Students from War-torn Countries Flock to Hyderabad

Foreign students see the city as an island of peace that lets them pursue their higher studies 

After arriving in Hyderabad from Gaza Strip, the first thing that Mohammed Ahmed Alsaiqali wanted to see was the Golconda Fort. The rugged old rock castle reminded him of his war-torn country's landscape. He has left that behind and arrived here with a hope for a better future. The next most enticing place for him is his place of study — Osmania University. 

Like him, many other students from war—torn countries are increasingly turning to Hyderabad for their higher studies. 

Another student, Masood Zalmai, who has come to study linguistics in Hyderabad from Kabul, shares, "There's nothing left in my country. Peace and safety do not exist. Our family did not move to Pakistan like other families. During the Soviet occupation, the civil war started, and I lost many family members in one of the attacks. I took up small jobs and somehow kept on studying. Now, here I am in Hyderabad, studying with nationals from other countries. I feel safe here." 

Post—Taliban era life is still very difficult in Afghanistan. It is slowly recuperating from the troubled times of militancy and civil war. "You can see girls studying in the makeshift refugee classrooms. But the teachers are not that really qualified," Zalmai adds. 

Many foreign students from Middle East, Central Asia and Africa find India an economical destination for higher studies, and at the same time, it is peaceful and calm.Ahmed Fuad Musawa from Yemen, who is studying Masters in English Literature, says, "The situation in Yemen is not stable. There's a crisis and it has affected everyone big time. I don't know how the situation will be when I go back to my country. The teachers in my country have studied here. I heard a lot about Hyderabad and India from my teachers in Yemen, and that's why I am here." 

Each year, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) gives over 3,000 scholarships to foreign students, especially from countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Iran, Yemen, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Syria and African countries. G Laxmi, the regional er of ICCR at Hyderabad, says, "For the current academic year, we have received 1,500 confirmed admission applications based on scholarships. Moreover, the education ministries of these countries choose universities in Hyderabad as the preferred study destination. The scholarships take care of the students' travel, rent, tuition fees and everything else as well as their stipend." Mir Ahmad Zabih from Afghanistan, who is pursuing MA in political science from Osmania University says, "I received a stipend of Rs 11,000 after I received the scholarship. I can relate to the culture very well. Many students from my country are here and we share a rented flat in Habsiguda which is easy for our budget." 

Hyderabad is an island of peace for Alsaiqali in contrast to Gaza. He still shivers while narrating the bombardment of Gaza. "Education was out of question. 'Life' was the first priority. When I came to India in 1989, getting a permission to study wasn't easy. I landed here and experienced what peace is. Our cultures are so similar, so I didn't feel out of place here. I eventually got married to an Indian woman here and have children too.However, I am still worried about my family in Gaza Strip and tribe who have to live in fear," he says, adding, "After Pune, Hyderabad is the second most favoured city for us." At present, he is completing his PhD in Microbiology from OU. One can see a huge crowd of students from different nations flocking the University Foreign Relations Office (UFRO), Osmania University. C Venugopal Rao, the director informs, "Students from Iraq and African countries like Sudan face a lot of visa problems. We extend the duration for them so that they can continue their studies. This year, we have received 450 scholarship applications for OU." 

Many such students choose to study Masters and then enroll for a doctorate. Some of them are in their mid or late 30s. Thanks to the volatile political situation in their country, they do not get a chance to study further. 

Ali Hashim Muhammadi from Iraq informs, "This is my only chance to study. Because of the crisis in Iraq, I had to wait for a long time. Most of the instructors and teachers have fled from my country." He sighs, "We hope for the best, but the reality appears to be different."

