Rode 323.66kms in 15hours (a 2 day ride to Nagarjuna Sagar from Hyderabad and back)

One awesome Ride!
Best part; Lost about 1.5kilos during this ride(though we ate a LOT of food), feel proud that i helped someone.
Worst part; Had to do some Mud Fighting(read below, its long!).

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On Saturday 24th Sep, 2011, 12 of us started at 5AM from Hyderabad(IMAX) to Nagarjuna Sagar, only 7 people plan to stay overnight and return on Sunday, the rest planned to return the same day mostly doing 100-200kms. Except for crazy Sam who did 320 by evening same day on his MTB. Should bow down to this guy. For me, the ride from Hyderabad to Nagarjuna Sagar was easy, except the last 10kms where the hill begins, added to the heat and sultriness. Reached hotel by 2 pm or so and rushed for Lunch, had a heavy lunch and took rest for some time. We went down to Ettipotala waterfalls for some sight seeing in the evening. It became dark quickly and we returned back for dinner. Heavy dinner again and the much needed sleep.
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On Sunday 25th Sep, started late at 6am only to realize the return was full of headwinds(yesterday might be tail winds that made it easy ride) and heat came in very quick. That means too slow riding, tiring and too many stops. A lot of time got wasted resting on the way back. The two Seniors who came with us (one 74yrs and one 71yrs) were of great inspiration. The 74yrs rider did a 200kms(150+50) and the 71yrs rider did 100kms(50+50) both days put together. Both of them are champions in the State masters runners association. I wondered, by 70, forget running and cycling, would we be alive? Given our food habits and physical activities? We want to bring these two Seniors to all the 100kms HCC rides in future, they will be a great inspiration for everyone in the club.
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The Telengana Bundh part: 
with the Bundh and Vanta Varpu(cooking on the roads), there were blockades at 2 places while going and 3-4 places while coming back. With no buses and lorries, the roads were deserted mostly. Vehicles were stopped at few places and diverted at few. Luckly cycles are not in their agenda. At many places we answered that we were training for the Hyderabad team and its not a race. At one place, people want us to put Telangana flags on the bikes and ride for telengana. We said why don’t you put not one but two flags and do the riding yourself. The Fat buggers couldn’t answer that.(No offence pls)
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The Mob part: 
On the way to Nagarjuna Sagar(Saturday, Day1), somewhere just after the sai baba temple which is at 110kms or so, I was riding alone, Prasad and the new guy Raju were 1-2kms behind me. Sreekanth was 200mts or so ahead of me. There was a big crash sound behind me(some 400mts) – made by a motorcycle, it got dragged for some distance. I looked back and noticed a motorbike. I thought there was only 1 guy. Got down and started running with my bike towards him, heard a woman Shouting/calling Ayyo, Ayyo, Ayyo, Yemandi, Yemandi, Yemandi,(meaning husband in Telugu)….. Heart skipped a few beats, I feared the worst and said to myself, oh please not again. It was somewhere on the same road we witnessed an accident a couple of years back. An enfield guy hit a car from behind and fell very badly. It happened right infront of us. I normally don’t have the guts to see human blood. But that day I did help him, i felt it was not me. the accident was brutal and blood was pumping from his ears and nose. I am not sure he lived another day but the way people (some 100 odd) stood numb and watched him as if it was some funny show, irritated me the most.

