The jinxed city and twin blasts

My dear city has yet again been rocked. Twin blasts ripped through two very important eating joints evicting lives, charring bodies and scaring the hearts of Hyderabadis.

Neither blasts nor riots are new to the nawabi city. Ruled by the Nizams, Hyderabad, for centuries, has been the centre for music, arts, trade, revolution and more notably communal disharmony. A land that rose in arms against the atrocious zamindari system, Hyderabad is one among the only few regions of India that were partially successful in implementing land rights. What started of and subsequently came to be known as the Telangana Arms Struggle has since then frettered out making way for a bloodier 'social movement' by the name naxalism. Yet, through these turbulant times the communal camaraderie was intact.

Spurred by the Razakars - a paramilitary force under the Nizam, in the 1930s just before independence, we see the communal fabric tearing apart slowly. The atrocities heaped by the razakars under the demonic leadership of Khasim Razvi on the non-Muslims, especially the women, left permanent scars on the population of the entire region that included parts of Karnataka.

The State of Hyderabad and subsequently Andhra Pradesh, under an independent India never got out of the communal hatered. The only difference was, our politicians had replaced the razakars.

And Hyderabad continues to suffer even in the IT-led 21st century.

The blame-game is a part of any blast package. Truth 'lies' on both sides of the finger raised.What is to be observed most in the recent blasts is the deviance in the terror plot.

My knowledge of terror in Hyderabad (produced a docu on communalism in Hyderabad) tells me that this is a very rare instance of an act of terror outside the ambit of religion. Contrast this with the blasts in the Mecca Masjid a few months back. This is also a rare incident of the new city being targeted.

Having targeted establishment outside the realm of religion, are the terrorists setting a new agenda?

The recent plot is indeed a telling statement on the changed communal dimensions of the city. It is for sure a victory of the mehnati hyderabadi - cutting across religions, that the terrorist has had to target venues outside religion. The twist in the script is even the more dangerous because, the market economy can't withstand it. Even amidst communal chaos if Hyderabad grew as a hot spot for IT and other knowledge industries the simple reason was that the new city was far off from trouble. But by targetting the beautiful Lumbini park at the junction where the twin cities meet, the terrorists have moved miles ahead in their designs of destabilising India.

Hyderabad is truly a jinxed city.

You know what?!

A bag on the right shoulder you walked with an air of confidence. Was it a question mark or confusion - on your face? It's another matter that the expression readily transformed into a huge smile quickly growing into a round of big laughter.

A flight in your steps and the rhythm in speech were testimony to your ability to dance. But, Oh girl! You mesmerise when on stage. Be it classical, light or western - the subtlety of your movements and the nuances of expression lend a distinct flair and flavour to your dance.

That's you, my Dudi!

My cabin still echoes your laughter, silent sobs and the vehement arguments. Mad or what! is a phrase I no more hear. With you is gone the charm of my cabin. It's empty in all senses.

Got a Cultural Co-ordination Committee meeting now. Got to go.

Good Luck!

Yours truly,

Dude.

Rangaanveshane

Mai aur meri tanhayi
aksar
ye
baatein
karte hai...

My early memories go back to the small house in Jayanagara, Mysore – the home I was born in - where we shared the compound with three other families – Puttswami, the landlord & his family, Auto Gopi & his whimsical wife Vasantha (I faintly remember their daughter as Sunitha) and Bhatt, the cook, & his family. Very much a Malgudi (an imaginary town planned by the great R.K.Narayan), Jayanagara, one of the old localities, was a hub of myriad activities with literally everyone knowing everyone by their names! The playground of my childhood, Jayanagara, remains etched in my heart.

Ranga was probably my first friend! To borrow a phrase from Raja Rao, he was neighbouring house (pakkada mane) Ranga for us all. We both were of the same age and classmates for a while. Moments spent with him remain the best. !

Be it goli (marbles) or buguri (spin top) or tikki aata (a game played with folded cigarette packs/the top side of match boxes piled within a circle and competitors trying to garner these packs by dislodging them out of the circle by throwing a flat stone) Ranga was a master. He was our lord saviour each time one of us sent the ball atop a roof playing gulli cricket with our exam carboards making for the bat. Literally a manga (monkey) Ranga could climb any facade.

From then to now there is, obviously, a sea change in what I am. I have some how managed to preserve myself from almost a lost position. Today, as I sit in my pleasant chamber with the world at my finger tips I think,

Where is Ranga? What’s he up to? Sorry! No idea...

Ranganodige adi beleda aa kshanagalu avismaraniya. Gonneburuka Ranga ootikyatadante ellandaralli hatti biduttidda. Badakalu sharirada avana kalugalige ellillada vega. Avanu oodahattidare naanu dummanna susto sustu! Kadeya barige Ranganannu sandhisiddu sumaru 1996 ralli anta nenapu. Saraswatipuradalli sikkidda. Adu goodangadiyalli. sigaretina hoge suruli-suruli bidutta nintiddava avane Ranga. Of course, naanalli hodaddu gutkha kollalikke. Avattu sakhat harate hodedidda. "Diploma course madtidini sunilaa. Nodtiru, innerede varshadalli duddu-duddu...", attyutsaahadinda matanadidda.

Aamele nannade jeevana 'kati patang'. Dari tappida jeevanavannu sari hadiyatta taruvudaralli saku-bekaaytu. Iiga Pai dhanigala international city Manipaladalli kulitu vishwadaadyanta chaduriruva nanna geleya-gelatiyar patte hachchuva hara saahasakke aniyaagiddene. Avarell IT mandi sikkaru, adre nanna Ranga?!!!

choti si ye duniya
pehachane raaste hai
tum kabhi to miloge
kahin to miloge
to poochenge haal...