People break coconuts in Tirupati on Friday for Sindhu’s victory. Photo: K.V. Poornachandra Kumar / The Hindu
She is an Indian first, says champion shuttler’s mother.
Even before Pusarla Venkata Sindhu pumped up the excitement on Friday, her admirers staked claim to her: both in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
The champion shuttler was their ‘ammayi’ (girl in Telugu), both sides said.
Some asserted that she was born and brought up in Hyderabad and was a Telangana ‘bidda.’ The counter was that she belonged to Vijayawada and was therefore an Andhra ‘ammayi’. Many even researched the champion’s caste, as her parents had a love marriage.
A third group played it safe, calling her a Telugu ‘Tejam.’ Chiding all ‘parochial’ factions were the nationalists who said Sindhu was an Indian.
The champion player’s parents, Mr. Ramana and Ms. Vijayalakshmi, meanwhile, made a quick 350-km trip to Eluru from Hyderabad to offer prayers at Ratnalamma temple on Friday.
In Hyderabad, the Gopi Chand Academy was full of fans keen to watch her battle Carolina Marin.
Ms. Vijayalakshmi said her girl is an Indian first. “Let us all enjoy this moment of triumph and look forward to a golden finish and not engage in a debate,” she said, as the family settled down to watch the final on a giant screen, accompanied by guests like Daggubati Purandeshwari and London Olympics bronze medallist Gagan Narang.
Sindhu was born in Secunderabad and lives in Marredpally. Her father is a Sports Officer in South Central Railway.
Images of the player carrying the traditional Bonam at the recent Bonalu festival in Hyderabad strengthened her Telangana supporters’ claims. She should be the State’s brand ambassador, replacing Sania Mirza, some said on social media.
Mr. Ramana was born in Nirmal, Adilabad district in Telangana, and Ms. Vijayalakshmi, a volleyball player like her husband, is the daughter of a Vijayawada businessman.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Other Sports / by V.V. Subrahmanyam & J.R. Sridharan / Hyderabad – Telangana, August 20th, 2016
State Department of Archaeology and Museums puts on display a sample of its glass negatives’ collection
On World Photography Day, the State Department of Archaeology and Museums put on display a sample of its glass negatives collection which has been digitised and printed. “We finished digitising this only last week and we have rushed through to put up this show. And from Monday, visitors can pick up mugs and greeting cards printed with images from these digitised photographs,” informed N.R. Visalatchi, Director of Department of Archaeology and Museums.
Can you imagine seeing the brilliant tile work of the Baad Shahi Ashoorkhana without the dark green mesh and the doorway blocking the view? Can you imagine the State Assembly building without the grillwork and the statue of Gandhi? If you want to, all you have to do is step into the State Museum and the black and white photographs will take you back in time. Also on display is the field camera with bellows teamed with a rare K. Yamasaki 250mm Congo lens that was used for photographing many of the archaeology sites. Other relics of a different age are two massive projectors which were used to project the glass negatives. The photographs will be on display till September 1.
“This display of prints has been put up for the first time. There were 5,000 glass negatives. We have digitised 4,800 and about 200-300 were damaged and we could not salvage them,” said Paulus Raveendra, General Manager of VIT-India, which carried out the digitisation work. “The museum has also begun a project called Photo Expressions where students from Class IV to Intermediate can write nano stories or their impressions and they will be given a certificate of merit and participation on September 1,” informed Ms. Visalatchi.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – August 20th, 2016
After achieving maximum number of police gallantry medals, Telangana police have added another feather to their cap by bagging Shourya Chakra on Independence Day.
Counter Intelligence (CI) Cell constable K Srinivasulu, 35, was awarded the Shourya Chakra for nabbing terror suspect Alam Zeb Afridi even after getting stabbed by the latter in Bengaluru in January this year.
Alam Zeb Afridi, 30, of Ahmedabad, was an accused in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts, the 2014 Church Street Blast of Bengaluru and another terror blast in Chennai.
In January 2016, the CI cell members of Telangana, following a terror trail, raided Alam Zeb’s den at Doddanagamangala near Electronic City in Bengaluru and when constable Srinivasulu was trying to nab Alam Zeb, the terror operative stabbed him in the stomach with a knife.
