Department of Communication - Vantage 2016

VANTAGE A UoH Publication

April 2016, Vol 7, Issue 1

HIDERABAD The hidden colours of the city

SUDHA SINGH

SEVEN TOMBS, HYDERABAD

EDITORIAL TEAM CHIEF EDITORS Shaima Mansoor Sunderlal Raja

COPY DESK Avipsha Sengupta Keerthana B. Akbarkhan

DESIGN & LAYOUT Rucilli Leimapokpam Ch. Sandeep Manohar Akbarkhan

PHOTOGRAPHY & INFOGRAPHICS T. Takuangla Jamir Munsif Vengattil

PRODUCTION MANAGER Lalrindiki Sailo

EDITORIAL ADVISORS Anjali Lal Gupta Usha Raman Sadhana Ramchander

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We acknowledge the help of Jayasree C. and Sudha Singh in the production of the magazine.

DISCLAIMER The views expressed in the magazine are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Department of Communication or the University.

Vol 7, Issue 1, Pages 64

Printed and published by Department of Communication

Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication University of Hyderabad Gachibowli, Hyderabad Telangana 500046

Unknown, Untold and Untapped

J

ust as Paris isn’t only known for the Eiffel Tower or New York for the Statue of Liberty, it is time we understand and communicate that the magnificent city of Hyderabad is more than Charminar and biryani. Hyderabad, over the years, has become home to a gamut of people from different regions and religions, each of which has enhanced its diverse culture and identity. As tradition mingles with the modern, it is essential that the everyday struggles and intricacies that mark and make the daily life of all of its citizens are highlighted.

This year the Vantage team explores the untapped tales of Hyderabad and its culture. Our stories attempt to traverse the nooks and crannies of the city and beyond. Stories from the believers and keepers of Yousufain Dargah, calligraphic artists at Chatta Bazaar, buyers and vendors of the famous but declining Abids book market will take you on a tour of a range of old customs fighting to keep their place amidst the changing ways of this growing metropolis. We deal with graver issues like the impact of polluted environment on those who live in Kazipally and around River Musi. We also assess the effects of rising yet underreported concerns like contract marriages, drug abuse and discrimination against the vulnerable.

As part of a generation that is more open and welcoming of differences, it is important to respect the right to live according to one’s choices. This has brought an entire community to the forefront of socio-political discussion. The cover story looks into this matter through the struggles and achievements of Chandramukhi and Navadeep Pannala, pioneers of an unceasing movement to improve lives of the growing LGBT community in the city. Interviews with both reaffirm the realities of their living conditions and their struggle for survival.

Another pressing issue addressed comes closer to home: our University has been at the centre of a major movement since 17 January 2016. The events in the immediate aftermath and again on 22 March 2016 have created a turbulent atmosphere, so uncharacteristic of the University all of us know. Everyone deserves the right to have an opinion, but this should be an informed one that is based on an examination of all sides. 'Perspectives' is our bid to give a platform to different factions involved in the altercation on 22 March, to voice their standpoint. Maybe that would be the first step toward any sort of resolution.

CONTENTS Perspectives

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What happened at the University of Hyderabad on 22 March 2016

From the Home of the Sacred 8 Mapping the past and present of Yousufain Dargah

Munsif Vengattil

Into Unending Darkness 14 Impact of industries on the lives and culture of Kazipally

Lalrindiki Sailo

An Umbrella for the Deprived 17

MEHJABEEN K.T.

Youngistaan Foundation’s initiatives and challenges

T. Takuangla Jamir

Who Wants to Kill Muchukunda? 20 River Musi paying a heavy price for unchecked industrialization

Ch. Sandeep Manohar

Facing Taboos with Courage 25 The agony of HIV+ patients trying to cope with society’s perceptions

Rucilli Leimapokpam

Remnants of the Sunday Book Bazaar 34 Reflecting on one of Hyderabad’s waning bazaars

Shaima Mansoor

SUNDERLAL RAJA

"Where Dead Teach the Living"

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Tales and experiences of those working in morgues

Avipsha Sengupta

Reviving a Forgotten Artistic Marvel 41 The ancient art of calligraphy and its fight for survival

Siddharth Suresh

The High that has its Pitfalls 44 The growing drug culture in Hyderabad

Digavalli Pavan

Shared Experiences on Wheels 47 A look inside seven-seater autos

Akbarkhan

Cover Story Breaking Binaries and Boundaries 28 The lives and challenges of LGBT community in Hyderabad

Keerthana B.

Temporary Alliance, Permanent Damage 50 Tracking lives of young girls victimized by contract marriages

Shahamat Hussain

Direct Selling to Impact Retail Sector 54 Can tie-ups with multinational retail corporations help kiranas?

Ankitha Naishadham

For Your Late Night Munchies 57 How Hyderabad has become a heaven for night snackers

Sunderlal Raja

Vinay Madapu

Perspectives University of Hyderabad, over the past four months, has been facing tumultuous times. 22 March 2016 marked one of the toughest days that has deeply divided the institution, with each side holding to its version of what happened and who is to blame. Featured ahead are three accounts, from different vantage points, about the events that unfolded that day.

BILAL VELIANCODE

Truth, Bias and Beyond

I

woke up with Holi on my mind, but almost immediately was overcome by the pain that continued to sear through my body. I dragged myself to the washroom and opened the tap only to be greeted with an angry gush of wind but no water. Then it all came flooding back.

There has never been a single version of any story and the story of what happened on 22nd March at UoH Vice Chancellor's residence is no different. What was for the chief administrator his obligation to resume duty was anathema to the students who had been vehemently protesting the events that led to the demise of Rohith Vemula on 17 January 2016. The police’s attempt to 'control the situation' with a lathi charge may be seen by some as a necessary measure to

check the 'violent' protestors but to the 200 or so students who believed they were merely exercising their democratic right to protest what they thought was unjust, it was nothing but state sponsored violence.

Sitting there, shouting slogans and seeing my friends, juniors and seniors getting hit by lathis on their stomach, being dragged over stones that bruised their backs, policemen groping girls in the name of handling the protestors, it was difficult—if not impossible—to see any other side to the story. Soon my turn also came and I was dragged by my hands and legs by four female police officials and got hit in the rib cage and abdomen. It was then that all thoughts of neutrality or rationality vaporized in the heat of what was happening around me. The next thing I remember was the doctors in the nursing home putting me on a drip and pushing painkillers to ease the pain. And worse was yet to come.

On returning to the campus from the nursing home, the shopping complex looked fren-

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zied again, the way it had looked for about two weeks after Rohith's demise. At the time it had been the pain of losing a friend forever; this time it was the anguish of 24 friends and two faculty members being detained by the police on charges of vandalism, rioting and obstructing the police from discharging their duties. Next day began the mad chase of locating these 27 detainees which also included a documentary filmmaker who happened to be on campus at the time. A small group of students and faculty members went from Narsingi to Miyapur, wanting some information about the detainees, just to make sure their friends, colleagues and students were safe. One of the 27 was my classmate and another my junior, thus the blow felt utterly personal. Every now and then the phones in the hostel rang with the paranoid voices of parents, family and friends. To our unaccustomed minds, it seemed like life in a war zone.

A Post from Prison

A

flock of pigeons were nestling over the sunshade. I could look at them from my window in the prison cell. They persistently mocked the idea of prisons merely by flying away and coming back whenever they willed.

Why did I get here in the first place?

It was on 22 March 2016 that 24 students, two faculty members and a filmmaker were taken into custody from University of Hyderabad, following a lathi charge on the students who protested against the return of the Vice Chancellor. I was caught for merely asking a policeman to stop hitting a fellow student. Although we were taken into custody at 5 pm, the documents mentioned the time as 9 pm in order to ensure that we would remain in custody for more than the legally mandated 24 hours. Beginning here, the next 30 hours marked a series of hu-

I understand that sometimes right and wrong is not as obvious as it seems.To label the ViceChancellor and his supporters as insensitive monsters is both immature and undemocratic.

But for those who survived the whole episode the voice of reason will appear cold and unfair.

The physical trauma and the intimidation we went through will always lead to a very different version of the story from our side, a version that—no matter what—simply cannot be justified to the outside world.

But to us it will always be the truth, the only truth, our truth. Belief is another matter altogether.

Avipsha Sengupta Student, University of Hyderabad

man rights violations. We were shifted to five different police stations during this time. Our friends and family were not informed about our whereabouts. Our mobile phones were snatched away and videos that we had shot of the police brutality were deleted. We were denied a proper medical checkup. When asked for a lawyer, a senior police officer at the Raidurgam Police Station replied, “Your entire human rights cease to exist when under police custody.” He also said, “You are guilty until proven innocent.” The police never intimated us about the case details until a few hours before we were produced before the magistrate, and forcibly made us sign documents that we were not given enough time to read.

At 1 am on 24 March, we were remanded and shifted to South India’s biggest prison, Cherlapally Central Prison. We underwent an hour long security check that included a strip search. We had to deposit all our belongings at the gate but were allowed to keep our books and pens. It was 2 am under the light of a full moon, that we entered the gate marking the boundary of the enormous prison campus. I looked up to see the caption, “Hate the Crime, not the Criminals.” All 27 of us were taken into a large

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cell that would become our shared space for the next six days. We spent this time engaged in various discussions about anti-caste movements, Dalit politics and the practice of dissent.

On Friday, we sought permission from a jail official to perform Friday prayers with fellow Muslim prisoners in the nearby cell. He replied, “You don’t know these people. They are terrorists.” Apparently these ‘terrorists’ were the ones who gave us spare clothes after ours were torn by the police during the lathi charge. Another day, I talked to Bahadur Ali Khan, 56, who was accused with seven other fellow Muslim prisoners for an attempt to murder Akbaruddin Owaisi.

“It has been four years since we came here as undertrial prisoners.” He introduced me to the eldest among them, Yunus Khan, 73, a farmer who never had any political affiliations. But the eldest prisoner in the Manasasarovar block was Sher Ali, 82, who has been here for 3 years, accused

"All We Want is Peace"

"W

hen I came to know that the ViceChancellor (VC) was resuming charge, I reached his lodge at 9:30 am. The VC, Deans and others went in for a meeting at 10 am while we waited outside.

A student leader was the first to reach the spot around 10:15 am. I don’t know in what context but he told on the phone, “If they don’t allow outsiders to get in, tell them we will burn the university.” The student who accompanied him asked me, “Why are you here? Did the VC invite you?” I told him that it was none of his business.

Suspecting something foul, my colleagues and I went inside the compound wall and stood in front of the main door. Many students rushed in and some even jumped over the gate in spite of being stopped by the security guards. They manhandled the security officer, K. V. Rao, and two others, Raju and Dayanand.

of smuggling Rs. 30,000 to Pakistan. Though the cases against him were dropped last year, he has no relatives to process the legalities and get him out.

The children arrested for pickpocketing were called in to clean and sweep our cell, the one that held the ‘political prisoners.’ We objected to this arrangement and decided that we would clean it ourselves. On Monday afternoon, the bail news ‘walketh upon the wings of wind’. ‘Johaar Rohit Vemula’ reverberated around the cell. A few policemen looked up bemused. Maybe this one long week has healed almost every wound. Hang on, did I say every?

Munsif Vengattil Student, University of Hyderabad [A version of this piece has appeared on www.thenewsminute.com]

A student started pelting stones at the residence. Many students tried to stop him but could not. He gave a brief speech and said that he is ready to sacrifice his life. He said, “The period of silence is over, now it is the period of violence.

So, join us and let us go for violence.”

Some students from the School of Life Sciences (SLS) were waiting on the other side.

I sensed the faculty members would be in trouble if these students clashed. Around 3040 students and some faculty members from SLS got in the back door along with me just before the others reached. Had we been late by even half a minute, they would have got in.

They broke the glass pane of the backdoor so we started stacking furniture in order to block the way. After around 35-40 minutes, nonteaching staff arrived and successfully moved the students and took position at both the doors.

All crammed in one spot with no ventilation, we felt suffocated and were becoming dehydrated. I phoned my colleagues to get water but those bottles were also snatched by students.

With great difficulty, they threw a carton of bottles inside.

8

Meanwhile Alok Pandey, the Chief Proctor, got seriously ill. When the ambulance was not sent, we had no option but to lift and pass him on to someone outside to take him to the hospital.

At about 1:30 pm, the police came and dispersed the students. I came out after 2 pm and was told that students manhandled and used filthy language against some of the non-teaching employees, who were ironically Dalits. A female student threatened an employee by saying, “I will see your end, you bloody idiot.” It seemed like they did not care about anybody and there was no respect for elders. An employee from SLS tried to stop a student from removing an LCD screen from the wall. He told the student that he can protest against the VC but asked him not to destroy the University's property. The student beat him up for saying that.

