RECAP 2008 - III

By M H Ahssan

BOUQUETS AND BULLETS
The last leg of 2008 had Satyam in the news for all the wrong reasons. In addition, there were more AP student deaths in the US and the crashing stock market took a toll on investors with a family suicide pact rocking the city. Here’s a look at a grim September to December story that would hopefully end on a positive note.

It was a month of Hyderabadis making it big. IAS officer from the state Duvvuri Subbarao was appointed as Reserve Bank of India governor and Saina Nehwal made the city proud as she clinched the $ 175,000 Chinese Taipei Grand Prix Gold Championship.

But it was in the same month that a big name in the state, Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, departed. President of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, Owaisi died after a prolonged illness. His 39-year-old son Asaduddin Owaisi took up the reins of the party, just months before the elections.

An armed daylight robbery of 10 kg gold at the Shamshabad airport and a Cessna flight crash in the thickly populated Subashnagar area in Sanatnagar killing an assistant flight instructor Captain Neeraj Jain, 24 and a trainee pilot P Srinivas of the AP Aviation Academy were two freak incidents reported this month.

There were more young deaths. The railing of Narayana Junior College in Chengicherla collapsed leaving one student dead and 28 injured. Another city-based student, 23-year old Tummala Soumya Reddy, was shot dead in Chicago in the US.

But September was essentially a grim month. If not for student deaths, it was the recession and the market crash that had citizens worried. A Saidabad resident K Upender, 34, killed himself, his wife Swati and their two-year-old son Sai Ashij by setting the house ablaze using an LPG cylinder after he incurred huge losses in the stocks business. Layoffs by IT firm started making headlines from this month, a pattern that was to repeat itself for the rest of the year.

But what left the state government red faced was a letter by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) managing director E. Sreedharan to the planning commission in which he called the project a ‘political scam’ in the making. Coming days saw a serious war of words between the state government and Sreedharan with the state demanding an unconditional apology, which Sreedharan denied.

There were more upheavals. People thronged ICICI ATMs to withdraw money as rumours of the bank going bust did the rounds. However, if something did bring some relief to Hyderabadis was the governments decision to not chop a 400-year-old tamarind tree, that had saved nearly 150 lives 100 years ago during the the Musi flood.

ROADSHOW BAN
Amurder behind bars and two more student deaths on US campuses. And a setback to drama-friendly political parties when the high court puts a ban on roadshows. Well, November saw all this and more.

While the month kicked off with actorturned-politician Chiranjeevi chanting the T mantra saying that Praja Rajyam would support the formation of a separate Telangana state, YSR stuck to a united AP stand in his AP formation dayspeech. Another political event that sent ripples across the state was that of Nandamuri Balakrishna announcing his entry into politics at a massive rally in Guntur. Heaping praises on TDP supremo Naidu, Balaiah said he would play second fiddle to him.

DMRC chief E Sreedharan’s statement continued to give the state jitters and it thundered to drag him to court for defamation.

The most noteworthy incident in November was the “politically motivated’’ murder of Moddu Seenu, the alleged sharpshooter in the sensational murder of TDP leader Paritala Ravi. Seenu, alias Julakanti Srinivasa Reddy was brutally killed in the Reddypalli district prison in Anatapur allegedly by Omprakash, a dacoit and an accused in a triple murder case. Another cop story that unfolded through the month was that of senior IPS officer Rajiv Trivedi’s lift saga.

Two deaths that put the focus back on the student community from Andhra Pradesh in the US were the murders of city-based Arpana Jinaga in Seattle and that of Warangal-based Shashank Pulluru in Tennessee.

Death came calling for some star-struck citizens as two persons died in Dharmavaram during Chiranjeevi’s ‘Praja Ankita Yatra’. Chiru continued to draw masses, however, and created a storm of sorts at Pulivendula as he conquered YSR’s territory with his reel appeal.

Nonetheless, such massive rallies snowballed into a AP High Court ruling banning roadshows. Coming at a time when political parties were building up the campaign momentum for the elections next year, the order had two strong opponents in the form of TDP and Praja Rajyam while the Congress, not too surprisingly, supported it.

It wasn’t the roadshow ban but the soaring onion prices in November that left citizens teary eyed. Moreover, grim moments were witnessed in IT and financial sector firms as ‘right sizing’ continued in November.

