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New Indian Express
25-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Caste survey is historic decision, thanks to Rahul Gandhi: TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud
Admitting delays in Cabinet expansion, TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud said the process has been held up due to the high number of aspirants compared to available berths. Speaking to TNIE as part of Hyderabad Dialogues, he expressed hope that both the Cabinet reshuffle and formation of the new TPCC executive committee would be completed by May 15. On the Kancha Gachibowli land issue, Mahesh Goud reiterated it was government land and said the state would comply with the Supreme Court's directions. He alleged that BRS working president and former minister KT Rama Rao had an agreement with Billy Rao, under which KTR was to receive 30 per cent, around Rs 5,000 crore. Claiming that internal rifts were deepening within the BRS, the Telangana Congress chief predicted the pink party would collapse ahead of the next Assembly elections. Mahesh Goud also said the Congress government had outperformed the BRS in just 15 months in key welfare areas such as the supply of superfine rice and farm loan waivers, but lamented that it was falling short on publicity. Excerpts How did you get into martial arts and karate? In the 1970s, when I was in Class 6, I watched Bruce Lee's film Enter the Dragon, which showcases his iconic martial arts style and charisma. A retired SP named Mr Srinivasan — whom we called Mama ji — inspired me. He ran sports classes. I was crazy about karate. When I joined the class, there were about 68 people. After the very first day, around 30 people discontinued as it was very tough. Others continued up to orange, yellow, and brown belts. I was the only one to achieve the black belt after seven years of practice, toward the end of 1983. Back then, there were only around 10 black belts in undivided Andhra Pradesh. It has now become a sport, but when we practised, it was a martial art. For the recent 7th Dan black belt, I had been practising for the last six months. Now that Congress is in power, as a martial arts specialist, what is your take on training girls and women in martial arts and self-defence techniques? Karate is a mass game. Some people are commercialising it, but it remains a mass game. The Government of India and even the state government are encouraging it. We are funding karate masters to promote it. At the same time, parents also need to encourage their children to learn karate. If a girl learns karate, she can defend herself against three men once she becomes a black belt. Though Japan and China are far ahead of us, karate has roots in the Indian game, Kalaripayattu. I appeal to the parent community and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to encourage karate. Your journey has been long, spanning 30 years, and now you are the TPCC chief. How do you find this job, especially with an aggressive opposition? My political journey has not been without disappointments. The late Mr D Srinivas encouraged me to join politics and appointed me as NSUI district president. Initially, he helped me. However, a political gap developed between us. At the age of 26, PV Narasimha Rao gave me a chance to contest as an MLA from Nizamabad Rural. I lost by a good margin to Mandava Venkateshwara Rao during the NTR wave. As D Srinivas grew in politics, I was sidelined. Finally, it was Kiran Kumar Reddy who appointed me as the warehousing corporation chairman. Despite implementing schemes like Sanna Biyyam (provision of superfine rice under PDS), where do you think the Congress is failing in conveying its message to the people? We are lagging in publicity. When KCR was chief minister, he would prepare for three to four months before launching any scheme and ensure wide publicity. Although he fulfilled only about 25% of his promises, his publicity made people believe he was doing good work. Compared to the 10-year rule of BRS, we have achieved more in just 15 months. During KCR's 10-year rule, they gave only Rs 30,000 crore for crop loan waiver, whereas we have provided Rs 21,000 crore in 11 months. They gave around 60,000 to 65,000 jobs in 10 years, while we have provided 60,000 jobs in 15 months. We are continuing the Rythu Bandhu scheme; there may be small hurdles, but it is ongoing. We are giving bonus for superfine paddy varieties and providing the best quality food grains in the country. Now, there is no gap between the poor and the rich — everyone eats the same. During KCR's time, health and education were dismantled, with no primary health centres or fee reimbursements. Revanth Reddy has a vision for health and education. In education, we are establishing Young India Integrated Residential Schools, spending around Rs 300 crore per school. In health, we are strengthening primary health centres. Compared to the BRS, our government is implementing excellent programmes. However, we are lacking in publicising these programmes and leveraging social media. Opposition parties are unethically using social media to malign us, with their social media handles operating from Dubai and Singapore to evade legal consequences. There seems to be a delay in Cabinet expansion and TPCC executive