Ok, coming back, I heard the woman shouting for her Husband, her calls will crush the weak hearted. I saw one lady picking up a small goat and running away from the scene. I realized the motorbike fell because of the goat. I reached the spot, so did Prasad and Raju. The couple were all bruised up and blood is all over the place. They must be in their 40′s. The lady is also badly hurt, amongst other wounds, her upper lip had a big hole and bleeding badly but she only cared for her husband, Was one hell of an emotional scene. Remembers you your partner’s love for you. The Husband was looking real bad and needed immediate treatment. She was pleading for help, they were in shock and the man wanted to ride and go home, we gave some water, made them stand in some shade and asked to relax for a minute… one car guy picked up their scattered stuff(they bought some Guavas for kids may be, they were allover the place), we tried to call 108 ambulances services, Prasad called and gave all details only to be told that they(108) were on strike? What the FUCK? Emergency on strike? Why take all details and say “Sorry we are not strike”. Fuckers!! Soooo pissed off. I spotted a private ambulance, hoping they can do some first aid and tried to stop it. But that asshole increased his speed and didn’t care to stop. It was not carrying anybody, except one guy sitting in the front, I could see it. Meanwhile the Husband started saying he is ok and will ride home. We told we have a vehicle(the 2 seniors riding with us brought a Tata mobile pickup with them) and offered them a ride till their place which is hardly 20-30kms away. He didn’t want to leave his motorbike, we told we can bring it to his place. Poor guy is worried about his new bike and in the shock he doesn’t know how badly he is hurt. The couple got onto the bike and from nowhere there were 2 people started who shouting that they need compensation for the goat. They came running after seeing that the couple could walk again. That bitch started shouting and abusing the couple, we simply got on top of her voice and said “Get Lost”. It worked I thought, and the couple started on their motorbike. Feeling relieved we got back on our saddles. Prasad then mentioned that someones’ following the couple on a motorbike, probably to stop them.

He was right, 1km ahead, they were stopped by the locals, probably by the other shepherds/assholes in the area. I couldn’t let it go. These guys were shouting/abusing the couple and demanded 5000 rupees. They didn’t bring the goat along with them, intelligent assholes… Prasad said he has seen the goat walking away after the incident. The Husband said he don’t have money. One thick skin guy wanted them to pay then-and-there and was trying to pull his bike keys off. It was very hot and even we couldn’t stand there. I knew this won’t be over soon and I had to shout on top of him. He looked like a fat bastard and can easily take me down. 1-2 other local guys were supporting the couple but that wasn’t enough. The Fat bastard took his phonebook out and says lets go to the police station. I told the guy, lets take these 2 people to hospital first and then you can settle it in police station, first lets get them some help. Knowing we were ready to go to police station, he switched to his next level of intelligence. Started shouting, did the goat hit the bike or the bike hit the goat, we went on top of his voice and said the goat did and we have seen it. After doing this several times. He started saying why will the goat hit the bike wantedly?… Fuck, I was loosing it already. There was too much heat and its not something that the couple could enjoy when they are loosing blood. I started shouting what he was doing was not right and said fuck off in the way he understands. By this time, some 50 people gathered, some were locals. The situation is heating up… Now, his next level of intelligence,,, came on to me and shouted; you come to my place and shouting on me and started abusing me…. Somewhere at this point I lost it completely. I had no choice. I shouted WTF if its your place…. Threw my bike away and went for his neck. Gave one tight crush. 3 other guys joined and started hitting/pulling me. One guy wanted to check how elastic was my new HCC Tshirt was. He ripped it off. Another guy wanted to see what brand shoes I was wearing and lifted me off balance, that resulted a bruise on my right elbow. Another guy took a stick and started hitting me. Later I came to know there is one other guy who started throwing stones. These 2 assholes were stopped by fellow riders and couple of onlookers. The couple also tried to stop the mob and they were pushed off. One group of 4 men came in and pushed the assholes away and took me away from the mob and put me in a car. In the end, I went on top of everyones voice and told the thick skin bastard that he too will fall one day and that there would be no one to give him water when he needed it the most and he was a blood sucking animal.

I was driven away from the spot for about 1km and one of those 4 men rode my bike just to get away from there. These men were also locals just from nearby place. They knew what was happening, they knew the locals wont let a Mob opportunity go away. They appreciated my intention and told it was too dangerous to get physical with the locals. But I didn’t have any options. I am not justifying my madness. The couple needed help. Nothing else was working at the heat of the moment and they were losing time. I came to know that these guys also pulled the couple away from there and let them go away. Hearing that, I was so relieved and proud of what I did. I resisted to madness, I tried to be human. I tried to help. Ha… I was pissed off because people tried to hit me with sticks and stones but that didn’t matter considering i did what i wanted to.

I thanked these men very very much and told people like them must be there for people like me and that couple.

Today, my legs are much stronger but my Heart is a lot stronger now.

Many might feel, I was stupid, some might feel its none of our business. But what is it that differentiates us as humans from scavengers/opportunists like Vultures? What would you do being in my/our shoes at that moment?