At around 6 pm, we formed a Joint Action Committee (JAC) for non-teaching staff. We had neither planned anything nor did we ask anyone to boycott but they did it voluntarily. It is our duty to be loyal to the institution. We feel more responsible and basically wanted to protect the interest of the institution.

The day after JAC was formed, we demanded an apology from students who indulged in vandalism. On 23 March, the Chief Warden along with some faculty members deputed by the VC approached us and told that the students were ready to tender an apology and requested us to resume our duties. We thought of demanding the rustication of those students but decided not to place any stringent conditions to avoid aggravating the situation.

The President of the Students’ Union agreed to give an unconditional apology on behalf of the Union. He later told the Chief Warden that he needed some more time and we still have not received it. We asked the mess staff to resume their work from the next morning on humanitarian grounds as we did not want to make everyone suffer for the acts of some.

Some of us have been here for 35-40 years and have never witnessed such an incident before. To solve issues, violence cannot be used.

There have been many rumours about power and water supply being cut but that is untrue.

We work for the students and have supported them throughout, even during the January pro-

test. At that time, the administration gate was locked but we still did not stop any of our staff from working in the hostels even though the University was shut down. They call us ‘chamchas’ of the VC. If that was the case, we would have supported him then also by closing the mess.

We did not do it because students are like our children and in spite of the hardships faced due to outsiders staying in the campus, we continued our work. The reason we took such a drastic step this time is because it was about our self respect. This behaviour discourages others from working. There was no other motive or pressure from anyone to boycott.

Students suffered for one day and approached human rights organizations. When they locked the administration gates, we suffered for 15 days. Even female employees could not get in to attend nature’s call. Other employees also have to tend to their health issues, they needed food and water but were denied.

We won’t be affected by anything, we will get our salary. It is only students that will suffer because of such actions. All we want is peace on the campus."

P. Thukaram, Assistant Registrar and Chairman, Non-teaching Joint Action Committee (JAC), on behalf of the rest of the JAC members.

(As told to Shaima Mansoor)

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From the Home of the Sacred Munsif Vengattil

An insight into the mystical traditions and divine tales that constitute the aura of Yousufain Dargah.

MEHJABEEN K.T.

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BILAL VELIANCODE

Marhaban: Main entrance of Yousufain Dargah.

“I

t happened almost 300 years back. The saints Yousufuddin and Sharifuddin were army commanders under Aurangzeb. During those days, Aurangzeb was relentlessly trying to lay siege to the fort of Golconda. One night, a fierce hurricane swept over the camped troops of Aurangzeb and blew away everything that stood.

When the storm was over, many noticed that one tent stood its ground, and miraculously the candle inside was still flickering.

The men inside, as it turned out, were Yousufuddin and Sharifuddin.

Aurangzeb realized them to be no mere mortals and sought their assistance in the siege. Legend has it, that he was successful with the help of these mystics. Later Yousuf and Sharif Baba went to Nampally to live a secluded life, which was a dense forest at that time, and happened to be the

land of Sheikh Abdul Salam, my forefather." This is how Faizal Ali Shah, unfolds the story of Yousufain Dargah. Shah is the former Mutawalli or head of the Dargah.

Of past and present In 1709, the two Sufi Saints established a Khanqa, a building designed specifically for gatherings of a Sufi brotherhood, at Nampally.

They were buried at the same place after death. From then it became the visiting place for people of different faiths. Located at Nampally, one of the biggest colonies in Hyderabad, Yousufain is maintained in accordance with the beliefs of the Sunni sect in Islam. In 2008, it was proclaimed as a world heritage site by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).

There is a growing number of educated, middle class Muslims who oppose the practices at Dar-

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gahs; nonetheless, these shrines continue to be an innate part of Hyderabadi culture. As per the official website of State Waqf Board, there are 1,690 dargahs registered in the city.

Yousufain Dargah has been in the news for the last two years thanks to a dispute over the authority guarding the shrine. In 2014, the Andhra Pradesh State Waqf Board dismissed the then Mutawalli Mohammed Faisal Ali Shah from the post alleging misappropriation of funds. Shah denies the allegation and says that the government is interfering in religious matters out of financial interest.

I was interested in the tales and lives situated around a dargah. What constitutes the integral role of dargahs in a popular spiritual culture? How is it meaningful to so many lives? On the flip side, how do these people

persistently contribute towards its hybridity? These questions preoccupied me while I was stepping inside the Dargah.

We provide treatment for people who are possessed by Inside the Dargah Jinn or Iblees (evil On entering the premises spirits). Most of the of Yousufain, one can see a time, those treated are mosque, many tombs, and a women. Since women variety of shops. The graveyard get menstrual cycle here has been a resting place which keeps them for many prominent historical figures including Daagh Dehlvi, untidy, they are more the famous Urdu poet from the easily caught by evil 17th century. One cannot escape spirits" the customary sight of believers bowing at the tomb of Yousufain Baba for blessings. Two multi-coloured chadars (cloth-sheets) are displayed which are to be taken to the Ajmer Dargah, carrying the prayers of those who cannot make it all the way to the famous sufi shrine in Ajmer. A space is reserved for keys and locks, where people write their wishes on paper and tie them with the lock using a red colored thread. They come to make affirmations, lock

Arif Muhammed Secretary, Dargah Office

away their troubles and leave them behind forever.

As Shah and I were talking at his residence, close to the Dargah, we could hear the mesmerizing tunes of the Qawwali.

According to Shah, many prominent Qawwali singers, including Muhammed Mehboob and Warsi Brothers perform here often.

The audience includes people from all walks of life.

Thursday and Friday nights, as well as Sunday afternoons, are dedicated to Qawwali gatherings. Thursday nights at the Dargah are famous for this strain of devotional music.

Women and the Dargah Quite a number of lives are intrinsically tied with the Dargah—vendors of different types, tomb keepers, beggars and so on. I chanced upon a wide variety of souls here. Fazil N. C., an independent filmmaker, who has made a documentary on Yousufain Dargah, observes that women form the larger number of people who depend on the Dargah. Women dislodged from their houses have found permanent shelter here. Such people are wholeheartedly welcomed at the Dargah. One can find them in secluded spots. The presence of Baba and moments of meditation soothe them.

BILAL VELIANCODE

Divine tunes: Qawwali performance at the Dargah.

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In communion with Baba: The Chadar displayed in the courtyard of the Dargah.

Fifty-six-year old Ayesha Zahra Qatun has been a Khadim (tomb keeper) here for four years. For her, the most essential part of Dargah life is the tranquility it provides. “My mind finds Sukoon (peace) here.” But then, she is also worried about the congestion due to an increase in the number of visitors in the recent past. “For people to meditate properly, it is vital that quiet spaces are provided.” She says that finding food has never been a trouble. “I never have to cook food for myself, now and then it reaches me, Allah ki rahmat se.” The Yousufain Hotel in front of the Dargah provides free food to the needy every evening. There are also other people who distribute food packets.

“We provide treatment for people who are possessed by Jinn or Iblees (evil spirits). Most of the time, those treated are women.

Since women get menstrual cycle which keeps them untidy, they are more easily caught by evil spirits,” says Arif Muhammed, who is the secretary at the Dargah office.

The holy water is spread over the face of the women while they are asleep. Most of the time, they are back to normal by the very next day and in some cases it can take more than a month; explains Arif.

Ayesha Mahmood Farooqui, Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at Osmania University, differ on the reasons, “Women may come in larger numbers but this is not the reason. Our scripture does not put it that way. It is a superstition that women are more likely to be caught by spirits.”

Myriad reasons Arif Muhammed, the secretary of the Dargah office, holds that people have thousand different reasons for coming to the Dargah. “Baba humko ye karo, Baba humko vo karo, people say that often, their concerns are tied around family problems, mental difficulties, financial crisis, examinations and so on.” Arif estimates the visitors’ count at 15,000–20,000 during the weekend. At present, 25 official staff

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BILAL VELIANCODE

serve the Dargah, including Arif Muhammed.

“No one is stopped from entering the Dargah – whether they are Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs or Christians,” says Sarvar Baba, a long-time visitor to Yousufain Dargah. The Dargah has also been a site of religious syncretism, evident from many ritual practices that are held here.

Gopala Krishna, who often conducts heritage walks in Hyderabad, observes that there are people who visit here to experience the cultural vibes of the space. He recollected one such heritage walk to the Yousufain Dargah, which was attended by nearly 60 people from different faiths.

As I stepped out, I met Fatima Bastanbi, an old lady from Karnataka. She keeps the footwear of Dargah visitors while they are inside. “How do you like it here?”

I asked her. Fatima turned suspicious. She shouted, “Chal bhag yahan se, bhaag!”

Apni see kar leeni ray mosay naina milaikay Khusrau Nijaam kay bal bal jayyiye Mohay Suhaagan keeni ray mosay naina milaikay Chhap tilak sab cheeni ray mosay naina milaikay You've dyed me in yourself, by just a glance.

I give my whole life to you Oh, Nizam, You've made me your bride, by just a glance.

You've taken away my identity, by just a glance.

- Amir Khusro

BILAL VELIANCODE

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Into Unending Darkness Lalrindiki Sailo After two decades of struggle, their voices remain unheard.

A

s dusk settles, people are returning to their houses.

A small temple dedicated to Durga welcomes you to the village of Kazipally, in Medak district, home to around 600 families. At the center of the village is the statue of the Father of the Nation and a hundred yards further stands a yet incomplete statue of B. R. Ambedkar. Opposite the Ambedkar statue is the Medical Aid Center. A few shops selling household necessities and other sundry items are situated amidst houses scattered in the vicinity. The elders in the village held a hot cup of tea and sat in the verandah outside the house of Abdul Wahab,

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a member of Mandal Parishad Jinnaram, the village council.

In a voice quivering with emotions, Abdul Wahab says, “In quest for power, they lure us and later when they achieve that, they leave us.� He was aware of the evil practices of those in power and has been fighting for the cause for over a decade. Hailed in the village as an energetic man, Wahab has been running from Kazipally to the houses of officials to stop the flow of industrial effluents into the village.

The irony of growth Targeted by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for growth in the late

SUDHA SINGH

1970s, Medak has seen a mushrooming of industries of various descriptions. The district has seen immense growth of pesticides, chemicals and pharmaceutical industries. Initially, the local population welcomed the growth, as it brought with it employment opportunities and infrastructure development. But by the 1980s, it became clear that they were paying a huge environmental cost for this growth.

The discharge of the industrial effluents has resulted in the creation of a multitude of stagnant pools in the vicinity of the factories. These stagnated effluents percolate into drains and the chervus and pollute the groundwater. Effluents let out into the

surroundings finally flow into the nearby surface waters and chervus and ultimately join the Nakkavagu stream.

Jeevanand Reddy, a scientist working with Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, explained that Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), chloride, ammonium, nitrogen and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) in the effluents of these industries have seeped into the ground water. He added that these are the main chemicals responsible for degrading the health of Kazipally residents. The chemicals leach into the groundwater, which is the main source of drinking water for many in the village.

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By the early 1990s, it was becoming clear to the locals that toxicity levels of water had increased and that these pesticides were non-degradable.

“After the implementation of the Environment Protection Act, certain measures were taken to reduce the dumping of effluents in the open but indirect seepage into the ground water continues,” says G. Vijay, Professor of Economics at University of Hyderabad, who has also been an active participant in this ongoing issue to protect Kazipally from further environmental degradation.

A 2004 report by Greenpeace India regarding the health status in Medak notes, “In envisaging VANTAGE 2016

industrial development, environmental concerns clearly took a backseat. Environmentally friendly production processes were not incorporated. The industries in Medak are water polluting in nature, without adequate facilities or commitment to deal with the hazards posed by the high quanta of toxic effluents generated.” The following year, various activists and environmentalists came forward in support of the locals and against these industries. Abdul Wahab adds that a movement was carried in 2005 to shut down the industrial units in Kazipally.

Greenpeace also notes that the people of Medak have been protesting the destruction of their habitat, livelihoods and health for over two decades now. The pollution at Medak has been established by sampling missions and studies by various organizations

As it stands today M. A. Basheer, a resident of Kazipally, said that nothing came of the struggle although it managed to grasp the attention of media. As time passed, things have returned to normal and nothing substantial

Poisoning lives: Pollution levels have affected animals as much as humans.

K.Venkat Chary, 28, has tears in his eyes as he holds onto a frayed photograph of his five-year-old son sitting between him and his wife. In 2014, he lost his wife and son due to the consumption of chemically contaminated water.

Venkat now works as a carpenter in Bollaram Industrial Area. With a monthly earning of Rs. 3000, he takes care of his younger brother’s son. He filed a complaint to the village sarpanch to delve deeper into the matter but they did nothing about it. On the contrary, the government never paid the money it promised. has been done to curb the pollution. Cases have been filed against these industries but in the words of locals, “The Pollution Control Board has also been manipulative with its reports on pollution levels in the groundwater and every time they file a complaint, action is taken against them by the police.” They also said that even the tamarind trees in Kazipally have not borne fruit in the recent past due to excessive pollution. V. Venkat, a distressed resident in his early 60s, says, “Fishing and farming have been the main sources of income but due to pollution, our livelihood has been taken away.