committee formation. What are the reasons? Initially, I wanted to conduct it three months after taking charge as TPCC chief. However, forming a TPCC committee is not a small task. You have to coordinate with the chief minister, deputy chief minister and other council members. We couldn't reach a conclusion. After five months, the AICC changed its policy, adopting a grassroots-level system. Earlier, we had a PCC committee, followed by the district level. In the new system, we must appoint booth committees first, then mandal committees, district committees and finally the state committee. It's a socialist model. We will start this exercise in the first week of May and aim to complete it by May 15. The chief minister and I thought of simultaneously conducting Cabinet expansion and TPCC executive committee appointments to make adjustments. For the Cabinet, we have done extensive work. We were called to Delhi twice, and our opinions were taken. The problem is that there are more aspirants than vacant Cabinet berths. While expanding the Cabinet, we need to consider social balance in terms of caste, religion, seniority, and other factors. This has become a big issue. Hopefully, by May 10 or 15, this exercise will be completed. Regarding MLC nominations, your nomination for MLC also became a Herculean task at one point, despite serving for over three decades. Meanwhile, it was a cakewalk for leaders like Vijayashanti. How is this possible in a national party like the Congress? The party high command decided to give seats to SC, ST, and BC candidates in the recently concluded MLC elections. Those who got seats are not newcomers. Shankar Naik has served for 30 years. Addanki fought for Telangana and has worked for the party for the last 12 to 13 years. Vijayashanti has contributed to the party in her capacity. Sometimes, we need to honour commitments. During my election, I learnt that the party was contemplating giving me a Rajya Sabha seat. However, I wanted an MLC seat to stay in local politics. Six months before the election, the situation was not in our favour. The joining of Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, Thummala Nageshwara Rao and Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy created momentum. Their entry helped the Congress come to power, and we had to fulfil some commitments. You and your party recently staged a protest against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filing a charge sheet against Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. There have been rumours that the ED may file cases against Congress leaders in the state, including ministers. Yes, there is a possibility. Since 2014, after BJP came to power at the Centre, the ED has filed over 5,200 cases, 95.6% of which are against opposition leaders. The conviction rate is less than 5%. This shows how the CBI and ED are being used by the BJP as their pocket institutions. The ED has recovered less than Rs 6,000 crore, meaning most cases are baseless. There is a possibility of the ED coming to the state, as they target states where the Congress is gaining strength. It would be no surprise if they file cases against Congress leaders here, as they are doing this in other states. They filed cases against Himanta Biswa Sarma, who later joined their party. Similar things happened in Maharashtra, where cases are pending as leaders joined the BJP. It's a blackmailing tactic to tarnish the image of opposition leaders. The Kancha Gachibowli land issue is now a political battle, with even Prime Minister Narendra Modi joining the fight against the Congress government. Before Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks on any issue, officials submit a detailed report. He should know that it's government land. Also, he inaugurated five new buildings at the University of Hyderabad, abutting 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli, without forest, municipal or revenue clearances. This is how the PMO functions. During a recent Supreme Court hearing, the state government couldn't convince the court. It appears the court was convinced by the argument that the 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli is a 'deemed forest.' There seem to be many complications in this issue. Couldn't the government anticipate them? Yes, we couldn't anticipate them. It's government land, and we are developing our own land. As I said, there is no forest on that land — only bushes, which is different from a forest. We are studying the Supreme Court's directions to protect the environment and are ready to comply. If the Supreme Court directs us to allocate some land, we are prepared to do so. We are not at fault; it is clear, and the Supreme Court upheld that it is government land. The government allotted this land to TGIIC, a general practice to invite private companies, and to create five lakh jobs, and generate revenue. We wanted to protect that land for government purposes. According to our sources, KTR had an agreement with Billy Rao about the government not contesting any court judgment. In turn, KTR was supposed to receive money, around 30%. The around Rs 5,000 crore amount that he is talking about is only that 30%. Had they come to power, it would have materialised. Do you have evidence? It didn't materialise. If it had, we would have evidence. There