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The Hindu
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
A tale of sweet and tangy mangoes in Hyderabad
From April to June, Hyderabad transforms into a vibrant tapestry of golden hues as its streets overflow with an exquisite array of mangoes. Besides the fruits from various parts of Telangana, lorries laden with varieties such as Himayat, Daseri, Benishan, Alphonso and Rasalu roll in from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat. This season, however, the king of fruits had to weather quite a storm to reach the city. Early this year, unseasonal rains and winds struck Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, significantly impacting Hyderabad's primary mango suppliers. This flooded the wholesale markets with unripe kairi [unripe mango variety in Hindi], which jacked up prices (₹200-₹400 a kg) early in the season, until market forces ironed out the spikes. Batasingaram, the city's mango hub, handles 3,000 to 5,000 quintals of the fruit daily in peak season, with average prices pegged around ₹2,345 a quintal. Jambagh, another market, processes 500–800 quintals in the initial days of the season and 1,000-1,500 quintals in April. Vendors like Zubair in Kothapet are busy with customers, as buying mangoes becomes a cherished ritual for many in the city. 'Himayat is the favourite,' notes one vendor. 'We ripen these mangoes with calcium carbide just two days before sale.' Current prices are steady compared to last year, ranging from ₹70-₹200 a kg depending on the variety. Disparity in prices This mango season also presented a striking juxtaposition: traditional vendors vis-à-vis quick commerce giants who offer rapid doorstep delivery. While retail shops sell organic Banganapalli variety at ₹150-₹400 a kg, a quick-commerce establishment charge ₹79.12 a kg. Consumers are reluctant to buy the fruit from street vendors owing to concerns about calcium carbide. Abdul Qadeer, president of the Jambagh market, speaks for the vendors. 'Farmers follow regulations. The fear surrounding [calcium] carbide harms their livelihood. Where would smaller vendors turn to if consumers begin shopping online for supposedly fresh and organic products?' Concerns regarding artificial ripening has created a consumer section preferring farm-to-home alternatives. Raghavendra, who runs an online store, says he began selling mangoes online in 2011. He sources mangoes from Sadashivpet and Shamirpet and deliver them to homes in Hyderabad. For other cities, orders are routed via cargo buses. The appeal goes beyond convenience. 'These online services offer safer, organic options that I can trust,' opines Tahseen Farha, a customer from Attapur. The online market is also reviving lesser-known varieties such as Panduri, once exclusive to the elite. 'Last year, a customer sent us a photo holding our box outside a London landmark. That was surreal,' says Raghavendra, who has orders trickling in from European countries as well. Takers of tangy flavour Along with sweetness, there's also a desire for tangy, spicy flavours. Pavan, who runs a store in Kukatpally Rythu Bazaar, sees it every summer. 'This season noticed a drop in the sale of raw mangoes from 30-40 bags to 20 bags a day. People go to Andhra directly or order online,' he says. 'But this is our tradition, so we hold on, even if the profit drops.' Each mango here has a purpose: the tangy Tella Gulaabi for punchy pickles, sturdy Kothapalli Kobbari for shelf life and Jalaalu for the season's final flavour, all arriving from Nuziveedu, Kakinada, and Vijayawada. 'Customers still come to pick the right mango,' Mr. Pavan adds. Pickle brands are seeing a rise in digital demand. 'After COVID, more people started ordering online,' says Abhiruchi Swagruha Foods manager Sarveshwar Rao. 'Many send pickles to relatives in the U.S.' 'Our children are in other countries, but we don't want them to forget this taste,' says Lakshmi, a grandmother in her 60s. 'We may not all sit together and make pickles anymore, but at least I can send them the same flavours I grew up with.' Be it from roadside stalls, storied pickle shops or online farm-to-home startups, mangoes are the quintessential taste of summer for Hyderabadis. For them, the fruit is not just a delicacy, but a sentimental connection to culture, family and cherished memories. (The students are interning with The Hindu-Hyderabad)
Hindustan Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
HC refuses to quash FIR against Alt News co-founder Zubair
The Allahabad high court on Thursday refused to quash an FIR against Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair over his tweets (X posts) on Yati Narsinghanand's 'derogatory' speech. The court, however, extended the interim protection from arrest during the course of the investigation. Disposing of a writ petition filed by Zubair, a division bench comprising justices Siddhartha Varma and Dr Yogendra Kumar Srivastava passed this order, as it observed that a fair probe was required in the matter. The court also restrained Zubair from leaving the country pending investigation. 'India is a country which has a variety of religions, tribes and races and they have all merged together and are very peacefully living together. Whether restraint was being exercised by the petitioner would be something which would have to be looked into by the investigating agencies,' the court added in its 37-page judgment. The Ghaziabad Police had registered an FIR against Zubair in October 2024, accusing him of promoting enmity among religious groups following a complaint by one Udita Goswami, an associate of the controversial priest Yati Narsinghanand. In the present writ petition, Zubair had moved the high court, challenging the FIR, under which Section 152 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India) was added later on. According to Zubair, by posting a thread of videos featuring Yati Narsinghanand on October 3 and later sharing other tweets with his various controversial