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My homeland has been divided yet again on 2"d June 2014, India witnessed the formation of its 29 d, stare, Telangana.

I be lieve in a democratic, secular and tolerant India and hence, 1 be lieve rbe decis ion to form this new state is entirely wro ng; socially, economically, politically and democratically.

Socially, a conunon dissent (amongst man y others) voiced b y the citizens of Tehmgaoa who aspired for a n ew state is diat linguistically, they spoke different languages .&om the other regions of 1\ndhra Pradesh. Exarnp le,"i\tfy Telugu accent has always been ridiculed by those

Slgnup need to pump in to uplift the majotity of Telangana is colossal a nd ro the tune of several billions. lt is a task that might not be easy to achieve in spite of getting Hyderabad which practically functions like a satellite city. And o n the other hand, are the cost and resources required fo r setting up a new government and related governmental agencies and administrative offices. The truth is that the elected government does not h ave a clear blue print to address any of the critical issues facing Telangana today

Politicall y, the r iots and struggles for a new state began

''Democratically, as we get closer to completing 68 years of independence, it is a saddening thought that we still follow the'divide and rule' policy of the British Raj which destroyed our land from other parts as I speak a different version of the language". Our country was divided along linguistic lines at the time of state formation postIndependence, bur within a state, every village or district speaks w ith a different style or accent even today and all of us have at some point ridiculed or been ridiculed for our accent or language But does this qualify for d1e d emand of a n ew sta te, a new division?

Economically, the citizens of Telaogana celebrate as if the battle has been won. But the real battle is yet to begin! The new government is faced wi th the mammoth cask of the economics of running a new state. J\ principal reason cited fo r needing a new s tate was d1e fact that m ost regions of Telangana were economically backward and not given the due attention b y the former Andhra Pi:adesh government. With a total l and area of 1 14,000 sq km and a population ove r 35 mill.ion, the only prized asset Telangana can boast of is Hyderabad, rbe technolog y hub of India which che new government believes conrrib u te treme ndo u sly in the early 1960s Initially, it was a publ ic outCI'.)' against the lan d lords of undi vided Andhra who exp lo i ted d1e farmers a nd ot11e r workii1g class of the Telangana regi ons It didn't take long for the politic ians to discover that this sense of injustice in the minds of the public was a good wa)' to gain votes. Soon t11e publi c disdain became a po li tical outcry. The Telangana Ra shtra Samithi (f'RS) formed in 2001 as a result of this and the party chose to form an alliance w ith the Congress (which held the

''stronghold at that rime) in the hopes of a new statehood. But the Congress party had no such inclinations and h unger stri kes, riots and social unrest became d1e o rd er of d1e d ay. \Xlheu me date for the 2014 general. el ections was set and the Congress party realised that it could be wiped om from powe r, the decis ion for the new state of Telangana was pushed in a lase minute attempt to gain a couple of votes from the region A petty political rn.iscalculatioo which cost the party dearly in t11e general e lections.

Democratically, as we get closer ro comp leting 68 years of independence, it i s a saddening thought that we still follow t11e to cut ourselves up on the basis of language and regional differences; we need less corrupt leaders who would

'''divide and rule' policy o f the British Raj which destroyed our lan d We did nor need a se parate state; we needed a sensitive govermnem to understand the real p light of the peop le We did not need to cut ourselves up on the basis of language and rei,>ional differences; we need less corrupt leaders who will direct funds in the right manner to promote growth and development. And above all, dir ect funds in the

We did not need to t11e development of the new state Though right manner to promote growth and development

''We shmtld hm7 e learnt we need to exercise tolerance, a sense of unity and brotherhood, a trait in such short supply among Indians back home and around che g lobe the city of Hyderabad has t be eco n omic po tential to bring out of its financial and developmental from our past mis cakes, the glaringl y obv ious ones like Jharkhaod. 1t is going to be a lonely road doom, it is important to realise t1, at the r est of me sta te remains backward with poor infrastructure, far m ing or irrigation facilities

Water is another issue on which the two divided states will continue to lock heads with each o ther. On one hand, the revenue and resources that the new government ,vill for Te langana and Seernaodhra, but here's to hoping the new leaders c an deliver the promises m ade. As well a s hoping d1at t11e new government doe s not di,1i de and cut up India again in to Gorkhaland, Bodoland and Vidarbha for petty p olitical interests.