“Despite getting stabbed, the Counter Intelligence Cell constable did not let Alam Zeb escape till support arrived and, due to his daring act, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) could arrest Alam Zeb,” an intelligence official said.
Among the 14 persons awarded Shourya Chakra this year, 12 are from the armed forces and two, including Srinivasulu, were policemen.
The other police officer, Atu Zumvu, is a sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Kohima, Nagaland.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / August 16th, 2016
P.V. Sindhu of India reacts during play against Nozomi Okuhara of Japan.
The Andhra-based protégé of Pullela Gopichand has become the first Indian woman to reach a Badminton final at the Olympics. Here is an overview of her life, career and achievements…
Pusarla Venkata Sindhu on Thursday became the first Indian woman to enter a Olympic Badminton final, after defeating 6th-ranked Nozomi Okuhara 2-0 (21-19, 21-10). Thus, assuring India of another medal.
She has come a long way — from a 16-year-old watching Saina Nehwal win the 2012 London Olympics bronze to being India’s lone badminton medal hope in the 2016 Games.
Prior to the Games, she had said, “The biggest dream I am chasing now is an Olympic medal. I remember watching Saina in London. Then I was ranked World No. 25. I always longed to be there and I am all excited to represent India in Rio.” She broke into the Top 20 in 2012, and is currently ranked no. 10 in the world.
Sindhu scripted a stellar 22-20, 21-19 win against former World No. 1 and London Games silver medallist Wang Yihan to enter the women’s semifinals. Her fierce strokeplay and aggressive cross-court returns have been the highlights of her game so far. She rated her win over the London Olympics silver medallist as one of the best moments of her career.
The Sindhu story
She first made her mark in the badminton circles in 2013. She won her maiden grand prix gold at the Malaysian Open, went on to win the first of her hat-trick of titles at the Macau Open. The bigger reward in the form of Arjuna award was the icing on the cake.
With former volleyball players for parents — her father Ramanna is an Arjuna awardee — it is only natural that sports had always been her calling. But why badminton? Inspired by her iconic mentor, Pullela Gopichand’s exploits on court, she started wielding the racquet at the age of eight. She was awarded the FICCI Breakthrough Sportsperson of the Year in 2014 and NDTV Indian of the Year 2014, the year in which she won her second consecutive medal at the World Championships.
In March 2015, P.V. Sindhu became the youngest recipient of the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian honour.
She is the second-highest-ranked women’s singles player from India after Olympic bronze medalist and No. 2 Saina Nehwal.
With a methodical style of play, considered to be defensive — building up with long rallies to lay seize to a point as and when an opening arises, she has evolved remarkably well to streamline her method towards winning. At the same time, she has recently added a more aggressive facet to her game, being more vociferous and playing attacking shots that put the opponent on the backfoot. More…
Watch Sindhu’s family rejoice her win:
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Other Sports / Internet Desk / August 18th, 2016
The Indian Institute of Architects (IIA) will organise ‘Arch Dakshin’ as part of its centenary celebrations along with their southern regional conference and expo on ‘Collaborative Architecture’ on August 19 and 20 in the city.
At a press conference here on Tuesday to announce the events, the members said that a large number of members including those from the political field and movie industry are expected to be a part of the two-day conference that will take place in Hitex. Gururaj Manepally, Chairman, IIA said that the practice of architecture in urban scenario requires various agencies like governmental, non-governmental, civic and private to come together to address the growth and regulation of the burgeoning cities. The conference will delve into the emerging trends and see if there is a new definition of architecture on the anvil, he added.
Muralidhar Koppula, National Council Member, IIA informed that qualified architects who have chosen totally different professions and achieved excellence in fields like cartooning, film-making, manufacturing will share their thoughts at a session called ‘Architect Beyond Architecture’. Commemorating the centenary year of the institution, an exhibition of panels called ‘Retrospective of Architecture of Hyderabad for the past 100 years’ will be held to trace the growth of Hyderabad city.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities / by Staff Reporter / Hyderabad – August 17th, 2016
Atmakur Sub Inspector D Siddaiah and constable Ch Naga Raju, who were killed in an encounter with suspected SIMI members in Nalgonda district, have been honoured with the President’s Police Medal for gallantry on the occasion of Independence Day. The encounter took place at Janakipuram in Mothkur mandal after the police were on a hot pursuit of the SIMI activists, who shot at a police party at Suryapet bus stand, when the police tried to nab them.