speeches, he aimed to highlight the priest's 'provocative' statements and urge the police authorities to take strict action against him. The complainant, Udita Tyagi, on the other hand, blamed Zubair for sharing Yati's old video clips with the intent of inciting violence by Muslims. She also alleged that due to Zubair's tweets, violent protests were held at Dasna Devi Mandir in Ghaziabad. During the course of hearing, the Uttar Pradesh government defended the FIR by arguing that Zubair created a narrative through his X posts and attempted to incite the public. The timing of his X posts was also questioned, with the government claiming he added fuel to the fire. It was also argued that his X posts contained half-baked information, damaging and threatening India's sovereignty and integrity. However, Zubair claimed that his posts were part of his professional obligation as a fact-checker and that they did not amount to any offence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita or the Indian Penal Code. He also contended that he was exercising his freedom of speech by highlighting Narsinghanand's conduct, and that not just him, but many news media handles and social media users wrote about the same issue.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
HC refuses to quash FIR against Mohammed Zubair
Prayagraj: The Allahabad high court on Thursday refused to quash an FIR against Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair over his 'X' posts on Yati Narsinghanand's 'derogatory' speech. The court, however, extended the interim protection against his arrest during the course of the investigation. Disposing a writ petition filed by Zubair, a division bench comprising Justice Siddhartha Varma and Justice Dr Yogendra Kumar Srivastava passed this order, as it observed that a fair probe was required in the matter. The court has also restrained Mohammed Zubair from leaving the country pending investigation in the case. "India is a country which has a variety of religions, tribes and races and they have all merged together and are very peacefully living together. Whether restraint was being exercised by the petitioner would be something which would have to be looked into by the investigating agencies," added the court in its 37-page judgment. Zubair is facing an FIR lodged by the Ghaziabad police in October 2024, accusing him of promoting enmity among religious groups following a complaint by one Udita Goswami, an associate priest Yati Narsinghanand. Zubair moved the high court, challenging the FIR, under which the offence of Section 152 Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita [Act endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India] was added later. According to Zubair's plea, by posting a thread of videos on October 3 featuring Yati Narsinghanand's and later sharing other tweets with his various controversial speeches, he aimed to highlight Narsinghanand's 'provocative' statements and urge the police authorities to take strict action against him. The complainant, Udita Tyagi, on the other hand, blamed Zubair for sharing Yati's old video clips with the intent of inciting violence by Muslims. She also alleges that due to Zubair's tweets, violent protests were held at Dasna Devi Mandir in Ghaziabad. During the course of the hearing in the matter, the Uttar Pradesh government defended the FIR by arguing that Zubair had created a narrative through his X posts and attempted to incite the public. The timing of his 'X' posts was also questioned, claiming that he had added fuel to the fire. It was also argued that his X posts contained half-baked information and they damaged and threatened India's sovereignty and integrity. Zubair, on the other hand, claimed that his posts were made as part of his professional obligation as a fact-checker and that such posts do not amount to any offence under the BNS or the Indian Penal Code. It was also contended by him that he was exercising his freedom of speech by highlighting Narsinghanand's conduct, and not just him, but many news articles and social media accounts had posted about the same issue.
United News of India
22-05-2025
- United News of India
A month after ghastly terror attack, Pahalgam still awaits tourists
Pahalgam, May 22 (UNI) Till exactly a month back, this world-famous tourist location in South Kashmir used to be overcrowded with tourists from various parts of the country, but today the scenic place wore a deserted look. The fortunes of this tourist attraction changed drastically, with the footfall dropping sharply, after a group of terrorists, believed to be three to four in number, carried out a massacre of 25 innocent male tourists and one local man on this date last month -- April 22 -- in the Baisaran meadows of Pahalgam. Due to the unprecedented fear caused by that gruesome incident, tourists have shunned Pahalgam, which used to bustle with visitors all the time. One can see a handful of tourists moving around on the main road, but hotels are hardly occupied, and shops are without customers. The Baisaran meadows are now out of bounds for visitors. According to the J&K Tourism Department, Pahalgam saw a daily footfall of nearly 10,000 tourists before April 22. Today, the number has dropped to under 300. Similarly, the number of vehicles entering the resort has plummeted from 1,300 per day to just about 150. 'This is the worst crisis we have ever faced,' says Zubair Ahmed, Vice President of the Pahalgam Beopar Mandal, a local traders' body. Describing it as the "darkest period" witnessed by him in his lifetime, he says, 'There are around 400 shopkeepers in this area, and the majority have had to let go of their employees." A few tourists who have dared to come here feel disappointed as the authorities have banned entry to all gardens in Pahalgam. 'The closure of the parks only deepens the sadness,' said a tourist from Odisha, who was here with his family, but refused to identify himself. 