SINGIDI - 2014



  

  w w w.philly telangana.org e-mail : info@phillytelangana.org

 



   e-mail : sanghi_gr aphics@ yahoo.c o.in



  Printing Himalaya Graphics # 1-8-556/2, Opp. Fantoosh, Chikkadpally, Hy derabad-20.

Ph : 040-66100227 himalay asuri@gmail.com

          

                                          JAC.                    equitable, humane         Prof ile       Unique, Individual, Persistant & Consistant contribute  Must TV Mission Telanganae-telangana T-NRI  TRC-Charcha                             

Address : Philadelphia Telangana Association, 203 Brandenburg way, King of Prussia, PA-19406, USA.

 



INDEX • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Prof. Kodandaram Convener, Telangana Joint Action Committee

3





Telangana State and People’s Aspirations-E. Revathi

7





Telangana State : a movement in pause - Tadakamalla Vivek

14





Profiling of Pittala Srisailam (MusiTV)

19

Telangana State Priorities and realities f or first year - Dr. Biksham Gujja

21

Telangana State - Freedom inside a Democracy - J R Janumpalli

24

Profiling of D. P. Reddy (TDF-India)

27

  

  

Profiling of Dileep Konatham

38

Spiritual Corner - Pavan Tirunahari

40

How to be Successful 101 - Chitra Mosarla

41

2014 Philadelphia Telangana Night Organizing Committee

45

A Ladybug Song! - Maha Cheluka

46

Cape May - Sumanth Donur

46

Oh Wonderful, Magical, India - Mukund Tirunahari

47

My views about India - Yashita Thota

48

My views about Hyderabad - Tanav Thota

48

Telagana Night: My Definition - Sindhu Muddasani

49

About Canada - Nandini Muddasani

49

I Am - Shashank

50

My Letter to Ammamma! - Meera Mayreddy

51

  

  

  

                                                                                                                                                                              JAC     3

                                                                                          

Prof. Kodandaram Convener, Telangana Joint Action Committee

4



 

                              

                               

                                                     

                                                    

                                                                             

                                                             5

                                                                                                                                                    

                                                            - tankashalaashok@gmail.com

With Best Wishes for Telangana State

TASTE OF INDIA Catering, Carryout Service Available Ph:610.293.9779 Fax: 610-293.1712 Gateway Shopping Center 297 E. SWEDESFORD ROAD WAYNE, PA 19087 www.tasteofindiapa.com 6



Telangana State and People’s Aspirations - E Revathi, Professor, Centre for Economic and Social Studies The dream of Telangana people has come true with its formation as the 29th state in the Indian Union. The long drawn movement spanning more than half a century has been against deprivation of opp ortunities in emp loyment and education, exploitation of resources both physical and financial, and for self respect and identity. The tag line of the movement for the Telangana state ‘Nidhulu, Neellu, Niyamakalu’ or ‘finances, water and employment’ cris ply reveals t he core of t he movement for statehood. With the formation of the Telangana state people’s expectations for economic betterment, and social change are high.

The two pathways to cross over poverty and lead to economic betterment are access to land and access to educat ion or the human development.

Land is still the livelihood for majority of rural p op ulation. The land reforms (abolit ion of intermediaries, tenancy and land ceiling acts) have met with limited success in Telangana as elsewhere.

Though the Hyderabad Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act enacted in 1950 in the Telangana area permits only limit ed leas e informal t enancy is prevalent in Telangana. About 50 percent (25 lakh) of rural households or nearly one crore rural people are landless still. M ost of these people fall into the scheduled cast e and scheduled tribe categories.

There are around 4 lakh tenants in Telangana with M ahbubnagar district constituting nearly 25 percent of all tenants. Significant percentage of land assigned t o landless p oor as p art of land dis tribut ion programme is not under t heir possession or face problems of insecure land titles and unclear land right s. Though women actively participate in agriculture land ownership is concentrated in the hands of men. Nearly 35 lakh rural women are engaged in agricult ural activit ies but only 4 lakh

women own land. Public land has been s old or allocated at low cost by the government to private corporations. Land problem is most severe in case of tribals living in the scheduled areas in the districts of Khammam, Warangal, and A dilabad. D espite protective legislations prohibiting land transfer to non-tribals , tribal lands are in the possession of nontribals thus depriving t hem of their livelihood.

Nearly 51 percent of lands in scheduled areas are under the possession of non-tribals. Land restoration process also has been in favour of non-tribals. The state should address the land problems in case of tribals by res toring their lands and implement protective legislations. Forest Rights Act should be implemented and tribals should be facilitated to take up cult ivat ion. Tenancy needs to be legally recognized whereby tenant farmers can be eligible to access all benefits due to them as farmers. Thus Land reforms is a priority issue on the development agenda of the Telangana state.

Telangana has faced irreversible damage in the use of river waters for irrigation, projects useful to the people have been kept pending, the consequences of which has been massive suicide of farmers and migration to urban cities in search of livelihood. The pattern of irrigation has shifted from surface water to ground water. Tank irrigation has been neglected to the core. Heavy dependence on ground water has made farming risky, unsustainable and p ushed farmers into debt trap. M edium and minor irrigation needs attention in tribal areas too. There is need to prioritise irrigation with a decentralized approach giving adequate importance to tank irrigation.

Economic growth and human development are uneven across districts, social groups, gender and economic class and rural/urban locations. The rate 7

 of growth in per capita district domestic product has been uneven across Telangana. Districts surrounding Hyderabad (Rangareddy, M edak, Nalgonda) have shown higher grow th in per capita income from service and industry sectors due to spread effects of Hyderabad. Inter district variations in growth are high. Poverty rate is high for t he dis trict s of M ahbubnagar, Adilabad, Nizamabad, M edak and Nalgonda.

Despite high economic growth in some of the districts human development indicators of education and health show high intra district disparity. Rural areas lag behind urban areas in basic indicators like literacy rate and school enrollment ratios.According to the 2011 population census the adult literacy rate (15+ age group) is the least in M ahbubnagar district at 47.8 percent and highest in Hyderabad at 73 percent. There is almost 20 percent gap in literacy rate between Hyderabad and districts of Adilabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar and M edak. M ahbubnagar and M edak are traditionally low adult literacy rate districts. Besides gender gap in literacy rate is glaring for most of the districts with M ahbubnagar having the lowest female literacy at 39%. While female literacy rates are bordering 50 percent for the districts of Warangal and Khammam, they are less than 50 percent in the districts of Adilabad, Karimnagar, M edak, Nizamabad and Nalgonda. M ahbubnagar district also has the distinction of posting low growth rate in female literacy rate between 1991 and 2011.

It also has the highest percentage of households with no literate adult female member. The districts of Warangal, Nizamabad, A dilabad, M edak and Karimnagar still have 50 to 58 percent of households w ho have no adult lit erat e female member.

