Malay Telugus want to return
By M. ROUSHAN ALI and S.A. ISHAQUI
Dec 16 2007
East or West, Indians seem to be getting into big trouble with local governments over the last two months.In November, the United Arab Emirates threw out nearly 80,000 illegal immigrants, many of them from Andhra Pradesh.Days later, a bitter row erupted in Malaysia after a protest by ethnic Indians for equal rights was brutally put down in Kuala Lumpur. The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) has alleged ethnic cleansing and Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has joined the battle by accusing ethnic Indians of treachery.Telugus who have been staying in Malaysia for as long as five generations feel a sense of insecurity in the community.The November 25 rally by 20,000 ethnic Indians under the banner of Hindraf is just the beginning, say software professionals who returned home to Andhra Pradesh for better prospects.“More and more Telugus want to come back to their native places in Andhra Pradesh,” said Pawan Kumar, 60, who spent almost 10 years in Malaysia. Mr Kumar is now back in Visakhapatnam. “My brother-in-law, who had gone there as a software professional four years ago, has come back.” The Telugu community in Malaysia, once largely a community of labourers and menial jobs, today has a sprinkling of entrepreneurs, intellectuals and technical professionals.The vast majority of Indians still lag behind Malays and Chinese in socio-economic terms, and the racial policies of the Malaysian government, Telugus say, is only pushing them backwards.“The Indian community is being pushed to the corner by the Malays. Second, the job market is more vibrant back home. And third, the Telugu community itself treats its people based on their caste,” Mr Kumar said.Many Indian IT professionals have still not gotten over the mistreatment of 300 Indian citizens in March 2003 in Kuala Lumpur. Then, police surrounded a building housing mostly Indian IT professionals and beat them up on the pretext of checking their passports.IT professionals started returning to India after that incident. Many of them use Malaysia to travel to the US and Europe for better prospects and, hopefully, better conditions.An Indian Malaysian finds it difficult to become a doctor or a lawyer in Malaysia. University seats and scholarships are awarded under a racial quota system.Even if they manage to get a degree, many say that discrimination is commonplace. Indian doctors complain that they are often excluded from the list of approved doctors whom civil servants or company employees can patronise.According to rough estimates, there are an estimated 700 doctors, 350 lawyers, 400 engineers, 300 IT graduates and another 5,000 with degrees in various fields among Telugus in Malaysia. AP Official Language Commission chairman A.B.K. Prasad disagrees. “Telugus gel better with local Malays than the Tamilians. The fourth generation of Telugus has earned a lot of respect for the community by virtue of their education, profession, economic and social status.”“Of course, marriages with local Malay added towards improving relations with Malays,” Mr Prasad said.According to Telugu University registrar T. Gowrishankar, Telugus have done a lot to preserve their culture and language. “If they want to come back, it is purely because of the government policies there,” he added.Malaysian Telugus keep in regular touch with Telugu University to recruit teachers, priests and a range of support staff. Mr Gowrishankar said that unlike before, the tone of Malaysian Telugus was increasingly bitter when they talked about their status and prospects.Mr Gowrishankar also repeated Mr Kumar’s observations on fragmentation of ethnic Indians. “Vaishnavite groups want only Vaishnavite priests,” he said, citing one instance. This was not noticed before.