On April 4 last year, the police party tried to catch the SIMI members in Janakipuram. The SIMI members opened fire at the three-member police team, including CI Balagangi Reddy, SI D Siddaiah and constable Nagaraju. Nagaraju died on the spot while Siddaiah and Balagangi Reddy suffered injuries. On April 7, Siddaiah died while undergoing treatment.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Express News Service / August 15th, 2016
“Every child has a right to play. When a child comes to me for coaching in cricket I don’t look at his talent. He has every right to play whatever the sport he enjoys, said Daniel Kanaparthi of Daniels Cricket Academy, who conceived the idea of Slum Premier League, a T:20 tournament for slum children. He said so while speaking at the brief inaugural function of the League held today morning at a Daniel’s Ground at Peerzadiguda.
The inaugural match was played between Vidyanager Gold and Charminar Titans.All the teams will be playing three matches each. This League will continue for next five days.
The names of the teams competed include Puranapul Nawabs, Kanchanbagh Warriors, Charminar Titans,Chanchalguda Sultans, Vidyanagar Gold, Uppal Rockets, Kishanbagh Sardars, Gadi Kotta Racers, Banjaragadd Diamonds, Habshiguda Wizards, Boduppal Jaguars, Manikeshwar Nagar Lions, Amberpet Panthers, Nacharam Angels,Maheshwaram Kings and Veerappa Gadd Thunder.
Srinu from Maheshwaram Kings took five wickets against Puranapul Nawabs. All the matches were played in Daniels Academy Grounds.and Sager Grounds in Uppal Peerzadiguda.
Welcoming the gathering at the inauguration, Daniel, the organizer said said when children play, the world wins. “Unfortunately, less previleged children do not have such luxury to play the game. All they can do is what sitting on a wall while others are playing. Every child has right to play, right to rise and shine. Sport is a Friendship. Sport is a Health. Sport is an Education. Sport is a life. Sport brings the world together he said and added that 70 per cent of Indian Cricketers came from an humble background like yours.”
Dhoni was a Ticket Collector, Virender Sehwag used to travel 84kms by bus everyday to practice cricket. Ravindra Jadeja is son of a security guard. He lost his mother at 17 years. Harbhajn Singh thought of moving to the US to drive truck for a living. Umesh Uadav is a son of coal miner. Mohammed Shami is a son of a farmer. Wasim Jaffer is a son of a bus driver. He is the highest run-getter in Ranji Matches till date. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, a son of a sub inspector, struggled to get a proper playing shoes and kit. So you too have future to be a great cricketer once Daniel told them.
“There is a unlimited growth in Aata(sport) and Paata(Song). The strength in Slum Premier League is in its word ‘Slum’. When i took objection to using ‘Slum’ in the name, Daniel, the organizer explained me that it is the strength and identity, i was convinced the importance of the tournament,” said chief guest BJP National General Secretary Muralidhar Rao who inaugurated the game.
The entire auditorium reverberated with motivational messages, songs, quotes on sportsmanship, bravery, championship etc.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express Features / August 10th, 2016
Lt. Aishwarya Boddapati is part of the all-women crew in Indian Navy’s only ocean going sailing boat
Imagine being on the sea for 30 to 40 days with no sight of land. That too, on a sailing boat and not a ship. Lt. Aishwarya Boddapati from Hyderabad is among the only all-women crew heading into the ocean on a 17-metre sailing vehicle of the Indian Navy, called MHADEI.
The crew with their mentor Cdr Dilip Dhonde on MHADEI
The all-women crew sailed to Mauritius this May. “Every two years, a sailing vessel sets out to circumnavigate the world. The Indian Navy felt it would be a good orientation for us to first experience the Atlantic and Pacific oceans before we do the world circuit,” recalls Aishwarya. A relative newcomer to sailing, Aishwarya observed her peers at work, learnt to put theory to practice.
Aishwarya studied metallurgical engineering and in her final year, worked with the DRDO which was working on a component of a ballistic missile. “It was a fascinating experience. I felt it would be exciting to be on the user side,” she says. The only connection Aishwarya had with the defence sector was her uncle who worked for Indian Air Force. “Normally, candidates prepare ahead to join the Navy. Since I didn’t have that exposure, my uncle asked me to be honest in the interview and not exaggerate things,” she says.