Today, my children have to go out into the cities to make ends meet.”

SUDHA SINGH

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The rising level of pollution has also been a cause for concern for many years. National and international media have reported this issue but no help has come the way of these villagers. While some have died waiting for their voices to be heard, a few carry on the struggle. With many of the activists having given up talking about it seeing no prospect of success, what is evident is that hope dwindles with each passing year. “It is because of the immense corruption in the system that many suffer,” says Jeevanand.

Kazipally is just one among many villages suffering due to the rapid growth of industries.

A question that often arises is, is development justified at the cost of losing lives? Is there no alternative? Many in this village have lost their lives due to the presence of chemicals in the drinking water but the Government, according to Basheer, has turned a blind eye to their plight. “We have become immune to the media and are tired, what can you do for us?” questions Abdul Wahab. Recollecting those dark memories of their struggle in 2005 he asked, “When you have that pen in your hand you have power, what happens if you drop that pen?”

An Umbrella for the Deprived T T. Takuangla Jamir

Hyderabad’s young and old are reaching out to society in innovative ways.

he youth in India wants change, change from what it is like right now, and they have become more vocal about it. If we scan broadly, we will encounter many spheres with which the youth of our country are engaging. The much-talked about issue at the Jawaharlal Nehru University where a massive participation

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YOUNGISTAAN FOUNDATION

of students was seen, various protests supporting justice for Nirbhaya, LGBT rights across the country and Kiss of Love are a few such social issues. All these efforts work to clean the tainted social system that we live in today. Change is change, be it in a small or big way. Youngistaan Foundation is one such initiative, which was formed in 2014. It has tried to address a person’s basic needs by introducing the Feeding Project, Bright Spark Project, Transformers and Women of Courage.

Feeding to heart’s content According to the United Nations World Food Programme, 795 million individuals are not able to secure enough food to live a healthy life. That is about

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Lending a hand: Volunteers cooking to feed the homeless.

one in nine people. In its overview about India, it said that the country is home to a quarter of all undernourished people worldwide. Taking note of this crisis, Arun Daniel Yellamaty, 30, the founder of Youngistaan Foundation, started the Feeding Project, which is conducted every Sunday. “One must not wait for a big day to do big things. We must start with the small things that will make a big difference in people’s lives,” he says. Hence the first step that he, along with almost 150 volunteers took was feeding the poor with whatever amount of money they could gather. As of now, they hold a record of feeding around 2 lakh people Praveen Raj, one of the volunteers says, “We spend Rs. 5000 per week for the Feeding Project. The money is provided by the sponsors. If not, the volunteers pitch in.”

He takes care of the accounts and seemed more like the head chef of the group. Youngistaan is funded by mostly individual sponsors and a multinational company as well. Among the many things that stand out about this organization, an interesting fact is that, despite the name Youngistaan Foundation, it is not just limited to the young generation. M. Y. Rao is one of the elderly people, enthusiastic about his work at Youngistaan Foundation. He is 65 years old and had previously worked in the railways as a station master. He retired in 2011 and is now a full time volunteer while also practising homeopathy. “Coming here gives me contentment. I see change in the younger generation these days. Even though some take part in antisocial activities, there are many trying to make a change and it is the

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YOUNGISTAAN FOUNDATION

duty of the elders to support them,” says Rao. The organization cooks for almost 700 people and the food is distributed in many areas, including the Nampally station, Mehdipatnam and Gachibowli. The food is cooked with a lot of care.

The real transformers The volunteers are very mindful of hygiene while cooking, as they want their receivers to live a healthy and clean life.

They nurse the homeless citizens who have wounds for the same reason. The Transformers programme happens alongside the distribution of food. It also happens every Sunday and is something we rarely see in other initiatives. They give them a shave and a bath after which they provide them with clothes.

Anwar, who seemed to be in his late 50s, was one of the beggars at Nampally station whose leg

was injured when he fell down because of his weak eyesight.

The volunteers nursed him and gave him food. They then found out that he had no money to go back home. Youngistaan Foundation extends its services in situations like this by buying tickets for beggars who have somehow lost their way. Yadya, another beggar who lives near the entrance of the Nampally station has a similar story to tell.

The Youngistaan Foundation team has known him for three years and has made efforts to admit him to an old age home.

Surprisingly, Yadya likes his life as a beggar and politely refuses every time to get admitted.

When Yadya is absent from his spot, the team leaves a packet of food near the tree so that he can eat it later.

It is a sight of satisfaction for the eyes and hearts to watch young people along with some senior citizens cooking, packaging and cleaning, hoping to feed as many poor people on

Make over: Changing looks and life.

the streets as they can.

Imparting education The after-school learning programme initiated by Youngistaan Foundation is known as the Bright Spark Project. Here, volunteers gather in different areas to mentor school-going children or even those who do not go. As of now they have admitted close to 300 children. It happens on the weekdays and they visit children’s homes during the weekends for one and a half hours.

Neha Mathur, coordinator of this project, comes with her husband to mentor these children.

Neha shared her thoughts about how important it is to build a good foundation and wishes to mentor more kids. Bright Spark, she says, is more of a mentorship program. “We really do want to make a difference and hope to develop our own curriculum,” she says. Neha also wishes to help every kid who loves learning and to nurture them to be independent learners in the long

run. The organization creates lesson plans by incorporating basics of their school curriculum and also conducts art and craft workshops.

We have rescued 50 children, given 10,000 first aid and transformed more than 200 people.

Arun Daniel Founder, Youngistaan Foundation

Youngistaan Foundation has extended their services to places like Bhopal, Noida, and Mumbai. “We have rescued 50 children, given first aid to 10,000 and transformed more than 200 people,” says Arun.

Initiating such activities has been criticized as well. There have been times when the food was thrown back at them by beggars and passersby would demotivate them by commenting that such organizations do it for their own benefit and it is just a show. There have been instances where the beggars doubted the safety of the food that was served and therefore the volunteers now ask individuals if they want food. Winning their trust is one of the major challenges.

They always assure those in need that Youngistaan Foundation is there to help and has no other ulterior motives. Despite these challenges, the volunteers are passionate and are happy to contribute to society

YOUNGISTAAN FOUNDATION

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CH. SANDEEP MANOHAR

Who Wants to

Kill Muchukunda?

No choice: Women working in fields of coriander grown with sewage water in Peerzadiguda village of Rangareddy district in Telangana. (Top)

CH. SANDEEP MANOHAR

Puffy white foam: Industrial pockets discharge highly toxic chemicals into River Musi, which then flow into lakes. (Bottom)

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Ch. Sandeep Manohar "Question is do rivers die for cities? The expanding city keeps on dumping waste, yet urban people feel happy and declare that it is not happening in their backyard."

A

bida Begum sits in the fields of coriander, laying a gunny bag next to her and without caring for the stench, she and four other women start pulling out each sapling just beside the River Musi alias Muchukunda. As the sweltering sun reaches right above her, she covers her head with a pale orange checks towel to continue her work.

Here comes the thick, grease-coloured water with bubbling sound, with an irregular flow, baring the puffy white toxic foam floating on the river, which is a mixture of millions of industrial chemicals. Then come the market super bags, plastic covers, and cigarette butts. They flow collectively damaging the health of the river. What made River Musi change her identity?

Shockingly, not a single woman showed any significant unease with the unbearable stench. When asked if they could detect the foul smell, Begum smiles while pulling out the coriander saplings.

A 50-year-old farmer with closely trimmed moustache and with a flow of beard suddenly arrives and questions, “What do you need? We are not going to stop this sewage farming. The past generations of our family lived here,” says S. K. Hasan. Abida Begum interrupts and says, “He is not a government official, he is a reporter.”

“We have seen many people come here carrying their cameras, we know your politics,” says Hasan, decreasing the volume of his voice. He soon leaves the place.

Drinking water turned sewage Begum says, “We grew up near the banks of the River Musi. I still remember my mother and I used to carry three buckets of water every day to our home but gradually we started to see a change in the colour of the water.”

Covering half her face with a light maroon saree, Kausar Bi says that initially she had no work to do. She heard people are in need of daily wage labourers and decided not to lose this job. Every day she starts at 9 am from Peerzadiguda and leaves at 6 pm. She says, “We pay our little debts and pay our electricity bills with these wages.”

Heavy metals in vegetables A report published by a group of researchers at Osmania University in November 2015 states that all the vegetables grown with sewage water show a high contamination by heavy metals discharged from industries and cities.

Consequently, the potential contamination problem due to heavy metals like copper, cadmium, chromium, nickel, lead, iron, manganese and zinc have exceeded the Maximum Resi-

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dues Limits set up by the World Health Organization. What is alarming was that spinach contained the highest amount of iron (2.025mg kg-1) whereas coriander ( 0.837 mg kg-1) had the least.

The crucial point made by the report is that consuming these vegetables would cause serious health effects like kidney failure, cancer and heart attack. The report concludes by warning that there is an immediate need of creating awareness among farmers about not using sewage wastewater for irrigation of vegetables.

What is this government and educated people trying to do? How do we sustain our lives without farming? If there is no farming, we will not have money?

No money, then we die with empty stomachs, would that not kill us?

S. K. Hasan Farmer

Puzzled farmers “What is this government and educated people trying to do?

How do we sustain our lives without farming? If there is no

VANTAGE 2016

CH. SANDEEP MANOHAR

Toxic fodder for cattle: Marri Venkanna ties bundles of grass, which is grown with sewage water.

farming, we will not have money. No money, then we die with empty stomachs, would that not kill us?” questions Hasan.

Remembering his childhood days, Hasan said when he used to throw a one rupee coin in the river he was still able to see the flow of the coin, River Musi was that transparent then.

Death of the river “All the historical cities took birth on the banks of rivers, be it Kanpur, Delhi, Hyderabad or Vijayawada. These rivers contributed to the development of science and technology for centuries. But the 21st century modern man and civilizations

are killing the same rivers which gave birth to the present modern cities,” says B. V. Subbarao, President of the Center for Resource Education, an NGO based in Secunderabad. “The question is, do rivers die for cities? As the city expands, its waste disproportionately increases, be it liquid or solid,” says Subbarao.

He said that the city municipal bodies keep dumping waste and urban people feel happy and declare that it is not happening in their backyard.

Subbarao said that Hyderabad has 14 national level engineering, and research and development (R&D) institutions and nine universities. “If they cannot find collectively an answer and boldly talk to the government, it is shame on the part of academics and R&D,” he says.

The state government is only trying to increase sewage treatment plants or STPs, where plant functions are restricted only to the primary purification of the water.

Pittala Srisailam Founder of MPPS

Social movements

CH. SANDEEP MANOHAR

An uncertain livelihood: S K Hasan sustains his family by growing leafy vegetables on the banks of River Musi.

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Pittala Srisailam, also called Musi Srisailam, is the man behind the Musi Parirakshna Porta Samithi movement. Interestingly, his daughter’s name is also Muchu-

kunda. He is the first person to create an awareness program in Ghatkesar, Bibinagar, Valigonda, Ramannapet and other villages by forming a committee of professors from Telangana. On 3 December 1997, an article was published by a local newspaper about the harmful effects of the River Musi. That pushed Srisailam to alert the villagers by putting up wall posters all over the villages.

When asked about the recent visit of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development K. T. Rama Rao to River Musi, Srisailam says, “The state government is only trying to increase sewage treatment plants or STPs, where plant functions are restricted only to the primary purification of the water.”

There is no possibility of industrial chemical discharge into River Musi. It is a completely false allegation, which is unscientific. Locals and Musi Parirakshana Porata Samithi always trigger negativity about the river.

CH. SANDEEP MANOHAR

Danger zone: Hyderabad's garbage is dumped and buried near River Musi in Peerzadiguda village.

derground transfer of chemicals directly linked to the river. STPs have no technology to remove the chemicals.

False allegations Senior environmental scientist, N. Raveendhar, also the official spokesperson of Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) says, “There is no pos-

sibility of industrial chemical discharge into River Musi. It is a completely false allegation which is unscientific.” Locals and Musi Parirakshana Porata Samithi always trigger negativity about the river, he stated.

When asked about the formation of foam on the river, he said that it is called surfactants which are a mix of millions of

N. Raveendhar TSPCB

STPs or ETPs “Does Musi river contain only waste materials? Absolutely not! The river also carries industrial toxic chemicals,” he says.

He explained that there is an un-

CH. SANDEEP MANOHAR

Living with stench: Buchi Ramulu washes his buffaloes with polluted water.