stranded in gulf
The problem with Indians in the Gulf is different. Most of the workers in the Gulf nations, estimated at about one crore, are first generation workers, unlike in Malaysia where the battle is between ethnic Indians who have settled in that country for generations.The vast majority of people going to the Gulf for jobs are illiterate. Hounded by poverty and unemployment, they easily fall for the offer of riches that agents and middlemen promise them.Thousands of migrants enter the Gulf nations on fake documents or overstay their visas. One of the biggest magnets to the UAE was the so-called azad visa.Indians could enter the UAE on the azad visa and scout for a job. Once employed, they would have to return to India and then go back to the UAE with fresh papers. As it happened, the workers merely stayed back, and got into trouble.Those who enter with all documents find that their papers are taken away by their employers. Their rights are ignored and pay conditions violated. For all practical purposes, they find themselves stuck with no help at hand. They work in horrible conditions, facing mental, physical and psychological and sometimes even sexual torture.It is clear in their mind that they cannot go back home: They have taken loans at usurious rates of interest to pay the agents, and they don’t have a paise to their name in the Gulf. Mr Abrar Ahmed of Toli Chowki in Hyderabad narrates the plight of a typical Gulf labour.“I had gone to the UAE with a lot of hope. The agent promised me the job of an electrician with good salary. When I went there, I was asked to work in a palm tree grove as a labourer. My passport was taken away by the agents there. With great difficulty, I came back thanks to the AP government’s initiative in ensuring the safe return of migrants.”On and off, the government has moved to place rules to protect labour. One such move is to ban the employment of women under the age of 30 to work as maids in the Gulf. Protests for rights are dealt with harshly. Last month’s protest at the Dubai Burj resulted in the arrest of over 500 workers, and the deportation of 90 of them. They were demanding an increase in salaries.Accidents are frequent, especially at construction sites, where dozens of migrant workers either die or are injured. Compensation is hard to come by for the injured. The bodies of the dead lie in mortuaries because of the tortuous procedures to bring them home, and the inability of the families to pay. Periodically, Gulf countries crack down on illegal migrants, as the United Arab Emirates did this year. It resulted in about 80,000 workers, mostly from Andhra Pradesh, being forced back home.They return to a situation that is worse than when they left. Mr P. Narayana Swamy, president of the Migrants Rights Council, says: “Back home, several of them have committed suicide, unable to repay loans and take care of families.”While the government disputes the figures, at least 50 Gulf oustees or members of their family have committed suicide over the last two months as a new tragedy unfolds in the hinterlands.
Mr Swami says, “One of the best ways to check the flow of illegal migrants to the Gulf is to streamline the recruitment process and keep a close watch on agents.”
AP minority welfare minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir, who is also chairman of the NRI Cell, says: “The government is working on stringent laws which would check unscrupulous agents dumping tens of hundreds of labour from the state in the Gulf countries.”
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Snapped cable on city road kills biker, 19
Snapped cable on city road kills biker, 19
Hyderabad: A low-hanging cable on Banjara Hills Road No. 1 claimed the life of a motorcyclist on Saturday night. The cable cut the throat of Aleemuddin, 19, a student from Akbarbagh. He fell of the motorcycle and died on the way to hospital. Highlighting the dangers of low-hanging cables which are a city-wide phenomenon, Hasnuddin who was with Aleem on the bike, said, “We could not spot the cable hanging in the middle of the road till the last instant.”
Banjara Hills police sub-inspector Gurappa said the cable was snapped by an overloaded lorry which remains unidentified. He said police would identify the owner of the cable and the company for negligence.
Hyderabad: A low-hanging cable on Banjara Hills Road No. 1 claimed the life of a motorcyclist on Saturday night. The cable cut the throat of Aleemuddin, 19, a student from Akbarbagh. He fell of the motorcycle and died on the way to hospital. Highlighting the dangers of low-hanging cables which are a city-wide phenomenon, Hasnuddin who was with Aleem on the bike, said, “We could not spot the cable hanging in the middle of the road till the last instant.”
Banjara Hills police sub-inspector Gurappa said the cable was snapped by an overloaded lorry which remains unidentified. He said police would identify the owner of the cable and the company for negligence.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Explanation sought for PIL on quota
Explanation sought for PIL on quota
Hyderabad, Dec. 11: A larger bench of the High Court on asked T. Muralidhar Rao, who filed a Public Interest Litigation challenging the Muslim reservation Bill why he was not able to submit his objection before the Backward Classes Commission and why he straight away filed a PIL in the High Court.
The bench also sought to know the social service done by the petitioner as he claimed that he was a social worker and had done a lot of social service. Senior counsel K. Ramakrishna Reddy submitted before the bench headed by Justice T. Meena Kumari and comprised of Justice Prakash Rao, Justice D.S.R. Verma, Justice A. Gopal Reddy and Justice V. Eswaraiah that the Backward Classes Commission did not do any exercise to identify the backwardness among certain occupational groups in Muslims.
Affidavit ordered on funds spent in ‘05
The court asked the advocate general to submit an affidavit on the funds spent in 2005-06 under the Special Component Plan for development of SCs and STs, while dealing with a PIL filed by one T. John Prakash to divert funds for Special Component Plan.