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How would you feel when you have a bad accident and no one comes to your help and if people start pull your stuff and run away? Can you imagine that? Let us hope those days will never come and there is someone to help you when you badly need it. Likewise, helping someone in a real bad situation will only leave you good memories and will make you less evil. Thats my personal feeling.

I had a dream to settle down in Hyderabad – my chosen city. My Parents/Grandparents choose this city for investment thinking their next generation will prosper and grow as the city develops. And this is not just about me or my family. (I am not trying to be selfish even when there is a proper cause for the agitation) May be then they didn’t know that the Indian Government would one day become so weak that it would bow down to one man blackmailing by fasting and divide the state for selfish gain, give away a the capital city to gain politically. How long will it take for people to understand neither of these political parties are interested in the actual problems but are all interested in taking credit and saying that they are the ones who formed the state and they should be elected next time. JAAAGOOOO!

Don’t people understand the cost of dividing a state?
No matter who(Telengana or Andhra) gets Hyderabad or even if Hyderabad is made a free zone, the cost involved in this selfish decision is going to be paid by TONS of tax payers money to build new Infrastructure or share infrastructure.

If Hyderabad is going to be shared by both Andhra and Telengana, Neither would make the best out of it. Jobs wont be created by dividing the state. The existing jobs wont come to you because the company is in your region. Didn’t we learn anything looking at smaller states and free zones? Do we want more Jharkands and Chhattisgarhs? I am sure the division is going to benefit KCR and Naxals. Telengana is going to be a safe heaven for naxals. Mark my words!

For decades many families from Andhra settled down in The City of Hyderabad thinking and dreaming that their lives will become better as the city grew. I am no exception. I dreamed that I could settle down here at Hyderabad and build a beautiful house which my family will call Home. I called Hyderabad my Home! Even if I was in any of the of the Telengana districts, I would still call that my home because its in Andhra Pradesh. I never knew that the political parties that WE voted to power will shatter everything to gain a few votes and seats. Overnight my dream is shattered. If Hyderabad is not my state capital or if its not in my state, why would I want to be living here? Why would I want to pay my taxes here? Why would I want to part of the City’s development. Why would I be helping any business here? Why would I want to be a part of the city in the first place.

When I say Andhra, My heart says, hey its our Andhra Pradesh State. But when someone like KCR says you Andhra people, who is he talking about? Aren’t we(Telengana, Coastal and Rayalaseema) are all Andhra people? My mind is confused just like all my brothers and you cousins in different regions in the state. Someone who doesn’t know the meaning of "Divided We Fall" is trying to wake up that regional feeling and make the most out of it.

Now to the dirty political parties:

First to the Congress:
Rosaiyya: I thought you are one strong man when you didn’t let Jagan into power. I was impressed. Not just me, but no one wants Jagan expect some YSR sympathizers who think ministry means hereditary. I don’t want a man who drives 2 dozen high end sport-utility vehicles (wherever he goes) for no reason to rule my state. Does he know the meaning of the words "Pollution" and "Global Warming"? I am not ready to be ruled by a person who has a ton of allegations that sounds and looks to be true. I dont want to be ruled by a man who paints his face with a sad expression so that he can benefit his father’s death. And You can’t handle a few students wrongly encouraged by some political goons? You can’t handle one man threatening hunger strike? You can’t handle some political goons (who didn’t get any votes and are totally ruled out by their own people) when they ask for half a state as their own? Is that a piece of chocolate? When you can’t handle things you run to Delhi and ask Sonia to please just give them what they want? Is that what you said there? May be I was wrong. May be Jagan Mohan Reddy is a better choice and a better leader. May be he can fill the gap his father left.

How will people sitting in Delhi, understand what a common man here things? By seeing a few agitations and one man fasting on TV, you people think you know everything? Whom did you ask before making a statement? How can a common man reach you and tell this is not what everyone wants. Its your responsibility to study the facts and act accordingly, even if its making statements to calm someone for the time being. Your statements can create Panic and that is the state of this state now. At least the state of most of the state.

Do you even know why YSR never considered this as an issue? Why he never gave in when there was noise on this issue? Do you know why KCR never raised his voice when YSR was there in power? Even if KCR made some noise whenever he can, YSR knows the usual BS that KCR talks and never gave it any true value. Telengana people know this.