Desserts Royal Style

The City of Pearls has always offered an assortment of desserts to choose from for the food connoisseurs. From the ubiquitous soft, gooey apricot dessert Khubaani ka Meetha to milky and the understated delight Elaneer Payasam, the latticed sweet Baadam Kii Jaali, Urusa Halwa made of beetroots and age-old bread pudding called Double Ka Meetha… traditional Hyderabadi sweets have always been around. But now, the luxury restaurants in Hyderabad are giving them a special touch by adding choicest of ingredients. Even the calorie-counting celebs, super busy top bureaucrats and politicians can’t finish their meals without opting for these sweet cravings. We present to you the vast array that luxury hotels and plush restaurants in Hyderabad have to offer.

Khubaani Ka Meetha

No scrumptious dinner or lunch in Hyderabad is ever complete without a bowlful of cooked apricots dripping in syrup and topped with dollops of ice cream or thick layers of cream. Well, whenever a celebrities land in Taj Deccan, Banjara Hills, the demand that chefs get for satisfying their sweet cravings is of King of Desserts: Khubani Ka Meetha. Dried apricots are cooked on very slow heat in sugar syrup for three – four hours till they are tender and get a sheen like glass. And when the dish is served it’s kept plain and simple. Executive chef Rishi tells us, “Simplicity is the key. I just let the apricots soak in sugar syrup till the right amount of time. We top it with cream and serve.” No wonder then other hotels of Taj Group follow suit. But it’s the guests who have the gala time. The price for the sweet dish is ` 225 ++ taxes. Details: 040 66663939

Urusa Halwa

Urusa Halwa is an old Nizami recipe. Since it is made with beetroot, the sweet is maroon in colour. This is a much favoured dish of Taj Falaknuma Palace. Chef Sajesh Nair prepares it with beetroot cubes, milk, ghee, sugar and cardamom powder. He says, “The name is derived from the Arabic word uroos which also means celebrations.” Urusa is an Arabic word which means bride. Perhaps because of the colour, the
halwa has been named so. It’s priced at `540 ++ taxes. Before serving, they adorn it with chandi ka varaq. Details: 040 66298585

Shahi Tukda

Yes, it’s that bread delicacy dipped in thickened milk with a dash of saffron and crunchy nuts. Better known as Double Ka Meetha, it gets this name because the dough rises to double its size on being baked. Triangles of golden fried bread are left to cook in condensed milk with saffron and cardamom. That’s how it gets its deep golden yellow colour. The dish is decorated with chandi ka varaq (silver leaf) and served with a dash of pistachios and almonds. Executive chef Agnimitra Sharma of Hotel Park Hyatt, Banjara Hills, informs, “It’s mostly the expats who swear by this dish.” 

Baadam Kii Jaali

It is a dish with calligraphy. Yes, you heard it right. Inspired from the lattice in the windows of old palaces, this royal sweet has lacunae that are nothing but calligraphic works in Nastaliq script. The result? A delicious and beautiful pattern of sweetmeat. Made with almond powder and sugar Baadam Kii Jaali is sold by kilos. Earlier available only with age-old recipe knowing people in the crooked lanes of Old City now it is available on plush platter of Hotel ITC Kakatiya. Informs executive chef Paul, “I bake Baadam Kii Jaali in the oven for a subtle flavour. The final product turns golden yellow.” For a royal finish, he adds layers of chandi ka varaq (silver leaf) on top of the sweet. He doesn’t mention names, but asserts that his guests swear by this sweet. It is an exclusive item not available on the menu and is prepared on request. 

Hyderabad Times Impact — Child Rights panel takes action after reading Hyderabad Times report

The story of young boys made to beg during Ganesh puja, carried in Hyderabad Times on Sept 5, titled 'The agony of boys painted like toys', has moved the authorities to take action. The State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) has called for a meeting with the Police Commisionerate and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation to issue guidelines to curb child begging and trafficking in Hyderabad. 