Deadline given to GHMC officials
The court warned the officials of GHMC of Malkajigiri division that if they fail to explain why they did not initiate action on illegal constructions in the area by Wednesday, it will issue contempt proceedings against them. A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Bilal Nazki and Justice Ramesh Ranganathan pulled up the officials for failing to submit an undertaking that they would demolish illegal buildings and constructions in the division. Standing counsel submitted that 313 construction identified as illegal.
Hyderabad, Dec. 11: A larger bench of the High Court on asked T. Muralidhar Rao, who filed a Public Interest Litigation challenging the Muslim reservation Bill why he was not able to submit his objection before the Backward Classes Commission and why he straight away filed a PIL in the High Court.
The bench also sought to know the social service done by the petitioner as he claimed that he was a social worker and had done a lot of social service. Senior counsel K. Ramakrishna Reddy submitted before the bench headed by Justice T. Meena Kumari and comprised of Justice Prakash Rao, Justice D.S.R. Verma, Justice A. Gopal Reddy and Justice V. Eswaraiah that the Backward Classes Commission did not do any exercise to identify the backwardness among certain occupational groups in Muslims.
Affidavit ordered on funds spent in ‘05
The court asked the advocate general to submit an affidavit on the funds spent in 2005-06 under the Special Component Plan for development of SCs and STs, while dealing with a PIL filed by one T. John Prakash to divert funds for Special Component Plan.
Deadline given to GHMC officials
The court warned the officials of GHMC of Malkajigiri division that if they fail to explain why they did not initiate action on illegal constructions in the area by Wednesday, it will issue contempt proceedings against them. A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Bilal Nazki and Justice Ramesh Ranganathan pulled up the officials for failing to submit an undertaking that they would demolish illegal buildings and constructions in the division. Standing counsel submitted that 313 construction identified as illegal.
HC warns doctors
HC warns doctors
Ramadoss threatens to cancel docs’ licences
Hyderabad Dec. 11: The Andhra Pradesh High court voiced concern over the ongoing strike by the junior doctors of Niloufer Hospital and directed representatives to appear before it without fail on Wednesday by 10.30 am. The court said arrest warrants would be issued against the representatives if they do not appear before it.
Chief Justice Bilal Nazki said the court had served a notice to G. Raju, president of Junior Doctors Association, but they have not got any response. Justice Nazki observed: "It seems they don’t abide by the law. Continuing the strike is nothing but blackmailing. The court will not allow this." The bench also warned it would recommend to the Medical Council of India (MCI) to cancel the doctors’ registrations.
The Advocate General, Mr C.V. Mohan Reddy, informed the court that the doctors may call off their agitation as most of their demands were accepted by the government. Earlier in the day, a delegation of the junior doctors met Chief Minister Rajasekhar Reddy and explained their problems. Dr Rajasekhar Reddy asked them to call off the strike and promised to consider their demands.
The Chief Minister condemned the attack on the junior doctors and assured security at all hospitals. Meanwhile in New Delhi union health minister for health and family welfare, Mr Anbumani Ramadoss, warned the striking doctors that their medical practice licences will be cancelled if they do not resume duties.
Mr Ramadoss criticised the AIIMS resident doctors for extending support to the striking junior medicos of Niloufer Hospital. The minister reiterated that the one-year rural stay within the stipulated five-and-half-year course is mandatory for every doctor.
Ramadoss threatens to cancel docs’ licences
Hyderabad Dec. 11: The Andhra Pradesh High court voiced concern over the ongoing strike by the junior doctors of Niloufer Hospital and directed representatives to appear before it without fail on Wednesday by 10.30 am. The court said arrest warrants would be issued against the representatives if they do not appear before it.
Chief Justice Bilal Nazki said the court had served a notice to G. Raju, president of Junior Doctors Association, but they have not got any response. Justice Nazki observed: "It seems they don’t abide by the law. Continuing the strike is nothing but blackmailing. The court will not allow this." The bench also warned it would recommend to the Medical Council of India (MCI) to cancel the doctors’ registrations.
The Advocate General, Mr C.V. Mohan Reddy, informed the court that the doctors may call off their agitation as most of their demands were accepted by the government. Earlier in the day, a delegation of the junior doctors met Chief Minister Rajasekhar Reddy and explained their problems. Dr Rajasekhar Reddy asked them to call off the strike and promised to consider their demands.