You are making a big mistake if this Telengana bill clears. This is the last time you are going to be in power here. Mark my words! Have you ever thought why YSR didn’t give Telengana though he promised earlier to win allies. Have you ever thought why would people in Telengana vote to Congress and not vote TRS (in the recent election) when we(meaning state Congress) are not willing to give Telengana? Even for a kid who does not understand complex political calculations, that means the majority thinks separate Telengana wont help and KCR/TRS talks only BS.

This is a State for Gods sake and PEOPLE live here. Not a Cake to be cut and divided on Birthdays. Soniaji – Happy Birthday by the way. There will be more wishes from my State to you and your team soon.

To the Telugudesam:
Babu Chandrababu, have you lost you mind? Rather I should say have you lost your balls? Where is that Chandrababu who was known as the man who developed Hyderabad and man who is against separate Telengana? Now the whole state knows that in the all party meeting you too supported the agitation and separate state bill to be introduced. Frankly, have you lost your balls? Someone threatened you? Or silly you – have been thinking you will get 1 or 2 seats in separate Telengana? I am not sure who in Telengana would vote for you. We in the IT industry liked you more than your opponent YSR even though he was more successful than you are in terms of winning people’s hearts because you brought up this IT industry in Hyderabad. You should be resigning from the TDP. I demand! You seem to become just like any other political rat craving for power and craving for any minute chances you can grab. You don’t deserve to be leading THE NTR’s party. Shame on you. Shame on you!!

To the BJP:
Only God knows what kind of cruel things you should be planning for the separate Telengana when you people agitated for the separate state. If there is one party that i would like to eliminate from my country without thinking, that would be yours. Yay! taaliya!!! You people are desh drohis to me. You don’t deserve to be citizens of India. Your parties and leaders would BURN in HELL. Like someone said, you people are not Ram Pujaris, you are Ram Bhejaris. I hope the meaning is clear. You made Ram the Hindu God your prostitute and you would do whatever it takes to impress the Hindu community for votes. Well, I am a TRUE Hindu and I am telling you, one day all Hindus will realize the dirty mind of yours and burn you alive and on that day, Ram will be proud again to see his Ram Rajyam without the dirty and sick BJP. Shame on you!!

It would be wrong if I don’t mention the Shiv Sena, MNS and Co., your cousins right? Shiv Sena? WTF man? Who gave you that name? You are an insult to the name of lord Shiva. Burn!!!

Oh btw, WTF do you(BJP) want in separate Telengana. I am not sure if there are many Muslims to mass murder or to do mass rapes in Telengana.

Ah…Hyderabad Muslims? Now I see what your idea is.
Burn in HELL. Remember!

To Chiranjeevi/Praja Rajyam:  
I am wondering when you are saying that you are supporting separate Telengana – "who cares if you support or not?" May be you are planning for at least 1 seat in the separated Telengana? Who would vote you there when you cant convince the strongest of your regions to vote for you. Shame on you. Btw, even if you close the party and get back to movies, we wont be watching them. So, take some rest Chiru. Another important point is that candidates who want to stand for Praja Rajyam in separated Telengana, wont be having that much money (they plan to start from ground) to fill your pockets Unless they were already in power earlier in another political party and made some money through corruption. In real life you are not the people’s hero. You are not the Tagore in real life. You are going to fall. Mark my words!

To Loksatta:
Dear Jaiprakash Nayaran, I like the sound of your name itself. It sounds corrupt-free. I believed you are the only person who has some brain among the state political leaders. Not just that, I thought you were intelligent and know what you are talking always. I listen to your criticism on political parties and always found my leader in you. I would vote for your party without question, either you standing or any unknown candidate of yours. Because to many people like me, leaders like you are rare (at least that’s what we thought). You always talk facts and we the young generation like that.

But what happen to you? got threat calls and thought to give-up? Or got a piece of that Telengana NRI fund? How can you support separate Telengana. It was sad to see you give a statement that "congress is doing a mistake be delaying and not listening to people of telengana". You seem to be bribed. I lost hope on you. Convince me if it is otherwise.