Scheduled cast e female literacy is less t han 40 percent in almost 54 mandals out of 57 mandals in K arimnagar dis trict. F emale literacy among Scheduled tribe is even low at 10 percent. The low female literacy has severe implications for childrens’ education and even more for girl child well being.

Aw arenes s and ut iliz at ion of government programmes which are crucial for positive outcomes also would be lower in the absence of adult female literate in the household.

Despite Hyderabad and Rangareddy districts have high literacy and enrollment rates they rank lowest in adult and child (0-6 y ears)sex rat io indicating high gender discrimination. N algonda, Karimnagar and Warangal districts also recorded low child sex ratios. Female feoticide has been rampant among some communities in these districts. Though mean age at marriage has increased from 17 to 19 years between 2002-04 and 2007-08 still 47 percent of girls are married below the legal age of 18 years in M ahbubnagar district. Nalgonda and Khammam also fare badly on account of child marriages.

While good progress has been achieved in school enrolment of children in the age group of 610 or the primary segment due to the Sarva Siksha Abhiyaan (SSA) still gross enrolment ratio (GER) is higher than 100 indicating mostly underage and overage enrolments into class es I-V. That means students getting enrolled in classes I-V is higher than the number of children in the age group of 6-10 years which is the standardized age group for enrolment int o the primary sect ion. Overage enrolment is generally found in less developed and remote pockets. Ideally net enrolment ratio (for example children enrolled into primary section in the age group of 6-10 or standardized age group/children in the age group of 6-10 years) should equal gross enrolment rat io both equaling 100. Primary net enrolment ratios are lower than 100 for all districts of Telangana, the least NER is in case of Nalgonda and highest in case of Rangareddy district. Gender disparity in gross enrolment in the primary segment is still found to be high in rural areas of Nizamabad and Adilabad and Khammam districts. This may be due to predominance of tribal areas where girl child enrolment needs specific attention. NSSO data over 8

 a period of time shows enrolment ratios are lower for higher age groups for example in the age groups of 11-14 and 15-24 y ears which is an issue of concern. M ahbubnagar dis trict ranks low est in students enrolment in the age group 15-18 years in 2011-12. This indicates need for special focus at the higher levels of education. Besides less number of girls are getting enrolled at the secondary level in the age group of 15-18 years. Girls’ enrolment is lesser in urban areas compared to rural s howing rising trend of urbanization is not able to provide adequate education opportunities to especially girl st udents . School enrolment is lower in certain communities like shep herd, and w ith regard to vulnerable groups like migrants, and people living in inaccessible terrains.

Though enrolment ratios are robust in case of primary segment completion rates are lower than 100. The primary completion rate is a better indicator which shows whether child enrolled in class one has been able t o complet e clas s V. The highes t completion rate in Telangana is for Hyderabad at 88 percent however in six other districts completion rates are low in the range of 68- 75 percent. This shows that on average only 80 percent students enrolled are able to complete class V. Policy should be more focused on the retention capacity of the educat ion syst em in order to achieve univers al primary education. For good retention of students in schools quality of education has to be ensured.

At the same time infrastructure deficiencies need to be paid att ent ion to in order t o raise s chool attendance. Quality of education is poor due to thin spread of resources over large number of schools. Access to education has improved but at the cost of quality. There is a onetime investment on schools but maintenance grants are very paltry.

T hough qualified t eachers are pres ent in the government schools but they lack in basic services.

St rengthening of government education syst em needs to be taken up on priority to provide universal

quality education. School M onitoring Committees should be kept away from political maneuvering for effective community management of schools.

Policy for human development has t o be st rategized based on leas t developed areas and people. M ahbubnagar district stands to be multiple deprived in most indicators and hence it has to be prioritized on the development agenda. Similarly scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and w omen and girls in particular need to be paid attention. Targeted programmes with incentives need to be devised in case of vulnerable s ect ions of pop ulation like migrants, and people living in drought conditions, marginal habitats as education takes back seat and girl children get discriminated. Public investment on education needs to be enhanced to ensure quality of education and also to counter privatization of education. A sensitive human development policy linking all levels of education would be able tap the pot ential and reap the benefit s of demograp hic dividend.

Telangana movement als o has articulated as piration towards participatory development.

People belonging to historically backward class and caste have aspired not only economic betterment but also to become stakeholders in the process of develop ment . Democrat ic decent ralization of governance structures ensures responsibility and accountability to stakeholders. Panchayat i Raj institutions need to be strengthened with adequate funds and functions. Strong institutions at the grass root level will ensure governance closer to people making it participatory and also accountable.

Telangana movement has brought to the fore the issue of identity of the people. Identity also gives fresh impetus to growth. In a bid to establish new identity from the identity of less developed people, less developed region, less known culture, Telangana state and its people may strive and thrive to achieve a multi dimensional development.

9

 • INTERVIEW

     TRC-Charcha        Unique, Individual, Persistent & Consistent Contribution.

   

                                                                                                                                                                                                         10

                                 (TRC)                  TRC-Charcha                                                                                         TRC                                                                                                                                                 11

     TRC                                                                                                                                                                                                                        career,                                          12

                                                                                           

 Mobile : 9848044713, email: vedakumarm@yahoo.com

13

 Telangana State : a movement in pause - Tadakamalla Vivek, Convenor, Telangana History Society

A long struggle has come to an end. But to a perceptive observer it is the beginning of another phase of movement for building a Telangana that was the dream of all those who gave their life for the caus e of st atehood. The reasons for such perception are not far to seek.

investment in the welfare and development sector.

Thus the current phase of movement for statehood was against the very structural bias and asymmetry in power equat ion where Telangana political leadership in minority could not assert itself and demand what was due for their people.

Telangana as the 29th nascent state of the Indian Union has had a ravaged past; a past that saw its natural resources mulcted away by the rapacious rulers turning the region into an internal colony; a past where the unscrupulous rulers and their lackeys in bureaucracy violated the law that gave protection to the youth in education and employment with imp unit y; a pas t where the Telangana political leaders, wanting as they were in vision and their ability to assert their rights and the rights of the people who elected them, were reduced to sub-serve the interests of aggressive politicians from the other regions; a past where Telangana culture faced the t hreat of ext inct ion in t he name of linguis tic homogeneity; a past that saw Telangana become a laboratory for the experiments of World Bank policies that brought into focus perverse policy of neglecting agriculture that supported a vast rural economy of self-sufficiency thus turning the rural Telangana into a wasteland and its people into the wretched of the earth who found solace in suicides.

The story, however, does not end here.

Now that Telangana is a state on its own, it wants to live on its terms; terms that people would like to prescribe to their political masters who can ignore them at their own peril. Such has been the groundswell the latest phase of movement had created.