The Chief Minister condemned the attack on the junior doctors and assured security at all hospitals. Meanwhile in New Delhi union health minister for health and family welfare, Mr Anbumani Ramadoss, warned the striking doctors that their medical practice licences will be cancelled if they do not resume duties.
Mr Ramadoss criticised the AIIMS resident doctors for extending support to the striking junior medicos of Niloufer Hospital. The minister reiterated that the one-year rural stay within the stipulated five-and-half-year course is mandatory for every doctor.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Doc strike on despite Court rap
Doc strike on despite Court rap
Hyderabad, Dec. 7: Junior doctors have decided to continue their agitation over the alleged attack on one of their colleagues by MIM MLA Afsar Khan, even as the AP High Court warned of action against them and the 12th additional chief metropolitan Magistrate asked the Nampally police to register an attempt to murder case against Mr Afsar Khan and 29 others.
The decision to continue on the warpath was taken at a meeting of the AP Junior Doctors Association held here on Friday evening. “We are not going to call off the strike till our demands are met,” said APJDA state president, Dr G. Raju. He demanded that Mr Afsar Khan should be arrested under non bailable charges and the government should move an ordinance to protect doctors. “We are going to represent to the Speaker again to disqualify him,” said Raju.
On Friday, doctors conducted dharna at Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences demanding the arrest of Mr Afsar Khan. Meanwhile, the AP High Court on Friday observed it would not allow the agitation to go on at the cost of the lives of poor patients. “If junior doctors of Niloufer hospital continue their strike the court may direct the State Government to initiate action against them,” said a division bench comprising of acting Chief Justice Bilal Nazki and Justice Ramesh Ranganathan.
The bench was dealing with a Public Interest Litigation filed by an advocate urging the court to restrain senior doctors from joining the strike. Justice Nazki asked the Advocate General, Mr C.V. Mohan Reddy, whether there were any provisions for taking action against the striking doctors. The AG said that government could ask the Medical Council of India to suspend their registration.
However, he termed as false media reports about increasing number of child deaths in Niloufer Hospital after the strike began. Mr Mohan Reddy pointed out that the average mortality rate per day in the hospital was 10 and the average admission was 97 patients per day. During the strike, the mortality rate was 5 and admission 76 per day, he added. The case was posted to Tuesday.
Hyderabad, Dec. 7: Junior doctors have decided to continue their agitation over the alleged attack on one of their colleagues by MIM MLA Afsar Khan, even as the AP High Court warned of action against them and the 12th additional chief metropolitan Magistrate asked the Nampally police to register an attempt to murder case against Mr Afsar Khan and 29 others.
The decision to continue on the warpath was taken at a meeting of the AP Junior Doctors Association held here on Friday evening. “We are not going to call off the strike till our demands are met,” said APJDA state president, Dr G. Raju. He demanded that Mr Afsar Khan should be arrested under non bailable charges and the government should move an ordinance to protect doctors. “We are going to represent to the Speaker again to disqualify him,” said Raju.
On Friday, doctors conducted dharna at Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences demanding the arrest of Mr Afsar Khan. Meanwhile, the AP High Court on Friday observed it would not allow the agitation to go on at the cost of the lives of poor patients. “If junior doctors of Niloufer hospital continue their strike the court may direct the State Government to initiate action against them,” said a division bench comprising of acting Chief Justice Bilal Nazki and Justice Ramesh Ranganathan.
The bench was dealing with a Public Interest Litigation filed by an advocate urging the court to restrain senior doctors from joining the strike. Justice Nazki asked the Advocate General, Mr C.V. Mohan Reddy, whether there were any provisions for taking action against the striking doctors. The AG said that government could ask the Medical Council of India to suspend their registration.
However, he termed as false media reports about increasing number of child deaths in Niloufer Hospital after the strike began. Mr Mohan Reddy pointed out that the average mortality rate per day in the hospital was 10 and the average admission was 97 patients per day. During the strike, the mortality rate was 5 and admission 76 per day, he added. The case was posted to Tuesday.
Court asks police to book MLA
Court asks police to book MLA
Hyderabad Dec. 7: A city court on Friday asked police to register an ‘attempt to murder’ case against MIM MLA, Mr Afsar Khan, and 29 others for attacking a doctor of the Niloufer Hospital. The 12th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate also asked the Nampally police to register a case against the MLA and his followers for outraging the modesty of women.