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VANTAGE 2016

Heavy Metals in Vegetables Cadmium

ach

Spin

Chromium

Lady

Copper

r

e fing

Iron

Nickel

Manganese

t rmin

e Pepp

r

ande

Cori

Lead

Zinc

ato Tom

Values are derived from a research article on vegetables grown on the banks of River Musi published in the International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences.

detergents and surf products.

“Who asked them to use sewage water for farming? People are not allowed to use untreated water which has dangerous parasites and can cause serious health problems,” he says. He added that in place of Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs), they have Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) which almost function like ETPs. Hyderabad already has five STPs and planning to get eight more.

Srisailam said that the state government should immediately introduce ETPs, which have the ability to treat both wastewater and industrial chemicals.

Describing the recent visit of a National Green Tribunal to River Musi, he said that they could not bear the foul smell. “Everybody

started covering their noses to stop the inhalation of stench and left the area with a baseless assurance that they would talk to the state,” he added.

However, most of the people that consume vegetables grown through sewage farming belong to the lower-middle class. He said that urban citizens should not assume that they are getting rid of the waste as the waste is coming back in a hazardous manner.

Size of the rice Kommidi Narasimhulu, former MLA of the Congress party, says, “Last year we cultivated paddy in Bibinagar, the rice was of good quality. But when our family started cooking the rice, we saw the size doubling and by the

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evening, the cooked rice started releasing a foul smell.” He said that the same paddy seed grown in the Bhongir area of Nalgonda district did not show any change in size and cooked rice did nothave any foul smell.

Change the definition Narasimhulu says, "Maybe it is time to change the definition of 'water' as the city intelligentsia orders 'accept the change or get lost in the ruins of history.' We used to define water as a transparent liquid with no colour and odour, which forms lakes and rivers."

Facing Taboos with Courage Rucilli Leimapokpam The continual stigma and discrimination of the last three decades have compelled people living with HIV to conceal their status and live in despair.

H

e is very weak and his eyes are droopy. But there is a ray of hope in those eyes. Ajit, 10, was born with HIV. His father succumbed to AIDS before he was born.

He lost his mother to the same deadly disease when he was six. “It is difficult to comprehend that his right to property has been violated because he is infected with HIV. His relatives think that he will not live more than five years,� says Neelima Mohanty, HIV/AIDS activist

working with Desire Society, an NGO working with children infected and affected with HIV Ajit used to be in the custody of his uncle and aunt who say that they took care of him after the death of his parents. But his deteriorating health condition hints otherwise. For the last two years Ajit is being cared for

by Desire Society. Amidst the growing idea of nationalism and anti-nationalism, there is this world of HIV positive persons we have overlooked.

According to the Telangana State Aids Control Society, Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy have the highest number of HIV positive cases in Telangana.

Over 1700 new cases have been registered in seven months.

Ranga Reddy district alone has registered 902 fresh HIV positive cases with a prevalence rate of 2.49%. Prevalence rate is the proportion of people in a population who have a particular disease at a specified point in time, or over a specified

Photo caption

Tea break: Children gather for tea and snacks.

REUBEN SAILO

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and discrimination come in different forms and operate at multiple levels.

Most people living with HIV do not want to reveal their status due to self-stigmatization.

A large number of people living with the disease are not taking the Antiretroviral Theraphy (ART) course for the fear of disclosing their identity.

ART is a combination of medicines that help check the virus.

They also fear that their families and friends might judge them. Self-stigmatization is generally because of poverty and illiteracy. This lack of basic knowledge about HIV/AIDS and human rights keeps them away from different support systems available in many NGOs and government hospitals.

Societal stigma period of time. Hyderabad has registered 812 new HIV positive cases with a prevalence rate of 2.17%. These prevalence rates are relatively high and yet little do people know about the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS. It is necessary to understand these issues to prevent further marginalization of people living with the virus.

There are a number of NonGovernmental Organizations (NGOs) under National Aids Control Organisation (NACO), which work for people living with HIV and AIDS. They conduct awareness programs throughout Hyderabad to check stigma and discrimination. But in spite of that, such cases still prevail, proving that the voices of the infected persons go unheard. There is need for more awareness programs.

People who are already socially marginalised such as sex workers, injecting drug users, and prisoners face added stigma and discrimination if they are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. They fall prey to isolation, ignorance, blame and abuse, further intensifying the existing inequality in society. “It was during my teenage years that I contracted the disease through MSM (Men having sex with men). I had no knowledge about this disease.

I did not expect that someday I will live my life with a stigma that will never leave me. First of all, it was a shame for my parents that I am gay and now I have become a bane to them because I am HIV positive,� says Sanjay P., who works in a tailoring boutique house. Dr. Rita Prasad from NACO says stigma

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This is one of the hardest situations to cope with because societal stigma and discrimination give the victim psychological trauma putting them in a very vulnerable state. They ultimately become outcasts. Many people refuse to have social contact with them while sitting, eating and talking. The victims are often excluded and warned not to be in public spaces like restaurants, gardens and social functions. The treatment to recover from this trauma takes time and some people might never find recovery from this social discrimination.

Many women in Hyderabad infected with HIV/AIDS have been denied access to property after the demise of their husband. They get thrown out of the family, and are separated from their own children.

Their basic rights are violated by refraining them from sharing toilets and utensils, burning their clothes and putting them in the most isolated corners of the house. Most consider the victims to be a curse to the family.

“I now live alone and support myself by selling fruits. My father-in-law kicked me out of the house after my husband died of AIDS. They discovered that I am HIV positive. I like staying alone now. I do not want to be thrown into the nastiest places of the house. There used to be times when I was denied food and had to stay hungry for days,” says Martha J.

Access denied Many private schools in Hyderabad are not willing to give admissions to children affected with HIV. G. Ravi Babu, Executive Director of Desire Society, states, “The schools are educating people and teaching the reality about HIV/AIDS to eradicate the misconceptions

associated with the virus. But the institution that spreads the knowledge themselves do not give the opportunity to infected children. When I sought admissions for my children in private schools, they said they will think and get back to me. I get silence for a reply. The school management shows discrimination in spite of knowing that HIV is not a socially-contractible disease.”

Even after three decades of raising awareness, we cannot say there is no stigma and discrimination associated with HIV. G. Ravi Babu Excutive Director, Desire Society He added, “Even after three decades of raising awareness, we cannot say there is no stig-

ma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS. Of course a lot of openness has come but it does not mean that we have eradicated discrimination.”

Health sector, once again, is another major site of stigma and discrimination. There are cases where doctors have refused to examine people living with HIV. “Nobody wants to admit infected people in the hospital after they disclose their status and this mostly happens in private hospitals,” says Neelima Mohanty..

Facing discrimination has always been the most daring phase for people living with HIV/AIDS. Stigma is one of the biggest barriers encountered while conducting preventive programmes that raise awareness about the means of HIV transmission. However, overcoming all obstacles and discrimination, these survivors live defying death with a smile everyday Note: Names of HIV+ persons have been changed.

REUBEN SAILO

Study time: Getting ready for their daily lessons.

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COVER STORY

Breaking Binaries and Boundaries Keerthana B. Strands of the fabric of their movement are in slight disarray, but when woven together the LGBT community stands strong under the same rainbow.

A

way from the opulence of Jubilee Hills is a narrow street lined with buildings arranged cheek-by-jowl. The faded blue paint contrasts with the vibrancy of its inhabitants.

As I made myself comfortable in the small but neatly arranged room, I realized I was under the scrutiny of a pair of shy eyes lurking behind the worn-out wooden door. Before I could catch hold, the gaze quickly disappeared into the darkness. “Oye! Don’t be shy. Come out,” shouted Chandramukhi with a hearty laugh. With timid footsteps,

the owner of the pair of shy eyes materialized before me, dressed in bright lavender frock. “This is Nandini.” Chandramukhi introduced me to her. I was at one of the residences of the transgender community, a small two-storied apartment with six tiny rooms.

Fifteen of them shared this small locality like a big family. A big family from an even bigger family, the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender) community in Hyderabad.

The community or movement was not the result of a conscious

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effort. In the process of finding and engaging like-minded people, a social space was developed. The network started growing as more and more people gathered to talk, discuss politics and seek a support system and in a matter of four years the routine developed into activism. The community in Hyderabad is not officially bound under one single entity and hence does not have an exact number of its members.

Organizations like Queer Campus Hyderabad and Telangana Hijra

ROMAL SINGH

Transgender Samithi, which work for the welfare of the community come together to coordinate and organize events such as Pride Parades.

The rainbow colours of pride arched above Hyderabad for the first time in February 2013. From that to the latest and third pride that happened in March 2016, the community has evolved in leaps and bounds. The participation has seen a steady rise over the years with almost 500 participants in the latest parade.

The community and its

activities came under media spotlight last year when the LGBT couple from Hyderabad Smruthi Narayan and Swetha Pai broke the social constructs and norms by getting married in the US. They are now settled in the US. In an interview given to Times of India dated 21 May 2015, Smruthi says, “We would have loved to celebrate this special event with our Hyderabad community.

Although we wouldn't have got the legal recognition, having the community in Hyderabad with us would have meant a lot to

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us. There can be nothing better than to celebrate our special event with them. Hyderabad is the place that gave us our freedom and it will always be a place we would want to come back to.� Standing by the couple is just one of the many ways in which the community sets an example of solidarity. They are a family they have chosen for themselves. What is to be much appreciated is their fearlessness to delve deeper into the undercurrents that exist within the community.

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“I love my life as a transgender. I was harassed and tortured. I have cried over it. But now I am happy about it. Because of that I broke my boundaries and have come out.” When Chandramukhi Muvvala (seen in the picture) tells me this, there is confidence and pride in her voice. She is not just an activist working for the trans community,

but also an artist. She has worked as an anchor in a regional news channel and dance is her passion.

Cheerful by nature, she can also be fierce and resolute when it comes to the struggle for rights and respect. Chandramukhi has shed the life of a man and has become what she always wanted to be. A strong independent woman.

Excerpts from a freewheeling interview:

Q: As an activist from the community working for the community, what are your aspirations?

My primary aim is to educate the community. Education plays a huge role in our lives. Today if I can speak for my community it is because I am educated. The community needs to be aware of our right to live in the society with respect like anybody else does, before anything else. For that, it needs to be educated.

Secondly, I want to break the cultural norms that restrict the Hijra community. It is believed that begging and sex work are the only livelihoods we are entitled to. We have a hierarchical setup of Guru-Chela (Shishya) in the community. Guru is like a parent for the chela and the chela is obliged to follow the guru’s orders. They bring us up with the love and care that the rest of the world denies us. But the fact remains that the gurus do not support us breaking these conventional norms to go out and pursue any career we wish to. The world is growing at a very fast pace. To catch up, we need to leave behind such traditional notions and think forward.

Q: How long have you been working and how was the experience?

I have been into activism for nearly 10 years. In 2007 I started off as a volunteer in Mithrudu, an agency conducting intervention programs in

Indeed as the interview with Chandramukhi shows, LGBT community needs to be acknowledged for the political space it holds. The Hijra community has decided to be more proactive and participate energetically in the LGBT movement.

Their attempt to hold on to the nurturing aspects of the unique Hijra tradition while also breaking

conjunction with APSACS (Andhra Pradesh State AIDS Control Society) to spread awareness. I have also worked as the Program Manager of Alliance India’s Pehchan project on Transgender and Hijra intervention.

The experience was overwhelming. I got to meet a lot of new people. Being in the community helped me understand what exactly the problems were. I might not have been able to help the community financially but I am glad that I could be a support and shelter to people who were thrown out of their houses for the different identity they had and was able to give them counseling.

Q: How is the public reaction to the pride parades organized by the community? What are the future goals to be achieved?

The pride parades are usually just an entertainment to the public. They laugh at us and pass vulgar comments. But the jeering has come down a lot in these three years. We don’t seek sympathy.

All we ask for is respect.

Our future goals include our demands for a livelihood other than begging and sex work. The NALSA (National Legal Services Authority) judgment needs to be implemented. There should be reservation for the third gender. We will always fight to break the stigma and discrimination in the society.

free of certain shackles is commendable. They are making their presence felt not only in the movement but also in different spheres and stratas of society. Also, as much as there is a need for the community to communicate with the world outside, there is a dire requirement of communication within the community as well.

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PUJA CHAUHAN

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JAYASREE C.

The pride parade of February 2015 had its show stolen by this person elegantly draped in six yards of vibrant blue and red. Carrying a moustache, beard and saree with an unapologetic ease and impeccable grace, he emphasized the bold statements he stands for.

“I won’t even call it cross dressing. I am not trying to cross a line that differentiates who should wear what. I want to undo the ‘gender’ attached to dressing. Saree is one of the most comfortable dresses I’ve worn. It wasn’t an easy process. It took me time to develop confidence to go out in a saree.” says Navadeep Pannala (seen in picture), who identifies himself as a

gay and a transgender queer in a larger spectrum. He is one of the pioneers of the movement in Hyderabad.