The state buckling under pressure form the neoliberal capit alist clas s gross ly neglect ed public investment in the two vital sectors, namely education and health. Private players played havoc in these sectors. Fancy names were given to legitimize health care in private sector. Above all, Telangana inherits a past that saw its rulers resent dissent resulting in minority voices going unheard. It saw a past where the development model pursued by profit seeking cont ract or- t urned- p oliticians excluded the downtrodden and siphoned off the fruits of public

The task before the new leadership is no small.

A mass ive re-cons truction of various facets of Telangana s ocio-political and economic life lies ahead. In the immediate future attention must be focussed on parched lands only to stop more suicides by the farmers due to crop failure and debt burden.

Good old practice of linking tanks which was given up in favour of major irrigation shall be revived, while not ignoring the need for lift irrigation and asserting the right for just claim in river waters.

There is also this nagging ques tion of s kew ed concentration of vast tracts of lands in the hands of a few. People have been demanding that this issue be addres sed by the new leaders hip . The new leadership is expected to be pro active in addressing the issues of farm sector such as supply of quality seeds , fert ilizers, storage of farm produce and remunerative prices.

People expect the new Telangana state to revive and provide health care in public sector. A hierarchy of hospitals from village, mandal, district and capital shall be established. Regulation of private medical care could be attempted. Effective implementation of t he Right to Education Act s hall be priority.

Policy initiatives are required to eliminate corporates from medical and education fields.

14

 On the economic front there is an urgent need to revive state sponsored enterprise for which the Telangana state was known. Industries - small and medium-based on local res ources s hall be established in a cluster approach. This will create large number of entrepreneurs across the state and provides jobs to many as opposed to large industry with few jobs. This approach will also address the is sue of migrat ion t o cit ies in search of jobs.

Discrimination in employment has been one of the contributory factors for statehood demand. Public employment is one of the pressing issues before the leadership. While large number of vacant posts at various levels may be filled through recruitment, expediency lies in empowering the youth to become entrepreneurs and self-employed. Telangana youth exp ect an enabling environment free from discrimination and bias that had characterized the public and private sector. Therefore the leadership of the new state shall not only adop t fair and transparent methods of recruitment but also appear to be so.

It must, however, be recognized t hat best intentions and policies by themselves do not meet the aspirations of the people. One needs a good delivery system. State administrative machinery shall become responsive and citizen-centric. A few steps like de-centralization and making Cit izens Charter mandatory will bring about a big change in the functioning of administration.

to various social sub-groups while promoting what can broadly be des cribed as Telangana identity.

Respect for religious minorities and their ethos shall be hall mark of Telangana culture. Cultural synthesis that has been central to the lives of people in Telangana received a rude jolt with the inroads made by the seemandhra people in the guise of Telugu unity. This proces s must be revived. After all historically Telangana had not known any animosity or lack of bonhomie between various religious and cult ural groups. Historical memories have t o be refreshed and re-told for the present generation.

Above all people expect a democratic climate in which they can articulate their hopes, aspirations, frustrations and dissent to prevail in the nascent Telangana state. Telangana has a long hist ory of struggles against any form of oppression or attempt at stifling voices of dissent. The new leadership shall take cognisance of this historical truth.

In sum, the hopes and aspirations of people of Telangana are for a better and quality life; a life that can be lived in a democratic value frame work where issues are res olved through dialogue and not by force; a life where justice and equity occupy their rightful place in public space; a life where rule of law becomes cardinal rule without exception. In order to achieve it they shall continue to exhibit unwavering resolve. Therefore, one long struggle has come to an end only to inaugurate a new one.

On the cultural front conscious steps must be taken to preserve and protect the diversity specific

15



                                                                                                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                              16

                                                                                                                                                                                                  

                                                                                                                                                                           17

                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                        

18

 • INTERVIEW

Profiling of Pittala Srisailam (MusiTV)

    TV ChannelsMUSI TV NRI       MUSI TV     Unique, Individual, Persistent & Consistent Contribution.

    Srisailam had entered into Telangana movement in December 1996. He w orked as

an organiser in the book (Dagapadda Telangana w ritten by Innaiah & Telanganaalo Em Jaruguthondi w ritten by Prof.) release meeting held at VV Function Hall. Srisailam w as also one of the organisers of the Bhongir public meeting held in the name of ‘Dagapadda Telangana’ in March 7& 8, 1997. Balladeer Gadar w as chief guest of the meeting. He w as als o actively participated in the Warangal Declaration Meeting held in December 1997. During this period, he w as also a member in the ‘Fact Finidng Team’ member w or ked on cotton ryths suicides. Srisailam w as also one of the founders of the Telangana Journalist Forum (TJF) and also w orked as co-convener of TJF, w hic h w as floated in May 31, 2001. He w as also actively w orked in bringing out the book ‘2001, May 31-Telangana Journalistulu’. The book release function w as held at Basheerbagh Press Club on May 31, 2001.

He w as also participated in all TJF meetings till 2012. He had parted w ays from TJF from 2012.

Musi TV     Srisailam launched Musi TV Web Channel in June 6, 2006 to w ebcast meetings held for the cause

of Telangana. He w ebcast meetings on Telangana irr espective of political affiliations. Till then the existing media w as not giving priority to the new s of Telangana and it provoked Sr isailam to launch the Musi TV. From then onw ards, he w as w ebcasting the every meeting held on Telangana issue tilltoday.

 Musi TV      Srisailam visualised the Telangana Movement w ith his MusiTV and the people across the w orld

w atched the channel and they appriciated his efforts. He conducted w ebconference w ith Balladeer Gadar, Karimnagar MP B Vinodkumar, former Union Minister Sarve Sathyanarayana, Telangana Prakash, legal expert Nirup Reddy etc. It helped the people living in foreign countries to know about the mov ement. Telangana NRI Forum (TENA), Telangana Development Forum (TDF) and Gulf Telangana NRI Association members w ere regular w atchers of Musi TV.

 Musi TV      Musi TV w ill w ork for the development of Telangana State. It w ill expose the

injustices of the Telangana Governments if any in future. Musi TV w ill w ork as alternative media f or the voiceless people.

   Srisailam is expecting constructive development from the new Telangana government. Development 19

 doesn’t mean buildings and flyovers. People should live happily in the new state. The government has to concentrate on irrigation projec ts and environment should be protected.

      Journalist alw ays w orks as a journalist irrespective of governments to help people. I play same role

even in the new state. Every journalist has to expose the mistakes done by the new state government if any.

 TNRI      There is an urgent need of protection of environment in Telangana. TNRI has to concentrate on this issue. TNRI has to guide the Telangana youth in their career. Culture and traditions of Telangana should be protected.