"We are issuing guidelines to the Police Commisionerate and GHMC to come together and curb this menace. A task force will be formed to rescue child beggars from the clutches of their fake parents," said Achutya Rao, member SCPCR. "After we read the story in Hyderabad Times, we saw the need for immediate rescue of children painted in silver near the puja pandals. We have sent squads to different parts of the city to nab these fake parents. No parent, by rule, is allowed to force hisher child into begging. If she does that, she is liable to imprisonment," he said "The children will be taken to hospital and given treatment as the paint applied on them is toxic. The first action has to be taken by the traffic cops," Rao explained. "These beggars keep roaming around traffic islands, so traf fic cops have to swing into action first. If a traffic cop sees a person holding a child and begging or little children begging, he needs to inform the SHO of the nearest law and order Police station. There's a mafia that's working behind it. We need to sensitise public so that they stop supporting the cruel exploitation of children in the name of giving alms."

Agony of Beggar Children Painted Like Toys

Ganesh Puja is a time for festivities, but for some kids near the Khairatabad Puja pandal, it is a cruel trick of fate. 

On a sunny afternoon, near the tall idol of Ganesh at Khairatabad, is a child painted in silver with spectacles and dhoti sitting on a torn blanket. The boy may not be more than eight and could barely speak as passersby threw coins on the cloth on which he was sitting. Around him, is an air of carnival as worshippers push and shove, some gape at him, some don't even give him a second glance and move on. The boy painted in silver varnish is not the only one on the road leading to the Khairatabad idol - there are more waiting at other spots. 

Thirst above all The serpentine queues push and jostle towards the enormous towering idol at the pandal. And quite naturally, after crossing the rail track of Khairatabad, the first thing that catches people's eye is the child in silver paint. These small children, aged between seven and 10, are made to sit for hours in the sun. And in the evening, as the footfalls rise, they even 'perform' for the 'demanding' crowd. 

When we speak, the boy barely manages to mumble, "I sit from 8.30 in the morning till 6 in the evening. The paint tastes bitter when it enters my mouth." 

He is not supposed to move as his job is to sit still and catch the attention of the festival revelers. Some people sit near him, some poke him, touch him, to see if he's real and treat him like a festival toy. 

He does not go to school and comes to the pandal every morning with his grandmother. He says, "My body burns all the time. I get to eat only after it is dark." When we hand him a drink, the thirsty child immediately grabs it and gulps it down till the last drop. Ironically, there are several traffic cops posted there to manage the crowd, but they appear to have more pressing things at hand. When questioned, they shrug and move away. 

An amusement toy? 

A troupe of 15-16 such children is forced into begging and performing when the puja time comes. Reason? More people, more money! The little boy's grandmother in a South Bihar accent says, "We do it once a year. We have to earn our living. We are poor labourers." She confesses that she herself paints the child. "It takes almost an hour. But I wipe the paint off with the pallu of my sari," she adds. 

Malati, a hawker selling cheap plastic flowers, says, "You should see them early in the morning when they come with all their children. Some of them are then sent to Necklace Road and others to Lower Tank Bund." Many such children can be seen begging and performing at different places all the year round. Ratheesh, who is a tea vendor, informs, "The paint that these people procure is mostly from factories. Of course, they are not going to buy dabbawalla paint!" 

Dr Subha Dharamana, a cosmetic dermatologist, warns, "Harmful substances present in such paints can be toxic. There can be mercury, zinc and lead present that can cause severe damage in a small child. The child can even get cancer or tumour if the paint goes inside his body." 

Sudarshan, one of the organisers of the Khairatabad Ganesh Puja Utsav Committee says, "These people come on their own. We have nothing to do with it." There is little hope of the plight getting better. Amal Raja, team member of Child Welfare Committee (CWC) says, "When we get to hear about these children we send our team and rescue them. The persons involved are liable to be punished." 