Navadeep is as spontaneous and fearless about venturing into the layered issues in the community as he is about travelling, which is his passion. He works for Anweshi, on LGBT discourse and dialogue in Telugu.

We settle down for a conversation at Anweshi’s office, a large room with its walls lined with huge bookshelves bearing thickly bound books, newspapers and magazines. Sitting across the wooden table with papers and books strewn around, clad in lime green kurta, Navadeep seemed to be in his element. His smile widens as he talks about his journey.

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Q: How did you make your way to activism?

Community work has always been my space of work. And also of course my identity is another reason, although I was a late bloomer in understanding and being confident about it. I belong to this community. To quote an incident that triggered the activist in me would be the suicide of Mudassir, a Kashmiri student in EFLU, due to issues regarding his identity and sexuality.

Q: How has the movement in Hyderabad evolved?

Hyderabad is still young and new to the scene and is largely an upper class, English speaking urban movement. We can come together for a cause, but to articulate nuances of identities, identify the political issues regarding sexualities and struggle issues, we are still at a very basic level. The movement is yet to seep into the grassroots levels. There is also a need to work around to evolve a language of communication. Otherwise queer movement will remain and die an elite movement.

Q: How can we seep into the grassroots levels?

There has always been a dialogue regarding Gender and Sexuality. Kapda Roti Makaan would be the immediate necessity of humanity, but it is equally important to be aware of one’s own gender and sexuality. A person who is confused and uncomfortable with their identity might not even indulge in a proper healthy lifestyle.

To take the movement to grassroots, we must try and understand the hierarchy of rights. Human rights cannot be compart-

mentalized because life itself is not compartmentalized. The movement needs to be taken to the public as in masses and the already established working movements.

But for all this, the basic necessity is to work on a common language. To communicate with the grassroot levels we need to undo the elitism and establish bridges.

LGBT movements are extremely casteist, patriarchal, and misogynist. There is little representation of transmen or people from marginalized communities while the upper class, upper caste gay men domination prevails in the community.

We do not acknowledge it for the political space that it is.

Q: How do we mobilize grassroots?

By grassroots we basically mean Hijras and their mobilization is largely left undone. Language is a barrier here. Unless we acknowledge the privileges that elitism provides us with, communication with the less privileged is difficult. That is why I say queer movement does not understand the real politics, the structural, organized, systematic inequalities and injustices that happen. A newcomer to the community who is not from an upper class, upper caste and metropolitan city will feel more conscious about their space in the community. The inclusivity we talk about is exclusive in itself. The community is divided into two where one section is the politically progressive group who discusses about issues and the other who doesn’t talk about it. Queer movement is supposed to be a support system for people across all strata. Expecting every queer person to be political and be an activist and make their whole life into a political project is problematic.

Tackling the issue of reaching the grassroots, establishing a common language and dialogue and venturing into spaces that don’t have visibility or media representation are matters of survival and

progression for the community. As long as the pair of shy eyes is left to lurk behind the darkness of doors the struggle and causes will be addressed only partially, within and outside the community

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Remnants of the Sunday Book Bazaar Shaima Mansoor

The second-hand book market at Abids struggles to remain the bookworm’s paradise it once was.

JAYASREE C.

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F

or 87-year-old Ghulam Jeelani, an avid bibliophile, the Sunday secondhand book market at Abids was a much-awaited weekly occurrence since 1947. A 10 minute cycle ride from Nampally at 11 in the morning would take him to the Hyderabad book haven where he would spend the entire afternoon skimming through second hand books and magazines and would buy some to add to his existing collection. “All types of books and magazines were available there - local, national, international, environmental, fashion, films you name it and you get it!” he recalls fondly. Being regular at the market meant interacting with familiar faces every week.

“All of us knew each other, booksellers, policemen, buyers who became good friends.”

Given the cultural spot Abids had become, the police never bothered them and would often strike up conversations about local and international authors with buyers and vendors. It was only when they find magazine covers with objectionable content that they would confiscate them.

Things have changed now. After being a common sight at the book market for decades, Ghulam Jeelani has not been there since 2005, partly due to old age and also because of the new trend of books available online. Of late, he gets all his books from Amazon, directly

hitting at the sales of the Abids book hub.

The transition Flipkart, Amazon, e-books and other websites have brought down sales drastically. An average profit of Rs. 6000 per day, 20 to 30 years back has dropped to Rs. 2000 in 2016. The ease of searching books online as opposed to finding it in a huge stack, the convenient delivery process and steady sales online have resulted in few people making the effort to labour to this bazaar. “We have not lost those many customers, it is just that we don’t get new ones,” explains Arif Sharif. “There are old, loyal men and women who still sometimes come to buy

All at once: Fiction, non-fiction, magazines and comics available in multiple languages.

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JAYASREE C.

JAYASREE C.

The charm of selling old books: A seller doing this for 40 years, ties up unsold books Sunday evening to bring them back the next week.

from the treasure that we hold but the younger generation has other, much easier alternatives to buy books.” Arif has been selling books for the last 15 years, taking over after his father’s death. There are over forty sellers and Ashraf Mohammed is one of the many for whom this book market is a family business. Ashraf’s grandfather began in the 1950s and his father followed him and after his sudden demise, Ashraf has been selling second hand books for the last eight years. “My uncle also sells books next to where I am placed. He is the one who gets books for me from our godown in Santoshnagar and we sell it together every Sunday.” But grim sales for the last 5–7 years has pushed him into other ventures. A tent across the footpath has piles of clothes that are sold in the weekend at low prices. While a crowd of almost

15 people rummaged through old clothes, there was only one person at his book stall picking up Barron’s latest GRE guide book. “My brother and I knew we needed another way to earn money as the profit from book sales was dwindling. There are a lot of customers for these clothes for sometime now, you will find shops all the way to the Station Road and there is always a lot of rush. The loss in profits has been compensated by the sale of these clothes,” Ashraf added.

We have not lost those many customers, it is just that we don’t get new ones.

Arif Sharif A book vendor

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K.S. Narayan is another old customer, visiting the market since 1974. He argues that one of the main reasons for the changing pattern is that the interest in reading is dying a slow death.

“I have children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews who rarely read books. There are so many other forms of entertainment these days for youngsters. When I was a child, we either went out to play or read books at home.

This bazaar was a huge influence in my life. My friends and I used to discuss books that we should be reading and would look for them on a Sunday and finish it by the next Sunday.” He finds “today’s children” missing out on the pleasures of reading and giving in to technology that can never impact and shape lives like the way good books do. “There is so much available here, fiction, nonfiction, biographies, academic books, philosophy and in every form – new, old, worn out, paperback and hardbound.”

Best in the biz The book market at Abids is counted in the same league as Nai Sadak or Darya Ganj in Delhi and College Street Boi Para in Kolkata, as the most popular second hand book markets in India. Darya Ganj has been around since the 1960s and is known to sell all kinds of books and magazines at throw away prices. Some owners sell and buy journals by the kilo.

College Street is another such market. Regular visitors swear that the famous street market along the footpaths by the main universities in Kolkata has all the books in the world.

It is often said that if one has

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Space for everything: A watermelon juice bandi divides the books and clothes stalls.

searched the market and not found a book there, the book probably does not exist. It is the largest secondhand book market in the world. Pune’s Appa Balwant Chowk is also known to house all academic best sellers at prices that students can easily afford.

Beyond books

The culture that gets built around markets such as these also gives an opportunity for many others to make a living. One can find at least five bandis selling cold nimbu paani, watermelon juice and water across the stretch from Cherma’s to Hollywood to Meena Bazaar at the book bazaar at Abids. People often quench their thirst at these cheap outlets during the generally hot afternoons. Raja Bhai, as he likes to be known, has been selling watermelon juice on and off for the past 12 years. “My brother had suggested this place for Sunday business because there used to be a lot of

crowd here. It became a habit for many people to drop by my bandi to drink a glass or two and refresh themselves for the rest of the day.”

It became a habit for many people to drop by my bandi to drink a glass or two and refresh themselves for the rest of the day.

Raja Bhai Juice seller K. Rasha, an engineering student, prefers to walk with her glass of watermelon juice looking for good books. She visits the bazaar at least twice a month, “I am a college student and I still find Abids and Koti better for academic and other texts. You get every edition and it is inexpensive. I understand that it has become much easier to buy books online and you get amazing discounts too but

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JAYASREE C.

there is something about the ambience, the books and people that make me come here often.”

A kilometer long route along the closed, regular shops at Abids has sheets of plastic with heaps of books piled on them. Popular novels like The Kite Runner and The Fault In Our Stars and classics like Gone With The Wind and Macbeth to the lesser known ones such as Dial Your Birth Number and Just Friends, multiple editions of every possible magazine ranging from Filmfare, Women’s Era to National Geographic and Reader’s Digest, books for young adults books like Famous Five and Nancy Drew to children’s drawing and colouring books, books on Diana and Hitler, academic guide books for TOEFL and GMAT, there is still so much the bazaar has to offer despite challenges. Even with growing modern trends, book vendors rely on die-hard customers like Rasha and Narayan who refuse to let go of this tradition

"Where Dead Teach the Living" Avipsha Sengupta Tales of struggles, smiles, dreams, gore and death: lives and challenges of those working at mortuaries.

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Their World: The cold storage facility of the morgue.

TATAJI UTUKURI

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ituated at a quaint corner of the bustling Gandhi Hospital, the only thing that sets the two-storied building apart from the other blocks on the premises, is the striking absence of the crowd. On entering the establishment, passing the rooms dotted with paan stains and paintings of ancient medical practices on walls, the curious looking steel structures are the first hint of an uncommon world inside this otherwise common building. Labelled as the Department of Autopsy, this building houses the mortuary and post mortem facilities of the hospital managed by a group of four attendants and a clerk.

For centuries, the horror and gory stories that are woven around mortuaries generate a common feeling of fear and disgust at the mere mention of them and understandably so.

Forget mortuaries, even the thought of visiting a hospital fills us with terror or at least displeasure. But here they are, people whose primary responsibility is to extract organs out of cadavers, stitching them back and cleaning them before they are cremated, all to earn their live-

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lihood. The lives of the morgue attendants are as grim as they are intriguing.

M. V. Kiran has been a morgue attendant for almost 20 years now. Death and dead bodies have stopped bothering him at all. “We are well trained to perform this job. Any hesitation in dealing with dead bodies is gone at the time of training itself, whatever remains, 20 years of service takes care of that,” he says. “However, if the body is decomposed or a burning case, the stench is too strong to deal with and on those days I feel queasy while eating,” he adds.

Health hazards related to an occupation like this can be enormous. Pathogens of diseases like mycobacterium tuberculosis, blood borne hepatitides, or HIV retain their infectivity even after the death of a patient. The possibility of the morticians getting infected thus run extremely high. General infections and skin disorders are also common for them. "The Ministry of Health lacks any special health care scheme for these people.

Permanent employees benefit from the government employee health care system but contractual workers lack proper healthcare." says Shiva Shankar, a journalist who has extensively written about morgue attendants.

The lack of proper infrastructure and hygiene measures add to the woes. Veeresham K., the mortuary clerk, says, “Recently the hospital authorities have commissioned cold storage units to store dead bodies. Earlier when these freezers were not there, the place almost resembled a slaughter house. The

filth and stench made this place a hell hole, unfit for any human to enter.”

Whenever the stress gets too much, we chat about each other's family or crack a joke to lighten the mood. There is Salim Bhai here who has been a mortician for 35 years now. We call him the 'king of morgue' and he keeps us entertained with his jokes and craziness.

Veeresham K. Mortuary clerk However, the physical hazards look insignificant when compared to the mental stress that comes with the job. Most morgue workers claim they need alcohol or drug-induced haze in order to battle the inherent morbidity their job entails.

“The clerk who was here before I came a year back succumbed to alcohol and eventually died.

Even I got into that habit for a while but then managed to stay away from it,” says Veeresham.

Some of the worst manifestations of stress like necrophilia (sexual obsession with corpses) has often been reported in the media. Recently, Cincinnati TV station, WCPO, reported about an Ohio-based mortuary attendant, Douglas Hamilton, who admitted to have raped 100 female corpses during his night shifts under the influence of alcohol.These condi-

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tions coupled with the absence of any particular working hours does not help their situation either.

“Often we have to accommodate requests from hospital authorities or important ministers. They simply call us and ask us to deal with a case at any time and we have to comply. There is no fixed working hours for us,” says Kiran.

The grimy details of their job do not hinder the friendly banters and camaraderie between the colleagues. Sipping a cup of tea, with blood of the recent 'case' still fresh on his shirt, Kiran reminisces, “When I was young, I wanted to be an engineer, but here I am. I don't regret, I know my job is looked down upon by many but the support of my family helps me get through it every day. I have two daughters who are both studying in schools. This job enables me to provide for their education and fulfill other needs of my family.” Veeresham shares the same spirit. “Somebody needs to do this job. It can get really depressing at times but we have a good staff. Whenever the stress gets too much, we chat about each other's family or crack a joke to lighten the mood. There is Salim Bhai here who has been a mortician for 35 years now. We call him the 'king of morgue' and he keeps us entertained with his jokes and craziness,” he says.