   Srisailam had dec ided to name after Telangana Kokila if he gives birth to boy or girl w hen the then

chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, w ho banned Telangana w ord in the Assembly in 1998. He did the same and named after Telangana Kokila to his elder daughter and Muchukunda (Musi) to his young daughter. He w as being arrested by the police at Kandukuru in Prakasham district in December 4, 2007, w hen he tried to take an interview of the Maoist State Secretary Sambas hivudu on ‘Nizam Nizaalu’ issue. Telangana activists, NRIs and journalists petitioned online to Union Home Minister demanding the releas e of Srisailam. The efforts of the above said forced the government to release Srisailam on bail. Kandukuru Court gave verdict in favor of Srisailam resulting in to acquit the case.

20



Telangana State Priorities and realities for first year - Dr. Biks ham Gujja Introduction Telangna state is now a political reality. People of Telangana, about 28.1 million, have exercised their democratic choice on 30th April to decide next course of the new state. Though technically, not voted in Telangana state, but they voted to elect Telangana as sembly. More than 72% of Telangana voters exercised their democratic right, almost 5% higher than las t time. Going by the view s and analysis most likely there w ill be stable government, w hich w ill be es tablished by 2nd June. For last tw o decades people of Telangana are fighting for the state and after so many tw ists, turns, humiliations and victories that fight technically ended. Struggle f or Telangana state is undoubtedly the mos t important, cons istent, democratic and peaceful struggle in post independent India. More than 1200 people gave their lives to the cause. That is the most painful part of this struggle.

Telangana state is not an end; actually it is the first step for change. The expectations of people are too high and promises by politicians are too many. Telangana state has been established by massive pres sure from all sections of Telangana people. But the politicians, like in any other place, looked Telangana state as vehicle to advance their personal ambitions, w hich itself is not wrong, unless v ast major ity of people benefit f rom good governance and better opportunities.

Ther e ar e als o v is ions and v is ions f or Telangana state. Almost everyone w ho w ould w rite or communicate vision has already done and some are still doing. That is good thing. Expectations are too high on the Telangana government. Therefore this note is not vision document, but about the most important milestones for the new state for the first one year. Whatever might be v ision, if the first Telangana government can achieve these things, if not all , mos t of the Telangana people might hopefully be s atisfied, if not fully but some extent.

Some of them are proces s and some of them are tasks

This note w ill giv e some bas ic ideas , framew ork for Telangana state to achieve in first one year. The direction of new state w ill undoubtedly w ill be set in first six months. Before getting into details , it is important to mention here that, the expec tations ar e too high. And s ome of the promises during this election campaign have raised even more expectations. This note is only to assist such process rather than giving prescriptions. The suggested actions broadly fall into three categoriesa) correcting the past b) building new institutions c) entitlements to the poor w ithout leading to financial collapse 1. Recognize the ordi nary people who have m a de ext r a o rd i n ar y sacr i f ices a n d extraordinary things during the struggle for Telangana state. These people w ill have to be recognized and in cases rew arded as token of respect, this w ill have to be done in very dignified and respectable w ay. But this needs to be done systematically, w ithout using them for political gains. A proc ess needs to be quic kly es tablis hed to do that. The spec ific ac tions c an emer ge f rom dis cussion and dialogue, but might include a) appr opriate monuments b) financial assistance to families w ho deserve c) institutions, w hich can keep their memory. Caution need to be exercised, so this w ill not become a circus and loose the respectability.

2. Correct the m ist akes of the past: This is not about reprisals or w itch hunt, but achieving Telangana state is not about forget the past and let people w ho looted or accumulated lands and properties of Telangana w ill be condoned. Correcting and re-visiting the past is part of building new future. This w ill have to be done by es tablishing a c ommis sion and then follow ing the outcome of the recommendations . Ter ms of r ef er enc e of suc h commis sion might include a) review of land allocation b) review of allocation of precious natural resources c) irregularities in licenses and appointments d) r ec ogniz ing and 21

 protecting the true and genuine individuals and institutions w ho made s ignificant contribution to Telangana regardless of their place of origin.

3. What can be done t o boost the econom y, create jobs, create business opportunities, and train our young people? Millions of Telangana people- farmers, students, w orkers, w omen, employees are all w aiting w ith great expectations that some thing w ill change and some initiatives w ill help in improving the lives.

The w hole purpose of their participation is that Telangana state w ill help them in leading better lives. Telangana state should identify some of the doable progr ams and launc h them immediately w ith comparable resources.

4. Im prove the “brand Hyderabad” to attract investments and resources for the rapid but sustainable develo pm ent. Undoubtedly, brand Hyderabad, has taken beating during this period of uncertainti. Hyderabad has been reduced to scam capital. State machinery has been reduced to designing, co-operating and condoning the scams. This has to be corrected quickly and that w ill have to be top priority of the new Government. Though w e should get out of Hy der abad c enter appr oac h f or spending state res ourc es, but w e need to fac ilitate the process for attracting priv ate capital so that Telangana state w ill get more taxes and the limited public resources can be spent on the rur al areas . There ar e many conflic ting and contr adic tory view s among Telangana society on this subject, but there is need for discus sion and debate to quickly come out w ith policy, strategy so that investors are clear for next tw o decades. This is complex issue and this needs to be addressed instead ignoring it. The specific actions might include a) establish credible chapters of CII, FICCI w ith r espec ted indus tr y leaders b) pr ovide incentives, w hich are transparent to promote grow th c) develop innovative law s such as establishing certain percentage of shares for farmers w ho lost land for establishing industry and institutions.

5. Im prove the internal adm inistration w ithin Telangana: Establishing smaller states is first step in the process of decentralization but it is not the end or magic bullet. Telangana state,

before it is too late, needs to embark on the administrative reforms w ithin the state. This may involv e, c r eating s maller distr icts , des igning new and eff ective administrative divisions , es tablishing new and eff ec tive process for land regis tration, land revenue, transparency in administration, es tablis hing lokayuktha w ith full pow ers etc.

6. Im pr ove the acces s to better and m ore dignified rural credit system : Access to credit in rural area is the key for grow th and self -employment. Telangana s tate s hould establish policies w hic h promote professional credit systems but w ith better regulation and better supervision. Government credit systems are fine, but they have limitations. So there is need to have better policies for micro-credit system. During the election already loan w aver and inter est fr ee loan promises have been made. Such actions w ill not only drain the state resources, but it w ill be counter productive to poor. Some of the actions might include a) effective regulatory policy and frame w ork b) participation of banks including pr ivate sector banks in r ur al lending c) eff ec tiv e and productive use of CSR allocations etc.

7. Im prove the p roduct ivity of agr icultu re: Agriculture is the key sector and it w ill continue to be the major employment provider. Rural sector is also now acting as unofficial and infor mal soc ial sec urity net for rural poor.