'It constantly reminded us of the tragedy (of April 22)," he said, adding that they did not want to stay here for long. Among the worst hit are the pony wallahs -- locals who earn their living by offering horseback rides to tourists around Pahalgam. 'I used to earn around Rs 4,000 a day but haven't earned a single penny since the attack," said a horse owner. He went on to add, "We are also caught between the devil and the deep sea. We are frequently summoned to the police station for questioning... What is our fault?' According to him, over 2000 pony walls are struggling for their livelihood because of the terror attack and its aftermath. 'The season is already lost,' said Zubair. 'But we have some hope from the upcoming Amarnath Yatra. Even though the pilgrimage doesn't directly benefit tourism, it might help instill confidence among tourists to return to the valley," he added. The Amarnath Yatra, an annual pilgrimage to the Holy Cave of Lord Shiva in the mountains of South Kashmir, is scheduled to begin on July 3. While its route passes through Pahalgam, the economic benefit to local tourism has historically been limited due to the restricted and high-security nature of the event. Still, many locals see it as a symbolic restart. For now, however, the once-vibrant Pahalgam continues to grapple with fear, uncertainty, and economic despair— a stark reminder of how terrorism continues to wound not just lives but livelihoods. The terror attack of April 22, which was claimed by 'The Resistance Front' (TRF), a front for Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit, has already brought India and Pakistan to the brink of a full-fledged war. Investigators identified the three attackers as Adil Hussain Thokar from Anantnag, and two Pakistani nationals, Ali Bahi alias Talha Bahi and Hashim Musa alias Suleman. To avenge the carnage, India launched 'Operation Sindoor' during the night of May 6–7, targeting 9 major terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). Pakistan retaliated, and intense cross-border military operations ensued for 4 days, before a ceasefire was announced. Meanwhile, the Pahalgam attackers remain at large. Security forces believe the trio is still hiding in the treacherous forested mountains surrounding Pahalgam and a hunt continues. Security officials suspect the same group was behind at least three other attacks in Dera ki Gali in Poonch, Bota Patri in Gulmarg, and Gangangir in Ganderbal in a year and a half, leaving several Army men and nonlocal workers dead. 'We will get them,' a senior security officer said, confirming that large-scale combing operations are underway in the area. UNI MJR AKK BD SSP
Scroll.in
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Rush Hour: HC refuses to quash FIR against Mohammed Zubair, SC criticises ED in Tasmac case and more
We're building a brand-new studio to bring you bold ground reports, sharp interviews, hard-hitting podcasts, explainers and more. Support Scroll's studio fund today. The Allahabad High Court has refused to quash a first information report against Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair in a case related to a social media post about Hindutva supremacist Yati Narsinghanand. The bench, however, permitted the interim protection from arrest granted to Zubair in December to continue till the filing of the chargesheet in the case. The Alt News co-founder was booked on October 7 for allegedly promoting enmity between religious groups with a post about Narsinghanand. The priest of the Dasna Devi temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad, Narsinghanand reportedly made a derogatory comment about Prophet Muhammad during a lecture on September 29, sparking protests by Muslim groups in several cities. On October 3, Zubair had shared a purported video of the speech on the social media platform X and demanded legal action against Narsinghanand. Read on All foreign nationals staying illegally in India, whether from Bangladesh or any other country, will be dealt as per law, New Delhi has said. This came amid reports that Indian authorities had forced persons, including Rohingya refugees and at least three individuals alleged to be Indians, into Bangladesh and Myanmar. India's Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that there were more than 2,360 cases of persons 'required to be deported'. Many among them have already served their jail terms, but their deportation has been delayed because their nationality verification has been pending since 2020, he said. Jaiswal urged Bangladesh to expedite the verification process. Stating that the Enforcement Directorate was 'crossing all limits', the Supreme Court has stayed its money laundering investigation against the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation. Hearing a petition by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led Tamil Nadu government and Tasmac, the bench said the central agency was violating the federal structure of the country. Tasmac is a government-owned company that has a monopoly over the wholesale and retail sales of alcoholic beverages in Tamil Nadu. The ED has alleged that Tasmac is at the centre of a Rs 1,000-crore corruption network involving state officials, liquor distilleries and bottling companies. The state government and the company have challenged the Madras High Court's order in April, which dismissed their plea against ED searches at the liquor corporation's headquarters. On Thursday, the bench questioned how the central agency could initiate a case against a corporation. Read on. Pakistan has directed an official at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to leave the country within 24 hours. This came a day after India declared a Pakistani High Commission official in New Delhi persona non grata for allegedly 'engaging in activities inconsistent with his diplomatic role'. In diplomatic parlance, an official declared persona non-grata is deemed unwelcome by the host country. This marked the second such expulsion by India and Pakistan within a week amid heightened tensions following cross-border firings.
