On Tuesday morning, a middle aged couple got off the train at Nampally Railway Station to be greeted by a deserted area with no transport. Then, they saw a group of bikers who offered them a free ride. The happy couple, after a small chat, rode pillion to their home at Yakutpura. And just like this couple, many other stranded commuters got surprise help from over 50 bikers from a group named Wanderers Bulleteers of Hyderabad, who spread themselves across major junctions in the city, like railway stations, bus stops and more, and offered free rides.
Rahool Saxena, member of the group, who was the brain behind the idea, said, "In the past, many of us have been stranded due to non-availability of public transport during such shutdowns. On Monday night, it struck me that why not do something to help all those who might be stranded? I spread the message to other group members and by Tuesday morning, about 50 of us got together and went to different parts of the city in batches"
Another biker and dentist, Syed Faheem, who dropped an Ahmedabad student from Abids to Ameerpet said, "People weren't asking for lifts, so we had to approach them and when we offered help, it was a pleasant surprise for them. This guy was stranded at Abids for nearly two hours. So, when I offered to help him, he was extremely grateful"
But it wasn't all hunky-dory. Some passengers got intimidated. Derick Saldanha, a 25-year-old IT professional, said, "I was dressed in my biking gear, so, when I approached people, they were scared to accept help. Only when I took off my helmet and explained the concept did they agree to take the ride"
Derick dropped a Karnataka girl from Mehdipatnam Bus Stand to Ameerpet. Preema Mascrances, a 22-year-old student who came to the city on Tuesday morning said, "When I reached the bus stop, there was no transport. Some autos were there, but the drivers asked for three-four times the fare. Then, this guy came to me. Initially, I got scared. But when he dropped me off, I gave him contact details of another friend who was stranded elsewhere and another person from the group helped her too"
Talking about the initiative, MA Kaleem, a 70-year-old member of the club, said, "It was a last minute plan and we got tremendous response" The dusty, unswept streets radiating from Charminar were deserted like never before. "Even when there is curfew in force, the streets are never so deserted. This is the Bangalore highway and you will never see it so empty," said Afzal Mohammed, a khadeem (caretaker) at Majnu Baba Dargah in Bahadurpura main road. "I waited at home till 8.30 am, but nobody turned up to take the details for the survey. I have left instructions at home about the details to be given," he said.
A couple and their two children who sat near Charminar said they reached there by an RTC bus. "We don't know why the streets are deserted. We heard people talking about some survey in the train, but we never thought we would be victims. I am looking for a place where we can have breakfast," said Arnab Goswami, who came for a holiday from Kharagpur.
As malls, cinema halls, shops and restaurants staying shut, the fallback option was family. "Aaj hi sabko ghar ke bahar kyun khana hai ... family ke saath khao.. saath banao saath me khao... bored of `aaj kahan milega roadside food' posts..Guys government is doing something for betterment (hopefully) and it's a paid holiday, so enjoy, rather making a fuss over it," one bloke posted on a foodies group in Hyderabad.
The online mood swung between taut tension, to relief. As Telugu comedian Vennela Kishore, tweeted: "Survey ppl on my next door... next neney! Reminds me of my hostel days -monthly room check...'magazines dacheyandroo' (hide the magazines) days! (sic). And a little later, "Survey went cool ... very very friendly and basic questions!!
No entertainment this holiday!
A typical film buff, who would normally plan a movie outing on holiday, found the going tough on Tuesday. The owner of a reputed theatre near RTC Crossroad, said, "The instructions are clear that the theatres remain shut till 8 pm. Usually, during bandhs organised by political parties, the atmosphere eases by afternoon and we screen movies for the first and second show, but this is different"
Not just screening, but even shootings of films in Telangana have been halted. Confirming this, Burugupally Sivaramkrishna, Secretary AP Film Chamber of Commerce and President of Telugu Film Producers Council, said, "Yes, all the shootings (indoor and outdoor) have been cancelled on Tuesday. Since the survey is a massive activity and being conducted for a good cause, we all have decided to extend our cooperation to the authorities."
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