was an agreement that if they came to power for a third time, this land would have gone to Billy Rao. Although your government passed Bills to enhance BC reservations to 42%, the ball is now in the Centre's court. How will the purpose of the caste survey be served without the Centre's approval? The caste survey is a historic decision, thanks to Rahul Gandhi. It has been pending for the last 50 to 60 years, but no one took action. Rahul Gandhi, a champion of the OBC cause, has been campaigning rigorously for the last three years. As his follower, Revanth, despite being from the Reddy community, took up the issue. As promised in the Kamareddy BC declaration, we have provided 42% reservation. In the case of EWS reservations, the Supreme Court's 50% upper limit has already been breached. Now, we want the Union government to accept the 42% BC reservations, with no cap, similar to Tamil Nadu, by incorporating the bills into the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. They want BC votes but don't support their cause. The BJP is trying to consolidate BCs in Telangana, as they are numerically strong. By saying let the BJP take the lead, are you trying to checkmate them? We are committed to the BC cause. If the BJP, being in power at the Centre, takes credit, we have no problem. Ultimately, BCs must benefit. We have fulfilled Rahul Gandhi's commitment at the state level. We will implement it in local body elections, but for education and employment, we need clearance from the Centre. Why are BJP MPs silent? They should speak to the Prime Minister — it's simple. Historically, Jayalalithaa requested then-prime minister PV Narasimha Rao, and it was included in the Ninth Schedule. After the caste survey, it's established that BCs account for 56% in the state. Based on this document, the Centre can include BC reservations in the Ninth Schedule. A curious thing is happening in Telangana politics. The opposition BRS claims you are colluding with the BJP, while you say the BRS and BJP are hand-in-glove. The Congress having a nexus with the BJP will never happen. It's like parallel train tracks. How can the BRS allege that a secular party like Congress has a nexus with the communal BJP? BRS, being a regional party, has that chance. I can give numerous examples where the BRS supported the BJP — voting for Presidential and Vice Presidential elections, triple talaq, and contentious farm laws despite staging a dharna against them. For 10 years, the BRS looted Telangana due to this nexus. Did the ED or CBI raid KCR's house despite corruption charges? KTR alleges that Revanth Reddy is a joint chief minister of the BJP and Congress. Revanth Reddy achieved his life goals because of Congress. To my knowledge, Revanth is committed, especially to the Gandhi family and Rahul Gandhi. We have clear evidence that the BRS and BJP are one, with their ultimate aim being to target Congress. If there are bypolls, how would you deal with them as TPCC president? The issue is in court, and we don't know what the court will decide. I don't understand the legalities, and I don't think byelections will happen. Even if they do, we will definitely win, given our welfare and development activities. Since we came to power on December 7, 2023, the BRS and BJP have claimed they would topple the government. That's why their MLAs have joined us. More MLAs are likely to join. No one will remain in the BRS except KCR and KTR. Even Kavitha and Harish Rao have their own choices. Is Congress their choice? Whether it's Congress or another party doesn't matter. They are searching for options. Only KCR and KTR will remain in the party. The BRS won't exist in the 2029 elections. Are you in talks with Kavitha or Harish Rao, as you mentioned? We won't hold talks with them, and there's no need to. We have information about their infighting. According to our sources, there is a serious conflict among Kavitha, KTR and Harish Rao. KCR is unhappy with these developments, which is why he's confined to his farmhouse. Anything can happen in that party. If the BRS does not exist, who will be your political opponent in the next Assembly elections? The fight will be between two parties — Congress and another. It could be the BJP and BRS together, or the BRS might split into two. Why would people believe in the BRS after they looted the state? I agree KCR played a role in Telangana's formation, but what did he do afterwards? He dismantled institutions and bankrupted the state. People won't choose them again after this corruption. You said the BRS looted the state, and there's a case against KTR in the Formula E issue. Is there any move by the government to arrest him? We've already moved a petition to the Governor, and KTR has approached the court, which granted him relief. There's clear evidence in the Formula E case — KTR transferred public money to a private account without due process, which is a crime. He knows this, which is why he said he's ready to go to jail. But if so, why did he approach the court and seek legal aid? KTR must go to jail. In the Kaleshwaram case, all those responsible should face jail time. They looted public money. Our cadre has pressured us to arrest KTR, but as a democratic government, we can't simply arrest anyone. After the commission's report on Kaleshwaram, action will be taken.
