Revision as of 17:41, 14 February 2019

2018

‘Sarpa shanti yagna’ after spate of snake bites

U Sudhakarreddy, AP to conduct ‘sarpa shanti yagna’ after spate of snake bites, August 27, 2018: The Times of India

With two dead and 100 villagers in hospital after suffering snake bites in Diviseema of Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh, the state endowments department is making arrangements for conducting ‘sarpa shanti yagna’ (ritual to appease the snake God) at Sri Subrahmanyeswara Swamy Temple in Mopidevi on August 29.

Apart from supplying anti-venom and snake repellent chemicals and launching campaigns on how to avoid snake bites, the Krishna district authorities have decided to invoke the divine as part of ‘psychosocial care’ in fearstricken coastal Diviseema.

Speaking to TOI, Krishna district collector and magistrate B Lakshmikantham said, “Locals along with endowments department are conducting a ‘sarpa yagam’. This will boost the morale of locals”. The district collector said, “So far one died at Avanigadda and another at Gannavaram. And around 100 cases of snake bites have been reported since July. Now, with steps in place, cases are coming down.”

Assistant commissioner of endowments department and executive officer of Sri Subrahmanyeswara Swamy temple M Sharada told TOI, “At least 15 priests will conduct the government-sponsored homam. Sarpa Suktam will be recited.” The district administration deployed two snake catchers for each village and in two days, they caught six snakes. Revenue, forest and agriculture department officers were roped in. Lakshmikantham said, “We are also giving Rs 2000 to each affected family.”

Friend of Snakes Society general secretary Avinash Viswanathan said, “It’s not rational to do ‘sarpa shanti homam’. The problem can be solved by taking precautionary measures.”

2019

Why TDP & Congress are ‘frenemies’ in AP, Delhi

Subodh Ghildiyal, Why TDP & Congress are ‘frenemies’ in AP, Delhi, February 13, 2019: The Times of India

Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s visit to TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu’s protest after the two parties decided against an alliance in the southern state underlines the curious case of political cooperation between arch-foesturned-close-partners.

From its roots in anti-Congressism, Naidu reversed gears to join hands with Congress in Telangana elections in December with the understanding of extending the partnership to AP. But the brief dalliance has ended up in divorce. Sources said Naidu was jolted by TRS’s sweep in Telangana where CM K Chandrasekhara Rao went after his “anti-statehood” image. Naidu was part of the Congress-led “mahakutumi”.

The Telangana results are learnt to have put doubts in the TDP chief’s mind about allying with Congress which bifurcated Andhra Pradesh . The popular anger against division of state wiped Congress out of existence in 2014. It remains a marginal player five years on.

If rival YSR Congress was to focus on Naidu tying up with “villain” Congress, it could hurt the TDP.It was on Naidu’s suggestion that the two parties decided against a pact for simultaneous polls to AP assembly and Lok Sabha. The Congress failure to tie up with TDP has resulted in former Union minister Kishore Chandra Deo quitting the party.

However, as far as nuances go, the TDP-Congress dalliance appears too blunt together under the flashlights in the national capital even as they stay apart in Andhra.