1. Sikh Community Takes Out the Nagar Keertan in City
Breathtaking display of Gatka skills, a Sikh martial art form, rendering of Shabad keertans, carrying of Guru Granth Sahibji and Nishan Sahebans were part of the Nagar Keertan (Holy Procession) taken out as as part of the Prakash Purab of 549th birthday celebrations of first Sikh Guru and founder of Sikh religion. The Prakash Purab (birthday celebrations) of Guru Nanak Devji falls on 23 November.
As part of the ongoing celebrations, holy procession was taken out from Gurudwara Saheb Secunderabad at 4 pm on Wednesday and passed through Natraj talkies, Clock Tower, BATA, R P Road, Monda Market, Palika Bazar, Alpha Hotel and reached Gurudwara Saheb Secunderabad in the evening.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
2. Pending Arogyasri Dues Hit Poor Patients
All is not well with the Arogyasri Health Insurance scheme in Telangana State as close to half of the private hospitals have not been accepting cases under Arogyasri due to long-standing dues from the government.
The government sponsored community health insurance scheme is to help patients from below poverty line to avail cashless medical treatment for serious ailments up to Rs 2 lakh a year requiring hospitalisation and surgery.
Release of bills under the Arogyasri scheme has always been an issue over the years with the government taking its own time in reimbursing the medical treatment costs borne by the hospitals, said sources in corporate hospitals.
(Source: The Hindu)
3. ‘Sentimental’ KTR Wants to Repeat His GHMC Success
Like father, like son. TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, the father, is known for his superstitions and ‘sentiments’. And it seems KT Rama Rao, the son, too has his own superstitions.
On Wednesday, Rama Rao spoke at a meeting, attended by a group of lawyers, at a function hall in Amberpet in the city.
This particular venue has a special place in his heart, he claimed. This is where he launched his incredibly successful campaign for the GHMC elections two years ago – TRS won 99 out of 150 wards, a huge majority. On Wednesday, addressing yet another audience of lawyers, Rama Rao talked about how he wanted a similar success, but in the Assembly elections this time. “And this time, we want to hit a century with a thumping majority of 100 seats,” he said.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
4. Don’t Neglect Urdu: Gulzar
Renowned lyricist, poet and filmmaker Gulzar said Urdu should not be neglected as it is an Indian language. Gulzar, who inaugurated a one-day national seminar ‘Gulzar: Ehsaas Ka Safeer’ organised by the department of Urdu, Manulana Azad National Urdu University, here on Thursday, said Urdu was born in India. “It is Hindustani. Urdu has taken lot of words from Prakrit, Sanskrit and even English,” he said.
He said Urdu was used extensively in Bollywood and about 90% of the language used in Hindi movies was Urdu. “It is important for Urdu speakers to reach out to the non-Urdu speakers. But Urdu needs to be simplified so as to help those who want to study it,” he said. Stating that Urdu should be popularised through other scripts like Devnagiri, he revealed that yesteryear’s heroine Vijayantimala used to write Urdu dialogue in Tamil script. A book titled Gulzar Ki Taqleeqi Sinf, Triveni , Tashreeh vo Tajziya by Taqi Abedi was also released on the occasion. Gulzar also enthralled the audience by rendering some of his famous poems on the occasion.
(Source: The Hindu)
5. Adivasis Boycott KCR’s Meetings
Adivasis boycotted caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s meetings held at Ichoda and Khanapur on Thursday, obeying the instructions issued by community leaders and village elders a few days ago. This is the first time that Adivasis have boycotted Mr Rao’s meetings openly. Generally, political leaders use Adivasis Gussadis to invite the top leaders to the meeting, but this time Gussadis wearing hats made of peacock feathers were not seen in the meeting at Ichoda.
Not more than 200 Adivasis were seen at the meeting in Ichoda and the same was the case with the meeting in Khanapur. However, some TRS leaders attended both the meetings. Congress leader and ticket aspirant Kotnak Ramesh and his sister who defeated MLA Marsakola Saraswati joined the TRS in the presence of KCR at the Khanapur meeting. An Adivasi student who is studying in Ichoda attended KCR’s meeting and pleaded with this correspondent not to take his photographs since his community would kill him if his photograph appeared in a newspaper.
(Source: Deccan Chronicle)
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