Whenever people are not having jobs in urban center they are going back to their village and living w ith much less resources. So there is need to have policy to promote sustainable agriculture, w hich pr ovides employment and improves the quality of life. This requires an open discussion and dialogue to come out w ith framew ork.

8. Im prove the access to health care: Health care has became an unregulated and uncontrolled money ex tr action f r om people and Government. It is poss ible to have affordable health c ar e for all and this needs polic y regulations. There are many ex perts in this sec tor w ho can s uggest s uitable r efor ms.

Telangana w ill hav e to lead the w ay.

Hyderabad has great opportunity to set up International health care centers, w hich w ill 22

 attract patients from other developing countries for treatment. This w ill stimulate economy and also spin off w ould be better health care for people in the state.

9. Im prove w ater m anagem ent: Water w as and is going to be the major issue in Telangana.

Water management is going to be major challenge and opportunity. There are many experts in Telangana w ho can certainly deal w ith this as pec t. In fir s t three months , Telangana government can establish an expert committee to c ome out w ith f ramew ork in managing w ater resourc es in the state. Water management is not just building projects, but it is about w ater productivity, improving the ecosystems etc.

10. Focusing on pub lic education: This is going to be major c hallenge. Gov er nment is spending lot of resourc es on public education, but w ithout any comparable results. Reforming public educ ation, dev eloping polic ies to r egulate meaningles s pr iv ate s ector interventions in education should be priority.

For that establis h a proces s w ithin thr ee months to r eform the education system and regulate the private sector participation.

11. Pow er sector: Telangana state is going to face major pow er crisis. Before it is going to impact on economy, Telangana state need to take measur es to produce, distribute and c ollect appropriate tariffs to sustain the investments.

There are experts and talents in Telangana w ith good ideas to put the pow er sector back on track. A process needs to be established to ref or m pow er s ec tor. This s hould be completed in first six months.

12. Social sector: Telangana state has relatively large populations of SC/ST. They did not get their fair share of benefits in AP state. A special committee needs to be established in order to pr epar e a per s pectiv e plan f or ov erall development of SC/ST population in the state.

This aspec t is utmost important not just as political slogan, but this is extremely important for stability and credibility of the new state.

Instead of deciding ac tions a process needs to be established w ith experts to decide a tenyear plan w ith specific milestones.

This list is already too long. Most of them are interrelated and interdependent. Telangana state has created huge expectations on every sector. Unless it moves fast, there w ill be huge protests in the streets. In addition to that, many pow erful lobbies that lost access to pow er are w aiting to s ee that Telangana state is not stable. Media is totally dominated by elements that are anti-Telangana. In addition to that this c ommon c apital is going to add to the complex ity. Telangana people no longer can w ait for change, a change that w ill improve their lives, institutions and dignity. Every one is w aiting for 16th May results, w hoever w ins, w ho ever gets the pow er w ill have to do lot more to stay there. Getting to pow er is one thing and doing right thing to stay there is another thing. Political parties those w ho are not going to be in pow er too have responsibility for the succ ess of the new state. Civil society too needs to contribute to the process of establishing state, w ith critical support.

23



Telangana State - Freedom inside a Democracy - J R Janumpalli Telangana region has become a s tat e in 6 decades after its merger with Andhra in 1956. The struggle for the statehood had been very long, intense and poignant. Several new states were created in India after independence - some of them on linguistic basis; some on tribal identities; some on geography and culture. Andhra and Telangana were merged based on their language, Telugu. As part of this linguistic integration many regions were merged in different states like in M aharashtra, K arnataka, M adhya Pradesh, H.P. etc. By and large the states reorganized based on language had gelled together very well except in the case of Andhra Pradesh. In Andhra Pradesh it w as a cas e of an exaggerated feeling of superiority of andhras over Telangana people, resulting in majority hegemony. It has inevitably escalated in to a campaign for political freedom from t he majority dominance in side a democracy. That is the essence of the saga of struggle for Telangana statehood.

T hough t he language w as the s ame, the political, economic and cultural backgrounds of the two regions were different. State Reorganization Commission (SRC), was very circumspect about it.It has recommended against the merger. Pandit Nehru also had his own reservation. There was st rong op pos ition from the people of Telangana. But somehow andhras managed to merge the regions by political manipulation. There was a gentlemen’s agreement with several safeguards. Some people on both the sides in good faith have believed that the merger will bring emotional integration in Telugu people long separated by history and cement their relat ions and enrich t he Telugu cult ure. But , paradoxically it did not happen. The people of the two regions did not mingle like long lost siblings as in case of other linguistically formed states. Both Andhra and Telangana cultures went in their own ways causing little influence on each other.

Andhras had experience in p olitics in t he provincial self-government system of British India.

Their participation in independence movement with congress and other political parties in the mainstream Indian politics gave t hem a dis tinct political advantage. It has helped to create a bias towards them in congress party. In Andhra Krishna ,Godavari and T ungabhadra canal sy st ems for irrigat ion in agricult ure have given t hem economic advantage.

T he s urp lus income from agricult ure led t o inves t ment , entrep reneurial experience and education. Because of Urdu medium in Telangana, t he imp ortat ion of English know ing Andhra employees in to the administration by the military and civilian governments, from 1948 to 1952 and after have placed Andhra people in the key positions of the administration. In contrast Telangana region was in Nizam’s feudal order out side t he Indian mainstream political system. Though Hyderabad was made in to a first class city for the prestige of rich Nizam, t he entire hinterland of Telangana w as backward economically with lack of irrigational facilities and less favorable agro climatic conditions.

There was not much surplus income for education, investment and development of enterprise.

In Telugu though the language was same the dialect was different. Andhra Telugu with a mixture of Sanskrit was felt superior to Telangana idiom.

Because of their economic well being and language bias the culture of Telangana was looked down. It has developed a kind of superiority complex in them.

The Andhras kept Telangana people at arm’s length.

They had started asserting themselves in politics, economics and culture in the state. With all this background the 175 against 119 members in the A ss embly have given them all t he p olit ical advantage they needed t o dominate Telangana. A systematic exploitation of Telangana resources by majority Andhra administration has begun and went on remorselessly unabated despite the opposition to it.

24

 Slowly and relentlessly all the conditions and safe guards in t he G entlemen’s agreement w ere flouted. There erupted a severe back lash in 1969 against andhras for usurping Telangana jobs and Telangana surp lus revenue. It was brut ally suppressed by killing 369 youth in police firing.

Then an 8-point development program was devised.

The Government promised to correct, what critics saw as a violation of the promises of the Gentleman’s agreement in the areas of jobs, budget allocations, and educational facilities.P.V.Narasimha Rao was made CM in 1971. Then some attempt was made to implement ‘mulki rules’ and the 8 point program.