A Melbourne-based engineer develop s an app that lists Hindu temples in 50 differe nt countries

Temple Details

Driving Directions

Face book/Twitter or cbe devout Hindu, god is everywhere and in ever y being. He is omniscienc, omnipotent and omnipresent.

Most of us, nevertheless, also find strength and so lace in a peaceful darsha11 at temples. Today, no matter which corner of the world the globecrotting Hindu finds him or herself in, there is bound to be a Hindu temple, offering the right spiri tual direction.

Through d1e innumerable resources of the Wo rld Wide Web and d1e innovation of Indian Australia Hari Iyer, finding god is now eas ier than ever

Leveraging on the very latest in mobile technology, Iyer has come up with a novel web and m obile phone application to service the needs of the Hindu community.

Mapping over 2,000 temples in 50 major countries outs ide I ndi a, Iyer recently launched his free Hindu temples direccory, WW\\,allhindutemples.com, and app for iOS on www HinduTemplesApp.com downloadable through App Store.

The temples app is a comprehensive directory a nd is particularly bandy for getting directions, opening hours, contact details and services offered The information can also be saved offline to d1eir device.

The highly interactive app is particularly unique in its Wiki-s tyle customer interface that allows users to network, collaborate, leave feedback and provide useful advice for other temple-goers. Users can also update infor mation and include photos.

" Every other religion except Hinduism 11as apps and directories as well as lots of infom1acion

Temples online about their places o f worship," I yer told Indian U11k.

"While so many Hindus have carved a niche for themselves in in formation technology, we don't have many resources online"

The idea for the app arose when Hari and his wife Samrid h a turned up ar a local Sydner temple, only to find it closed

" I subsequently tried tO find their opening hours and realised there was nor much information available," Iyer said

"Their web.sire was down as well and even when it was restored it lacked adequate content in a mobile friendly website This i s the case for most temple websites ".

It was the frustration of nor having access to basic information d1at inspired Iyer to a-eate hi s app, with d1e intention of making temple visits easier for everyone.

" I decided ro create a directory whose main purpose is instant access to basic logistical information Wherever d1ey are in

Contact Details

[ Opening Hours]

Share Details

Save Favorites Offline d1e world, the tern-savv y devotee can use the app to locate a Hindu temple near di em," explained ] yer.

As a l:)1Jica1 "Tam-bram" (Tamil Brahmin) the Mumbai-born Iyer was a frequent -visitor of lorn] temples. His marriage to Samrid ha also st:rengrhened his spiritual foundations as she not o nly brought a firm religious grounding back into his life but also actively encouraged him to create d1e directory.

The industrial engineer, whose e.xper tise is sales and consulting, invested all his spare rime in to d1is unique project. A year in the making, it initially began as an Australian temples directory and blog, expanding steadily to include many more countries.

"Ir did ta ke a lot of coordination, bringing together work from different locations with data analyst s in Noida, app developer in Europe and graphic designers in Kolkata 1 had a lor of support from family, since a

Sri Venkateswara Temple SVT S star reviews. h ttp;//www svtsydney org/ secretary@svtsydney org I Treasurer https://ww w facebaok com/SVT. Sy. _ ht tps:1/t witter.com/ svtsydnsyo,g

Consw11er feedback has also been overwhelmingly positive Peak Hindu orgai1isations like VHP, Hindu Council of 1\usrralia and Overseas Friends of BJP Australia have offered their support, but Iyer hopes to expand d1e app's r each even further.