Echoing the message, ‘Mortuary is a temple of learning where dead teach the living,’ the attitude of the staff towards their supposedly ghastly job indeed teaches a thing or two about accepting whatever life bestows you with courage, determination, hard work and most importantly a smile on your face

Reviving a Forgotten Artistic Marvel

RAM NARAYAN M

Siddharth Suresh Buried in the darkest corners of the city lies an artistic marvel waiting to be resurrected.

The years gone by he busy, bustling streets of With the advancement of tech-

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Chatta Bazaar welcome people with its packed shops, traffic and the smell of street food.

Jamal Market in Chatta Bazaar is specifically known for its printing press. The place is overcrowded with shops and banners that read ‘Digital Printing and Designing Available (Arabic, Urdu, English).’ Most shops look alike as they sell wedding cards, posters and flex boards, all with decorative writings.

The Quli Qutub Shah’s reign during the 16th and 17th century saw a huge growth of calligraphy as an art form. The writings and exquisite inscriptions used to adorn the mosques and tombs. Hyderabad has had calligraphy as part of its culture for five centuries. But over the years, calligraphy turned into mere paintings on canvas and paper for the people who still loved and cared for it.

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nology and computers, handwritten calligraphy has started losing its appreciation among the public.

Keeping it alive A single building with two floors stands on the left of the lane and has a shop with decorative, multicoloured writings on its walls.

The board above the shop reads, 'Nayeem Commercial Artist and Khattah.'

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“I am a designer, I am an architect. I can write in any design.

Just name it,” says Mohammed Nayeem Saberi, 87, the proprietor of the shop and an Urdu, Arabic and English calligrapher from Hyderabad as he flaunts his skills by writing this reporter's name on a piece of paper.

The ornate frames that decorate and adorn the walls of his shop makes one wonder as to how an art as alluring as this could lose its charm among the public.

Nayeem Saberi did not exactly start his career as a calligrapher.

He had 40 years of government service, working in the Public Works Department (PWD).

“Khatthi (Calligraphy in Urdu) is not just about writing, it’s about designing too,” says Saberi.

“Without proper elements of designing, calligraphy would not suffice to become a work of art,” he adds. During his tenure at PWD, he designed a lot of buildings which again lured him to try calligraphy after his retirement. It was his passion for calligraphy that drove him rather than money to pursue this art. It has been 28 years since he set up this shop and it adds to his annual pension, an income of Rs. 36,000 every month. Memories flashed on his face as he proudly says, “I was 10 years old when I learnt it from a teacher at Osmania University. He was also a calligrapher. It took me almost six years to master this art form.” Learning calligraphy is not a simple task as it takes 10

years or more for some people unless they have a special knack for it, explains Saberi’s eldest son, Mohammed Faheem. They organize summer classes of 40 days for students at the Siasat Daily office starting from May. Many of his students take his and their work and exhibit it outside India, particularly the Middle East.

The craft What sets Saberi apart is his unconventional style of writing. Rather than using a single ink calligraphic style, his writings are coloured and he calls it ‘multi-colour’ calligraphy.

His son Faheem, showed a bamboo stick. The edges of the bamboo are sharpened so that they serve as nibs. These nibs are dipped in bottles of different colours, and as they move carefully across the paper, a perfect blend of all the shades become visible. The bamboo sticks come in varied sizes from 2 to 12 millimetres. They also use acrylic and Camlin oil paints, which are specifically imported from London.

The paintings, which have Urdu and Arabic multi-coloured inscriptions are verses from the Quran. ‘Alif,’ the beginning and ‘Nuktha,’ the dots or the points form the Urdu inscriptions on the walls of his shop. “These marvellous inscriptions have their roots in Arabia and it’s very old,” says Saberi about the art’s history. His explanation as to why most people do not practise it is, “It’s God’s gift and not everyone knows it.”

About the business

Mohammed Nayeem Saberi

RAM NARAYAN M

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Saberi’s second son Zainudeen Abid says, “Business is booming as there is always a regular set of customers who still prefer handwritten calligraphy over

Coloured and framed: Multicoloured calligraphic works on display.

digitally-printed versions and many of our works get exported to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.” In 2015, 19 pieces of their work were put up for exhibition in Australia.

Saberi and his sons’ works are mostly for artistic purposes but they also produce wedding cards and draw paintings for additional income. The cost of their works range from Rs. 500 to Rs. 15,000 depending on their artistic value.

Price of technology A horizontal billboard, which shows ‘Welcome Printers (Urdu, Arabic and English Calligrapher)’ is tucked inside the Kaman( a gateway) in Chatta Bazaar. Mohammed Abdul Khaleel Abid, 60, sits by his chair with cards arranged on a rope over the top of his head and pens with broad tipped nibs on his desk. Many papers and posters with Urdu writings lie scattered near him.

Forty years have passed since Khaleel began this venture. He worked for the Siasat Daily from

1980-92 as a calligrapher. “Calligraphy has been passed down to generations and I learnt it from my father Mohammed Abdul Rashid. He also worked for Siasat and was quite famous during his days,” says Khaleel. With the advent of computers and because of lack of computing skills, Khaleel was forced to leave his job and search for greener pastures. “In our days we waited for an opportunity to learn calligraphy. I have a son but he is not much interested since handwritten calligraphy is not a great source of income in the modern world,” he adds. His style of calligraphy is different from Saberi’s as he concentrates exclusively on single colours. He uses Camlin water-proof ink and a 40-year-old pen which is no longer available in the market. “Everyone prefers computers these days but there are people who still find beauty in handwritten calligraphy and its aesthetic value,” adds Khaleel. He makes posters, wedding cards and pamphlets as

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RAM NARAYAN M

this is his only source of income.

Noted heritage conservationist and Secretary for Deccan Studies, Sajjad Shahid, also an admirer of calligraphy says, “It is an old Islamic art form and people still prefer it. I have a collection of 20 calligraphy works at home. There is more stress on the beautifying aspect in handwritten calligraphy, which makes it stand out from the new printed versions of it.”

Though modern techniques have reduced the value of the art and with artists given almost no recognition, the art of handwritten calligraphy has lost its value and appreciation among the public. There is still a large section of Hyderabadis who believe in the elegance of this art. It is a tedious and lengthy process which takes years to master and yet the writing with its beautiful curves and dots lies buried in the darkest corners of the city proud of its ancient heritage

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Digavalli Pavan With growing availability and consumption, drug culture in Hyderabad has affected every strata of society.

“I

start my day with a drug. I cannot be normal without it. I usually sleep for an hour after injecting five shots. I started with ganja and now I am using injectable drugs,� says Bhimesh Reddy, 54, a cook who lives on a platform at Clock Tower, Secunderabad.

Narcotic drugs do not discriminate against people on the basis of their socio-economic status or their living standards.

They have managed to attract

both financially well-off individuals and people from lower economic background and are gradually turning them into drug addicts. It is only the type of drug that varies based on affordability. The rich tend to go for heroin, cocaine and LSD and their reasons for doing so range from trying to be adventurous to peer pressure. The weaker sections like platform dwellers, rag pickers, child labourers, auto and truck drivers choose

ganja or marijuana and charas or hashish and for them, using drugs means further isolation from mainstream society and lack of awareness. It also means they do not have easy access to rehabilitation centres.

A 2010 report in The Times of India quotes a report by the Andhra Pradesh Police that claims the state is in the grip of massive drug abuse and esttimates the number of teenagers addicted to hard drugs at DIGAVALLI PAVAN

The High that has its

Pitfalls 46

almost 60%. Exact figures on addiction in the city are not very clear. A report in www. alchoholrehab.com notes that there are 3 million drug addicts in India and cites an observation by WHO that there is significant difficulty in estimating drug usage and addiction rates in different cities due to poor bureaucratic processes and census reporting.

Drug peddlers’ nework Suresh Krishna is an Injected Drug User (IDU) and a ganja peddler living on the platforms of Seetaphal Mandi. He sells ganja to about 40 people a day and makes Rs. 4000 on an average. “I have 500 regular customers that include college students, working professionals and even rich people. A lot of women also come to buy ganja,” he notes. Dhoolpet in the old city is another major hub for ganja.

Some people in the police also misuse this situation for their selfish benefits instead of implementing stringent measures to control the activities of drug peddlers. “The police make me suffer a lot. They file false cases on me whenever they want to. I offer about Rs. 2000 to get out of the police station and not have a case slapped on me. Sometimes they beat me up badly,” Suresh adds.

Hyderabad is one of the major pharma industry hubs in the world that makes it easier to use drugs. “Hyderabad is the root cause of the Indian drug problem because of its pharma industry. It also has an embedded culture of pubs,

resorts and rave parties,” explains a senior official at Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) who wished to remain anonymous. “Cocaine and heroin are being consumed by affluent families and IT professionals.

We are not dealing much with ganja,” he states. He feels that the legalization of ganja would worsen the situation. "We expect effective monitoring from state police. The excise department and railway police need better coordination to control drug trafficking as the railways have become a major source for transporting ganja," he affirms.

I have 500 regular customers that include college students, working professionals and even rich people. A lot of women also come to buy ganja.

Suresh Krishna A ganja peddler

Major transit for Golden Triangle

Hyderabad with its elaborate infrastructure of transport facilities acts as a major transit for drug trafficking and plays a huge role in taking drugs to various parts of the country. Afghanistan, India and South East Asian countries of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand are popularly known as the Golden Triangle, and Hyderabad is crucial for the Golden Triangle to operate.

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“Hyderabad is best known as a drug transit. We are located between Afghanistan, which is a major source of opium in the world, and South East Asia that acts as a sink. Heroin is normally transported via Hyderabad airport,” says Ch. Viswas, ACP, Customs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport who added that he is against the legalization of ganja.

He also mentioned that ganja is cultivated clandestinely in naxal areas and it is a tradition to cultivate it in many other states too.

Major funding source for Naxals Illegal cultivation makes the access, sale and usage of ganja even more widespread. “Drug trafficking is a sister concern of the counterfeit currency mafia,” says the previously-quoted senior official from NCB. “Ganja plantations are huge in naxal regions of coastal Andhra and is a major funding source for them,” says an officer of the Anti Naxal Squad in coastal Andhra who wished to remain anonymous.

NCB was set up under one of the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1985 that has brought ganja under the hard drugs category and the punishment for trafficking it is very severe depending on the quantity and purity of the drug.

Youth perception In a bid to validate its consumption, users often cite ganja's so-called medicinal values.

“I have been taking weed for the last two years. Smoking it is

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Cannabis

Pethidine

Avil

Cocaine

Heroin

Ganja is derived from the leaves of the cannabis plant. It acts as a gateway to all the other drugs. Once addicted, the poor move on to injecting drugs like Pethidine and Avil while the affluent class ends up with expensive hard drugs like cocaine and heroin.

very exciting and adventurous.

I really like it but I am not an addict. For me, it is a ritual and a very pure thing. I support the legalization of weed. There is a no stigma about alcohol and smoking even though it is more harmful so why is it for ganja?” questions Swetha Meenu, a student at the University of Hyderabad. Ganja helps in being very productive, says J. Thomas Kumar, another student at University of Hyderabad,. “When I am high, I feel enlightened. It helps us to read, write and paint. We become more peaceful and calm and like to listen to music,” he says.

There are others who argue that medicinal benefits cannot justify the use. “That cannabis has medicinal benefits is not completely true. It affects a person’s cognitive development, which reduces their memory and the ability to learn and think. It also impairs their psychomotor performance. These problems are often observed in ganja users,” says Dr. Chakrapani, Telangana State Consultant, WHO. He also talked about the US Supreme Court judgement in 2001 that stated that though marijuana has some benefits, it should not become a medi-

cal necessity.

G. Arun Kumar is a cinematographer based in the city who has worked on various short films. Arun Kumar regrets having been a drug user in the past. “I became numb and was unable to do anything. So, I stopped using drugs,” he says.

Demotivated NGOs DARE, a Non‐Governmental Organization (NGO) in the city focuses on IDUs from the weaker socio-economic sections through their Targeted Intervention (TI) program under the Telangana State AIDS Control Society (TSACS) with guidelines established by National AIDS Control Organization (NACO).

“These people are highly vulnerable. A major problem with this section is the sharing of needles among peers that spreads HIV and Hepatitis B viruses. They get drugs like Fortwin, Pethidine, Compose and Avil from medical shops and medical dispensaries. These medicines are sedative in nature,” says S. N. Joshi, Project Manager of the TI program.

IDUs are not bothered about their health or consuming nutritious food.