Andhras went to court. Sup reme Court upheld ‘mulki rules’. A s a p rotest against it andhras undertook 1972 ‘J ai A ndhra’ camp aign.

PVNarasimha Rao was made to resign and president rule was imposed. The constitution was amended to abrogate ‘mulki rules’. A new 6-point formula was devised in 1973. Like other formulas it was kept on t he backburner by t he callous A ndhra adminis t rat ion. When Telangana employ ees complained about the non-implementation of the six-point formula, government issued a G.O. 610 in 1985.Since then, no serious attempt was made to implement the G.O.The central government never bothered to oversee the implementation of any of these agreements or formulas.

M eanwhile, andhra dominated government unleashed several programs to make Hyderabad as the colony of seemandhras. The surplus revenue from Telangana was spent in andhra and to develop infras tructure for enterpris es and industries of andhras in Hyderaabad. Vast government and private lands in Telangana were appropriated to Andhra’s in the name of corporate benefits and other facades.

Both CBN and YSR have increased the looting of Telangana resources in t he garb of economic liberaliz at ion and creation of infras truct ure.

Whatever the development took place in Hyderabad; it s fruits were made to be enjoyed most ly by seemandhras. The colonization and exploitation of

Telangana as foreseen by Justice Fazal Ali in SRC rep ort has vast ly exceeded, vindicat ing the ap prehension. This has once again ignited t he simmering Telangana statehood desire in Telangana people.

In this backdrop, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) was formed in 2001 to fight for separate Telangana.The trials and tribulations of this episode of Telangana udyamam spearheaded by TRS is a history now. Because of it Telangana state is formed.

Though state is given, it is shackled with many restrictions. The center, as its wont , has always treat ed Telangana with condescens ion. After the inescapable police action the Indian army undertook a massacre of Telangana people in the name of cont aining communis m. Imposed milit ary and civilian rule after the liberation. Both the military and civilian rule treated local people vey unfairly.

Considering them as imbeciles they had imported the Englis h educat ed s eemandhras . The st at e administration was andhraised even before the first elected government has come in t o p lace, thus s ow ing t he s eeds for the hegemony of seemandhra.Then the 1952 general elections have given Telangana its legit imate government. But it was only short lived from 1952-1956.In 1956 despite knowing the consequences of the merger, they have arm-twisted Telangana leadership in to accepting the forced merger with andhras. It paved the way for the imperialistic designs of s eemandhra coveting Hyderabad and the resources of Telangana. Then, the center has allowed andhras to run their colonial set up undisturbed abandoning its responsibility.

When Telangana people protested, time and again, it s upport ed andhra dominated government and suppressed Telangana struggle.

Both Congress and BJP, the national parties have played their politics with Telangana people.

BJP promised Telangana in 1999. Congress party in 2004 had a truck with TRS with a promise of Telangana State.BJP when it gave 3 new states in 2000, did not keep its promise of Telangana allegedly 25

 because of TDP.Congress after winning power with t he help of T RS in 2004 w ent back on Telangana.TRS was forced t o undert ake a continuous and uncompromis ing agit ation. T he congress under duress declared Telangana state on 9 December 2009 in Parliament. But, again went back because of andhra politicians volte-face and tortured Telangana for five long years.1200 of its y out h have committ ed s uicide for t he nonimplementation of the declaration.Telangana was proving disastrous for congress in both the regions.

In such tenuous circumstances congress gave a state of Telangana, with several restrictions making it a ‘B’ class state, while seemandhra was made an ‘A +’ state with several concessions to it. The behavior of Congress and BJP in the final analysis of adopting the T-Bill in Parliament speaks volumes of their duplicity towards Telangana and t heir bias to seemandhra.That is the treatment of the center for Telangana whatever national party is in power in the Centre. It would be the same in future also. Their real colors were revealed in the campaign for 2014 elections on both sides of the divide in Andhra Pradesh.

Therefore, now getting a state after 60 years is not the end of our troubles. There is still a long way to go. We have to survive the 10 year long joint capital in the company of the litigant seemandhras.

Seemandhras are scheming to stay put in Hyderabad and play vexatious politics to make Hyderabad a ‘UT’. There are several contentious things in the Act in small print. Which we will be reading in due course of time. There will be a war of attrition on those numerous discriminations and unconstitutional restrictions. The center as usual will be helping its prodigal seemandhra. Telangana is only like a political orp han t o it .Telangana p olit icians in Congress and TDP were systematically subordinated by andhra politicians. They have lost their Telangana ethos and cannot comprehend the needs of Telangana people. There is a need for a new potent breed of politicians with Telangana identity who can defy the

condescension of the center and make them heed to our needs.

Therefore, now Telangana peoples’ imperative need should be to have a government of Telangana in letter and spirit, in the new state. The government should be in a position to work for the interest of Telangana people alone. It should be free from the suzerainty of any other political entity. It should challenge the conditions and restrictions imposed on it in the Act unconstitutionally, in the parliament or in the courts or with the central government. And disentangle the fetters one by one to make a fullfledged state of it.The setback in the merged state and the present needs of Telangana state should be identified meticulously. A systematic development plan is to be prepared and grounded methodically and transparently. The most important aspects of rebuilding of the new state are Power, Irrigation, Industrialization and employment in which areas Telangana was deliberately pushed backwards. The other areas such as education, health, social welfare, technological development should be p romoted simultaneously.

Whatever is done, it should be done keeping the feet firmly on the ground. The state needs to be different to fulfill the aspirations of people, which were long suppressed and also those now stoked up.

But, we cannot create an economic or political model drastically different from other states. The state needs to be different with in the frame work of larger political and economic system of the country and deliver the goods.

The political leadership of Telangana should leave their subservience to the center behind. The people of Telangana should leave their naiveté of being easy going and accommodating. They should become tough, p ragmatic and self-interested to realize the benefit of the new state, got after such an arduous struggle and with such heavy price. The long lost political freedom to decide their own destiny is back in their hands now. It is up to them to make the right use of it. God bless Telangana State!

26

 • INTERVIEW

Profiling of D. P. Reddy (TDF-India) D.P.Reddy   Live Connecting Link D.P.Reddy.  D.P.Reddy    D.P.Reddy   Unique, Individual, Persistent & Consistent Contri bution.