DAMP FESTIVITIES
While Hyderabad was still mourning Owaisi’s death, the state also lost its chance to host Tata’s Nano after it was shunted out of West Bengal. Like this was not enough, the state woke up to the news of communal violence in Adilabad districts Bhainsa town that left three dead and 25 people injured. And even before this communal fire could be doused, six persons of a family, including three children, were burnt alive, just 12 kms away from Bhainsa, after their tile-roofed house was engulfed in a mysterious fire on October 12.

Another gruesome act that shook the city was that of an acid attack on television journalist, Shaik Kareemulla and his wife, allegedly by his in-laws.

The problem of unhappy families took yet another tragic turn in the last week of the month. After losing his job due to the global meltdown, Telugu software engineer, Lakshminivasa Rao Nerusu shot three members of his family (wife and two children) in Detroit, US and went missing himself.

Pink slips continued to make headlines with IT companies and major airlines showing their staff the door. Even the maiden air show organised on Nizam’s land spoke of the sorry state the aviation sector was in.

Amidst all these stories of sorrow and disappointment Diwali brought some smiles, especially to the faces of central government employees. With the implementation of the sixth pay commission, their houses had the brightest diyas this time even as others, reeling under recession blues, were trying hard to brighten up the festival of lights.

The Sanghi brothers calling it truce after a long-drawn dispute and Saina Nehwal making it to the No.11 spot in world rankings also gave Hyderabadis a reason to rejoice this month.

City lovers, however, had to settle for a not-so-happy ending with officials deciding to go in for an image makeover of the Sanjeeviah Park, which they felt had become a lovers den. With a ban on couples, they now plan to keep it open only for families and children.

SATYAM GOOFS UP
The last month of the year may have opened on a positive note as the rising city sensation Saina Nehwal broke into top ten on the latest Badminton World Federation rankings but corporate India was shocked at Satyam’s bid to acquire Maytas, which was later aborted. The company’s stocks plummeted, key clients stepped out and questions regarding the independent board of directors were raised. The dust still has to settle on the matter with fresh rumours doing the rounds each day.

Crucial arrests made this month included ‘Big Fish’ V Suryanarayana’s, who was arrested on charges of massive corrupt deals. His still unfolding case files continue to embarrass babus and ministers. Another high profile arrest was that of Nagarjuna Group chairman K S Raju for allegedly cheating thousands of depositors.

The city received another shock earlier in the month when two college girls from Kakatiya Institute of Technology and Sciences (KITS) saw probably the worst day of their lives as two men poured acid on them outside the premises of their institute. A few days later the accused were killed by police in an “encounter’’ that was strongly condemned by human rights activists and Lok Satta leader Jayaprakash Narayan.

With the country still reeling under the Mumbai terror strikes, denizens here soon hit the panic button when an alleged Mecca Masjid blast accused opened fire at two constables at Santoshnagar and escaped.

There were more tense moments in store. Violent incidents including stabbing, torching of a jeep and stoning of RTC buses were witnessed this month over the demolition of Nalla Pochamma temple. Traffic was paralysed and people went berserk over the demolition that had to be stayed.

Another incident that had city glued to the telly was the murder-suicide of Telugu film heroine Bhargavi and her husband. She was stabbed to death at her flat at in Banjara Hills by her partner Praveen Kumar alias Bujji, who committed suicide after the act, the reason being failed love.

THEY ALSO MADE NEWS

SECULAR BEGGAR
A city beggar makes Rs 4,000 a month as he stations himself religiously at Nampally dargah or Saibaba temple. Politicians could take a lesson or two on garnering votes the same way.

PAISA VASOOL
A sub inspector caught accepting a bribe of Rs 4,000 swallowed Rs 500 notes wiping all evidence. Now we can’t blame cops if they start seeking bribes in larger denominations for easy digestion. Burp!

UNISEX LESSONS
City techies stormed into cookery classes taking lessons in chicken do pyaza to save money during their offshore assignments. Snooty women called them stingy.

CLEARASIL, PLEASE
A man sought separation over his wife’s pimples even as others sought divorce over the speed of fan, snoring and pets. Er, better excuses in 2009?

NO SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE
The smoking ban initially had smokers rushing out of pubs for a puff. Now they do it inside and pub managers say they can’t see any smoke. Classic case of ‘see no evil’.

SPIRITED FLIGHTS
Last January 1 saw pilots reporting to work in a drunken state promising to take their flights to new heights. Frequent flyers now demand the same spirits to enjoy the flights.