Hands that swing cradle can also climb areca palms!
Chandralekha of Jalsoor masters art of climbing areca trees
In every step of their life, women have been time and again proving themselves that they are equally confident and efficient at par with their male counterparts. Now, it is the time of spraying chemical to areca palms. A woman from Sullia has mastered the art of climbing areca palms and spraying pesticide to the trees.
There was a time when woman used to stay within the four walls of the house. But in modern era, the women have come out of all kinds of barriers and proved themselves as efficient as their male counterparts in most of the works. So far, climbing areca palms and spraying pesticide was limited to men as it was believed that only men could do that work. But now, that assumption is changed. Chandralekha of Adkar Konadka Padavu in Jalsoor village has mastered the art of climbing the areca tree.
After her husband Sundar Gowda’s death around 16 years ago, Chandralekha has been living with daughter Nishmitha at Konadka Padavu. Believing that no one could defeat her spirit, she joined for a job at KVG Medical College. Three years ago, her sister Ratnavati and brother-in-law Ananda Gowda at Aletti Nagapattana suffered a lot due to fungal disease to areca palms. As Ananda Gowda was aged, he could not climb areca trees and he hardly get labourers to spray the pesticide. Though he has purchased areca tree climbing machine, there was no one to do that work.
Observing all these, Chandralekha understood her efficiency and started climbing the areca trees and spraying pesticide with the help of machine. Since three years, leaving aside her shyness and embarrassment, she has been climbing the areca trees and spraying the pesticide. She would spray the pesticide for 600 areca palms within two days. Her sister, brother-in-law, and their children Naveen and Thriveni help her in spraying the pesticide. Not only at her sister’s plantation, she goes to other areca plantations to spray the pesticide. Besides her job at Medical College, she does peeling of areca and other works. Her daughter Nishmitha is studying her PUC in Mangaluru.
“Areca nuts were falling from the trees due to fungal disease as the pesticide was not sprayed. I was disappointed to see that. For the last three years, I have been spraying the pesticide to areca trees. I found protecting the areca crop was important than shyness, embarrassment and fear. Now, everyone appreciates my work. I have the satisfaction of doing a special work”, said Chandralekha.
Her brother-in-law Anand Gowda said that “It is very difficult to get people to spray pesticide. Knowing this difficulty, I have purchased the areca tree climbing machine. But we were unable to spray the pesticide using that machine. Chandralekha has done that work. When she came forward to climb the trees and spray the pesticide, we all supported her”, he added.
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T'gana RTC strike: Talks between govt, employees successful
Hyderabad (PTI): Talks between employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) who were on strike and the state government concluded successfully on Friday as the government agreed to the key demands of the workmen.
Following a day-long marathon of talks between the leaders of the employees' Joint Action Committee (JAC) and the cabinet sub-committee, the government announced after midnight that it acceded to the demands, including a merger of RTC with the government, 11 per cent pay revision and elections to the employees' unions.
A committee comprising officials and employee leaders would be appointed over the merger of RTC with the government, it said.
The RTC management has also agreed to address the remaining issues as well, an official release said.
The employees would call off their strike and the RTC buses would hit the roads shortly, it said.
The employees had been on an indefinite strike since April 22 over a series of demands, including the merger of RTC with the government.
Earlier in the day, a driver of the RTC, who attempted suicide on April 23 during the strike, died at a hospital here in the early hours of Friday.
Shankar Goud, a 55-year-old driver, set himself ablaze by pouring petrol at Narsampet in Warangal district when the employees were staging a protest on Thursday in support of their demands.
Goud suffered serious burns, was initially admitted to a state-run hospital in Warangal, and later shifted to a super-speciality hospital in Hyderabad for advanced treatment.
"He succumbed (to injuries) at about 1.30 am on Friday," a senior official said.
The driver’s body was taken to his relative’s village, Muttojipet in Warangal district, for funeral rites.
Tension prevailed in Muttojipet as his family members and RTC employees attempted to take the body to the Narsampet bus station, where he worked, to enable his colleagues to pay their last respects. However, police did not permit this, citing law-and-order concerns.
This led to a deadlock before the funeral could proceed.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar criticised the Telangana government for not allowing the body to be taken to the Narsampet bus station.
Kumar, Minister of State (Home), visited Muttojipet village in Warangal district, where the funeral was held, and paid homage to Goud.
“They (family members) want to take the body to the bus depot for five minutes. Is the RTC bus depot in Pakistan or Bangladesh? They are emotionally attached to taking the body there. The government is hurting sentiments and creating fear among RTC employees,” Kumar told reporters.
He also expressed anger at the police for not allowing the body to be taken to the bus station and staged a protest, according to a release from his office.
RTC employees and BJP workers attempted to take the mortal remains in an ambulance to Narsampet, but were stopped by the police.
Later, after discussions with the police, the family members and RTC employees agreed to conduct the funeral in the village.
Sanjay Kumar, stating he would abide by the family’s decision, left the village after the funeral was conducted there.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh, a house, and a government job would be provided to the kin of Goud.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the employee’s death and conveyed deep condolences to the grieving family, according to the release.
The RTC employees’ JAC had earlier announced an agitation programme from April 24 to 29, including silent marches and submission of memorandums to MLAs and other leaders.
