ,in that year alone was 22.Out of them,the murder of Udumalai Shanker and Osoor Nandeesh and Swaathi’s murders became sensational.These murders made the whole country,wake up from their deep slumber As per the views of Chief ustice,honour killings, take place regularly in states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.This sort of killing, taking place in Thamil Naadu,is a surprise to him.
.Few days ago,Hemanth,belonging to lower caste,was murdered by relatives of his wife,who belongs to higher caste.This murder took place,at Chandanagar,an outskirt of Hyderabad city.It is high time,caste divisions are eliminated,from our country.It is not an easy task,since,it has been in existence,since ages. As a first step,people should stop adding caste tags,to their names. Secondly,like the inhuman practice of Sathi was banned by British Government,Indian Government should ban caste divisions amongst people.Thirdly,inter caste marriages should be encouraged by people. Fourthly,the selection of bride groom,should not be done,by the parents of bride.The bride should have ,full freedom,to select her life partner,since her parents are not going to be alive,through out her life.In this process,dowry demand will die a natural death.