Anxious Wait for a Word from Kashmir

It has been two days since Hina Kaul heard her brother's voice. As the news of flood spread, her brother Ishfaque Kaul, tried to get in touch with his parents in Kashmir Valley for two days, and then caught a flight to Srinagar armed with medicines, blankets and packed food. Her parents are cut off from civilisation in their Naseem Bagh house, Srinagar. "He was searching frantically for them, but now, there's no contact with him also," Hina, a PG student at Osmania University sobs. Her friends have gathered at her Narayanguda home to comfort her. Hina and her brother came to Hyderabad for studies, and their parents, who stayed back in Srinagar, were happy to see their children their pursuing higher education. 

But Hina's story is not an isolated one. There are many other Kashmiris who are in Hyderabad praying for the safety of their dear ones back home. Samia Farheen has not heard from her brother Mohammed Zahid, who lives in Anantnag. "I have been trying to get in touch desperately. There are some social media groups that are active, and people are trying to help me reach out to my brother through phone." The only relief that she had was about hearing from her friend Huzaifa Pandit who lives in Chaanpura, Srinagar. "All he could say in a few seconds was that he's well and safe, but there is no water to drink. Then the phone went dead," she says teary-eyed, recalling her visits to the banks of serene Jhelum River. "We never thought the river will vent its fury on us like this. The bowl shaped Valley has now become a trap for Kashmiris," she says. 

Samar Banerjee, who lives in Madhapur, had bought a pearl necklace for the bride-to-be of his friend Rahman Malik in Sopore. He was all set to go to Kashmir and enjoy the grand wedding.But now, all his plans have been dashed; he has been able to locate his friend, and some of his relatives, thanks to the hyper-active social media. "I got hold of a Bangalore number. The person in Bangalore connected me to another guy in Delhi and finally, I managed to speak with Rahman, who said he's been rescued along with his mother and sister.They could save nothing from their twostoried house. Everything is destroyed.Because of the chill, his father now has fever, and at present, all they need is water-purifying tablets and medicines," says a worried Samar. "My friend and other people in the area need to be evacuated as Wular Lake is nearby and the Dal Lake is already rising," adds Samar. 

What they need 

We have been inundated with calls after our story -`City reaches out to Kashmir flood victims' - published we did on September 11, 2014. The calls have been from people who want to donate and reach out to people in the Valley. So, here's a list of things you can donate for the flood victims. 

Medicines 

Disinfectants, hand sanitizers, first aid bandages, betadine, syringes, needles, ORS masks, anti-allergic, medicines (for cough, cold, fever, malaria, asthma, skin irritation, pain killers and more) etc. 

Others 

Bleach powder, ropes, rubber boots, undergarments, chlorine tablets, water proof bags, toothpaste, tents, mats, delivery kits, torch, candles with matchboxes, mosquito repellents, old working mobile phones with chargers etc. 

Food 

Ready to eat food items, milk powder, dry food,juice,biscuits etc.Here are the numbers you can call to make contributions: 9866916734 or 7675043509.

Women Commuters Cheer for Segregation in the Buses

Most Hyderabadi to women have an experience or two to share when they commute in city buses. Some carry Swiss knives, some pepper sprays and some use umbrellas to keep pesky men at bay. This sense of insecurity may become a thing of past, if the pilot run of TSRTC succeeds. On the first day of the trial run with the partial partitions installed on a bus plying between Secunderabad and Afzal gunj, women reclaimed their space. The fourth seat from the front has a sheet of fiberglass behind it, the aisle is not blocked. But this demarcation seems to be more than enough as men did not cross the line as they usually do. The women appeared happy with the arrangement on bus no 8A. 

All about mental comfort 

Lavanya, a girl in her 20s was travelling to her office in Afzalgunj and seemed happy that now she can sit comfortably without men crowding the women's area. "I am a regular commuter. A couple of days ago it was over-crowded," she said. Pointing to the crowded men's section she added, "Complete partition may create problems for the conductor to move. But it's a real relief. Some men actually stand so close that you feel uncomfortable and if you ask them to move aside they throw a fit. It's so irritating at times." 

