The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Blessed gathering!

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 18, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Blessed gathering!

Some poets never lose an opportunity to praise a VIP and when they are specifically asked to introduce or bless such a VIP, the adulation is packed with superlatives which is embarrassing even for the person receiving the same. Union Minister T. Subbarami Reddy might have felt the same during the Sarva Dharma Sama Bhavana Sammelan organised as part of his birthday celebrations on Monday.

Madugula Nagaphani Sarma recited a verse highlighting the qualities of Mr. Subbarami Reddy whose spiritual and philanthropic activities are as prominent as his political life.

“He (TSR) is saint among the saints, leader among the national leaders,” said Sarma.

The poet, Chairman of the State Official Language Committee during the TDP rule, did not let go of the opportunity to heap praise on the two most important personalities as far as the Congressmen are concerned in the State: UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

Mr. Subbarami Reddy, who makes an emotional speech and recites Siva Sthotram, was supported by musical instruments this time. He recited the Jagadamba Sthotram with drums and other instruments making it quite impressive.

Mr. Reddy also invoked the blessings of Lord Siva and assured that the gathering was blessed by Him.

The people sat through almost throughout the function in spite of frequent changes in the schedule.

G. Narasimha Rao

In the eye of God

Sponsored children of TARA (Training And Research for Action) will cherish their meeting with noted playback singer K.J. Yesudas.

He recalled a story when a little girl asked him innocently: “Das uncle, do you like all of us?”

A yogi saw a number of people waiting in a long queue.

Someone told him that they were waiting to have a look at the woman, who was the most beautiful lady on the earth. On being told that one had to ring the big bell, pay the money and take his turn in the queue, the yogi started ringing the bell continuously.

The beautiful woman thought that someone would give her a lot of money as he was ringing the bell several times and directed her maid to stop everyone else and summon him.

On going inside, the beautiful woman kept on staring at the yogi bowled over by his grace. Interestingly, the yogi also kept on gazing at the woman without talking to her.

Ultimately, the woman broke the silence and asked: “Why don’t you talk?”

“I was only wondering when you are so beautiful, how much more beautiful must have been your creator (God),” he said. The woman renounced everything and followed the yogi.

“Every person is equal in the eye of God. It is only man who has created differences,” he concluded, driving home the message.

Saving grace

Though it was a press conference, for all practical purposes it turned out to be a public meeting. Notwithstanding the best possible arrangements made by the host, NTPC, a navaratna company, the chat of Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, with the media corps ended in utter chaos due to a big turnout.

A large posse of mediapersons from Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Parawada and Gajuwaka

who went to cover the stage-II stone-laying ceremony of NTPC Simhadri Super Thermal Power Project attended the meeting almost mobbing Mr. Shinde as well as Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. In the process, except those who could get seats in front row, others could not see the VVIP visitors and interact with them.

The questions asked by some of the reporters were not audible.

To match the media strength, a large number of officials, security personnel and political activists

also occupied every available space at the venue, adding to confusion.

A cordless mike saved the day for many making the Power Minister’s answers audible to all.

Medical or what?

Medicines can help cure an ailment. But if you are healthy and don’t need any, is it advisable to take them? Certainly not, any layman will say.

But experts don’t seem to think so and a classic example is the ban on common salt and forcible intake of iodised salt. Iodised salt is meant only for hilly areas and agency where iodine deficiency is rampant, resulting in goitre. However, in the rest of the country which is mostly non-endemic area, people are forced to take excess of iodine in the form of iodised salt which is causing foul breath, weakness, head-cold, headache, anorexia and increased salivation.

“Why should 90 crore people living in non-endemic areas who are getting their daily requirement of iodine through water and locally grown food suffer? Of the 30 crore people suffering from goitre in the endemic, nearly 23 crore are living in hilly regions. In the US, the UK and other places, both plain and iodised salts are available. According to Goodman and Gilman’s book, The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, -- Alfred Gilman is Nobel laureate in medicine – dose-related iodism even in mild form may cause untoward effects,” says former General Manager of Krishna District Cooperative Central Bank, K.V. Rao, who wants to take up public awareness programmes on this aspect shortly.

Let’s hope he’ll succeed.

G. Narasimha Rao, B. Madhu Gopal, Santosh Patnaik and Prabhakkar Sharma

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