•61 2 4 294 -9233, +61 2•429'1-3224

Opei,ing Hours, Weekdays: Bani-1 lot of my personal time and money has gone into bringing it to current stage," Iyer explained.

Each of the temples had to be individually mapped on Google maps as well as data sourced and cleaned, to ensure accuracy for users. The App itsel f had been in development for over fo ur months and was extensively tested to ensure comparibilit:y with all iOS devices and scree n sizes

'Tu spite of d1e best of our efforts, this sore of information is dynamic," he added.

"Ope11ing hours change, temples often start small and d1en move on to bigger, permanent locations, phone numbers change and contact details also vary. So I'd call upon users co report an.y changes that they notice so it can be updated tO benefit me whole community"

J\Jrhough the project itself was self- funded, in order to cover tl1e cost of sustaini ng it on App Srore, d1e app has been priced at $2.49 and has aL-eady received many five

"There is scill work needed to spread the word espec iaU y in countries like UK, US and Can ada," he reiterated.

"Mapping temples all over d1e world is such a massive project that no one can possibly do it all by hin1selt~ but if everyone had to only look after one o.r two temples in their loc.'11 area to keep d1em updated and correct that's easily doable and ,vill benefit the enti re community''.

Iye r is also keen for temple managers to claim ownership of their listing and manage it iliemselves. The site also allows temples to upload any local events o r festivals to help them get more visib ili ty ai11ongst devotees.

In me future, lyer also hopes to connect wi th temples in India. "TI1at will be a mai11111oth project and we are trying to .find local organisarions there that we can work with. Conservatively speaking there would be at least l0,000 large temples in India chat we'd like to include in the directary," he stated.

Spurred by die demand, he has already begun work on d1e Android version. To reacl1 a wider audience, ilie app will be free.

"As I will soon be mapping Indian temples, I do not wish to pur it a behind pay wall," lrer indicated. ' 'I also don't want to run ads, as it will corrnpt the spiritual experience. Instead I plan to hold a fundraiser d1rough Indiegogo, where people can contribute whatever they wish towards app development cost".

Find out ll/Ore cit: https:/ / )l)IJJ)V. indiegogo.co,11/ prqjetts/gluhal-hi11d11ta11ples-direito1y-help-creatc-a11-a11,nomeji-t:e-m1droid-app•1to-ads such as Noida, and the city 's push furtl1er i nto what were once rural Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. There, modern gated colllmtmities jostle for space among erstwhile and urrenc villages, in a nev erending search for new laud for 'deve lopments ' tliat are shorn of an y character or i ngenuity Arvind J\diga, writing i n his novel White Tige1· (2008) , said Gurgaon was built b y tbe rich and had ".no parks, lawn s or playgrounds - it was just buildings, shopping malls, hotels and more buildings. There was a pavement outside, but char was for the poor to Live o n" Rana Dasgupta, anotl1er novelist who made Delh i hjs home i.n 2000 when he moved tliere from Britain, bas recently written a book on his adoptive city called Capital: r /1 , ~~ITRA

Check out this list of fascinating books that paint a picture of Delhi through the ages .. ... ..... ... ...... .. .. .. .... .. ...... .. ..... .

• ~ , SUOARSHAN

Thomas Metcalfe, while working as the Governor General's Agent at the 1mperial Court of the Mughal Emperor, senr his daughter the 'Delhi Book' in 18 44, which was au album of 120 paintings of the ciry b y Indian artists .!Vfetcalfe wrote his own descriptive text alongside the paintings, and the album remained in the family for almost 150 years before being added co the British Library collection. Ever si nce, Delhi has prompted h istorians, novelists, academics and travel writers, to pm pen to paper ;md capture tbe el u sive spir it and soul of the city. There is the definitive work of Delhi-at- the -time-of-the-Mutiny by Mahmood Farooqi (2010) called Brsieged: Voicesfro111 De/bi 1857 whereby au author, historian and raconrem captures the pall 24 JULY 2014 diat fell over the rebel govemmenc of Bahadur Shah Zafar in Delhi, around whom the sepoys rallied and marched against the British in Shahjahanabad. Farooqi laborious ly trans lated Urdu documents from the time of the Mutiny in the National Arch ives to evoke the mood of that seminal momem in Delhi's hjstory.