Mr N. Suresh Babu, a junior doctor of Niloufer Hospital, had filed a complaint in the court stating that the MLA and his henchmen stormed into the hospital on December 2 and attacked Dr Praveen Chander. The petitioner alleged that the MLA’s followers pushed other doctors and misbehaved with the women doctors.
He further said that that the MLA threatened to set the doctors ablaze after pouring petrol on them. The counsel for the petitioner, Mr Ramachandra Rao, told the court that the MLA’s intention was to kill the doctors since he came with 30 goons armed with knives. After hearing the arguments, the magistrate, Mr Lateef-Ur-Rehman, asked the Nampally police to register cases and investigate. Meanwhile, junior doctors of Osmania Medical College, Koti, lodged a complaint with the Sultan Bazar police over the alleged assault of the college security guards on Thursday night.
The medicos said that some unidentified people beat up the security guards on duty with stones and lathis. The injured guards were taken to Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences by the junior doctors for treatment.Police officials said that the junior doctors had not asked the Sultan Bazar police picket that was posted inside the Osmania Medical College premises for security. They said they doubted the claims of the junior doctors and that only one security guard, Haribabu, was injured.
Hyderabad Dec. 7: A city court on Friday asked police to register an ‘attempt to murder’ case against MIM MLA, Mr Afsar Khan, and 29 others for attacking a doctor of the Niloufer Hospital. The 12th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate also asked the Nampally police to register a case against the MLA and his followers for outraging the modesty of women.
Mr N. Suresh Babu, a junior doctor of Niloufer Hospital, had filed a complaint in the court stating that the MLA and his henchmen stormed into the hospital on December 2 and attacked Dr Praveen Chander. The petitioner alleged that the MLA’s followers pushed other doctors and misbehaved with the women doctors.
He further said that that the MLA threatened to set the doctors ablaze after pouring petrol on them. The counsel for the petitioner, Mr Ramachandra Rao, told the court that the MLA’s intention was to kill the doctors since he came with 30 goons armed with knives. After hearing the arguments, the magistrate, Mr Lateef-Ur-Rehman, asked the Nampally police to register cases and investigate. Meanwhile, junior doctors of Osmania Medical College, Koti, lodged a complaint with the Sultan Bazar police over the alleged assault of the college security guards on Thursday night.
The medicos said that some unidentified people beat up the security guards on duty with stones and lathis. The injured guards were taken to Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences by the junior doctors for treatment.Police officials said that the junior doctors had not asked the Sultan Bazar police picket that was posted inside the Osmania Medical College premises for security. They said they doubted the claims of the junior doctors and that only one security guard, Haribabu, was injured.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
AP High Court ‘sees’ proof of RTC graft
By S A Ishaqui
Hyderabad Dec. 7: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday said there were many discrepancies and irregularities in the ad hoc contracts given to firms for fabrication of bodies of APSRTC’s express buses.
A division bench consisting of acting chief justice Bilal Nazki and Ramesh Ranganathan made this observation after perusing the tender evaluation forms submitted by APSRTC.
The bench had on Thursday asked the standing counsel of APSRTC to submit tender evaluation forms. After reviewing them, the judges said that it required investigation by the police. “Why have you awarded the works on ad hoc basis without finalising the tenders?” asked the judges. “In some cases you have given contract to build the body of one bus and some cases you have given contract for more than a dozen buses. Why these discrepancies?”
The standing counsel informed the court that APSRTC has awarded contracts to about 13approved firms to build the bodies of 983 buses. The case was posted to Monday.
Hyderabad Dec. 7: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday said there were many discrepancies and irregularities in the ad hoc contracts given to firms for fabrication of bodies of APSRTC’s express buses.
A division bench consisting of acting chief justice Bilal Nazki and Ramesh Ranganathan made this observation after perusing the tender evaluation forms submitted by APSRTC.
The bench had on Thursday asked the standing counsel of APSRTC to submit tender evaluation forms. After reviewing them, the judges said that it required investigation by the police. “Why have you awarded the works on ad hoc basis without finalising the tenders?” asked the judges. “In some cases you have given contract to build the body of one bus and some cases you have given contract for more than a dozen buses. Why these discrepancies?”
The standing counsel informed the court that APSRTC has awarded contracts to about 13approved firms to build the bodies of 983 buses. The case was posted to Monday.
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