She was inducted into the technical side of Navy, and later posted in Andaman and Nicobar islands with the team that worked on maintenance and repair of warships. While at work, she learnt that the Navy was looking for volunteers to join an adventure expedition and applied. “I got selected in February 2015 but was required to finish my two-year tenure at Andaman. I joined the adventure team in March 2016,” she says.
Aishwarya remembers being inclined to adventure for a while. She had tried river rafting, bungee jumping, scuba diving and other water sports. She was aware that some of the lady officers who will be part of the adventure expedition had prior experience. “Some of them had already gone on an expedition accompanied by male officers in 2014. This time, the Navy wanted a six all-women crew and I am ecstatic to be a part of it.”
In Cochin, she was trained in the basics of sailing. “We learnt the technical and theoretical aspects of how to navigate a vessel that runs only on wind,” she says. During the Mauritius trip, she got a hands-on experience.
Aishwarya looks back at the days they spent at a stretch on the sea, celebrating the calm days and starry nights. “One night we faced an electrical problem after which we had no lights. The moon hadn’t risen. We spent the night star gazing. It was beautiful,” she says.
She doesn’t mind the lack of mobile connectivity. “Since we were six women on board, we got to know each other well. We would watch television series, take turns and cook, or read books on Kindle. There were times when there would be some misunderstanding, but you don’t hold grudges for long because you can’t go anywhere else,” she laughs.
The crew is preparing to participate in the Cape to Rio race scheduled from December 26, 2016, to January 17, 2017. “In August 2017, we will be sailing to circumnavigate the world on a new sister boat of MHADEI, called TARINI, now under construction in Goa. The details are yet to be worked out,” she says.
Closer home, she faced resistance when she disclosed her intention to join the adventure side of Navy. “My parents wanted me to get married, so they were taken aback,” she laughs. Aishwarya took her parents on a short sail off Goa. Experiencing the calm waters, her father was convinced it wasn’t a bad idea.
Besides the circumnavigation, she hopes to someday become a sky diving instructor.
The team
* Cdr Dilip Dhonde is the mentor and coach of for the all-women team
* The six all-women crew includes aeronautical engineer Lt Cdr Vartika Joshi (skipper), electronics engineer Lt Cdr Pratibha Jamwal, Lt Patharlapaali Swathi, a post graduate in physics, Lt Shougrakpam Vijayadevi, a literature postgraduate, and computer science engineer Lt Payal Gupta, apart from Lt B Aishwarya.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Metroplus / Sangeetha Devi Dundoo / Hyderabad – August 13th, 2016
If you thought you spotted an Indian, a Telugu at that, amidst the crowds around US Presidential Hillary Clinton during her appearances, chances are you are right. That attractive and comptent Indian is Aruna Miller, the first Telugu woman to be serving in the United States politics.
Aruna was elected to represent the 15th Legislative District in the Maryland House of Delegates in 2010. She serves on the Ways and Means Committee where she sits on the Revenue, Transportation and Education sub-committees. Daughter of an immigrant, Aruna’s journey is inspiring to many immigrants who step on the land of immigration in a hope to make it big.
“I believe in engaging communities. That is what democracy is. There are several issues that I deal with from drinking water to funding for the schools. In every step of mine, I remember that, I am serving people and I need to act in the best interest of the public. Success is making others’ dreams and goals come true”, says Aruna.
As the US is still struggling to have its first woman president, representatives like Aruna have opportunities to serve the public. “It’s been a journey of 14 years as a volunteer and as an elected representative. I signed up as a democrat and started volunteering in the office a decade ago. I volunteered for almost four years. Then there was an open position and I was approached to contest”, says Aruna who was skeptical to enter the mainstream politics as a candidate. “I stepped back and that’s when my husband boosted my confidence saying that if I win, I will get the opportunity to represent USA and India. If I lose, I will still be a volunteer and continue my activities. I took it up as a challenge and nominated myself. Amazingly, my community supported me. I ran in the primary where we were six democrats competing for three open posts. Then, I made it to the top three during general elections and won the post. It was exhilarating as I had the opportunity to give back to this country which gave me the education and life”.
