The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : We are all waiting for Goud’s reply

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Tuesday, Jun 24, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

We are all waiting for Goud’s reply

Washing dirty linen in public. No other idiom in English perhaps is more apt than this to describe the political scenario nowadays. The exit of T. Devendar Goud and E. Peddi Reddy from Telugu Desam Party obviously has touched a raw nerve in Talasani Srinivas Yadav, who recently got elected to the Legislative Assembly from Secunderabad.

Mounting a scathing criticism against Goud, the senior TDP leader went on record saying Goud had managed to amass about Rs. 1000 crore during his long stint with the TDP. Yadav wanted Goud spend this Rs. 1000 crore for developing Telangana, a cause for which Goud claimed to have quit the TDP. Now that Yadav said something about Goud, would the latter retort? We are all waiting for Goud’s reply!

The senior Congress leader had indeed seen good days. He oversaw the party’s functioning in six States, spoke directly with legendary Indira Gandhi on party issues. But now he has to contend himself by being the RTC chairman. He does not mince words in airing his aspirations. Once he said he wanted to be in Raj Bhavan, but he had to go to the Bus Bhavan.

The irrepressibly young man-at-heart might not have had the aspiration of becoming the Chief Minsiter, but his wish has been fulfilled at least in reel life. MSR is now playing the role of a Chief Minister in a Telugu movie, for which Chief Minister Y.S .Rajasekhara Reddy clapped. At the inaugural of the movie too, MSR could not hold himself back. He quipped that politicians would have to act only during the election times, a once in five year affair, whereas an actor had to act in every movie.

The men in khaki are known for their belligerent demeanour. Especially when some group is staging a sit-in they are tempted to wield the stick. But this cop struck a different posture the other day when teachers organised a dharna before the Hyderabad Collectorate.

Of course he had the area cordoned off with a rope but behaved very courteously with the agitating teachers. He was seen politely enquiring about their plans and nodding his head in agreement to their demands. Surprised at his respectful deportment, a scribe wanted to know the reason. Pat came the reply “I was a teacher myself once”. Sure, if there is any profession which command total respect it is the teaching community.

Lok Satta Chief Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan was heard condemning the attitude of Indians at a meeting recently. While trying to inspire the members of iFocus Management Awareness Programme, Mr.Narayan described Indians as freeloaders who, despite their desire for change, wait for somebody else to take the initiative.

Agreed that organised response would be an ideal situation, but that seems impossible in near future as we Indians are conditioned to worship heroes. Our epics, folklore, and even our movies teach us to wait for a ‘Krishna’, or an ‘Indian’ or ‘Aparichitudu’ to don the mantle. Even JP seemed influenced by this conditioning when he identified good with Rama and evil with Ravana at the meeting.

Mr.Vasudeva Sastry, the founder of iFocus, clearly believed in individual worship. It was obvious at the end of the meeting when a member of iFocus announced that Mr.Sastry, who normally does not shake hands with anybody, was open to do that on the special occasion and whoever wanted the handshake might approach him. That saw quite a few members rushing for the “precious” hand. True, one’s actions speak louder than one’s words.

His father was well known for adding ‘spice’ to even drab proceedings like district review committee (DRC) meetings. Due to his penchant to court controversies and readiness to take any prickly issue head-on, late Congress MLA from Khairatabad P. Janardhan Reddy was a media’s delight. DRC meetings were also not spared.

His son P. Vishnuvardhan Reddy’s performance, in his first Ranga Reddy district DRC meeting, however, was a far cry when compared to PJR. Sporting a cotton half-shirt and jeans, the young legislature looked out of sorts for most part of the meeting. Clearly, the bereavement and hectic bypoll campaign seemed to take its toll.

But Vishnu made sure that he was attentive in large parts of discussions and hung around during post-lunch session. The employees of district Collectorate office made sure that he felt at home by attending to his needs regularly.

That the monsoon which had been favouring Dr.Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy’s government with copious and timely rains for the last four years is taking its own time this season and this certainly not augur well for the State, in the run up to the election year.

The ruling party which is already reeling under the adverse impact of price rise, inflation, is eagerly awaiting a bounteous monsoon to fill up city’s and State’s dried up reservoirs to boost its drinking water resources and power generation, both under deficit. Not a good sign again for the ruling party which hopes to better its performance in the hustings next year.

The government did score some brownie points when it absorbed the recent hike in LPG price and spared commoners but as they say public memory is short.

If rains play truant this season, it could affect the apple cart of the ruling party and the good run it had in rural areas could come to a nought.

No wonder, more than separate Telangana or the impending entry of Chirajeevi into politics, the ‘Congress netas’ are more concerned with the Rain God who seems to be certainly playing hide and seek with the state, while being generous with other parts of the country.

K.SRINIVAS REDDY, J.S.IFTEKHAR, SWATHI.V, M.SAI.GOPAL, M.L. MELLY MAITREYI

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