The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Better late than never!

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 20, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Better late than never!

The Rajasekhara Reddy Government seems to have suddenly realised that the lives of people of the State are being ruined by liquor. Three-and-a-half-years after coming to power, the Congress Government remembers its election promise of implementing prohibition in the State.

On August 23 this year, the AP Government Madhya Vimochana Prachara Samithi was constituted with U. Mallikarjuna Sarma as its president.

“Several families, especially the lower and middle class, are being ruined by alcohol. Women should take an active role in implementing prohibition as they are the silent sufferers most of the time. Men beat up their wives after getting intoxicated and sometimes they even ill-treat their mothers,” he said at a meeting organised to announce the formation of the city committee last week.

“Though the Excise Act prohibits the opening of wine shops near places of worship and schools, there are many wine shops which came up in violation of the rules. ,” he said. It is hoped the samithi achieve some success in creating awareness among the people on the social evil in the next one-and-half-years. Better late than never!

At his best

Former Chief Election Commissioner T.N. Seshan was the cynosure during his visit to the city in connection with the Bharat Cultural Integration Committee (BCIC) Spirit of Unity concerts in association with Madras Telugu Academy, which concluded at the Police Stadium on Sunday. At least two major educational institutions – Andhra University College of Engineering (autonomous) and Gayatri Vidya Parishad colleges invited him to address their students in whose hands lies the future of India.

It was amazing how Dr. Seshan could recall the events in Indian history in a nutshell in chronological order and narrate his own experiences. He said he drew inspiration from his parents. No matter if his mother beat him with a firewood stick for eating a dosa spending four annas (25 ps) and his father refusing to allow him to study till late in the night. He loved them and small wonder he was a martinet for discipline and followed the rules that catapulted him to fame. Dr. Seshan regaled the audience with his humour and interesting anecdotes. He might have failed in winning an election. But if he has plans to write autobiography, one can be sure it’ll be a big success.

Tamil touch

It’s quite common for leaders and personalities from other parts of the country to speak either in English or Hindi. Sometimes organisers of the meetings, particularly if they are political, arrange for translation. One might recall the translation skills of a Congress leader from East Godavari district marking the beginnings of a political career that finally catapulted him to the national level.

At the SC, ST, BC, Muslim Minority and Kapu forum meeting, PMK Founder-President S. Ramdoss and its MP A.K. Moorthy spoke in Tamil. Perhaps informed about it before, the thoughtful organisers arranged for a translator - a young girl whose Telugu is quite good. While she gave the gist of Mr. Moorthy’s address, she translated every sentence of Dr. Ramdoss’ speech with the latter insisting on it being as true to the original as possible. Perhaps for the first time audience had tasted a Tamil speech in these parts.

B. Madhu Gopal, Prabhakkar Sharma, G.V.Prasada Sarma

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