Chandrababu Naidu in the saddle

HYDERABAD is becoming another metropolis — congested with heavy vehicular traffic, large buildings, fancy department stores and five-star hotels. Since Chandrababu started building more fly-overs, widening roads, and generally modernising the city, Hyderabad though looking slicker, is fast losing its individuality of a laid-back, slow-moving city with lakes and rock-strewn hills basking in an atmosphere of timelessness. It used to be called Bhagyanagar before it became Hyderabad. Since computer-obsessed Chandrababu became its ruler, it has begun to be called Cyber Nagar.

In the evening Uma Rostogi and her family dropped in to see me. So did Harbans Singh who runs the biggest poultry farm in the state. The talk turned to Chandrababu Naidu. All spoke very warmly of his modernistic approach to his job: no garlands to greet VIPs, no sycophantic speeches, no time-wasting orations — only work. And top priorities for things that touch common people: good roads, reliable electric power, potable water. Harbans Singh gave an example of how things have changed in Chandrababu’s time. His vans carrying chickens to the market were often stopped by the police who demanded money. At times vans were delayed by a few hours and the entire stock made unedible. In sheer desperation he sent a note to the Chief Minister’s office expecting nothing. Within an hour, police officers were at Harbans Singh’s doorstep asking to be forgiven. Naidu’s message had percolated down to his staff: If any citizen is harassed by the police, their officers have to answer for it. "Naidu does not indulge in politicking till a few months before election time," said Harbans Singh. "The rest of the time it is work, work, work. At long last, the people of Andhra Pradesh have a ruler they can rely on."

At dinner at Lakshmi Narayan Rao’s home among the many guests were two senior police officers. The conversation naturally turned to the incidence of crime in and around Hyderabad. "Only the Naxalites in some areas," answered one. "The rest is the same. Family feuds over property, revenge killings and that kind of thing."I asked how much does it cost to get a chap bumped off?" "Depends on who it is," he replied, "anything between Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 or more if it is a VIP."

"Any sensational crimes of passion?" I asked. Shankar Melkote took over. He narrated it in dramatic detail. The case of a handsome officer who shot a fellow for taking liberties with his wife. It sounded very much like the slaying of Ahuja by Captain Nanavati many years ago in Bombay. The sentence was equally light.

Words of wisdom from Tamil Nadu

The north-south divide hit me hard when last week I read Tirukkural for the first time. I had heard of it but was not sure if it was the name of a book or its author. Apparently, it is the title of the work; the author’s name was Tiruvalluvar. The short preface to the translation by V.V.S. Aiyar does not give much information; besides stating that he was a weaver belonging to "the depressed classes". He tells us nothing about his place or time of birth or death. The work is described as a "Tamil Veda". As a book of wisdom Ihave not come across anything like this from northern India. It deals with a large number of subjects. Starting with praise of God, it goes on to praise rain, children and love; it admonishes men who follow dictates of their wives, commit adultery, patronise prostitutes, drink liquor, eat meat and gamble; it warns people against anger and revenge; it gives advice on health and medicine; it advises rulers how to deport themselves and their subjects on decorum to be observed in court. And much else. It ends on a lively note on "What makes women desirable to men and men desirable to women’. I give a few examples from this Tamilian classic.

First comes God. "It is the starting point of the world of sound: even so is the Ancient One Supreme the Starting Point of all that exists. Of what avail is all your learning if you worship not the holy feet of Him who has perfect intelligence?" Next comes rain: "It is the unfailing fall of rain that sustains the earth: look upon it as amrit, the drink immortal of the gods. Food that is sweet to taste is the gift of rain and itself forms a part of your food. If rain should fail, famine would rage over the wide earth even though it is encircled by the oceans."

Then comes the home, the help-mate and children, hospitality, courtesy and uprightness of heart: "The Alpha and Omega of righteous life is propriety, and propriety requires that you must give everyone his due, whether he be stranger, friend or enemy." "Think before you speak," says the sage:"Whatever else you rein not in, rein your tongue for an unbridled tongue will utter foolish things and lead you to grief. Burn caused by fire heals with time; but wound caused by the tongue remains unhealed for ever."

"Among those that have fallen from virtue there is no greater fool than he who haunts the threshold of another. The adulterer knows no respite from four things; hatred, sin, fear and shame.

"The joy of revenge lasts but a day; the glory of him who forgives endures for ever," he wrote. He was harsh on meat eaters. "How can he feel pity who eats other’s flesh in order to fatten one’s own?" He disapproved of men who allow their wives to boss over them. "Those who dote upon their wives will not attain greatness." He damns prostitutes because they ‘desire a man for his gold and not for the sake of love." He abhors "men addicted to drink because they will never be feared by their enemies... nor be esteemed by men of worth." He gives sound advice on health: "the body requires no medicine if fresh food is eaten only after the old food has been digested." Of all callings, he rated agriculture as the best:"Roam where they will, men must at last stand behind the plough for their food. Despite every hardship, husbandry is the best industry."

Tiruvalluvar upheld traditional moral values. It is surprising to note that the last few chapters of his celebrated work are devoted to describing the beauty of men and women and the joys of their union. "The jewelled form appears; is it the siren of the solitudes?Or a peacock firer than its kind? Or simply a lovely maid? How would I fare with men of the fascinating siren of the solitude assent?So fares it with me when the lovely one returns my look."

Aiyar’s translation reads somewhat dated. I am sure there must be others in more colloquial English. Look out for them.

U.S. presidential might

In 1880, a former President of America, Ulysses S. Grant, and his wife paid a visit to Calcutta. One night they were entertained for dinner by the Chief Justice of the High Court.

Lord Lytton, who was Viceroy of India and present at the dinner, later wrote to a friend describing the behaviour of the Chief Guest:"On their last night at Calcutta, General Grant and "Suite" — with the exception of Mrs Grant — dined with the Chief Justice, Sir R. Garth, and Lady Garth, from whose house they embarked. On this occasion ‘Our distinguished guest’, the double ex-President of the "Great Western Republic", who got as drunk as a fiddle, showed that he could also be as profligate as a Lord... Finally, after throwing all the Garths’ female guests into hysterics by generally behaving like a mast elephant, the noble beast was captured by force and carried quatre pattes dans L’air by six sailors on board the ship which relieved India of its distinguished presence."