Two other books N e 111 Delhi: Making of a Capital, by Malvika Singh and Rudrangshu Mukherjee (2009) aod Delhi Metrapolitan by Ranjaoa Sengupta (2007) trace die evol ution and emergence of the modern city from the time the British moved the capital to Delhi in 2011 : from the new city that Lutyens planned, to the colonies that came up to absorb the in Aux of refugees at the time of partition, to the new metropolis of 16 million people that it is today.

Two works of fiction T!11ilight in Delhi by Ahmed Ali ( 1940) and Delhi by Khushwant Singh (1990) paint vastly different images of the city tl1rough tli cir protagon ists. Ali's novel chronicles the disintegration of a Delhi family d1at traced its lineage to one of die city 's sultanates \'>;Then tl,e patriarch of the family visits the 191 1 Durbar, he grieves when he sees the d escendants of the exiled Bahadur Shah Zafar begging in the streets. Si.ngh's p r otagonist inimitably describes Delhi as the "mistress to which he returns whe n he h as had his fill of whoring in foreign lands".

Two od1er books can be said to be predominantly about Delhi at the time of the Emergency. They are Salmart Rushdie's Mid11ight's Children (1981) and Emma Tado's U11settli11g Memories (2003). Rushdie riles against tl1e excesses of tbe Eme rgency in his novel; so does Taro, but as an anthropologist who uncovers files of t he Munici pal Corporation in Delhi tl1at in volve the fo t:ced sterilisation of the poor.

Then tliere is the book about Delhi for expatriates by Dave Prager ti tl ed Delinous Delhi (20 l3). Prager and his wife moved co Delhi from New York His was a love -hate relationshi p w ith t he c ity before he found a balance between the best and worst thei r new home had to offer. Prager strucnu·es his book as a guide for ocher expatriates, with chapters on food, shopping, workplace culture and transportation. It especially highlights Delhi's traffic, ab out which Prager seetl,es. Howe,1er, the book is more than just a howto guide. It i~ an appealing memoir, as P rager is a solid storyteller, and the book is an enjoyable tour through the ciry. Highly recommended for anyone wishing to travel to the cicy.

Dalrrmple's Ci-()1 of Djinns (1993) remains one of the most popular bo o ks on the city eve r written. H i s Delhi is the city of multiple empires an d kingdoms, sh aped b y mon ey, food, art and Jiterature. 1fore recent!)\ San1

Miller published D elhi: Adventures in a M egacit) , which is almost entirely h.is view of the place as a wal king city: th.rough manh o les, obstacles and speeding traffic, through Naida a nd G urgaon and the most absurd sights.

This brings us to a recently published book ca ll ed Ud1a11 V ill11ge1; wrinen by Vandana Vasudevan (2013) on the recent urban expansion that has led co tl1e growth of satellite towns

A Portrait of Tiven!J First Cet1t11ry Delhi (2014) le i s a brilliant and compelling book that examin es th e growth of Delh i since die countr y embraced free market principles i.n 1991. He writes with the elegance of a novelist and the incisiveness o f a chronicler, and argues cl1at g lobalisation has been catastrophic for cap itaJism. The nexus between politicians an d developers has only fuelled corruption and the market economy has curtailed the rights o f the poor. It bas ruptured d1e delicate fabric that held the city together since Partition when over one million Hindu and Sikh refugees poured into the ciry A ciLy that once fuelled the ambitions and hopes of millions of peopl e, now serves only the rich. Dasgupta concludes, rather sombrely, chat for tl1is reason, De lhi will never be a city like any in the West.