Not to forget, Indians represent just 1% in the US politics though they are in good number in science in technology. Indian women in US politics are a rare phenomenon. “I take pride in saying I belong to both USA and India. You can see, I still speak good Telugu”, smiles Aruna whose undeterred energy is now seen in Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
Aruna believes women bring a much-needed different perspective when they become leaders. “Women are in the minority in leadership roles take up issues such as child care and reproductive rights, will get the priority.”A win for her (Hillary) is a win for all women,” she says.
Working in US politics is a challenge by itself. “When I walk into the office, I walk with confidence. I make sure; my voice is heard and is strong as any other representative. There are definitely many things that I don’t know. But everyday, I learn and study my challenges. I push the door, take the seat on the table and tell them, I am elected just like you and I am here to represent the people who trusted me”, says Aruna who is happy with her work so far.
When asked about her inspiration, she says, “My father. He was a true Indian by heart who migrated to the US to give us a better life. When he passed away, I felt empty and found joy in giving back to society”.
“We were living in Hyderabad when my parents moved to the United States. That’s when I started living with my grandmother in Vijayawada until I came here at the age of 7. My parents did everything they could to provide us the best education.
Aruna has a civil engineering degree from University of Missouri, where she also met her husband, David Miller. “My husband takes care of my family when I am attending the assembly sessions. Our daughters – Meena, Chloe and Sasha understand my schedules and I am also fortunate to have my mother lend a helping hand”. Aruna, a vegetarian, enjoys cooking. Sambar, gongura, brinjal and rice and some pickle – that’s her kind of meal.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Swathi Sriram / August 11th, 2016
Creative minds:Adivasi youth making puppets in Hyderabad.— Photo: By Arrangement
There is, however, tremendous potential
Unlike their counterparts elsewhere in the country, the Adivasi Raj Gonds or Kolams of Adilabad have nothing that can be considered an art form of their own. This, however, does not mean that these aboriginal people are not creative.
The Raj Gonds, belonging to the lineage of central Indian ruling class of Gonds, have only supported the Ojjis or Ojhas, a small artisan community which makes art pieces used by the former in religious and agriculture activities.
Limited market
The range of these artisans, nevertheless, is limited given the scope of their traditional market which is mostly confined to the Adivasis living in the forests of Adilabad.
The creativity of Raj Gonds and Kolams is not known to the outside world, apparently because the tribes have not been exposed to the scope of fine arts. There have been experiments, and highly successful at that, in teaching fine arts to the aboriginal people, but it needs to be elevated to the level of a livelihood activity.
“They are highly talented and creative,” vouched Padmini Rangarajan, a well known educational puppeteer from Hyderabad, who runs the Sphoorthi Theatre for Educational Puppetry, Art and Craft — STEPARC.
“I have four Adivasi youth from Adilabad district who have learnt puppet making, stage design, story concept and manipulation with relative ease.” “Boyini Prakash, a Koya tribal from Kagaznagar who is an MSc in chemistry, and Kodapa Gajanand, a Kolam from Kosai In Talamadugu mandal who studied B.Tech and also has a diploma in journalism, are involved in a few projects related to saving sparrows and figuring out the relationship between dance and puppetry. Soyam Bheem Rao of Jainoor, who is an MBA graduate and PG diploma holder in tribal development and management, and H.K. Punish, a government teacher who holds MA in English and B.Ed degrees, are using puppets to teach English schools. We at STEPARC have, in fact, sold puppets thanks to the efforts of these youngsters,” Ms. Rangarajan said.
Not that the talent and creativity of the Adivasis has totally gone unnoticed by the Integrated Tribal Development Agency, Utnoor, which looks after all developmental activity related to the tribal community in the district.
In 1985, a Kolam Art School proposed in Adilabad town could not be opened due to extraneous reasons, and the matter was not taken up again.
It was Guruji Ravinder Sharma, the founder of Adilabad’s Kala Ashram, who taught Kolam students of the Kolam Ashram School in Adilabad how to paint in his capacity as honorary arts and craft teacher. An exhibition of the paintings made by the Kolam students was held at Hyderabad in 1985 and had come in for appreciation from all.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by S. Harpal Singh / Adilabad – August 09th, 2016
