Fight To The Finish

ON a cool, rain-drenched morning, Murad Nagar in Old Hyderabad is gearing up for the day to unfold. Shutters open, puja bells ring, incense sticks are lit. The sweet lilt of Dakhani or Hyderabadi Hindi, made popular by comedian Mehmood in films, wafts through the wet air, mixing with the complex aroma of haleem being stirred in vats over slow fire. But no one can say the state elections are just a week away. There are no posters, no giant cutouts and no fluttering flags. Has campaigning in the hi-tech city gone completely digital?
"Yes, to an extent," says Zeeshan, coming out of his shop to see what the fuss was about, to a group of journalists from outside the state trying to gauge the 'hawa'. "We get all updates on WhatsApp and other apps." He shows a message from an important ulema on his phone, urging the Muslims to vote for the Congress in 69 seats and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in 40-odd of them, listing all the specific seats. "The Muslims are not supporting parties, but seats in this election," he says. But do the voters go by what the ulemas ask them to do? "Well, some do, some don't."
Zeeshan is 34 years old, enterprising and politically aware. He has gained from the meteoric rise of Hyderabad in the past two decades, though he is not directly linked to IT, pharma or the infrastructure industries. He is the managing director of Texas Overseas Educational Consultants, which runs a popular restaurant called Aazebo on TV Tower Road in nearby Malakpet, a gym on the floor below and on the terrace of the building, and a mini AstroTurf cricket ground.
He says there is some resentment among the Muslims against the ruling BRS on its stand on Article 370 and triple talaq, where it went with the Union government, but feels the party has an edge over the Congress.
Denne historien er fra December 11,2023-utgaven av Outlook.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9500+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December 11,2023-utgaven av Outlook.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9500+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The Art of Leaving
Saying goodbye to the public arena is no easy call to make

Mortar Memory
Along the quiet stretches near the border and the Line of Control in Jammu, a fragile calm once held sway, until the sudden thunder of heavy mortar shells since May 7 shattered it

Borders on the Boil
Whether it is Pakistan, China, Bangladesh or Myanmar, the unfinished business of history haunts the region every day

Neighbourhood 'Frisk' Policy
India needs to relook at Bangladesh as it partners with China to rebuild World War II air bases

Fields of Nowhere
MYAJLAR is one of the last towns on the Jaisalmer border, which, at 464 km, is one of the longest that India shares with Pakistan.

Brittle, Bitter Borders
In the marshlands of the Rann of Kutch, where the border is invisible yet hotly contested, belongingness becomes tentative

Red Fade
Since the regime change, something has been changing in Chhattisgarh. With top Maoist leaders killed, the remaining are insisting on a ceasefire or peace talks. The state must make the most of the situation

Sir Creek and Adam's Bridge
With the recent military standoff between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that claimed the lives of 26 people, the Indo-Pak border region with its long history of tensions is once again in the limelight.

Lines Drawn in Blood
In villages caught between two nations, memory and fear shape everyday life. The land is under floodlights, children are sent away in silence, and home is a place one must keep returning to

Maps and Minds
Maps have divided transnational ethnic groups Nagas, Zos, Bhutias, Bengalis and Nepalis, among others, but the Naga or the Zo mind does not accept the boundaries on government maps