In the offing 

At present, only one bus with partition is plying via route 8A. RTC officials say more number of buses will be introduced with the partition. Aparna Kalyani, an RTC official at Ranigunj shares that because of the long festive season there's slight delay in bringing all the buses on the road. "By October 8, seven more buses will be plying this route. For other routes, talks are going on." 

The bus has seats for handicapped and senior citizens as usual near the main entrance. We spoke to the conductor Surya who also felt different. He shared, "Many times women would call me to complain about certain male passengers who would stand too close to them. Am glad it will not happen now." Saying this, he went over to the male section, asking the standing men not to come inside the women's section. 

Mixed reactions 

But here also there is a difference of opinion. Garima Rao, a student at Koti Women's College, travelling in the bus told us, "It's good to see such initiatives but when the bus gets overcrowded will these people not come to this section? Why can't there be a rule that a certain number of passengers can only board the bus! And if anything of that sort is there why it's not implemented?" Men argued that making women feel uncomfortable by getting closer to their seats is sometimes not their choice. Ahmed Fazal, who boarded the bus from Moazzam Jahi Market said, "What if the bus halts all of a sudden? Do we not kind of fall forward? Does it not happen to women? I agree that some men do it deliberately. Good this partition thing has come up." 

The 30-minute journey from Secunderabad to Afzalgunj came to an end with many women walking away with a smile.

Splash of Colours and Memories

If the Salar Jung Museum showcased the works of Bombay Progressive Artists — namely Syed Hasan Raza, MF Husain, FN Souza, Ram Kinker Baij, Jamini Roy and others — an art gallery in Jubilee Hills came alive with the works of eminent contemporary artists of Hyderabad, right from 1950 to 2014. Called 'Ramaniyam 2014', this was a three-day tribute to the grand old man of arts and letters in Hyderabad — Jagdish Mittal. The exhibition ended on October 12.

Thota Vaikuntam's rural woman in oil, neo-tantric elements woven in PT Reddy's 'We Two' painted way back in 1966, to Laxman Aelay's 'Komurayya' painted in 2014, it was a celebration of art and artists of Hyderabad to mark Jagdish Mittal's 90th birthday. Mittal is better known for the finesse of his pahari style and the repository that he has built in Hyderabad.

From the maestros' brush

"Art has always blossomed in different forms, and in what better way can it be celebrated than by presenting the same on one platform," said Thota Vaikuntam, with the backdrop of his 1982 painting showing a dusky woman of Telangana, in hues of blazing orange and yellow. The vibrant simplicity of Vaikuntam ran parallel to the etchings of his fellow artist, Laxma Goud. "I don't care if people don't appreciate my work. I come from a rural place and that reflects in my works. I have tried tracing the signs of our own heritage through the works painted during the revivalism of Bengal," said Laxma, who's known for the streak of eroticism that runs through his work, and which was on display at the gallery in his 1974 work.

Is art taking a new shape?

This question loomed large and there were multiple answers. A look at Fawad Tamkanat's acrylic on canvas transported onlookers to the sleepy cityscape. However, the shades of blue that filled geometric shapes of houses glinted from the dull topography that they were built on. The sky and water body reflected typical blue shades used by Picasso. Another oil painting by Surya Prakash was a mishmash of red representing the surreal strokes of a floral landscape. He thinks that Hyderabad is still very young and has long way to go. He shared, "To a great extent, the artists here have done great work. But this does not mean the art scenario here is much enriched if we talk about young artists. They have to learn a lot." Pointing to a vibrant painting titled 'Komurayya' painted by Laxman Aelay he added, "This one painting is very symbolic of Telangana struggle. The colours of revolution are bright in the orange headgear of the old man holding a green bidi."
The experience was best summed up in the words of Jagdish Mittal, "Art is alive in me as it is in the hearts of every artist. When I look back and glance at the collection today, I feel good that the lines and dots are not dying, but taking new shapes."