Finally to the TRS:
Why the heck seperate telengana? do you even have a plan, a strategy of how would be improving the region? Your people didn’t even vote for you man. Dont you get it? You are making a big mistake by intimidating people. A BIG mistake by giving a wrong message to student communities. If at all you make it and get a separate state, one day i am sure, those students whom you inspired to throw stones in the city, will realize how selfishly you and your party wanted to cash out the regional sentiment and those students will then drag you on to the roads and make you run naked. Your heroism will be short lived.

Unless you people think, these rouge politicians will cash out on everything they can. Even God is not spared. But religion, caste, color, region – how does all this really matter?

Jaagooo brothers. How long man? How looooong?

Andhra Pradesh, as we call it(our home), will never be the same?

Who will answer all these questions?
All we are left with is questions, disappointment and anger.

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Update after seeing reader’s comments:

Guys, I respect the sentiment of Telengana and the people fighting for seperate state or any other region and I am not trying to be selfish! But the IDEA of splitting the State for betterment does not look like a proper solution. Think of this – When so many leaders came up till now (I am sure you elected Telengana People as leaders) 30-40 years and no development happened, how can forming a new state help? If funds from center is what the hope is about, why cant it be asking the state/center for development schemes, industries, projects and funds to the region while there is an united state?

A few other seperate state agitations resumed in other states because of Telengana agitation and the statement given by Congress on passing the bill. How many more states? Smaller states can easily fail. That’s definitely not the solution. Every state has regions/districts which are comparatively less developed that others. Does that mean the less developed areas should go separated? Every district should be a state because one district is better developed than the other.

Are the seperate Telengana supporters saying there are no regions/districts in Andhra/Rayalaseema that are lack development? Everything is like ram rajyam – full of green fields, people filthy rich, people eat 4 times a day, no problems, bindas life? what else are your assumptions? If you visited one or two places and think the whole state other than Telengana is like that, you are wrong. 

If you think Congress or BJP(the only 2 main political parties in India) is interested in giving a seperate stage for Telengana, why are they not talking about development and welfare of the region? Why is it that they always keeping saying "we will give Telengana". Same applies to BJP – it didn’t talk about separating telengana when it was in power, why are they trying to support now? BJP also started supporting other agitations now in other states. Dont we get it? Every party other than the ruling one will try to support – because they can loot more.
The rich becomes richer and the poor becomes poorer.

Rather than asking for seperate state which will only lead to more problems like improper administration and quarrels(both internal and external) and corruption – why not ask for development of the region. We are not asking for it and they are not saying anything about it.

If the question is about dry lands and water, a seperate state meaning diverting waters going to other regions in the state? Or is there really a solution for both the regions that Telengana leaders or people have in mind? If there isn’t a solution for both the regions, separation will only result in fights between the two/three regions. Till now its fight for a seperate state, in future it will be fight for water just like the existing problems between states. Why wouldn’t anyone talk about sharing the resources peacefully with a proper plan? 

I read in another Telengana blog suggested by a commenter below and it states jobs and waters are stolen and we will get them back. There might be dispute on waters which can be resolved with proper planning but how can jobs be stolen? Statements like these provoke people to freak-out and create violence. Is this what education and our culture thought us? If we are working in Chennai or Bangalore that means we are stealing their jobs? Isn’t the whole of IT industry stealing jobs from the west?

Some commenters to this post say Hyderabad always belonged to Telengana and Andhra people dont belong to Hyderabad. I dont think so. Telengana doesn’t own Hyderabad. It belonged to Andhra Pradesh since I was born. Telengana itself is a part of Andhra Pradesh just like Rayalaseema or Coastal Andhra Pradesh. If our neighbors Pakistanis say that Kashmir belongs to them because during the British rule if(assume) the British maps showed Kashmir in Pakistan region, now we will give it back to them? Wont you fight to death death for it just like any of us Indians? I am not trying to take a class or something here. Understand the essence.

Chidambaram says "It seems people feel that they are neglected despite speaking the same language". As far as I can see this, this can only add fuel to the fire. Of course they feel so. In spite of looking for a solution and looking into how the people in the region can be satisfied, or instructing the state government to plan development and betterment of lives, the center deliberately gives up? or may be all this is a very good plan to calm down things and may be both the regions are not aware of?

And btw, just for clarity about the other agitations – seperate Andhra, seperate Rayalaseema – these are just tactics as far as I know. I am against the separation of the state in the first place. Forget separation of the state in to 3 pieces.
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