CBS News
08-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
After long wait, plans underway to build Bruce Lee statue in San Francisco's Chinatown
A project is now in the works to build a bronze statue of Bruce Lee in San Francisco's Chinatown neighborhood. The Chinese Historical Society of America Museum wants to pay tribute to the martial arts icon and film star, who was born at the Chinese Hospital on Jackson Street on Nov. 27, 1940. "This is a long wished for and now active project," said Justin Hoover of the CHSA. "It is time to bring our native son home." The statue is a long-time dream of Jeff Chinn, who has one of the largest collections of Bruce Lee memorabilia. His hope is to follow in the footsteps of Hong Kong, Croatia and Los Angeles who have all built statues to the action star legend. "I think this is a very big deal… because a statue is the form of honor that you can bestow upon someone," Chinn told CBS News Bay Area. For Chinn, the statute is personal. He was born in San Francisco's Chinatown and moved to the East Bay where he says he was bullied and teased as a kid. His only escape was watching Bruce Lee films, including Enter the Dragon (1973) and Game of Death (1979), where he gained confidence seeing a larger-than-life star on the silver screen who looked like him. "I never met him, but he actually helped me out," said Chinn. "And until my dying day, I will do my best to pay him back in any way that I can." Currently, the CHSA is looking to commission an artist to create the statue. They will be working with community organizations and private donors to raise $250,000 for the project, with $50,000 in seed money already secured from the Rose Pak Community Fund. "I grew up watching Bruce Lee's films with my parents and relatives," said Gorretti Lo Lui, vice president of the fund. "His films are part of our family's collective memory. Having a public statue to educate about Bruce Lee in the Chinatown where he was born is both a fitting tribute and will serve as a pilgrimage destination for people across the world." The goal is to build the bronze statue of Bruce Lee in Chinatown's Portsmouth Square. The project is expected to take three to five years to complete.
Axios
08-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Bruce Lee statue to be installed in SF Chinatown
San Francisco is finally getting its very own Bruce Lee statue. Why it matters: Locals had for years advocated for a statue in his honor amid the city's efforts to take down those with racist histories. The martial arts icon and film star was born in Chinatown in 1940. Driving the news: The Chinese Historical Society of America Museum (CHSA), which is leading the project, has hired artist Arnie Kim to bring Lee's sculpture to life and will work with community representatives to identify the ideal location in Chinatown for the statue. Lee's statue will immortalize a moment from his 1973 movie "Enter the Dragon" in which he prowls on the ground in a fight to the death. Context: The project is a collaboration with the Rose Pak Community Fund, the Bruce Lee Foundation and Stand With Asians. The Rose Pak Community Fund will provide $50,000 as first-round seed money, and CHSA is asking the community to help fundraise the $150,000 needed in total. What they're saying: Lee broke barriers not just in film and martial arts but also in the way he handled adversity throughout his life, especially in an industry that emasculated him because of his racial identity, Mark Young, Stand With Asians co-founder, said as part of a launch event Friday. The statue will be a tribute to Lee's role in galvanizing the local community to understand its own history, according to CHSA. It will also serve as a "pilgrimage destination" for people around the world, said Gorretti Lo Lui, vice president of the Rose Pak Community Fund. Between the lines: The statue builds on CHSA's efforts to spotlight the life and times of what it calls "Chinatown's native son." That includes the " We Are Bruce Lee" exhibit examining his creative talents, athletic prowess, philosophical inclinations and role as unifier between Black and Asian communities. Flashback: Lee's connections to San Francisco run deep. Even though he lived and trained in Hong Kong as a child, he made a name for himself after returning to the city at 18. He later opened Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute in Oakland and went on to debut his famous one-inch punch and two-finger push-up during an exhibition at the International Karate Championships in Long Beach, where he was discovered by Hollywood. The big picture: Under former Mayor London Breed, San Francisco took down multiple statues with racist implications, including one of Christopher Columbus and another one that portrayed the colonial subjugation of Native Americans. The city later formed the Monuments and Memorials Advisory Committee (MMAC) to assess the future of its public art collections. The MMAC issued its final report in June 2023 after surveying almost 680 community members. When asked what they like most about the city's monuments and memorials, 53% said they "represent the histories, stories, and/or events I want San Francisco to be known for."
South China Morning Post
28-02-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Another DeepSeek moment? China's kung fu bot goes open source
From stiff-limbed dances to Bruce Lee-style whirlwind kicks, China's humanoid robotics race just took a cinematic turn. Advertisement Unitree Robotics, the Hangzhou-based firm behind the viral G1 robot , has open-sourced its cutting-edge algorithms and hardware designs, mirroring the collaborative ethos that propelled AI breakthroughs such as DeepSeek's open-source models. A month after its awkward debut at China's Spring Festival Gala , the G1 robot executed split-second martial arts manoeuvres in Unitree's latest demo released on Wednesday. At a price tag of 99,000 yuan (US$13,622), the bot – equipped with 43 joints and mimicry learning – launched a spinning back kick so fluid it drew comparisons to Enter the Dragon. 'What moves do you want next?' Unitree teased on social media, signalling ambitions beyond the scripted choreography of rival Boston Dynamics. Advertisement In a playbook reminiscent of China's AI open-source surge, Unitree has released data sets, reinforcement learning training code and hardware specs for its H1 and G1 models on GitHub, a platform often used to open source development projects.