It is difficult to bring them out of this habit of drugs. But

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NACO is trying to replace those drugs with a new drug called Bruphine Norphene, which does not have any side effects and one can come out of the drug addiction within a year after starting it. It is already available in north India.

DARE has mapped 800 IDUs in the city but estimates the actual number to be more than 3000 which they are not able to map due to lack of funds.

“No one is happy here. Our employees are demotivated.

We are not getting salaries for the last 11 months from TSACS. It is becoming difficult to sustain as an NGO,” says K. Sridhar, Founder, DARE. People from strong economic backgrounds can afford de-addiction centers. But weaker sections cannot do this. These NGOs are essential to take care of people who are poor.

Overall, lack of effective monitoring is making the consumption of drugs a major issue in the city. It is time that academics, scholars, social activists and the government study this issue and work towards making people aware of its implications Note: Names of drug users have been changed.

Shared Experiences on Wheels TATAJI UTUKURI

Akbarkhan Seven-seater autos plying between the city's IT hub and suburbs connect not just places but also people.

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seven-seater auto is not only a mode of travel for passengers, it is a space that develops social connectivity. People who travel regularly at the same time between two usual stops become friends.

But this does not happen often. This kind of connectivity is a different experience from the ongoing digital social networking trend. Seven seater autos have become a part of life for employees and students who belong to both lower and upper middle class.

Though people have access to different modes of public transport in Hyderabad such as buses, we find a huge rush

at office hours in the mornings and evenings. So, one can find it difficult to get a little space to even stand in buses. It might be difficult to get another one immediately if one misses a bus. Seven seater autos allow flexibility to passengers in both space and time as the frequency of autos is high. For every running minute, new autos can be found in what seems like a rally of autos one behind another.

Travellers talk When asked about how he started boarding seven seater autos, a university student Gaurav Kumar says, “I was getting late for the class. It was Monday

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morning and the bus that arrived was completely filled with passengers, with many college students hanging at the stairs which is also called in local parlance as foot-boarding. Another reason to not board the bus was I did not want to stand in it.”

He then heard a person standing near a seven seater and shouting names of various destinations. He adds, “Luckily it was going the same route that had my university as a drop point. There were other people sitting inside but the person assured me a seat.”

The four wheeled Tata Magic autos, which are referred to as seven seaters or mini taxis

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are different from those three wheeled autos without meters, which ply on a shared arrangement among passengers. Often confused with three wheeled autos, seven seaters are different from them, not just in physical attributes but also the experiences of travellers.

At Nanal Nagar and Toli Chowki, seven seater auto drivers also take help of people who shout names of destinations to attract passengers from a distance. These people get Rs. 10 each time they fill up the seven seater quickly.

Seven seater autos can be seen plying on one route that goes from Nanal Nagar to Kondapur near HITEC city and another that goes from Nanal Nagar to DLF/IIIT/Wipro and further to Lingampally.

Another set of seven seaters drops people from suburbs like Aramgarh to Rethi Bowli near Nanal Nagar. Daily wage earners also rely on seven seaters to travel from Aramgarh to Lingampally. The autos become crowded with students, IT employees and daily wage earners that perhaps makes these vehicles the only place where they share a common experience.

Developing friendships As the journey from the IT hub to the suburbs takes more than an hour, different people have different ways of utilizing this free time. Some plug in their ear phones and listen to podcasts, songs and radio stations.

College students play games on their latest smartphones.

Some people just like to take a nap. They also provide spaces for office and college friends

Talk time: Passengers chat on long routes.

for some chit chat while others read books.

In Hyderabad, most working women and college girls find this a safe mode of transportation and they form a huge chunk of the people utilizing this facility. These autos are available even at late hours.

Drivers and regular passengers start recognizing each other and passengers prefer the vehicle with their known driver over others. Sometimes drivers take less money if their passenger friend does not have

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the required money change, for instance if they have to pay Rs. 25 but do not have Rs. 5 change, the driver tells them to give him Rs. 5 the next time.

Similarly, many people let the driver keep the change. They might not know each other by names but only ‘amma’ or ‘bhaiyya’ is enough.

Another interesting experience of availing shared autos is the curious music collection that turns these autos into mini mobile clubs. Drivers have a unique collection of music,

Another driver, Mohammed Rehman, drives a seven seater auto on a part time basis.

He pays Rs. 300 as rent and drives in the evening, which allows him to have some extra income apart from his day job as an electrician. A few passengers tell stories of kindness displayed by the drivers when they forgot their belongings on the auto seat. The drivers have tried to find those passengers right away and handed over their belongings or gave them to authorities to safely return them to their rightful owners.

Long halts at each stop

SHAHAMAT HUSSAIN

from latest Hindi and Telugu songs to songs from the 90s, to entertain passengers while travelling. For some people who are trying to talk over the phone, this is a disturbance.

But for office employees, this music is relaxing after their stressful working hours.

The operators Syed Hussain, 32, drives a seven-seater from 6:30 am to 8 pm. He was a car driver for seven years but later chose to become an auto driver because

he did not want to drive long distances and be away from his wife and three children. The auto that he drives is owned by him. He purchased it by taking a loan. He says, “Autos are available for Rs. 500 rent per day. An auto driver on an average can earn between Rs. 700 to Rs. 1000 a day. It is good if the driver owns the auto.”

These autos are not allowed to ply in the city and can only operate on some routes on the outskirts like Lingampally, Aramgarh and Shivarampally.

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“We are in a hurry to reach our offices in the morning but these seven seater autos first wait for the autos to get filled with passengers and later halt at stops for a lot of time. This causes delay. That is why we have to leave our houses much earlier so that the delay is compensated and we are not late,” says Meghna G., a lady passenger.

Mohammed Rehman explains about these long halts, “Passengers give us Rs. 100 after getting down while they have to pay only Rs. 15. Drivers do not always have change for that much money if every passenger keeps giving us Rs. 100.”

In the afternoons, as the number of passengers reduces, there is ample space in the autos and the drivers get chatty.

In the evenings, the interior decoration of the autos comes alive with colourful purple and blue lights mixing with white light. From the outside, the auto appears as a firefly with a coloured belly flying around the yellow street lights

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KRISHNENDU HALDER

Temporary Alliance Permanent DAMAGE Shahamat Hussain Arabs and Sudanese are signing the Nikahnama and Talaqnama simultaneously and manipulating destitute young girls for sex.

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arriage is considered a social institution on which larger structures of society like family are built. In India especially, marriages are idealized to be the most important decision of one's life,

that is generally made by parents on behalf of their children.

This may not always be in the best interests of young people, especially young girls. India has managed to eliminate several vicious practices associated with

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marriage, like child marriages, but newer evils like contract marriages have begun to tarnish faith in this social institution.

Contract marriages have been prevalent in Hyderabad since the 1970s. It has been a

Survivor's grit: BIbi Begum was married off when she was 11 years old.

practice in parts of the Old City, particularly Barkas, which has a large Yemeni settlement. Arab Sheikhs are the usual 'customers' in the area. Though the practice is seen by many as a social menace, very little is being done to correct it even as several girls fall prey to such trade-offs annually.

False promises Bibi Begum, 18, was shifting on her feet while explaining how her family situation led her to a marriage agreement with a 32-year-old Sudanese national, Ahmed Faruq. Her family consists of her mother and six sisters and their earnings depend on the daily chores done by her mother in the houses of the Old City. None of them have studied beyond primary school. “I married him as I was promised a good future and monetary support for my family members. He kept me in a lodge for five days

and asked me to work on my passport documents. After he went back, he was in touch for a month over the phone and also sent me Rs. 2000. He never came back for me nor helped my family, in fact he did not even come for talaq. I pleaded with him over the phone for a divorce and at last I took khula (returning of wedding gifts as a form of divorce) from him,” she says.

The case of Bibi Begum is only one such sad story. Even minor girls are fed into these contracts by specialized brokers in the city who promise huge compensations and a secure future. However, such agreements end up bringing nothing except dejection and low self-esteem for these women. Muneera Begum, a resident of Moghal Pura, was pushed into one such marriage seven years ago. “I got married when I was 11. My father insisted that I get married. I was

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married to an Arab Sheikh who was 65 years old, same as my father’s age. He lived with me in a lodge for two months and later left for his country saying he will come back to take me.

When I got pregnant, he kept pressuring me for abortion and when I retaliated, he uttered talaq thrice on the phone and never called back. I did not even know what talaq meant

He never came back for me nor helped my family, in fact he did not even come for talaq. I pleaded with him over the phone for a divorce and at last I took khula from him.

Bibi Begum Contract marriage survivor

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at that age.” Such unfortunate instances are realities for many girls in the old city who await some strong social action to end the system of contract marriages.

Law speaks Shaheen is an Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in Hyderabad, which is working for this cause and other women’s issues. They have conducted quite a few sting operations in the city to rescue girls from such dangerous traps. In the helpless scenarios where these girls are clueless about how to go on with life after the fallout of a contract marriage, the NGO has initiated several awareness programmes to let girls know about their rights.

“We try creating job opportunities and building confidence of the victims. We want to empower women, make them assertive about when to say no,” says Jameela Nishat who heads Shaheen.

“The brokers and Qazis, both, are equally involved in this process. They take a good portion of the amount these men pay and give the rest to the families involved.

One of the Qazis from the old city even had bed rooms for the couples in his office to live right after the nikah,” claims Mohammed Maqsood Ahmed, a lawyer based in the city.

After complaints were lodged by locals, he was arrested and his Qazi licence was revoked.

Mohammed Asadullah, Chief Executive Officer, Wakf Board, says, “State Minorities Welfare Association has cancelled a few licenses of those who are

guilty of arranging contract marriages.” He explained that the board is only responsible to issue marriage and divorce certificates while cancellation of licenses is in the hands of the State Minorities Welfare Association. Under the Kazi Act of 1880, their cases are dealt and licenses are monitored. The victims are not given any aid from the Hyderabad Minorities Welfare Association. When asked about the reasons, Mohammed Ashfaquddin, Deputy Tahsildar of the Association, stated that the funds to help such victims do not come under their department.

The brokers and Qazis, both, are equally involved in this process. They take a good portion of the amount these men pay and give the rest to the families involved.

Maqsood Ahmed Advocate

NGOs in the city help the affected women come out of their dire conditions and learn to cater to their needs. They teach them stitching, mehendi designing and other skills so that they can earn a living. Their initial focus is on regaining and rebuilding their confidence so that they start life afresh.

“I earn my own money and live on my own terms. I am happy to be able to send my

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The case of Amina Begum gained a lot of media attention in 1991 when a flight attendant, Amrita Ahluwalia, found 10 year old Amina crying in the plane beside the 60 year old, M.H. Al Saigh.

She was sold for Rs. 6000 by her father. She had the same reason behind her story, her penniless, exploitative father.

According to an account in an Indian newspaper, this is what she told them: "My name is Amina. I am about 10 years old. This man came to our house.

He found my elder sister dark and ugly. My father, who drives an auto rickshaw, made me marry this man. He is taking me to Saudi Arabia. I don't want to go with him."

After being freed, she was trained in embroidery work by an NGO. The Andhra Pradesh State Minorities Finance Corporation gave Amina Rs. 10,000 to set up a hand embroidery unit. She married off two of her siblings after her father's death. She got remarried in 2003 at the age of 23, with a local auto driver Abdul Majeed in Musheerabad.

Deceptive adornments: Minor girls are often tricked into contract marriages.

daughter to a good school.

I was not educated and was forced into marriage but I will empower my daughter through education,” says Muneera Begum. When asked about whether she would consider marrying again, she smiled softly and said, “I don’t need a man in my life, I was brought up with the idea that a man is responsible for a woman's needs but my thoughts have changed over the years. I might be uneducated but I can earn and take care of myself and my daughter.” Bibi Begum on the other hand is getting married again with a local Hyderabadi and has overcome her fears, hoping to start a new life with her fiancé. "We are trying to arrange funds for her to buy new clothes and jewellery,” says her mother Haseena Begum with a lot of hope in her eyes.

Although the cases are many, only a few get reported.

Karam Komireddy is a lawyer who has worked on such issues.

“We book these cases under the Indian Penal Code as cheating and breach of trust. The marriage is first nullified and then we try to get the culprits punished,” he says. V. Ramulu, Joint Director of Women and Child Development confirmed that they have a helpline for such victims, “They can make a call to 1098 and we send the task force to rescue the girls.

They are also kept in rehabilitation if required.”

The city police also considers this as a serious offence.

“Our concern is not their age but that the girl should be given respect and dignity after the wedding. She should not be prone to sexual abuse and divorce. We also conduct

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awareness programmes with victims to make people conscious of such practices,” says V. Satyanarayana, DCP, South Zone. There are very few official complaints registered on this issue. The laws implicating NRIs are weak and they get bail in a matter of few days.