                 TDF-India        USA         TDF-USA TDF-India      TDF-India   TDF-India                  Still Seeking Justice        TDF-USA      TDF-India

JAC TDF-India  Telangana Information Trust,    CPI    

27

   ★

    

★

  

★

       

★

          "JUSTICE Sri krishna's INJUSTICE" 

★

      

★

Stop Suicides  Telangana Senior CitizensAssociation  

★

         

★

              

★

      

                    



TJAC "Understanding State Recorga nisation Legislation in the context of statehood for TELANGANA  

★ TJAC

★ Group of Ministers

TDF-India             TDF-India                                         TDF-India TDF-India   28

                    TNRI                                   career      REC      IDPL   RRL                                                          TDF  TRS,      TRS TDF  ★★★

29



 

                                                                                                                   

                                                                               Ism-Neutral Vision:

    RS U  RS S                              

30

         

★

                          Dawn to Dusk      

★

             

★

                   TRS              Value-Addition      

★

              

    ★

★

★

                                                               

          SRI & SSI                                                                  SRI, SSI      

31

 Leap Frog Developme nt:

                  Leap Frog                                      TDF, TeNA                  

                                                                  

32



                                                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                                  33

                                                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                34

                                                                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                                                                                                35



  

          

                                                                

                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                         36

                                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                                        

Writers Note:  "Children of Heav en (1997)" <www. v imeo.com/

                     www.f acebook.com/MyExerimentsWithDirt; www.facebook.com/Aranya AgriculturalAlternativ es;    (by LIKE'ing the pages) The Green Warrior - Jadav Pay eng : http://y outu.be/1S8PXF60uA Interv iew Rajendra Singh : 57122883>,

http://y outh.be/0n2Xocoy k_Q; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajendra_Singh Augustine 'Johnny Walker' http://y outu.be/ A4DaYITNFhY.

37

 • INTERVIEW

Profiling of Dileep Konatham       Mainstream Journalism             Mission Telangana     BBC News    respect   Argument   Unique, Individual, Persistent & Consistent Contribution.

                                                                        Mission Telangana                               vocal                                             Mission Telangana.com   Mission Telanganacontent, research                 38

   Mission Telangana                                                                                                      One Stop S hop  Mission Telangana.com                activ istintellectual   Institution Building                Ism-Neutral Vision      TNRI     TNRI      Institution             TNRI       TNRI    Career,                  39



   



       



     





         



      

 40



Spiritual Corner - Pavan Tirunahari Exton, PA

We strive ever yday to live better. How ever w hatever w e achieve, happiness w ill never last long. The uninterrupted happiness and joy can be felt only w hen w e transcend the body and mind. The body is the physical form w e’ve accumulated from Earth and the mind is just a bunch of thoughts. Thoughts don’t exist w ithout mind, a mind doesn’t exist w ithout body but the soul exists w ithout either. The body and mind are transient phases. The w hole universe and all human relationships are the physical manifestations of the mind. If one’s memory is w iped out completely, there are no relationships and attachments, but you remain. That is the “self” or “consc iousness” or “spirit” or “soul” w hich is pure and complete. All the vignanam (know ledge) w e acquire is only to pave the w ay for gnanam (supreme know ledge) that is consciousness. Whatever the means you adopt, at last you have to get back to this ultimate truth that is consciousness. Many methods are available to reach that goal. One w ay is to sit in silence and w atch the flow of thoughts w ith a deep introvert mind and find the source of those thoughts. The second method is to sit w ith the spine erect, raise the head little, and very slow ly breathe in and breathe out, in both instances w atch the flow of air. With constant practice KURMA NADI, w hic h ties this body and mind w ith the soul slow ly, loosens up and you can feel the distinction betw een mind and soul. This state is supreme consciousness. Physical forces that brought this body into existence w ill make sur e that the activities w ill still go on but you are not affected w ith the outcomes. Whether you w ork or renounce w ork there is no effort. You are just happy and blissful.

41

 • INTERVIEW

Profiling of Ravichander Atlanta  IT Company   busy     websiteTelangana record      Digitalize  Unique, Indiv idual, Persistent & Consistent Contribution.

                                 eTelangana.org      NRI       NRI JAC      NRI JAC                                              DOCUMENT               TJAC            eTelangana.orgcontent, research                       eTelangana.org                    Document Scan         42

               T JAC       online           Website          eTelangana.org                               Tier2 cities                                  activ istintellectual IT, Pharma, Medical & Entertainment              suggestJob Oriented Placement       RO Water Purifier Plants                  RO Water Pla nts                     TNRI        Watch Dog IT Business   Career,   BSc Electronics    MS Masters in Computer Science  Software        SushumnaAmeyas, Amarthya and Akshaya Future                43

 • Youth Corner

How to be Successful 101 - Chitra Mosarla

That w as a pretty pretentious title right?

Absolutely.

For nearly a quarter of a century now, I have actively been in the pursuit of succes s: “How to be a succ essful student? How to be a succ essful friend? How to be a successful daughter?”, for example. Though that still does not qualify me to give you the skinny on how to succeed, it did give me a little bit of experience that I thought I should share.

All of the things that I am about to say are things that I w ould have liked to tell my 17-year-old self, w hen I first began c ollege. I w ant you to know that I w ill be totally honest.

(1) There is no stereotype that you c an emulate to be successful, so don’t try to copy others.

You don’t need to look a certain w ay, act a certain w ay, or have c ertain interests to be good at w hat y ou are pas sionate about.

Here’s w hat that means : If you’re sitting in Chemistry class and you see a girl w ith pink hair and tattoos, don’t underestimate her. The har d tr uth is that maintaining the “good student” look doesn’t mean anything. I’m not saying that w e should all dye our hair and get tattoos, but that w e should all learn how to think, express and act independently. Don’t be afraid to be a little bit different. Remember that it is w hat sets a person apart that gets him or her noticed.

(2) You don’t have to sacrifice everything. Being a w orkaholic w ho doesn’t see the sunlight is not a requirement of being good at w hat you

do. Some of the most succ essful people I know take time to hangout w ith friends, to fall in love, to take long runs, to smell flow ers, to call grandparents, ultimately to enjoy life’s simple pleasures. Let me be clear, there w ill be sacrifices: times w hen you w ill have to decide w hat your prior ities are. But, if you have a clear goal in mind and are w orking tow ards it diligently, then it doesn’t hurt to live a little.

(3) Find w hat it is that you are really passionate about and w ork really hard. That sounds deceptively easy. But, it’s not. Finding w hat you are passionate about takes time, effort, and exploration. It also requires as king for opportunities, dealing w ith f ailur e, and constantly stepping outside of your comfort zone. It als o r equir es being honest w ith yourself and know ing w hat your motivations are. You have to know if you are doing this for yourself or if you are doing it to please someone else. This is a difficult process and sometimes it hurts a lot, but trust me it’s w orth the rest of your life.

(4) Make sur e you understand w hat success is. If you think s uc cess comes fr om ex ternal things, you’ll spend y our w hole life chasing it. But if you understand w hat it is, you can spend your w hole life feeling it. It’s not the goal. It’s a byproduct of living a fulfilled life, a life spent expressing yourself as you are, not missing out on the simple pleasures, and doing w hat you are tr uly passionate about.

44



45



46



47



 2014 PHILADELPHIA TELANGANA NIGHT ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

 Anita & Ravi Papagari  Bhanu & Rajashekar Thota  Hari Priya & Jayan Nallu  Janaki & Madhava Mosarla  Karuna & Mujeebur Rehman  Kavitha & Pavan Tirunahari  Lalitha & Sumanth Garakarajula  Leena & Madhav Cheluka  Neeraja & Sudheer Raju  Nirmala & Vijay Baireddy  Rajani & Raja Ankathi  Rajani & Sampath Billakanti  Sharathi & Kamal Nellutla  Smitha & Subash Reddy Karra  Soundarya & Ravi Mayreddy  Sreeveni & Narayan M Reddy  Sunitha & Ramesh Kankati  Sushma & Satish Sunkanapalli

48



A Ladybug Song!

- Maha Cheluka, Mc Nair Elementary When I w as strolling along one fine in the spring w hen a little boy came over me. Then he said "look at that thing" and the he tickled my w ing and i just turned as re as can be. Then he took me to his home the he put me in a jar and stack me on o shelf on the w ail. Then I said "that's no w ay to treat a lady bug. No no w ay at all. Well I fooled him yes I did I craw led up the jar and out a hole in the lid. Then on a hot summer day I w as w inging my w ay w hen I landed a blanket you see. Then a moment or to from right out of the blue a bunch of kids w ere staring at me. Then they flipped me over once they f lipped me over tw ice. They w er e laughing they w ere having a ball. Then I said "It's no w ay to treat a lady bug. No no w ay at all. Then they lifted me in the air. I shame to r ecall. They let to drop to see if I w ould fly or fall and I said "that's no w ay to treat a lady bug. It's an uncafe w ay to try a ladybug just no w ay to treat a lady bug. No no w ay at all. List in pol don't me w ith this gal.

Cape May - Sum anth Donur Have you ever thought w hat to do on a summer w eekend? Go to Cape May. Guess w hat’s there? It has magnificent beaches, board w alk, w ildw ood and aw esome rides.

I can’t w ait as its my first time at a beach .I can’t w ait to touch the soft sand. The fir st thing Iam going to do is make a s and castle w ith my brother. Have you ever surfed? Don’t be shy. I can’t sur f too. If you like go there now go…

49



Oh Wonderful, Magical, India - Mukund Tirunahari

Oh wonderful, magical, India Oh you have so many stories Although some may seem gory They may teach lessons about glory Oh wonderful, magical, India Oh you have the greatest food That can cheer up almost anybody’s sour mood Oh wonderful, magical, India Oh your mythology is so great The stories have some bait And teach a moral through an open gate Oh wonderful, magical, India Oh your architecture is so beautiful That it melts the hearts of those who are unmovable Oh wonderful, magical, India

50



My views about India - Yashita Thota 7 Grade, Pennbrook Middle School, Lansdale. th

I love India. It is one of the most beautiful, culturally diverse places on the Earth. I am proud to call myself Indian and hope that in lives to come I w ill be born again as the child of this mighty country. India has a rich history full of true stories, and myths, that teach us the good values in life. The landscape is almost as great and unique as the culture. Our country has some of the oldest architectural structures in the w orld. It is a civilization that has been around for many millennia, To put it in a few w or ds; there is no other country like India. As much as I love India, I think that w e can improve. I feel that every Indian, even the ones that live here, should w ork tow ards improving our country.

Even though India is w onderful, it is not perfect. A few of the problems are pollution, pow er outages, lack of education, food, and sanitation in several places. To help you don’t have to be a Bill Gates. For example, next time you visit India collect old books or educational tools from your friends and distribute them to the less fortunate. Small tas ks can make big differences. Just one Indian can make a huge difference in our country. In conclusion, improvements or not, at the end of the day India is a unique, special country and alw ays w ill be.

My views about Hyderabad - Tanav Thota 4 grade, Gw yn Nor elementary school, Lansdale. th

Last summer, I w ent to Hyderabad, India. My grandparents are both in Hyderabad, so I w ent there. I w as there for almost the w hole s ummer. I w ent to many places, and learned more about our cultur e, and its many myths, and its v ery interesting people. One of the people really liked w as Sai Baba, and I w ent to his temple, though I got stuck in a 5 hour long line. I also w ent to the Buddha statue, and I think a sign next to it talked about Buddha’s life. I also w ent to a lot of places that did not have something to do w ith history like IMAX and NTR gardens. Then before you know it, its ten days before school, and I have to go back home. So that is the end of my visit to Hyderabad.

51



Telagana Night: My Definition - Sindhu Muddasani Telagana Night is not only a cultural night but family gathering. I have been in Telagana Night for every year so far and it’s alw ays been about our homes in India. Each year w e listen to old and new folk songs to dance to them, try and make them special to amaze the audience and keep our parents proud. PTA has alw ays been donating money during this night every year giving back to our homes to help educate village kids. For this night w e prepare extremely hard. Each child puts their best efforts into their dances.

The parents choose how to stich new things together for a new experience each year for the audience to enjoy. Singidhi is there to share these great experiences and happy moments in our life even for kids. Most of all w e are a family that s ticks together.

About Canada - Nandini Muddasani We w ent to Canada for a trip. The next day w e w ent on a boat into Niagara Falls. Water splashed on us and w ind blew in our faces. The day after, w e left for Toronto. Then w e w ent on a Safari, w e got to see baboons. A baboon climbed on our car. The next day w e w ent around dow ntow n Toronto to see w hat to do next. Soon later w e found the CN tow er w hich is the 2nd tallest tow er in the w orld. It took us a minute to get up then dow n on its elevator. I loved my Canada trip; I hope I can go again.

52



I Am I am a boy who loves to play outside I wonder if I will be a soccer player I hear good things I see good things I want to be a soccer player I am a boy who loves to play outside I pretend I am a spy I feel awesome I touch things I want to I worry about people I know I cry when I am sad I am a boy who loves to play outside I understand you don't get everything I say your dreams can come true I try to be a better soccer player I hope to be a good person I am a boy who loves to play outside

- Shashank 5th Grade, Tredyffrin / Easttow n Middle School

53

 My Letter to Ammamma!

- Meera Mayreddy 3rd Grade Rober ts Elementary Sc hool

Dear Ammamma You are very good and I love you. Your food is alw ays good. You tell lot of stories about God and how he saves you. Without you I w ouldn’t have been here.

When w e talk together, I feel happy. You never tell me any lies or be mad at me. I love giving you company w hen Thatha is gone outside. You are alw ays happy w hen I s ee y ou. I am s o happy y ou ar e c oming from India just to see me. There is so much fun w ith you. One time you told my mom to make something I liked. You alw ays send me lot of stuf f from India.

Though you live far aw ay from me, you care for me.

I alw ays love you and I w ish you can stay longer here at America.

Love, Meera

54



55



56