The dreams that young girls weave around the idea of marriage are being crushed in monetary transactions that lead to sexual abuse and a lifetime of solitude and despair. While the world debates on matters of gender equality, here are a lot of girls that desperately and hopefully wait for someone to raise a strong voice and to do away with contracts that exploit them in the name of marriage

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Direct Selling to Impact

Retail Sector

Ankitha Naishadham B2B model can help rural kiranas in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh only if the monopoly of big retailers is challenged.

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he Kannada Film ‘Bharath Stores’, directed by the well-known P. Sheshadri, reached the Goan shores in 2013 for the International Film Festival of India. The film is a touching tale about the Indian retail industry and its impact on the small kirana stores. It shows Bharath Stores, a small grocery shop owned by Govinda Shetty, struggling to sustain itself amidst globalisation and gradual changes in lifestyle. In the process, Bharath

Stores falls prey to the fast evolving mall culture. Back in 2013, it did not interest viewers much, but the rise of Walmart, Tesco, Cushman & Wakefield (C&W) in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh has prompted a better understanding of the effect of these multinational retail giants in both the states.

A game changer Business to Business (B2B) can be explained as a transaction which

Traditional buying: Unorganized retail players account for 92% of the market.

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happens between two companies. This business directly involves multinational giants such as Walmart and small kiranas, which come under the category of unorganised retail sector. In contrast, Business to Consumer (B2C) is a supply chain involving middlemen or wholesalers.

To expand its foothold, Walmart India is in talks with the Telangana government to open three more stores in Hyderabad, according to a news report in retail.franchiseindia.com. In Andhra Pradesh, Walmart already has three stores one each in Guntur, Vijayawada and Rajamahendravaram. Recently, Swedish furniture firm Ikea purchased 13 acres

RAVI KIRAN

Smart buying: 300 million shoppers patronize organized retail chains.

of land in Hyderabad to open its retail store by 2017.

Talking about the advantages of these big firms coming to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Ramesh V., Project Consultant, Society to Eliminate Rural Poverty (SERP) says, “When a kirana owner buys products directly from the seller, he or she need not fall for the tactics of middlemen. Here, the owners can communicate their needs directly to the seller and this supply chain does not involve distributors, wholesalers and big retailers.”

These multinational retail outlets have a reseller’s license, which allows them to resell products only to registered retailers. Their products cannot be sold to the consumers directly as Walmart and other multinationals have not been given the consumer license certificate. This is done to save small kirana shops from shutting down.

In contrast to this arrangement, the big Indian retail giants

like Spencer’s, HyperCITY, and More Megastore directly source products from the manufacturers. “The low price range at these places attract the consumer and over a period of time they become addicted, leaving behind the traditional kirana store near their house,” says Ramesh.

These Indian giants are known to buy products in bulk from big manufacturers like ITC and Hindustan Unilever. The low selling prices at these big retail outlets may lead to losses but they have the capacity to withstand these losses due to huge investments and good corporate strategies. “Buying in bulk, direct sourcing, seasonal buying, buying when economy is low are some strategies followed by big outlets, which enable them to offer low prices to the consumer,” explains Ramesh.

Due to the lack of investment capacity, a small kirana owner is unable to adopt any of these methods.

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When a kirana store owner buys the products from the seller directly, he or she need not fall for the tactics of the middlemen.

Ramesh V. Project Consultant, SERP

Pros and cons of the multinationals Some small kirana shops across rural Telangana and Andhra Pradesh see the emergence of Walmart and other multinational companies as a big boost to the unorganized retail sector. Maryamma from Gooty Mandal in the Anantapur district is confident that the B2B model will help to expand retail business in rural Andhra Pradesh. “I along with 13 other shop owners in our village want to come together and discuss

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how we can source our products directly from Walmart. If we tie up with them, transport would not be an issue for us as well.

We will give the list of items we want beforehand. The equation will also ensure that good quality products reach rural citizens,” says Maryamma. She was in Hyderabad last month to attend a retail workshop organised by the Government of AP. Countering this argument, Anand Suvvari, a researcher in Insurance Economics at University of Hyderabad says, “Initially the B2B model looks promising and makes us feel that everyone is better off but over a period of time the question of ‘monopoly’ will arise and all the big fish would collate together and force us to buy products at whatever price they decide.” He also adds that due to this direct partnership, Walmart will slowly conquer the market and rule according to its own terms and conditions.

The wholesalers are alleged of not maintaining bill books.

“The wholesalers have transactions, which run into lakhs but they do not maintain bill records or slips in rural areas. To escape value-added tax (VAT), the wholesalers show that their profit is below Rs. 4 lakh per annum,” says Ramesh. Seventy percent of the women workforce in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh is in the unorganized retail sector. Most of them are illiterate or school drop outs.

They have no idea about the importance of asking for bills from the wholesalers and at times are taken for a ride when it comes to the quality of products.

“It is mandatory to keep records and ensure that good qual-

ity products reach small retailers.

‘A’ grade quality food products with manufacturing date and best before consuming date will be available to rural households if kirana shops come for a tie-up with us. We can test products for their feasibility, which will ensure that a variety of items are available to the consumers,” says Anil Kumar, Store Manager at Walmart, Rajamahendravaram.

Even as Ramesh is hopeful that an alliance with Walmart will be advantageous for small kirana stores, he highlights a problem - a registered license is mandatory for a kirana shop to enter into a tieup with the multinational sellers.

“The issue of license has become a big problem. The government does not make it compulsory for a kirana shop owner to get registered. As of now only 0.5% shops in Andhra Pradesh are registered.

Rural citizens have little idea about the importance of registration thanks to poor education and awareness levels,” adds the SERP Project Consultant. The kirana shops can get registered under the Firms and Shops Establishment Act, 1988 and the Mutually Aided Cooperative Societies Act of 1995 and at Gram Panchayats.

SERP conducts a number of workshops and training sessions to educate women entrepreneurs.

Once the kirana store owner gets registered, he can directly buy products from Walmart and others. The issue of these registered cards being misused has been discussed by retailers. The owners who have these cards are using it for their personal gain by giving it to their friends and families. This can badly hit the business of unregistered kirana stores.

As small businesses, women can-

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not compete with Walmart and as a result they feel threatened. As of now, neither the government nor multinational retailers have taken any steps to curb this malpractice.

“Walmart will not like to lose its business and there is nothing that they can’t do. The government needs to intervene and bring in some rules to support kiranas,” adds Ramesh.

Need for dialogue The problem of the unorganized retail sector is that proper data of the number of shops in both states is not available. Last year the AP government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Malaysia’s Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU), which is attempting to bring the voices of the rural kirana store owners and Walmart authorities together on one platform to benefit the unorganized retail sector. Likewise, the Telangana Government has plans to come up with a single window policy where the entrepreneurs need not go to offices or departments for clearances.

The needed clearances will be approved by the government within two weeks.

If government initiatives could lead to a productive dialogue between retail giants and kiranas, there is still scope to stop the decline of traditional outlets. Economists suggest that B2B model can work only if it is implemented with cautious balance. The question that looms large is, whether the arrangement can ensure zero compromise on the interests of these kirana owners. The success of the B2B model will greatly depend on thte technology and training provided to them

For your

Late Night Munchies

Sunderlal Raja Night street food joints of Hyderabad have stories to tell: of their food, taste and challenges.

I

t was close to midnight and I was at a dhaba just opposite the DLF building in Gachibowli. My stomach was growling like a Spartan at war when the plate of steaming ‘Kothu Porotta’ was placed in front of me. A typical Tamil Nadu dish, which is prepared on a tava with diced Malabar Paratha and a lot of vegetables and spices, it is served with coconut and tomato chutneys. As soon as I had the first spoon of the dish, I was sure this was going to be a treat. Each spoon of it was an experience in itself and this was one of those moments, which reiterated the saying that ‘food is an orgasm!’

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Heaven for foodies One of the perks of living in the city of Nizams is that your taste buds can easily embark on a variety of delicious journeys.

Long menus, numerous mouthwatering dishes and fascinating places to fill your stomach—all these factors make Hyderabad a heaven on earth for any foodie. And like other emerging metropolitan cities, Hyderabad has a growing culture of street food, especially around the IT sector. Most of the star hotels in the city have their kitchen open even after midnight but their price tag keeps them way out of the league of night food. When we think about street food

in India, the first picture that comes to mind are of food items kept in the most unhygienic conditions. But Hyderabad is an exception! Here, when we look for night street food joints, we can find people selling tasty dishes on vehicles ranging from two wheelers to four wheelers, which are customized into a kitchen on wheels, with the style and precision of a star hotel kitchen.

The simplest definition for night street food can be tasty food found at any place at a low price in the late hours of the night. And Hyderabad night food lives up to this definition. In fact, the competition is so fierce

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that even the professional food critics might find it difficult to choose the tastiest one. If night street food can be considered as a kingdom, then dosa is the emperor. For many, Ram ki Bandi at Nampally is the synonym for dosa at night. Open from 2 am to 8 am, Ram ki Bandi offers a wide range of dosas and idlys.

Operating from a small cart, this food joint proves that taste is not proportionate to the size or style of an outlet. “Normally my day begins with a cheese dosa from here. The taste makes you come again and again, and in my case almost on a daily basis,� says Praveen Das, who resides near the joint. Hassan

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Gafi, another regular customer says, “Be it 3 am or 8 am, you will find hungry people here. I know a few people who come here very often even from your place (Gachibowli) just to have the very special butter cheese dosa.”

Same is the case with Dosa Gaadi, opposite Shilparamam in Madhapur. This is a proper food truck joint with five custom built Tata Magic vans, serving dosas, idlys, shawarmas, ice creams, and shakes from 8.30pm. They have separate vans for preparing the vegetarian and non-vegetarian items, which is rare for night street food joints. This feature makes it ‘the spot’ for any veg-

etarian out there. Many non-vegetarians feel that the vegetarian food items are not as tasty as the rest on the menu, but this place proves that perception wrong.

Be it mutton keema dosa or chilli paneer dosa, it is assured that your mouth will be taken for a joy ride.

Same is the case with ice creams and shakes, which can give Cream Stone or similar branded outlets a run for their money. “People really like what we serve. Most of the time items are over before 2 am, which is the closing time. People love it that much,” says one of the persons working in the vans who wished to remain unidentified. It is not that night food stalls only offer dosas and idlys. The joints

and shops in Chanda Nagar and Indira Nagar and near the DLF building in Gachibowli also offer a diverse range of Maggi noodles, shawarmas and other Indian and Chinese dishes, but with their own twist.

Beyond the taste All these spots offer you good food and in return make a good amount of money. The source at Dosa Gaadi said that on an average night, they earn around Rs.17-20,000 in hand after all the expenses are met. But the margin of profit comes down steeply in the case of single vendors, though the taste does not.

In the case of Arun Chiddaleni,

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who sells night food near the Biodiversity Park, the profit is around Rs. 1000 per night. “I have a limited menu of idlydosa-vada and my customers are mostly night time drivers so I cannot keep a high-priced menu.” Arun is one of those sellers who use their bikes as their outlet. These people who fill our stomach with yummy food also have their own miseries to share. “We sell food on our bikes and we don’t earn much like the proper shops.

But we are the ones who are harassed the most by the police. They come when business is happening and ask us to vacate the streets. Sometimes they even impound our vehicles with the food and to get it back is a long struggle,” says Nagesh Chinna, another food vendor. The cases of trouble by police is similar in the areas of DLF, Gachibowli and Indira Nagar. “They come and ask us to shut down around 1 am. But that is the time when the night shift employees and students from nearby universities and col-

leges come to have something,” complains Basheer Khan, a Shawarma seller near the DLF building.

Other concerns are that they are unlikely to find business in places far away from the IT sector, which makes them stick to the same locality. And their unanimous voice is that if the law enforcers give them time till 4 am to keep their stores open, it will help them a lot. Though there is no official numbers on exactly how many vendors are there, this will not only be a boost for all of them but also for the night street food concept as a whole. The best example of a full-fledged food sector is, the streets of Mumbai where one can find food joints, which serve delicious items till 4 am. The same concept can be implemented here in Hyderabad, which already has a night food market that is second to none in matters of taste. And with some help from the government, the city can witness a buzzing night food culture that will add to its attraction as a tourist destination

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People behind the 64 pages: The Print and New Media Batch (2014-16) Top Row (L-R): Ankitha Naishadham, Akbarkhan, Siddharth Suresh, Munsif Vengattil, Shahamat Hussain, T. Takuangla Jamir, Lanrindiki Sailo, Digavalli Pavan.

Bottom Row (L-R): Sunderlal Raja, Shaima Mansoor, Avipsha Sengupta, Keerthana B., Rucilli Leimapokpam, Ch. Sandeep Manohar and Asst. Professor Anjali Lal Gupta.

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JAYASREE C. VANTAGE 2016

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication University of Hyderabad, Gachibowli Hyderabad, Telangana - 500046

For Internal Circulation